March 8, 2024

Pentagon Review Finds No Evidence of Alien Cover-Up (Source: New York Times)
The new congressionally mandated Pentagon report found no evidence that the government was covering up knowledge of extraterrestrial technology and said there was no evidence that any U.F.O. sightings represented alien visitation to Earth. The 63-page document is the most sweeping rebuttal the Pentagon has issued in recent years to counter claims that it has information on extraterrestrial visits or technology. But amid widespread distrust of the government, the report is unlikely to calm a growing obsession with aliens. (3/8)

Astra Deal Takes Launch Company Private (Source: Space News)
Astra Space has accepted a proposal from its founders to take the company private. The satellite propulsion and launch vehicle company announced Thursday that its board approved a revised proposal from Chris Kemp and Adam London, CEO and CTO respectively, to take the company private at $0.50 per share. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter, after which Astra will no longer be publicly traded but instead owned by "a number of long-term investors" in the company, including Kemp and London. Astra said in a regulatory filing last week that, if that deal fell through, its only option was a Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. (3/8)

Slingshot Expands in UK (Source: Space News)
Space situational awareness company Slingshot Aerospace is expanding its presence in the U.K. The company announced it is opening offices in the country to lead a new international business division for the U.S. company. Melissa Quinn, previously head of the company’s Seradata space data analysis team, will lead the division. The offices will work to secure more government and commercial customers for its space domain awareness services. (3/8)

Renewed OSC Push for Debris Mitigation Regulations (Source: Space News)
The Office of Space Commerce is seeking input on a proposal to reinstate orbital debris mitigation regulations for companies that receive commercial remote sensing licenses. The company dropped specific requirements for orbital debris mitigation plans for spacecraft it licenses in 2020 because, at the time, nearly all licensees also had FCC licenses, which had their own orbital debris regulations.

However, the office states in an RFI to be published in the Federal Register that it has noticed an increasing number of companies seeking commercial remote sensing licenses that go outside the U.S. for spectrum licenses, or are considering optical communications technologies not licensed by the FCC. The office is studying whether and how this potential loophole should be closed. (3/8)

Congressional Appropriation Failures Cost Space Force $4 Billion (Source: Breaking Defense)
Failure to pass a fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill could cost the Space Force nearly $4 billion. Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations, said at the McAleese Defense Programs Conference Thursday that the service would lose out on $3.9 billion if Congress instead enacts a full-year continuing resolution, keeping funding at 2023 levels, instead of a regular appropriations bill.

That would keep the Space Force from funding seven launches under the National Security Space Launch program, he said. The Defense Department is among the agencies operating under a continuing resolution through March 22 as Congress attempts to finalize a spending bill. (3/8)

Spain's Sateliot Plans IoT Constellation, Seeks Investment (Source: Reuters)
Spanish startup Sateliot is seeking to raise 100 million euros ($109 million) to build out an Internet of Things constellation. The company's CEO, Jaume Sanpera, said Thursday that he is looking to raise the money through a mix of equity and debt to allow the company to deploy a constellation of 100 smallsats. The company has launched two demonstration satellites to date and its first four commercial satellites are slated to launch in June. (3/8)

Sierra Space Completes Dream Chaser Testing (Source: Sierra Space)
Sierra Space has completed the first phase of environmental testing of its Dream Chaser spacecraft. The company said Thursday that the Dream Chaser vehicle Tenacity, along with its Shooting Star cargo module, wrapped up vibration testing at NASA's Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio. They will now undergo thermal vacuum testing there before shipping to Florida for a launch later this year to the International Space Station. (3/8)

NASA Picks 15 Companies for Tech Demos (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected 15 companies to provide services for two technology demonstration programs. The companies, which include those that operate high-altitude balloons, suborbital and orbital launch vehicles, and spacecraft, will be eligible to provide flight and payload integration services for its Flight Opportunities and Small Spacecraft Technology programs. The overall indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a maximum value of $45 million across all 15 companies over five years. (3/8)

Interstellar Signal Linked to Aliens Was Actually Just a Truck (Source: Johns Hopkins University)
Scientists who thought they found evidence of an interstellar meteor may have instead detected… a truck. Researchers in a paper last year described how they used seismic signals detected at a station in Papua New Guinea to narrow down the reentry location of a meteor they believed came from outside the solar system and could even have artificial origins.

However, a reanalysis of the data by another team found that the seismic signals instead came from a truck driving by the station. That means that an expedition later mounted to grab fragments of the meteor from the sea floor went to the wrong location. "Whatever was found on the sea floor is totally unrelated to this meteor, regardless of whether it was a natural space rock or a piece of alien spacecraft," the lead scientist of the new study stated. (3/8)

Muon Space's Second EO Bird, MuSat2, Deployed and Communicating (Source: Space Daily)
Muon Space, an innovative space systems provider that is reshaping Earth monitoring from orbit, has reported the successful launch and operational readiness of its latest satellite, MuSat2. This marks a significant milestone for the company as it continues to push the boundaries of what's possible with satellite technology. (3/7)

Mongolia Enters the Space Race with First Satellites (Source: Space Daily)
Mongolia marked its entry by launching its inaugural satellites, catalyzing an era of innovation and amplifying the potential for investment in its evolving tech domain. On  March 4, Space-X's Falcon-9 rocket carried two Mongolian low-earth-orbit nano satellites, Ondosat-Owl-1 and Ondosat-Owl-2, into space. These satellites, developed by the Mongolian enterprise Ondo Space, have passed the stringent space environmental testing at Japan's Kyushu Institute of Technology. (3/8)

Viasat and Rocket Lab Unveil Advanced Data Services for LEO Satellites (Source: Space Daily)
Viasat has partnered with Rocket Lab to introduce a groundbreaking spacecraft bus and mission operation support for its upcoming hybrid space communications network demonstrations. These initiatives aim to showcase Viasat's comprehensive suite of multi-band, space-based communication services designed to significantly improve the flexibility, latency, and throughput of data management for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite missions in real time. This collaboration is part of Viasat's involvement in two projects, awarded a combined total of $80 million, under NASA's Communications Services Project (CSP). (3/8)

CR Could Force Cancellation of NSA Missions (Source: Breaking Defense)
Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of the US Space Force, warns that the failure of Congress to pass a 2024 defense budget, opting instead for a continuing resolution, could lead to a potential loss of billions for the Space Force. This financial shortfall under a CR could result in the cancellation of National Security Space Launches. (3/7)

Subject of Alien Life a Major Topic at SXSW (Source: Austin Chronicle)
Savannah Horton of the Aerospace Industries Association highlights the risks of space exploration, cautioning, "Contamination is a very real concern in space policy as we explore further into the solar system," and humorously advises against making physical contact with extraterrestrials. Despite her practical stance on space policy, Horton admits to the likelihood of alien life in the universe and confesses she would be "truly awestruck" and rendered speechless if she ever encountered an alien. (3/8)

Midland Spaceport Development Continues to Rise with Addition of Space Force Partner (Source: News 9 West)
Spaceport development continues to be an area of focus in Midland. On Monday, the Midland Development Corporation approved an agreement for the Texas Chapter of the Space Force Association to be headquartered right in West Texas. The Spaceport Business Park at the Midland International Air and Space Port is an area well known to aerospace industry folks statewide and beyond.

The business and development currently seen in the Tall City might be just getting started as the Space Force Association sees the potential that Midland’s air and space port can provide. The Texas Chapter of the Space Force Association has been around for over two years, and they now have a place in Texas to call home. (3/4)

NASA Engineer Accused of Sexual Assault Arrested at Johnson Space Center (Source: KTRK)
As investigators search for more possible victims, NASA revealed an aerospace engineer accused of sexually assaulting two women was arrested while at the workplace. On Thursday, the agency confirmed to Eyewitness News that 37-year-old Eric Sim was placed in handcuffs at Houston's Johnson Space Center last Friday, Feb. 29. Despite NASA not referencing the employee's name in a statement, court documents stated Sim was arrested that day. (3/7)

BrainChip Boosts Space Heritage with Launch of Akida into Low Earth Orbit (Source: Space Daily)
BrainChip Holdings has successfully launched its Akida AI system into low earth orbit on the Optimus-1 spacecraft. This event, facilitated by the Space Machines Company, marks a significant advancement in the use of AI for space technology applications. The Akida technology is integrated into the ANT61 Brain computer, which operates as the main control unit for robots designed for the repair and maintenance of space vehicles. (3/5)

Sidus Space LizzieSat Deployed After Transporter Launch (Source: Space Daily)
Sidus Space reported the successful launch and deployment of its LizzieSat satellites aboard SpaceX's Transporter-10 Rideshare mission. The LizzieSat satellite is designed to revolutionize space-based data collection and analysis through its innovative Space Platform with a Purpose and FeatherEdge AI integration. Sidus Space aims to extend its customer base across both military and commercial sectors, providing tailored intelligence solutions for a range of industries including defense, agriculture, maritime, and oil and gas. Editor's Note: No word yet from Sidus Space on whether LizzieSat is functioning as planned. (3/7)

US Steps Up Focus on Orbital Debris (Source: Space News)
The US government is addressing the longstanding issue of hazardous space debris, with recent initiatives marking a significant shift toward finding solutions for the cluttered orbits that have accumulated over seven decades of space exploration. Highlighting this new stance, the Federal Communications Commission has issued a fine for not a company's failure to relocate a satellite to a safe orbit. (3/6)

Musk Lashes Out at Bezos' Ex-Wife for DEI Charitable Giving (Source: Business Insider)
Elon Musk isn't a fan of MacKenzie Scott's charitable giving. "'Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse' should [...] be listed among 'Reasons that Western Civilization died,'" Musk wrote referencing Jeff Bezos' ex-wife. Musk was responding to another user who said Scott had been giving money to organizations that "deal with issues of race and/or gender."

Musk has become an avowed and extremely vocal critic of efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. "DEI is just another word for racism. Shame on anyone who uses it," Musk wrote in January. A Musk-backed foundation has donated to various causes, including renewable energy, space exploration, and artificial intelligence, according to its website. (3/7)

NASA Selects Momentus for a Five-Year Contract to Enhance Space Operation Technologies (Source: Space Daily)
Momentus was selected by NASA to receive a significant indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) base contract. This award positions Momentus as a pivotal player among 15 companies chosen to support the United States' space exploration and technology advancement efforts over the next five years. The contract's scope includes offering comprehensive flight and payload integration services designed to propel technologies and methodologies for space operations into a new era. Under this prestigious contract, Momentus is tasked with facilitating the deployment of satellites, payloads, and scientific instruments. (3/7)

GITAI Tests Robotic Construction of Lunar Comms Tower (Source: Space Daily)
GITAI USA has successfully showcased its advanced robotics technology through the construction of a 5-meter-high communication tower. This achievement was realized in a desert environment designed to simulate the lunar surface, representing a "first of its kind" demonstration in space robotics. GITAI and Japan's KDDI Corporation led this pioneering project. The demonstration utilized GITAI's robotics products exclusively: the Lunar Rover and three Inchworm robots equipped with grapple end-effectors. (3/7)