April 28, 2024

More Starlink Satellites Launched Atop Falcon 9 From Florida on Sunday (Source: SPACErePORT)
SpaceX launched another collection of Starlink satellites on Sunday at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The Falcon-9 booster landed downrange on a droneship for reuse on future missions. (4/28)

Space Coast Congressman Announces Retirement (Source: WFTV)
U.S. Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) announced Friday that he is retiring after 16 years in Congress. The 76-year-old has held the seat for Florida’s 8th congressional district since 2008. That district stretches from Vero Beach to Titusville. Posey told Channel 9 that he is leaving Congress because of “circumstances beyond my control.” He has endorsed former Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos -- a fellow Republican who qualified to run for the seat hours before qualifying closed at noon Friday. (4/26)

NASA's Voyager is in Hostile Territory. It's 'Dodging Bullets' (Source: Mashable)
At some 15 and 12 billion miles away, Voyager 1 and 2 are beyond the protective bubble of the sun, called the heliosphere. Out in this realm of interstellar space, the nearly 50-year-old probes have a higher probability of damage from hostile, high-speed particles, called galactic cosmic rays, owing to a higher number of particles zooming by every second. "We are dodging bullets out there," said Alan Cummings, a cosmic-ray physicist at Caltech — the research university that manages NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (4/27)

Dark Matter: A New Experiment Aims to Turn the Ghostly Substance Into Actual Light (Source: Phys.org)
Several experiments have aimed to unveil what it's made of, but despite decades of searching, scientists have come up short. Now our new experiment, under construction at Yale University in the US, is offering a new tactic. Dark matter has been around the universe since the beginning of time, pulling stars and galaxies together. Invisible and subtle, it doesn't seem to interact with light or any other kind of matter. In fact, it has to be something completely new.

At present, the most sensitive approach targets the halo of dark matter permeating the galaxy (and consequently, Earth) with a device called a haloscope. It is a conductive cavity immersed in a strong magnetic field; the former captures the dark matter surrounding us (assuming it is axions), while the latter induces the conversion into light. The result is an electromagnetic signal appearing inside the cavity, oscillating with a characteristic frequency depending on the axion mass. (4/26)

JWST Studies Planet K2-18 b Again to Confirm Presence of Gas 'Only Produced by Life' (Source: Earth.com)
In September 2023, Nikku Madhusudhan, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge, announced a very intriguing discovery. Using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Madhusudhan and his team detected the presence of carbon-bearing molecules, including methane and carbon dioxide, on exoplanet K2-18 b.

This discovery was added to other recent studies suggesting that K2-18 b could be a Hycean exoplanet, characterized by a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface. The initial Webb observations also provided a possible detection of a molecule called dimethyl sulfide (DMS). On Earth, this molecule is “only produced by life”, primarily by phytoplankton in marine environments.

The abundance of methane and carbon dioxide, along with the shortage of ammonia, support the hypothesis that K2-18 b may have a water ocean underneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. The team is now conducting follow-up research with the JWST’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) spectrograph, hoping to further validate their findings and provide new insights into the environmental conditions on K2-18 b. (4/26)

Unprecedented Find in Meteorite Challenges Astrophysical Models (Source: SciTech Daily)
Scientists have discovered a meteorite particle with an unprecedented magnesium isotopic ratio, indicating its origin from a hydrogen burning supernova. Research has discovered a rare dust particle trapped in an ancient extra-terrestrial meteorite that was formed by a star other than our sun. The discovery was made by lead author Dr. Nicole Nevill and colleagues during her PhD studies at Curtin University, now working at the Lunar and Planetary Science Institute in collaboration with NASA’s Johnson Space Center. (4/26)

Hubble Telescope Put Into Dreaded Safe Mode Due to Ongoing Glitch (Source: Gizmodo)
NASA’s iconic Hubble Space Telescope isn’t doing so well. The observatory has been suffering from a pesky glitch affecting its gyroscope, causing it to suspend its science operations for a second time in less than six months. On Friday, NASA announced that Hubble had automatically entered safe mode on Tuesday, April 23 when one of its three operational gyroscopes returned faulty readings. Engineers are currently working on a solution to resume the telescope’s observations. (4/26)

What's on the Far Side of the Moon? Well, Not Darkness (Source: Mashable)
It took less than a week for NASA Administrator Bill Nelson's gaffe to make it to social media. Over an hour into a budget hearing for the U.S. space agency, a congressman asked Nelson why China is sending spacecraft to the "backside" of the moon. "They are going to have a lander on the far side of the moon, which is the side that's always in dark," said Nelson, a former senator and astronaut, during the April 17 hearing.

"We're not planning to go there." He proceeded to tell the lawmaker that "We don't know what's on the backside of the moon." On two counts, that was untrue: The so-called far side of the moon is not dark, despite popular belief, nor is it completely unknown to American scientists. (4/27)

A New Era: Ariane 6 Maiden Launch Campaign Gets Underway (Source: NASASpaceFlight.com)
On July 5, 2023, the Ariane 5 launch vehicle took flight for the last time, thus ending a storied 27-year career for what was Europe’s first heavy-lift rocket. Nearly ten months later, Arianespace is back at the launchpad with its new and advanced heavy-lift workhorse: the Ariane 6.

For the first time, the central core and boosters for Ariane 6 have been delivered to the pad at the ELA-4 launch complex in Kourou, French Guiana, officially marking the start of the maiden launch campaign. On Wednesday, April 24, the central core of the rocket — consisting of the main booster and upper stage — was transported 800 meters from the launcher assembly building to the ELA-4 pad, where it was installed on the launch table via a crane and with the assistance of automated guided vehicles (AGV). (4/27)

Identification of Noise Sources During Launch Using Phased Array Microphone Systems (Source: NASA)
In 2011 and 2012, the NESC sponsored research into the effectiveness of a microphone phased array (MPA) to identify noise sources and tested the array during an Antares launch from the Wallops Flight Facility. This simple prototype array was able to identify impingement-related noise sources during the launch. Today, building on this previous work, a new open-space truss MPA architecture is in development and test for use during the Artemis II launch. (4/26)

Northrop's Rocket Fuel Factory Is Slow to Take Off (Source: Wall Street Journal)
The Pentagon long relied on one U.S. company to make the main ingredient that fuels its most powerful missiles. Northrop Grumman’s effort to build a second source has been slow to take off. Years after building a factory to make more of the key chemical, Northrop’s output is still missing from the fuel powering many U.S. weapon systems—when global conflicts have spurred demand for a range of tactical missiles. A new $95 billion spending package to support Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan will further bolster weapons demand abroad and pay to replenish U.S. arsenals. (4/27)

Rocket Reuse: SpaceX Achieves 20 Flights for Galileo Mission Booster, Aims for 40 (Sources: SpaceX, Ars Technica)
For mission performance requirements to launch the Galileo L12 spacecraft into a medium Earth orbit, SpaceX did not attempt to recover the first stage booster supporting this mission. The last time a first stage was expended during a Falcon 9 mission was 146 flights ago in November 2022. On most Falcon 9 missions, enough propellant remains in the first stage after stage separation to enable landing, recovery, and ultimately reuse on future missions.

In round numbers, the dry mass of a Falcon 9 first stage is about 50 metric tons, so the landing of all these rockets has prevented 15,000 metric tons of metal and other materials from being dumped into the oceans. SpaceX is currently working toward qualifying the Falcon booster and fairing fleets to support 40 missions each. Increasing Falcon's flight count provides valuable information on repeated reuse.

SpaceX landed its 300th Falcon booster with last week's Starlink mission. In the Falcon fleet's lifetime, SpaceX has now landed about 85 percent of the Falcon rockets it has launched. These days, more than 90 percent of all its missions launch on previously flown boosters. Landing 300 rockets means SpaceX has preserved 2,700 Merlin rocket engines. (4/27)

SpaceX Launches Galileo Navsat for Europe (Sources: SPACErePORT, Space.com, SpaceFlight Now)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 carried two satellites for the European Space Agency's Galileo global navigation system to orbit. Prior to this, 28 Galileo satellites have launched, all of them atop Russian-built Soyuz rockets or Europe's Ariane 5. The European Commission signed the €180 million (about $192.5 million) two-launch deal with SpaceX on March 19. That represented a roughly 36 percent markup on the cost of the two missions compared to the standard payment plan for a dedicated Falcon 9 launch, which is $67 million. (4/27)

NASA Considers Switch to LEO Rendezvous for Artemis III (Source: Ars Technica)
Under one of the options NASA is considering, astronauts would launch into low-Earth orbit inside an Orion spacecraft and rendezvous there with a Starship vehicle, separately launched by SpaceX. During this mission, similar to Apollo 9, a precursor to the Apollo 11 lunar landing, the crew would validate the ability of Orion and Starship to dock and test habitability inside Starship. One benefit of this mission profile is that NASA could "save" an upper stage for the SLS rocket and use it on the subsequent lunar landing mission while also buying down some risk. (4/27)

Parker Solar Probe Prepares To Break Humanity’s Speed Record (Source: WECB)
During its 19th orbit, the Parker Solar Probe flirted with the fiery edges of the Sun, cruising to about 7.26 million kilometers from our star’s surface. This daring maneuver matched the probe’s previous record for the closest approach, a testament to its enduring design and the precision of the teams behind it at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, where it was also built.

However, it’s the next lap in this cosmic race that has scientists and space enthusiasts buzzing with excitement. On December 24, aided by a gravity assist from Venus on November 6, the probe will swoop even closer to the Sun, to a mere 6.12 million kilometers away. This closer encounter is not just about breaking records; it will also increase the probe’s speed to an astonishing 692,000 kilometers per hour. (4/26)

China Aims to Beat US in Race for Mars Samples with 2030 Goal (Source: South China Morning Post)
The chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program predicts China could beat the US in the race to bring rocks from the red planet back to Earth, in the first such suggestion from the country’s space authorities. “China will launch the Tianwen-3 spacecraft around 2030 to implement its Mars sample return mission,” Wu Weiren said on Wednesday.

Wu, the first senior Chinese space official to make such a prediction openly, also revealed that China has started planning on a project to build the world’s first Mars sample laboratory. Sun Zezhou, Wu’s colleague and chief designer of the 2021 Tianwen-1 Mars mission, previously said that all key technologies needed for Tianwen-3 were in place and work was progressing smoothly. (4/26)

NASA Still Doesn’t Understand Root Cause of Orion Seat Shield Issue (Source: Ars Technica)
More of the charred material than expected came off the heat shield during the Artemis I reentry, and the way it came off was somewhat uneven, NASA officials said. Orion's heat shield is made of a material called Avcoat, which is designed to burn off as the spacecraft plunges into the atmosphere at 25,000 mph (40,000 km per hour). Coming back from the Moon, Orion encountered temperatures up to 5,000° Fahrenheit (2,760° Celsius), hotter than a spacecraft sees when it reenters the atmosphere from low-Earth orbit.

Engineers have performed sub-scale heat shield tests in wind tunnels and arc jet facilities to better understand what led to the uneven charring on Artemis I. "We’re getting close to the final answer in terms of that cause," Kshatriya said. NASA officials previously said it is unlikely they will need to make changes to the heat shield already installed on the Orion spacecraft for Artemis II, but haven't ruled it out. A redesign or modifications to the Orion heat shield on Artemis II would probably delay the mission by at least a year. (4/26)

Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft Will Not Fly Private Missions Yet, Officials Say (Source: Space.com)
Boeing says it may sign up private astronauts for future Starliner missions, but the focus is on NASA for now. The spacecraft's program manager, Mark Nappi, said the company is very focused on flying the first Starliner mission for NASA with astronauts on board. That mission, Crew Flight Test (CFT), will see NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams rocket to space aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket no earlier than May 6. (4/27)

North Korea Reaffirms Plan to Bolster Space Reconnaissance Capabilities (Source: Korea Times)
North Korea reiterated its commitment to launching more reconnaissance satellites this year, Saturday, after putting its first spy satellite into orbit in November. Pyongyang "will carry out an important mission to enhance its space reconnaissance capabilities as planned to monitor and control the U.S. and other hostile forces' military movements and aggressive attempts," an unnamed spokesperson of the North's National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA) said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). (4/27)

Space Force Opens Bidding for Classified Communications Satellites (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is kicking off a major procurement of next-generation communications satellites critical to the nation’s nuclear command, control and communications network. This estimated $8 billion procurement, known as Evolved Strategic Satcom (ESS), will supplement and eventually replace the existing Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite constellation. The new system will provide critical jam-resistant communication channels for the National Command Authorities and deployed forces worldwide, even in the North Polar region – a capability lacking in the current system. (4/26)

Pentagon Canceled Northrop’s Classified Satellite Program Due to ‘Budgetary Concerns’ (Source: Defense One)
Northrop Grumman’s classified satellite program was canceled because the Pentagon didn’t have enough money to pay for it, the company said. The cancellation sliced about $1.6 billion off Northrop’s “unfunded backlog”—that is, prospective orders whose funding has yet to be appropriated, according to the company. Bloomberg first reported that the canceled program was intended to develop a military communications satellite for the Space Force. (4/25)

Musk Plots UK Mobile Phone Network (Source: The Telegraph)
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is laying the groundwork to connect his Starlink satellite service to the UK’s mobile phone network as rural households struggle with poor signal coverage. In a filing with telecoms regulator Ofcom, the billionaire’s space business asked for permission to expand its network of ground terminals, which would pave the way for it launching a mobile service. (4/26)

Mick Jagger Has an Out-of-This-World Experience at NASA Headquarters (Source: Billboard)
Mick Jagger certainly felt “2000 Light Years From Home” this week, when he stopped by NASA‘s headquarters. The Rolling Stones frontman stopped by the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, before the iconic rock band kicks off their Hackney Diamonds Tour in the city on Sunday (April 28). “Thanks @nasa for being so welcoming to us and great to be shown around by astronauts Josh Cassada, Bob Hines and Jessica Meir,” Jagger captioned a series of photos from his visit that he posted on Instagram. (4/26)