March 1, 2024

Thales Joins Boeing, Airbus in Facing Substantial Delays with its New Software-Defined Satellite Product (Source: Space Intel Report)
The three satellite builders that were first to introduce commercial software-defined, flexible-payload satellites — Airbus Defence and Space, Boeing Satellite Systems and Thales Alenia Space — have all encountered production issues resulting in multi-year delays. Their customers, including SES, Viasat and Intelsat, among others, are grappling with the consequences. (2/29)

5 Most Valuable Space Companies in the World (Source: Insider Monkey)
We will take a look at the five most valuable space companies in the world: Safran SA ($85 billion); Lockheed Martin ($102 billion); Boeing ($125 billion); Mitsubishi Heavy Industries ($125 billion); SpaceX ($175 billion). Click here. (2/29)

Smart Factory Planned in Italy for Satellite Manufacture (Source: Space News)
Thales Alenia Space (TAS) is laying groundwork for a small satellite factory in Italy that it hopes will be at the forefront of constellation manufacturing in Europe, bringing the continent closer to mass production capabilities across the Atlantic. The joint venture between Thales of France and Leonardo of Italy aims to have the “Space Smart Factory” up and running by mid-2025 in Rome, three kilometers from where the company integrates 700-kilogram-plus Galileo navigation satellites in a facility geared for larger spacecraft. (2/28)

MDA Sees Growth in Constellations (Source: Space News)
Canadian satellite manufacturer MDA is finding new growth opportunities with constellations. The company won contracts from Globalstar in 2022 to build a new generation of satellites and from Telesat last year for its Lightspeed broadband constellation. MDA is also working with an unnamed customer looking to use the company's digital satellite design for a constellation project shrouded in secrecy. MDA says it has the ability to provide up to 400 satellites a year, giving it the capacity to take on additional customers. (3/1)

Space Force Sees Near-Term Vulnerability for US Space Assets (Source: Space News)
The head of U.S. Space Command warned that U.S. space assets face a "window of vulnerability" from attack in the next few years. Gen. Stephen Whiting singled out China and Russia as the leading threats the U.S. space architecture faces in the near future due to their ongoing development of anti-satellite weapons. China, in particular, is moving "breathtakingly fast in space," which includes a growth in satellites to allow China to track American forces on the ground and in space. He said that while Space Command reached full operational capability last year, it does not yet have sufficient capability across the board to match the pace at which potential adversaries are advancing their space weapons programs. (3/1)

Viasat Links with Northrop Grumman for Air Force Communications Experiment (Source: Space News)
Viasat announced Feb. 29 it has signed an agreement with defense prime contractor Northrop Grumman to support an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) experiment using broadband satellite internet to connect military vehicles and aircraft. The experiment is part of AFRL’s Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) program, which aims to demonstrate commercial satellite broadband services integrated on platforms ranging from ground vehicles to fighter jets. (2/29)

Sidus Space Announces Public Offering (Source: Sidus Space)
Florida-based Sidus Space intends to sell shares of its Class A common stock in an underwritten public offering. Each share of Class A common stock is being sold at a public offering price of $6.00 per share for gross proceeds of approximately $7.9 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. (2/29)

Chinese Retailer Caught Selling Starlink Terminals to Russia (Source: Newsweek)
SpaceX's Starlink user terminals are being openly sold in Russia, though CEO Elon Musk has denied knowledge of any such sales in the country. The terminals, which provide users with high-speed internet via the Starlink satellite constellation, are available on the Russian website of a reseller claiming to be an "official distributor" of leading Chinese drone maker DJI. DJI says it forbids distributors from selling its products in instances of suspected combat end-use. In April 2022, the tech firm announced it was temporarily suspending business in both Russia and Ukraine pending "compliance assessments." (2/29)

Iran Launches Imaging Satellite Through Russia (Source: Space Daily)
Russia on Thursday put into orbit an Iranian remote sensing and imaging satellite, state media said in Tehran, drawing condemnation from the United States. The launch of "Pars-I" with the Russian Soyuz-2.1b rocket was broadcast live by state television in Iran. The satellite was launched from Russia's Vostochny base, some 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) east of Moscow, according to the official IRNA news agency. (2/29)

NASA Selects ACMI as Second Approved Exploration Park Facility (Source: NASA)
NASA and the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) signed an agreement Thursday, Feb. 29 to lease underutilized land in a 240-acre Exploration Park at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. ACMI will enable the development of facilities to enable commercial and defense space manufacturing. Calling it the Space Systems Campus, ACMI plans to incorporate an applied research facility partnered with multiple stakeholders across academia, state and local government, the Department of Defense and regional economic development organizations.

The agreement is the second such public/private lease agreement to allow industry and academia to use NASA Johnson land to create facilities for a collaborative development environment that increases commercial access and enhances the United States’ commercial competitiveness in the space and aerospace industries. NASA signed a similar lease with the Texas A&M University System earlier this month. (2/29)

NASA Challenges Students to Innovate with Inflatable Technologies for Lunar Missions (Source: Space Daily)
Sponsored by NASA, the Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-Changing (BIG) Idea Challenge has set the stage for student teams to contribute novel inflatable component and system concepts aimed at enhancing future Artemis missions to the Moon and beyond. The theme for this year's challenge, Inflatable Systems for Lunar Operations, encouraged participants to submit a wide array of technology concepts. These ranged from soft robotics and deployable infrastructure components to emergency shelters, devices for extended extravehicular activities, pressurized tunnels and airlocks, and debris shields and dust protection systems. (3/1)

NASA IG: MSR an Example of Flagship Mission Management Challenges (Source: Space News)
Problems with NASA's Mars Sample Return (MSR) program illustrate the challenges NASA faces in managing large science missions, a report concluded. NASA's Office of Inspector General released an audit of the MSR program this week, concluding its cost growth was "of particular concern" and can't be explained solely by supply chain problems or inflation.

Those problems, the audit concluded, show that NASA needs to improve how it manages flagship missions in their earliest "pre-formulation" phases to provide more realistic cost and schedule estimates. The audit comes as NASA awaits a final fiscal year 2024 spending bill from Congress, expected to be passed in the next week, that will end uncertainty about how much funding will be available to MSR. A study reassessing the architecture of MSR is also due this month. (3/1)

Short-Term FAA Authorization Extends "Learning Period" for Spaceflight Regulation (Source: The Hill)
Another short-term FAA reauthorization would extend the "learning period" for commercial human spaceflight regulations. The House passed Thursday a bill extending various FAA authorities, set to expire March 8, through May 10 as it works with the Senate to develop a long-term FAA reauthorization.

Among the extensions in the House stopgap bill is one that restricts the FAA's ability to regulate commercial human spaceflight occupant safety. That "learning period," enacted in 2004 initially for eight years, has been extended several times to give industry more time to gain experience upon which regulations could be based. Many in the industry are hoping the final reauthorization bill will extend the learning period as long as eight years. (3/1)

Crew Launch Delay Allows SpaceX to Add a Starlink Launch (Source: CBS)
SpaceX took advantage of the slip to squeeze in the Starlink launch while still preserving the 48-hour spacing between flights required by NASA to allow time for data analysis to make sure any issues that might crop up in the first flight are identified before the second. Editor's Note: This exemplifies the improved flexibility in launch scheduling at the Eastern Range. In prior years, launches required months of planning to be added to the Range's manifest. Notice also that NASA is requiring a gap between launches that carry their payloads. (2/29)

China to Debut New Long March Rockets in 2024 (Source: Space.com)
China will debut several new Long March rockets this year to boost its options for space launches. Two major rocket-making academies under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Science (CASC) are set to give test flights to new rockets. The Long March 6C is a new variant of the existing Long March 6A, which is China's only rocket using a liquid propellant core with solid-fueled side boosters. The rocket will launch from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China at some point during the first half of the year.

SAST is also preparing to debut another, more powerful rocket — the Long March 12. The two-stage, kerosene-fueled Long March 12 will be capable of carrying 22,040 pounds (10,000 kg) of payload to low Earth orbit or 13,200 pounds (6,000 kg) to sun-synchronous orbit, boosting China's options for launching satellite constellations. (3/1)

China Launches First High Orbit Internet Satellite (Source: Space News)
China launched the first of a new “high orbit” internet satellite series Thursday, apparently to provide internet services to China and surrounding areas. A Long March 3B/G rocket lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China at 8:03 a.m. Eastern (1303 UTC) Feb. 29.
(2/29)

Blueprints Show Giant Moon Telescopes That May Be Built in Your Lifetime (Source: Business Insider)
Some astronomers see the Moon as the ideal spot for their next giant telescope. They're already drafting blueprints and making proposals — some with cash from an interested NASA. One moonshot plan would build a giant radio dish spanning an entire crater on the far side of the moon. Another involves a giant triangle of lasers to detect ripples in space-time and trace them to distant collisions of black holes and massive dead stars.

Yet another proposal would use SpaceX's Starship to build a lunar base-hotel-telescope hybrid featuring a mega-observatory stronger than the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope ever launched into space. (2/29)

NASA Satellite Captures Odd Holes in Clouds Over Florida (Source: FOX35)
The photo captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite last month shows a cluster of circle- or ellipse-shaped figures that look like they've been cut neatly from the clouds. They even depict "feathery wisps" in the middle of the hole, NASA said. These are called cavum clouds, also known as hole-punch clouds or fallstreak holes. They're caused by airplanes moving through banks of altocumulus clouds, according to NASA. (2/29)

Filmmaker Wants to Put Astronaut Sally Ride Statue in Central Florida (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Lifelike bronze statues honoring some of the most famous astronauts in history have been finding homes in the space hubs and museums of America in recent years, and documentary filmmaker Steven Barber has had a major hand in each of their placements. Now he wants to bring a statue commemorating Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, to Central Florida. His top target is Orlando International Airport, which acknowledged the spirit behind the push, but noted any sort of approval would have to go through a process. (2/24)

Father of Space Coast's 321 Area Code Honored This Month (Source: American Space Museum)
The late Robert “Ozzy” Osband, self-proclaimed "Rocket Hobo" and "Father of the 3-2-1 Area Code" will be honored at a celebration in Downtown Titusville on, appropriately, March 21, 2024. Co-Organized by the American Space Museum and the National Space Society, the celebration of Ozzy’s life and impact as an influencer in many organizations is “go for launch.”

The celebration of Ozzy’s life will begin with an informal gathering of friends at 3:21 pm on March 21 at Space View Park in Titusville, where Ozzy's lawn chair and famous green polo shirt will be placed for final respects. At 4pm ASM plans to broadcast, live via YouTube, a special episode in Ozzy’s honor, of the “Stay Curious Podcast” from Space View Park. At 5pm Mayor Dan Diesel will read a proclamation in honor of Titusville’s most iconic character and inaugurate the best block party in the galaxy, Florida’s Space Coast, homegrown holiday 3-2-1 Day “Tomorrow launches here!” (3/1)

SpaceFund Welcomes Sagi Kfir as General Counsel (Source: SpaceFund)
SpaceFund, Inc., a space venture capital firm, welcomes Sagi Kfir as General Counsel. As a respected aerospace executive with 25 years of complex legal and business experience, Sagi will be responsible for all aspects of legal, compliance and regulatory functions for SpaceFund’s multiple funds and management company. (2/29)

Florida-Based Space Perspective’s First Flight Moves Closer To Takeoff (Source: Forbes)
Carol Scribner and her late husband Larry were among the first to pay $125,000 each for a seat on the upcoming flight into the edge of space offered by the company Space Perspective. For the couple, there was practically nowhere else to go as voracious travelers who had been to 170 countries. Now that flight seems closer to reality: with the completion of the test capsule just announced, the company is aiming to begin commercial flights in 2025.

With the capsule now complete, a series of uncrewed test flights will begin soon off the coast of Florida, according to Jane Poynter, Space Perspective’s co-founder and co-CEO, with crewed test flights scheduled for later this year. “Our test capsule is highly instrumented and represents what we will be flying once commercially operational,” she says, “minus the luxurious interior, which we call the Space Lounge, and the restroom, which we call the Space Spa.” (2/26)

Homestead Air Base Could Become a Spaceport, But Don’t Expect Rocket Launches (Source: Miami Herald)
Florida lawmakers are pushing forward legislation that could bring businesses from the space industry to Miami-Dade County. Senate Bill 968 would turn property at the Homestead Air Reserve Base in Miami-Dade into “spaceport territory,” allowing space technology businesses and other space-related companies to conduct research, develop space infrastructure and more on site.

A bill in Tallahassee -- SB 968 -- would effectively designate property within the Homestead Reserve Air Base and Tyndall Air Force Base in Bay County as spaceport territory starting July 1. HB 577 has similar language. Robert Long at Space Florida said that although the legislation aims to turn property in Homestead into a spaceport territory, rockets would not be launched from the area for the foreseeable future. Homestead would act as an area that can help support space activity in the state overall. He said that by expanding the state’s designated spaceport territory, Florida will be able to continue to grow its aerospace industry. South Florida is an ideal place to make that happen, he said. (2/24)

Ecuador "Space Day" Includes Discussions on Future Space Projects, Including Launch (Source: USFQ)
NASA studies indicate that countries close to the equator have a privileged position for launching a spacecraft, as they travel at a higher speed. Hence, Ecuador's strategic position for the development of this type of business. A Feb. 29 public meeting, organized by the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), will feature discussion about the emerging spaceport industry.

The objective of the event is to discover the opportunities and development, business and research projects that the space industry offers for Ecuador. The aim is to achieve a broader vision of the topic and generate links for new opportunities for development, cooperation and growth. (2/29)

Space Florida the Week's "Biggest Winner" (Source: Florida Politics)
The biggest winner: Space Florida. The U.S. saw a major milestone in space travel this week, with the first private business operation to land on the moon. And while Houston-based Intuitive Machines was behind the lander, Odysseus, which touched down on the moon, Florida played a major role in making this event happen. The launch took place from Cape Canaveral and the camera sent up to the moon was built by students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Space Florida deserves major credit here for enabling this launch. The rocket that took Odysseus up was made by SpaceX, a company that Space Florida has also worked to spark a good relationship with, allowing the spaceport to host multiple launches for the Elon Musk-run firm. And hey, it was the lander from the Houston-based company that screwed up, if anything. The launch went smoothly and the camera works. So Florida’s partners did all they could do here. As the U.S. looks to reignite its dominance of space, expect Space Florida to play a primary role going forward.

And, says Space Florida CEO Robert Long, "don’t forget St. Pete-based Lonestar Data Holdings demonstrated the first-ever data transfer and storage services from the moon as a payload on IM-1! Perfect examples of Florida’s leadership and why we keep pushing to build and grow in these areas." (2/25)

We Finally Know Why SpaceX’s Starship Exploded (Twice) During Its Second Flight (Source: Gizmodo)
Orbital Test Flight 2 (OFT-2) was a considerable improvement over the first test, done on April 20, 2023, which resulted in considerable damage to the launch pad and the surrounding area as well as the loss of the Starship rocket some four minutes into the flight. Nevertheless, OFT-2, which witnessed the in-flight destruction of both the Super Heavy booster and upper stage, prompted an FAA investigation.

Following stage separation, and as the booster began its descent stage, “several engines began shutting down before one engine failed energetically,” resulting in a chain of events that ultimately resulted in the destruction of the Super Heavy, the company explained. SpaceX identified filter blockage as the culprit, in which oxygen-rich liquid from the engines clogged the filters. This led to the shutdown of several engines and an explosion about three and a half minutes into the flight.

As for the upper stage, it managed to free itself from the booster and fly for nearly seven minutes. Then, as part of the test, it vented extra liquid oxygen that was loaded for data collection purposes (this normally wouldn’t be done during a launch). However, a leak occurred during this venting, causing a fire and loss of communication with the flight computers. This led to the engines shutting down early and the self-destruct system ending the mission. (2/27)

Space Futures Command Could Begin Limited Operations This Year (Source: C4ISRnet)
The Space Force expects to begin early operations of its new Futures Command before the end of this year, according to the general in charge of establishing the organization. Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton, the service’s chief strategy and resourcing officer, said he hopes to have a task force of 10 to 15 personnel in place by this summer. That team will lay the groundwork for the command with the goal of initial operations before the end of 2024. (2/28)

Texas County Now Supports Giving Public Land to SpaceX in State Exchange Deal (Source: Texas Public Radio)
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said he now supported a land swap between SpaceX and Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) for conservation reasons. “This exchange isn’t merely about swapping parcels of land,” Treviño wrote. “It’s about safeguarding the very essence of what makes Cameron County unique within the vast expanse of Texas.”

Treviño’s position is a contrast from a letter he sent just a month ago to TPWD that confronted the agency for not informing the county of plans to exchange 43 acres of land in Boca Chica State Park to SpaceX for 477 acres of land between Laguna Vista and Laguna Heights. (2/28)

NASA Artemis II Moon Mission Training Successful in San Diego (Source: CBS8)
NASA's Artemis II is running tests leading up to its journey around the moon. After the mission, astronauts will be returning to earth in the Orion capsule and splashing down off our coast. Naval Base San Diego will be helping to retrieve the four astronauts and capsule after returning to earth from their 10-day mission. Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen will be on board. (2/38)

Rocket Lab ‘Misrepresented’ Neutron Launch Readiness, Congressional Memo Says (Source: Tech Crunch)
An internal congressional memo casts strong doubt on Rocket Lab’s claim that its Neutron rocket will be ready for launch in time to meet a crucial contract deadline from the Space Force. “In light of public reporting and media pressure, Rocket Lab has escalated their campaign to misrepresent their launch readiness in an effort to gain competitive advantage over incumbents and other new entrants by on-boarding into NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 at the first opportunity in 2024,” the memo says. “Public records and information available to staff confirm that Neutron has no credible path to launch by 12/15/2024.” (2/28)

Missile Warning Payload Delay Could Push Back 2025 Deployment Plan (Source: C4ISRnet)
A key missile warning satellite’s sensor payload is a year behind schedule, according to the Space Force’s top acquisition official. Receiving that payload, built by RTX, and integrating it onto the first Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared satellite is a top acquisition priority for the service, Frank Calvelli said. He’s concerned further delays could push the planned launch date past its 2025 target. (2/28)