February 10, 2024

Critical Atlantic Ocean Current System is Showing Early Signs of Collapse (Source: CNN)
A crucial system of ocean currents may already be on course to collapse, according to a new report, with alarming implications for sea level rise and global weather — leading temperatures to plunge dramatically in some regions and rise in others. Using exceptionally complex and expensive computing systems, scientists found a new way to detect an early warning signal for the collapse of these currents, according to the study published Friday in the journal Science Advances. And as the planet warms, there are already indications it is heading in this direction. (2/9)

Greece Announces €60M Earth Observation Microsatellite Constellation (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Greek Ministry of Digital Governance has announced that the country is going ahead with the development of a €60-million Earth observation microsatellite constellation. Once operational, the constellation will provide the country with optical, multispectral, and hyperspectral Earth observation data. (2/6)

Rubio and Other Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Create Space National Guard (Source: Space Foundation)
A bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), reintroduced the Space National Guard Establishment Act in the Senate, which would create a Space National Guard by integrating current Air National Guard and Army National Guard members engaged in space-related duties into the Space Force command structure. (1/31)

Lawmakers Urge Administration to Reverse Mars Budget Cuts (Source: Space Foundation)
Over 40 lawmakers from California, led by Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), have written to Shalanda Young, Director for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), urging the Administration to overturn budget cuts to the Mars Sample Return (MSR) program, expressing concerns over potential job losses and setbacks in scientific advancement. (2/1)

Senate Committee Approves Bipartisan FAA Reauthorization (Source: Space Foundation)
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee (SCC) approved a bipartisan 5-year Senate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization. During the markup, Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX) highlighted the need to address the work of the Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) and expressed readiness to contribute to an ongoing collaborative effort on a commercial space bill. (2/8)

Two Startups Selected Through Technology in Space Prize to Leverage ISS National Lab (Source: CASIS)
Startups Symphony Bio and FluxWorks are the newest recipients of the Technology in Space Prize, funded by Boeing and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), manager of the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory. Selected through the MassChallenge (Boston) startup accelerator program, these two companies will utilize the unparalleled research environment available through the ISS National Lab to further their research and technology development. (2/9)

Space Force’s ‘Victus Haze’ Demo to Focus on Rapid Threat Response (Source: C4ISRnet)
The Victus Nox mission — Latin for “conquer the night” — lifted off on Firefly Aerospace’s Alpha rocket within 27 hours of initial launch orders. It carried a Millennium Space Systems satellite that was delivered in a matter of months rather than the years it typically takes. Following the launch, the spacecraft was ready for operations in just 37 hours — a phase that can stretch for weeks.

For its next demonstration, dubbed Victus Haze, the Space Force wants to achieve similar satellite delivery and launch timelines, but with a twist. This time, the spacecraft will be required showcase the ability to maneuver from a real-time threat. The Space Force is in the final process of selecting companies to participate.

Those awards will go to launch providers as well as companies with spacecraft that can maneuver in orbit — a departure from many of today’s satellites, which are designed to remain in a particular orbital position throughout their service life. The Space Force and U.S. Space Command have identified a growing need for satellites to be able to maneuver away from threats like debris or toward objects the U.S. may want to observe more closely. (2/8)

Abbott-Appointed Billionaire Helping Elon Musk Acquire Sensitive Texas Parkland for SpaceX (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Billionaires tend to look out for one another, so it’s no surprise Houston’s richest man is helping Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest Texan, acquire sensitive state parkland to expand SpaceX.

Oil and gas billionaire Jeffery Hildebrand wants to trade 43 acres of Boca Chica State Park to Musk’s SpaceX in return for 477 acres of privately owned land connected to the nearby Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Sounds like a good deal, right? No, because the 477 acres of land were already slated for conservation, my colleague Andrea Leinfelder uncovered. If Hildebrand pushes through the deal, as he’s pledged, Texans will see no net gain of conserved acres. (2/9)

ESA Shipping Container's Laser Link to Space (Source: ESA)
ESA’s very latest laboratory extension is portable in nature: hosted within a standard shipping container, this ESA Transportable Optical Ground Station, ETOGS, can be transported all across Europe as needed, to perform laser-based optical communications with satellites – including NASA’s Psyche mission, millions of kilometres away in space. The station will serve as a flexible testbed for optical telecommunications hardware and systems.

ETOGS can also support other activities that require looking at the sky with a telescope or pointing skyward with a laser, such as space debris monitoring or orbit determination via laser ranging. ETOGS consists of a standard 6-m (20 ft) long shipping container, customised to host an 80-cm diameter telescope on a lifting platform and a climate-controlled operator area. Laser transmitters, receivers and other required equipment can be attached to this flexible structure to serve each specific campaign. (2/8)

Why Studying Astronauts’ Microbiomes is Crucial to Ensure Deep Space Mission Success (Source: Frontiers)
Integrating astromicrobiological preparedness into mission planning and execution is a necessity to safeguard the health and well-being of astronauts and the overall success of deep space endeavors. Astro microbiology – the study of microorganisms in outer space – involves understanding the effects of microbial persistence and succession on closed systems, such as spacecraft and habitats, and developing technologies such as space agriculture and the extraction of microbial secondary metabolites for medicine, flavoring, and nutritional drugs. The microbiome's composition and function are likely to undergo changes during spaceflight.

Taking appropriate measures to support a healthy microbiome in astronauts may not only help maintain their health during the mission, but also aid in their rehabilitation upon returning to Earth. One of the main health concerns for astronauts is radiation exposure. Space radiation is very different and much more intense than radiation on Earth, which can have harmful effects on the health of astronauts. Microorganisms exposed to radiation can induce resistance to antibiotics, UV, heat, extreme dryness, and other potentially fatal factors. Therefore, it is essential to understand the potential effects of radiation not only on humans, but also on their microbiome to develop effective risk reduction strategies for space missions. (2/7)

A New Generation of Spaceplanes is Taking Advantage of the Latest in Technology (Source: The Conversation)
Spaceplanes are more complex and heavier than an equivalent capsule. The winged body shape poses a particular challenge for designing thermal protection systems (TPS) – the heat-resistant materials that protect the craft from scorching temperatures on re-entry. These additional costs mean it’s impractical to design a spaceplane for a single flight. They need to be used again and again to be viable. Click here. (2/8)