February 14, 2025

Space Force Aims for Stricter Acquisition Accountability (Source: Air & Space Forces)
Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy is intensifying acquisition reforms initiated by Frank Calvelli, emphasizing accountability for contractors and program managers. Purdy supports buying smaller satellites and using fixed-price contracts but acknowledges industry resistance, particularly from legacy space companies. "From May 2022 to today, we're at about 14 major acquisition programs that have had contracts or entire programs restructured or canceled," Purdy says. (2/13)

Cruz Creates List of "Woke" Science (Source: NPR)
Corinne Brevik, a physicist at Southern Illinois University, used money from a National Science Foundation grant to help middle schoolers host a live, interactive broadcast that brought together kids within a solar eclipse path of totality with those around the country outside the path. It meant thousands of students could share the experience. On Tuesday, Brevik was surprised to learn that her grant was one of over 3,400 NSF grants labeled by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, as "woke DEI" research that may be advancing "neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda."

A database released by Cruz this week formed the basis of an October report claiming over $2 billion of NSF's $9 billion budget went to "left-wing ideological crusades masked as 'academic research.'" The report also includes an appendix containing hundreds of DEI-related words. Parts of that appendix are currently being used by NSF staff to screen thousands of their active grants for compliance with President Trump's executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion measures across the government. (2/13)

KSC-Led Polar Ice Experiment Paves Way for Future Moon Missions (Source: NASA)
NASA’s Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) is preparing to explore the Moon’s subsurface and analyze where lunar resources may reside. The experiment’s two key instruments will demonstrate our ability to extract and analyze lunar soil to better understand the lunar environment and subsurface resources, paving the way for sustainable human exploration under the agency’s Artemis campaign for the benefit of all.

Its two instruments will work in tandem: The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrains (TRIDENT) will drill into the Moon’s surface to collect samples, while the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) will analyze these samples to determine the gas composition released across the sampling depth. The PRIME-1 technology will provide valuable data to help us better understand the Moon’s surface and how to work with and on it.

“The ability to drill and analyze samples at the same time allows us to gather insights that will shape the future of lunar resource utilization,” said Jackie Quinn, PRIME-1 project manager at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “Human exploration of the Moon and deep space will depend on making good use of local resources to produce life-sustaining supplies necessary to live and work on another planetary body.” (2/12)

Blue Origin Bracing for Job Cuts After Years of Expansion (Sources: Bloomberg, Space News)
Blue Origin is bracing for a large reduction in its workforce, in a sign the Jeff Bezos-backed space company is looking to cut costs and focus resources on ramping up rocket launches after years of R&D work. Blue Origin is laying off 10% of its workforce, or more than 1,000 employees.

Dave Limp, chief executive of Blue Origin, notified employees Feb. 13 the layoffs, which he said would be spread across the company, including management. “We grew and hired incredibly fast in the last few years, and with that growth came more bureaucracy and less focus than we needed,” he wrote in an email to employees, sent after a meeting where he announced the layoffs. (2/13)

Outrage After Elon Musk's SpaceX Awarded $38M Government Contract (Source: Daily Mail)
The federal government awarded Elon Musk's company a $38.85 million contract on Monday as the billionaire works to slash other contracts. Critics were not happy to find out that Space Exploration Technologies Corporation – otherwise known as SpaceX – got a multi-million-dollar NASA contract at the same time Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is slashing billions in other government contracts.

'If you see any contract where it was awarded to SpaceX and it wasn't by far the best value for the taxpayer, let me know – because every one of them was,' Musk challenged. One X user wrote: 'This is a cartoonishly stupid answer.' 'So let me get this straight, he wants contracts for cancer research cancelled but says let keep contracts for his company Spacex to do research,' Rep. Ilhan Omar posted. (2/12)

Trump Should Patch the Holes in US-Africa Space Cooperation (Source: Atlantic Council)
As US President Donald Trump gets settled in Washington, he has a pivotal opportunity to strengthen space cooperation between the United States and Africa. Africa’s space sector presents significant opportunities for the United States. The sector is projected to generate over twenty billion dollars in direct revenue annually. Meanwhile, it serves as a platform to advance broader US foreign policy objectives related to national security, space diplomacy, sustainability, and global influence.

Uncertainty lingers among African leaders about which US institution would lead this charge: NASA, the Office of Space Commerce under NOAA, or the National Space Council (if the second Trump administration keeps it). Much of the implementation has been thus far led by the Office of Space Commerce. The Trump administration can help address this uncertainty by establishing a dedicated task force within an appropriate US space entity to oversee US-Africa space collaboration. (2/12)

Could This Space Oven Allow Astronauts to Finally Cook in Space? (Source: Smithsonian)
Without gravity, natural convection cooking cannot occur. Food served on the International Space Station is heat-treated to be shelf stable. Freeze-dried and dehydrated foods warmed with water are standard fare. Breakfast might look like cereal flakes with dried milk that can be rehydrated with water along with dried strawberries. For dinner, astronauts might warm a packet of chicken and veggies in a tortilla to create a fajita wrap. The availability of water and storage, as well as flammability concerns, seriously limit the length of space missions.

“It would change everything if they just had a way to cook,” says aerospace engineer Jim Sears. Sears, of Boulder, Colorado, has developed a solution with his new space oven, SATED. An acronym for “safe appliance, tidy, efficient and delicious,” his invention can whip up a savory quiche in minutes or cook a perfectly crisp pizza in a low- to no-gravity environment. Just slightly larger than a toaster, the appliance uses a cylinder, spinning at several hundred rotations per minute, to create its own artificial gravity through centrifugal force. (2/12)

Laser Lab Stashed Beneath the University of Texas Could Power Future Space Travel (Source: KXAN)
Deep beneath the surface in a quiet corner of the basement of the Physics, Math and Astronomy building of the University of Texas at Austin, lasers blast electronics with simulated cosmic rays. TAU Systems builds laser-plasma accelerators, capable of stripping atoms of their electrons. Across the lab they share with UT Professor Mike Downer, a laser system takes a beam of light and alters it.

“You start with a really, really short laser pulse, something like 25 femtoseconds, which is 25 times 10 to the minus 15 seconds,” team lead Philip Franke said. It is his job to get this pulse across the room and to a target. After bouncing across mirrors, being split apart, put back together and growing the beam from a hair’s width to a couple of inches – the laser strikes a puff of gas and is stripped of its electrons. Carried like a wave, the electrons strike a piece of electronics. If fried, the electronics will likely not survive a trip to space.

By testing electronics, engineers can determine if their shielding is working. Testing can also help guide construction of microchips, to prevent damage on a smaller level. They’ll soon open a service center in Carlsbad, California, where companies like Space X can send their electronics for testing. Eventually, they plan to sell their accelerator to companies, giving them the option to build their own laser system and strip atoms of electrons themselves. (2/12)

Arizona Competes for $160 million Grant to Launch Inland Spaceport (Source: KYMA)
Several local Arizona state lawmakers sent a letter asking for Yuma to be the next U.S. commercial spaceport. Local Arizona State Representatives Michele Peña and Tim Dunn from Yuma support this collaboration and encourage its selection, and the City of Yuma says the project could bring jobs, businesses, and innovation to the area.

The City of Yuma is competing for a $160 million federal grant to build Arizona's first commercial spaceport. Representative Justin Wilmeth says this project aligns with the nations priorities for space exploration and economic growth. (2/12)

Democrat Calls On NASA Administrator to Revoke Musk’s Access to Headquarters (Source: The Hill)
Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) on Tuesday urged the acting head of NASA to revoke tech billionaire Elon Musk’s access to the space agency’s headquarters, citing an extreme conflict of interest. “Providing such access to Mr. Musk at NASA would create a blatant, multi-billion-dollar conflict of interest — exactly the kind of coziness between government and industry and corruption that my constituents fear happens in Washington,” she wrote. (2/12)

KARI Develops Solar Sail Technology to Enhance Korea's Deep Space Navigation Capabilities (Source: Chosun)
Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has developed a solar sail deployment device that can be applied to a spacecraft traveling with solar wind as its power source. KARI noted that it successfully developed a prototype of the solar sail deployment device through its research on 'solar diffraction propulsion technology' that began in June last year.

The solar sail is a technology that allows a spacecraft to navigate in outer space for an extended period without fuel, using the principle of reflecting photons emitted by the sun off the sail, much like how a sailboat navigates using the wind. (2/13)

Rocket Lab Delivers Third In-Orbit Manufacturing Spacecraft for Varda Space Industries (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab has delivered another Pioneer spacecraft for Varda Space Industries to Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in preparation for launch. It’s Rocket Lab’s third Pioneer spacecraft produced for Varda, and the second the Company has delivered for launch within a month. (2/12)

UK MOD Taps Airbus to Build £127M Spy Satellite Constellation (Source: European Spaceflight)
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence has awarded Airbus a £127 million contract to develop two reconnaissance satellites. The two satellites will make up the country’s Oberon Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite constellation, which is a small part of the country’s larger ISTARI reconnaissance constellation. (2/12)

Chinese Space Firm Showcases Mobile-to-Satellite Communication Tech (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese space firm GalaxySpace successfully demonstrated mobile-to-satellite communication technology based on the country's first low-Earth orbit broadband communication test constellation at a commercial space conference held in Beijing.
At 10:28 a.m., a satellite from the constellation passed over the conference venue in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. On-site staff used their mobile phones to connect to the satellite via a terminal device installed on the rooftop. Through a gateway station in Beijing, they established a connection with personnel in Beijing and Thailand. (2/12)

Detector on Sea Floor Spots Highest Energy Neutrino (Source: Cosmos)
A detector sitting on the sea floor off the coast of Italy has made a remarkable discovery: the first observation of an ultra-high energy neutrino. The kilometer cubic neutrino telescope (KM3NeT) spotted the neutrino in 2023. The event, dubbed KM3-230213A, was subject to meticulous analysis before being confirmed as the highest energy neutrino observed. (2/13)

After Putin Sacked Russia’s Space Chief, the Rumor Mill is Running Red-Hot (Source: Ars Technica)
After a relatively short period of just two and a half years, the chief of the Russian space corporation Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, was dismissed from his position last week. In the wake of Borisov's seemingly sudden removal—there was no readily apparent public controversy, and he was still fairly early into his tenure—the real question is why Borisov was dismissed.

After combing through Russian news reports and Telegram channels to try to determine what happened. Although we don't have absolute answers, there is plenty of intrigue. One of the most common theories is that Borisov was fired after a recent test of the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile failed. A wilder theory involves Borisov's son. There is unverified information that suggest Borisov's son had begun selling off the family-owned business (NTTs-Module), which made space components for the Russian government, to move funds abroad.

It is also possible that Borisov was simply fired because of the generally poor state of affairs at Roscosmos, which is saddled with myriad problems, including: corruption, a lack of investment, low wages and poor employee morale, Russia's war against Ukraine draining talent, a reliance on technology half a century old, and shrinking commercial markets. The bottom line is that Russia simply does not have the state budget to support significant investments in its space programs. (2/12)

Cutting Moon Rocket Would Test Musk's Power to Slash Jobs in Republican States (Source: Bloomberg)
Six space industry representatives advising Elon Musk, the billionaire SpaceX CEO with a tight grip on U.S. space policy, and Trump have told Reuters they want NASA's $24 billion Space Launch System (SLS) program canceled or at least phased out over several years, eyeing what has long been a major cost burden on the agency - but a crucial pillar of its moon program.

Scaling back the SLS, which is being developed by Boeing and Northrop Grumman, could offer a boost to Musk's SpaceX, which is developing its own cheaper rocket. Employing 28,000 workers across roughly 44 U.S. states, SLS, which launched for the first time in 2022 after years of development delays, is one of a few space programs Musk and Trump's pick to head NASA, Jared Isaacman, have criticized as an overpriced vestige of outdated rocket technology.

Canceling SLS could be a major litmus test for Trump and Musk's effort to streamline government. DOGE representatives have entered NASA headquarters in Washington and are examining its contracts, two sources said. If SLS ends up on the chopping block, Musk will struggle to overcome political hurdles, since canceling large projects has ripple effects across other areas of the federal bureaucracy including widespread job cuts. SLS, whose workforce is most concentrated in the Republican strongholds of Alabama and Texas, is a prime example. (2/13)

Boeing Scales Back Plans for Artemis/SLS Layoffs (Source: Bloomberg)
Boeing managed to preserve half of the 400 jobs it previously considered eliminating at its moon-rocket program following talks with NASA, potentially pointing to greater certainty over future funding despite concerns over a potential shake-up by Donald Trump. Boeing is “working hard to finalize contract actions” that directly impact its work, Space Launch System Vice President and Program Manager David Dutcher told employees. Dutcher said the company will issue 60-day layoff notices to fewer than 200 teammates.

'It Was a Miracle.' Amazing Tales of Dead Spacecraft That Came Back to Life (Source: Space.com)
CIRBE (Colorado Inner Radiation Belt Electron Experiment) was a 3-unit cubesat that launched in April 2023 to monitor charged particles in the inner Van Allen radiation belt. It was so successful that NASA granted it an extension after its nominal 4-month mission ended, but on April 15 something happened to the little satellite as it circled 316 miles (509 kilometers) above our heads.

Despite the last vestiges of its battery having been drained, suddenly, from somewhere, there was a spark of life. As a failsafe, its computer was tasked with rebooting the spacecraft once the battery was empty — there was always more energy to garner from its solar arrays. Suddenly, the small satellite's various sub-systems began waking up. The flight computer reactivated, reaction wheels began spinning, instruments began sensing and its radio antenna began broadcasting once more. (2/13)

York Space Expands Into Satellite Services for U.S. Government (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems, a rising player in satellite manufacturing, is making a strategic move to expand beyond hardware production into satellite-based services for the U.S. government. The Denver-based company on Feb. 13 announced a new commercial services program aimed at delivering “critical national security capabilities as a service.”

With the capacity to manufacture up to 1,000 satellite buses annually, York has been supplying hardware to government agencies, including the U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency (SDA). Now the company is looking to move further up the value chain, offering fully integrated satellites and services such as rendezvous and proximity operations, space domain awareness, communications and Earth observation. (2/13)

K2 Space Raises $110 Million for Large Satellites (Source: Space News)
Satellite manufacturing startup K2 Space has raised $110 million. K2 is developing large satellite buses intended to take full advantage of heavy-lift, low-cost launch options, betting that as launch costs continue to decline, the industry will move toward larger satellites, countering the recent trend favoring small satellite constellations. K2 Space is developing its first government mission, dubbed Gravitas, under a $60 million Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) agreement, with the Space Force and venture investors each contributing $30 million. (2/14)

Lynk Global Raises $85 Million for Direct-to-Device Constellation (Source: Space News)
Lynk Global has raised more than $85 million to help develop its direct-to-device satellite constellation. The venture disclosed the Series B funding in a regulatory filing this week that showed plans to raise a total of $215 million, more than double the amount sought last year. Lynk needs additional capital to scale a constellation that uses cellular spectrum to extend the reach of partner mobile operators in areas terrestrial infrastructure doesn't reach. The company has five satellites in orbit but plans a constellation of 5,000 satellites. Lynk is still in the process of going public through a SPAC merger, but most of the funds of the SPAC have been redeemed by shareholders, with only $23 million remaining. (2/14)

BlackSky and Thales Alenia to Develop Indian Remote Sensing Constellation (Source: Space News)
BlackSky is working with Thales Alenia Space to develop a remote sensing satellite constellation for an Indian company. Thales Alenia will produce a high-resolution optical satellite, the first of what is expected to be a larger constellation designed to provide critical intelligence for India's national security and defense agencies, for Nibe Ltd., a growing player in the country's aerospace and defense industry. BlackSky will supply satellite imagery, analytics services, and a high-resolution optical satellite as part of the venture. The BlackSky-Thales Alenia collaboration in India mirrors a similar agreement the two companies forged last year with the Republic of Indonesia. (2/14)

NASA Authorization, Commercial Space Legislation Top Senate Committee Priorities (Source: Space News)
A NASA authorization bill and commercial space legislation are priorities for the leaders of two key congressional committees. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX), chairman of the House Science Committee, outlined their plans for legislation at a conference Wednesday. They are both interested in a NASA authorization that would ensure no gaps in human presence in low Earth orbit for the U.S. as NASA moves from the International Space Station to commercial stations. They are also interested in legislation that would address "mission authorization" for commercial space activities not currently licensed by other agencies. (2/14)

House Committee Asks GAO to Examine FAA Launch Licensing (Source: Space News)
The House Science Committee is asking the GAO to examine the FAA's implementation of launch licensing regulations. In a letter this week, Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), ranking member of the committee, requested the GAO examine if regulations known as Part 450 are "effectively and efficiently accommodating United States commercial launch and reentry operations." Many in the launch industry have criticized Part 450, intended to streamline the licensing process, stating that the rules have instead made it more difficult to get approvals for launches and reentries. The FAA noted it was able to approve licenses for some recent launches well ahead of need and that a rule-making committee is studying ways to improve the regulations. (2/14)

Greenland Plays Key Space Role in Arctic Security (Source: Space News)
President Trump's interest in acquiring Greenland comes as the Arctic region is playing a growing role in space. The cornerstone of U.S. space operations in the region is Pituffik Space Base, a critical node in its space infrastructure and missile defense network in northern Greenland. Climate change has transformed the Arctic from an impenetrable barrier into a new frontier of great power competition, and recent reports argue Western nations are lagging Russia and China in establishing a presence in a region that has strategic value in areas ranging from missile warning to satellite ground stations. (2/14)

Karman Shares Rise in Public Offering (Source: Reuters)
Shares in Karman Space and Defense rose in its public debut Thursday. Shares in the company closed up more than 36% in its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. That IPO raised $506 million for the company, which works on missile systems and space components. Investors had previously said the performance of Karman's IPO could influence plans by other space companies to go public or improve their ability to raise larger private rounds. (2/14)

NEO Surveyor Passes Design Review (Source: NASA)
NASA's Near Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor mission has passed its critical design review. The review, completed last week, allows the mission to proceed into construction and testing. NEO Surveyor is an infrared space telescope designed to search for near Earth objects that could pose a potential impact risk for the Earth. The spacecraft is scheduled to launch as soon as late 2027. (2/14)