March 28, 2024

Amish Patel Joins Sierra Space as Chief Operating Officer (Source: Sierra Space)
Sierra Space announced the appointment of Amish Patel as Chief Operating Officer. In his new role, Amish will oversee all aspects of the company’s rapidly expanding production, facilities and supply chain operations. In his new role, Amish will oversee all aspects of the company’s operations, including purview over Sierra Space’s global supply chain and manufacturing. (3/28)

Saltzman Pushes Need for ‘Actionable’ Space Domain Awareness (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force is ramping up its investment in domain awareness to stay ahead in the increasingly contested space environment, and Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman described the effort as essential to his “Competitive Endurance” theory meant to guide the entire service. Space domain awareness includes the monitoring of space objects and activities, tracking environmental conditions, detecting adversary operations, and ascribing intent to actions. That missions has grown vastly more complex—Saltzman noted a 700 percent surge in active satellites since 2008, with many of those satellites possessing new technology and capabilities. That’s in addition to the increasing possibility of collision and space debris. (3/27)

Richard Branson Was Wrong About Space Travel (Source: Escape)
Branson and three Virgin Galactic employees (no children, notably) flew above the 50-mile mark that the US defines as outer space. (The rest of the world defines it as 100km, or 62 miles, above the Earth’s surface, but still. Minor details.) In doing so Branson became the first founder of a space company to actually enter space. It was only for a few minutes, and on a test flight, but victory was his. Fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos blasted off nine days later, spending vast sums on second place. Proving once again that billionaires are a deeply insecure species.

Yes, there’ve been many bold promises about how soon mere mortals will be able to shoot for the stars – most notably from Branson, but also from fellow billionaires Elon Musk (SpaceX) and Bezos (Blue Origin) – but even their combined wealth and willpower hasn’t made it happen yet. Commercial space tourism is unlikely to become a reality in my lifetime. (3/28)

Alaska Spaceport Has a New CEO (Source: KMXT)
A retired U.S. Air Force Colonel is the new president and chief executive officer of the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, which oversees Kodiak’s Pacific Spaceport Complex on Narrow Cape. John Oberst was announced as the head of the state-owned corporation last month on Feb. 26. Oberst has 30 years of military service, during which he was mainly stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) and Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Most of his career has been tied to space in one form or another, from Oberst’s first job building rockets, to his newest role leading the spaceport. (3/27)

UArizona Crew of Professional Artists Completes Simulated Moon Mission (Source: UArizona)
Dancer Elizabeth George and three other UArizona professional artists served as crew members in a six-day simulated moon mission, called Imagination 1. The goal was to explore the value of art in space exploration and produce creative works inspired by the limitations and possibilities of life and culture beyond Earth. The crew was led by Christopher Cokinos, a nonfiction writer and professor emeritus of English, and also included Julie Swarstad Johnson, a poet and Poetry Center archivist and librarian, and Ivy Wahome, a textile artist and Master of Fine Arts candidate in costume design.

"All of the art forms that we brought with us into this technological space are ultimately very human things," Johnson said. "That's something I hope that we can convey to people as we think about any kind of movement beyond Earth. As humans, we're always going to be creating and thinking, and art can help us do that well." (3/27)

The Company Building a Rotating Detonation Engine is Pushing the Tech Forward (Source: Ars Technica)
Venus Aerospace conducted its first powered flight last month, reaching Mach 0.9 with a drone. The 8-foot-long vehicle was dropped from an Aero L-29 Delfín aircraft at 12,000 feet and flew under the power of a hydrogen peroxide monopropellant engine. This engine was not fired at full thrust because the location of the test flight, an unspecified range in the United States, did not permit flight faster than the speed of sound, said Andrew Duggleby, co-founder and chief technology officer of the Houston-based company.

This first powered flight came as the company announced a long-duration test firing of its rotating detonation rocket engine, an experimental approach to propulsion that could be about 15 percent more efficient than a conventional chemical rocket engine. The company's long-term ambition is to develop a commercial aircraft that can travel at Mach 9—far faster than any previous airplane. That's clearly a ways off, but these are important, if early, steps on that path.

About three weeks ago the company announced it had completed a "long duration" run of its engine, which uses a mode of propulsion different from a chemical engine. In a traditional rocket engine, propellant and an oxidizer are injected into a combustion chamber where they burn and produce a tremendously energetic exhaust plume. A rotating detonation engine differs in that a wave of detonation travels around a circular channel. This is sustained by the injection of fuel and oxidizer and produces a shockwave that travels outward at supersonic speed. (3/27)

ESA Seeks Increased Cooperation with India (Source: Space News)
ESA is studying options for increased cooperation with the Indian space agency ISRO. At a briefing Wednesday after an ESA Council meeting, agency officials said they received a presentation from the chairman of ISRO, S. Somanath, at their meeting to get an update on Indian space activities. ESA said the agency has been exploring options of enhanced cooperation in science, exploration and operations since late 2022, but has not disclosed any specific options under consideration. (3/28)

China Signs New Partners for Lunar Base Program (Source: Space News)
China is signing new partners for a proposed international lunar base but is struggling to find national-level support. China's Deep Space Exploration Laboratory signed memoranda of understanding this month with the Asociación de Astronomía de Colombia and Kyrgyzstan's Arabaev Kyrgyz State University regarding potential cooperation on the International Lunar Research Station. The agreements with organizations and universities may reflect difficulties China is having getting support from national governments, perhaps because of Russia's involvement with the initiative. (3/28)

Mowry Departs Voyager, Joins Vast (Source: Space News)
One commercial space station company has hired a former executive from another such company. Vast has hired Clay Mowry as an adviser to provide guidance and counsel as it develops its Haven-1 commercial station and future larger stations. Mowry was previously chief revenue officer at Voyager Space, which is working on the Starlab commercial space station, and earlier held positions at Blue Origin and Arianespace. Separately, a former Vast employee filed suit in a California court this week, alleging he was fired from the company last year after raising concerns that the company was violating FCC regulations for spectrum it plans to use for Haven-1. Vast denied the claims and says it will fight the suit in court. (3/28)

JAXA’s SLIM Reactivates After One Month of Dormancy (Source: Japan Times)
Japan's SLIM lunar lander continues to defy the odds. The lander has survived a second lunar night and is transmitting data again, the Japanese space agency JAXA announced Thursday. SLIM landed in January and the solar-powered spacecraft was not designed to survive the lunar night. However, SLIM revived in late Feburary and sent data for several data before going back into hibernation for a second night. (3/28)

SOHO Discovers 5000 Comets (Source: NASA)
A mission designed to study the sun has now discovered 5,000 comets. An amateur scientist studying images from the ESA-NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) detected the milestone comet earlier this week. SOHO launched in 1995 to study the sun, but it has also been able to discover "sungrazer" comets that pass close to the sun that cannot otherwise be seen. Such comets often do not survive their close passages to the sun. (3/28)

Event Horizon Telescope Provides New View of Sagittarius A* Black Hole (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers have obtained a new view of the supermassive back hole at the center of our galaxy. The Event Horizon Telescope, a globe-spanning network of observatories, created the image of the black hole called Sagittarius A* in polarized light. That view shows magnetic field lines around the black hole, about 4.3 million times the mass of the sun, and reveals structures similar to the far larger black hole at the core of the galaxy M87. Astronomers said the image of Sagittarius A* suggests it may be ejecting a jet of material not previously seen, based on its similarities to the black hole in M87. (3/28)

Spire Global Announces Deal with South Korea's HANCOM for Imaging Constellation (Source: Spire)
Spire Global announced an agreement with HANCOM InSpace, initially a spin-off by Korea Aerospace Research Institute and now a part of HANCOM Group, for Sejong-2 and Sejong-3 two additional satellites with Spire Space Services. Under this agreement, Spire will build and operate the satellites, expanding the capabilities of HANCOM-1 (Sejong-1). Together, these satellites will form a constellation for Korea’s first three-satellite remote sensing image data service. (3/27)

Progress Continues on Europe’s Gateway Space Station Contributions (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander shared images of the International Habitat (I-Hab) and Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) modules for NASA’s Gateway space station under construction at the Thales Alenia Space facility in Italy. While the pressurized module for HALO has the distinct shape of its final form, I-HAB is still just multiple individual rings awaiting integration. This is down to priority, with HALO expected to be launched well before I-HAB in late 2025. I-HAB is only expected to begin its journey to lunar orbit towards the end of 2028. (3/27)

Angara-5 Set for First Launch in April (Source: Russian Space Web)
After the cancellation of the Rus-M project in 2011, the Russian space agency hatched plans to bring the Angara launch vehicle to Vostochny instead. The launch facility would be built at the site originally eyed for the Rus-M's dual pad. An Angara-5 rocket is now set to fly its first mission from its new launch pad in Vostochny, as early as April 9. (3/27)

AFWERX, SpaceWERX Launch Notice of Opportunity for Space Applicable Technology Submissions (Source: Executive Gov)
Department of the Air Force commercial investment arm AFWERX AFVentures has released, on behalf of SpaceWERX, the program year 24.2 Strategic Funding Increase — or STRATFI — and Tactical Funding Increase — or TACFI — notice of opportunity for space technology submissions. STRATFI provides between $3 million and $15 million in funding over 48 months while TACFI provides between $375,000 and $1.9 million over 24 months. The programs are open to Small Business Concerns with Phase II SBIR or STTR contracts that have been running for at least 90 days or have been completed within two years of submitting a capability package. (3/27)

University of Alaska Fairbanks Books $139M NGA Contract for Geospatial Data, Products (Source: Executive Gov)
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency will procure geospatial data and products from the University of Alaska Fairbanks using the recently awarded $139 million Summit contract. NGA said the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract covers data and product development, maintenance and delivery over a five-year period of performance. (3/27)

Locals Voice Opposition to Scottish Spaceport (Source: West Coast Today)
The Outer Hebrides’ local authority, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, proposed and unanimously approved ’Spaceport 1’ at Scolpaig Farm, Balemartin, near MacLeod’s Folly, an octagonal Georgian tower built on an Iron Age dun in Loch Scolpaig. The plan drew six supporters and 244 objections, including a petition of 1,300 signatures, arguing "one of the wonders of the Western Isles ... should not be lost to irreversible industrialisation". In a last ditch bid to block it last July, a campaign group called Friends of Scolpaig urged the Scottish Government to call it in for determination, but ministers chose not to intervene. (3/22)

Researchers Discover 125,000-Year-Old Coastal Ecosystem Underneath Spaceport in Kourou (Source: Phys.org)
In what is an intriguing mix of past and future, an international team of researchers, including some from the University of Bonn, has stumbled upon a surprising window to the past in Kourou in French Guiana. In the clay underneath the new launch pad for the forthcoming Ariane 6 launch vehicle, the interdisciplinary team has uncovered a remarkable collection of fossils stretching back 130,000 years.

Covering over 270 species in total, including bony fish, sharks and numerous plants, they reflect the kind of climatic conditions that calculations suggest are set to reoccur in the year 2100. These coastal fossils are the first to have been unearthed in the equatorial Atlantic. (3/26)

ESA to Build digital Chat Assistant Powered by EO Data (Source: Space Daily)
The European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with technology partners, is embarking on an ambitious project to develop artificial intelligence (AI) applications designed to transform the way we retrieve information from Earth observation data. This initiative aims to create a digital assistant capable of producing scientifically accurate responses based on verified data, answering complex questions about environmental and geographical phenomena. (3/26)

France's Pioneering Role in Strengthening European Space Security (Source: Space Daily)
In the recent decade, the international landscape of space has undergone significant transformations with over 90 countries participating, commercial firms launching satellites regularly, and at least 12 nations establishing military space organizations. Amidst this global evolution, European countries, led by France, have intensified their focus on space security, aligning with their national security agendas. (3/26)

Bipartisan Congressional Call to Ensure Mars Sample Return a Success (Source: Space Daily)
A unified bipartisan effort led by Representatives Mike Garcia (CA-27), Judy Chu (CA-28), and Adam Schiff (CA-30) has emerged, with a strongly worded letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson demanding full funding for the Mars Sample Return Program. The letter, endorsed by an additional 20 Members of Congress from California, underscores the mission's critical importance and calls for a minimum allocation of $650 million to safeguard the mission's success and America's leadership in space exploration. (3/26)

Comprehensive Space Infrastructure Collaboration between SatSure, KaleidEO, and ReOrbit Unveiled (Source: Space Daily)
SatSure and its subsidiary KaleidEO have formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Helsinki's ReOrbit, marking an important step in developing advanced full-stack EO solutions. This collaboration is set to revolutionize the EO market by meeting its future demands with a comprehensive range of services. Under this alliance, KaleidEO will contribute cutting-edge payload technologies for sub-meter imaging, enhanced by AI analytics. (3/22)

New Texas Space Commission plans to spend $350 million to keep industry booming in Lone Star State (Source: KTRK)
From West Texas with Blue Origin to the Rio Grande Valley with SpaceX and Houston with Johnson Space Center and the Spaceport, aerospace reaches across Texas with nearly 2,000 companies. State leaders said there are 150,000 Texans who work in the aerospace industry right now. The number is expected to grow. In 2023, lawmakers approved creating the state space commission. They plan to invest $350 million over the next few years to help with education and company grants.

Pieces of SpaceX's Starships are Being Sold as Rare Collectibles (Source: LMT Online)
Following SpaceX's Starship rocket launches, people have wandered near the launch site and discovered ceramic heat shield tiles. Rather than toss them in the trash, people have taken the scraps, boasted them as rare collectibles, and made them into high-value items on online marketplaces such as Etsy and eBay. The popular trend has seen the tiles go for hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars. (3/27)

Luxembourg's Role in Shaping the Future of Space Exploration (Source: RTL)
Luxembourg's aspirations in space exploration have transitioned from mere ambition to tangible reality in recent years, as the Grand Duchy has solidified its presence in the space resources sector. Driven by a desire to diversify its economy, Luxembourg has attracted approximately 80 companies and start-ups to its space industry landscape. Employing approximately 1,500 individuals, the space industry in Luxembourg garners significant attention during Space Resources Week. (3/26)

Why NASA Will Fire Three Rockets At The Solar Eclipse From Virginia Spaceport (Source: Forbes)
NASA has announced it will fire three scientific sounding rockets into the moon’s shadow on April 8 during a partial solar eclipse across North America. NASA’s suborbital rockets will fly from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. (3/26)