November 10, 2023

Iridium, Qualcomm End Satellite-to-Phone Partnership (Source: CNBC)
U.S. semiconductor giant Qualcomm ended its partnership with satellite communications company Iridium to provide satellite-to-phone services, Iridium announced on Thursday. Iridium stock fell more than 8% in after-hours trading from its close at $37.14 a share. The company said that while the parties “successfully developed and demonstrated the technology,” smartphone makers “have not included the technology in their devices,” leading Qualcomm to end the agreement. (11/9)

Boom Supersonic Touts Progress Across Programs (Source: Flying)
Boom Supersonic has achieved significant milestones in advancing its Overture airliner, Symphony engine, and the XB-1 supersonic demonstrator aircraft. Key developments include the XB-1 receiving its US airworthiness certificate as construction of the Overture factory is on track to be completed in the second quarter of 2024. (11/9)

Public Gets First Look at Sierra's Commercial Spaceplane (Source: Aerospace Manufacturing)
Sierra Space has unveiled the first complete Dream Chaser spaceplane, a part of its new fleet of reusable vehicles, which will soon undergo environmental testing. The Dream Chaser, the world's first commercial runway-capable spaceplane, is backed by a NASA contract for resupplying the International Space Station. (11/9)

Iridium Set to Directly Partner with OEMs Following Qualcomm Agreement Termination (Source: Space Daily)
In a strategic shift that underscores the evolving landscape of global satellite communications, Iridium Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: IRDM), has announced an update to its partnership with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of QUALCOMM Incorporated.

The announcement comes in the wake of a previous agreement wherein Iridium and Qualcomm aimed to integrate satellite messaging and emergency services into Snapdragon Mobile Platform-powered smartphones. This ambitious initiative sought to harness Iridium's robust satellite network to offer unprecedented connectivity options for mobile users. (11/10)

Momentus and RIDE! Space collaborate to connect SmallSat operators for In-Space Services (Source: Space Daily)
Momentus announced a significant partnership with the Paris-based New Space company, RIDE! Space, aiming to streamline satellite launch services. This collaboration is set to include the deployment of Gaindesat and Djibouti payloads scheduled for a joint mission in 2024. RIDE! Space's platform offers a comprehensive range of services operated by dedicated mission managers. These services encompass multi-deployment analysis, launch RFP procurement strategy, launch integration, radiofrequency registration, and space insurance benchmarking. (11/10)

Astra Founders Propose Taking Company Private (Source: Space News)
The two founders of Astra have proposed taking the company private in a deal worth nearly $30 million. Chris Kemp and Adam London, CEO and CTO of Astra, delivered a non-binding offer to purchase the company for $1.50 a share, double the share's price at the close of trading Wednesday. Astra said Thursday it was evaluating the offer but did not give a timetable for doing so.

Kemp and London said in the offer that they expected to raise $60-65 million to fund the acquisition and other expenses, including bridge financing while the deal closes, but did not disclose the sources of their financing. Astra has been in financial distress as its cash on hand runs low, causing the company to default on terms of a loan last week. Astra said it was canceling a quarterly earnings call scheduled for Monday while it reviews the proposal. (11/10)

Satellite Industry at Odds Over Proposed Power Limit Review Ahead of WRC-23 (Source: Space News)
A debate over satellite transmission power limits is one of the key issues for an upcoming telecommunications conference. These limits, known as Equivalent Power Flux Density (EPFD) limits, cap non-geostationary satellite power to avoid disrupting the geostationary spacecraft they fly under while passing over the equator.

Amazon announced a coalition with three think tanks to ask nations to approve a proposal to review the EPFD limits during the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) that starts later this month in Dubai. GEO satellite operators counter that EPFD rules already strike the right balance between protecting geostationary satellites and enabling competition from new LEO constellations. (11/10)

Companies Win Space Force Contracts for Missile Warning Ground System (Source: Space News)
Four companies won Space Force contracts to create designs for a new ground system for missile warning satellites. Ball Aerospace, Parsons, General Dynamics, and Omni Federal each won $9.7 million contracts for FORGE C2, short for Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution Command and Control. That system would operate both existing and next-generation missile warning satellites. FORGE C2 is one piece of a broader $2.8 billion program to modernize missile-warning ground systems. (11/10)

Airbus and Voyager Sign Agreement for Starlab Station (Source: Space News)
Airbus and Voyager Space have signed an agreement with ESA about that agency's potential use of the Starlab commercial space station. The agreement, signed during the European Space Summit this week and announced Thursday, will study how ESA could use Starlab to continue research and other work it currently conducts on the ISS. That would include using ESA-backed vehicles to transport cargo and crew to Starlab. Airbus and Voyager announced a joint venture in August to develop Starlab, one of several proposed commercial space stations. (11/10)

Bulgaria Joins Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Bulgaria is the latest country to sign the Artemis Accords. The country's minister of innovation and growth signed the Accords Thursday in a ceremony at NASA Headquarters. Bulgaria is the 32nd country to join the Accords, which outlines principles for cooperation in space exploration, and the third to do so since last month. (11/10)
 
SpaceX Launches Cargo to ISS From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Space News)
SpaceX launched a cargo Dragon mission to the International Space Station Thursday night. A Falcon 9 lifted off at 8:28 p.m. Eastern from the Kennedy Space Center and placed the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Dragon, carrying 2,950 kilograms of cargo on the CRS-29 mission for NASA, is scheduled to dock with the ISS early Saturday. (11/10)

China Launches Commsat (Source: Space News)
China launched a communications satellite early Thursday. A Long March 3B lifted off at 6:23 a.m. Eastern from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center and placed the ChinaSat-6E (Zhongxing-6E) into a geostationary transfer orbit. The spacecraft, part of a series to replace aging GEO satellites, will take over the radio and television broadcasting role of the ChinaSat-6B satellite launched in July 2007 and positioned at 115.5 degrees east. (11/10)

Injuries Soar at SpaceX Worksites (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX employees have suffered more than 600 injuries, many serious, in recent years. An investigation found that the company, in filings with federal regulators that were often incomplete, reported injury rates well above the average for the space industry. Those cases include serious injuries and, in one incident, the death of a SpaceX employee at its McGregor, Texas, facility in 2014 that led OSHA to cite the company for serious safety lapses.

Current and former employees say the injuries are evidence of a "chaotic workplace" racing to meet deadlines set by company founder Elon Musk. SpaceX did not comment on the cases. Click here. (11/9)

Apollo Astronaut Borman Passes Away at 95 (Source: AP)
Frank Borman, who commanded the first crewed mission to orbit the moon, has died. Borman, selected as a NASA astronaut in 1962, flew on the Gemini 7 mission in 1965 and commanded Apollo 8 in 1968, the first Apollo mission to go to the moon. After leaving NASA he worked for Eastern Airlines, including a decade as its CEO. Borman was 95. (11/9)

Preparing for European Commercial Presence in Low Earth Orbit (Source: ESA)
At ESA’s Space Summit in Seville, Spain, ESA, Airbus and Voyager Space signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the Starlab space station. The agreement outlines the parties’ intention to foster science and technology development and explore collaboration in low Earth orbit destinations other than the International Space Station. The collaboration will initially focus on exploring opportunities for access to space for Europe through the Starlab space station. These could include:

Access to the Starlab space station for ESA and its Member States, for astronaut missions and research activities as well as commercial business development. Contributions to research projects on upcoming missions, using European technology and advancing European science – from advanced robotics and artificial intelligence to life sciences and more. Establishment of a complete ‘end-to-end’ system with the Starlab space station as a low Earth orbit destination and a potential ESA-developed European cargo and crew transportation system. (11/9)

Amazon's Project Kuiper Demonstrates Safe, Controlled Satellite Maneuvering on Orbit (Source: Amazon)
Project Kuiper has demonstrated controlled satellite maneuvering in space using the electric propulsion system on board our prototype satellites—a custom Hall-effect thruster designed and built in-house by the Project Kuiper team. A recent series of test firings provided critical on-orbit data to further validate our satellite design, with each test returning nominal results consistent with our design requirements. (11/9)

Terceira Island to be the Setting for a Mission to Mars – Azores (Source: Portuguese American Journal)
Terceira Island, in the Azores, has been chosen to host the first analogous space mission to Mars, in Gruta do Natal or Nativity Grotto. This initiative aims to replicate the extraterrestrial challenges faced by astronauts on the Moon, paving the way for future manned missions to Mars. A team of seven astronauts, including three women, coming from five countries speaking eight languages, commanded by two women, will transform the Azores into a global hub for astronaut training. (11/9)

The US Needs More Spaceports, and There's a Company for That (Source: Quartz)
Spaceports need to be situated far from people and generally with flight paths over the ocean, in case something goes wrong; it also helps to be close to the equator to benefit from Earth’s rotation. Today, getting 100 square miles of coastal land in the US to build Cape Canaveral 2 would be hugely expensive, and eminent domain enormously controversial. Tom Marotta, the CEO of The Spaceport Company, operates a startup that wants to solve the problem by launching rockets from ships at sea.

Marotta’s current vision is a ship that can launch rockets that carry up to a metric ton of payload to orbit, like those being developed by Firefly and Phantom Space. Operating 12 miles off the coast, the company’s spaceports should have an easier time negotiating regulations designed to limit the impact of launches on the environment and surrounding communities.

Earlier this year, the company launched four suborbital rockets from a vessel in the Gulf of Mexico to demonstrate the operational and regulatory procedures it will need to scale up, and was awarded a $1.5 million contract for development work by the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit. Now, the company is working to win additional contracts, sign up rocket companies, and raise the money needed to build its first floating spaceport, with an initial goal of launching 12 to 18 times a year. Click here. (11/9)

Northrop Enables Arctic Satcoms for Space Force (Source: Air Force Technology)
Northrop Grumman has made significant progress in the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission by completing thermal vacuum tests for a satellite constellation to provide the US Space Force and Space Norway broadband communications in the Arctic. Northrop Grumman is responsible for the Control and Planning Segment ground system, which has passed formal acceptance and is ready for system activation. (11/8)

Orion Passes Latest NASA Test (Source: Space.com)
The Orion spacecraft for NASA's Artemis 2 mission, set to carry astronauts around the moon in 2024, successfully completed its first power-on test at Kennedy Space Center. Following the power test, the spacecraft will undergo a series of checks and a "closed-loop mission" test to simulate the pre-launch, launch, and lunar orbit phases. (11/8)

Space Force to Create new Digital Modeling Strategy (Source: FNN)
The Space Force is working on a new digital modeling strategy, the latest effort by the service to improve how it uses technology and work towards becoming more digital. The Space Force is leveraging technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to help its Guardians work smarter and more efficiently. This upcoming digital modeling strategy is one piece of the service’s efforts to improve how it uses technology.

Lisa Costa, the Space Force’s chief technology and innovation officer, said that the Space Force is working with others to develop standards and is also working on standards for digital twins. The Space Force sees itself as the first digital service. To accomplish this vision, several things need to happen. Costa said the service is working on removing the tech debt it inherited from the Air Force and other military services and on modernizing its capabilities. (11/8)

Asteroids in the Solar System Could Contain Undiscovered, Superheavy Elements (Source: Space.com)
Scientists have predicted for a long time that elements with around 164 protons could have a relatively long half-life, or even be stable. They call this the “island of stability” – here, the attractive nuclear force is strong enough to balance out any electromagnetic repulsion. Since heavy elements are difficult to make in the lab, physicists like me have been looking for these elements everywhere, even beyond the Earth.

Many scientists believe that gold and other heavy metals were deposited on Earth’s surface after asteroids collided with the planet. The same thing could have happened with these superheavy elements, but super mass dense heavy elements sink into ground and are eliminated from near the Earth’s surface by the subduction of tectonic plates. However, while researchers might not find superheavy elements on Earth’s surface, they could still be in asteroids like the ones that might have brought them to this planet. (11/9)

X-37B Mission to Test New Space Technologies and Study Radiation on Seeds (Source: Space Daily)
The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, in partnership with the Space Force, is gearing up for the launch of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle's seventh mission. Scheduled for Dec. 7, the mission is set to embark on a series of innovative tests aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, marking the vehicle's first launch under the designation USSF-52. The mission, known as OTV-7, aims to push the boundaries of the reusable spaceplane by operating in novel orbital regimes.

Among the variety of objectives, the X-37B will conduct experiments focused on future space domain awareness technologies and the effects of space radiation on materials supplied by NASA. Significant among the experiments is NASA's "Seeds-2," which will investigate the impact of long-duration spaceflight's radiation environment on plant seeds. This research is critical for the future of crewed space missions, building on the accomplishments of previous studies. (11/9)

D-Orbit Welcomes Marubeni Corporation as Investor (Source: Space Daily)
In a significant move within the space logistics sector, D-Orbit, a pioneer in satellite logistics services, has announced a new investment partnership with Marubeni Corporation, the Japanese industrial giant. The collaboration, formalized on November 8, is expected to be a major contributor to the evolution of the industry, with the partnership's completion anticipated by the end of 2023, pending necessary permits and approvals. (11/9)

Japanese Billionaire's Lunar SpaceX Voyage Postponed (Source: Space Daily)
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa announced Thursday the postponement of his journey around the Moon on a SpaceX rocket, a voyage that boasts an artist-filled crew. "We were planning for our lunar orbital mission 'dearMoon' to take place in 2023, but seems like it will take a little longer," Maezawa said.

"We're not sure when the flight will be," the entrepreneur said on X. The crew on the mission announced in 2018 would be travelling on SpaceX's Starship rocket, which is still under development and will be the most powerful rocket ever built when complete. The postponement was "due to the on-going development of Starship", according to a statement on dearMoon's website. (11/9)

Rocket Lab to Reinforce Market Trust with Electron Reliability Overhaul (Source: Space Daily)
Rocket Lab USA, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKLB) is poised for a robust return to launch operations after an extensive investigation into September's Electron mission anomaly. The upcoming launch window, starting November 28th, not only signifies the company's resilience but also a leap in operational safety, with Japan-based iQPS poised to benefit from the improvements.

The meticulous seven-week review shed light on an unprecedented electrical fault governed by Paschen's Law, an electrical principle not typically associated with spacecraft failures. This deep dive into the conditions that led to the power loss has not only provided Rocket Lab with critical insights but has also set a precedent for how anomalies are diagnosed and rectified in the space sector. (11/9)

United Launch Alliance Begins Final Preparations for Debut Launch of Vulcan (Source: Teslarati)
ULA recently announced they are targeting to launch its new Vulcan rocket on Christmas Eve and are in the midst of final preparations. The first stage of the Vulcan rocket was stacked onto the Vulcan Launch Platform on October 26th, with both GEM 63XL solid rocket side boosters installed on Oct. 31 and Nov. 6. Once the 2nd stage arrives back in Florida, it will be attached to the Vulcan first stage and ULA will conduct a Wet Dress Rehearsal and then move the rocket back to the Vertical Integration Facility for the payload to be attached. (11/8)

Rocket Lab Adds New HASTE Launch from Virginia (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab announced it has signed a launch services agreement with the US Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) for a HASTE (Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron) mission from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 in Virginia. The HASTE mission will deploy a suborbital payload by Australian company Hypersonix called DART AE, a scramjet-powered hypersonic vehicle capable of flying non-ballistic flight patterns at speeds of up to Mach 7. (11/8)

Rocket Lab’s Electron Launch Vehicle ‘Fully’ Booked Next Year (Source: Tech Crunch)
Rocket Lab has 22 Electron missions planned for next year, with nine of these booked as recovery missions and two which will be suborbital hypersonic missions under Rocket Lab’s HASTE program. (11/8)