May 1, 2024

Biden’s Internet-for-All Program Needs Starlink (Source: Washington Post)
Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, is expected to play a role in the Biden administration’s $42 billion program to bring high-speed internet to every American home, officials say, as Washington comes up against some hard math in its effort to build networks reaching the most remote corners of the nation.

The growing discussion of using Starlink to fill in coverage gaps is an acknowledgment of just how expensive and challenging it would be to run new internet cables up every mountain and down every valley nationwide. The administration’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program also faces cost pressures from a “Made in America” requirement for construction materials. (5/1)

Redefining Engineering Practices Across NASA (Source: Space Daily)
Under the guidance of the Systems Engineering (SE) Technical Discipline Team (TDT), various teams within NASA have been pushing the envelope over the past year to enhance the agency's systems engineering capacities. For example, The Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) Project has initiated a pilot to modernize how NASA applies and manages technical standards. This involves transitioning to a data-centric system for managing standards. Also, a team from NESC and NASA has developed significant methodologies to control mass growth, a crucial factor in space system design. (4/29)

PREFIRE Mission Will Analyze Polar Energy Exchanges (Source: Space Daily)
NASA, in collaboration with Rocket Lab, has scheduled the first launch for the PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment) mission on May 22. The primary objective of PREFIRE is to address significant gaps in our understanding of how polar regions, particularly the Arctic and Antarctic, regulate Earth's temperature.

The launch from Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand, marks the beginning of a series of two missions aimed at measuring Earth's energy loss in the polar regions using advanced far-infrared technology. PREFIRE will deploy two CubeSats on separate Rocket Lab Electron rockets to capture data in unprecedented detail. (4/29)

China's Rocket Engine Test Sets New Thrust Record (Source: Space Daily)
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the country's key space contractor, conducted a critical test on Sunday on a new type of rocket engine, achieving the highest thrust power ever achieved in tests of Chinese liquid-propellant engines.

The test involved a combined ignition of four engines at an engine testing facility in Fengxian county, Shaanxi province. These engines were connected and initiated simultaneously to test the design and performance of the propulsion system for a new model of carrier rocket. This event was overseen by the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology, a CASC subsidiary in Shaanxi and a principal manufacturer of liquid-propellant rocket engines in China. (4/30)

Slingshot Aerospace Releases Orbital Congestion Report (Source: Space News)
A new report highlights the growing congestion in Earth orbit. The report, released Tuesday by Slingshot Aerospace, warns that the space domain is becoming crowded to unprecedented and potentially dangerous levels. There were nearly 12,600 satellites in orbit at the end of 2023, a 12.4% increase over 2022, with more than 3,350 of them inactive. The report also warned of "unsustainable" losses in the space insurance field caused by claims last year for problems with the ViaSat-3 Americas and Inmarsat-6 F2 satellites. (5/1)

Hubble Back Online (Source: NASA)
Hubble is back in service after its latest gyro problem. NASA said Tuesday that controllers returned Hubble to normal science operations, a week after problems with one of its three gyros put it into safe mode. The agency did not elaborate on the problems with that gyro, which had triggered a similar safe mode last fall. (5/1)

27,500 New Asteroids Identified (Source: New York Times)
Astronomers have found 27,500 asteroids by reanalyzing images. The effort, by the B612 Foundation and the University of Washington, used a new algorithm to analyze an archive of 412,000 images of the night sky. The project used cloud computing resources by Google to carry out the computationally intensive search. That bounty of asteroids includes about 100 near Earth asteroids, none of which pose an impact threat for the foreseeable future. (5/1)

China's Lunar Base Design Video Includes Space Shuttle (Source: Space.com)
A Chinese concept for a lunar base includes an unexpected element: a space shuttle. The China National Space Administration released a video last week of a concept for its International Lunar Research Station. Visible in the background of the video, though, was a space shuttle, identical in design to the NASA vehicle retired more than a decade ago, lifting off. It was unclear why CNSA included the shuttle in the video, but an updated version blurred it out. (5/1)

Millennium Space Wins $414 Million SDA Contract for Missile Tracking Satellites (Source: Space News)
Millennium Space won a $414 million Space Development Agency (SDA) contract to develop satellites for tracking hypersonic missiles. The contract announced Tuesday is for the Fire-control On Orbit-support-to-the-war Fighter (FOO Fighter) program, featuring eight satellites equipped with advanced infrared and optical sensors. Millennium, a Boeing subsidiary, will also provide the ground systems and support in-orbit operations under the contract. SDA plans to use the satellites to demonstrate advanced technologies for tracking hypersonic missiles, a crucial capability it is pursuing. SDA plans to launch the FOO Fighter satellites in the first quarter of fiscal year 2027. (5/1)

Astroscale to Go Public (Source: Space News)
Astroscale, the Japanese satellite servicing and debris removal company, plans to go public. The Tokyo-based company announced Wednesday it will go public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market, with shares scheduled to start trading June 5. The company has not set a price for the 20.8 million shares it plans to offer in the IPO. Astroscale is working on a range of technologies to service satellites and remove debris, and recently won the second phase of a JAXA contract to demonstrate the removal of an H-2A upper stage left in low Earth orbit. (5/1)

Space Force Studying Cost/Benefit of Orbital Satellite Refueling (Source: Space News)
The head of the Space Force says he is still studying whether refueling satellites in orbit is worth the cost. Testifying Tuesday before a House appropriations subcommittee, Gen. Chance Saltzman said the value of on-orbit refueling is still in question given the military's shift to cheaper, disposable satellites as part of a proliferated architecture. He noted refueling would make sense for large, high-value satellites in geostationary orbit. Defense budget analysts expressed concern that the Space Force's cautious approach to in-orbit refueling and other emerging commercial space services could have unintended consequences, such as affecting private sector investment. (5/1)

SES Activates O3b mPower Satellites (Source: Space News)
SES has started providing services on its first six O3b mPower satellites. The Boeing-built satellites, which have experienced electrical problems, feature an integrated payload array to offer gigabits per second of throughput. Two more mPower satellites are scheduled to launch later this year, with a total of 13 now planned for the constellation. (5/1)

Portal Space Systems Plnas Highly Maneuverable Satellites (Source: Space News)
Portal Space Systems emerged form stealth Tuesday, disclosing it has received more than $3 million in Defense Department awards to support work on a spacecraft bus called Supernova. That bus uses solar thermal propulsion that offers high thrust and large amounts of delta-V, or change in velocity, to enable it to maneuver quickly between orbits. Portal's founders argue that maneuverability will be desired by both government and commercial customers. The company is planning to launch the first Supernova spacecraft on a demonstration mission by the end of next year. (5/1)

Patent and Trademark Office Plans May 22 Dialogue on Space Commercialization (Source: USPTO)
Are you interested in learning more about the intersection of intellectual property (IP) and the growing commercial space sector? Join us in person or virtually for this free one-day program that will bring together industry experts, policy advisors, and IP professionals to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of space commercialization and its related IP considerations. There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. Registration to attend in person will close May 15. Early registration for in-person attendance in Alexandria, Virginia, is recommended.

Editor's Note: I'm told a similar USPTO event will be held on the Space Coast on May 17, hosted by Space Florida, with an added focus on foreign efforts to acquire sensitive US space technology. Click here. (4/27) 

Space-Made Fibers and Novel Biotech Among Research Returning to Earth After Successful Space Station Mission (Source: CASIS)
Research on a novel vision loss therapy and space-manufactured optical fibers were among the nearly 565 pounds of science and technology payloads sponsored by the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory that splashed down off the Florida coast Tuesday morning as NASA concluded SpaceX’s 30th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) mission. The return of the SpaceX Dragon capsule brings back more than 40 ISS National Lab-sponsored investigations that aim to benefit humanity and foster commerce in low Earth orbit. (4/30)

NASA Grants Support Academic Collaborations for STEM Student Success (Source: NASA)
The Science Mission Directorate Bridge Program funds research projects at under-resourced academic institutions to build or strengthen relationships with NASA. NASA has awarded $3.9 million to 13 teams at under-resourced academic institutions across the country, to support collaborative projects with NASA that offer students mentorship and career development in science, technology, engineering, and math.

This is the second round of seed funding awards given through the agency’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Bridge Program, which was established in 2022 to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the science and engineering communities, as well as NASA’s workforce. (4/30)

NASA Scientists Gear Up for Solar Storms at Mars (Source: NASA)
“For humans and assets on the Martian surface, we don’t have a solid handle on what the effect is from radiation during solar activity,” said Shannon Curry of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. Curry is principal investigator for NASA’s MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) orbiter.

MAVEN observes radiation, solar particles, and more from high above Mars. The planet’s thin atmosphere can affect the intensity of the particles by the time they reach the surface, which is where NASA’s Curiosity rover comes in. Data from Curiosity’s Radiation Assessment Detector, or RAD, has helped scientists understand how radiation breaks down carbon-based molecules on the surface, a process that could affect whether signs of ancient microbial life are preserved there. The instrument has also provided NASA with an idea of how much shielding from radiation astronauts could expect by using caves, lava tubes, or cliff faces for protection. (4/29)