December 12, 2023

Startup Raises $55 Million for Portable Starlink-Dedicated Data Centers (Source: Space News)
One-year-old data networking startup Armada came out of stealth Dec. 11 after raising more than $55 million to develop computing tools promising to empower remote devices connected to Starlink, SpaceX’s low Earth orbit broadband constellation. Armada says its portable Galleon data centers would give oil rigs, battlefields, and other off-the-grid sites real-time data processing capabilities usually confined to areas with terrestrial connectivity, including generative artificial intelligence platforms such as ChatGPT. (12/11)

April Eclipse Offers Solar Probe Opportunity (Source: Space News)
Scientists say they will have rare opportunities next year to study the sun. Scientists said they will use next April's total solar eclipse to study the sun in new ways, including with spacecraft and instruments on aircraft. Later next year, NASA's Parker Solar Probe will make its closest approach to the sun, at a distance of 6.1 million kilometers, giving them a closeup view of mechanisms that heat the solar corona and generate the solar wind. (12/12)

Agencies to Coordinate on Space Weather (Source: Space News)
Government agencies have agreed to coordinate space weather research and operations activities. NASA, NOAA, NSF and the Air Force signed an agreement at the White House last week outlining how they will collaborate on transitioning space weather research into operational forecasts while also providing feedback from users of those forecasts back to researchers. That coordination is intended to improve space weather forecasting. (12/12)

CEO: Terran Orbital is Not For Sale (Sources: Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch)
The CEO of Terran Orbital is denying a report that the company is up for sale. A report Monday said that the company is soliciting bids, due at the end of the month. There is interest in the company from "strategic and financial buyers" in both the U.S. and Europe. The smallsat manufacturer went public last year in a SPAC merger, but its valuation has dropped from a peak of about $1 billion to $180 million. CEO Marc Bell, in an email to employees, claimed the story was "very wrong" and that he intended to keep Terran Orbital independent. He also lambasted shareholders who have sought changes in the company and its leadership, saying their criticism was "a joke" and calling them "idiots." (12/12)

OSIRIS-REx Rubble Haul May Be Smaller Than Thought (Source: BBC)
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission may have returned somewhat less asteroid sample than earlier thought. The principal investigator for the mission, Dante Lauretta, said at the AGU Fall Meeting Monday that scientists now believe that the sample collection device, yet to be opened, contains about 120 grams of material. That is in addition to 70 grams of material outside of the sample collection device. Scientists had previously estimated that the mission returned home about 250 grams of material from the asteroid Bennu. (12/12)

Astronaut Williams to Retire (Source: NASA)
NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams is retiring. NASA said Monday that Williams, who spent 534 days in space on four missions, will leave the agency in January after 27 years. That career included three long-duration missions to the International Space Station in 2006, 2009-10 and 2016. NASA also announced Monday that Richard Gilbrech, director of the Stennis Space Center, will retire in January. Gilbrech has been the director of Stennis since 2012. John Bailey, deputy director of Stennis, will serve as acting director until NASA selects a permanent successor. (12/12)

AFRL's Oracle Developing Nation'S 1St Cislunar Space Situational Awareness Capabilities (Source: Space Daily)
Over the last several years, the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, unveiled two programs, Defense Deep Space Sentinel, or D2S2, and Oracle, to develop cislunar space situational awareness, or SSA, capabilities. Both programs are now under a single umbrella known as the Oracle family of systems, with D2S2 renamed Oracle Mobility, or Oracle-M, and the original Oracle gaining the designation "Prime," or Oracle-P.

This technology provides the foundations for safe operations in cislunar space in support of responsible and sustainable lunar exploration. Military, civilian and contractor scientists and engineers will analyze the data over the next several years, enabling the transition of technology, knowledge and vision of future space capabilities for the United States Space Force. (12/12)

Study on Asteroid Ryugu Samples Highlights Differences From Primitive Meteorites (Source: Space Daily)
In a recent scientific breakthrough, an international team of researchers has provided new insights into the nature and composition of the asteroid Ryugu, enhancing our understanding of water- and carbon-rich celestial bodies within the solar system. This study, pivotal in the field of planetary science, was made possible by analyzing samples returned to Earth by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft, a mission spearheaded by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Asteroids like Ryugu, remnants of planetary embryos that did not develop into larger bodies, serve as invaluable sources for studying materials from the early solar system. The focus of the study was on laboratory measurements of these samples, which were carefully returned by Hayabusa2 in 2020. This mission aimed not only to reveal Ryugu's true nature but also to enhance our understanding of how meteorites can inform telescopic observations of other hydrous asteroids.

A distinguishing feature of the Ryugu samples is their pristine condition, having avoided terrestrial alteration-interaction with Earth's oxygen and water. This aspect sets them apart from meteorites originating from similar hydrous asteroids, which typically undergo some degree of alteration upon entering Earth's atmosphere. (12/12)

Neumann Space Achieves Milestone with First Molybdenum-Fueled Thruster Test in Space (Source: Space Daily)
Neumann Space, an Australian-based innovator in space technology, has recently made headlines with the successful completion of the first series of on-orbit tests of its Neumann Drive, a leading propulsion system designed for small spacecraft. This significant achievement marks Neumann Space as the first commercial entity to fire a thruster in space that utilizes Molybdenum, a solid metallic propellant, showcasing a novel use of a safe, storable, and abundant material for electric propulsion. (12/12)

Long March Rockets Mark Yheir 500th Spaceflight (Source: Space Daily)
China's Long March rocket family has achieved a milestone with its 500th spaceflight, using a Long March 2D carrier rocket to deploy several remote-sensing satellites. This event, which took place on Sunday morning from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, underscores China's growing prowess in space technology. (12/12)

US, UK, Australia Collaborate on Deep Space Radar Initiative for Enhanced Space Domain Awareness (Source: Space Daily)
The United States, United Kingdom, and Australia have jointly unveiled a significant trilateral initiative known as the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC). This collaboration aims to bolster space domain awareness by providing 24/7, all-weather capabilities to detect, track, identify, and characterize objects in deep space. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) underpinning this project, signed in September, outlines a substantial commitment spanning 22 years. (12/7)

Sidus Space Integrates Edge AI into LizzieSat (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space provided an update on its Edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) software and hardware for space applications expansion. The integration of AI/ML into Sidus’ existing offerings enhances and strengthens Sidus’ mission to advance satellite technology and expand its solutions for customers. Sidus’ investment in AI/ML includes a host of innovative AI software solutions that transform geospatial data into actionable answers. (12/12)

Stratolaunch Roc, Talon-A Set Sights on Mach 5 (Source: C4ISRnet)
Stratolaunch's Roc aircraft is set to carry its Talon-A hypersonic test aircraft for its first Mach 5 flight, marking a significant step in hypersonic flight testing. This test will support US military efforts in developing and fielding high-speed weapons and countering similar systems from adversaries like China and Russia. (12/12)

Diamonds and DORIANS: The Soviet Union’s Almaz and the US’ Manned Orbiting Laboratory Military Space Stations (Source: Space Review)
In the 1960s the Soviet Union and the United States embarked on efforts to develop military space stations. Bart Hendrickx and Dwayne Day examine the origins of both the Manned Orbiting Laboratory and Almaz programs. Click here. (12/11)
 
Creating a Venus Exploration Program (Source: Space Review)
External budget pressures and problems with some missions have put new pressures on NASA’s planetary science program. Despite those difficulties, Jeff Foust reports on how advocates for Venus exploration are seeking to build support for a long-term series of missions there. Click here. (12/11)
 
Four Key Points Regarding Saudi Arabia’s Withdrawal From the Moon Agreement (Source: Space Review)
Saudi Arabia announced early this year it would withdraw from the Moon Treaty, only about a decade after acceding to it. Michael Listner explores the reasons why an emerging space nation would seek to back out of that treaty. Click here. (12/11)

Starlink Data Points to Larger Addressable Base for LEO Broadband ISPs (Source: Ookla)
The telecoms industry continues to watch SpaceX Starlink’s expansion and performance closely, as the number of subscribers to its broadband service grows and other satellite providers enter the fray. While median download performance remains a key benchmark, we see strong demand to understand how Starlink is balancing net new additions with its network capacity as the service scales, and how LEO NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) performance stacks up against the competition, particularly in rural locations. (12/11)

Cosmic Nuclear Fission Seen for 1st Time in 'Incredibly Profound' Discovery (Source: Space.com)
Scientists have discovered the first indication of nuclear fission occurring amongst the stars. The discovery supports the idea that when neutron stars smash together, they create "superheavy" elements — heavier than the heaviest elements of the periodic table — which then break down via nuclear fission to birth elements like the gold in your jewelry.

Nuclear fission is basically the opposite of nuclear fusion. While nuclear fusion refers to the smashing of lighter elements to create heavier elements, nuclear fission is a process that sees energy released when heavy elements split apart to create lighter elements. Nuclear fission is pretty well known, too. It's actually the basis of energy-generating nuclear power plants here on Earth — however, it had not been seen occurring amongst the stars before now.  (12/11)

Missile Defense Test Launch Monday From Vandenberg Space Force Base a Success (Source: KSBY)
A U.S. Missile Defense Agency flight test of a Ground-based Interceptor missile was conducted Monday from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The flight test was conducted by Space Launch Delta 30, the Missile Defense Agency, and U.S. Northern Command. Col. Bryan Titus, Space Launch Delta 30 vice commander, is the launch decision authority. Base officials say the mission was a success. (12/11)

China's Reusable Rocket Race Heats Up with New Hop Test (Source: Space News)
Launch startup iSpace has successfully launched and landed a test article, a month after a first hop test, as Chinese reusable rocket efforts intensify. ISpace’s Hyperbola-2Y methane-liquid oxygen reusable verification stage lifted off from a pad at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Dec. 10. The Hyperbola-2Y reached an altitude of 343.12 meters, translating 50 meters to a landing zone and touching down with a velocity of 1.1 meters per second and an accuracy of 0.295 meters. The entire flight lasted 63.15 seconds, according to an iSpace press statement. (12/11)

NASA's New 'Greenhouse Gas Center' Tracks Humanity's Contribution to Climate Change (Source: Space.com)
At the end of November, The White House shared how the Biden-Harris Administration aims to combat climate change by increasing the monitoring and measurement of our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. But this is not a topic for government eyes only; if you are interested in learning more about climate change and having access to this important climate data, experts say the public can now  do so through something called the  U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center.

At the 28th annual United Nations Climate Conference (COP28) on Monday, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Bill Nelson, along with other government leaders, announced this hub will be a one-stop shop where people can learn more about our climate and the dangers we are facing as human-driven global warming ramps up. (12/11)

Amateur Astronomers Found Planets Crashing Into Each Other (Source: Universe Today)
Astronomy is one of the sciences where amateurs make regular contributions. Over the years, members of the public have made exciting discoveries and meaningful contributions to the scientific process, either through direct observing, citizen science projects, or through combing through open data from the various space missions.

Recently, amateur astronomer Arttu Sainio saw a conversation on X (Twitter) where researchers were discussing the strange behavior of a dimming sun-like star. Intrigued, Arttu decided to look at the data on this star, called Asassn-21qj, on his own. Looking at archival data from NASA’s NEOWISE mission, Sainio was surprised to find that the star had dimmed before, with an unexpected brightening in infrared light two years before the optical dimming event. So, he joined the discussion on social media and shared his finding – which led to more amateurs joining the research, which lead to an incredible discovery.  (12/11)

The Moon Has Been Altered by Human Activity. Are We in a 'Lunar Anthropocene? (Source: Space.com)
When the Soviet Luna 2 probe crash-landed on the lunar surface in 1959, it became the first human-made object to touch the moon. And, according to a trio of academics, Luna 2’s impact also marked the dawn of a new age in the moon’s natural history: an age where humans began to alter the world in unprecedented ways. They call it the "Lunar Anthropocene." Click here. (12/11)

Helicity Space Raises $5 Million for Fusion Engine Development (Source: Space News)
Helicity Space, a California startup developing fusion engines for spaceflight, has raised $5 million in a seed funding round. Helicity, founded in Pasadena in 2018, avoided publicity in its early years. With the latest funding, “we’ll deliver a proof-of-concept fusion drive that the company is building,” Lintner said. “Before we put things in space, we need to demonstrate the full device working on Earth at smaller scale. The funding allows us to demonstrate the novelty of this concept.”

Helicity’s magneto-inertial fusion method was “developed from the ground up with space propulsion in mind.” Helicity’s “has developed a novel approach to fusion reactions, using multiple recombining plasma jets to create and control the conditions necessary for fusion to occur." (12/11)

Space Force Chief Tempers Expectations: ‘Go Government Fast, Not SpaceX Fast’ (Source: Space News)
Gen. Chance Saltzman assumed command of the Space Force a year ago and has since laid out an ambitious plan to boost U.S. capabilities for strategic competition against China and Russia. But as he begins his second year at the helm, Saltzman also wants to balance expectations with a healthy dose of reality. “I do feel a sense of urgency, and I feel like we have a plan,” Saltzman said Nov. 15 at a defense industry event hosted by the Atlantic Council.

But Congress can’t expect the Space Force to mimic the pace of the private sector, Saltzman said, noting that the government machinery shifts slowly by design, not by fault. “I’ve been in the Pentagon long enough to know this,” he said. “You think, ‘Hey, we’ve got a good idea, let’s just turn on a dime and make this happen,’ but it’s just not the way the U.S. government works.” (12/11)