February 13, 2024

Orbex Secures International Patent for Coaxial Rocket Fuel Tanks (Source: Orbex)
UK-based spaceflight company Orbex has been granted an international patent across more than a dozen countries to protect its innovative coaxial tanking technology, which nests the main rocket fuel tank within the main oxidizer tank. This coaxial tank structure is central to the design of Orbex’s Prime rocket and allows for a uniquely low mass rocket that is around 30 percent lighter than similarly sized launchers while offering greater power, higher performance, and better economy.

Very small rockets which copy the traditional `stacked` tank architecture of larger rockets are less efficient and cost-effective than their larger counterparts, because they carry much less fuel per unit of ‘dry mass’. This central inefficiency was the major engineering challenge that the Orbex team set out to solve with the Orbex Prime architecture.

The Orbex team created a unique answer to that challenge, by nesting the fuel tank within an outer tank of liquid oxygen. This tank arrangement has unique synergies with Orbex’s choice of bio-propane as a rocket fuel because bio-propane does not freeze solid when chilled to the same temperature as liquid oxygen. The coaxial tank structure thus removes surplus components and sub-systems such as insulation, extra bulkheads, external pipework, heavy tank walls and thermal conditioning equipment. (2/13)

A Tiny Robot on the Space Station Will Simulate Remote-Controlled Surgery Up There (Source: NPR)
The robot is small in size but its aspirations are out of this world — literally. MIRA, which stands for miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant, recently became the first surgical robot at the ISS. The tiny robot, which weighs about 2 pounds, arrived at the space station on Feb. 1. Over the next few weeks, the robotic assistant will practice operating in zero gravity. Developers plan to use MIRA to conduct a surgical simulation via remote-controlled technology, with a surgeon directing its movements 250 miles away from Nebraska. (2/10)

Satellite Failure Scuttles First-of-Its-Kind In-Space Test of Physics-Defying Quantum Drive (Source: The Debrief)
Rogue Space Systems has announced the failure of its Barry 1 satellite, which occurred before the company could test a controversial quantum drive propellantless propulsion system. The company said Barry 1 was able to complete a portion of its primary mission, including tests of their Scalable Compute Platform (SCP). Barry 1 experienced ongoing power-system issues on the satellite’s bus immediately after its November 11t launch. Then, after two months of operations, the company lost all communication with the satellite. (2/10)

LeoLabs Raises $29 Million (Source: Space News)
LeoLabs raised $29 million, bringing the space object tracking firm’s funding to date to more than $120 million. With the latest funding, announced Feb. 12, LeoLabs will “not only scale our existing technologies and capabilities, but also develop new ones,” said Dan Ceperley, LeoLabs CEO and co-founder. The company’s goal is to “further enable global integrations and interoperability between both allied governments for Space Domain Awareness and satellite operators for Space Situational Awareness,” he added. (2/12)

Blue Canyon to Deliver Spacecraft for U.S. Air Force Cislunar Mission (Source: Space News)
Blue Canyon Technologies is preparing to deliver a spacecraft designed for the U.S. Air Force to demonstrate the capabilities of maneuverable satellites in deep space. The company, a subsidiary of defense and aerospace contractor RTX, expects to soon complete production and testing of Oracle-M, an Air Force Research Laboratory experiment intended to fly beyond Earth’s orbit to test satellite mobility and navigation capabilities in the cislunar region of space. (2/12)

Northrop Grumman to Expand Space Coast Campus (Source: Florida Today)
Northrop Grumman officials are planning an expansion at the company's campus at Melbourne Orlando International Airport, where more than 5,000 employees work on an array of high-tech programs — including the U.S. Air Force's B-21 Raider long-range nuclear stealth bomber. The company is exercising a lease option on 15.3 acres of airport-owned land along NASA Boulevard, stretching between the aerospace giant's campus and Satcom Direct. (2/12)

Global Satellite Capacity Prices Tumble in Starlink’s Wake (Source: Space News)
The price of satellite bandwidth for data services has dropped 77% over five years after SpaceX’s Starlink constellation flooded the market with capacity, according to Euroconsult analysis released Feb. 12. Euroconsult senior consultant Grace Khanuja said satellite operators were getting an average revenue per user (ARPU) of $260 a month for every megabit per second of capacity in 2023.

The consultancy’s definition of data covers fixed and mobile services across commercial and government markets, including for cellular backhaul and military customers. Video prices declined slower than data because the supply of capacity to broadcasters has largely stagnated amid a shift toward internet-based streaming services, as well as the prevalence of long-term contracts. (2/12)

Air Force and Space Force Sharpen Focus on China Strategy (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Air Force and Space Force are changing priorities to focus on strategic competition with China. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said at AFA Warfare Symposium Monday priorities have to change for the era of great power competition. Kendall said the Air Force and Space Force will streamline operations and prioritize critical areas like technology integration, cyber expertise and software development. Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said at the conference that the Space Force will establish a Space Futures Command as a new field command to develop concepts and conduct experimentation and war games. The service will also introduce training and education programs tailored for an era when space is a contested, not a benign, environment. (2/13)

Space Force Praised for Adopting Commercial Capabilities (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is being praised for its willingness to adopt new commercial capabilities. Steven "Bucky" Butow, director of the space portfolio at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), said at the SmallSat Symposium last week that the Space Force is "leading the charge when it comes to embracing commercial innovation." One initiative that appears to be gaining momentum relates to the procurement of satellite imagery from commercial companies, he said, with the Space Force becoming an "executive agent" for buying commercial imagery for the other services. Industry officials hope to see more details on the Space Force's plans in a commercial strategy blueprint currently being drafted by the office of Gen. Saltzman. (2/13)

Iridium Joins in Seeking Dismissal of Ligado Suit for Spectrum Access (Source: Space News)
Iridium is among the organizations backing the federal government's bid to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Ligado. Iridium, along with the Air Line Pilots Association, Airlines for America and the International Air Transport Association, submitted an amicus brief with the Court of Federal Claims last week that endorsed the government's motion to dismiss the $40 billion lawsuit filed by Ligado. In that suit, the company argues the government derailed its efforts to use assigned L-band spectrum for 5G services through misinformation over the potential for GPS interference. Iridium and the other organizations said those concerns about GPS interference "are real and ongoing." (2/13)

SpaceX to Deorbit Older Starlink Satellites (Source: Space News)
SpaceX says it plans to deorbit about 100 older Starlink satellites over concerns they could fail in orbit. The company said Monday that while those satellites are working normally today, an unspecified "common issue" with them could cause those satellites to fail. SpaceX plans to gradually deorbit the satellites over the next six months. The move comes amid broader worries about the growth of space debris and the need for more proactive measures to deorbit satellites quickly at the end of their lives. (2/13)

Space Florida Announces 2024 Space Transportation Call for Projects (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida announces its annual call for projects to further develop Florida’s spaceport system. The aerospace industry is invited to submit applications for Space Florida and the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) Spaceport Improvement Program to help meet current and future commercial and public sector space transportation’s needs. Applications are due Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

Previous Spaceport Improvement Program projects include SpaceX’s processing and Starship manufacturing facility on Roberts Road; Cecil Spaceport’s improvement to its operations control center and payload process to enable commercial launch operations; Blue Origin’s pad at Launch Complex 36; Boeing’s Starliner assembly; the Airbus Satellite facility; and United Launch Alliance’s improvements to Launch Complex 41 to enhance capabilities for medium/heavy vehicles at Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Last year’s call for projects for space transportation infrastructure improvements was valued at $42 million. Click here. (2/13)

AIA Tracks Resurgence of Defense, Aerospace Employment (Source: AIA)
According to the Aerospace Industries Association's "2023 Facts & Figures" report, in collaboration with S&P Global Market Intelligence, US aerospace and defense industry exports rose by 4.4% in 2022 to $104.8 billion, with the industry exporting to 213 countries and achieving pre-pandemic employment levels, marking a workforce of 2.2 million, the highest recorded by AIA. (2/12)

OneWeb, Northrop Support Transport Layer Buildout (Source: Air Force Technology)
Airbus US Space & Defense has become the sole owner of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites (AOS) joint venture after acquiring Eutelsat OneWeb's 50% share. In collaboration with Northrop Grumman, Airbus is developing around 70 OneWeb platforms for the Transport Layer program in the US. (2/12)

MSR at Serious Risk (Source: Space Review)
Concerns about the budget and plans for NASA’s Mars Sample Return (MSR) program came to a head last week when JPL laid off more than 500 employees, citing budget uncertainty about the program. Jeff Foust reports on the issues that have put the future of MSR into question for some. Click here. (2/12)
 
Nuclear Transit: Nuclear-Powered Navigation Satellites in the Early 1960s (Source: Space Review)
A precursor to GPS was the Transit series of navigation satellites, dating back more than 60 years. Dwayne Day discusses some of the early Transit satellites that used nuclear rather than solar power. Click here. (2/12)
 
Lunar Science is Entering a New Active Phase with Commercial Launches of Landers (Source: Space Review)
The first lunar lander by Intuitive Machines is scheduled to launch this week, carrying NASA and commercial payloads. Jack Burns describes one of the NASA instruments on the IM-1 lander and the value of commercial access to the lunar surface. Click here. (2/12)