January 25, 2025

SLS in Transition: From Biden to Trump (Source: Space News)
Ending the Space Launch System’s decades-long drain on the United States’ limited spaceflight budget should be a high priority during the transition from President Joe Biden to President-elect Donald Trump. Unfortunately, NASA’s giant rocket, decades in development but flown exactly once, is likely to survive the transition.

In its current form, SLS largely duplicates capacity available elsewhere at far lower cost. It consumes money and engineering resources that would better be spent developing improved deep space propulsion, building lunar bases, preparing for outposts on Mars, conducting mining experiments on asteroids, or on any other activity that would advance humanity’s space exploration goals. Click here. (1/23)

Blue Origin to Simulate Moon Gravity on Jan. 28 New Shepard Suborbital Launch (Source: Space.com)
Blue Origin will launch the 29th mission of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle next week, on an uncrewed research flight that will simulate lunar gravity conditions. The mission, known as NS-29, is scheduled to lift off from Blue Origin's West Texas launch site on Tuesday (Jan. 28) at 11 a.m. EST. "The payloads will experience at least two minutes of lunar gravity forces, a first for New Shepard and made possible in part through support from NASA," the company added.

"The flight will test six broad lunar technology areas: in-situ resource utilization, dust mitigation, advanced habitation systems, sensors and instrumentation, small spacecraft technologies, and entry, descent and landing." New Shepard will create those "lunar gravity forces" by firing its reaction-control thrusters so that it rotates about 11 times per minute. (1/24)

Spend a Night ‘Under the Stars:’ Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Offers After-Hours Event (Source: Click Orlando)
Nighttime views of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex are typically reserved for late-night rocket launches. On Friday, Feb. 7, however, guests can explore attractions for an after-hours event called “Kennedy Under the Stars” for a galactic glow party. This time, rewind 25 years and celebrate Y2K! (1/23)

Clear Evidence of Liquid Water—Not Just Frozen Ice—Discovered on Mars (Source: Daily Galaxy)
Scientists have uncovered remarkable evidence of ancient liquid water on Mars, challenging the long-held belief that the planet was dominated by frozen ice. Tiny ripples etched into Martian rocks hold clues to a time when shallow lakes were open to the planet’s atmosphere. But what does this mean for Mars’ climate history—and the possibility of life? These findings open new questions about the red planet’s past. (1/25)

Rocket Lab Is Growing Faster Than SpaceX. Here's Why (Source: Motley Fool)
Rocket Lab just might be the first space company to figure out how to compete with SpaceX on price. SpaceX wrapped up 2024 with a record 138 rocket launches, including test flights of its Starship mega-rocket. In 2024, SpaceX launched as many rockets as the entire rest of the world did, combined, and it grew its launch rate by an impressive 41%. But do you know which rocket stock grew its launch cadence even faster? Rocket Lab's.

At advertised prices, SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket looks very tough to beat. SpaceX reportedly charges just under $70 million for rockets that can carry 22 tons of payload to Low Earth Orbit. Among other launchers of big, "heavy lift" rockets, ULA charges $110 million for the base version of its Vulcan Centaur rocket carrying 10.8 tons. (That's 50% more money for 50% less capability). Over in Europe, Airbus subsidiary Arianespace charges $77 million to launch a payload of about 10 tons. Its Ariane 62 rocket costs 10% more than Falcon 9, but delivers 50% less than Falcon 9.

The situation looks different as you scale down. With a proven maximum payload of 320 kg and a launch price that's averaging about $8.4 million currently, Rocket Lab has a rocket that might be able to compete with SpaceX in certain situations. Granted, Rocket Lab's Electron rocket doesn't have nearly the capability of the larger rockets. And Rocket Lab has to charge more than $26,000 per kilogram of cargo it launches to LEO, versus SpaceX charging just $4,000 per kilogram on a fully loaded Falcon 9. But here's the thing: Often when SpaceX launches a Falcon 9, the rocket is mostly empty, utilizing just a fraction of its rated payload, despite charging a full-freight price of $70 million. (1/20)

Amazon Ships Project Kuiper Satellites to Florida in Preparation for Milestone Launch (Source: GeekWire)
Amazon is providing a sneak peek at the satellites that are being shipped to Florida for the launch of its Project Kuiper broadband network — well, maybe not the satellites, but at least their containers. “Late last year, we began shipping flight-ready satellites, and even more have been on their way in recent weeks,” the Project Kuiper team said in a posting to LinkedIn.

The first batch of production-level satellites is due for launch sometime in the next few months on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, lifting off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. That’ll follow up on the successful testing of two prototype satellites that were launched on an Atlas V in October 2023. (1/24)

Newly Discovered Asteroid Turns Out To Be Elon Musk's Car (Source: Astronomy)
On Jan. 2, the Minor Planet Center at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced the discovery of an unusual asteroid, designated 2018 CN41. First identified and submitted by a citizen scientist, the object’s orbit was notable: It came less than 150,000 miles (240,000 km) from Earth, closer than the orbit of the Moon. That qualified it as a near-Earth object (NEO) — one worth monitoring for its potential to someday slam into Earth.

But less than 17 hours later, the Minor Planet Center (MPC) issued an editorial notice: It was deleting 2018 CN41 from its records because, it turned out, the object was not an asteroid. It was a car. To be precise, it was Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster mounted to a Falcon Heavy upper stage, which boosted into orbit around the Sun on Feb. 6, 2018. (1/22)

Hermeus Opens New Facility to Meet Surge in Demand for Hypersonic Aircraft Engine Testing (Source: Army Recognition)
At the beginning of January 2025, American aerospace and defense company Hermeus unveiled its High Enthalpy Air-Breathing Test Facility (HEAT), marking a significant milestone in the development of supersonic and hypersonic military aircraft. This state-of-the-art testing infrastructure is designed to accelerate the testing and development of next-generation propulsion systems, setting the stage for breakthroughs in hypersonic aircraft by the end of the decade.

AJ Piplica, Co-Founder and CEO of Hermeus, highlighted that current hypersonic test facilities are booked up for over a year, with the cost of testing often being prohibitively expensive. HEAT aims to provide a cost-effective and efficient alternative that will alleviate these capacity limitations and serve as a critical resource for both commercial and military hypersonic testing.

The HEAT facility's rapid development has been a notable achievement in itself. In just three months, Hermeus transformed an existing test infrastructure at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, into a cutting-edge testing hub. The facility inherited test cells originally constructed in 1959 and a hush house from 1989. These legacy structures were extensively retrofitted to accommodate modern high-speed engine testing. The results speak for themselves: Hermeus managed to bring the facility online in one-eighth the time and at one-tenth the cost compared to typical engine test cell projects. (1/24)

Virgin Galactic: Downward Spiral (Source: Seeking Alpha)
While Virgin Galactic's situation hasn't materially changed in recent months, the company's share price continues to decline as it burns through its current cash balance. This is important, as I believe Virgin Galactic still needs to raise several hundred million USD in order to reach breakeven. The maturity date for Virgin Galactic's debt is also approaching, creating a fairly narrow window within which the company will need to demonstrate its viability.

The company's share price is down close to 50% since then, compounding its issues. I continue to think that Virgin Galactic doesn't have enough liquidity to reach breakeven and probably will not be able to raise enough additional capital. Even if it does survive, dilution will likely ensure that returns for existing shareholders are poor. (1/23)

NASA’s Pandora Mission One Step Closer To Probing Alien Atmospheres (Source: NASA)
Pandora, NASA’s newest exoplanet mission, is one step closer to launch with the completion of the spacecraft bus, which provides the structure, power, and other systems that will enable the mission to carry out its work. Pandora, a small satellite, will provide in-depth study of at least 20 known planets orbiting distant stars in order to determine the composition of their atmospheres — especially the presence of hazes, clouds, and water. This data will establish a firm foundation for interpreting measurements by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and future missions that will search for habitable worlds. (1/16)

Advanced Modeling Improves Gateway Lunar Dust Mitigation (Source: Space Daily)
NASA's Artemis program is spearheading efforts to return humans to the Moon, establish a sustainable lunar presence, and pave the way for crewed missions to Mars. As part of this initiative, engineers are tackling the challenge of lunar dust, a substance known for its sharp, abrasive particles that adhere to spacesuits and disrupt equipment functionality. NASA is devising innovative approaches to safeguard equipment as astronauts transition between the lunar environment and spacecraft such as Gateway, the first lunar space station.

Unlike Apollo missions, which faced limited lunar dust exposure, Gateway will encounter the substance more frequently as the Human Landing System transports astronauts from the lunar South Pole region to the station. Each docking brings the potential for dust contamination within Gateway's environment, posing risks to scientific instruments, solar panels, robotic systems, and other essential components. Josh Litofsky, the principal investigator and project manager for NASA's Gateway lunar dust adhesion testing campaign at the Johnson Space Center, is spearheading efforts to understand how lunar dust interacts with materials used in Gateway's construction. (1/23)

Transforming NASA: Enabling America’s Commercial Space Leadership (Source: Space News)
With the United States space sector already generating more than $380 billion annually and supporting 100,000 American jobs, incoming NASA administrator Jared Isaacman and NASA stand at a crossroads. Isaacman has a rare opportunity to truly transform NASA into the 21st century space program America wants and deserves.

The first challenge facing NASA’s new leadership is as old as the agency itself: bureaucratic inertia. The cardinal rule for any incoming NASA leadership team is simple: “run the bureaucracy, don’t let the bureaucracy run you.” The current NASA-centered approach for mission management, exemplified by programs that run billions over budget and years behind schedule, represents an outdated model that cannot compete with nimbler commercial alternatives or match the pace of international rivals like China.

Instead of embarking on the traditional and time-consuming tour of NASA’s field centers, the new leadership team should remain firmly planted in Washington, focused on developing and implementing their action plan. This plan must make tough choices: canceling underperforming programs regardless of size or political protection, strategically restructuring NASA’s career workforce and increasing contracted work — all while maintaining flat budgets. (1/21)

South Korea Increases Investment in Aerospace (Source: Yonhap)
Korea's national space agency said Wednesday it will invest a combined 806.4 billion won ($562.5 million) in research and development projects this year as part of efforts to turn South Korea into one of five global leaders in the aerospace sector. The agency's R&D budget for 2025 marks a 43.3 percent increase from that of last year, according to the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA).

In detail, some 187.4 billion won will be funneled into R&D projects by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and the Korea Astronomy & Space Science Institute. Another 147.8 billion won will be injected into advancing South Korea's space rocket technologies, while 150.8 billion won will be used for developing a next-generation space rocket and 500 million won for the development of reusable rocket technologies. (1/22)

First Aircraft Measurement of Winds on Another Planet (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers have used an aircraft to measure the wind speed on Mars, marking the first time this method has been used on another planet. This groundbreaking measurement was made possible by the Ingenuity helicopter, which was active for nearly three years and spent, cumulatively, more than two hours in flight on the Red Planet. In February 2021, Mars got two new inhabitants: the Perseverance rover and the Ingenuity helicopter, bundled together in NASA's Mars 2020 mission. Ingenuity made history by being the first aircraft to carry out a powered and controlled flight on another planet. (1/23)