January 15, 2024

Unexplained Gamma-Ray Signal Hints At Unknown Feature Beyond Our Galaxy (Source: IFL Science)
Our solar system is not still in space; it moves around the galaxy at 370 kilometers per second (230 miles per second). This means that part of the universe looks like it is coming towards us, while the opposite side moves away from us. This effect is seen, for example, in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the light echo of the Big Bang. Researchers expected to see a similar effect if they were to look in the gamma-ray sky – but they discovered something very different.

The CMB is incredibly uniform, so the difference amounts to measuring about 0.12 percent hotter towards the constellation Leo (more microwaves than average) than on the other side of the Sky. The gamma-ray background comes from unresolved energetic events from across the universe, so it was expected that it would look roughly similar, though the difference enhanced given the fact that gamma rays are a billion times more energetic than regular light. (1/12)

Hobbled Peregrine Moon Lander Limps to Lunar Distance as Astrobotic Fights to Keep it Alive (Source: Space.com)
Astrobotic's Peregrine lander has made it out to lunar distance, a major milestone for the crippled craft — but a moon landing still doesn't appear to be in the cards. Peregrine launched Jan. 8 on the first-ever liftoff of United Launch Alliance's Vulcan Centaur rocket. The spacecraft aimed to make history, becoming the first private lander ever to ace a soft touchdown on the moon.

Peregrine suffered a serious propellant leak shortly after separating from the rocket's upper stage, apparently scuttling that dream. But the lander lives yet, cruising through deep space — and, just now, making it all the way out to the moon's neighborhood. "Peregrine remains operational at about 238,000 miles [383,000 kilometers] from Earth, which means that we have reached lunar distance!" Astrobotic wrote in a post on X on Friday afternoon (Jan. 12).

But the moon is in a different part of its orbit at the moment, far from the lander, the Pittsburgh-based company stressed. "Our original trajectory had us landing on the moon on day 15 post-launch," Astrobotic wrote in Friday's update. "Our propellant estimates currently have us running out of fuel before this 15-day mark — however, our engineers are still optimistic about extending Peregrine's life expectancy." (1/12)

NASA's Lunar Retroreflector Network Could Make Landing on the Moon Much Easier (Source: Space.com)
In the future, rocketing in making precision landings on the moon's craggy, rocky and crater-pocked face won't be as hard. At least that's the goal of NASA's Lunar Retroreflector Array (LRA) program, an initiative that is interfacing with U.S. and foreign lunar lander initiatives. LRA consists of a dome-shaped device, topped by small glass prism retroreflectors. That contrivance is then mounted to a moon lander and delivered to the lunar surface.

The LRA can bounce laser light from other orbiting and incoming spacecraft, functioning as a permanent location marker on the moon for decades to come. But dotting the lunar landscape with these devices has been a tough row to hoe. (1/12)

Saturn’s Moon Titan has Disappearing ‘Magic Islands’ That May be Clumps of Organic Material (Source: CNN)
The disappearing “magic islands” on Saturn’s largest moon Titan have intrigued scientists since NASA’s Cassini mission spotted them during flybys a decade ago. Now, researchers believe they have unraveled the phenomenon’s secrets. The ephemeral features were first thought to be made of fizzing gas bubbles, but astronomers now believe they may be honeycomb-like glaciers made of organic material that fall down onto the moon’s surface. (1/11)

The Strategic Implications of China’s ‘Divine Dragon’ Spaceplane (Source: The Diplomat)
Having inexpensive and reusable space access carries major national security implications. Reusability enables an entirely different and faster tempo of operations, making one less predictable. A high tempo of reusability enables a scale of operations sufficient to challenge an adversary in multiple orbits, and a scale of operations to shape the battlespace to one’s advantage.

The potential of high-tempo reusability need not even involve achieving orbit to be game-changing. For example, a spaceplane can execute a “once-around” maneuver, flying a partial orbit or even a sub-orbital trajectory. This is a huge advantage because while space provides phenomenal vantage for reconnaissance and legal overflight, once a satellite has completed a few orbits, both its orbit and capabilities are characterized sufficiently to know when to hide from its sensors – but employed in a once-around trajectory, tactical surprise reconnaissance is possible. (1/12)

In Moon Race with China, U.S. Setbacks Test Role of Private Firms (Source: Reuters)
Two U.S. setbacks this week in the race to the moon with China illustrate the risks of NASA's plans to bet on a new strategy of relying heavily on private companies. Fresh delays in the U.S. space agency's Artemis moon program and a propulsion issue that doomed American company Astrobotic's recent robot moon lander illustrate the difficulties faced by the only country to have set foot on the moon, as it tightens budgets while carrying on its cosmic legacy.

The United States is planning to put astronauts back on the moon in late 2026 - delayed this week from 2025 - while China is targeting 2030 for its crewed landings. Before humans arrive, each space power plans to first send several smaller robotic missions to examine the moon's surface. China's government-backed program has scored a string of firsts. (1/12)

Spy Satellite Race in Asia Heats Up with Japan Rocket Launch (Source; Japan Times)
A rocket carrying the latest addition to Japan’s network of spy satellites has reached orbit, a major step for the country as its neighbors also look to strengthen their surveillance capabilities in space. The H2-A heavy payload rocket, co-developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, delivered a satellite to low-Earth orbit, where it will monitor North Korean missile sites and natural disasters.

It’s been a busy period for launches in the region. North Korea successfully put its first spy satellite into orbit in November and plans to launch three more in 2024, state media reported. South Korea’s first domestically made reconnaissance satellite launched on a SpaceX rocket in December and Seoul has two more lined up this year. China by early 2022 had more than 290 systems in its spy satellite fleet, nearly double the amount in 2018 and second only to the United States, according to the Pentagon’s latest assessment of the Chinese military. (1/13)

Starliner Parachute System Upgrade Tested Before Crewed Flight (Source: NASA)
A modified parachute system for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program was tested over the Arizona desert on Jan. 9. Parachute deployment and a soft landing of the test article were visually confirmed. Preliminary data analysis of this two-parachute test suggest the primary test objectives were met. Engineering teams will continue to review the results, inspect the test parachutes, and work to complete system certification in the weeks ahead. (1/12)

NASA’s Wallops Aircraft Plays Vital Role in Successful Starliner Parachute Airdrop Test (Source: NASA)
NASA’s C-130 Hercules, managed at Wallops Flight Facility’s Aircraft Office in Virginia, provided aerial delivery support for a successful commercial crew parachute airdrop test Jan. 9 at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. This week’s testing was in support of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and partner, Boeing, which are developing crew transportation capability to and from the International Space Station. (1/12)

Momentus, Low on Cash, Delays Next Mission (Source: Space News)
In-space transportation company Momentus has postponed the next flight of its space tug and laid off a fifth of its staff to conserve its dwindling cash reserves. In a filing with the SCC on Jan. 12, Momentus announced it did not plan to fly its next tug, Vigoride-7, on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 rideshare launch in March. The company said it called off the flight because of its “inability to support continuing operations for the expected launch date as a result of the Company’s limited liquidity and cash balance.”

The company said in November that it has signed up seven customers who planned to deploy satellites on Vigoride-7 and two other customers who would operate hosted payloads on the vehicle, but did not identify then. Momentus also intended to fly a rendezvous and proximity operations demonstration on the vehicle as part of its long-term plans for reusable tugs.

Momentus did not provide specifics about its limited liquidity. It reported having cash and equivalents of $9.7 million at the end of its fiscal third quarter Sept. 30. Momentus reported a net loss of $15.2 million in the quarter with revenue of $339,000. The company raised $11.85 million in gross proceeds in the fourth quarter through a series of stock transactions. (1/12)

A Message Beamed Into Space Invites Aliens to Visit Lexington, Kentucky (Source: Washington Post)
If you were an alien from TRAPPIST-1, a star some 40 light-years away from Earth, searching for signs of intelligent life, you might spot an odd burst of infrared light coming from our solar system. If you were wily enough to infer that the infrared light was a message in binary code from another civilization, you might decipher it and piece together a pixelated image. Then, if you — the alien — somehow understood English, you’d be able to read the message at the bottom: “Visit Lexington, Kentucky.”

The tourism bureau announced the moonshot travel ad in a news release Tuesday as part of a campaign to attract more Earthly visitors. But the extraterrestrial outreach was real, and grounded in research of potentially habitable planets and previous efforts to transmit messages about humanity to the stars. (1/12)