January 26, 2025

Texas Grant to Fund New Spaceport Study (Source: Fox West Texas)
The Concho Valley Council of Governments (CVCOG) is among the four grant recipients for proposed projects from the Texas Space Commission (TSC). In an open meeting Friday, the TSC's board of directors voted to approve the grants that total $21.5 million - the CVCOG's share is $500,000.

Funds will be spent to manage a feasibility study of site assessments for the region - which covers Coke, Concho, Crockett, Irion, Kimble, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Reagan, Schleicher, Sterling, Sutton and Tom Green counties - for "Concho Valley Operation: Mission to Space". The objective of the feasibility study is to identify a location within the 13-county region of the Concho Valley for the construction of one or more launch sites. (1/24)

$21.5 Million Approved by Texas Space Commission for SEARF Grant Awards (Source: Texas Space Commission)
The Texas Space Commission has approved $21.5 million for four projects, including $19.7 million for the El Paso-based Borderplex Alliance; $800K for El Paso County; $500K for the South Plains Association of Governments; and $500K for the Concho Valley Council of Governments. One of the projects is to study the potential for a new spaceport in the Concho Valley. Details on the others will follow in my next newsletter. (1/24)

Electric Spacecraft Propulsion May Soon Take a Leap, Thanks to New Supercomputer (Source: Space.com)
Researchers performed supercomputer simulations of an ion engine's exhaust, modeling the thermodynamic behavior of the electrons and how they affect the overall characteristics of the plume. "These particles may be small, but their movement and energy play an important role in determining the macroscopic dynamics of the plume emitted from the electric propulsion thruster," said Chen Cui. What Cui and Wang found was that the electrons in the plume behave differently depending upon their temperature and their velocity.

Now that scientists better understand the behavior of the electrons in the ion plume, they can incorporate this into designs for future electric propulsion engines, looking for ways to limit the back-scatter, or perhaps confine the electrons more to the core of the beam. Ultimately, this could help missions powered by electric propulsion to fly farther and for longer, pushed by the gentle blue breeze of its ion plume. (1/25)

Globalstar: Undervalued And Diversifying Into High Margin High-Growth Opportunities (Source: Seeking Alpha)
Globalstar's partnership with Apple cements Globalstar as a leader in the sector. Band n53 is potentially worth $6-$13.8 billion, highlighting Globalstar's significant undervaluation compared to its current market cap. The IoT segment offers high-margin growth opportunities with minimal additional CapEx, supported by increasing demand for remote asset monitoring. XCOM RAN technology, using Band n53 for private 5G networks, can provide incredible growth with Globalstar planning to capture 35% of a $15 billion TAM by 2030. (1/24)

Survey Finds More Hidden Supermassive Black Holes Than Expected (Source: Phys.org)
Multiple NASA telescopes recently helped scientists search the sky for supermassive black holes—those up to billions of times heavier than the sun. The new survey is unique because it was as likely to find massive black holes that are hidden behind thick clouds of gas and dust as those that are not. Astronomers think that every large galaxy in the universe has a supermassive black hole at its center. But testing this hypothesis is difficult because researchers can't hope to count the billions or even trillions of supermassive black holes thought to exist in the universe. (1/13)

Satellites Detect Hidden Magnetic Signals in Earth's Oceans (Source: Earth.com)
Data from the European Space Agency’s Swarm mission has revealed a fascinating discovery. Researchers have found that faint magnetic signals created by ocean tides can help map magma distribution beneath the seabed. These signals could also provide insights into long-term changes in global ocean temperatures and salinity. Swarm’s ability to detect these subtle magnetic variations is a significant step forward in geophysical research. By studying these weak signals, scientists can better understand the complex interactions between Earth’s magnetic field, ocean currents, and even volcanic activity beneath the sea. (1/23)

3 No-Brainer Space Stocks to Buy Right Now for Less Than $500 (Source: Motley Fool)
If you have a high-risk tolerance and a long-term outlook, here are three exciting space stocks to buy and hold for the next decade and beyond. Rocket Lab has established itself as a go-to partner for businesses launching small satellites into orbit. Its flagship rocket, the Electron, has helped the company position itself as the second-most frequently used orbital rocket in the U.S.

Intuitive Machines (LUNR 4.06%) had an impressive 2024. In February of last year, the company launched its inaugural lunar mission, IM-1, using its Nova-C lunar lander, Odysseus. AST SpaceMobile aims to transform global communication by delivering reliable cellular broadband through its low-Earth-orbit satellites. The company looks to work with telecommunications companies to bridge connectivity gaps in regions that traditional infrastructure can't reach. (1/25)

Space Capital Tracks Rebound in Space Investment in ‘24, Expects More Interest in ‘25 (Source: Via Satellite)
Investment and consulting firm Space Capital reports that investment in space companies hit $26 billion in 2024, an increase of 30% year-over-year. The firm recently released its fourth quarter Space IQ report, with predictions for 2025. The $26 billion in investment in 2024 includes investment activity across a broad range of companies impacted by space, including infrastructure companies that build and launch satellites; distribution companies that manage data from space-based assets; and applications that use data from space-based assets. (1/23)

During the fourth quarter of 2024, space infrastructure companies received $2 billion in investment. This was up 7% quarter-on-quarter, but 28% below the three-year average of $2.8 billion. Top infrastructure funding rounds in Q4 included Blue Origin’s self-capitalization of $500 million, Firefly Aerospace’s fundraising of $176 million, and The Exploration Company raising $160 million.

Space Capital also issued predictions for space capital markets in 2025, looking at the political environment with the administration change, and an expected increase in defense spending. Anderson expects there to be a greater focus on promoting the space economy and integrating commercial capabilities into the U.S. government. While he expects Elon Musk to benefit from his close relationship with President Trump, he also said other companies can stand to benefit as well. (1/23)

ISRO Gears Up For Historic 100th Launch From Sriharikota With GSLV-G15 Mission (Source: News24)
India’s space organization ISRO is set for the 100th launch from Sriharikota’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre. This Indian Space Research Organization will achieve this with the GSLV-G15 mission. This mission is tentatively set for the launch on January 29. This launch will deploy the NVS-02 satellite, advancing India’s homegrown Navigation with the Indian Constellation System. (1/25)

Isaacman's Shift4 Beats Investor Suit Over Misleading Accounting Claims (Source: Bloomberg)
Shift4 Payments Inc. beat an investor suit that alleged the payment processing company inflated its cash flows from operating activities to prop up the stock price for its chief executive officer. Lead plaintiff Robert Baer’s second amended complaint offered an incoherent theory for motive behind the faulty accounting, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled. Judge Joseph F. Leeson Jr. judge dismissed the case with prejudice Wednesday, stating in his opinion that the investor didn’t allege the necessary level of intent for securities fraud. (1/25)

New Launchers Could Light Up Space Economy (Source: Aviation Week)
Blue Origin’s successful launch of the New Glenn rocket could kick off a year of rocket debuts, initiating a period of global space economy growth. “We are at an inflection point,” says Kelli Kedis Ogborn, vice president of Space Commerce and Entrepreneurship at the Space Foundation. While the industry for several years has talked about the space economy and its growth potential, “the pieces are really going to start to click,” he said.

More than 20 new launchers could achieve first flight this year. Rocket Factory Augsburg, for instance, received its vertical launch license from British authorities this month. Isar Aerospace and South Korean’s Innospace are among others looking to achieve the milestone. SpaceX has driven down launch costs and boosted the pace of flights, in part by demonstrating first-stage reuse.

While other commercial launchers have become available, such as Rocket Lab’s Electron, the commercial launch market, particularly to fly multiple satellites, has still been somewhat constrained. New Glenn, with its 45-metric-ton payload capacity to low Earth orbit, and SpaceX’s Starship, once it has demonstrated payload deployment, promise to change the cost equation. SpaceX aims for another Starship test next month. (1/23)

Moon Dust Into Oxygen: Sierra Space Tests Lunar Oxygen Extraction Tech (Source: Interesting Engineering)
A team of Sierra Space engineers is advancing space innovation by developing a groundbreaking machine to produce oxygen on the moon. The project takes place within a giant vacuum sphere, pushing the limits of current technology. The device, a silvery metal contraption adorned with colorful wires, represents a major step in developing life-sustaining technology for lunar habitats.

The experiment involved feeding simulated lunar regolith—dusty, sharp, and gritty soil—into the box-like machine. Heated to over 1,650°C, the regolith transformed into a molten gloop. When combined with reactants, oxygen-containing molecules began to bubble out. But studies on molten regolith electrolysis, another oxygen-extraction method, revealed that low gravity might hinder the detachment of oxygen bubbles from electrodes in the molten material. (1/24)

JWST Facing Potential Cuts to its Operational Budget (Source: Space News)
While the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) continues to exceed astronomers’ expectations, a potential funding shortfall could reduce the telescope’s effectiveness as soon as this fall. Officials with the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which handles JWST science, say the telescope, halfway through its official five-year prime mission, is performing better than expected and demand for observing time far outpacing supply. (1/25)

The U.S. Should Stop Holding Back its Military Potential in Space (Source: Space News)
Five years after the creation of the Space Force, the United States hasn’t quite unlocked the full military potential of space, continuing perennial efforts to normalize space as an operational domain. However, to realize its vision of seamlessly operating across all domains, the U.S. military should urgently rethink its approach to space power, maximizing and diversifying the types of space weapons brought to bear across the joint force. Senior Pentagon and Space Force leaders should reverse policies that seem to automatically rule out developing and using kinetic counterspace weapons and reassess the feasibility and military advantages of space-to-ground weapons. (1/24)

A Tether Covered in Solar Panels Could Boost the ISS's Orbit (Source: Phys.org)
It uses a new idea called a Bare Photovoltaic Tether (BPT), which is based on an older idea of an electrodynamic tether (EDT) but has some advantages due to the addition of solar panels along its length.

The basic idea behind a BPT, and EDTs more generally, is to extend a conductive boom out into a magnetic field and use the natural magnetic forces in the environment to provide a propulsive force. Essentially, it deploys a giant conductive rod into a magnetic field and uses the force on an electric field created in that rod to transfer force to where the rod is connected. It's like the wind picking up an umbrella if the umbrella were a massive conductive rod and the wind were the planet's natural magnetic field. (1/21)

Pre-Trump Petro Reflects on Diversity (Source: Engineering News-Record)
At NASA and Kennedy Space Center, our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility has been paramount to mission success. ... “We embrace diversity because we understand that different opinions, backgrounds and perspectives create an enriching environment that fuels innovation and personal growth. Every difference of opinion, background or perspective is an opportunity to learn and build relationships … It’s also how we achieve missions of unparalleled complexity and ambition that inspire the world.” (1/10/21)

NASA Wants to launch rockets Into Northern Lights to Study 'Black Auroras' (Source: Space.com)
NASA plans to fly two rockets through active auroras to help study the unique ribbons of light that dance across the Alaskan night sky. The rockets are expected to lift off from the Poker Flat Research Range in Fairbanks, Alaska, as part of two missions led by space physicists Marilia Samara and Robert Michell from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The team aims to better understand why some auroras flicker, others pulsate and others appear to have holes. (1/25)

Hainan’s Commercial Launch Site Phase II Breaks Ground, Two Liquid Rocket Launch Pads Planned (Source: Global Times)
The construction of the second phase of the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site in South China's Hainan Province, broke ground on Saturday, featuring plans to build two liquid rocket launch pads, the Global Times learned from the company. The expansion of the launch site marks another milestone for Hainan's aerospace industry, playing a crucial role in driving the high-quality growth of China's aerospace sector, as well as meeting the growing demand for commercial launches, said Liu Xiaoming, governor of Hainan Province. (1/25)

European Launch Startups Send Open Letter to ESA Outlining Key Priorities (Source: European Spaceflight)
Six European launch startups have penned and released an open letter to ESA outlining key priorities they urge the agency to consider when implementing the European Launch Challenge. With the draft resolution for European space transportation shared with member states, the path to the opening of the ELC invitation to tender by February 2025 has been outlined. To fine-tune the implementation proposal, the following three elements are crucial: substantial funding commitment, access to Kourou launch pads, and service-type contracts. Click here. (1/24)

ESA Member States to Vote on Future of Space Rider in November (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA Member States will decide on the future of the Space Rider programme during the agency’s Ministerial Council meeting in Bremen this November, Program Manager Dante Galli said. Space Rider is a reusable spacecraft designed to carry scientific and technology demonstration payloads to orbit and return them to Earth, using a parafoil for precise landing and easy recovery. This ESA-initiated project is led by prime contractors Thales Alenia Space, responsible for the Re-entry Module, and Avio, in charge of developing the Service Module. (1/25)

US Judge Pauses SpaceX's Challenge to Case Over Anti-Immigrant Bias (Source: Reuters)
A federal judge on Friday granted the U.S. Department of Justice's request to pause a lawsuit by Elon Musk's SpaceX claiming the agency lacks the power to pursue claims that the space technology company refused to hire certain immigrants. U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya in Brownsville, Texas, made the decision following the agency's Jan. 19 request to stay the lawsuit for 45 days, in which it signaled that it could drop or settle the case.

Republican President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, ushering in a new administration. Musk, a top adviser to Trump, is leading a commission tasked with identifying waste and inefficiency in the federal government. SpaceX and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. DOJ claims that from at least 2018 to 2022, SpaceX routinely discouraged asylum recipients and refugees from applying for jobs and refused to consider or hire them.

The company has denied wrongdoing, saying federal export control laws require it to employ only U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.
In 2023, a different judge had blocked DOJ from pursuing the case, which would be heard in-house by an administrative judge, pending the outcome of the lawsuit. SpaceX sued to block the case, claiming that DOJ administrative judges are improperly appointed by the U.S. attorney general because they are granted powers that should be reserved only for officials appointed by the president. (1/24)