December 10, 2024

Plextek's Cutting-Edge mmWave Technology for Space Operations and Sensing (Source: Space Daily)
Plextek, a leading consultancy recognized for its expertise in low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) sensing technology, has published its latest innovation in the field of in-orbit space operations and sensing. In their technical paper titled "Sensing in Space" Plextek showcases groundbreaking mmWave radar technology, designed to improve the safety and reliability of future space and satellite missions. Plextek's mmWave radar technology is an accurate and efficient way of detecting objects as small as a millimeter through to much larger objects like dead or uncooperative satellites. It can also work in conditions which can be challenging for other types of sensors for instance, in eclipse, with sun in boresight, or even on a dusty and obscured lunar surface. (12/10)

A Mission Design to Extend the Life of Space Telescopes (Source: Space Daily)
The longevity of space telescopes is improving as researchers devise serviceable designs for future observatories. Inspired by current missions like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the European Space Agency's Gaia, a new servicing plan has been developed to ensure these powerful tools can operate for longer periods. "Although the next generation of large space telescopes are being designed with serviceability in mind, there are enormous challenges with implementation," said Siegfried Eggl. (12/5)

What is the Universe Expanding Into if it's Already Infinite? (Source: Space Daily)
Another way to think about the universe's expansion is by thinking about how other galaxies are moving away from our galaxy, the Milky Way. Scientists know the universe is expanding because they can track other galaxies as they move away from ours. They define expansion using the rate that other galaxies move away from us. This definition allows them to imagine expansion without needing something to expand into.

At large scales, which physicists call classical mechanics, objects behave how we expect them to behave on a day-to-day basis. Objects are not quantized and can have continuous amounts of energy. Objects do not pop in and out of existence. The quantum world behaves kind of like a light switch, where energy has only an on-off option. The world we see and interact with behaves like a dimmer switch, allowing for all levels of energy. (12/10)

TransAstra to Showcase Capture Bag on ISS in 2025 (Source: Space Daily)
TransAstra has announced a pivotal agreement with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), which manages the ISS National Lab, to conduct an in-space demonstration of its Capture Bag technology. The demonstration, scheduled for late 2025, will see CASIS covering half of the transactional costs for this mission.

This initiative highlights TransAstra's efforts to address orbital debris challenges and advance asteroid mining technology. The Capture Bag, engineered to efficiently secure orbital debris and small asteroids, underscores the company's leadership in developing critical technologies for national defense and commercial space operations. A successful demonstration will establish a foundation for future collaborations aimed at mitigating the growing issue of space debris, a top concern for government and private sector stakeholders. (12/10)

PLD Space Secures Euro 11 Million Loan to Advance MIURA 5 Launch Site (Source: Space Daily)
PLD Space, the Spanish aerospace company specializing in reusable space launchers, has obtained euro 11 million in financing from COFIDES to propel the development of its MIURA 5 rocket launch site at the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in Kourou, French Guiana. The total planned investment for the project, encompassing development, construction, and operations, stands at euro 16 million. This strategic location is managed by the French Space Agency (CNES) in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). (12/10)

Space-Time Crystals Enable Advances in Optical Materials (Source: Space Daily)
Photonic time crystals, materials with consistent spatial composition but periodically varying properties over time, offer innovative pathways for optical information processing. A critical feature of photonic time crystals is the momentum space bandgap, which dictates the amplification of light propagation based on direction. A wider bandgap results in greater amplification.

"Previously we've had to intensify the periodic variation of material properties such as the refractive index to achieve a wide bandgap. Only then can light be amplified at all," said Puneet Garg, one of the study's lead authors. However, material limitations made this approach challenging. The researchers addressed this by merging photonic time crystals with spatial structures to create "photonic space-time crystals." These integrated systems used silicon spheres to trap light longer, allowing better interaction with periodic material property changes. (12/10)

China Boosts Lunar and Mars Mission Capabilities with Advanced Long March Rockets (Source: Space Daily)
China's Long March 10, the next-generation manned launch vehicle, is set to significantly enhance the nation's lunar mission capabilities, increasing its lunar transfer orbit payload capacity from 8.2 tonnes to an impressive 27 tonnes. This development was announced by Long Lehao, a senior rocket designer at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT).

Long March 10 is designed to support the launch of new manned spacecraft and lunar landers as part of China's lunar landing program. According to Long, who is also an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the development of the rocket is advancing steadily and has already achieved major milestones, including successful tests of its first-stage power system.

The Long March 9, a heavy-lift carrier rocket under development, will feature a 10.6-meter diameter, a height of approximately 114 meters, and an unprecedented lunar transfer orbit payload capacity of 50 tonnes. The Long March 9 is expected to play a key role in future manned Mars missions, thanks to its advanced cryogenic propellants-liquid oxygen and methane. (12/10)

Vaya Space Announces Multi-Launch Contract for Space Telecommunications, Inc.’s Satellite Constellation (Source: Space News)
Space Coast-based Vaya Space announced a multi-launch contact for Vaya’s Dauntless rocket to launch the first phase of Space Telecommunications, Inc.’s small-satellite constellation. Under the agreement, Dauntless will deploy up to 250 satellites in a multi-launch campaign set to commence in 2027. (12/10)

Desert Works Propulsion Announces Operational Launch of DW-1, a Rocket Engine Test Facility in New Mexico (Source: Space News)
Desert Works Propulsion announces the launch of DW-1, its state-of-the-art vacuum test facility. Located in New Mexico, DW-1 is now fully operational, offering a highly cost-effective testing environment for electric propulsion thruster cathodes and components, supporting both internal development and client projects. Designed, built, and implemented in-house, the rocket engine test facility represents a significant milestone for Desert Works Propulsion, which completed the project at just a quarter of the cost of purchasing a turnkey system. (12/10)

Bezos vs. Musk: Space Tycoons with Dueling Visions for Humanity's Survival (Source: Axios)
The world's two richest men and biggest space entrepreneurs both believe humanity's survival depends on life beyond Earth — for very different reasons. Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos explained this week that his vision is to move all polluting industries into space to preserve Earth.
His rival Elon Musk envisions inhabiting space as a way for humanity to live on beyond Earth, if a cataclysm strikes our planet. Both are pouring tens of billions of dollars into space travel with those endgames in mind. Click here. (12//9)

Artemis Reentry (Source: Space Review)
NASA announced last week it had resolved the problem with the Orion heat shield seen on Artemis 1, allowing planning for Artemis 2 to continue, albeit with delays. However, Jeff Foust reports that the technical confidence the program now has may by undermined by political uncertainty. Click here. (12/10)
 
What Do We Need Astronauts For? (Source: Space Review)
As robotic space capabilities advance, the key purpose for having astronauts becomes seeing how humans can settle space. Joe Carroll explains why this means studying what it takes for humans to live sustainably in space. Click here. (12/10)
 
How to Test Artificial Gravity (Source: Space Review)
Artificial gravity may be critical to understanding where people can live beyond Earth. Joe Carroll examines ways to start performing artificial gravity tests using existing spacecraft. Click here. (12/10)
 
How Astrobiologists are Coming Up with a Framework to Study How Complex Systems Evolve (Source: Space Review)
The search for life beyond Earth requires answering a significant but often overlooked question: how does one define life? Chris Impey discusses how scientists are tackling that issue. Click here. (12/10)

AST SpaceMobile Teams with Vodafone for Cellular Broadband (Source: Space News)
AST SpaceMobile has signed a 10-year agreement with Vodafone for space-based cellular broadband services. Under the agreement, announced Monday, AST will provide direct-to-device services for U.K.-based Vodafone in its 15 home markets and partners in 45 other countries. Vodafone ordered a gateway as part of the deal to route data AST SpaceMobile satellites would get from smartphones outside terrestrial coverage into the telco's network and back to the user, enabling broadband and other services beyond the reach of cell towers. Shares in AST closed up 2.6% Monday after rising by as much as 16% earlier in the day on the news. (12/10)

Lockheed Martin to Launch 5G Demo Satellite on Firefly Alpha Rocket (Source: Space News)
Lockheed Martin will launch a 5G technology demonstration satellite on a Firefly Alpha rocket next year. TacSat, a compact spacecraft about the size of a mini-fridge, is built on a Terran Orbital Zuma bus, a platform Lockheed Martin also employs for the Space Development Agency's military network. TacSat will carry an infrared imaging sensor and a 5G communications payload, both designed to address the Pentagon's growing demand for "all-domain networks" that seamlessly link space assets with forces on the ground, at sea and in the air. TacSat represents the second collaboration between Lockheed Martin and Firefly under a multi-launch agreement between the companies. (12/10)

Blue Origin On Track for December New Glenn Launch (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin says it is still on track to attempt a first launch of its New Glenn rocket this year. The company reaffirmed the schedule for the NG-1 launch on Monday as it disclosed details about the payload, Blue Ring Pathfinder. That payload will test technologies for the company's Blue Ring orbital transfer vehicle while remaining attached to the rocket's upper stage during a six-hour mission. While Blue Origin said that New Glenn is "ready for launch this year," the company did not offer a more specific schedule. (12/10)

China Relies Less on Ground-Based Assets for SSA (Source: Space News)
China's space situational awareness (SSA) capabilities depend on space-based assets, according to a new report. The study by the China Aerospace Studies Institute said that China has a limited network of ground-based sensors for tracking objects in orbit, requiring it to rely on spacecraft for SSA data. China has launched at least 10 spacecraft to low Earth orbit with SSA capabilities, such as optical and radio-frequency sensors. China's approach contrasts with that of the United States, which integrates space-based SSA with extensive ground sensors. (12/10)

Congressmen Push For Faster Launch Licensing (Source: Space News)
Two members of Congress are pushing the FAA to accelerate the launch licensing process. In a letter sent last week to FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker, Reps. Sam Graves (R-MO), chair of the House Transportation Committee, and Rob Wittman (R-VA) called on the agency to use "all actions short of rulemaking" to expedite the licensing process. Many companies have complained about the difficulty of using regulations known as Part 450 intended to streamline the process but which have turned out to be cumbersome. Graves and Wittman pointed out that even if the FAA completes a license application within the 180-day deadline, that often comes after months or years of pre-application reviews. The letter came a day after the FAA held the first meeting of a committee to look at ways to improve Part 450. (12/10)

DoD Struggling with Space Supply Chain (Source: Space News)
The Defense Department is struggling with supply chain problems affecting space programs. Some critical components, like encryption devices, have only single sources approved by the National Security Agency. Manufacturers are still recovering from pandemic-related disruptions, and scaling up production from single-digit to hundreds of units has proven more challenging than initially anticipated. That is impeding efforts by the Space Development Agency (SDA) to deploy constellations of missile-tracking and communications satellites, its director, Derek Tournear, said at a conference Saturday. Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations, called the SDA the "canary in the coal mine" for broader industrial base challenges. (12/10)

NASA Genesis Mission Still Yielding Science (Source: Space News)
A NASA mission is still yielding science 20 years after a crash landing. The capsule for the Genesis mission crashed into the Utah desert in September 2004 when an engineering error kept it from deploying its parachute. Despite the crash, scientists were able to extract solar wind samples it had collected during its mission. After years of effort, researchers now say they are "starting to do the really interesting science" with those samples, the results of which will be presented at a conference this week. (12/10)

Germany's constellr Developing Earth Sensing Satellite Constellation (Source: Space News)
German thermal data startup constellr won a multiyear contract from the German Space Agency DLR. Under the contract, constellr will begin supplying 30-meter native resolution imagery to researchers working with the agency. The company plans to establish the High-precision Versatile Ecosphere (HiVE) constellation next year to collect that data, building on a thermal sensor installed on the International Space Station in 2022. (12/10)

Garver to Advise Germany's Atmos (Source: Space News)
Former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver has become a strategic adviser to another German startup. Atmos Space Cargo announced Tuesday that Garver had joined its advisory board as the company seeks to expand into U.S. markets. Atmos is developing Phoenix, a reentry vehicle with an inflatable heat shield, with a first test flight planned for next year. The company is targeting commercial and civil researchers as well as defense "dual-use" applications like point-to-point cargo delivery for the system. (12/10)

NASA Picks SwRI to Develop NOAA Magnetometers (Source: Space News)
NASA awarded the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) a contract for magnetometers on a NOAA space weather mission. SwRI will develop two magnetometers for the Lagrange 1 Series project, part of NOAA's Space Weather Next program, under the $26.1 million contract announced Monday. The instruments will measure the interplanetary magnetic field carried by the solar wind to support space weather forecasting. (12/10)

ULA Anticipates Near-Term Vulcan Certification (Source: Breaking Defense)
United Launch Alliance expects to have Vulcan Centaur certified for national security missions within the next few months. Speaking at a conference Saturday, ULA CEO Tory Bruno said he expected to win certification from the Space Force "momentarily," adding that the term "means this month, next month, next few months."  ULA performed two successful launches of Vulcan Centaur needed for certification, although on the second launch in October the nozzle section of one solid-rocket booster appeared to come off, requiring further analysis. Bruno said no additional testing of the rocket is needed for certification. (12/10)

SpaceX Readies for Next Starship Test (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX tested the booster for the next Starship test flight Monday. The company conducted a static-fire test of the Super Heavy booster intended for the seventh test flight of the vehicle. That mission is expected no earlier than mid-January, pending any additional testing as well as an updated license. (12/10)

Panama and Austria Bring Artemis Accords Signatories to 50 (Source: NASA)
The Artemis Accords will reach 50 countries this week. NASA is hosting two signing ceremonies Wednesday, one for Panama and the other for Austria, who will become the 49th and 50th countries, respectively, to sign the Accords. The Accords outline principles for safe and sustainable space exploration, based on the Outer Space Treaty and other international agreements. (12/10)

World's Largest Telescope Comes Together (Source: Space.com)
Construction of the world's largest telescope moves forward with progress of the structure's dome and housing for the primary mirror. The European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) — the world's largest visible- and infrared-light telescope — is currently under development on the Cerro Armazones mountain in Chile's Atacama Desert. The mighty telescope is expected to see its "first light" by 2028, with the goal of observing terrestrial exoplanets and their atmospheres, as well as measuring the expansion of the universe. (12/9)

SpaceX Is Using Robots To Make Starship Rockets In Texas (Source: WCCF Tech)
Footage from local media in Texas shows workers and robots working on the Starship nosecone for what is presumably a component for a rocket destined for a future flight. SpaceX's welding robot is clearly visible as it makes small changes to the nosecone, leading to barely visible sparks. Technicians, on the other hand, work on the nosecone with heatshield tiles installed. Click here. (12/8)

The Biggest Crater on The Moon Is Much Bigger Than We Ever Realized (Source: Space.com)
The Moon bears its history on its skin. Earth's only permanent natural satellite is scored and scarred with billions of years' worth of cratering – a record of constant bombardment. The biggest and oldest of these scars is a monster crater, one of the largest, not just on the Moon, but in the entire Solar System. The South Pole-Aitken basin covers nearly a quarter of the Moon's surface, with a diameter of some 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles). (12/9)

Bezos vs. Musk: Space Tycoons With Dueling Visions for Humanity's Survival (Source: Axios)
The world's two richest men and biggest space entrepreneurs both believe humanity's survival depends on life beyond Earth — for very different reasons. Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos explained this week that his vision is to move all polluting industries into space to preserve Earth.
His rival Elon Musk envisions inhabiting space as a way for humanity to live on beyond Earth, if a cataclysm strikes our planet. Both are pouring tens of billions of dollars into space travel with those endgames in mind. (12/9)