October 11, 2023

Cosmic Girls Foundation Launches Global Competition to Empower Girls for Space (Source: Cosmic Girls)
Cosmic Girls Foundation introduces an international charity and competition to inspire girls to pursue careers in space and STEM fields. The foundation's mission is to, "Launch dreams in girls, and girls into space," creating a game-changing platform to support female astronaut talent. As of June 2023, less than 12% of astronauts were women, with only 12 countries having female representation in space. These statistics alone highlight the importance of this mission. Click here. (10/4)

Planet's Pelican Tech Demonstration Satellite Ready for Launch (Source: Space Daily)
Planet Labs reports that its Pelican tech demonstration satellite, Pelican-1, along with 36 SuperDoves, have arrived at Vandenberg Space Force Base in preparation for launch next month. Pelican-1, designed and manufactured by Planet, is the first tech demonstration of Planet's next-generation, high-resolution fleet, which is expected to replenish and improve upon Planet's existing high-resolution systems in orbit today. The 36 SuperDoves, Planet's Flock 4q, will contribute to Planet's daily monitoring PlanetScope mission. (10/11)

SSC Wants 'Project Apollo' to Accelerate Advances in Space Domain Awareness (Source: Space Daily)
Space Systems Command (SSC), the United States Space Force (USSF) field command responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering resilient space capabilities, is now accepting applications for its inaugural Project Apollo cohort. Details and on-line applications can be found at www.sdataplab.org.

Project Apollo is a voluntary, collaborative tech accelerator that brings U.S. companies, University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), industry experts, and Space Force Guardians together to solve critical challenges in space domain awareness. Collaborations are facilitated in three-month innovation cycles taking place at SSC's newly opened Space Domain Awareness Tools, Applications and Technology (TAP) Lab in Colorado Springs. The first cycle begins on October 26. (10/11)

Measuring Nutrition in Crops From Space (Source: Space Daily)
With many people around the world suffering from various forms of malnutrition it's important that the absolute basics such as rice, soya and wheat are as nourishing as possible. ESA-funded research shows that the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission and the Italian Prisma mission could be used to monitor the nutritional content of staple crops. This could, for example, help farmers take appropriate steps to boost the quality of their crops as they grow.

Malnutrition from a lack of micronutrients such as calcium and potassium affects more than two billion people - that's over 25% of the global population. This type of malnutrition is a particular problem for those relying on crop-based diets and limited access to nutrient-rich food. It is sometimes referred to as a 'hidden hunger' because, in some cases, people may be consuming enough calories, but not actually getting enough essential nutrients and vitamins. (10/11)

Finding Explanation for Milky Way's Warp (Source: Space Daily)
The Milky Way is often depicted as a flat, spinning disk of dust, gas, and stars. But if you could zoom out and take an edge-on photo, it actually has a distinctive warp - as if you tried to twist and bend a vinyl LP. Though scientists have long known through observational data that the Milky Way is warped and its edges are flared like a skirt, no one could explain why.

Now, Harvard astronomers at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard and Smithsonian (CfA) have performed the first calculations that fully explain this phenomenon, with compelling evidence pointing to the Milky Way's envelopment in an off-kilter halo of dark matter. The work also bolsters current thinking about how the galaxy evolved and may offer clues into some of the mysteries of dark matter. (10/11)

Tracing the Origin and Energization of Plasma in the Heliosphere (Source: Space Daily)
Being able to predict and prepare for solar storms is important to keep humans and robotics safe on space missions. SPICES will enable us to better understand how these solar storms form by giving scientists information about how eruptions on the Sun occur and how they accelerate plasma. With this information, scientists can better predict when and how severe solar storms will be.

SPICES is designed to measure the chemical makeup of electrically charged streams of particles (also called wind) that blow in space. SPICES will measure the solar wind-the wind that blows away from the Sun, including the wind that results from the most severe solar storms. It will also measure neutral wind that blows into the solar system from interstellar space and becomes charged as it encounters the Sun, and wind that blows off planetary surfaces and out of planetary atmospheres. (10/11)

Spire Global Selected to Accelerate Digitalization Across the Maritime Industry (Source: Space Daily)
Spire Global was selected by MAN Energy Solutions to provide weather data and real-time automatic identification system (AIS) vessel-tracking data. MAN-ES will integrate Spire AIS and weather data into its digital solution, PrimeServ Assist, a monitoring and advisory tool for the decarbonization and optimization of marine equipment. The shipping industry can decrease fuel consumption by 1% through optimized vessel execution and performance management mechanisms, utilizing AIS and weather data for route mapping. (10/11)

Evolution Space to Produce and Test Solid Rocket Motors at Stennis (Source: Space Daily)
NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, joined with Evolution Space on Oct. 10 to announce plans for the aerospace company to establish production and testing operations for solid rocket motors onsite. "This is another great addition to south Mississippi's commercial space engagement," Center Director Dr. Rick Gilbrech said. "Evolution Space gains access to critical NASA Stennis infrastructure and expertise as it continues to build its propulsion capabilities. In turn, we continue frontline work with commercial companies as we support NASA's commitment to increase access to space and grow our federal city. We look forward to working with Evolution Space." (10/11)

Relativity Space and Intelsat Sign Multi-Launch Agreement for Terran R (Source: Relativity)
Relativity Space has signed a multi-year, multi-launch Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with Intelsat, operator of the largest integrated space and terrestrial network in the world. Under the agreement, Relativity will launch Intelsat satellites on Terran R, a medium-to-heavy-lift, reusable launch vehicle, as early as 2026. Relativity has a total of nine signed customers for Terran R, including multiple launches and totaling more than $1.8 billion in backlog. (10/11)

NRO Developing Highly Capable Intelligence-Gathering Satellites (Source: Space News)
The National Reconnaissance Office is working on a new line of satellites that will deliver 10 times the intelligence of current systems. Speaking at an event Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Christopher Povak, deputy director of the NRO, said a new generation of satellites  will provide more than 10 times the imagery and signals as current satellites. He did not elaborate on those satellites' capabilities beyond providing more persistent coverage with increased accuracy. Povak said the NRO is also interested in Space Force efforts to develop responsive launch services. (10/11)

Vector Atomic to Test GPS Aternative (Source: Space News)
A DoD-funded project awaiting launch will test the ability to provide navigation services independent of GPS. Vector Atomic, a California-based startup, worked with Honeywell Aerospace to produce a cutting-edge navigation sensor that uses an atomic clock to take precise measurements without relying on GPS. That sensor, funded by the Defense Innovation Unit, was delivered in August and is awaiting a ride to orbit. The technology could replace inertial navigation units that require frequent GPS updates to remain accurate. (10/11)

Astrobotic Resumes Xodiac Test Flights (Source: Space News)
Astrobotic has resumed flights of a suborbital vehicle it acquired from Masten Space Systems. Astrobotic said Tuesday it completed the first campaign of flights of Xodiac, a vertical-takeoff, vertical-landing rocket, since acquiring it a year ago among the assets of Masten after that company filed for bankruptcy. Xodiac is capable of low-altitude flights for testing technology, and Astrobotic says there is strong demand for it from NASA and other customers. Astrobotic is also continuing development of Xogdor, a larger vehicle that will be capable of flying to altitudes above 100 kilometers and potentially point-to-point missions, with a first flight targeted for 2025. (10/11)

Evolution Space Plans Testing and Production of Rocket Motors at Stennis (Source: Space News)
Evolution Space will establish a production and test facility for its solid rocket motors at NASA's Stennis Space Center. The company said Tuesday it signed an agreement to set up production at a former Army ammunition plant on Stennis property and use a Stennis test stand for motor tests. The company has flown its motors on suborbital launches earlier this year, and closed a $1.2 million bridge round that coincided with the Stennis agreement. While Stennis has long hosted engine testing for NASA and commercial customers, Evolution Space will be the first to test solid rocket motors at the center. (10/11)

Proteus Space Gains $4.2 Million Investment for Smallsat Designs (Source: Space News)
A startup has raised a seed round to design smallsats with the assistance of artificial intelligence. Proteus Space announced a $4.2 million seed round Tuesday to advance its work designing customized smallsats. The company argues its approach, using AI to speed up iteration on satellite designs, enables smallsat buses to be designed around the needs of payloads in the fraction of the time of conventional approaches and without the need to change the payload to fit into a standardized bus. Proteus says it has seen interest in its technology from prospective government and commercial customers. (10/11)

ESA Workarounds for Stray Sunlight, Tracking Problems Support Euclid Activation (Source: Space News)
ESA's Euclid astronomy spacecraft is overcoming some initial technical problems. In an interview, the project manager for Euclid said engineers have found workarounds for stray sunlight getting into the telescope's optics and tracking problems caused by cosmic ray interference with its fine guidance sensors. Astronomers says the quality of images from Euclid is excellent and that the initial technical problems should not interfere with the mission's long-term goal to collect data to better understand the nature of dark energy and dark matter. (10/11)

South Korea Terminating Russian Launch Contracts (Source: Korea Times)
South Korean officials are finalizing the termination of launch contracts with Russia for two satellites. The country's science ministry said this week that it has completed negotiations on the contract for the Arirang-6 satellite and is in the "final stages" of talks on the CAS-500-2 satellite. South Korea called off plans to launch those satellites on Russian rockets last year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and it was not clear how much money, if any, South Korea would get back from Russia as part of the negotiations. South Korea plans to launch Arirang-6 on a Vega C rocket as soon as the end of next year and has determined an unnamed "preferred bidder" for launching CAS-500-2. (10/11)

SLS Core Stage Coming to KSC in December (Source: NSF)
The core stage of the second Space Launch System rocket is now scheduled to ship to the Kennedy Space Center in December. That core stage was expected to be completed earlier this year at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans but project officials said they ran into supply chain problems as well as an issue with a new welding tool used to assemble the stage. Despite the delays in finishing the core stage for Artemis 2, NASA still expects to complete the core stage for Artemis 3 by early 2025. (10/11)

India Advances Abort Testing for Human-Rated Spacecraft (Source: The Hindu)
India's space agency ISRO has moved up the date for an abort test of its Gaganyaan spacecraft. The government minister responsible for space said Tuesday that the test is now scheduled for Oct. 21, four days earlier than previously reported. In the test, a single-stage rocket will launch the capsule to an altitude of 17 kilometers, at which point the capsule's abort motor will fire. The capsule will splash down about 10 kilometers offshore from the launch site. (10/11)