December 5, 2024

Orbex to Develop Medium Sized Rocket and Switch Launch Operations to SaxaVord Spaceport (Source: Space News)
Spaceflight company Orbex is to focus its operations exclusively on developing small and medium sized space rockets after switching its launch operations to SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland. The company has decided to pause construction of its own spaceport in Sutherland and will instead launch its first rockets from SaxaVord. The decision enables the company to direct more funding to the development of a new, medium-sized launch vehicle called Proxima. (12/4)

NASA-Led Team Links Comet Water to Earth's Oceans (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers have found that water on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has a similar molecular signature to the water in Earth's oceans. Contradicting some recent results, this finding reopens the case that Jupiter-family comets like 67P could have helped deliver water to Earth.
Water was essential for life to form and flourish on Earth and it remains central for Earth life today. While some water likely existed in the gas and dust from which our planet materialized around 4.6 billion years ago, much of the water would have vaporized because Earth formed close to the Sun's intense heat. How Earth ultimately became rich in liquid water has remained a source of debate for scientists. (12/4)

New Evidence of Organic Reservoirs Found on Ceres (Source: Space Daily)
Six years after NASA's Dawn mission completed its historic exploration of Ceres and Vesta, scientists continue to uncover remarkable insights about the largest bodies in the asteroid belt. A recent study led by the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (IAA-CSIC) reveals eleven new areas on Ceres that suggest the presence of a substantial internal reservoir of organic materials. This finding, based on Dawn spacecraft data, sheds new light on Ceres' origin and potential for harboring life-supporting processes. (12/4)

China's Lunar Research Station Advances Global Collaboration and Talent Development (Source: Space Daily)
The International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), led by China in collaboration with multiple nations, is positioning itself as a hub for technological innovation, scientific exploration, and the development of skilled professionals in space-related disciplines, a United Nations-affiliated official stated.
China has been at the forefront of fostering international talent through its ILRS initiative, leveraging a robust education infrastructure established at top universities.These universities have created advanced education systems featuring prominent faculties, cutting-edge curricula, and innovative research opportunities. (12/4)

Direct-to-Device Satellite Messaging Achieved in Saudi Arabia (Source: Space Daily)
Viasat has successfully demonstrated direct-to-device (D2D) satellite connectivity in Saudi Arabia. This milestone event was showcased at the "Connecting the World from the Skies" gathering in Riyadh, organized by the Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). During the demonstration, Viasat sent two-way messages and SoS signals using satellite connectivity, facilitated through an Android smartphone equipped for non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication. (12/4)

AST SpaceMobile Teams with Cadence to Drive Space-Based Cellular Broadband (Source: Space Daily)
Cadence Design Systems and AST SpaceMobile have partnered to advance AST SpaceMobile's mission to deliver space-based high-speed internet connectivity worldwide, closing coverage gaps and enabling broadband access to underserved areas. The collaboration centers on the AST5000 ASIC, a custom low-power chip integral to AST SpaceMobile's next-generation BlueBird satellites. This advanced architecture is designed to deliver up to ten times the processing bandwidth per satellite. (12/4)

Redwire Teams with CrunchLabs and Mark Rober for Space Selfies STEAM Project (Source: Space Daily)
Redwire Corporation has teamed up with YouTuber Mark Rober and CrunchLabs to deliver advanced camera technology for the SAT GUS mission. The mission, spearheaded by Rober in collaboration with CrunchLabs, Google Pixel, and T-Mobile, is centered on a satellite designed to capture selfies in space, creating a unique opportunity for global STEAM engagement. (12/4)

Parsons and Globalstar Demonstrate First Software-Defined LEO Satellite Solution (Source: Space Daily)
Parsons Corporation and Globalstar have joined forces to deliver advanced satellite communication solutions tailored for public, government, and defense sectors. The collaboration also marked a milestone with the successful demonstration of Parsons' innovative software-defined satellite communication solution integrated with Globalstar's Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation. (12/4)

The Fabric of Space is a Cheshire Cat (Source: Big Think)
Physicists have long understood waves — including water waves, sound waves, and waves on a string — as some type of energetic signal that travels, or propagates, through a medium. In the 1800s, physicists demonstrated that light is a wave, too, but the search for a medium that light propagates through came up empty: the supposed “luminiferous aether” doesn’t need to exist. Light, gravitational waves, and all other quantum phenomena propagate just fine, requiring no detectable medium to travel through. It’s a puzzle as curious as a Cheshire Cat. (12/3)

Voyager 1 is Back Online 15 Billion Miles Away. But the End Could Be Near (Source: CNN)
NASA engineers have successfully restored contact with Voyager 1 and the spacecraft is operating normally after its dwindling power supply caused a weekslong blackout. The issue began in October when the aging probe automatically switched from its primary X-band radio transmitter and began relying on a much weaker S-band radio transmitter to communicate with its mission team on Earth.

The farthest spacecraft from Earth, Voyager 1 is currently exploring uncharted territory about 15.4 billion miles (24.9 billion kilometers) away. The probe autonomously made the transmitter swap when its computer determined that Voyager I had too little power after the mission team sent a command to turn on one of its heaters. The unexpected change prevented engineers from being able to receive information about Voyager 1’s status, as well as the scientific data collected by the spacecraft’s instruments, for nearly a month. (12/4)

Technicians Install Gateway’s Fuel Tanks (Source: NASA)
Technicians guide the equipment that will house Gateway’s xenon and liquid fuel tanks in this photo from July 1, 2024. The tanks are part of Gateway’s Power and Propulsion Element, which will make the lunar space station the most powerful solar electric spacecraft ever flown. Once fully assembled and launched to lunar orbit, the Power and Propulsion Element’s roll-out solar arrays will harness the Sun’s energy to energize xenon gas and produce the thrust to get Gateway to the Moon’s orbit where it will await the arrival of its first crew on the Artemis IV mission. (12/2)

Trump Picks Jared Isaacman as NASA Administrator (Sources: Bloomberg, AP, NBC)
President-elect Donald Trump will nominate financial technology billionaire Jared Isaacman, a longtime SpaceX astronaut, to serve as the next NASA administrator. If confirmed, Isaacman would oversee a US agency with a roughly $24.8 billion budget and a suite of human and robotic space exploration programs, including the flagship Artemis moon mission. He would replace Bill Nelson, a former US senator from Florida, who has run the agency under outgoing President Joe Biden.

Isaacman has close ties to Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. Trump chose Musk, a close ally, to co-lead a new “Department of Government Efficiency.” Musk on Wednesday congratulated Isaacman in a post on X. Isaacman in 2022 partnered with Musk and SpaceX to pay for and launch the Polaris Program, a series of three private spaceflights to test technologies and maneuvers for exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. Isaacman was one of four private citizens sent into orbit on the first of the spaceflights, known as Polaris Dawn.

The fighter jet-piloting Isaacman, whose call name is Rook, short for rookie, has described himself as a “space geek” since kindergarten. He dropped out of high school when he was 16, got a GED certificate and started a business in his parents’ basement that became the genesis for Shift4. His business is based in eastern Pennsylvania, where he lives with his wife and their two young daughters. (12/4)

ESA Publishes Updated Call for Reusable Super Heavy-Lift Rocket Initiative (Source: European Spaceflight)
The European Space Agency has published an updated call for a study to explore the development of a reusable super heavy-lift rocket capable of delivering 60 tonnes to low Earth orbit. On 20 November, ESA published a call for its European 60T LEO Reusable Launch System Pathfinder Study initiative. However, later that same day, the agency removed the listing from its online tendering platform without explanation. In response to questioning from European Spaceflight, the agency explained that the call had been published prematurely before it had been approved by the overseeing program board. (12/3)

NASA Tells SpaceX to Focus on Safety After Astronaut Hospitalizations (Source: Gizmodo)
A NASA safety panel warned SpaceX to focus on crew safety for its commercial trips to the International Space Station (ISS) after four astronauts were recently hospitalized. During a meeting of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel on Thursday, Kent Rominger, a former astronaut and member of the committee, highlighted a series of recent anomalies with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and its Dragon crew capsule. SpaceX has been NASA’s trusted partner for years, launching nine crews to the ISS on largely reliable hardware. The recent anomalies, however, might be the result of the company’s commitment to launching missions at an increasingly faster pace and to maintain its lead in the industry. (12/3)

NASA Creates a Submarine for Jupiter's Moon (Source: Universe)
In 2030, NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will reach Jupiter and begin exploring Europa, making 49 flybys of the moon. It is equipped with advanced scientific instruments to collect data on the subsurface ocean that could potentially support life. But even as Europa Clipper is being prepared, scientists are developing the next generation of robots capable of penetrating beneath the ice crust of Jupiter’s moon to reach the ocean. The SWIM project involves delivering a swarm of microrobots into the subsurface ocean using a separate cryobot that will drill the surface by melting ice.

The mobile phone-sized robots will autonomously move and analyze the environment, looking for chemical and temperature signatures that could indicate the presence of life. SWIM prototypes created using 3D printing have been successfully tested in a California Institute of Technology swimming pool. The robots, equipped with inexpensive motors and electronics, demonstrated autonomous maneuvering, the ability to stay in a given position and perform complex movements. One of the robots even wrote the word J-P-L in the water. (11/27)

SETI Tracks Distorted Signals From Distant Pulsars with Data From Destroyed Arecibo Observatory (Source: Space.com)
Using data from the now-destroyed Arecibo radio telescope, scientists from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute have unlocked the secrets of signals from "cosmic lighthouses" powered by dead stars. In particular, the team led by Sofia Sheikh from the SETI Institute was interested in how the signals from pulsars distort as they travel through space.

To study how these stars' signals are distorted in space, the team turned to archival data from Arecibo, a 1,000-foot (305-meter) wide suspended radio dish that collapsed on Dec. 1, 2020, after the cables supporting it snapped, punching holes in the dish. The researchers investigated 23 pulsars, including 6 which had not been studied before. This data revealed patterns in pulsar signals showing how they were impacted by the passage through gas and dust that exists between stars, the so-called "interstellar medium." (12/2)

Will the International Space Station's 2031 Death Dive Cause Pollution Problems? (Source: Space.com)
The likely ocean zone for plopping the ISS down in a controlled fashion is within the South Pacific Oceanic Uninhabited Area, a region around Point Nemo formally known as "the oceanic pole of inaccessibility." That area is farther from land than any other point on Earth and is often labeled the world's largest "spacecraft cemetery." 

Nevertheless, the station's planned end-of-life plunge is stirring up concern in environmental and space research circles, with specialists weighing the pros and cons of any dedicated ISS "retirement." There are those wondering about the incineration and implications for Earth's atmosphere and sea waters. Similarly, what about a "hit and miss" scenario that has chunks of the station reaching the ground due to a botched reentry process? (12/4)

Falcon 9 Reaches a Flight Rate 30 Times Higher Than Shuttle at 1/100th the Cost (Source: Ars Technica)
SpaceX recently hit some notable milestones with its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, and even in the full context of history, the performance of the vehicle is pretty incredible. So far this year, SpaceX has launched a total of 119 Falcon 9 rockets, for an average of a launch every 2.3 days. The company has already superseded its previous record total for annual Falcon 9 launches, 92, completed last year. If SpaceX achieves its goal of 15 additional Falcon 9 launches this month, it would bring the company's total this year to 134 flights. If you add two Falcon Heavy missions to that, it brings the total to 136 launches.

That is a meaningful number, because over the course of the three decades it flew into orbit, NASA's Space Shuttle flew 135 missions. The space shuttle was a significantly more complex vehicle, and unlike the Falcon 9 rocket, humans flew aboard it during every mission. However, there is some historical significance in the fact that the Falcon rocket may fly as many missions in a single year as the space shuttle did during its lifetime. The company's vice president of launch, Kiko Dontchev, said on the social media site X that SpaceX plans to attempt 15 additional Falcon rocket launches in December. (12/2)

James Webb Space Telescope Spots Previously Hidden Planet in Star’s Habitable Zone (Source: The Debrief)
Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Apache Point Observatory (APO) telescope have discovered a new planet orbiting within the habitable zone of star Kepler 51. Previous scans of the distant system identified three low-density “super puff” planets named Kepler-51a, Kepler-51b, and Kepler-51c in the star’s orbit. The newly discovered Kepler-51e is the first planet found orbiting within the star’s habitable zone. (12/4)

Space Launch Delta 45 Conducts Emergency Response Exercises at Patrick, Cape Canaveral (Source: Florida Today)
Don't be alarmed at sightings of emergency responders, military personnel or simulated incidents near U.S. Space Force installations over the next few days. That's the word from Space Launch Delta 45 officials, who said Monday that emergency response and readiness exercises will be conducted at Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station through Dec. 12. (12/2)

'Cataclysmic' Solar Storm Hit Earth Around 2687 Years Ago, Ancient Tree Rings Reveal (Source: LiveScience)
Ancient trees act as time capsules, silently recording Earth's history. A research team from the University of Arizona is unlocking these arboreal secrets by carefully analyzing tree rings to reveal evidence of colossal solar storms known as Miyake Events. These space weather events are so rare that only 6 have been detected in the past 14,500 years. The most recent of which occurred around 775-775 CE. But the exact timing of the ca. 660 BCE event had long eluded researchers, until now.

The team carefully dissected individual tree rings from ancient wood samples collected from dead trees buried in riverbanks as well as timbers excavated during archaeological digs. The main component of the wood, the cellulose, is then burned to determine the radiocarbon content. When a radiocarbon spike is detected, the researchers then compare the tree-ring data to spikes in different isotopes such as beryllium-10 which has been locked away in ice cores retrieved from glaciers and ice sheets, another great natural time capsule. Both tree ring and ice data pinpointed the date of an extreme Miyake solar storm whose timing had long eluded researchers to between 664 and 663 BCE. (12/4)

Bezos Believes Blue Origin Will be Bigger Than $2 trillion Amazon (Source: CNBC)
Jeff Bezos believes his space venture Blue Origin will one day be a bigger company than Amazon. “I think it’s going to be the best business that I’ve ever been involved in, but it’s going to take a while,” Bezos said. Amazon, which Bezos founded in 1994, has a market value of about $2.3 trillion. Blue Origin, which Bezos founded in 2000, has never disclosed a valuation. He solely owns and funds Blue Origin through sales of his Amazon stock. Bezos admitted that the space company “is not a very good business yet,” in a reference to Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp’s question of whether the space venture was “a hobby or a business.” (12/4)

We’ve Never Been Closer to Finding Life Outside Our Solar System (Source: WIRED)
In 2025, we might detect the first signs of life outside our solar system. Crucial to this potential breakthrough is the 6.5-meter-diameter James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The JWST is our biggest space telescope to date. Since it began collecting data, this telescope has allowed astronomers to observe some of the dimmest objects in the cosmos, like ancient galaxies and black holes. In 2022, the telescope has also provided us with the first glimpses of rocky exoplanets inside what astronomers call the habitable zone. (12/5)

Prediction: 400 Starship Launches in 4 Years, as SpaceX Abandons Its Most Popular Rocket (Source: Motley Fool)
The Federal Aviation Administration cleared SpaceX to quintuple its Starship launch rate, from five launches per year to 25. But even 25 launches a year isn't good enough for SpaceX Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell. At a recent investment conference, Shotwell expressed the desire to go far beyond that limit in future years, predicting that SpaceX will launch 400 Starships over the next four years.

Perhaps the most shocking implication of Starship's progress is that SpaceX's popular Falcon 9 rocket might soon get priced out of the market. Key to the rocket's popularity is its bargain basement price -- less than $70 million per launch at advertised prices, which is cheaper than anything Arianespace or United Launch Alliance can offer. But as cheap as Falcon 9 may be, Starship will be even cheaper. Payload recently estimated the Starship's construction cost at $90 million (i.e., 28.5% more expensive than Falcon 9, but for 400% more payload capacity).

And Musk has predicted that over time Starship's cost will fall to as little as $10 million per flight. Shotwell predicts that within six to eight years, SpaceX will retire the Falcon 9 and Starship will replace it completely, both for cargo and crewed missions. (11/30)

Space Force Racing to Meet Training, Testing Demands (Source: Defense News)
The Space Force’s push to prepare for a future war in the Indo-Pacific in the next few years is not just about quickly fielding more resilient satellites and ground systems — it also means ensuring guardians and the broader joint force are trained and ready to use those capabilities during a conflict. Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman has made readiness a top priority for the service and has called on the organizations that write requirements, train guardians and develop test and training infrastructure to move quickly to prepare the force to operate in a more contested space environment.

Maj. Gen. Tim Sejba, head of Space Training and Readiness Command, said Tuesday that while it will take decades for the Space Force to build high-fidelity training and testing ranges, there are interim steps the service can take to improve its live and simulated training infrastructure. Speaking at the annual I/ITSEC conference in Orlando, Florida, this week, Sejba said the Space Force is taking a hybrid approach to improving its current systems, stitching together legacy capabilities with new technology available in the commercial market.

The service is using its $12 billion Space Enterprise Consortium contract to buy some of these capabilities. The contracting mechanism allows the Space Force to issue task orders to more than 750 preapproved companies and get solutions faster than it might under a more traditional acquisition program. In September, the service issued an RFI through the consortium seeking commercial companies with satellites on orbit that have excess capacity and could be used to support Space Force live training and testing. (12/4)

Bezos Not Concerned About Trump Favoritism for Musk (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos said he was not concerned that Musk might use his influence with the Trump administration to put Blue Origin at a disadvantage. In a conference interview Wednesday, Bezos said he took "at face value" comments by Musk that he would not use his current ties with the incoming Trump administration to put his companies at an advantage over competitors. Bezos also said in the interview that Blue Origin is "very, very close" to a first launch of its New Glenn rocket, suggesting that a launch license was one of the final milestones remaining before attempting that launch. He did not provide a more specific schedule for the flight, though. (12/5)

Telesat's Lightspeed Constellation Passes Review (Source: Space News)
Telesat's Lightspeed constellation has passed a key early review. The company said Wednesday that a preliminary design review showed the design of the spacecraft, the first to use Canadian company MDA Space's reprogrammable Aurora platform, is aligned with the program's functional and performance requirements. The review keeps the company on track to start deploying the 198-satellite constellation in mid-2026, using 14 SpaceX Falcon 9 launches over a year. Telesat is targeting markets including backhaul services for mobile network operators and internet service providers, aviation and maritime connectivity, and government customers. (12/5)

Umbra Wins NRO Contract Extension for Radar Imagery (source: Space News)
Umbra Space has won a contract extension from the National Reconnaissance Office for radar satellite imagery. The company, which has been working with the NRO since 2022, said the extension offers the company continued opportunities to demonstrate its technology and refine its offerings to meet government needs. The financial terms of the contract were not disclosed. Umbra currently operates five spacecraft, with more in production to serve government and commercial customers. (12/5)

Airbus to Cut 1000 Jobs in Space Unit (Source: Reuters)
Airbus Defence and Space will cut more than 1,000 jobs from its space unit. The company disclosed details Wednesday of previous plans to reduce its workforce because of financial problems, particularly with space projects. Airbus said it will cut 1,128 jobs from its Space Systems business, adding that it doesn't plan to use involuntary layoffs. Airbus Defense and Space will cut 2,043 jobs overall across its business lines, less than the 2,500 jobs it said in October it would eliminate. (12/5)

India Launches ESA's Proba-3 Solar Probe (Source: Space News)
India launched a European Space Agency mission this morning to create artificial solar eclipses. A PSLV-XL rocket lifted off at 5:34 a.m. Eastern and placed the Proba-3 spacecraft into its planned highly elliptical orbit. The 550-kilogram Proba-3 mission aims to study the solar corona by emulating a total solar eclipse using two spacecraft flying in precise formation. The spacecraft will create eclipses lasting up to six hours, allowing instruments to collect data on the solar wind and coronal mass ejections. It will also demonstrate precision flying technology that could be used on future missions. (12/5)

Starlink Mission Launched From Vandenberg with Direct-to-Cell Satellites (Source: Space.com)
A Starlink launch Wednesday night has completed SpaceX's first set of direct-to-cell satellites. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 10:05 p.m. Eastern and placed 20 Starlink satellites into orbit, 13 with direct-to-cell payloads. SpaceX said that, with this launch, its first set of direct-to-cell satellites is now in orbit and able to provide messaging services for unmodified smartphones once those satellites reach their final orbits. (12/5)

Russia Launches Military Satellite (Source: TASS)
Russia launched a military satellite Wednesday. A Soyuz-2.1b rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia at 12:59 p.m. Eastern and placed its payload into its desired orbit. Russian officials did not disclose details about the payload other than it is a defense satellite. Western observers speculate that it is an electronic intelligence gathering satellite. (12/5)

China Launches Broadband Constellation Satellites (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a third set of satellites for a broadband constellation overnight. A Long March 6 rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 11:41 p.m. Eastern Wednesday carrying a set of Qianfan, or Thousand Sails, satellites. That constellation, previously known as G60 Starlink, may ultimately include more than 10,000 satellites to provide broadband services. (12/5)

Boeing Whistleblower Claims Safety Problems at Satellite Factory (Source: CBS)
A whistleblower claims there are serious safety lapses as a Boeing satellite factory. The whistleblower, the head of a union representing 600 workers at the Southern California factory, said Boeing had created a "toxic culture" there that emphasized speed over safety. Workers in October filed a complaint with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration regarding what they considered unsafe conditions there, ranging from obstructed fire extinguishers to machinery blocking exits. Boeing did not respond to specific incidents raised by the person but denied the company retaliated against the whistleblower. (12/5)