October 25, 2023

An Impatient Industry Waits for SDA Verdict on Satellite Lasers (Source: Space Intel Report)
Any company designing a data-relay or broadband satellite constellation would prefer to hold off selecting its laser communications terminal (LCT) supplier until the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) has performed in-orbit validation of at least two, if not all four, of the LCT providers it’s working with. “We know the technology works and we know the engineering, but that’s on GEO satellites at a cost of 10s of millions for the [LCT] nodes — not sufficient for a commercial, proliferated product,” said Rizwan Parvez. (10/25)

Pew Pew: An Update on Lasers in Space (Source: LinkedIn)
Even today, saying "lasers in space" for many conjures up images of the Death Star on a course to obliterate an unsuspecting planet in a galaxy far away. However, the past few years have seen an incredible growth in the volume, scale, and use of lasers for space applications, and there's no sign of them stopping. Click here. (10/20)

The Mystery of Cosmic Radio Bursts Gets Bright New Clues (Source: WIRED)
Since the 2000s, 750 confirmed bursts have been found at radio frequencies between 100 megahertz and 8 gigahertz. So far most of them seem to come from other galaxies. Some of those blips repeat themselves; some are one-offs. They likely come from rare and extreme objects known as magnetars. Astronomer Mark Snelders suspected that even briefer radio bursts might be out there. If so, that would be a hint that they might come from different kinds of sources.

He lacked the data to find out, but then realized someone else probably had it: Breakthrough Listen, a project that searches for radio signals from alien civilizations. It turned out that Breakthrough Listen had nearly 400 terabytes of data collected in 2017 that included such short-duration spikes buried in it. Suddenly, Snelders’ team had lots of the publicly available data they needed.

The brevity of the pulses does yield some information about the source: It’s very small, as a magnetar would be. These signals likely originated from the central engine of a magnetar’s magnetic field or of another compact, energetic object. A second study spotted the farthest and brightest fast radio burst ever seen. In less than a millisecond, it blazed out as much energy as the sun emits in more than 16 years, and it did this some 10 billion light-years away. (10/25)

China's TSS Commercial Cargo Plans (Source: Space News)
Chinese commercial launch companies could send cargo to Tiangong in the future. A recent solicitation for commercial cargo services led to selection of four proposals, all from large state-run firms, for further study. However, Chinese officials said that commercial providers are expected to participate in the next phase of commercial procurement of the low-cost cargo program, citing good cost performance from their vehicles. China is also requesting proposals for a lunar rover for the country's crewed lunar missions. China is aiming to land a pair of astronauts on the moon before 2030. (10/25)

Europe Warms to SpaceX for Galileo Launches (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Europe is moving closer to launching Galileo navigation satellites with SpaceX. ESA has reached an agreement with SpaceX for two Falcon 9 launches in 2024 each carrying two Galileo satellites. The launches are intended to be a stopgap as Europe awaits the introduction of the Ariane 6 rocket, which has suffered extensive delays. That launch deal, widely expected for months, still requires the approval of the European Commission, which oversees Galileo. The commission is expected to sign off on the deal by the end of the year. (10/25)

Ingenuity Helicopter Flies Again on Mars (Source: Space.com)
NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter has made its longest flight in a year and a half. Ingenuity flew 579 meters on its 63rd flight last week, JPL said, the longest since Flight 25 in April 2022, when it traveled 704 meters. Ingenuity, sent to Mars as a technology demonstration expected to last no more than five flights, is now serving as a scout for the Perseverance Mars rover. (10/25)

Tim Peake to Quit Retirement to Lead UK’s First Astronaut Mission (Source: The Guardian)
The last British astronaut to go into space is to come out of retirement to lead the UK’s first astronaut mission. Tim Peake, 51, who will be leading the mission, last flew to the International Space Station (ISS) as a European Space Agency astronaut in 2015. The UK mission, in which four British astronauts will go to space, is being developed by Axiom, an American company that organises visits to the ISS. The project is expected to cost £200m, although there will be no contribution by the British taxpayer. (10/25)

SpaceX to Close Out 2023 With This Aggressive Florida Launch Schedule (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
Of the 40 launches predicted for Brevard County on spacelaunchschedule.com for the remainder of 2023, 12 are for Starlink, the telecommunications constellation rapidly populating low-Earth orbit. Each launch reaps millions for Florida’s economy and secures the employment of nearly 2,000 people. So far in 2023, SpaceX has had 58 launches out of Central Florida, its most ever in a given year. The aggressive SpaceX launch schedule is partly responsible for another superlative: more rockets have launched out of Brevard County in 2023 than any other year. (10/24)

ULA has set Christmas Eve as the date for the first Vulcan Centaur launch. The Dec. 24 Cert-1 mission will carry Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander and a payload from space memorial company Celestis. The date is based on the mission requirements for Peregrine as well as completing work on the rocket, such as making modifications to the Centaur upper stage after a test mishap in the spring. There are backup launch dates on Dec. 25 and 26, and another launch window in January. ULA CEO Tory Bruno said he expected the company to perform "several" Vulcan launches in 2024 as it ramps up flight rates of the new rocket. (10/25)

US and China Discuss Space Safety (Source: Space News)
Officials with the U.S. and China met earlier this month to discuss space safety issues. The meeting on the sidelines of the International Astronautical Congress in Azerbaijan involved the director of the Office of Space Commerce and his Chinese counterparts. The Office of Space Commerce is working on establishing a new civil space traffic coordination system, and wants to better understand the capabilities of other national space situational awareness systems as part of a long-term vision to create a "federated network" of such systems. (10/25)

DoD Strategy to Harness Emerging Tech for Space (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon's space policy office is crafting a strategy to harness emerging technologies for national security purposes. John Plumb, assistant secretary of defense for space policy, said in a speech that the strategy would cover the entire DoD and not just the Space Force, which is working on its own strategy. A focus area will be space mobility and logistics, he said, citing the inability today to refuel satellites to extend their lives and provide more maneuverability. He said the invasion of Ukraine underscored for Pentagon leaders the advantages that could be gained from commercial satellites for resilience and reconstitution. (10/25)

NASA Seeks Governmental Authorization for Certain Commercial Space Activities (Source: Space News)
NASA's deputy administrator emphasized the importance of developing a new "mission authorization" policy for commercial space activities. Pam Melroy said such a policy, outlining how the government will oversee novel commercial space activities, is important to NASA as the agency relies on companies for lunar landers and commercial space stations. A mission authorization policy, she added, could also help harmonize regulations with other nations involved in Artemis. Melroy said she was "pleased" with the work by the National Space Council crafting that policy but offered no insights on when the policy might be released. (10/25)

Record Number of Space Coast Launches Boosts Local Economy (Source: MyNews 13)
As launches rates ramp up, so to does the local economy. Especially in the commercial launch industry. In addition, company officials say workers are needed to fill positions in upstart companies looking for a piece of the launch pie. Activity continues to ramp up at Vaya Space in Cocoa as the small satellite and tech company's products also continue to develop. Vaya has grown from seven employees in 2017 to nearly 50 currently.

Some 30 to 40 engineers will be hired at Vaya's production facility, two engine test facilities and Launch Complex 13 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. NASA job numbers show more than 12,000 workers, including civil servants, contractors and commercial launch providers, contribute to the area's space economy — with 22% coming from commercial launch providers like Vaya. The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast says the private sector has brought in more than 2,000 jobs, and the global economy is expected to soar past $1 trillion by 2040. (10/25)

China to Send Youngest-Ever Crew to TSS (Source: Space Daily)
China will send its youngest-ever crew of astronauts to the Tiangong space station this week, officials said Wednesday, as Beijing pursues plans for a manned mission to the Moon by the end of the decade. Tiangong is the crown jewel of Beijing's space programme, which has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon and made China the third country to put humans in orbit. The station is constantly crewed by teams of three astronauts, who are rotated out every six months. (10/25)

China Able, Ready to Invite Foreign Astronauts to TSS (Source: Space Daily)
China is able and ready to invite foreign astronauts to participate in China's space station flight missions, announced a senior official from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). We extend an invitation to the world and welcome all countries and regions committed to the peaceful use of outer space to cooperate with us and participate in the Chinese space station missions," said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA. Lin also vowed to include foreign astronauts in the country's moon-landing mission once the necessary conditions are met. (10/25)

China Plans New Module for TSS (Source: Space Daily)
China will launch an extension module at an appropriate time and upgrade the basic configuration of the space station from the current T shape to a cross shape. The extension module will install space science experiment cabinets and large extra-vehicular experiment equipment in multiple fields with expanded application scale to meet the new needs of space science research and application, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA. The space station will also upgrade the facilities and equipment related to astronauts' in-orbit protection, exercise, diet and hygiene to improve the support level of their work, life and health. (10/25)

Space-Based Solar Farms Prove Viable in Six-Year University Study (Source: Space Daily)
A groundbreaking six-year study by the Universities of Surrey and Swansea has confirmed the feasibility of low-cost, lightweight solar panels capable of generating power in space. The research provides compelling evidence supporting the commercial potential of space-based solar farms. The study, the first of its kind, tracked a satellite through over 30,000 orbits to monitor the performance and resilience of its onboard solar panels. Developed to understand how these solar panels withstand solar radiation and the extreme conditions of space, the research offers valuable insights for future large-scale, cost-effective solar energy projects in orbit. (10/25)

ACT's Thermal Management System Will Help VIPER Rover Survive Long Lunar Nights (Source: Space Daily)
Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc. (ACT) recently reached a milestone in space technology by completing its Thermal Management System (TMS) for NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER). The project journeyed from its initial conceptual stages through to the final development of flight-critical hardware, fulfilling ACT's pledge to contribute to the advancement of space exploration.

The core of the Thermal Management System consists of four Loop Heat Pipes (LHPs) and a quartet of radiators. These LHPs play an essential role in regulating the heat generated by VIPER's science instruments and avionic systems during lunar excursions. Functioning akin to a circulatory system, these advanced heat pipes efficiently divert heat away from mission-critical hardware. (10/25)

National Innovation Challenge for Australia's First Lunar Robotic Rover Arm (Source: Space Daily)
The Australian Space Agency, in collaboration with NASA's Artemis program, is embarking on an ambitious journey to design Australia's first lunar rover. The ELO2 Big Dipper Lunar Regolith Acquisition Challenge is an open invitation for innovators and enthusiasts to be a part of this groundbreaking mission. The challenge revolves around the design of a Regolith Sample Acquisition Device, a crucial component of the lunar rover. This device will be responsible for collecting lunar soil samples and transporting them to an In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) facility managed by NASA. (10/25)

How NASA is Protecting Europa Clipper From Space Radiation (Source: Space Daily)
When NASA's Europa Clipper begins orbiting Jupiter to investigate whether its ice-encased moon, Europa, has conditions suitable for life, the spacecraft will pass repeatedly through one of the most punishing radiation environments in our solar system. Hardening the spacecraft against potential damage from that radiation is no easy task. But on Oct. 7, the mission put the final piece of the spacecraft's "armor" in place when it sealed the vault, a container specially designed to shield Europa Clipper's sophisticated electronics.

"Closing the vault is a major milestone," said Kendra Short at JPL. Just under a half-inch thick, the aluminum vault houses the electronics for the spacecraft's suite of science instruments. The alternative of shielding each set of electronic parts individually would add cost and weight to the spacecraft. "The vault is designed to reduce the radiation environment to acceptable levels for most of the electronics," said JPL's Insoo Jun. (10/25)

TransAstra's FlyTrap Honored by TIME as a Special Mention in the Best Inventions of 2023 (Source: TransAstra)
TransAstra, the groundbreaking space logistics startup, is thrilled to announce that its innovative product, FlyTrap, has received a special mention in TIME's prestigious list of the Best Inventions of 2023. FlyTrap is a pioneering solution designed to address the growing issue of orbital debris. Its development underscores TransAstra's commitment to advancing space technology and ensuring that space remains a sustainable environment for all of humanity. (10/24)

NASA Salvages Parts From Alabama's Rest Stop Saturn IB Rocket (Source: CollectSpace)
At the very end, it was the rocket that took itself down. A local landmark that drew national attention as politicians and the public debated its fate, the Apollo-era Saturn IB rocket was in the final minutes of being laid down when its corroded metal skin gave way and it fell the last 15 feet to the ground. Landing with a thud, it confirmed what officials at NASA's nearby Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) already knew: the rocket was no longer safe to remain standing at the Ardmore Welcome Center in Elkmont, Alabama.

All of the hardware, regardless of its pedigree, was NASA property. MSFC leased the pieces to the Space & Rocket Center, a museum operated by the government of Alabama, to assemble and manage on display. While large parts were beyond saving and demolished, significant components of the display were set aside and are now being evaluated by NASA as artifacts to be offered to museums for new exhibits. (10/19)

Northrop-Airbus Team Develop Satcoms for UK Military (Source: Shephard)
Airbus and Northrop Grumman have entered a strategic partnership to develop the UK's future SKYNET military satellite communications program. The two companies have agreed to collaborate on meeting the UK Ministry of Defense's satellite communication needs, emphasizing the increasing importance of space-based assets for military forces. (10/23)

Space Force to Leverage Danti's AI-Powered Data Search with AFWERX Deal (Source: Space Daily)
Danti, a tech company specializing in AI-powered data solutions, recently secured a Direct-to-Phase II contract worth $1.2 million from AFWERX. The focus of the contract is to leverage artificial intelligence in geospatial and broader data search to tackle key challenges faced by the Department of the Air Force, specifically the Space Force. (10/20)

Celebrating French-Indian Space Collaboration (Source: Space Daily)
French Space Days India 2023, organized by Business France in partnership with CNES, GIFAS, ISpA, IFCCI and supported by IN-Space and ISRO, concluded with remarkable achievements and key figures that underscored the strength of bilateral space cooperation. This four-day immersive event, spread across Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, brought together visionaries and experts from France and India to celebrate space innovation and collaboration. (10/24)

Fugro SpAARC's Operations Set to Grow with New Funding From Western Australian Govt (Source: Space Daily)
Fugro's Space Automation, AI and Robotics Control Complex (SpAARC) in Perth, Western Australia (WA), is to receive an additional AUD 5 million in funding from the WA Government. Roger Cook, the WA Premier, made the announcement at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth on the morning of the opening of IPSEC 2023, Perth's Indo-Pacific Space and Earth Conference for leaders in space and cross-sector technologies. (10/24)

UArizona Researchers Probe How a Piece of the Moon Became a Near-Earth Asteroid (Source: Space Daily)
A team of University of Arizona astronomers suggested that a recently discovered near-Earth asteroid, Kamo`oalewa, could be a chunk of the moon. Two years after the striking discovery, another UArizona research group has found that a rare pathway could have enabled this to happen. "We are now establishing that the moon is a more likely source of Kamo`oalewa," Malhotra said. The implication is that many more lunar fragments remain to be discovered among the near-Earth asteroid population. (10/24)

Texas A&M Joins Multimillion-Dollar Moon Orbit Tracking Project (Source: Space Daily)
Texas A&M University is joining a multi-university team on a major research project to track objects orbiting the moon. The Air Force Research Laboratory is awarding up to $5 million over five years for the Space University Research Initiative (SURI). The collaborative project aims to develop new capabilities to improve space domain awareness. Currently, NASA and the Air Force can monitor objects like satellites, asteroids and debris in low Earth orbit. This research seeks to expand this ability to high Earth orbits. (10/24)

Exoplanet-Informed Research Helps Search for Radio Technosignatures (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers used the known population of exoplanets and extrapolated to the much larger, unknown population of exoplanets to set better thresholds for planetary effects on signals from ETIs (extraterrestrial intelligences). The prior recommendation for the threshold "drift rate" contribution, caused by a planet's motion around its host star, was 200 nHz.

In this work, lead author Megan Grace Li and her team found that 53 nHz was sufficient in 99% of known-exoplanet cases and that this value drops to a mere 0.44 nHz for stars without known planets. These significant, data-driven reductions in the recommended drift rate threshold will lead to considerable savings in computing time and, therefore, boosted efficiency for future SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) campaigns. (10/24)

NASA Is Struggling to Open Its Asteroid Sample Container (Source: Gizmodo)
For the past week, the curation team for the OSIRIS-REx mission has been having a hard time opening the TAGSAM head, a round sampler head at the end of an articulated arm on the spacecraft that was used to grab the sample from the asteroid. The TAGSAM head (Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism) is where the bulk of the asteroid sample is, and it is therefore being carefully handled by members of the team through a specialized glovebox under the flow of nitrogen to prevent contamination. (10/23)

How to Make Space-Based Solar Power a Reality (Source: Financial Times)
Concerns over climate change are fueling breakthroughs in satellite technology that harnesses the sun’s energy. “At first we thought we weren’t detecting a signal. Then it started coming in and getting stronger.”  The team was elated. For the first time, a detectable amount of solar power had been beamed wirelessly from space back to Earth. No matter that it was insufficient to power even a lightbulb. It was proof to a growing community of space solar power advocates that it was technically possible to supply a power-hungry planet with energy from space.  

“The sun is the closest thing we have to an infinite energy source,” says Paul Jaffe, an electronics engineer at the US Naval Research Laboratory who has studied space-based solar power for 16 years. “You [could] create a global energy network that could provide energy potentially anywhere on Earth. Space solar could do for energy what GPS did for navigation.” Even as recently as 10 years ago, this idea was dismissed as too costly and technologically challenging to be commercially viable.

But as the sense of urgency over the threat of climate change grows and the economics of space evolve, governments around the world are reconsidering its potential. Researchers in China, the US, UK, Japan and Europe are all studying its feasibility, with a view to possibly launching experiments into space before the end of the decade. (10/24)

Rapid Ice Melt in West Antarctica Now Inevitable (Source: The Guardian)
Accelerated ice melt in west Antarctica is inevitable for the rest of the century no matter how much carbon emissions are cut, research indicates. The implications for sea level rise are “dire”, scientists say, and mean some coastal cities may have to be abandoned. The ice sheet of west Antarctica would push up the oceans by 5 metres if lost completely. Previous studies have suggested it is doomed to collapse over the course of centuries, but the new study shows that even drastic emissions cuts in the coming decades will not slow the melting.

The analysis shows the rate of melting of the floating ice shelves in the Amundsen Sea will be three times faster this century compared with the previous century, even if the world meets the most ambitious Paris agreement target of keeping global heating below 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. (10/23)

Grunsfeld Joins Copernicus (Source: Copernicus)
Copernicus Space Corporation is growing! We are thrilled to announce that astrophysicist, five-time astronaut, and former head of NASA Science John Grunsfeld has joined us as Chief Strategy Officer! John’s deep knowledge of space mission design and execution, vision for the future of the space sector, and keen interest in searching for life beyond Earth accelerate our efforts to bring a Copernican revolution to space exploration and operations. (9/28)