November 18, 2023

Astra Reports Quarterly Financial Performance (Source: Business Wire)
Astra announced deliveries of 8 Astra Spacecraft Engines out of their Sunnyvale manufacturing facility. These deliveries are expected to be recognized as revenue in Q4 2023 following anticipated customer acceptance. Astra signed two new Astra Spacecraft Engine customer contracts totaling $11.7 million in value from the beginning of Q3 2023 through today. One of the customers is a major non-US defense prime and the other is an international commercial space company.

For the three months ended September 30, Astra reported GAAP Net Loss of $29.7 million, adjusted Net Loss of $27.4 million, capital expenditures of $1.3 million, and cash and cash equivalents of $13.9 million. (11/17)

Big Explosions, But Also Major Steps Forward in Second Test Flight of Starship (Source: New York Times)
SpaceX launched its Starship rocket from the coast of South Texas on Saturday, a mammoth vehicle that could alter the future of space transportation and help NASA return astronauts to the moon. Saturday’s flight of Starship was not a complete success; SpaceX did not achieve the test launch’s ultimate objective — a partial trip around the world ending in a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. SpaceX confirmed the rocket’s booster stage exploded unexpectedly, but the Starship upper stage continued to travel “for several minutes on its way to space.”

Left unsaid: Exactly how high the Starship upper stage got; when its flight ended and why; and, why the Super Heavy booster exploded after it separated from the upper stage. The FAA said in a preliminary statement that the loss of the Starship did not cause injuries to people or damage to property. It will conduct a mishap investigation, which is standard any time a company’s rocket is lost during flight. Editor's Note: Some objectives achieved: test of water deluge system, successful use of hot-staging ring, second stage separation and ignition. (11/18)

Blast From the Past: Gamma-Ray Burst Strikes Earth From Distant Exploding Star (Source: ESA)
An enormous burst of gamma rays, detected by ESA’s Integral space telescope, has struck Earth. The blast caused a significant disturbance in our planet’s ionosphere. Such disturbances are usually associated with energetic particle events on the Sun but this one was the result of an exploding star almost two billion light-years away. Analysing the effects of the blast could provide information about the mass extinctions in Earth’s history. (11/14)

How Students Built Ireland's First Satellite (Source: ESA)
A team of university students from University College Dublin is taking Ireland to space, for the very first time. The story begins in 2017, when the team was accepted to ESA's educational CubeSat programme, Fly Your Satellite! Over the course of six years, they have designed, built, and tested the satellite with the help of ESA experts and with access to ESA's state-of-the-art spacecraft testing facilities. (11/16)

Globalstar Boss Downplays Extreme Satellite Fears (Source: Mobile World)
Former CEO of Qualcomm Jacobs acknowledged the growing hype around satellite connectivity, particularly in the past year, but noted Globalstar has been designing models to provide space-based services for the past two decades, when business travellers were unable to access mobile networks. He said there was an opportunity for a combination of satellite and terrestrial, with the former serving to fill in for mobile in emergency situations or if a user went off the grid. However, he added the hype seems “a bit extreme when you start fearing it’s going to replace a terrestrial network altogether.” (11/16)

Jupiter's Moon Io is Covered in Active Colcanoes. Now We Have the 1st Map of Them (Source: Space.com)
The most volcanically active world in the solar system, Jupiter's moon Io, may possess a global ocean of magma underneath its surface, as well as mysteriously warm poles, a new study finds. Io, the innermost of Jupiter's four largest moons, is slightly bigger than Earth's moon. Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system, bursting with plumes that rise up to more than 300 miles (500 kilometers) above the surface.

Previous research found the extreme level of volcanic activity on Io is due to what is known as tidal heating. Whereas tides on Earth are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun, tidal forces on Io are mostly caused by Jupiter. The resulting flexing of Io's rock creates intense heat due to friction. Until now, scientists lacked a full map of Io's volcanic activity due to poor data regarding its poles, which in turn limited what researchers could deduce about the causes of Io's extraordinary volcanism.

In a new study, researchers analyzed data from NASA's Juno spacecraft, collecting near-infrared scans of its poles and enabling the first view of Io's volcanic activity as a whole. (11/16)

NASA Super-Pressure Ballon Flies High with Raspberry Pi-Backed Data Payload Protection (Source: Tom's Hardware)
We're always excited to see the Raspberry Pi used in a professional setting, but what's even more exciting is seeing a Pi pop up in the field of science. Today, we have a cool project to share by a team of scientists at NASA who opted to use our favorite SBC to protect the data payload for their super-pressure balloon.

The project began in early April 2023 when the balloon traveled to the stratosphere carrying a SuperBIT telescope. This telescope was busy gathering data from around our home planet for a whole month. The team initially planned for this balloon to send data back to the team using SpaceX's Starlink constellation. However, when Starlink went down, they implemented a backup delivery method using our favorite SBC. (11/17)

Jacobs Poised to Merge Government Consulting Unit with Amentum (Source: Reuters)
Engineering consultant Jacobs Solutions Inc (J.N) is in advanced talks to merge its government consulting arm at a valuation of more than $4 billion with private equity-owned Amentum Services Inc, people familiar with the matter said. Under the terms discussed, Amentum would merge with Jacobs' Critical Mission Solutions (CMS) business to create a new publicly traded company that would be majority-owned by Jacobs' shareholders, the sources said. (11/16)

Earth-Sized World Found Orbiting a Star Just 22 Light-Years Away (Source: Science Alert)
Just 22 light-years away, orbiting a small red dwarf star, a tiny world has been confirmed by scientists in the US as the closest known Earth-sized world to our Solar System. It's called LTT 1445 Ac, an exoplanet some 1.37 times the mass and 1.07 times the radius of Earth. (11/17)

NSS Seeks Executive Secretary (Source: National Space Society)
The position of Executive Secretary within the NSS Chapters Assembly is now open. We are actively seeking a dedicated individual who is eager to take on a leadership role within the assembly. Responsibilities include managing meeting notices and minutes for the Chapters Assembly’s monthly Zoom meetings; collaborating with the Chair on Chapter Assembly procedures and other responsibilities and actions; and actively participating in the Chapter Assembly discussions and decisions. To be eligible, the Candidate must be both a chapter member and a current NSS member.
Send your interest and questions to prathmesh.barapatre@outlook.com.

This NASA Team’s Work Means the Whole World Can Sleep a Little Better (Source: FNN)
As if pandemic, threats of nuclear war, and a lack of Tesla charging stations aren’t enough to worry about, there is always the possibility that an asteroid could hit the earth and wipe-out all of us. A team at NASA discovered a way to alter the path of an asteroid, should one come too close, and they garnered the distinction of being finalists in this year’s Service to America Medals program, also known as the Sammies. Click here. (11/17)

Texas Seeks Executive Director for New Space Commission (Source: Office of Gov. Greg Abbott)
The Executive Director works under the direction of the Texas Space Commission Board of Directors. Performs highly advanced (senior-level) managerial work providing direction and guidance in strategic operations and planning of the Texas Space Commission (Commission). The Commission was established to strengthen Texas’s leadership in civil, commercial, and military aerospace activity by promoting innovation in the fields of commercial aerospace and space exploration, including the integration of space, aeronautics, and aviation industries into the Texas economy. Click here. (10/31) 

Was an Ancient Bacterium Awakened by an Industrial Accident? (Source: The Economist)
New species are generally found rather than awakened. And they are typically discovered in remote places like rainforests or Antarctic plateaus. But not so a species of bacterium described in a paper just published in Extremophiles. The bug is new to science, but it is not new to Earth. In fact the microbe may have been slumbering for millions of years before being awakened by an industrial disaster.

The bacterium in question lives below Lake Peigneur in southern Louisiana. The ground beneath the lake is rich in natural resources. In 1980 it boasted a mine producing rock salt, while a drilling rig run by Texaco was moving about on the surface looking for oil. But on November 20th, the two operations came together accidentally—and spectacularly. The oil rig’s drill penetrated the third level of the salt mine, creating a drain in the lake’s floor.

Over the next few days the resulting man-made sinkhole swallowed up the oil rig, 11 barges, a tugboat, 35 hectares of land and part of a house. A researcher found the water within contained 32% salt, about nine times more than seawater. For most creatures, that much salt would be lethal. But Dr Vreeland found a species of bacteria, one of a salt-loving group called Halobacteriales, in his samples. Some of the salt is 125m years old, meaning it was laid down during the heyday of the dinosaurs. (11/15)

New Bacterial Proteins Shine Light On Climate and Astrobiology (Source: Astrobiology)
Gigatons of greenhouse gas are trapped under the seafloor, and that’s a good thing. Around the coasts of the continents, where slopes sink down into the sea, tiny cages of ice trap methane gas, preventing it from escaping and bubbling up into the atmosphere. These ice cage formations, known as methane clathrates, have the potential to affect climate change. During offshore drilling, methane ice can get stuck in pipes, causing them to freeze and burst. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill is thought to have been caused by a buildup of methane clathrates.

But until now, the biological process behind how methane gas remains stable under the sea has been almost completely unknown. In a breakthrough study, researchers discovered a previously unknown class of bacterial proteins that play a crucial role in the formation and stability of methane clathrates. Their study, funded by NASA, informs the search for life in the solar system, and could also increase the safety of transporting natural gas. (11/17)

Here’s Why SpaceX Really Needed to Change Out That Part on Starship (Source: Ars Technica)
One key to the success of SpaceX's early first-stage landings was the addition of four "grid fins," each measuring about 5 feet long and 4 feet wide. These allowed for much better steering of the vehicle through the atmosphere in place of small thrusters. The grid fins, originally developed by the Soviet Union half a century earlier, could be rotated up to 20 degrees and worked well on the big rocket. An early failure happened when a Falcon-9 ran out of the hydraulic fluid essential to powering the movement of the fins. The problem was corrected by switching from an open-loop hydraulic system to a closed-loop one. This not-insignificant change was made in a couple of weeks.

The fins are larger on Super Heavy. But there's also another difference. The Falcon 9 first stage tucks its grid fins down during launch, minimizing atmospheric drag. Super Heavy's grid fins are fixed in an outward position. However, they still need to be moved in pitch, yaw, and roll to steer the rocket. For Super Heavy, the company adopted an electronic actuator system—no hydraulic fluid here—to adjust the fins. SpaceX won't be attempting to land Super Heavy back at Starbase, but they sure would like to make a controlled descent into the ocean. So the faulty actuator had to be swapped out. (11/17)

Starship Lunar Lander Missions to Require Nearly 20 Launches, NASA Says (Source: Space News)
A NASA official said that the use of that vehicle for Artemis lunar landings will require “in the high teens” of launches, a much higher number than the company’s leadership has previously claimed. Lakiesha Hawkins, assistant deputy associate administrator in NASA’s Moon to Mars Program Office, said the company will have to perform Starship launches from both its current pad in Texas and one it is constructing in Florida in order send a lander to the moon for Artemis 3.

SpaceX’s concept of operations for the Starship lunar lander it is developing for the Human Landing System (HLS) program requires multiple launches of the Starship/Super Heavy system. One launch will place a propellant depot into orbit, followed by multiple other launches of tanker versions of Starship, transferring methane and liquid oxygen propellants into the depot. That will be followed by the lander version of Starship, which will rendezvous with the depot and fill its tanks before going to the moon.

Exactly how many launches will be required has been a point of debate since Starship’s selection by NASA for the first HLS award in 2021. Neither NASA nor SpaceX have given firm numbers recently. (11/17)

Djibouti Launches First Satellite on Transporter Mission (Source: Space in Africa)
The Republic of Djibouti has launched its first satellite, Djibouti 1A, today, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base onboard the SpaceX Transporter-9 dedicated SSO rideshare mission. Developed through a joint capacity-building program between Djibouti and its technical partner, the Centre Spatial Universitaire de Montpellier (CSUM), Djiboutian engineers and technicians in France designed, constructed and tested the satellite. (11/11)

SpaceX to FCC: Here's Why Cellular Starlink System Won't Cause Interference (Source: PC Magazine)
SpaceX is trying to dispel worries that its cellular Starlink service threatens to interfere with other satellite and ground-based services. On Wednesday, the company sent a 16-page document to the Federal Communications Commission, explaining why the cellular Starlink service will benefit US consumers and not pose a radio signal hazard.

SpaceX filed the document after the FCC called on the company to provide more details and address the interference concerns. Specifically, the Commission asked if SpaceX can shut down the satellite transmissions in the event interference occurs. (11/16)

Concerns Arise Over LNG Facility Construction Near SpaceX Launch Site (Source: ValleyCentral.com)
In Cameron County, construction equipment lines State Highway 48 as part of the construction of the latest NextDecade LNG facility. Residents worry the new facility is being built too close to the SpaceX launch site, although it is about 5 miles away from the site . “You know, there was utterly and completely no risk or safety issues prior to this,” said Jim Chapman, President of Friends of the Wildlife Corridor. (11/16)

Locals Concerned SpaceX Launch Could Damage Port Isabel Lighthouse (Source: ValleyCentral.com)
Space fans around the world are anticipating the second test launch of SpaceX’s Starship this weekend. But in Port Isabel, there is concern about the rocket’s thrust causing damage to the historical lighthouse. The Texas Historical Commission has contracted private structural engineers to study if the launch of the rocket will have an effect on the historical monument, and ensure the lighthouse stands another 100 years. (11/16)

Fisher Space Pens to Fly with Blue Origin Crews as 'Official Ballpoint' (Source: CollectSpace)
Fisher Space Pen has some new Blue ballpoints. The maker of the pressurized-ink writing instruments used by astronauts to scrawl in space has partnered with Blue Origin to become the company's official pen provider. Fisher Space Pen will be the only brand ballpoint pen used on all of Blue Origin's upcoming crewed launches. (11/16)

China’s Starlink Rival Plans Lower Orbit (Source: Bloomberg)
A Chinese company plans to launch the first of 300 very low orbit satellites next month in a rival constellation to Elon Musk's Starlink network. The planned constellation will eventually consist of 300 communications and remote-sensing satellites, CGTN reported. China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. plans to put 192 satellites in orbit by 2027, with 300 by 2030. Compared with Musk's satellite network, which orbits at about 550 kilometers, the Chinese satellites will orbit at an altitude of about 300 to 450 kilometers, per Bloomberg. (11/17)

New Mexico’s Space Industry Bigger Than Virgin Galactic (Source: Las Vegas Optic)
Virgin Galactic, New Mexico’s anchor tenant for Spaceport America, is pausing its flights to the edge of space and laying off a bunch of its workers. That’s not a good sign for the state’s $212 million spaceport southeast of Truth or Consequences, but I’m glad we built it anyway. As the recent announcement of a “pause” in the flights and the layoffs of 185 employees suggests, space tourism isn’t as lucrative as Branson thought it would be.

Nevertheless, when it comes to the world’s race into space, New Mexico still has plenty of skin in the game. Consider the White Sands Missile Range, which NASA and the U.S. Air Force use as a testing ground for all sorts of rockets, often built by private companies such as SpaceX, another significant Spaceport America tenant. Plus, we have Los Alamos National Laboratories and Sandia National Laboratories. And we have the Very Large Array, one of the world’s most sophisticated radio astronomy observatories, and the National Solar Observatory.

And we have more than 50 space-related companies headquartered or doing business in New Mexico, according to the state Economic Development Department. (11/16)

One Year After Historic Launch, NASA Recognizes New Orleans’ Contribution (Source: 4WWL)
Representatives from NASA came to New Orleans Thursday to show their appreciation for staff at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF). The visit marked one year since the successful launch of Artemis I. They presented Michoud’s Boeing executives with a framed plaque, featuring a badge taken into space during the mission, and a large banner to display in the MAF. (11/16)