September 6, 2023

Soviet Television Reconnaissance Satellites (Source: Space Review)
The Soviet Union attempted to develop reconnaissance satellites that could electronically transmit images using television technologies starting in the 1960s. Bart Hendrickx examines those efforts and the setbacks they faced over the decades. Click here. (9/5)
 
India is On the Moon, But Needs to Avoid the “Moon Race” Trap (Source: Space Review)
India successfully landed on the Moon for the first time last month with the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Ajey Lele says the mission is a major milestone for India’s space program, but should not be seen as part of a race with other nations. Click here. (9/5)
 
The Opportunities and Challenges for Science at NASA and ESA (Source: Space Review)
Earlier this year, NASA and ESA selected new leaders of their respective science programs. Jeff Foust talked with those two people about their first few months on the job and their top issues. Click here. (9/5)
 
It’s Not Easy Being a Martian (Source: Space Review)
The Fox reality TV series “Stars on Mars” wrapped up recently with one “celebronaut” crowned as winner. The series, Dwayne Day explains, also provided useful lessons for real missions to the Red Planet. Click here. (9/5)
 
The International Community is Not Prepared for a Future in Space (Source: Space Review)
As more countries and companies undertake space activities, existing international agreements are put to the test. Austin Albin describes those challenges and proposes potential solutions. Click here. (9/5)

A Bigger, Better Space-Ripple Detector (Source: Space Daily)
The search for space-shaking ripples in the universe just got a big boost. An MIT-led effort to build a bigger, better gravitational-wave detector will receive $9 million dollars over the next three years from the National Science Foundation. The funding infusion will support the design phase for Cosmic Explorer - a next-generation gravitational-wave observatory that is expected to pick up ripples in space-time from as far back as the early universe. To do so, the observatory's detectors are planned to span the length of a small city.

The observatory's conceptual design takes after the detectors of LIGO - the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory that is operated by MIT and Caltech. LIGO "listens" for gravitational waves by measuring the timing of two lasers that travel from the same point, down two separate tunnels, and back again. Any difference in their arrival times can be a signal that a gravitational wave passed through the L-shaped detector. LIGO includes two twin detectors, sited in different locations in the United States. A similar set of detectors, Virgo, operates in Italy, along with a third, KAGRA, in Japan. (9/4)

ReOrbit Completes Oversubscribed Seed Funding Round (Source: Space Daily)
ReOrbit, a Helsinki-based leading provider of software-enabled satellites, has completed an oversubscribed Seed funding round for US $7.4M. ReOrbit enables real-time dataflow in space and provides Earth Observation and SatCom operators with flight software, satellite platforms, and complete systems. Thanks to its highly flexible software-first architecture, ReOrbit can adapt its satellites to different missions and support any payloads with powerful flight capabilities whilst keeping cost and time-to-orbit low. (9/5)

SatixFy Announces Strategic $60M Transaction with MDA (Source: Space Daily)
SatixFy Communications reports a $60 million transaction with MDA. The strategic transaction establishes cooperation between the companies, to utilize SatixFy's revolutionary digital payload chip based technology to advanced digital satellite payloads, which the parties believe to be unparalleled in today's market, and is expected to open up SatixFy's solutions to broader markets as well as new customers. (9/6)

A Good Night's Sleep in Orbit (Source: Space Daily)
During his Huginn mission, ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen will run two experiments focusing on sleeping in space: Circadian Light and Sleep in Orbit. Astronauts on the Space Station do a full circle of Earth every 90 minutes and experience 16 sunsets and sunrises every day. With this unearthly routine, astronauts can struggle to find a natural daily rhythm in space. The Space Station follows Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which helps keep a consistent schedule, along with regular wake-up and bedtime routines. (9/4)

Satellites Detect Where Locust Infestations Begin (Source: Space Daily)
Locusts can destroy grain crops and pastures, threatening people's livelihoods. In an international project, researchers from the German Aerospace Center have now developed methods to help detect locust outbreaks as early as possible and take action against them. Earth observation images acquired by satellites play a central role in this. These images enable the early detection of environmental parameters that favour the upsurge of the insects. (9/4)

What Happened to All the Supermassive Black Holes? Astronomers Surprised by Webb Data (Source: SciTech Daily)
A University of Kansas survey of a swath of the cosmos using the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed active galactic nuclei — supermassive black holes that are rapidly increasing in size — are rarer than many astronomers had assumed previously. The findings, made with the JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), suggest our universe may be a bit more stable than was supposed. The work also gives insights into observations of faint galaxies, their properties, and challenges in identifying AGN. (9/2)

Chinese Study Finds GSSAP Close Approaches a Threat to its GEO Assets (Source: Space News)
Chinese researchers have noted close approaches by U.S. GSSAP satellites to Chinese spacecraft in the geostationary belt, describing the activities as threats. A paper published in the Chinese journal Infrared and Laser Engineering earlier this year assessed the U.S. Air Force’s Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) and its activities. The authors are affiliated to branches of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Qian Xuesen Laboratory of Space Technology under the China Academy of Space Technology. (8/31)

Chinese Scientist Proposes Solar System-Wide Resource Utilization Roadmap (Source; Space News)
Chinese space scientists have outlined a tentative roadmap for establishing a space resources utilization network stretching into the outer reaches of the solar system. Wang Wei, a scientist affiliated to CASC, China’s main space contractor, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), is proposing a four-stage roadmap for a space resources utilization project which would, eventually, span the entire solar system by 2100.

The initiative is titled Tiangong Kaiwu and takes its name from Ming Dynasty scientist Song Yingxing’s work, “The Exploitation of the Works of Nature.” It proposes developing strategic mineral resources, utilizing off-world water-ice for fuel, creating transport and supply nodes, and establishing a space resource development system. (9/4)

Scientists Have Made a Discovery That Could Change Our Understanding of the Universe (Source: SciTech Daily)
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have made a discovery that could change our understanding of the universe. In their study, they reveal, for the first time, that there is a range in which fundamental constants can vary, allowing for the viscosity needed for life processes to occur within and between living cells. This is an important piece of the puzzle in determining where these constants come from and how they impact life as we know it. (8/30)

In U.S., Most UFO Documentation is Classified. Not So In Other Countries (Source: Washington Post)
In 1986, more than 20 unidentified aerial phenomena lit up the skies over Brazil’s most populous states, sending the Brazilian air force out in pursuit. The stories are not the ravings of a UFO buff. They are official assessments by Brazilian pilots and military officers — who often struggled to put into words what they’d seen — and can be found in Brazil’s remarkable historical archive of reported UFO visitations.

Even more extraordinary? It’s all public record. There are no security clearances. No heavily redacted documents. Anyone can access the files — the military reports, the videos and audio recordings, the grainy unverified photographs — and thousands of people have.

In South America, at least four countries — Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru — have public government programs that study and investigate UFO activity. Argentina and Chile regularly release reports on identifying aerial objects. And in Uruguay, which has passed UFO details along to the United States since the 1970s, the military runs the Commission for the Reception and Investigation of Complaints of Unidentified Flying Objects. (9/6)

It’s Time to Accelerate Integration of Commercial Space Tech Into the US Department of Defense (Source: Tech Crunch)
Ukraine conflict successes highlight the need for accelerated integration of commercial space capabilities into U.S. diplomatic, strategic, and security architectures. While the government has gradually integrated communications satellites and network services over the last few decades, it has yet to leverage the intelligence capabilities that commercial space offers.

Instead, they are still treated as a separate entity from military forces. The U.S. should capitalize on the undeniable advantages of commercial space by accelerating the incorporation of these capabilities into U.S. defense plans and operations. Waiting to integrate commercial systems until after a conflict starts will be too late.

National security leaders need to begin including commercial systems in relevant mission area architectures and define where and how these capabilities will be used. Failing to do so will weaken our ability to “Deter and Defend” against adversaries and will limit us to being reactive in a future conflict where every second will matter. (8/29)

Mission Accomplished, India Puts Moon Rover to 'Sleep' (Source: Reuters)
India switched off its moon rover, the first craft to reach the lunar south pole, after it completed its two-week assignment conducting experiments, the country's space agency said. The Pragyan rover from the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft was "set into Sleep mode" but with batteries charged and receiver on, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, late on Saturday. (9/3)

Space Force Tries Out a ‘Unique’ Approach for Developing New Tactics (Source: Air and Space Forces)
Every military service is constantly developing and tweaking tactics. But for the Space Force, the process by which the young service develops and approves them will shape the USSF for years to come. That development was highlighted last month by the first ever USSF Tactics Development Conference, the culmination of a system that is “purely unique” to the Space Force, a senior service official told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

Col. Jack D. Fulmer leads Space Delta 10, which organized the conference and has worked for two years to implement a new method of tactics development. “Initially, for the first year of our existence, we relied real heavily on headquarters and then legacy Air Force processes for weapons and tactics development,” Fulmer said. “But as a new service, we wanted to make sure that we developed and implemented a process that was purely unique to the Space Force.” (8/29)

SpaceX Loaned Musk $1 Billion During Twitter Acquisition (Source: Wall Street Journal)
SpaceX loaned founder Elon Musk $1 billion around the time he was acquiring Twitter. Records show that the company approved a loan, backed by some of Musk's stock, in October 2022. The records don't show the reason for the loan, but it came around the time Musk was completing his acquisition of Twitter. The loan represented a significant fraction of SpaceX's available capital, which included $4.7 billion of cash and securities at the end of 2022. (9/6)

Speculation That Mystery Florida Launch is Hypersonic Test (Source: Ars Technica)
A launch scheduled from Cape Canaveral as soon as today could be a hypersonic missile test. Airspace and maritime closures have been posted for regions around the Cape today, although no space launches are scheduled to take place. Instead, they appear to be linked to a hypersonic missile test by the U.S. military previously planned for March but postponed. (9/6)

Japan Proposes $68 Million Fund for Space R&D, Business (Source: Yomiuri Shimbun)
The Japanese government is proposing to establish a fund to support the country's space industry. The proposed fiscal year 2024 budget will include 10 billion yen ($68 million) provided jointly by three ministries to the Japanese space agency JAXA, which will provide the funding to support satellite, launch vehicle and other space technology development by companies and universities. The funding is part of a broader effort to stimulate space startups in the country. (9/6)

Australia Holding Contest to Name Lunar Rover (Source: Cosmos)
Australia's space agency is seeking names for a lunar rover it is developing. The Australian Space Agency is holding a contest to name a rover it plans to fly on a future NASA mission to the moon with a payload designed to extract oxygen from lunar regolith. The deadline for entries by Australian individuals and schools is Oct. 20, with the winning name to be announced at a conference Dec. 6. The rover itself is slated to launch as soon as 2026. (9/6)

Firefly Picked to Launch Three L3Harris Missions (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace said Tuesday it won a contract from L3Harris for three launches. Firefly said it will conduct three Alpha launches in 2026 from Vandenberg Space Force Base carrying satellites built by L3Harris. Those satellites are being developed under a $225 million contract for an unspecified "national security space mission," Firefly said. Firefly is ramping up production of the Alpha rocket, designed to place up to one ton into orbit, although the vehicle has not launched since a test flight nearly a year ago. (9/6)

Ariane 6 Engine Test Successful (Source: Space News)
An Ariane 6 core stage prototype completed a short-duration engine test Tuesday. ESA and ArianeGroup, prime contractor for the Ariane 6, said the four-second engine firing went as planned. The test will be followed in early October by a long-duration engine test, after which ESA plans to set a target date for the first Ariane 6 launch in 2024. (9/6)

Terran Orbital Unveils Seven Satellite Bus Models (Source: Space News)
Smallsat manufacturer Terran Orbital has unveiled a new line of seven standard satellite buses. The buses, with masses of between 14 and 1,000 kilograms, are intended to be "payload-agnostic," the company said, supporting a range of communications, imaging and other missions. The standardized buses are designed to reduce satellite costs by avoiding the need for customized platforms. (9/6)

Vodaphone Plans Kuiper Collaboration (Source: Space News)
Mobile phone operator Vodaphone plans to partner with Amazon's Project Kuiper to extend the reach of its networks. The companies said Tuesday that they agreed on a partnership where Kuiper's satellites will provide 4G and 5G connectivity to areas in Europe and Africa where it would be too challenging or expensive to deploy terrestrial networks. The first Project Kuiper service pilots would be available for Vodafone and other enterprise customers by the end of 2024 after launching an unspecified number of satellites. The companies did not disclose financial details about the partnership. (9/6)

India's Lunar Lander Raises India's Space Profile (Source: Space News)
The success of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander mission could help both India's space program and the country's global standing. Experts said that the performance of the mission, which is now in hibernation in hopes of surviving the two-week lunar night, could help win backing for more ambitious lunar missions, such as sample return, and also support other Indian space initiatives like its Gaganyaan human spaceflight program. The landing also provides "soft power" for India, showing it could be a partner of choice for other countries. (9/6)

Three Launches Set This Week From the Cape. Is One a DoD Hypersonic Missile Weapons Test? (Source: Florida Today)
Launch activity from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this week is seeing an uptick. As many as three launches are on deck through the weekend. However, one of them is unlike the others in that it could be a possible Department of Defense weapons test: the launch of a hypersonic missile. According to FAA safety warnings and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, some kind of space operation is expected from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Wednesday, but none of the active launch providers — NASA, SpaceX, and ULA — have any missions scheduled for liftoff. (9/4)

Central Florida Workforce Groups Plan Sep. 27 Meeting (Source: FAWA)
Never has workforce development been as important to the success of businesses and regional economic prosperity as it is today. CareerSource Brevard, CareerSource Flagler Volusia, and CareerSource Research Coast would like to invite you to join us on Sep. 27 for the virtual gathering of the industry councils that were established during the first Florida Atlantic Workforce Alliance Consortium. Click here. (9/5)