October 16, 2023

Starfighters Announces Hypersonic R&D Contracts (Source: Starfighters Space)
Starfighters Space has been contracted to assist with two hypersonic research projects, using the company's Mach 2+ F-104 aircraft as R&D platforms. The announcement comes as Congress aims to bolster US hypersonic aerospace capabilities. The two contracts will involve high cadence operational testing at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, including one for DoD's HyCAT (hypersonic and high-cadence testing capabilities) program involving the testing of prototype hypersonic systems. (10/16)

The Latest Updates From Project Kuiper’s Satellite Test Mission (Source: Amazon)
Project Kuiper engineers have confirmed that our KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2 satellites are fully activated, generating power independently, and communicating with our mission operations center. A ULA Atlas 5 carried two prototype satellites into space, deploying them at an altitude of 311 miles above Earth. (10/16)

Space Insurers Take Interest in Satellite Servicing (Source: Space News)
Despite a spate of on-orbit satellite failures, insurers are taking a cautious approach to satellite servicing. The space insurance field is facing up to $1 billion in claims this year, twice its projected premiums, thanks in part to satellite malfunctions like ViaSat-3 Americas and Inmarsat-6 F2. Satellite servicing technologies would, in theory, be able to repair such satellites and reduce claims, but a space insurance broker said at a conference last week that insurers want to first see that such systems are available, reliable and cost effective, a process that may require in-space demonstrations of servicing technology first. (10/16)

NOAA's Aging Orbital Coronagraph Overdue for Replacement (Source: Space News)
Saturday's solar eclipse offered a reminder of the importance of NOAA's monitoring of the sun. Those observations rely on a coronagraph instrument on a spacecraft nearly 30 years old and far beyond its projected lifetime. NOAA plans to replace it with two coronagraph instruments launching on spacecraft in 2024 and 2025, but NOAA officials say they worry what would happen if the existing coronagraph were to fail before then. NOAA officials also emphasized partnerships with the European Space Agency to share data, including from an ESA spacecraft called Vigil that will launch later this decade. (10/16)

China's CGST Tests Satellite-to-Ground Laser Comms (Source: Space News)
A Chinese satellite manufacturer and operator has conducted satellite-to-ground laser communications tests. Changguang Satellite Technology (CGST) said it carried out a test earlier this month involving a Jilin-1 remote sensing satellite and a vehicle-mounted laser communication ground station. The test demonstrated the ability to downlink data at speeds of 10 gigabits per second, with the potential to increase that to up to 100 gigabits per second. CGST has already begun adding laser terminals to some of its satellites launched this year. It is also working on inter-satellite links, which will help China get around a relative lack of global ground station access. (10/16)

NewSpace Nexus Incubator Assists Startups with DoD Support (Source: Space News)
An organization that started in New Mexico is expanding its efforts to support emerging space companies. NewSpace Nexus, formerly known as NewSpace New Mexico, runs an incubator for space startups around the country called NewSpace Ignitor and works with the Defense Innovation Unit, U.S. Space Force and Air Force Research Laboratory on workshops and conferences. The organization changed its name to reflect broader efforts to support emerging space companies, although it still focuses much of its efforts on New Mexico. (10/16)

Rubio Adapting Well After Year in Space (Source: Space Policy Online)
The first NASA astronaut to spend more than a year in space on a single mission says he is adapting well to life back on Earth. Frank Rubio spent 371 days in space, returning from the International Space Station late last month. At a press conference Friday, Rubio compared his return to Earth to flipping a switch, with little confusion about being back on the ground in normal gravity after more than a year in weightlessness. He said he has minor aches and pains, but noted his eyesight actually improved while in space. (10/16)

Sunlight Could Aid in Regolith Melting for Lunar Construction (Source: Nature)
Sunlight could pave the way to lunar bases. Scientists reported last week they successfully tested a technique that would use concentrated sunlight to melt lunar regolith, which could be used to create landing pads or roads that would minimize the amount of dust kicked up by lunar exploration activities. The tests in the lab used lasers, while the actual technology on the moon would involve large lenses to focus sunlight. (10/16)

Accelerating Interoperability Standards for Commercial Lunar Infrastructure (Source: Space Daily)
Through the Lunar Guidelines for Infrastructure Consortium (LOGIC), DARPA will convene stakeholders across industry, academia, and government to identify critical lunar infrastructure interoperability and interface needs. Where appropriate, LOGIC will encourage the community to develop operational guidelines and pathways to close interoperability gaps.

The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) will administer LOGIC, providing technical leadership and management of the consortium. LOGIC envisions a permanent, self-sustaining, and independent forum where international industry, government and academia can collaborate for the benefit of the entire lunar community. (10/16)

HALO Space Successfully Completes Second Battery of Test Flights (Source: Space Daily)
HALO Space recently carried out the second round of test flights for its space tourism trips in the dry lake of Cuddeback (California, USA). This phase involves the execution of four flights, as a proof of concept. These tests are performed by lifting the capsule with a helicopter to an altitude of 2,000 meters. The speed of descent of the capsule with the parachute is less than five meters per second. For the final approach, the capsule glides in a straight line against the wind, landing just as an airplane does. (10/16)

Terran Orbital Opens New Printed Circuit Board Assembly Facility in California (Source: Space Daily)
Terran Orbital announced the official opening of two new advanced Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) lines in Irvine, CA. In addition to its two new state-of-the-art PCBA Surface Mount Technology (SMT) lines, the company also added capabilities for post-SMT processes, fully automated inspection, 3-dimensional X-ray testing, Automated Optical Inspection (AOI), and flying probe technologies that give it the complete ability to produce, inspect, and test a broad spectrum of PCBAs in its facility. (10/16)

Northrop Grumman to Create Constellation of Connectivity for Air Force Research Laboratory (Source: Space Daily)
Northrop Grumman is working with the Air Force Research Laboratory to integrate commercial space internet into airborne platforms, advancing resilient connectivity for warfighters and supporting DoD's vision for Joint All-Domain Command and Control. This capability will enable the warfighter to securely share data and synchronize operations within milliseconds around the world, using open architecture and configurable systems to rapidly integrate into airborne platforms and ground vehicles. (10/16)

LSA Alliance Using NASA Technology to Develop Personal eVTOL Market (Source: Space Daily)
A remarkable new mode of personal mobility is being introduced by Applied eVTOL Concepts. The Epiphany Transporter evokes childhood dreams of Aladdin's Magic Carpet, providing fast, door-to-door, airborne transportation with VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) capability. In lieu of long, burdensome wings, the compact advanced vehicle configuration vaunts morphing, dual-mode, NASA-tested ducted thrusters enabling it to hover like a helicopter, and attain efficient high-speed cruise flight like an airplane. (10/11)