JAXA Selects Interstellar Technologies
as Priority Launch Provider (Source: Space News)
Japan’s space agency has selected startup Interstellar Technologies as
a priority launch provider as part of a program to advance the
commercialization of space. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
and Interstellar signed a basic agreement in March. Space One, whose
Kairos solid rocket exploded seconds after liftoff earlier this month,
was also selected under the JAXA-SMASH (JAXA-Small Satellite Rush
Program) initiative. Two further companies also signed basic
agreements. These are Space BD and Mitsui Bussan Aerospace, which offer
services aimed at the commercial utilization of space. (3/28)
FCC Lets SpaceX Expand Testing of
Cellular Starlink for Phones (Source: PC Magazine)
The FCC today issued an experimental license to SpaceX to test cellular
Starlink in 10 more US locations; that comes after it granted licenses
for two dozen other locations in December. Originally, the FCC only
granted SpaceX permission to test the cellular Starlink system in
select cities, such as Mountain View, California; Dallas, Texas; and
Pie Town, New Mexico. But now the commission is letting the company
test the technology “state-wide” in California, Washington, Texas, and
Hawaii. (3/28)
Starlink's FCC Request For More
Spectrum Denied (Source: Payload)
Starlink’s bid for more spectrum allowance in the US isn’t going as it
hoped. Yesterday, the FCC shot down its request to use regions of
spectrum in the 1.6/2.4 GHz bands and 2GHz bands that include bands
exclusive to Globalstar ($GSAT) and Dish. Starlink would have used
these bands for its mobile connectivity service. The FCC’s reasoning
was that those bands are unequipped to handle a large LEO
constellation’s transmissions. The original application for the bands
was filed by SpaceX over a year ago. (3/28)
NASA's New Asteroid Sample Is Already
Rewriting Solar System History (Source: Scientific American)
Their analyses are preliminary, but it seems that Bennu’s original form
was shockingly familiar across the vast gulf of eons. Billions of years
ago Bennu was apparently part of a water-soaked world now long lost and
otherwise forgotten, one with a beating geologic heart and an abundance
of prebiotic organic material. In many respects, this nameless world
could have borne a passing resemblance to the early, lifeless Earth.
“Bennu literally carries the building blocks of life within its
minerals,” says Louisa Preston. Firmer conclusions are still to come,
but already it’s clear that these precious pieces of Bennu harbor
immense potential. (3/28)
Astronomers Watch in Real Time as Epic
Supernova Potentially Births a Black Hole (Source: Gizmodo)
A team of astronomers recently captured a series of images of a distant
star as it went supernova, providing a remarkable play-by-play of
stellar death and possibly the birth of a black hole. The timing of
supernovae can be difficult to predict, usually leaving astronomers
with only the opportunity to image their aftermath, namely starbursts
of gas and dust. However, the recent team managed to catch a supernova
in the act, just 22 million light-years from Earth. (3/27)
On-Orbit Servicing Mission Planned for
Military Satellite in 2025 (Source: Space News)
In a mission targeted for 2025, a robot satellite in geostationary
orbit around 22,000 miles above Earth will rendezvous with a military
satellite and attempt to affix a new imaging sensor payload on the
spacecraft. The servicing vehicle — equipped with a robot arm developed
by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Naval Research
Laboratory — will seek to connect the payload to the satellite’s launch
adapter ring. This ring, which originally connected the satellite to
its rocket during launch, will provide the attach point for an
electro-optical imaging sensor payload developed by the startup
Katalyst Space Technologies. (3/27)
Japanese Lunar Lander Company ispace
Raises $53.5 Million in Stock Sale (Source: Space News)
A Japanese lunar lander developer ispace has raised $53.5 million in a
stock sale to help fund development of upcoming missions. The
Tokyo-based company, which went public on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
nearly a year ago, announced March 28 that it completed a sale of 10.25
million shares of stock, raising approximately 8.1 billion yen ($53.5
million). The shares were sold to institutional investors outside of
Japan.
The company said 1.8 billion yen will be used to cover part of the cost
of two relay satellites being built by Blue Canyon Technologies to
handle communications between the farside lander and the Earth. It is
spending 2.1 billion yen for part of the cost of the mission’s launch
on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, while 3.2 billion yen will go towards
production of the lander itself. The company will use the remaining 1
billion yen for other working capital. (3/28)
We've Glimpsed Something That Behaves
Like a Particle of Gravity (Source: New Scientist)
Physicists have been searching for gravitons, the hypothetical
particles thought to carry gravity, for decades. These have never been
detected in space, but graviton-like particles have now been seen in a
semiconductor. Using these to understand gravitons’ behavior could
help unite the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics,
which have long been at odds. (3/28)
ESA's SMOS and Swarm Satellites
Uncover the Magnitude of a Solar Storm's Impact on Earth
(Source: ESA)
On March 23 a significant celestial event unfolded as the Sun unleashed
an extraordinary amount of electromagnetic radiation towards Earth.
This solar activity not only produced the awe-inspiring aurora
borealis, lighting up the night sky in a dazzling display of colors but
also brought to the forefront the capabilities of ESA's two unassuming
satellites: SMOS and Swarm. Together, these satellites embarked on a
new mission to track and analyze the effects of this substantial solar
storm on Earth's magnetic field, marking a pivotal moment in space
weather observation. (3/27)
Florida Tech Launches Florida Tech
Research Institute (Source: Florida Tech)
Florida Tech is establishing a specialized research institute that will
substantially enhance the university’s capacity to conduct applied
research for the Department of Defense and the defense industrial base
sector. FTRI will be an independent, nonprofit entity, fully owned by
the university, which features its own board of directors, its own
networks and far more stringent security than the rest of the school.
Marco Carvalho, executive director of the L3Harris Institute for
Assured Information, will serve as executive director. (3/28)
Titan’s Dark Dunes Could be Made From
Comets (Source: Science News)
The dark dunes of Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, could have fallen from
space. More than enough cometary material may have struck Titan to have
formed its vast dune fields, planetary scientist William Bottke
reported March 12 at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
Computer simulations suggest that the enigmatic drifts formed from
objects hailing from the primordial Kuiper Belt, a modern source of
comets beyond the orbit of Neptune. The proposed scenario could also
explain the presence of similar material observed on other worlds.
(3/14)
March 28, 2024
Amish Patel Joins Sierra Space as
Chief Operating Officer (Source: Sierra Space)
Sierra Space announced the appointment of Amish Patel as Chief Operating Officer. In his new role, Amish will oversee all aspects of the company’s rapidly expanding production, facilities and supply chain operations. In his new role, Amish will oversee all aspects of the company’s operations, including purview over Sierra Space’s global supply chain and manufacturing. (3/28)
Saltzman Pushes Need for ‘Actionable’ Space Domain Awareness (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force is ramping up its investment in domain awareness to stay ahead in the increasingly contested space environment, and Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman described the effort as essential to his “Competitive Endurance” theory meant to guide the entire service. Space domain awareness includes the monitoring of space objects and activities, tracking environmental conditions, detecting adversary operations, and ascribing intent to actions. That missions has grown vastly more complex—Saltzman noted a 700 percent surge in active satellites since 2008, with many of those satellites possessing new technology and capabilities. That’s in addition to the increasing possibility of collision and space debris. (3/27)
Richard Branson Was Wrong About Space Travel (Source: Escape)
Branson and three Virgin Galactic employees (no children, notably) flew above the 50-mile mark that the US defines as outer space. (The rest of the world defines it as 100km, or 62 miles, above the Earth’s surface, but still. Minor details.) In doing so Branson became the first founder of a space company to actually enter space. It was only for a few minutes, and on a test flight, but victory was his. Fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos blasted off nine days later, spending vast sums on second place. Proving once again that billionaires are a deeply insecure species.
Yes, there’ve been many bold promises about how soon mere mortals will be able to shoot for the stars – most notably from Branson, but also from fellow billionaires Elon Musk (SpaceX) and Bezos (Blue Origin) – but even their combined wealth and willpower hasn’t made it happen yet. Commercial space tourism is unlikely to become a reality in my lifetime. (3/28)
Alaska Spaceport Has a New CEO (Source: KMXT)
A retired U.S. Air Force Colonel is the new president and chief executive officer of the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, which oversees Kodiak’s Pacific Spaceport Complex on Narrow Cape. John Oberst was announced as the head of the state-owned corporation last month on Feb. 26. Oberst has 30 years of military service, during which he was mainly stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) and Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Most of his career has been tied to space in one form or another, from Oberst’s first job building rockets, to his newest role leading the spaceport. (3/27)
UArizona Crew of Professional Artists Completes Simulated Moon Mission (Source: UArizona)
Dancer Elizabeth George and three other UArizona professional artists served as crew members in a six-day simulated moon mission, called Imagination 1. The goal was to explore the value of art in space exploration and produce creative works inspired by the limitations and possibilities of life and culture beyond Earth. The crew was led by Christopher Cokinos, a nonfiction writer and professor emeritus of English, and also included Julie Swarstad Johnson, a poet and Poetry Center archivist and librarian, and Ivy Wahome, a textile artist and Master of Fine Arts candidate in costume design.
"All of the art forms that we brought with us into this technological space are ultimately very human things," Johnson said. "That's something I hope that we can convey to people as we think about any kind of movement beyond Earth. As humans, we're always going to be creating and thinking, and art can help us do that well." (3/27)
The Company Building a Rotating Detonation Engine is Pushing the Tech Forward (Source: Ars Technica)
Venus Aerospace conducted its first powered flight last month, reaching Mach 0.9 with a drone. The 8-foot-long vehicle was dropped from an Aero L-29 Delfín aircraft at 12,000 feet and flew under the power of a hydrogen peroxide monopropellant engine. This engine was not fired at full thrust because the location of the test flight, an unspecified range in the United States, did not permit flight faster than the speed of sound, said Andrew Duggleby, co-founder and chief technology officer of the Houston-based company.
This first powered flight came as the company announced a long-duration test firing of its rotating detonation rocket engine, an experimental approach to propulsion that could be about 15 percent more efficient than a conventional chemical rocket engine. The company's long-term ambition is to develop a commercial aircraft that can travel at Mach 9—far faster than any previous airplane. That's clearly a ways off, but these are important, if early, steps on that path.
About three weeks ago the company announced it had completed a "long duration" run of its engine, which uses a mode of propulsion different from a chemical engine. In a traditional rocket engine, propellant and an oxidizer are injected into a combustion chamber where they burn and produce a tremendously energetic exhaust plume. A rotating detonation engine differs in that a wave of detonation travels around a circular channel. This is sustained by the injection of fuel and oxidizer and produces a shockwave that travels outward at supersonic speed. (3/27)
ESA Seeks Increased Cooperation with India (Source: Space News)
ESA is studying options for increased cooperation with the Indian space agency ISRO. At a briefing Wednesday after an ESA Council meeting, agency officials said they received a presentation from the chairman of ISRO, S. Somanath, at their meeting to get an update on Indian space activities. ESA said the agency has been exploring options of enhanced cooperation in science, exploration and operations since late 2022, but has not disclosed any specific options under consideration. (3/28)
China Signs New Partners for Lunar Base Program (Source: Space News)
China is signing new partners for a proposed international lunar base but is struggling to find national-level support. China's Deep Space Exploration Laboratory signed memoranda of understanding this month with the Asociación de Astronomía de Colombia and Kyrgyzstan's Arabaev Kyrgyz State University regarding potential cooperation on the International Lunar Research Station. The agreements with organizations and universities may reflect difficulties China is having getting support from national governments, perhaps because of Russia's involvement with the initiative. (3/28)
Mowry Departs Voyager, Joins Vast (Source: Space News)
One commercial space station company has hired a former executive from another such company. Vast has hired Clay Mowry as an adviser to provide guidance and counsel as it develops its Haven-1 commercial station and future larger stations. Mowry was previously chief revenue officer at Voyager Space, which is working on the Starlab commercial space station, and earlier held positions at Blue Origin and Arianespace. Separately, a former Vast employee filed suit in a California court this week, alleging he was fired from the company last year after raising concerns that the company was violating FCC regulations for spectrum it plans to use for Haven-1. Vast denied the claims and says it will fight the suit in court. (3/28)
JAXA’s SLIM Reactivates After One Month of Dormancy (Source: Japan Times)
Japan's SLIM lunar lander continues to defy the odds. The lander has survived a second lunar night and is transmitting data again, the Japanese space agency JAXA announced Thursday. SLIM landed in January and the solar-powered spacecraft was not designed to survive the lunar night. However, SLIM revived in late Feburary and sent data for several data before going back into hibernation for a second night. (3/28)
SOHO Discovers 5000 Comets (Source: NASA)
A mission designed to study the sun has now discovered 5,000 comets. An amateur scientist studying images from the ESA-NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) detected the milestone comet earlier this week. SOHO launched in 1995 to study the sun, but it has also been able to discover "sungrazer" comets that pass close to the sun that cannot otherwise be seen. Such comets often do not survive their close passages to the sun. (3/28)
Event Horizon Telescope Provides New View of Sagittarius A* Black Hole (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers have obtained a new view of the supermassive back hole at the center of our galaxy. The Event Horizon Telescope, a globe-spanning network of observatories, created the image of the black hole called Sagittarius A* in polarized light. That view shows magnetic field lines around the black hole, about 4.3 million times the mass of the sun, and reveals structures similar to the far larger black hole at the core of the galaxy M87. Astronomers said the image of Sagittarius A* suggests it may be ejecting a jet of material not previously seen, based on its similarities to the black hole in M87. (3/28)
Spire Global Announces Deal with South Korea's HANCOM for Imaging Constellation (Source: Spire)
Spire Global announced an agreement with HANCOM InSpace, initially a spin-off by Korea Aerospace Research Institute and now a part of HANCOM Group, for Sejong-2 and Sejong-3 two additional satellites with Spire Space Services. Under this agreement, Spire will build and operate the satellites, expanding the capabilities of HANCOM-1 (Sejong-1). Together, these satellites will form a constellation for Korea’s first three-satellite remote sensing image data service. (3/27)
Progress Continues on Europe’s Gateway Space Station Contributions (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander shared images of the International Habitat (I-Hab) and Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) modules for NASA’s Gateway space station under construction at the Thales Alenia Space facility in Italy. While the pressurized module for HALO has the distinct shape of its final form, I-HAB is still just multiple individual rings awaiting integration. This is down to priority, with HALO expected to be launched well before I-HAB in late 2025. I-HAB is only expected to begin its journey to lunar orbit towards the end of 2028. (3/27)
Angara-5 Set for First Launch in April (Source: Russian Space Web)
After the cancellation of the Rus-M project in 2011, the Russian space agency hatched plans to bring the Angara launch vehicle to Vostochny instead. The launch facility would be built at the site originally eyed for the Rus-M's dual pad. An Angara-5 rocket is now set to fly its first mission from its new launch pad in Vostochny, as early as April 9. (3/27)
AFWERX, SpaceWERX Launch Notice of Opportunity for Space Applicable Technology Submissions (Source: Executive Gov)
Department of the Air Force commercial investment arm AFWERX AFVentures has released, on behalf of SpaceWERX, the program year 24.2 Strategic Funding Increase — or STRATFI — and Tactical Funding Increase — or TACFI — notice of opportunity for space technology submissions. STRATFI provides between $3 million and $15 million in funding over 48 months while TACFI provides between $375,000 and $1.9 million over 24 months. The programs are open to Small Business Concerns with Phase II SBIR or STTR contracts that have been running for at least 90 days or have been completed within two years of submitting a capability package. (3/27)
University of Alaska Fairbanks Books $139M NGA Contract for Geospatial Data, Products (Source: Executive Gov)
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency will procure geospatial data and products from the University of Alaska Fairbanks using the recently awarded $139 million Summit contract. NGA said the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract covers data and product development, maintenance and delivery over a five-year period of performance. (3/27)
Locals Voice Opposition to Scottish Spaceport (Source: West Coast Today)
The Outer Hebrides’ local authority, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, proposed and unanimously approved ’Spaceport 1’ at Scolpaig Farm, Balemartin, near MacLeod’s Folly, an octagonal Georgian tower built on an Iron Age dun in Loch Scolpaig. The plan drew six supporters and 244 objections, including a petition of 1,300 signatures, arguing "one of the wonders of the Western Isles ... should not be lost to irreversible industrialisation". In a last ditch bid to block it last July, a campaign group called Friends of Scolpaig urged the Scottish Government to call it in for determination, but ministers chose not to intervene. (3/22)
Researchers Discover 125,000-Year-Old Coastal Ecosystem Underneath Spaceport in Kourou (Source: Phys.org)
In what is an intriguing mix of past and future, an international team of researchers, including some from the University of Bonn, has stumbled upon a surprising window to the past in Kourou in French Guiana. In the clay underneath the new launch pad for the forthcoming Ariane 6 launch vehicle, the interdisciplinary team has uncovered a remarkable collection of fossils stretching back 130,000 years.
Covering over 270 species in total, including bony fish, sharks and numerous plants, they reflect the kind of climatic conditions that calculations suggest are set to reoccur in the year 2100. These coastal fossils are the first to have been unearthed in the equatorial Atlantic. (3/26)
ESA to Build digital Chat Assistant Powered by EO Data (Source: Space Daily)
The European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with technology partners, is embarking on an ambitious project to develop artificial intelligence (AI) applications designed to transform the way we retrieve information from Earth observation data. This initiative aims to create a digital assistant capable of producing scientifically accurate responses based on verified data, answering complex questions about environmental and geographical phenomena. (3/26)
France's Pioneering Role in Strengthening European Space Security (Source: Space Daily)
In the recent decade, the international landscape of space has undergone significant transformations with over 90 countries participating, commercial firms launching satellites regularly, and at least 12 nations establishing military space organizations. Amidst this global evolution, European countries, led by France, have intensified their focus on space security, aligning with their national security agendas. (3/26)
Bipartisan Congressional Call to Ensure Mars Sample Return a Success (Source: Space Daily)
A unified bipartisan effort led by Representatives Mike Garcia (CA-27), Judy Chu (CA-28), and Adam Schiff (CA-30) has emerged, with a strongly worded letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson demanding full funding for the Mars Sample Return Program. The letter, endorsed by an additional 20 Members of Congress from California, underscores the mission's critical importance and calls for a minimum allocation of $650 million to safeguard the mission's success and America's leadership in space exploration. (3/26)
Comprehensive Space Infrastructure Collaboration between SatSure, KaleidEO, and ReOrbit Unveiled (Source: Space Daily)
SatSure and its subsidiary KaleidEO have formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Helsinki's ReOrbit, marking an important step in developing advanced full-stack EO solutions. This collaboration is set to revolutionize the EO market by meeting its future demands with a comprehensive range of services. Under this alliance, KaleidEO will contribute cutting-edge payload technologies for sub-meter imaging, enhanced by AI analytics. (3/22)
New Texas Space Commission plans to spend $350 million to keep industry booming in Lone Star State (Source: KTRK)
From West Texas with Blue Origin to the Rio Grande Valley with SpaceX and Houston with Johnson Space Center and the Spaceport, aerospace reaches across Texas with nearly 2,000 companies. State leaders said there are 150,000 Texans who work in the aerospace industry right now. The number is expected to grow. In 2023, lawmakers approved creating the state space commission. They plan to invest $350 million over the next few years to help with education and company grants.
Pieces of SpaceX's Starships are Being Sold as Rare Collectibles (Source: LMT Online)
Following SpaceX's Starship rocket launches, people have wandered near the launch site and discovered ceramic heat shield tiles. Rather than toss them in the trash, people have taken the scraps, boasted them as rare collectibles, and made them into high-value items on online marketplaces such as Etsy and eBay. The popular trend has seen the tiles go for hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars. (3/27)
Luxembourg's Role in Shaping the Future of Space Exploration (Source: RTL)
Luxembourg's aspirations in space exploration have transitioned from mere ambition to tangible reality in recent years, as the Grand Duchy has solidified its presence in the space resources sector. Driven by a desire to diversify its economy, Luxembourg has attracted approximately 80 companies and start-ups to its space industry landscape. Employing approximately 1,500 individuals, the space industry in Luxembourg garners significant attention during Space Resources Week. (3/26)
Why NASA Will Fire Three Rockets At The Solar Eclipse From Virginia Spaceport (Source: Forbes)
NASA has announced it will fire three scientific sounding rockets into the moon’s shadow on April 8 during a partial solar eclipse across North America. NASA’s suborbital rockets will fly from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. (3/26)
Sierra Space announced the appointment of Amish Patel as Chief Operating Officer. In his new role, Amish will oversee all aspects of the company’s rapidly expanding production, facilities and supply chain operations. In his new role, Amish will oversee all aspects of the company’s operations, including purview over Sierra Space’s global supply chain and manufacturing. (3/28)
Saltzman Pushes Need for ‘Actionable’ Space Domain Awareness (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Force is ramping up its investment in domain awareness to stay ahead in the increasingly contested space environment, and Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman described the effort as essential to his “Competitive Endurance” theory meant to guide the entire service. Space domain awareness includes the monitoring of space objects and activities, tracking environmental conditions, detecting adversary operations, and ascribing intent to actions. That missions has grown vastly more complex—Saltzman noted a 700 percent surge in active satellites since 2008, with many of those satellites possessing new technology and capabilities. That’s in addition to the increasing possibility of collision and space debris. (3/27)
Richard Branson Was Wrong About Space Travel (Source: Escape)
Branson and three Virgin Galactic employees (no children, notably) flew above the 50-mile mark that the US defines as outer space. (The rest of the world defines it as 100km, or 62 miles, above the Earth’s surface, but still. Minor details.) In doing so Branson became the first founder of a space company to actually enter space. It was only for a few minutes, and on a test flight, but victory was his. Fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos blasted off nine days later, spending vast sums on second place. Proving once again that billionaires are a deeply insecure species.
Yes, there’ve been many bold promises about how soon mere mortals will be able to shoot for the stars – most notably from Branson, but also from fellow billionaires Elon Musk (SpaceX) and Bezos (Blue Origin) – but even their combined wealth and willpower hasn’t made it happen yet. Commercial space tourism is unlikely to become a reality in my lifetime. (3/28)
Alaska Spaceport Has a New CEO (Source: KMXT)
A retired U.S. Air Force Colonel is the new president and chief executive officer of the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, which oversees Kodiak’s Pacific Spaceport Complex on Narrow Cape. John Oberst was announced as the head of the state-owned corporation last month on Feb. 26. Oberst has 30 years of military service, during which he was mainly stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) and Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Most of his career has been tied to space in one form or another, from Oberst’s first job building rockets, to his newest role leading the spaceport. (3/27)
UArizona Crew of Professional Artists Completes Simulated Moon Mission (Source: UArizona)
Dancer Elizabeth George and three other UArizona professional artists served as crew members in a six-day simulated moon mission, called Imagination 1. The goal was to explore the value of art in space exploration and produce creative works inspired by the limitations and possibilities of life and culture beyond Earth. The crew was led by Christopher Cokinos, a nonfiction writer and professor emeritus of English, and also included Julie Swarstad Johnson, a poet and Poetry Center archivist and librarian, and Ivy Wahome, a textile artist and Master of Fine Arts candidate in costume design.
"All of the art forms that we brought with us into this technological space are ultimately very human things," Johnson said. "That's something I hope that we can convey to people as we think about any kind of movement beyond Earth. As humans, we're always going to be creating and thinking, and art can help us do that well." (3/27)
The Company Building a Rotating Detonation Engine is Pushing the Tech Forward (Source: Ars Technica)
Venus Aerospace conducted its first powered flight last month, reaching Mach 0.9 with a drone. The 8-foot-long vehicle was dropped from an Aero L-29 Delfín aircraft at 12,000 feet and flew under the power of a hydrogen peroxide monopropellant engine. This engine was not fired at full thrust because the location of the test flight, an unspecified range in the United States, did not permit flight faster than the speed of sound, said Andrew Duggleby, co-founder and chief technology officer of the Houston-based company.
This first powered flight came as the company announced a long-duration test firing of its rotating detonation rocket engine, an experimental approach to propulsion that could be about 15 percent more efficient than a conventional chemical rocket engine. The company's long-term ambition is to develop a commercial aircraft that can travel at Mach 9—far faster than any previous airplane. That's clearly a ways off, but these are important, if early, steps on that path.
About three weeks ago the company announced it had completed a "long duration" run of its engine, which uses a mode of propulsion different from a chemical engine. In a traditional rocket engine, propellant and an oxidizer are injected into a combustion chamber where they burn and produce a tremendously energetic exhaust plume. A rotating detonation engine differs in that a wave of detonation travels around a circular channel. This is sustained by the injection of fuel and oxidizer and produces a shockwave that travels outward at supersonic speed. (3/27)
ESA Seeks Increased Cooperation with India (Source: Space News)
ESA is studying options for increased cooperation with the Indian space agency ISRO. At a briefing Wednesday after an ESA Council meeting, agency officials said they received a presentation from the chairman of ISRO, S. Somanath, at their meeting to get an update on Indian space activities. ESA said the agency has been exploring options of enhanced cooperation in science, exploration and operations since late 2022, but has not disclosed any specific options under consideration. (3/28)
China Signs New Partners for Lunar Base Program (Source: Space News)
China is signing new partners for a proposed international lunar base but is struggling to find national-level support. China's Deep Space Exploration Laboratory signed memoranda of understanding this month with the Asociación de Astronomía de Colombia and Kyrgyzstan's Arabaev Kyrgyz State University regarding potential cooperation on the International Lunar Research Station. The agreements with organizations and universities may reflect difficulties China is having getting support from national governments, perhaps because of Russia's involvement with the initiative. (3/28)
Mowry Departs Voyager, Joins Vast (Source: Space News)
One commercial space station company has hired a former executive from another such company. Vast has hired Clay Mowry as an adviser to provide guidance and counsel as it develops its Haven-1 commercial station and future larger stations. Mowry was previously chief revenue officer at Voyager Space, which is working on the Starlab commercial space station, and earlier held positions at Blue Origin and Arianespace. Separately, a former Vast employee filed suit in a California court this week, alleging he was fired from the company last year after raising concerns that the company was violating FCC regulations for spectrum it plans to use for Haven-1. Vast denied the claims and says it will fight the suit in court. (3/28)
JAXA’s SLIM Reactivates After One Month of Dormancy (Source: Japan Times)
Japan's SLIM lunar lander continues to defy the odds. The lander has survived a second lunar night and is transmitting data again, the Japanese space agency JAXA announced Thursday. SLIM landed in January and the solar-powered spacecraft was not designed to survive the lunar night. However, SLIM revived in late Feburary and sent data for several data before going back into hibernation for a second night. (3/28)
SOHO Discovers 5000 Comets (Source: NASA)
A mission designed to study the sun has now discovered 5,000 comets. An amateur scientist studying images from the ESA-NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) detected the milestone comet earlier this week. SOHO launched in 1995 to study the sun, but it has also been able to discover "sungrazer" comets that pass close to the sun that cannot otherwise be seen. Such comets often do not survive their close passages to the sun. (3/28)
Event Horizon Telescope Provides New View of Sagittarius A* Black Hole (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers have obtained a new view of the supermassive back hole at the center of our galaxy. The Event Horizon Telescope, a globe-spanning network of observatories, created the image of the black hole called Sagittarius A* in polarized light. That view shows magnetic field lines around the black hole, about 4.3 million times the mass of the sun, and reveals structures similar to the far larger black hole at the core of the galaxy M87. Astronomers said the image of Sagittarius A* suggests it may be ejecting a jet of material not previously seen, based on its similarities to the black hole in M87. (3/28)
Spire Global Announces Deal with South Korea's HANCOM for Imaging Constellation (Source: Spire)
Spire Global announced an agreement with HANCOM InSpace, initially a spin-off by Korea Aerospace Research Institute and now a part of HANCOM Group, for Sejong-2 and Sejong-3 two additional satellites with Spire Space Services. Under this agreement, Spire will build and operate the satellites, expanding the capabilities of HANCOM-1 (Sejong-1). Together, these satellites will form a constellation for Korea’s first three-satellite remote sensing image data service. (3/27)
Progress Continues on Europe’s Gateway Space Station Contributions (Source: European Spaceflight)
ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander shared images of the International Habitat (I-Hab) and Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) modules for NASA’s Gateway space station under construction at the Thales Alenia Space facility in Italy. While the pressurized module for HALO has the distinct shape of its final form, I-HAB is still just multiple individual rings awaiting integration. This is down to priority, with HALO expected to be launched well before I-HAB in late 2025. I-HAB is only expected to begin its journey to lunar orbit towards the end of 2028. (3/27)
Angara-5 Set for First Launch in April (Source: Russian Space Web)
After the cancellation of the Rus-M project in 2011, the Russian space agency hatched plans to bring the Angara launch vehicle to Vostochny instead. The launch facility would be built at the site originally eyed for the Rus-M's dual pad. An Angara-5 rocket is now set to fly its first mission from its new launch pad in Vostochny, as early as April 9. (3/27)
AFWERX, SpaceWERX Launch Notice of Opportunity for Space Applicable Technology Submissions (Source: Executive Gov)
Department of the Air Force commercial investment arm AFWERX AFVentures has released, on behalf of SpaceWERX, the program year 24.2 Strategic Funding Increase — or STRATFI — and Tactical Funding Increase — or TACFI — notice of opportunity for space technology submissions. STRATFI provides between $3 million and $15 million in funding over 48 months while TACFI provides between $375,000 and $1.9 million over 24 months. The programs are open to Small Business Concerns with Phase II SBIR or STTR contracts that have been running for at least 90 days or have been completed within two years of submitting a capability package. (3/27)
University of Alaska Fairbanks Books $139M NGA Contract for Geospatial Data, Products (Source: Executive Gov)
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency will procure geospatial data and products from the University of Alaska Fairbanks using the recently awarded $139 million Summit contract. NGA said the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract covers data and product development, maintenance and delivery over a five-year period of performance. (3/27)
Locals Voice Opposition to Scottish Spaceport (Source: West Coast Today)
The Outer Hebrides’ local authority, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, proposed and unanimously approved ’Spaceport 1’ at Scolpaig Farm, Balemartin, near MacLeod’s Folly, an octagonal Georgian tower built on an Iron Age dun in Loch Scolpaig. The plan drew six supporters and 244 objections, including a petition of 1,300 signatures, arguing "one of the wonders of the Western Isles ... should not be lost to irreversible industrialisation". In a last ditch bid to block it last July, a campaign group called Friends of Scolpaig urged the Scottish Government to call it in for determination, but ministers chose not to intervene. (3/22)
Researchers Discover 125,000-Year-Old Coastal Ecosystem Underneath Spaceport in Kourou (Source: Phys.org)
In what is an intriguing mix of past and future, an international team of researchers, including some from the University of Bonn, has stumbled upon a surprising window to the past in Kourou in French Guiana. In the clay underneath the new launch pad for the forthcoming Ariane 6 launch vehicle, the interdisciplinary team has uncovered a remarkable collection of fossils stretching back 130,000 years.
Covering over 270 species in total, including bony fish, sharks and numerous plants, they reflect the kind of climatic conditions that calculations suggest are set to reoccur in the year 2100. These coastal fossils are the first to have been unearthed in the equatorial Atlantic. (3/26)
ESA to Build digital Chat Assistant Powered by EO Data (Source: Space Daily)
The European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with technology partners, is embarking on an ambitious project to develop artificial intelligence (AI) applications designed to transform the way we retrieve information from Earth observation data. This initiative aims to create a digital assistant capable of producing scientifically accurate responses based on verified data, answering complex questions about environmental and geographical phenomena. (3/26)
France's Pioneering Role in Strengthening European Space Security (Source: Space Daily)
In the recent decade, the international landscape of space has undergone significant transformations with over 90 countries participating, commercial firms launching satellites regularly, and at least 12 nations establishing military space organizations. Amidst this global evolution, European countries, led by France, have intensified their focus on space security, aligning with their national security agendas. (3/26)
Bipartisan Congressional Call to Ensure Mars Sample Return a Success (Source: Space Daily)
A unified bipartisan effort led by Representatives Mike Garcia (CA-27), Judy Chu (CA-28), and Adam Schiff (CA-30) has emerged, with a strongly worded letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson demanding full funding for the Mars Sample Return Program. The letter, endorsed by an additional 20 Members of Congress from California, underscores the mission's critical importance and calls for a minimum allocation of $650 million to safeguard the mission's success and America's leadership in space exploration. (3/26)
Comprehensive Space Infrastructure Collaboration between SatSure, KaleidEO, and ReOrbit Unveiled (Source: Space Daily)
SatSure and its subsidiary KaleidEO have formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Helsinki's ReOrbit, marking an important step in developing advanced full-stack EO solutions. This collaboration is set to revolutionize the EO market by meeting its future demands with a comprehensive range of services. Under this alliance, KaleidEO will contribute cutting-edge payload technologies for sub-meter imaging, enhanced by AI analytics. (3/22)
New Texas Space Commission plans to spend $350 million to keep industry booming in Lone Star State (Source: KTRK)
From West Texas with Blue Origin to the Rio Grande Valley with SpaceX and Houston with Johnson Space Center and the Spaceport, aerospace reaches across Texas with nearly 2,000 companies. State leaders said there are 150,000 Texans who work in the aerospace industry right now. The number is expected to grow. In 2023, lawmakers approved creating the state space commission. They plan to invest $350 million over the next few years to help with education and company grants.
Pieces of SpaceX's Starships are Being Sold as Rare Collectibles (Source: LMT Online)
Following SpaceX's Starship rocket launches, people have wandered near the launch site and discovered ceramic heat shield tiles. Rather than toss them in the trash, people have taken the scraps, boasted them as rare collectibles, and made them into high-value items on online marketplaces such as Etsy and eBay. The popular trend has seen the tiles go for hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars. (3/27)
Luxembourg's Role in Shaping the Future of Space Exploration (Source: RTL)
Luxembourg's aspirations in space exploration have transitioned from mere ambition to tangible reality in recent years, as the Grand Duchy has solidified its presence in the space resources sector. Driven by a desire to diversify its economy, Luxembourg has attracted approximately 80 companies and start-ups to its space industry landscape. Employing approximately 1,500 individuals, the space industry in Luxembourg garners significant attention during Space Resources Week. (3/26)
Why NASA Will Fire Three Rockets At The Solar Eclipse From Virginia Spaceport (Source: Forbes)
NASA has announced it will fire three scientific sounding rockets into the moon’s shadow on April 8 during a partial solar eclipse across North America. NASA’s suborbital rockets will fly from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. (3/26)
March 27, 2024
Final Delta IV Heavy Rocket Carries
NROL-70 on Historic Mission (Source: Space Daily)
The last mission of the venerable Delta IV Heavy rocket, marked by the launch of the NROL-70 security payload, is scheduled for March 28, 2024, at 1:40 PM EDT from SLC 37, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This event not only signifies the conclusion of the Delta Rocket lineage but also celebrates its rich history of achievements and innovations in space exploration. (3/27)
NASA Supports Reliable Robotics' Autonomous Flight R&D (Source: AIN Online)
Reliable Robotics has secured new contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense supporting the company's efforts to commercialize remotely piloted aircraft. NASA, in partnership with Ohio University, granted $6 million for autonomous flight technology research, while the Air Force's AFWERX unit has included Reliable in a program potentially offering up to $1.9 million in matched government funding. (3/26)
Musk Says 'Almost Anyone' Can Afford A $100,000 Ticket To Mars — But 57% Of People Can't Cover A $1,000 Emergency (Source: Benzinga)
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has outlined an ambitious plan for enabling affordable travel to Mars, potentially opening up space colonization to a broader segment of Earth’s population. In a conversation with TED conferences head Chris Anderson in 2022, Musk suggested that a ticket to Mars could hypothetically be priced at $100,000, a figure he believes would be accessible to most people.
Musk’s statement has sparked debate regarding its realism and sensitivity to economic disparities. With the average U.S. annual salary in the fourth quarter of 2023 reported at $59,384 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and nearly two-thirds of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck, the feasibility of saving $100,000 for a Mars trip seems distant for many. (3/26)
Orbex Patents Reusability Tech (Source: Orbex)
Orbex, the only UK owned orbital launch services and rocket manufacturing company, has successfully patented its REFLIGHT reusable rocket technology following patent approval in several European markets as well as the United States. The technology is uniquely suited to micro-launcher rockets like Orbex’s Prime rocket since it enables recovery of the launch vehicle by repurposing existing structural features, while adding very little additional weight to the vehicle.
REFLIGHT enables reusability with very limited overall performance penalty and no additional rocket propulsion emissions in the upper atmosphere during re-entry. This should be compared to other reusable launch systems using powered descent (rocket engine firings) to slow down the vehicle during re-entry and landing. The REFLIGHT system repurposes the interstage structure. After Stage 1 detaches from Stage 2, the interstage on top of Stage 1 reconfigures into four ‘petals’ which fold out and create drag forces that passively reorients and slows the spent rocket stage’s descent to Earth for a low velocity landing at sea. (3/26)
DIU Contracts Mission for Satellite Servicing (Source: Space News)
A mission next year will attempt to service a military satellite in geostationary orbit. The mission, overseen by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), will use the Mission Robotics Vehicle being developed by Northrop Grumman's subsidiary SpaceLogistics. That spacecraft will approach a military satellite and use robotic arms to install a camera built by Katalyst Space Technologies on the satellite's launch adapter ring. The mission is part of DIU's Modularity for Space Systems project, an effort to match commercial technologies with military needs for in-orbit services. (3/27)
China Launches Military Weather Satellite (Source: Space News)
China launched another military weather satellite late Tuesday. A Long March 6A rocket lifted off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 6:51 p.m. Eastern and deployed the Yunhai-3 (02) satellite. The Yunhai series are assessed to be military meteorological satellites by some Western analysts. (3/27)
In-Orbit Wins AFWERX Spacecraft Docking Contract (Source: Space News)
Startup In Orbit Aerospace has won an AFWERX contract to develop spacecraft docking technologies. The electrostatic adhesion technology being developing under the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract, in cooperation with the University of Colorado, will enable In Orbit's vehicles to dock with one another and could also be used for docking with other cooperative or uncooperative objects for refueling, debris removal or other services. In Orbit was founded in 2020 to offer third-party logistics and infrastructure for in-space manufacturing and research, and has plans to develop vehicles for transporting cargo to and from future commercial space stations. (3/27)
Astrobotic Hires NASA Vets to Lead Next Lunar Missions (Source: Space News)
Astrobotic has hired several industry veterans to help the company as it develops a second, larger lunar lander. The company announced it hired Steve Clarke, a former NASA official, as its vice president of landers and spacecraft and Frank Peri, former head of the safety and mission assurance office at NASA Langley, as director of engineering. Two former NASA associate administrators for space technology, Mike Gazarik and Jim Reuter, will serve as advisers. Astrobotic says it expects to wrap up the investigation into its Peregrine lander mission in a matter of weeks and will apply lessons learned from that for its larger Griffin lander, which will carry NASA's VIPER lunar rover. (3/27)
NASA Optimistic for Voyager 1 Fix (Source: Space News)
A NASA official was optimistic that a computer problem with the Voyager 1 spacecraft can be fixed. Speaking at a National Academies committee meeting last week, Joseph Westlake, director of NASA's heliophysics division, said he believed the project was on "a path now to resolution" regarding the faulty flight data system (FDS) computer on the nearly 50-year-old spacecraft. A problem with the FDS has caused Voyager 1 to transmit unusable data since last November. Westlake said engineers have concluded a memory unit on the spacecraft has failed, and engineers are working to move flight software in that section of memory to another part of the computer. He did not estimate how long that would take. (3/27)
NOAA Weather Satellite's Falcon-Heavy Launch Moved to Late June (Source: NOAA)
The launch of a NOAA weather satellite has been rescheduled for late June. NASA and NOAA announced Tuesday that the Falcon Heavy launch of the GOES-U geostationary orbit weather satellite is planned for June 25. The launch had been scheduled for late April but was postponed after SpaceX found a liquid oxygen leak in the rocket's center core booster. GOES-U is the fourth and final satellite in the GOES-R program. (3/27)
NASA Picks Instruments for Artemis Lunar Landing, Including for Plant Growth (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected three instruments to be flown on future Artemis lunar landing missions. NASA announced Tuesday it will fund development of a seismometer suite, a crop growth experiment and regolith instrument that would be deployed by astronauts on the Artemis 3 mission, although NASA said that final decisions about when the instruments would be manifested for flight will be made later. NASA said the instruments are the first step in the agency's response to a report on high-priority science that should be conducted on Artemis 3. (3/27)
Japans Koichi Wakata Retiring From Astronaut Corps (Source: NHK)
A Japanese astronaut is retiring after more than three decades of service. Koichi Wakata will retire from JAXA at the end of the month, which also marks the end of the current Japanese government fiscal year. He was selected by Japan as an astronaut in 1992 and has flown to space five times, including three long-duration missions to the International Space Station. He most recently was on the Crew-5 Crew Dragon mission in 2022-23; his previous flights were on the shuttle and Soyuz. (3/27)
Starliner’s First Commander: Don’t Expect Perfection on Crew Test Flight (Source: Ars Technica)
While it doesn't have the same relevance to public consciousness as safety problems with commercial airliners, a successful test flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in May would be welcome news for the beleaguered aerospace company. This will be the first time the Starliner capsule flies into low-Earth orbit with humans aboard. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are in the final stages of training for the so-called Crew Flight Test (CFT), a milestone running seven years behind the schedule Boeing said it could achieve when it won a $4.2 billion commercial crew contract from NASA a decade ago. (3/25)
Blue Origin Space Station Taking Shape for NASA (Source: Business Insider)
NASA has granted Blue Origin $172 million to create Orbital Reef, a space station designed for astronauts and tourists, emphasizing the necessity for life support systems. Blue Origin recently achieved significant progress by completing four milestones, demonstrating the effectiveness of Orbital Reef's regenerative system, which ensures the provision of clean air and water for occupants. (3/26)
Sidus Space Releases Quarterly Financial Results (Source: Sidus Space)
Total revenue for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 totaled approximately $6.0 million, a decrease of $1.3 million compared to the same period in 2022. Adjusted EBITDA loss for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 totaled $10.9 million as compared to a loss of $9.7 million for the same period the prior year. Net loss for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 was $14.3 million as compared to a net loss of $12.8 million for the same period the prior year. (3/27)
Incoming Illegal NGSO Service Crackdown (Source: Space News)
Operators of satellites in non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) could be forced to turn off beams when flying over countries that have not authorized them, do more to disable bootleg dishes in these territories, or a mix of both, depending on who you ask about new global rules in the works. Approval to study ways for cracking down on unauthorized NGSO services was one of the most surprising outcomes of the recent 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) in Dubai, a quadrennial event for updating radio wave regulations.
Depending on the results of these studies, the measures could be put up for approval as soon as 2027, when the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an arm of the United Nations, will bring countries together again to update global spectrum regulation. When a broadcast satellite is being developed, international regulations require every technical effort to be made to prevent its radio waves from spilling into countries that have not approved the service.
NGSO satellites currently do not have a similar limitation, making it possible for users with a compatible antenna to connect to them in a country that has not given their operator a license. Sources who attended WRC-23, but did not want to be named, said the crackdown is mainly targeted at SpaceX’s Starlink, the world’s largest NGSO broadband constellation currently in operation. (3/26)
Chinese Moon Plans, Commercial Company Updates, and Wenchang Commercial Pad (Source: NSF)
China detailed its lunar exploration plan for the near future and gave an outlook for the program beyond that. The next mission to the Moon, Queqiao-2, launched in March of this year. This mission, though, is only the beginning of a set of missions for the Chinese lunar exploration plan. Next up, the Chang’e-6 mission, a 53-day long exploration mission, will launch in May of this year on a Chang Zheng 5 rocket. Click here. (3/26)
From Kepler-452b to Proxima Centauri b: Exoplanets that are just like Earth (Source: Times of India)
Earth is the only planet we know of that harbors life, but it may not be alone in the universe. Scientists have discovered thousands of exoplanets, or planets orbiting other stars, and some of them are remarkably similar to our home world. These exoplanets are of great interest to astronomers and astrobiologists, who hope to find signs of life beyond our solar system. Here are seven exoplanets that are just like Earth, in terms of their size, composition, temperature, and habitability. Click here. (3/26)
Missile Defense Agency Executive Director Accused of Misusing Office for Personal Gain (Source: WAFF)
The Department of Defense’s Inspector General has made its findings public regarding the highest-ranking civilian in the Missile Defense Agency. Inspector General Robert Storch found that Laura DeSimone, the current Executive Director of MDA, violated a litany of business and ethics norms. The 3- year investigation found she misused her office for personal gain by engaging in an intimate, sexual relationship with a subordinate based in Huntsville. That subordinate is another woman the IG says she also tried to help promote. (3/25)
Chinese Scientists Call for Focus on Asteroid Missions (Source: Space News)
China should intensify its asteroid research and focus on sample return mission plans, according to scientists. China’s future asteroid exploration should focus on “low-cost, high-frequency sample return missions, and emphasize strengthening coordination between missions,” according to a paper published recently in the Chinese Journal of Space Sciences. Establishing scientific design teams can also help better serve China’s future asteroid explorations. (3/26)
He Quit Heading the Pentagon’s UFO Office. Now a Report of His Has Shaken Up Ufology (Source: Guardian)
Evidence is not the point. Some will never be swayed. “There’s the absolute true belief, which would suggest it is more akin to a religion than an actual factual thing,” he says. “And those are the people that you’re never going to convince, no matter what you put in front of them. I can lay out the pictures of the classified programs that they mistook, and they still wouldn’t believe it. They would say, ‘No, that was derived from alien technology.’”
And what if the government does eventually get its hands on aliens and their flying saucers? “It’s not their job [to keep it secret],” he says. “It would immediately get turned over to Nasa, and Nasa would immediately disclose it to everybody. That’s their job.” Click here. (3/22)
Engineers Heat Up Dark Universe Telescope, Restoring Euclid's Sight (Source: Gizmodo)
ESA's Euclid telescope is back in action after an experimental procedure restored its ability to see the light in the cold, dark depths of space. After noticing a gradual dip in the amount of light measured by Euclid from its surrounding stars, the team behind the mission devised a plan to heat parts of the spacecraft to get rid of frozen water molecules that had accumulated on the telescope’s mirrors. The plan was risky and not guaranteed to work, but things are looking good for Euclid so far.
Mission control de-iced the first two mirrors and, sure enough, more light began creeping in through Euclid’s optical instruments. Euclid’s coldest mirror was heated from -232 to -171 degrees Fahrenheit (-147 to -113 Celsius). “It didn’t need to get hot, because in a vacuum this temperature is enough to quickly evaporate all the ice,” said Mischa Schirmer. “And it worked like a charm! Almost immediately, we were receiving 15% more light from the Universe. I was certain that we would see a considerable improvement, but not in such a spectacular way.” (3/26)
SpaceX Wants to Orbit Cellular Starlink Satellites Closer to Earth (Source: PC Magazine)
SpaceX is pressing the FCC for even more clearance to orbit Starlink satellites closer to Earth, citing the performance benefits. A month ago, the company requested FCC clearance to orbit some second-generation Starlink satellites between 340 to 360 kilometers from Earth — or about 200 kilometers (124 miles) below their planned orbits. On Friday, SpaceX filed the same request, but for its cellular Starlink satellite system, which will be able to beam connectivity to phones on the ground. If granted, the company would then be able to orbit the satellites at the 300km orbits, in addition to the existing 500km altitudes. (3/25)
Governor Announces Membership of Texas Space Commission, Research Consortium (Source: Click2Houston)
Governor Greg Abbott announced the establishment the Texas Space Commission. Along with this announcement, the Governor appointed the inaugural members of the commission’s Board of Directors and the Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium (TARSEC) Executive Committee. The Texas Space Commission was formed with the goal of strengthening the state’s influence in aerospace activity by promoting innovation in space research and exploration. The organization will be governed by its Board of Directors, which consists of nine members. Click here. (3/26)
NASA Selects First Lunar Instruments for Artemis Astronaut Deployment (Source: NASA)
NASA has chosen the first science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of the Moon during Artemis III. Once installed near the lunar South Pole, the three instruments will collect valuable scientific data about the lunar environment, the lunar interior, and how to sustain a long-duration human presence on the Moon, which will help prepare NASA to send astronauts to Mars. Click here. (3/26)
Russian Soyuz Delivers Crew of 3 to the International Space Station (Source: CBS News)
Two days after launch, a Russian Soyuz crew ferry ship caught up with the International Space Station Monday and moved in for a picture-perfect docking, bringing two short-duration crew members and a NASA astronaut starting a six-month stay in orbit. (3/25)
Bizarre ‘Hot Jupiter’ Planets Keep Surprising Astronomers (Source: Scientific American)
Planets the mass of Jupiter are significantly more massive than all other classes of planets and require a unique process to form. Jupiter-mass planets must first build a core out of rock and ice and then build a gaseous envelope large enough to start a process called runaway accretion, where they hoover up all nearby material and increase their mass 10-fold in less than a million years. Classic formation theories predicted that this process would take place far from the star, past the location where the ambient temperature is below the freezing point of water. Click here. (3/25)
A Dead Star Will Soon Spark a Once-in-a-Lifetime Display in Earth’s Skies (Source: Scientific American)
T Coronae Borealis—often shortened to T CrB—is what astronomers call a nova. T CrB last erupted in 1946, and its behavior suggests that its next paroxysm is due any moment between now and September. When this occurs, T CrB will become visible to the naked eye as a temporary jewel in its constellation’s stelliferous crown. And far from treating it as a mere spectacle, astronomers are going to use this latest outburst as a chance to learn more about novae, which are oft-overlooked drivers of cosmic chaos.
To understand why T CrB has got astronomers so hyped, it helps to have a primer on your average nova. Each one involves a perilous pairing between a white dwarf, the small carcass left behind at the end of certain stars’ life, and a “normal” companion star—in the case of T CrB, a puffy red giant. The white dwarf is so dense that it’s able to gravitationally pilfer hydrogen from its companion, which snows onto the dwarf’s surface. This veneer heats up and eventually ignites, sparking an unstoppable chain reaction that culminates in a nuclear explosion. (3/25)
Starlink Terminals Are Falling Into the Wrong Hands (Sources: Bloomberg, ArcaMax)
SpaceX’s Starlink touts its high-speed internet as “available almost anywhere on Earth.” In the real world, its reach extends to countries where Elon Musk’s satellite-enabled service has no agreement to operate, including territories ruled by repressive regimes. A Bloomberg investigation identified wide-spanning examples of Starlink kits being traded and activated illegally. How they are smuggled and the sheer availability of Starlink on the black market suggests that its misuse is a systemic global problem, raising questions about the company’s control of a system with clear national security dimensions.
In Yemen, which is in the throes of a decade-long civil war, a government official conceded that Starlink is in widespread use. Many people are prepared to defy competing warring factions, including Houthi rebels, to secure terminals for business and personal communications, and evade the slow, often censored internet service that’s currently available. Or take Sudan, where a year-long civil war has led to accusations of genocide, crimes against humanity and millions of people fleeing their homes. With the regular internet down for months, soldiers of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are among those using the system for their logistics, according to Western diplomats.
“It is deeply concerning because it’s unregulated and headed by a private company,” Emma Shortis, a senior researcher in international and security affairs at the Australia Institute, an independent think tank in Canberra, said of the Starlink system. “There’s no accountability on who has access to it and how it’s being used.” (3/25)
Organizing to Deter or Prevail in Space Warfare (Source: War On The Rocks)
Does the United States need both an armed service and a unified combatant command to defend its national interests in outer space? The answer is yes, given the imperatives to counter threats posed by foreign powers to the freedom of space and assure effective support to joint or combined military operations. Indeed, as former Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David Thompson stated, “Both China and Russia are regularly attacking U.S. satellites with non-kinetic means, including lasers, radio frequency jammers, and cyber-attacks.” (3/26)
PSLV’s POEM-3 Re-Enters Earth, Falls in Pacific Ocean (Source: Times of India)
The Indian Space Research Organization's PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) successfully re-entered Earth's atmosphere in a controlled manner, leaving minimal orbital debris. The spent rocket stage had been transformed into a stabilized platform for conducting experiments. (3/25)
Why Scientists Are Making Space Data Into Sounds (Source: Frontiers)
When you travel somewhere where they speak a language you can’t understand, it’s usually important to find a way to translate what’s being communicated to you. In some ways, the same can be said about scientific data collected from cosmic objects. All telescopes — including Chandra, Webb, the Hubble Space Telescope, plus dozens of others — in space need to send the data they collect back to Earth as binary code, or digital signals. Typically, astronomers and others turn these digital data into images, which are often spectacular.
By taking these data through another step, however, experts on this project mathematically map the information into sound. This data-driven process is not a reimagining of what the telescopes have observed, it is yet another kind of translation. Instead of a translation from French to Mandarin, it’s a translation from visual to sound. Astrophysical data engaging multiple senses like the sonifications could establish additional avenues of trust, increase access, and promote awareness of accessibility in sighted and blind or low-vision communities. In short, sonifications helped people access and engage with the Universe. (3/25)
Saturn's Moon Enceladus Top Target for ESA (Source: ESA)
A fresh, icy crust hides a deep, enigmatic ocean. Plumes of water burst through cracks in the ice, shooting into space. An intrepid lander collects samples and analyses them for hints of life. ESA has started to turn this scene into a reality, devising a mission to investigate an ocean world around either Jupiter or Saturn. But which moon should we choose? What should the mission do exactly? A team of expert scientists has delivered their findings. (3/25)
The last mission of the venerable Delta IV Heavy rocket, marked by the launch of the NROL-70 security payload, is scheduled for March 28, 2024, at 1:40 PM EDT from SLC 37, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This event not only signifies the conclusion of the Delta Rocket lineage but also celebrates its rich history of achievements and innovations in space exploration. (3/27)
NASA Supports Reliable Robotics' Autonomous Flight R&D (Source: AIN Online)
Reliable Robotics has secured new contracts from NASA and the Department of Defense supporting the company's efforts to commercialize remotely piloted aircraft. NASA, in partnership with Ohio University, granted $6 million for autonomous flight technology research, while the Air Force's AFWERX unit has included Reliable in a program potentially offering up to $1.9 million in matched government funding. (3/26)
Musk Says 'Almost Anyone' Can Afford A $100,000 Ticket To Mars — But 57% Of People Can't Cover A $1,000 Emergency (Source: Benzinga)
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has outlined an ambitious plan for enabling affordable travel to Mars, potentially opening up space colonization to a broader segment of Earth’s population. In a conversation with TED conferences head Chris Anderson in 2022, Musk suggested that a ticket to Mars could hypothetically be priced at $100,000, a figure he believes would be accessible to most people.
Musk’s statement has sparked debate regarding its realism and sensitivity to economic disparities. With the average U.S. annual salary in the fourth quarter of 2023 reported at $59,384 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and nearly two-thirds of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck, the feasibility of saving $100,000 for a Mars trip seems distant for many. (3/26)
Orbex Patents Reusability Tech (Source: Orbex)
Orbex, the only UK owned orbital launch services and rocket manufacturing company, has successfully patented its REFLIGHT reusable rocket technology following patent approval in several European markets as well as the United States. The technology is uniquely suited to micro-launcher rockets like Orbex’s Prime rocket since it enables recovery of the launch vehicle by repurposing existing structural features, while adding very little additional weight to the vehicle.
REFLIGHT enables reusability with very limited overall performance penalty and no additional rocket propulsion emissions in the upper atmosphere during re-entry. This should be compared to other reusable launch systems using powered descent (rocket engine firings) to slow down the vehicle during re-entry and landing. The REFLIGHT system repurposes the interstage structure. After Stage 1 detaches from Stage 2, the interstage on top of Stage 1 reconfigures into four ‘petals’ which fold out and create drag forces that passively reorients and slows the spent rocket stage’s descent to Earth for a low velocity landing at sea. (3/26)
DIU Contracts Mission for Satellite Servicing (Source: Space News)
A mission next year will attempt to service a military satellite in geostationary orbit. The mission, overseen by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), will use the Mission Robotics Vehicle being developed by Northrop Grumman's subsidiary SpaceLogistics. That spacecraft will approach a military satellite and use robotic arms to install a camera built by Katalyst Space Technologies on the satellite's launch adapter ring. The mission is part of DIU's Modularity for Space Systems project, an effort to match commercial technologies with military needs for in-orbit services. (3/27)
China Launches Military Weather Satellite (Source: Space News)
China launched another military weather satellite late Tuesday. A Long March 6A rocket lifted off from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 6:51 p.m. Eastern and deployed the Yunhai-3 (02) satellite. The Yunhai series are assessed to be military meteorological satellites by some Western analysts. (3/27)
In-Orbit Wins AFWERX Spacecraft Docking Contract (Source: Space News)
Startup In Orbit Aerospace has won an AFWERX contract to develop spacecraft docking technologies. The electrostatic adhesion technology being developing under the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract, in cooperation with the University of Colorado, will enable In Orbit's vehicles to dock with one another and could also be used for docking with other cooperative or uncooperative objects for refueling, debris removal or other services. In Orbit was founded in 2020 to offer third-party logistics and infrastructure for in-space manufacturing and research, and has plans to develop vehicles for transporting cargo to and from future commercial space stations. (3/27)
Astrobotic Hires NASA Vets to Lead Next Lunar Missions (Source: Space News)
Astrobotic has hired several industry veterans to help the company as it develops a second, larger lunar lander. The company announced it hired Steve Clarke, a former NASA official, as its vice president of landers and spacecraft and Frank Peri, former head of the safety and mission assurance office at NASA Langley, as director of engineering. Two former NASA associate administrators for space technology, Mike Gazarik and Jim Reuter, will serve as advisers. Astrobotic says it expects to wrap up the investigation into its Peregrine lander mission in a matter of weeks and will apply lessons learned from that for its larger Griffin lander, which will carry NASA's VIPER lunar rover. (3/27)
NASA Optimistic for Voyager 1 Fix (Source: Space News)
A NASA official was optimistic that a computer problem with the Voyager 1 spacecraft can be fixed. Speaking at a National Academies committee meeting last week, Joseph Westlake, director of NASA's heliophysics division, said he believed the project was on "a path now to resolution" regarding the faulty flight data system (FDS) computer on the nearly 50-year-old spacecraft. A problem with the FDS has caused Voyager 1 to transmit unusable data since last November. Westlake said engineers have concluded a memory unit on the spacecraft has failed, and engineers are working to move flight software in that section of memory to another part of the computer. He did not estimate how long that would take. (3/27)
NOAA Weather Satellite's Falcon-Heavy Launch Moved to Late June (Source: NOAA)
The launch of a NOAA weather satellite has been rescheduled for late June. NASA and NOAA announced Tuesday that the Falcon Heavy launch of the GOES-U geostationary orbit weather satellite is planned for June 25. The launch had been scheduled for late April but was postponed after SpaceX found a liquid oxygen leak in the rocket's center core booster. GOES-U is the fourth and final satellite in the GOES-R program. (3/27)
NASA Picks Instruments for Artemis Lunar Landing, Including for Plant Growth (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected three instruments to be flown on future Artemis lunar landing missions. NASA announced Tuesday it will fund development of a seismometer suite, a crop growth experiment and regolith instrument that would be deployed by astronauts on the Artemis 3 mission, although NASA said that final decisions about when the instruments would be manifested for flight will be made later. NASA said the instruments are the first step in the agency's response to a report on high-priority science that should be conducted on Artemis 3. (3/27)
Japans Koichi Wakata Retiring From Astronaut Corps (Source: NHK)
A Japanese astronaut is retiring after more than three decades of service. Koichi Wakata will retire from JAXA at the end of the month, which also marks the end of the current Japanese government fiscal year. He was selected by Japan as an astronaut in 1992 and has flown to space five times, including three long-duration missions to the International Space Station. He most recently was on the Crew-5 Crew Dragon mission in 2022-23; his previous flights were on the shuttle and Soyuz. (3/27)
Starliner’s First Commander: Don’t Expect Perfection on Crew Test Flight (Source: Ars Technica)
While it doesn't have the same relevance to public consciousness as safety problems with commercial airliners, a successful test flight of Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in May would be welcome news for the beleaguered aerospace company. This will be the first time the Starliner capsule flies into low-Earth orbit with humans aboard. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are in the final stages of training for the so-called Crew Flight Test (CFT), a milestone running seven years behind the schedule Boeing said it could achieve when it won a $4.2 billion commercial crew contract from NASA a decade ago. (3/25)
Blue Origin Space Station Taking Shape for NASA (Source: Business Insider)
NASA has granted Blue Origin $172 million to create Orbital Reef, a space station designed for astronauts and tourists, emphasizing the necessity for life support systems. Blue Origin recently achieved significant progress by completing four milestones, demonstrating the effectiveness of Orbital Reef's regenerative system, which ensures the provision of clean air and water for occupants. (3/26)
Sidus Space Releases Quarterly Financial Results (Source: Sidus Space)
Total revenue for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 totaled approximately $6.0 million, a decrease of $1.3 million compared to the same period in 2022. Adjusted EBITDA loss for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 totaled $10.9 million as compared to a loss of $9.7 million for the same period the prior year. Net loss for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 was $14.3 million as compared to a net loss of $12.8 million for the same period the prior year. (3/27)
Incoming Illegal NGSO Service Crackdown (Source: Space News)
Operators of satellites in non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) could be forced to turn off beams when flying over countries that have not authorized them, do more to disable bootleg dishes in these territories, or a mix of both, depending on who you ask about new global rules in the works. Approval to study ways for cracking down on unauthorized NGSO services was one of the most surprising outcomes of the recent 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-23) in Dubai, a quadrennial event for updating radio wave regulations.
Depending on the results of these studies, the measures could be put up for approval as soon as 2027, when the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an arm of the United Nations, will bring countries together again to update global spectrum regulation. When a broadcast satellite is being developed, international regulations require every technical effort to be made to prevent its radio waves from spilling into countries that have not approved the service.
NGSO satellites currently do not have a similar limitation, making it possible for users with a compatible antenna to connect to them in a country that has not given their operator a license. Sources who attended WRC-23, but did not want to be named, said the crackdown is mainly targeted at SpaceX’s Starlink, the world’s largest NGSO broadband constellation currently in operation. (3/26)
Chinese Moon Plans, Commercial Company Updates, and Wenchang Commercial Pad (Source: NSF)
China detailed its lunar exploration plan for the near future and gave an outlook for the program beyond that. The next mission to the Moon, Queqiao-2, launched in March of this year. This mission, though, is only the beginning of a set of missions for the Chinese lunar exploration plan. Next up, the Chang’e-6 mission, a 53-day long exploration mission, will launch in May of this year on a Chang Zheng 5 rocket. Click here. (3/26)
From Kepler-452b to Proxima Centauri b: Exoplanets that are just like Earth (Source: Times of India)
Earth is the only planet we know of that harbors life, but it may not be alone in the universe. Scientists have discovered thousands of exoplanets, or planets orbiting other stars, and some of them are remarkably similar to our home world. These exoplanets are of great interest to astronomers and astrobiologists, who hope to find signs of life beyond our solar system. Here are seven exoplanets that are just like Earth, in terms of their size, composition, temperature, and habitability. Click here. (3/26)
Missile Defense Agency Executive Director Accused of Misusing Office for Personal Gain (Source: WAFF)
The Department of Defense’s Inspector General has made its findings public regarding the highest-ranking civilian in the Missile Defense Agency. Inspector General Robert Storch found that Laura DeSimone, the current Executive Director of MDA, violated a litany of business and ethics norms. The 3- year investigation found she misused her office for personal gain by engaging in an intimate, sexual relationship with a subordinate based in Huntsville. That subordinate is another woman the IG says she also tried to help promote. (3/25)
Chinese Scientists Call for Focus on Asteroid Missions (Source: Space News)
China should intensify its asteroid research and focus on sample return mission plans, according to scientists. China’s future asteroid exploration should focus on “low-cost, high-frequency sample return missions, and emphasize strengthening coordination between missions,” according to a paper published recently in the Chinese Journal of Space Sciences. Establishing scientific design teams can also help better serve China’s future asteroid explorations. (3/26)
He Quit Heading the Pentagon’s UFO Office. Now a Report of His Has Shaken Up Ufology (Source: Guardian)
Evidence is not the point. Some will never be swayed. “There’s the absolute true belief, which would suggest it is more akin to a religion than an actual factual thing,” he says. “And those are the people that you’re never going to convince, no matter what you put in front of them. I can lay out the pictures of the classified programs that they mistook, and they still wouldn’t believe it. They would say, ‘No, that was derived from alien technology.’”
And what if the government does eventually get its hands on aliens and their flying saucers? “It’s not their job [to keep it secret],” he says. “It would immediately get turned over to Nasa, and Nasa would immediately disclose it to everybody. That’s their job.” Click here. (3/22)
Engineers Heat Up Dark Universe Telescope, Restoring Euclid's Sight (Source: Gizmodo)
ESA's Euclid telescope is back in action after an experimental procedure restored its ability to see the light in the cold, dark depths of space. After noticing a gradual dip in the amount of light measured by Euclid from its surrounding stars, the team behind the mission devised a plan to heat parts of the spacecraft to get rid of frozen water molecules that had accumulated on the telescope’s mirrors. The plan was risky and not guaranteed to work, but things are looking good for Euclid so far.
Mission control de-iced the first two mirrors and, sure enough, more light began creeping in through Euclid’s optical instruments. Euclid’s coldest mirror was heated from -232 to -171 degrees Fahrenheit (-147 to -113 Celsius). “It didn’t need to get hot, because in a vacuum this temperature is enough to quickly evaporate all the ice,” said Mischa Schirmer. “And it worked like a charm! Almost immediately, we were receiving 15% more light from the Universe. I was certain that we would see a considerable improvement, but not in such a spectacular way.” (3/26)
SpaceX Wants to Orbit Cellular Starlink Satellites Closer to Earth (Source: PC Magazine)
SpaceX is pressing the FCC for even more clearance to orbit Starlink satellites closer to Earth, citing the performance benefits. A month ago, the company requested FCC clearance to orbit some second-generation Starlink satellites between 340 to 360 kilometers from Earth — or about 200 kilometers (124 miles) below their planned orbits. On Friday, SpaceX filed the same request, but for its cellular Starlink satellite system, which will be able to beam connectivity to phones on the ground. If granted, the company would then be able to orbit the satellites at the 300km orbits, in addition to the existing 500km altitudes. (3/25)
Governor Announces Membership of Texas Space Commission, Research Consortium (Source: Click2Houston)
Governor Greg Abbott announced the establishment the Texas Space Commission. Along with this announcement, the Governor appointed the inaugural members of the commission’s Board of Directors and the Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium (TARSEC) Executive Committee. The Texas Space Commission was formed with the goal of strengthening the state’s influence in aerospace activity by promoting innovation in space research and exploration. The organization will be governed by its Board of Directors, which consists of nine members. Click here. (3/26)
NASA Selects First Lunar Instruments for Artemis Astronaut Deployment (Source: NASA)
NASA has chosen the first science instruments designed for astronauts to deploy on the surface of the Moon during Artemis III. Once installed near the lunar South Pole, the three instruments will collect valuable scientific data about the lunar environment, the lunar interior, and how to sustain a long-duration human presence on the Moon, which will help prepare NASA to send astronauts to Mars. Click here. (3/26)
Russian Soyuz Delivers Crew of 3 to the International Space Station (Source: CBS News)
Two days after launch, a Russian Soyuz crew ferry ship caught up with the International Space Station Monday and moved in for a picture-perfect docking, bringing two short-duration crew members and a NASA astronaut starting a six-month stay in orbit. (3/25)
Bizarre ‘Hot Jupiter’ Planets Keep Surprising Astronomers (Source: Scientific American)
Planets the mass of Jupiter are significantly more massive than all other classes of planets and require a unique process to form. Jupiter-mass planets must first build a core out of rock and ice and then build a gaseous envelope large enough to start a process called runaway accretion, where they hoover up all nearby material and increase their mass 10-fold in less than a million years. Classic formation theories predicted that this process would take place far from the star, past the location where the ambient temperature is below the freezing point of water. Click here. (3/25)
A Dead Star Will Soon Spark a Once-in-a-Lifetime Display in Earth’s Skies (Source: Scientific American)
T Coronae Borealis—often shortened to T CrB—is what astronomers call a nova. T CrB last erupted in 1946, and its behavior suggests that its next paroxysm is due any moment between now and September. When this occurs, T CrB will become visible to the naked eye as a temporary jewel in its constellation’s stelliferous crown. And far from treating it as a mere spectacle, astronomers are going to use this latest outburst as a chance to learn more about novae, which are oft-overlooked drivers of cosmic chaos.
To understand why T CrB has got astronomers so hyped, it helps to have a primer on your average nova. Each one involves a perilous pairing between a white dwarf, the small carcass left behind at the end of certain stars’ life, and a “normal” companion star—in the case of T CrB, a puffy red giant. The white dwarf is so dense that it’s able to gravitationally pilfer hydrogen from its companion, which snows onto the dwarf’s surface. This veneer heats up and eventually ignites, sparking an unstoppable chain reaction that culminates in a nuclear explosion. (3/25)
Starlink Terminals Are Falling Into the Wrong Hands (Sources: Bloomberg, ArcaMax)
SpaceX’s Starlink touts its high-speed internet as “available almost anywhere on Earth.” In the real world, its reach extends to countries where Elon Musk’s satellite-enabled service has no agreement to operate, including territories ruled by repressive regimes. A Bloomberg investigation identified wide-spanning examples of Starlink kits being traded and activated illegally. How they are smuggled and the sheer availability of Starlink on the black market suggests that its misuse is a systemic global problem, raising questions about the company’s control of a system with clear national security dimensions.
In Yemen, which is in the throes of a decade-long civil war, a government official conceded that Starlink is in widespread use. Many people are prepared to defy competing warring factions, including Houthi rebels, to secure terminals for business and personal communications, and evade the slow, often censored internet service that’s currently available. Or take Sudan, where a year-long civil war has led to accusations of genocide, crimes against humanity and millions of people fleeing their homes. With the regular internet down for months, soldiers of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are among those using the system for their logistics, according to Western diplomats.
“It is deeply concerning because it’s unregulated and headed by a private company,” Emma Shortis, a senior researcher in international and security affairs at the Australia Institute, an independent think tank in Canberra, said of the Starlink system. “There’s no accountability on who has access to it and how it’s being used.” (3/25)
Organizing to Deter or Prevail in Space Warfare (Source: War On The Rocks)
Does the United States need both an armed service and a unified combatant command to defend its national interests in outer space? The answer is yes, given the imperatives to counter threats posed by foreign powers to the freedom of space and assure effective support to joint or combined military operations. Indeed, as former Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David Thompson stated, “Both China and Russia are regularly attacking U.S. satellites with non-kinetic means, including lasers, radio frequency jammers, and cyber-attacks.” (3/26)
PSLV’s POEM-3 Re-Enters Earth, Falls in Pacific Ocean (Source: Times of India)
The Indian Space Research Organization's PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) successfully re-entered Earth's atmosphere in a controlled manner, leaving minimal orbital debris. The spent rocket stage had been transformed into a stabilized platform for conducting experiments. (3/25)
Why Scientists Are Making Space Data Into Sounds (Source: Frontiers)
When you travel somewhere where they speak a language you can’t understand, it’s usually important to find a way to translate what’s being communicated to you. In some ways, the same can be said about scientific data collected from cosmic objects. All telescopes — including Chandra, Webb, the Hubble Space Telescope, plus dozens of others — in space need to send the data they collect back to Earth as binary code, or digital signals. Typically, astronomers and others turn these digital data into images, which are often spectacular.
By taking these data through another step, however, experts on this project mathematically map the information into sound. This data-driven process is not a reimagining of what the telescopes have observed, it is yet another kind of translation. Instead of a translation from French to Mandarin, it’s a translation from visual to sound. Astrophysical data engaging multiple senses like the sonifications could establish additional avenues of trust, increase access, and promote awareness of accessibility in sighted and blind or low-vision communities. In short, sonifications helped people access and engage with the Universe. (3/25)
Saturn's Moon Enceladus Top Target for ESA (Source: ESA)
A fresh, icy crust hides a deep, enigmatic ocean. Plumes of water burst through cracks in the ice, shooting into space. An intrepid lander collects samples and analyses them for hints of life. ESA has started to turn this scene into a reality, devising a mission to investigate an ocean world around either Jupiter or Saturn. But which moon should we choose? What should the mission do exactly? A team of expert scientists has delivered their findings. (3/25)
March 26, 2024
Boeing Claims Virgin Galactic Owes $26
Million and Retained Proprietary Information (Source: Space News)
Boeing and a subsidiary have filed suit against Virgin Galactic over work on a new "mothership" aircraft project. In the suit, Boeing and Aurora Flight Sciences allege that Virgin Galactic has failed to pay more than $26 million in invoices under a contract announced in 2022 to develop an aircraft that would serve as the air-launch platform for Virgin's suborbital spaceplanes, replacing the current aircraft called VMS Eve. Boeing and Aurora also claim that Virgin has failed to destroy proprietary documents linked to that project that include trade secrets, some of which were provided inadvertently. Virgin Galactic denies the allegations. (3/26)
Ingersoll Rand to Acquire ILC Dover (Source: Space News)
Ingersoll Rand is acquiring spacesuit developer ILC Dover. The companies announced Monday that Ingersoll Rand would acquire ILC Dover for $2.325 billion in a deal expected to close in the second quarter. Most of ILC Dover's business is in pharmaceutical and life sciences, but the company is known in the space business for developing spacesuits going back to the Apollo program as well as inflatable structures. The announcement did not disclose what changes, if any, would come to ILC Dover's space work. (3/26)
AIA Untangles DoD Space Acquisition (Source: Space News)
The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) is trying to demystify military space acquisitions. AIA released an infographic Monday describing the roles played by 15 organizations in the Space Force, Defense Department and intelligence community in acquiring space capabilities. AIA said it developed the infographic because it regularly receives inquiries from people struggling to understand the bureaucratic labyrinth of military space acquisition. (3/26)
Boeing Corporate Shakeup Unlikely to Impact Space Business (Source: Boeing)
A Boeing corporate leadership shakeup is not likely to have near-term effects on its space business. Boeing announced Monday that its current CEO, Dave Calhoun, will retire at the end of the year. The chair of the company's board, Larry Kellner, is also stepping down and will be replaced by Steve Mollenkopf, who will lead the effort to hire a new CEO. The moves were prompted by continued difficulties with the company's commercial aviation business, with the head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Stan Deal, also retiring. None of the changes appear to have an immediate impact on the company's defense and space unit. (3/26)
SpaceX Launches More Starlink Satellites From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
SpaceX launched — you guessed it — another set of Starlink satellites Monday evening. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 7:42 p.m. Eastern and placed 23 Starlink satellites into orbit. Nineteen of SpaceX's 29 Falcon 9 launches so far this year have been Starlink missions. (3/26)
Apex Aries Satellite Commissioned After Transporter Launch (Source: Space News)
Apex says it has successfully commissioned the first payload on its inaugural Aries satellite and has the pics to prove it. The company released Monday an image taken by the spacecraft, showing part of the spacecraft with the Earth in the background. Apex launched the spacecraft three weeks ago on the Transporter-10 rideshare mission to demonstrate its capabilities, with payloads from several undisclosed customers on board.
Apex was one of several companies to fly their first spacecraft on Transporter-10, with others still working through the commissioning process. One, True Anomaly, said last week it ran into problems with its first two Jackal spacecraft that will prevent the company from testing rendezvous and proximity operations as intended. (3/26)
ExLabs Plans to Send a Mission to a Near Earth Asteroid (Source: Space News)
ExLabs said it is planning to launch a mission to the asteroid Apophis in 2028, a year before that asteroid makes a very close, but safe, flyby of Earth. The mission would place three cubesats into orbit around the asteroid to demonstrate technologies for future space resources and other in-space missions. ExLabs did not disclose the cost of the mission or how it would be funded. (3/26)
George Abbey Passes Away at 91 (Source: Houston Chronicle)
George Abbey, former director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, has died at the age of 91. Abbey joined NASA in the mid-1960s and later became director of flight operations, selecting astronauts for shuttle missions. After a stint at NASA Headquarters, he returned to JSC, serving as director from 1996 to 2001. He retired from NASA in 2003 and worked on space policy issues at Rice University. (3/26)
Early Adopters of NASA's PACE Data to Study Air Quality, Ocean Health (Source: Space Daily)
From the atmosphere down to the surface of the ocean, data from NASA's PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite benefits ecosystems, human health, and underrepresented communities. Years before the launch in February 2024, mission leaders from NASA teamed with dozens of applied scientists and environmental professionals to prepare for the many practical uses that could be informed by PACE data. PACE's Early Adopter program integrates science data into business, environmental management, and decision-making activities to benefit society. Click here. (3/26)
Japan Attempts to Revive Moon Lander After Second Lunar Night (Source: Space Daily)
Japan's space agency said on Tuesday it will try to revive its Moon lander after a second frigid, two-week lunar night, following a surprising awakening last month. The unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down in January at a wonky angle that left its solar panels facing the wrong way. As the sun's angle shifted, it came back to life for two days and carried out scientific observations of a crater with a high-spec camera. (3/26)
China Elevates Atmospheric and Space Monitoring Capabilities with New Satellite (Source: Space Daily)
the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has deployed the second batch of Yunhai 2-series satellites into orbit, further bolstering China's capabilities in atmospheric monitoring and space environment observation. The satellites, developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, are multifunctional, with responsibilities ranging from atmospheric condition surveillance to space environment monitoring. These satellites will also contribute to disaster prevention and mitigation initiatives and support a range of scientific experiments. (3/22)
Aireon and Airbus Enhance Partnership to Distribute Space-Based ADS-B Air Traffic Data to Wider Audience (Source: Space Daily)
Aireon has broadened its partnership with Airbus through an expanded distribution deal, facilitating greater accessibility to its cutting-edge space-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data. This strategic move will see Airbus incorporating Aireon's comprehensive ADS-B data into its suite of advanced flight analytics and digital solutions, offering unprecedented benefits to a wide array of aviation stakeholders, including airlines, aircraft lessors, and lessees. (3/22)
Barack Obama Says Jeff Bezos Should Worry About Earth Before Space. But Bezos Says Going to Space is How You Save Earth (Source: Busines Insider)
Barack Obama and Jeff Bezos are at loggerheads on how ambitious goalposts to colonize the solar system will affect Earth's future. The former US president recently chastised Silicon Valley tycoons for investing in projects with an aim to send humans to live off-world.
Bezos, on the other hand, has said that going to space is the best way to continue humanity's growth while preserving the planet's natural resources. "In almost every way, life is better for almost everyone today than it was, say, 50 years ago or 100 years ago," Bezos said. Bezos cited literacy, poverty, and infant-mortality rates as examples of humanity's progress. But he said that humanity's progress was to the detriment of planet Earth. (3/20)
ISS National Lab-Sponsored Research Aims to Grow Tumors in Microgravity to Test Chemotherapy Effectiveness (Source: CASIS)
Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, with nearly 10 million people dying from the disease each year. Researchers from Connecticut-based startup Encapsulate are turning to the microgravity conditions available through the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory to explore how to mitigate the effects of cancer and improve the lives of patients on Earth.
For many living with cancer, treatment options can be a grueling trial-and-error process, as there are multiple drugs available for many types of cancer. Chemotherapy drugs work by killing the cancer cells within the body, but research has shown that for certain cancer types, nearly 80% of initial chemotherapy treatments do not work, which means that individuals have to endure multiple rounds of treatments. (3/25)
Lessons From the First CLPS Lunar Landing Missions (Source: Space Review)
With the first two commercial lunar lander missions by US companies in the books, NASA and industry are taking stock of what worked and what didn’t. Jeff Foust reports on those analyses as NASA charts the future of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Click here. (3/25)
Proposing a National Naming Competition for Our Lunar Exploration Program (Source: Space Review)
In the concluding portion of his two-part essay, Cody Knipfer examines the potential benefits, and drawbacks, of a naming competition for elements of NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration campaign. Click here. (3/25)
Preventing a “Space Pearl Harbor”: Rep. Turner Leads the Charge (Source: Space Review)
Comments last month by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee led to revelations that Russia was developing some kind of nuclear antisatellite weapon. Brian Chow argues similar awareness is needed among policymakers about growing Chinese antisatellite capabilities. Click here. (3/25)
Boeing and a subsidiary have filed suit against Virgin Galactic over work on a new "mothership" aircraft project. In the suit, Boeing and Aurora Flight Sciences allege that Virgin Galactic has failed to pay more than $26 million in invoices under a contract announced in 2022 to develop an aircraft that would serve as the air-launch platform for Virgin's suborbital spaceplanes, replacing the current aircraft called VMS Eve. Boeing and Aurora also claim that Virgin has failed to destroy proprietary documents linked to that project that include trade secrets, some of which were provided inadvertently. Virgin Galactic denies the allegations. (3/26)
Ingersoll Rand to Acquire ILC Dover (Source: Space News)
Ingersoll Rand is acquiring spacesuit developer ILC Dover. The companies announced Monday that Ingersoll Rand would acquire ILC Dover for $2.325 billion in a deal expected to close in the second quarter. Most of ILC Dover's business is in pharmaceutical and life sciences, but the company is known in the space business for developing spacesuits going back to the Apollo program as well as inflatable structures. The announcement did not disclose what changes, if any, would come to ILC Dover's space work. (3/26)
AIA Untangles DoD Space Acquisition (Source: Space News)
The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) is trying to demystify military space acquisitions. AIA released an infographic Monday describing the roles played by 15 organizations in the Space Force, Defense Department and intelligence community in acquiring space capabilities. AIA said it developed the infographic because it regularly receives inquiries from people struggling to understand the bureaucratic labyrinth of military space acquisition. (3/26)
Boeing Corporate Shakeup Unlikely to Impact Space Business (Source: Boeing)
A Boeing corporate leadership shakeup is not likely to have near-term effects on its space business. Boeing announced Monday that its current CEO, Dave Calhoun, will retire at the end of the year. The chair of the company's board, Larry Kellner, is also stepping down and will be replaced by Steve Mollenkopf, who will lead the effort to hire a new CEO. The moves were prompted by continued difficulties with the company's commercial aviation business, with the head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Stan Deal, also retiring. None of the changes appear to have an immediate impact on the company's defense and space unit. (3/26)
SpaceX Launches More Starlink Satellites From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
SpaceX launched — you guessed it — another set of Starlink satellites Monday evening. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 7:42 p.m. Eastern and placed 23 Starlink satellites into orbit. Nineteen of SpaceX's 29 Falcon 9 launches so far this year have been Starlink missions. (3/26)
Apex Aries Satellite Commissioned After Transporter Launch (Source: Space News)
Apex says it has successfully commissioned the first payload on its inaugural Aries satellite and has the pics to prove it. The company released Monday an image taken by the spacecraft, showing part of the spacecraft with the Earth in the background. Apex launched the spacecraft three weeks ago on the Transporter-10 rideshare mission to demonstrate its capabilities, with payloads from several undisclosed customers on board.
Apex was one of several companies to fly their first spacecraft on Transporter-10, with others still working through the commissioning process. One, True Anomaly, said last week it ran into problems with its first two Jackal spacecraft that will prevent the company from testing rendezvous and proximity operations as intended. (3/26)
ExLabs Plans to Send a Mission to a Near Earth Asteroid (Source: Space News)
ExLabs said it is planning to launch a mission to the asteroid Apophis in 2028, a year before that asteroid makes a very close, but safe, flyby of Earth. The mission would place three cubesats into orbit around the asteroid to demonstrate technologies for future space resources and other in-space missions. ExLabs did not disclose the cost of the mission or how it would be funded. (3/26)
George Abbey Passes Away at 91 (Source: Houston Chronicle)
George Abbey, former director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, has died at the age of 91. Abbey joined NASA in the mid-1960s and later became director of flight operations, selecting astronauts for shuttle missions. After a stint at NASA Headquarters, he returned to JSC, serving as director from 1996 to 2001. He retired from NASA in 2003 and worked on space policy issues at Rice University. (3/26)
Early Adopters of NASA's PACE Data to Study Air Quality, Ocean Health (Source: Space Daily)
From the atmosphere down to the surface of the ocean, data from NASA's PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite benefits ecosystems, human health, and underrepresented communities. Years before the launch in February 2024, mission leaders from NASA teamed with dozens of applied scientists and environmental professionals to prepare for the many practical uses that could be informed by PACE data. PACE's Early Adopter program integrates science data into business, environmental management, and decision-making activities to benefit society. Click here. (3/26)
Japan Attempts to Revive Moon Lander After Second Lunar Night (Source: Space Daily)
Japan's space agency said on Tuesday it will try to revive its Moon lander after a second frigid, two-week lunar night, following a surprising awakening last month. The unmanned Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) touched down in January at a wonky angle that left its solar panels facing the wrong way. As the sun's angle shifted, it came back to life for two days and carried out scientific observations of a crater with a high-spec camera. (3/26)
China Elevates Atmospheric and Space Monitoring Capabilities with New Satellite (Source: Space Daily)
the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has deployed the second batch of Yunhai 2-series satellites into orbit, further bolstering China's capabilities in atmospheric monitoring and space environment observation. The satellites, developed by the China Academy of Space Technology, are multifunctional, with responsibilities ranging from atmospheric condition surveillance to space environment monitoring. These satellites will also contribute to disaster prevention and mitigation initiatives and support a range of scientific experiments. (3/22)
Aireon and Airbus Enhance Partnership to Distribute Space-Based ADS-B Air Traffic Data to Wider Audience (Source: Space Daily)
Aireon has broadened its partnership with Airbus through an expanded distribution deal, facilitating greater accessibility to its cutting-edge space-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data. This strategic move will see Airbus incorporating Aireon's comprehensive ADS-B data into its suite of advanced flight analytics and digital solutions, offering unprecedented benefits to a wide array of aviation stakeholders, including airlines, aircraft lessors, and lessees. (3/22)
Barack Obama Says Jeff Bezos Should Worry About Earth Before Space. But Bezos Says Going to Space is How You Save Earth (Source: Busines Insider)
Barack Obama and Jeff Bezos are at loggerheads on how ambitious goalposts to colonize the solar system will affect Earth's future. The former US president recently chastised Silicon Valley tycoons for investing in projects with an aim to send humans to live off-world.
Bezos, on the other hand, has said that going to space is the best way to continue humanity's growth while preserving the planet's natural resources. "In almost every way, life is better for almost everyone today than it was, say, 50 years ago or 100 years ago," Bezos said. Bezos cited literacy, poverty, and infant-mortality rates as examples of humanity's progress. But he said that humanity's progress was to the detriment of planet Earth. (3/20)
ISS National Lab-Sponsored Research Aims to Grow Tumors in Microgravity to Test Chemotherapy Effectiveness (Source: CASIS)
Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, with nearly 10 million people dying from the disease each year. Researchers from Connecticut-based startup Encapsulate are turning to the microgravity conditions available through the International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory to explore how to mitigate the effects of cancer and improve the lives of patients on Earth.
For many living with cancer, treatment options can be a grueling trial-and-error process, as there are multiple drugs available for many types of cancer. Chemotherapy drugs work by killing the cancer cells within the body, but research has shown that for certain cancer types, nearly 80% of initial chemotherapy treatments do not work, which means that individuals have to endure multiple rounds of treatments. (3/25)
Lessons From the First CLPS Lunar Landing Missions (Source: Space Review)
With the first two commercial lunar lander missions by US companies in the books, NASA and industry are taking stock of what worked and what didn’t. Jeff Foust reports on those analyses as NASA charts the future of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Click here. (3/25)
Proposing a National Naming Competition for Our Lunar Exploration Program (Source: Space Review)
In the concluding portion of his two-part essay, Cody Knipfer examines the potential benefits, and drawbacks, of a naming competition for elements of NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration campaign. Click here. (3/25)
Preventing a “Space Pearl Harbor”: Rep. Turner Leads the Charge (Source: Space Review)
Comments last month by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee led to revelations that Russia was developing some kind of nuclear antisatellite weapon. Brian Chow argues similar awareness is needed among policymakers about growing Chinese antisatellite capabilities. Click here. (3/25)
March 25, 2024
UK Space Agency Expands with New
Offices, New HQ (Source: BBC)
The U.K. Space Agency is opening new offices across the country. The agency said Monday it will open a new headquarters in June at the Harwell Science Campus as well as regional offices in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Leicester. The new offices are intended to help the agency better work with companies across the country. (3/25)
China's Comms Relay Satellite Enters Lunar Orbit (Source: Space News)
China's Queqiao-2 communications relay satellite entered lunar orbit on Sunday. Queqiao-2 began a 19-minute-long braking burn at 12:46 p.m. Eastern , allowing the spacecraft to be captured by the moon's gravity, the China National Space Administration announced early Monday. The spacecraft will maneuver into an elliptical orbit of 200 by 16,000 kilometers to provide relay services for missions like the Chang'e-6 farside lunar sample return mission, expected to launch in May. (3/25)
Astronauts from US, Russia, Belarus Launch From Kazakhstan Days After Aborted Attempt (Source: Space News)
A Soyuz spacecraft is on its way to the ISS after launch Saturday. A Soyuz-2.1a rocket lifted off at 8:36 a.m. Eastern and placed the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft into orbit. The spacecraft carried a crew from Russia, the U.S. and Belarus. The original launch attempt Thursday was scrubbed by a low-voltage reading in the rocket's first stage. Saturday's launch took place a little more than an hour after a Dragon cargo spacecraft, launched Thursday, docked with the station. (3/25)
SpaceX Launches Starlink Satellites From Florida, Ties Booster Reuse Record (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
A Falcon 9 launched a set of Starlink satellites Saturday night. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 11:09 p.m. Eastern after a one-day delay caused by poor weather at Cape Canaveral, deploying 23 Starlink satellites. The Falcon 9 booster used for the flight completed its 19th launch, becoming the second active booster, and third overall, to reach that milestone, a record for the company. (3/25)
Advanced Space Revolutionizes Moon Navigation with AI-Powered CAPSTONE Experiment (Source: Space Daily)
Advanced Space, LLC has successfully deploying machine learning tools for space navigation technology in cislunar space. The CAPSTONE spacecraft embarked on pioneering software tests, establishing a foundational shift towards autonomous orbital navigation. This advancement, known as SigmaZero, employs a Neural Network (NN) to identify and address navigational challenges, such as detecting subtle accelerations that could otherwise disrupt the spacecraft's course. (3/22)
New Strategies for Astronaut Helmet Safety and Fire Suppression (Source: Space Daily)
The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) has made significant strides in ensuring astronaut safety. One critical area of focus has been on mitigating water hazards in astronaut helmets during EVAs. The discovery of water accumulation in helmets, posing a significant risk to astronauts, prompted the NESC to engage in comprehensive research and development efforts. By simulating two-phase flow behaviors in microgravity and testing mitigation hardware, the team successfully devised strategies to prevent liquid water formation in helmets, incorporating absorbent materials and enhancing helmet designs for safer spacewalks.
Another significant achievement is the evaluation of terrestrial portable fire extinguishers (PFEs) for use in microgravity environments. Through analytical modeling and custom-designed testing stands, the NESC identified the potential challenges and benefits of utilizing these PFEs in space, marking a crucial step in enhancing fire safety aboard spacecraft. (3/22)
Artemis II's Orion Spacecraft to Undergo Critical Manual Handling Test (Source: Space Daily)
Astronauts aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft will engage in a first-of-its-kind test drive during Artemis II, assessing manual control capabilities critical for future expeditions. A major segment of this mission involves the proximity operations demonstration, where astronauts will manually maneuver Orion in space, using the SLS rocket's upper stage as a reference point. (3/22)
W. Brian Keegan, Chief Engineer of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Dies at 83 (Source: Baltimore Sun)
W. Brian Keegan, a chief engineer at NASA, died of cardiac arrest March 12 at Keswick Multi-Care Center in Baltimore. He was 83. William Brian Keegan was born in the Irvington neighborhood of West Baltimore to William and Madellyne Keegan. Mr. Keegan’s father was an engineer with Westinghouse, and his mother was an administrative staffer for a surgical practice. (3/25)
Gen. Howell Estes—NORAD, Space Command Chief—Dies at 82 (Source: Air and Space Forces)
Gen. Howell M. Estes III, who served as the triple-hatted commander-in-chief of NORAD, U.S. Space Command, and Air Force Space Command in the late 1990s, died March 18. Estes held a number of key jobs in the Air Force and the Department of Defense, notably as the Director of Operations for the Joint Staff and deputy chief of staff for Strategic Air Command during the 1991 Gulf War. He was also one of the first commanders of the 4450th Tactical Group, which flew the highly secret F-117 attack jet in the years before the stealth aircraft was publicly revealed. (3/22)
This Giant, Solar-Powered Sail Can travel Forever, and it’s the Future of Space Exploration (Source: Fast Company)
Over the last two decades, Les Johnson and his team of engineers have quietly been pushing NASA into a new era of space exploration while nobody was paying attention. As an engineer at the legendary Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama—the birthplace of the Saturn V rocket that first took humans to the Moon—Johnson led the complex design of a 17,780-square-foot sail that will push spaceships across the solar system without using a single ounce of fuel.
Called a “solar sail,” the silvery sheet of fabric is 32 times thinner than a human hair and stretches the size of three basketball courts. Over a recent Zoom call, Johnson says the sheet of fabric works much like a sail used for boats—if a boat sail were designed for high-speed space travel. “Just as a sailboat uses the wind to push it through the water, solar sails use the pressure of sunlight to push them through space,” Johnson says.
This seemingly impossible feat is, in fact, not impossible at all. Avi Loeb, an astrophysicist and Director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard University, says solar sails represent one of the most promising technologies for future space exploration. They offer a sustainable and efficient way to navigate the cosmos, with the potential to propel spacecraft to unprecedented speeds and distances. (3/25)
The Tricky Quest to Create an Artificial Solar Eclipse (Source: Washington Post)
For scientists, a total eclipse is also a brief, once-in-awhile quirk of orbital mechanics that lets them view of one of the most consequential parts of our star: the atmospheric layer called the corona. This dim outer region is mysteriously hotter than the solar surface, generating a long-standing scientific puzzle. It’s also churning with activity that can have major effects on Earth, disrupting radio communications or even knocking out the power grid.
To better understand the solar corona, scientists have been simulating eclipses for nearly a century using specialized instruments called coronagraphs. These devices are outfitted with black “occulting disks” and specialized optics to blot out the sun’s brightest light. Only then does the wispy corona come into view. Their occulting disk, made on a 3D printer, was suspended about two and a half feet in front of the telescope on thin, carbon-fiber rods. They were trying the setup on the day of an annular eclipse, when the moon would already be doing much of the work by mostly covering the sun. (3/22)
Launching a Dedicated MicroGEO Communications Satellite for Argentina (Source: Astranis)
Astranis announced a partnership with Orbith, a fast-growing, Latin American Internet Service Provider, to provide a dedicated MicroGEO communications satellite for Argentina. This deal is an exciting opportunity in a country that has proven its openness to disruptive technologies and ideas. This new partnership with Orbith is a great opportunity to expand our services to another fast-growing market, and to work with a local partner who deeply understands the communications needs of the Argentinian people. (3/18)
Airbus Continues to Collaborate with NASA to Monitor Climate Change From Space (Source: Airbus)
Airbus has been awarded a contract to design and build the GRACE-C twin spacecraft by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL (Pasadena, California). This new mission of NASA and the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will strengthen the more than 20 year long partnership between the USA and Germany to ensure uninterrupted measurement of the Earth's gravity field, which started in 2002 with GRACE and continues with GRACE Follow-On, launched in 2018. (3/19)
Billionaires Going to Space to Industrialize the Moon, Asteroids, and Mars. It's Time to Set Some Ground Rules (Source: Business Insider)
Elon Musk has said he plans to fly 1,000 Starships to build and populate a city on Mars. Bezos envisions a trillion people living in giant space stations across the solar system. Other space startups have ambitions including asteroid mining, in vitro fertilization (IVF) in space, and space hotels.
What's to stop companies from putting giant advertisements on the face of the moon? Or industrializing craters that scientists want to use for telescopes? Or mining a single asteroid for $100 quintillion worth of precious metals, bringing it back to Earth for sale, and destabilizing the global economy? What will keep the budding deep-space industry in check?
So far, the US government has deliberately avoided regulating the emerging space economy, for fear of suffocating it before it takes off. The FAA is quite active in regulating passenger safety on airplanes, for example, but has no rules for spaceflight passenger safety, even as Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic fly tourists to the edge of space or around the planet. Click here. (3/23)
Antenna Work Delays NISAR Launch (Source: Space News)
Modifications to a large deployable antenna on a joint U.S.-Indian radar spacecraft will delay its launch, likely to the second half of the year. In a March 22 statement, NASA said a new launch date for the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission will be set at the end of April because of work to protect the spacecraft’s reflector, an antenna that is 12 meters across when fully deployed, from temperatures when in its stowed configuration. (3/24)
Casey Honniball: Finding Her Space in Lunar Science (Source: NASA)
Lunar scientist Casey Honniball conducts lunar observations and field work near volcanoes to investigate how astronauts could use instruments during moonwalks. Click here. (3/19)
Astronomers and Megaconstellations Learn to Get Along (Source: Space News)
The problem of satellite interference on astronomy has not been solved, astronomers made clear at the AAS meeting. “There’s some not-so-good news and some good news,” said Connie Walker, co-director of the International Astronomical Union’s Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference, or CPS. The not-so-good news, she said, was that the number of satellites “is increasing exponentially.”
“The good news is that companies are increasingly aware of the situation,” she continued. “Some of these companies are willing to take mitigation approaches to minimizing down below seventh magnitude.” That brightness makes satellites invisible to the naked eye and reduces their impacts on sensitive astronomical instruments. (3/23)
Blue Origin Passes Key Pee Milestone for NASA Contract (Source: Business Insider)
On Wednesday, NASA reported that Orbital Reef passed four key milestones for some of its most crucial technology, including a system to recycle future astronauts' and tourists' urine. "These milestones are critical to ensuring that a commercial destination can support human life," Angela Hart, manager of NASA's Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, said in NASA's announcement.
The milestones involved passing a series of tests on Orbital Reef's regenerative system. This system will provide clean air and water for humans to breathe and drink while on the space station. (3/22)
Private Satellite Operators Make Case for Helping Military Track Ground Targets (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Air Force and the Space Force are working with the NRO to develop a dedicated constellation of sensor satellites specifically designed for Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI). This technology would replace the large radar surveillance aircraft like JSTARS previously used by the Air Force to track the movement of troops and vehicles on the ground.
At the same time, hundreds of commercial remote sensing satellites are orbiting the Earth, leading industry executives to question whether the military should leverage these commercial systems for GMTI. They pointed out that while military systems optimized for persistent custody of specific targets will still be required, regularly updated commercial imagery could potentially handle general monitoring of areas of interest and tracking of slower-moving targets and patterns of life. (3/23)
NASA Conducts Full-Duration Artemis Moon Rocket Engine Test (Source: NASA)
NASA continued a key RS-25 engine test series for future Artemis flights of the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket March 22 with a hot fire on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. It marked the 10th hot fire in a 12-test series to certify production of new RS-25 engines by lead contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3 Harris Technologies company. (3/22)
Largest Map of the Universe Includes 1,300 Supermassive Black Holes (Source: Cosmos)
Astronomers have created a new map of the universe which includes 1.3 million supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the center of galaxies. SMBHs have a mass between 100,000 and 10 billion times that of our own Sun. (3/19)
The U.K. Space Agency is opening new offices across the country. The agency said Monday it will open a new headquarters in June at the Harwell Science Campus as well as regional offices in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Leicester. The new offices are intended to help the agency better work with companies across the country. (3/25)
China's Comms Relay Satellite Enters Lunar Orbit (Source: Space News)
China's Queqiao-2 communications relay satellite entered lunar orbit on Sunday. Queqiao-2 began a 19-minute-long braking burn at 12:46 p.m. Eastern , allowing the spacecraft to be captured by the moon's gravity, the China National Space Administration announced early Monday. The spacecraft will maneuver into an elliptical orbit of 200 by 16,000 kilometers to provide relay services for missions like the Chang'e-6 farside lunar sample return mission, expected to launch in May. (3/25)
Astronauts from US, Russia, Belarus Launch From Kazakhstan Days After Aborted Attempt (Source: Space News)
A Soyuz spacecraft is on its way to the ISS after launch Saturday. A Soyuz-2.1a rocket lifted off at 8:36 a.m. Eastern and placed the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft into orbit. The spacecraft carried a crew from Russia, the U.S. and Belarus. The original launch attempt Thursday was scrubbed by a low-voltage reading in the rocket's first stage. Saturday's launch took place a little more than an hour after a Dragon cargo spacecraft, launched Thursday, docked with the station. (3/25)
SpaceX Launches Starlink Satellites From Florida, Ties Booster Reuse Record (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
A Falcon 9 launched a set of Starlink satellites Saturday night. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 11:09 p.m. Eastern after a one-day delay caused by poor weather at Cape Canaveral, deploying 23 Starlink satellites. The Falcon 9 booster used for the flight completed its 19th launch, becoming the second active booster, and third overall, to reach that milestone, a record for the company. (3/25)
Advanced Space Revolutionizes Moon Navigation with AI-Powered CAPSTONE Experiment (Source: Space Daily)
Advanced Space, LLC has successfully deploying machine learning tools for space navigation technology in cislunar space. The CAPSTONE spacecraft embarked on pioneering software tests, establishing a foundational shift towards autonomous orbital navigation. This advancement, known as SigmaZero, employs a Neural Network (NN) to identify and address navigational challenges, such as detecting subtle accelerations that could otherwise disrupt the spacecraft's course. (3/22)
New Strategies for Astronaut Helmet Safety and Fire Suppression (Source: Space Daily)
The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) has made significant strides in ensuring astronaut safety. One critical area of focus has been on mitigating water hazards in astronaut helmets during EVAs. The discovery of water accumulation in helmets, posing a significant risk to astronauts, prompted the NESC to engage in comprehensive research and development efforts. By simulating two-phase flow behaviors in microgravity and testing mitigation hardware, the team successfully devised strategies to prevent liquid water formation in helmets, incorporating absorbent materials and enhancing helmet designs for safer spacewalks.
Another significant achievement is the evaluation of terrestrial portable fire extinguishers (PFEs) for use in microgravity environments. Through analytical modeling and custom-designed testing stands, the NESC identified the potential challenges and benefits of utilizing these PFEs in space, marking a crucial step in enhancing fire safety aboard spacecraft. (3/22)
Artemis II's Orion Spacecraft to Undergo Critical Manual Handling Test (Source: Space Daily)
Astronauts aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft will engage in a first-of-its-kind test drive during Artemis II, assessing manual control capabilities critical for future expeditions. A major segment of this mission involves the proximity operations demonstration, where astronauts will manually maneuver Orion in space, using the SLS rocket's upper stage as a reference point. (3/22)
W. Brian Keegan, Chief Engineer of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Dies at 83 (Source: Baltimore Sun)
W. Brian Keegan, a chief engineer at NASA, died of cardiac arrest March 12 at Keswick Multi-Care Center in Baltimore. He was 83. William Brian Keegan was born in the Irvington neighborhood of West Baltimore to William and Madellyne Keegan. Mr. Keegan’s father was an engineer with Westinghouse, and his mother was an administrative staffer for a surgical practice. (3/25)
Gen. Howell Estes—NORAD, Space Command Chief—Dies at 82 (Source: Air and Space Forces)
Gen. Howell M. Estes III, who served as the triple-hatted commander-in-chief of NORAD, U.S. Space Command, and Air Force Space Command in the late 1990s, died March 18. Estes held a number of key jobs in the Air Force and the Department of Defense, notably as the Director of Operations for the Joint Staff and deputy chief of staff for Strategic Air Command during the 1991 Gulf War. He was also one of the first commanders of the 4450th Tactical Group, which flew the highly secret F-117 attack jet in the years before the stealth aircraft was publicly revealed. (3/22)
This Giant, Solar-Powered Sail Can travel Forever, and it’s the Future of Space Exploration (Source: Fast Company)
Over the last two decades, Les Johnson and his team of engineers have quietly been pushing NASA into a new era of space exploration while nobody was paying attention. As an engineer at the legendary Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama—the birthplace of the Saturn V rocket that first took humans to the Moon—Johnson led the complex design of a 17,780-square-foot sail that will push spaceships across the solar system without using a single ounce of fuel.
Called a “solar sail,” the silvery sheet of fabric is 32 times thinner than a human hair and stretches the size of three basketball courts. Over a recent Zoom call, Johnson says the sheet of fabric works much like a sail used for boats—if a boat sail were designed for high-speed space travel. “Just as a sailboat uses the wind to push it through the water, solar sails use the pressure of sunlight to push them through space,” Johnson says.
This seemingly impossible feat is, in fact, not impossible at all. Avi Loeb, an astrophysicist and Director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard University, says solar sails represent one of the most promising technologies for future space exploration. They offer a sustainable and efficient way to navigate the cosmos, with the potential to propel spacecraft to unprecedented speeds and distances. (3/25)
The Tricky Quest to Create an Artificial Solar Eclipse (Source: Washington Post)
For scientists, a total eclipse is also a brief, once-in-awhile quirk of orbital mechanics that lets them view of one of the most consequential parts of our star: the atmospheric layer called the corona. This dim outer region is mysteriously hotter than the solar surface, generating a long-standing scientific puzzle. It’s also churning with activity that can have major effects on Earth, disrupting radio communications or even knocking out the power grid.
To better understand the solar corona, scientists have been simulating eclipses for nearly a century using specialized instruments called coronagraphs. These devices are outfitted with black “occulting disks” and specialized optics to blot out the sun’s brightest light. Only then does the wispy corona come into view. Their occulting disk, made on a 3D printer, was suspended about two and a half feet in front of the telescope on thin, carbon-fiber rods. They were trying the setup on the day of an annular eclipse, when the moon would already be doing much of the work by mostly covering the sun. (3/22)
Launching a Dedicated MicroGEO Communications Satellite for Argentina (Source: Astranis)
Astranis announced a partnership with Orbith, a fast-growing, Latin American Internet Service Provider, to provide a dedicated MicroGEO communications satellite for Argentina. This deal is an exciting opportunity in a country that has proven its openness to disruptive technologies and ideas. This new partnership with Orbith is a great opportunity to expand our services to another fast-growing market, and to work with a local partner who deeply understands the communications needs of the Argentinian people. (3/18)
Airbus Continues to Collaborate with NASA to Monitor Climate Change From Space (Source: Airbus)
Airbus has been awarded a contract to design and build the GRACE-C twin spacecraft by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL (Pasadena, California). This new mission of NASA and the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will strengthen the more than 20 year long partnership between the USA and Germany to ensure uninterrupted measurement of the Earth's gravity field, which started in 2002 with GRACE and continues with GRACE Follow-On, launched in 2018. (3/19)
Billionaires Going to Space to Industrialize the Moon, Asteroids, and Mars. It's Time to Set Some Ground Rules (Source: Business Insider)
Elon Musk has said he plans to fly 1,000 Starships to build and populate a city on Mars. Bezos envisions a trillion people living in giant space stations across the solar system. Other space startups have ambitions including asteroid mining, in vitro fertilization (IVF) in space, and space hotels.
What's to stop companies from putting giant advertisements on the face of the moon? Or industrializing craters that scientists want to use for telescopes? Or mining a single asteroid for $100 quintillion worth of precious metals, bringing it back to Earth for sale, and destabilizing the global economy? What will keep the budding deep-space industry in check?
So far, the US government has deliberately avoided regulating the emerging space economy, for fear of suffocating it before it takes off. The FAA is quite active in regulating passenger safety on airplanes, for example, but has no rules for spaceflight passenger safety, even as Blue Origin, SpaceX, and Virgin Galactic fly tourists to the edge of space or around the planet. Click here. (3/23)
Antenna Work Delays NISAR Launch (Source: Space News)
Modifications to a large deployable antenna on a joint U.S.-Indian radar spacecraft will delay its launch, likely to the second half of the year. In a March 22 statement, NASA said a new launch date for the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission will be set at the end of April because of work to protect the spacecraft’s reflector, an antenna that is 12 meters across when fully deployed, from temperatures when in its stowed configuration. (3/24)
Casey Honniball: Finding Her Space in Lunar Science (Source: NASA)
Lunar scientist Casey Honniball conducts lunar observations and field work near volcanoes to investigate how astronauts could use instruments during moonwalks. Click here. (3/19)
Astronomers and Megaconstellations Learn to Get Along (Source: Space News)
The problem of satellite interference on astronomy has not been solved, astronomers made clear at the AAS meeting. “There’s some not-so-good news and some good news,” said Connie Walker, co-director of the International Astronomical Union’s Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference, or CPS. The not-so-good news, she said, was that the number of satellites “is increasing exponentially.”
“The good news is that companies are increasingly aware of the situation,” she continued. “Some of these companies are willing to take mitigation approaches to minimizing down below seventh magnitude.” That brightness makes satellites invisible to the naked eye and reduces their impacts on sensitive astronomical instruments. (3/23)
Blue Origin Passes Key Pee Milestone for NASA Contract (Source: Business Insider)
On Wednesday, NASA reported that Orbital Reef passed four key milestones for some of its most crucial technology, including a system to recycle future astronauts' and tourists' urine. "These milestones are critical to ensuring that a commercial destination can support human life," Angela Hart, manager of NASA's Commercial Low Earth Orbit Development Program, said in NASA's announcement.
The milestones involved passing a series of tests on Orbital Reef's regenerative system. This system will provide clean air and water for humans to breathe and drink while on the space station. (3/22)
Private Satellite Operators Make Case for Helping Military Track Ground Targets (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Air Force and the Space Force are working with the NRO to develop a dedicated constellation of sensor satellites specifically designed for Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI). This technology would replace the large radar surveillance aircraft like JSTARS previously used by the Air Force to track the movement of troops and vehicles on the ground.
At the same time, hundreds of commercial remote sensing satellites are orbiting the Earth, leading industry executives to question whether the military should leverage these commercial systems for GMTI. They pointed out that while military systems optimized for persistent custody of specific targets will still be required, regularly updated commercial imagery could potentially handle general monitoring of areas of interest and tracking of slower-moving targets and patterns of life. (3/23)
NASA Conducts Full-Duration Artemis Moon Rocket Engine Test (Source: NASA)
NASA continued a key RS-25 engine test series for future Artemis flights of the agency’s powerful SLS (Space Launch System) rocket March 22 with a hot fire on the Fred Haise Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. It marked the 10th hot fire in a 12-test series to certify production of new RS-25 engines by lead contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3 Harris Technologies company. (3/22)
Largest Map of the Universe Includes 1,300 Supermassive Black Holes (Source: Cosmos)
Astronomers have created a new map of the universe which includes 1.3 million supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the center of galaxies. SMBHs have a mass between 100,000 and 10 billion times that of our own Sun. (3/19)
March 24, 2024
California Must Invest More in the
Space Industry, Say State’s Members of US House and Senate (Source:
OC Register)
Several dozen members of California’s congressional delegation asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to prioritize investment in the space industry, part of a move among leaders responding to recent job cuts and funding shortfalls. In their letter, 40 House members and the state’s two senators emphasized the need for greater state leadership and continued investment, which they said will bring to California high-paying jobs and large economic growth.
California has a rich heritage of spaceflight, said Madhu Thangavelu, a lecturer of astronautical engineering at the University of Southern California. The state, instrumental in landing men on the moon in the space race, is home to offices or headquarters of several industry heavyweights, including Boeing, Northrop Grumman, NASA and SpaceX.
“No other state could compete with California because of our heritage,” he said. “There’s a whole culture around human spaceflight that exists in all of California.” Since 2019, California has invested $625 million in more than 25 counties in the defense and space industry through various programs, said Newsom spokesperson Omar Rodriguez, including those that offer tax credits to businesses based in the state. (3/23)
Adrianos Golemis First Greek to Succeed in ESA Tests for Astronauts (Source: EuroNews.next)
Adrianos Golemis has passed the European Space Agency (ESA) test to become an astronaut, making him the first Greek to do so. Every year, 22,500 applicants apply for ESA's exams to become an astronaut. Only twenty-five make it through all three rounds. Golemis has passed the first after years working for ESA as a doctor. (3/22)
Finding Atmospheres on Red Dwarf Planets Will Take Hundreds of Hours of Webb Time (Source: Universe Today)
The JWST is enormously powerful. One of the reasons it was launched is to examine exoplanet atmospheres to determine their chemistry, something only a powerful telescope can do. But even the JWST needs time to wield that power effectively, especially when it comes to one of exoplanet science’s most important targets: rocky worlds orbiting red dwarfs.
New research suggests that it could take the capable JWST hundreds of hours of observing time to detect these atmospheres to a greater degree of certainty. The new research is “Do Temperate Rocky Planets Around M Dwarfs Have an Atmosphere?” The sole author is Rene Doyon from the Physics Department at the University of Montreal, Canada. The paper hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet. (3/22)
SpaceX Would Rather Use A Ford F-150 Lightning Than Cybertruck (Source: Jalopnik)
The Ford F-150 Lightning has earned the SpaceX seal of approval before the Tesla Cybertruck, and it has been photographed bearing the livery of Elon Musk’s commercial spaceflight company. It seems even SpaceX would rather rely on Ford’s EV pickup than the Cybertruck when it comes to the serious business of launching rockets and people into space — at least for now, while Tesla is ironing out the kinks in the Cybertruck’s shiny and ill-conceived design.
The Cybertruck has run into a few problems as production of the EV struggles on. It’s been plagued by build quality issues that run the gamut from the threat of rust (or “surface contaminants”) to being immobilized by “critical steering issues.” Point is, the Cybertruck is hardly the EV of choice for an organization when a working vehicle is mission-critical. And that may be why “SpaceX has Ford Lightnings” running around as work trucks. (3/22)
AT&T, AST SpaceMobile Promise 'True Broadband' From Satellite Phone Service (Source: PC Magazine)
AT&T’s plans to launch satellite-to-phone connectivity via its partner AST SpaceMobile don’t feature the rocket fuel of the Apple or SpaceX hype machine, but they do include something absent from the Emergency SOS feature on newer iPhones and early versions of T-Mobile’s planned Starlink service: usable broadband.
AT&T and AST executives made that pitch in a panel Wednesday in Washington. “We solve a real problem,” said Abel Avellan, AST chairman, founder, and CEO. “This is not just going to be texting, it's not just going to be voice, it's going to be true broadband,” added Chris Sambar, AT&T network head. (3/21)
Space Force Sends Congress $1 Billion List of Unfunded Projects (Source: C4ISRnet)
The Space Force asked Congress for more than $1 billion for a largely classified slate of high-priority efforts it didn’t include in its fiscal 2025 budget request. The list, obtained by C4ISRNET, includes $846 million in classified projects. The remaining $305 million is largely focused on improving the resiliency of Space Force systems and training capabilities. (3/22)
Bezos Readies Blue Origin for Its Biggest Test (Source: The Information)
At some point during the second half of this year, Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, will stuff his feet into a pair of cowboy boots and, if everything goes as planned, watch as a rocket made by his space startup, Blue Origin, blasts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The boots are a good luck charm that Bezos wears whenever Blue Origin launches a rocket.
For the launch later this year—the first for a gigantic new rocket called New Glenn—the company can use any advantage it can get. What’s his anticipation level for the launch? “On a scale from 1 to 10, I’m at a 12,” Bezos said, sitting inside a bustling Cuban restaurant on the outskirts of Miami. (3/22)
Europa Clipper May Only Need 1 Ice Grain to Detect Life on Jupiter's Ocean Moon (Source: Space.com)
A single grain of ice ejected from Jupiter's ocean moon Europa, if captured by NASA's forthcoming Europa Clipper spacecraft, could be enough to reveal evidence of alien life, a new experiment suggests. "With suitable instrumentation, such as the SUrface Dust Analyzer on NASA's Europa Clipper space probe, it might be easier than we thought to find life, or traces of it, on icy moons," said Frank Postberg.
Under the assumption that Europa Clipper may also fly through an icy moon plume, scientists investigated whether the spacecraft's Surface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) might be able to detect any life carried up from the ocean on the plume. SUDA is designed to study particles of Europa's surface ice and dust sputtered into space as the moon is constantly bombarded by micrometeorites, but perhaps it could analyze ice grains in the plumes, too. (3/22)
China’s Military is Taking a Strategic Approach to On-Orbit Refueling (Source: Space News)
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is already integrating lessons learned into military doctrine and training tools, while a defense contractor has already demonstrated what it calls a space fuel tanker in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO), according to a report published by the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) March 18. The report underlines that the PLA has a strategic focus on enhancing its on-orbit logistics capabilities and is integrating commercial enterprises into the space sector. These developments have potential implications for international space operations norms and should prompt action by the U.S. Space Force to attain similar capabilities and readiness. (3/22)
NASA Suspends Swift Gamma-Ray Space Telescope Operations (Source: Space.com)
NASA has officially halted science observations conducted by its Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Don't worry, though. The space telescope, which observes some of the most powerful blasts of radiation from the universe's most violent cosmic events, known as "gamma-ray bursts," is only temporarily out of order. NASA placed Swift into safe mode on March 15 as a result of the "degrading performance" of one of the three gyroscopes the space telescope uses to direct itself toward astrophysical sources astronomers want to study. (3/22)
NASA Johnson Space Center to Host Visit by Texas Governor Greg Abbott (Source: NASA)
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will host a Tuesday, March 26, visit by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who will make a major announcement on the future of the space industry in Texas. Abbott will be joined by NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, Texas Representative Greg Bonnen and other state and space industry leaders. (3/22)
Flight Attendant Becomes First Belarusian in Space on Soyuz MS-25 (Source: CollectSpace)
For the first time, a spacecraft has lifted off with a flight attendant aboard, but there will be no drink service during the flight. Marina Vasilevskaya, who also served as a flight instructor for Belavia Airlines in her home country of Belarus, traded her attendant uniform for a Russian Sokol pressure suit to become the first Belarusian to fly into space. On Saturday (March 23), she launched on Russia's Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft with cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky of Roscosmos and NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson on a mission to the ISS. (3/22)
Aerospace Corp. to Invest $100 Million in California Campus, Move Headquarters to Washington D.C. Area (Source: LA Times)
Research and development lab Aerospace Corp. moved its headquarters this week to Virginia from El Segundo but reaffirmed its commitment to its South Bay campus by announcing a $100-million investment there. The federally funded nonprofit corporation, which supports government and private-sector space work, said there would be no “significant relocation of current employees” in the move to Chantilly, Va., where it has another campus, but said industry changes required it. (3/22)
Several dozen members of California’s congressional delegation asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to prioritize investment in the space industry, part of a move among leaders responding to recent job cuts and funding shortfalls. In their letter, 40 House members and the state’s two senators emphasized the need for greater state leadership and continued investment, which they said will bring to California high-paying jobs and large economic growth.
California has a rich heritage of spaceflight, said Madhu Thangavelu, a lecturer of astronautical engineering at the University of Southern California. The state, instrumental in landing men on the moon in the space race, is home to offices or headquarters of several industry heavyweights, including Boeing, Northrop Grumman, NASA and SpaceX.
“No other state could compete with California because of our heritage,” he said. “There’s a whole culture around human spaceflight that exists in all of California.” Since 2019, California has invested $625 million in more than 25 counties in the defense and space industry through various programs, said Newsom spokesperson Omar Rodriguez, including those that offer tax credits to businesses based in the state. (3/23)
Adrianos Golemis First Greek to Succeed in ESA Tests for Astronauts (Source: EuroNews.next)
Adrianos Golemis has passed the European Space Agency (ESA) test to become an astronaut, making him the first Greek to do so. Every year, 22,500 applicants apply for ESA's exams to become an astronaut. Only twenty-five make it through all three rounds. Golemis has passed the first after years working for ESA as a doctor. (3/22)
Finding Atmospheres on Red Dwarf Planets Will Take Hundreds of Hours of Webb Time (Source: Universe Today)
The JWST is enormously powerful. One of the reasons it was launched is to examine exoplanet atmospheres to determine their chemistry, something only a powerful telescope can do. But even the JWST needs time to wield that power effectively, especially when it comes to one of exoplanet science’s most important targets: rocky worlds orbiting red dwarfs.
New research suggests that it could take the capable JWST hundreds of hours of observing time to detect these atmospheres to a greater degree of certainty. The new research is “Do Temperate Rocky Planets Around M Dwarfs Have an Atmosphere?” The sole author is Rene Doyon from the Physics Department at the University of Montreal, Canada. The paper hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet. (3/22)
SpaceX Would Rather Use A Ford F-150 Lightning Than Cybertruck (Source: Jalopnik)
The Ford F-150 Lightning has earned the SpaceX seal of approval before the Tesla Cybertruck, and it has been photographed bearing the livery of Elon Musk’s commercial spaceflight company. It seems even SpaceX would rather rely on Ford’s EV pickup than the Cybertruck when it comes to the serious business of launching rockets and people into space — at least for now, while Tesla is ironing out the kinks in the Cybertruck’s shiny and ill-conceived design.
The Cybertruck has run into a few problems as production of the EV struggles on. It’s been plagued by build quality issues that run the gamut from the threat of rust (or “surface contaminants”) to being immobilized by “critical steering issues.” Point is, the Cybertruck is hardly the EV of choice for an organization when a working vehicle is mission-critical. And that may be why “SpaceX has Ford Lightnings” running around as work trucks. (3/22)
AT&T, AST SpaceMobile Promise 'True Broadband' From Satellite Phone Service (Source: PC Magazine)
AT&T’s plans to launch satellite-to-phone connectivity via its partner AST SpaceMobile don’t feature the rocket fuel of the Apple or SpaceX hype machine, but they do include something absent from the Emergency SOS feature on newer iPhones and early versions of T-Mobile’s planned Starlink service: usable broadband.
AT&T and AST executives made that pitch in a panel Wednesday in Washington. “We solve a real problem,” said Abel Avellan, AST chairman, founder, and CEO. “This is not just going to be texting, it's not just going to be voice, it's going to be true broadband,” added Chris Sambar, AT&T network head. (3/21)
Space Force Sends Congress $1 Billion List of Unfunded Projects (Source: C4ISRnet)
The Space Force asked Congress for more than $1 billion for a largely classified slate of high-priority efforts it didn’t include in its fiscal 2025 budget request. The list, obtained by C4ISRNET, includes $846 million in classified projects. The remaining $305 million is largely focused on improving the resiliency of Space Force systems and training capabilities. (3/22)
Bezos Readies Blue Origin for Its Biggest Test (Source: The Information)
At some point during the second half of this year, Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder, will stuff his feet into a pair of cowboy boots and, if everything goes as planned, watch as a rocket made by his space startup, Blue Origin, blasts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The boots are a good luck charm that Bezos wears whenever Blue Origin launches a rocket.
For the launch later this year—the first for a gigantic new rocket called New Glenn—the company can use any advantage it can get. What’s his anticipation level for the launch? “On a scale from 1 to 10, I’m at a 12,” Bezos said, sitting inside a bustling Cuban restaurant on the outskirts of Miami. (3/22)
Europa Clipper May Only Need 1 Ice Grain to Detect Life on Jupiter's Ocean Moon (Source: Space.com)
A single grain of ice ejected from Jupiter's ocean moon Europa, if captured by NASA's forthcoming Europa Clipper spacecraft, could be enough to reveal evidence of alien life, a new experiment suggests. "With suitable instrumentation, such as the SUrface Dust Analyzer on NASA's Europa Clipper space probe, it might be easier than we thought to find life, or traces of it, on icy moons," said Frank Postberg.
Under the assumption that Europa Clipper may also fly through an icy moon plume, scientists investigated whether the spacecraft's Surface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) might be able to detect any life carried up from the ocean on the plume. SUDA is designed to study particles of Europa's surface ice and dust sputtered into space as the moon is constantly bombarded by micrometeorites, but perhaps it could analyze ice grains in the plumes, too. (3/22)
China’s Military is Taking a Strategic Approach to On-Orbit Refueling (Source: Space News)
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is already integrating lessons learned into military doctrine and training tools, while a defense contractor has already demonstrated what it calls a space fuel tanker in geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO), according to a report published by the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) March 18. The report underlines that the PLA has a strategic focus on enhancing its on-orbit logistics capabilities and is integrating commercial enterprises into the space sector. These developments have potential implications for international space operations norms and should prompt action by the U.S. Space Force to attain similar capabilities and readiness. (3/22)
NASA Suspends Swift Gamma-Ray Space Telescope Operations (Source: Space.com)
NASA has officially halted science observations conducted by its Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Don't worry, though. The space telescope, which observes some of the most powerful blasts of radiation from the universe's most violent cosmic events, known as "gamma-ray bursts," is only temporarily out of order. NASA placed Swift into safe mode on March 15 as a result of the "degrading performance" of one of the three gyroscopes the space telescope uses to direct itself toward astrophysical sources astronomers want to study. (3/22)
NASA Johnson Space Center to Host Visit by Texas Governor Greg Abbott (Source: NASA)
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will host a Tuesday, March 26, visit by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who will make a major announcement on the future of the space industry in Texas. Abbott will be joined by NASA Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, Texas Representative Greg Bonnen and other state and space industry leaders. (3/22)
Flight Attendant Becomes First Belarusian in Space on Soyuz MS-25 (Source: CollectSpace)
For the first time, a spacecraft has lifted off with a flight attendant aboard, but there will be no drink service during the flight. Marina Vasilevskaya, who also served as a flight instructor for Belavia Airlines in her home country of Belarus, traded her attendant uniform for a Russian Sokol pressure suit to become the first Belarusian to fly into space. On Saturday (March 23), she launched on Russia's Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft with cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky of Roscosmos and NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson on a mission to the ISS. (3/22)
Aerospace Corp. to Invest $100 Million in California Campus, Move Headquarters to Washington D.C. Area (Source: LA Times)
Research and development lab Aerospace Corp. moved its headquarters this week to Virginia from El Segundo but reaffirmed its commitment to its South Bay campus by announcing a $100-million investment there. The federally funded nonprofit corporation, which supports government and private-sector space work, said there would be no “significant relocation of current employees” in the move to Chantilly, Va., where it has another campus, but said industry changes required it. (3/22)
March 23, 2024
The Future of the Space Force Isn’t on
Earth — it’s in the Solar System (Source: Space News)
it is clear that the United States Space Force, while dominated by old thinking, still doesn’t know what it wants to be when it grows up, and is split among multiple different areas of focus. The challenge is that it has to grow up fast. It seems the Force’s leadership are of three minds: those who look down, focusing on ground operations, those who look around at orbital space and those who look up and out. Click here. (3/20)
Amid Rising Anger at Boeing, Board Members Will Hold Customer Meetings Without CEO (Source: Fortune)
Boeing directors plan to meet with top executives from some of their largest customers, who are growing increasingly frustrated about the planemaker’s crisis tearing into their business. Dave Calhoun, Boeing’s chief executive officer, will not participate in the gatherings set to begin next week, said people familiar with the matter. Larry Kellner, the chairman of Boeing’s board, is spearheading the unusual listening tour and will be joined by two to three other directors for each session. (3/21)
Boeing Asks Court to Block Virgin Galactic From Using Its Data (Source: Bloomberg)
Boeing is seeking a court order to block further use of its trade secrets by Virgin Galactic after the companies stopped working together on a space tourism project. The proprietary data was shared with Virgin Galactic when it engaged Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences unit to help develop a so-called Mothership jet carrier. But after the companies ended their collaboration last year, Virgin Galactic refused to honor its contractual promise to destroy two sets of trade secrets, according to a complaint the US planemaker filed in federal court in eastern Virginia. (3/21)
Why It’s So Challenging to Land Upright on the Moon (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Why is there a sudden epidemic of spacecraft rolling on the moon like Olympic gymnasts performing floor routines? Is it really that difficult to land upright there? On the internet and elsewhere, people pointed to the height of the Odysseus lander — 14 feet from the bottom of the landing feet to the solar arrays at the top — as a contributing factor for its off-kilter touchdown. Had Intuitive Machines, the maker of Odysseus, made an obvious error in building the spacecraft that way?
The company’s officials provide an engineering rationale for the tall, skinny design, but those internet commenters do have a point. Something tall falls over more easily than an object that is short and squat. And on the moon, where the pull of gravity is just one-sixth as strong as on Earth, the propensity to tip over is even greater. Philip Metzger at the University of Central Florida explained that Odysseus was supposed to land vertically with zero horizontal velocity, but because of problems with the navigation system, it was still moving sideways when it hit the ground.
“Intuition that’s based on Earth is now a liability,” Metzger said. He gave the example of trying to push over the refrigerator in your kitchen. “It’s so heavy that a slight push is not going to push it over,” Metzger said. But if you replace it with a piece of Styrofoam in the shape of a refrigerator, mimicking the weight of a real refrigerator in lunar gravity, “then a very light push will push it over,” Metzger said. His calculations suggested that for a spacecraft like Odysseus, the landing legs need to be splayed about 2 1/2 times as wide on the moon as on the Earth to counteract the same amount of sideways motion. (3/10)
FAA Looks at Batch Licensing for Starship (Source: Payload)
Going forward, the FAA will look to ease Starship’s launch approval process. “We’re trying to work with them to get them on a different program, if you will, in terms of how we approve their launches going forward,” FAA's Kelvin Coleman said. “We want to get away from the launch-by-launch approvals and get more into what Part 450 was really designed for, which is an approval of a portfolio of launches.” (3/18)
NASA, Health and Human Services Highlight Cancer Moonshot Progress (Source: NASA)
During an event at NASA Headquarters in Washington Thursday, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra united to note progress their respective agencies are making in space and on Earth toward President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative.
Nelson noted several related experiments space station astronauts have conducted aboard the orbital laboratory for the benefit of all including protein crystal growth, nanoparticle drug delivery, tissue engineering, and stem cell research. In addition to $2.9 billion across HHS in the President’s fiscal year 2025 budget proposal, Becerra discussed his agency’s capabilities to accelerate progress toward the President’s moonshot goals. NASA is working with HHS and researchers across the federal government to help cut the nation’s cancer death rate by at least 50% in the next 25 years, a goal of the Cancer Moonshot Initiative. (3/21)
"Woke?" Australian Space Diversity Alliance Launched to Promote Diversity in Space (Source: Defense Connect)
The Australian Space Diversity Alliance (ASDA) said it aims to support senior leaders and minimise the barriers that marginalised groups face. It comes after a series of reports have shown the sector is lagging behind others in regard to gender disparity, and alongside a talent shortage critics say can only be overcome with a more diverse intake. ASDA was founded by eight industry figures, including Defence Council of Victoria’s Anntonette Dailey, ANU’s Dr Cassandra Steer, and Raytheon’s Linda Spurr. (3/21)
ISRO Successfully Carries Out 'Pushpak' Reusable Launch Vehicle Experiment (Source: Swarajya)
India successfully carried out the landing mission of its Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) named 'Pushpak' from the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR). "ISRO nails it again! Pushpak (RLV-TD), the winged vehicle, landed autonomously with precision on the runway after being released from an off-nominal position," ISRO wrote. The experiment RLV-LEX-02, second of the series, was conducted Friday. (3/22)
AT&T Underlines Support for Realizing Direct-to-Smartphone Satellite Service (Source: Space News)
AT&T is prepared to provide more funds to help get AST SpaceMobile’s direct-to-smartphone constellation plans off the ground. AST SpaceMobile raised $155 million from AT&T and other investors in January, but the satellite operator needs more capital to provide 5G connectivity globally from low Earth orbit to phones and other devices outside cell tower coverage. (3/22)
it is clear that the United States Space Force, while dominated by old thinking, still doesn’t know what it wants to be when it grows up, and is split among multiple different areas of focus. The challenge is that it has to grow up fast. It seems the Force’s leadership are of three minds: those who look down, focusing on ground operations, those who look around at orbital space and those who look up and out. Click here. (3/20)
Amid Rising Anger at Boeing, Board Members Will Hold Customer Meetings Without CEO (Source: Fortune)
Boeing directors plan to meet with top executives from some of their largest customers, who are growing increasingly frustrated about the planemaker’s crisis tearing into their business. Dave Calhoun, Boeing’s chief executive officer, will not participate in the gatherings set to begin next week, said people familiar with the matter. Larry Kellner, the chairman of Boeing’s board, is spearheading the unusual listening tour and will be joined by two to three other directors for each session. (3/21)
Boeing Asks Court to Block Virgin Galactic From Using Its Data (Source: Bloomberg)
Boeing is seeking a court order to block further use of its trade secrets by Virgin Galactic after the companies stopped working together on a space tourism project. The proprietary data was shared with Virgin Galactic when it engaged Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences unit to help develop a so-called Mothership jet carrier. But after the companies ended their collaboration last year, Virgin Galactic refused to honor its contractual promise to destroy two sets of trade secrets, according to a complaint the US planemaker filed in federal court in eastern Virginia. (3/21)
Why It’s So Challenging to Land Upright on the Moon (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Why is there a sudden epidemic of spacecraft rolling on the moon like Olympic gymnasts performing floor routines? Is it really that difficult to land upright there? On the internet and elsewhere, people pointed to the height of the Odysseus lander — 14 feet from the bottom of the landing feet to the solar arrays at the top — as a contributing factor for its off-kilter touchdown. Had Intuitive Machines, the maker of Odysseus, made an obvious error in building the spacecraft that way?
The company’s officials provide an engineering rationale for the tall, skinny design, but those internet commenters do have a point. Something tall falls over more easily than an object that is short and squat. And on the moon, where the pull of gravity is just one-sixth as strong as on Earth, the propensity to tip over is even greater. Philip Metzger at the University of Central Florida explained that Odysseus was supposed to land vertically with zero horizontal velocity, but because of problems with the navigation system, it was still moving sideways when it hit the ground.
“Intuition that’s based on Earth is now a liability,” Metzger said. He gave the example of trying to push over the refrigerator in your kitchen. “It’s so heavy that a slight push is not going to push it over,” Metzger said. But if you replace it with a piece of Styrofoam in the shape of a refrigerator, mimicking the weight of a real refrigerator in lunar gravity, “then a very light push will push it over,” Metzger said. His calculations suggested that for a spacecraft like Odysseus, the landing legs need to be splayed about 2 1/2 times as wide on the moon as on the Earth to counteract the same amount of sideways motion. (3/10)
FAA Looks at Batch Licensing for Starship (Source: Payload)
Going forward, the FAA will look to ease Starship’s launch approval process. “We’re trying to work with them to get them on a different program, if you will, in terms of how we approve their launches going forward,” FAA's Kelvin Coleman said. “We want to get away from the launch-by-launch approvals and get more into what Part 450 was really designed for, which is an approval of a portfolio of launches.” (3/18)
NASA, Health and Human Services Highlight Cancer Moonshot Progress (Source: NASA)
During an event at NASA Headquarters in Washington Thursday, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra united to note progress their respective agencies are making in space and on Earth toward President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative.
Nelson noted several related experiments space station astronauts have conducted aboard the orbital laboratory for the benefit of all including protein crystal growth, nanoparticle drug delivery, tissue engineering, and stem cell research. In addition to $2.9 billion across HHS in the President’s fiscal year 2025 budget proposal, Becerra discussed his agency’s capabilities to accelerate progress toward the President’s moonshot goals. NASA is working with HHS and researchers across the federal government to help cut the nation’s cancer death rate by at least 50% in the next 25 years, a goal of the Cancer Moonshot Initiative. (3/21)
"Woke?" Australian Space Diversity Alliance Launched to Promote Diversity in Space (Source: Defense Connect)
The Australian Space Diversity Alliance (ASDA) said it aims to support senior leaders and minimise the barriers that marginalised groups face. It comes after a series of reports have shown the sector is lagging behind others in regard to gender disparity, and alongside a talent shortage critics say can only be overcome with a more diverse intake. ASDA was founded by eight industry figures, including Defence Council of Victoria’s Anntonette Dailey, ANU’s Dr Cassandra Steer, and Raytheon’s Linda Spurr. (3/21)
ISRO Successfully Carries Out 'Pushpak' Reusable Launch Vehicle Experiment (Source: Swarajya)
India successfully carried out the landing mission of its Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) named 'Pushpak' from the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR). "ISRO nails it again! Pushpak (RLV-TD), the winged vehicle, landed autonomously with precision on the runway after being released from an off-nominal position," ISRO wrote. The experiment RLV-LEX-02, second of the series, was conducted Friday. (3/22)
AT&T Underlines Support for Realizing Direct-to-Smartphone Satellite Service (Source: Space News)
AT&T is prepared to provide more funds to help get AST SpaceMobile’s direct-to-smartphone constellation plans off the ground. AST SpaceMobile raised $155 million from AT&T and other investors in January, but the satellite operator needs more capital to provide 5G connectivity globally from low Earth orbit to phones and other devices outside cell tower coverage. (3/22)
March 22, 2024
Starship Could Threaten Small Launch
Providers (Source: Ars Technica)
Officials from several companies operating or developing small satellite launch vehicles are worried that SpaceX's giant Starship rocket could have a big impact on their marketability. Starship's ability to haul more than 100 metric tons of payload mass into low-Earth orbit will be attractive not just for customers with heavy satellites but also for those with smaller spacecraft. Aggregating numerous smallsats on Starship will mean lower prices than dedicated small satellite launch companies can offer and could encourage customers to build larger satellites with cheaper parts, further eroding business opportunities for small launch providers. (3/22)
Night Flight for Astrobotic's Xodiac (Source: Ars Technica)
The Xodiac rocket, a small terrestrial vertical takeoff and vertical landing technology testbed, made its first night flight. The liquid-fueled Xodiac is designed for vertical hops and can host prototype sensors and other payloads, particularly instruments in development to assist in precision landings on other worlds. This first tethered night flight of Xodiac in Mojave, California, was in preparation for upcoming flight testing with the NASA TechLeap Prize’s Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge. These flights will begin in April, allowing NASA to test the ability of sensors to map a landing field designed to simulate the Moon's surface in near-total darkness. (3/22)
Xodiac has completed more than 160 successful flights, dating back to the vehicle's original owner, Masten Space Systems. Masten filed for bankruptcy in 2022, and the company was acquired by Astrobotic a couple of months later. Astrobotic's primary business area is in developing and flying robotic Moon landers, so it has a keen interest in mastering automated landing and navigation technologies like those it is testing with NASA on Xodiac. David Masten, founder of Masten Space Systems, is now chief engineer for Astrobotic's propulsion and test department. "The teams will demonstrate their systems over the LSPG (Lunar Surface Proving Ground) at night to simulate landing on the Moon during the lunar night or in shadowed craters." (3/22)
A Rare Countdown Abort for Soyuz (Source: Ars Technica)
On Thursday, a crew of three people was due to launch on a Soyuz rocket bound for the International Space Station. However, the launch scrubbed at about 20 seconds before the planned liftoff time, just before the sequence to ignite the rocket's engines was initiated, due to unspecified issues, Ars reports. The three people inside the Soyuz spacecraft, on top of the rocket, were NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus. (3/22)
GITAI's Robotic System Triumphs in ISS Demo (Source: Space Daily)
GITAI USA Inc. reports the completion of its technological demonstration, which involved a 1.5-meter-long autonomous dual robotic arm system (S2) performing tasks outside the International Space Station (ISS). This demonstration represents a critical advancement in on-orbit satellite servicing, demonstrating capabilities critical for satellite maintenance, repair, and assembly in space. (3/20)
NASA Industry Team Advances Lidar Technology for Earth and Lunar Missions (Source: Space Daily)
This summer, NASA engineers will embark on airborne tests of innovative laser technologies designed for Earth science and potentially enhancing lunar exploration models. These instruments, based on light detection and ranging (lidar) technology, promise to refine the accuracy of models depicting the Moon's topography and identify suitable landing areas for the Artemis missions. (3/22)
Study Shows Bed Rest Simulating Space Affects Human Gene Rhythms (Source: Space Daily)
A study has revealed that simulated microgravity conditions, akin to those experienced by astronauts, cause disruptions in the natural rhythms of gene expression in humans. This simulation was achieved through 60 days of bed rest, providing insights into the molecular changes that occur in space. The study underscores the effects of microgravity on human physiology, which includes immune system weakening, inflammation escalation, and the decline of muscle mass and bone density. (3/20)
Antaris and SpeQtral Unveil Quantum Encryption Satellite Collaboration (Source: Space Daily)
Antaris, a supplier of military space mission software, has teamed up with SpeQtral, specialists in quantum key distribution (QKD), to manufacture and deploy satellites equipped with quantum-safe key distribution technology for both government and commercial use. The collaboration includes merging SpeQtral's cutting-edge quantum payloads with Antaris's SatOS space vehicle software and partner bus platforms, setting a new standard in the field. (3/19)
General Atomics Partners with Lockheed Martin for Next-Gen Missile Tracking Satellites (Source: Space Daily)
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has been selected by Lockheed Martin Space to supply missile warning, tracking, and defense payloads. These systems are essential components of Lockheed Martin's project under the Space Development Agency's (SDA) Tranche 2 Tracking Layer Program, which involves deploying 18 satellites. (3/19)
Congress Scrambles to Pass $1.2T Spending Bill (Source: New York Times)
Congressional leaders have unveiled a $1.2 trillion spending bill to fund the government until September, amid uncertainty about avoiding a partial shutdown over the weekend. Facing a Friday midnight deadline to prevent funding lapses for significant agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon, lawmakers are hastening to pass the bill. (3/21)
A SpaceX Cargo Dragon Launched to the ISS (Source: Space News)
A Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport Thursday and placed the CRS-30 Dragon into orbit. The Dragon, carrying more than 2,800 kilograms of cargo, is scheduled to dock with the ISS Saturday morning. The launch was the first to use a new crew tower at Space Launch Complex 40, which SpaceX built to provide a backup to Launch Complex 39A. (3/22)
Final FY-24 Spending Bill Would Reduce Space Force Budget (Source: Space News)
A final fiscal year 2024 spending bill would reduce the Space Force's budget by $1 billion relative to what it requested. The bill, released early Thursday, would provide the service with $29 billion, about $1 billion less than what the Biden administration had requested but still some $2.7 billion more than Space Force received for 2023. The bill cuts the Space Force's procurement account request by $600 million and its research, development, testing and engineering account by $400 million.
The bill, though, does increase funding for National Security Space Launch research and development as well as Tactically Responsive Space. A big winner in the 2024 defense bill is the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which gets a an $842 million increase. The House and Senate are expected to take up the bill today to avert a partial government shutdown. (3/22)
Space Command to Improve GEO Object Tracking (Source: Space News)
The head of U.S. Space Command says the military plans to improve its abilities to track objects in geosynchronous orbit. With a growing need for better space domain awareness, the Pentagon wants additional satellites acting as eyes and ears in the GEO belt, Gen. Stephen Whiting said Thursday. The U.S. Space Force is modernizing ground-based sensors, such as a deep space radar, that are critical to monitoring the GEO belt. The Space Force and the intelligence community are also working on new surveillance satellites to keep a closer eye on potential threats such as anti-satellite weapons. (3/22)
NRO to Support Agile Launch Innovation (Source: Space News)
The National Reconnaissance Office is seeking new technologies to support its launch operations. The NRO's Office of Space Launch recently issued a Broad Area Announcement (BAA) seeking proposals for its "Agile Launch Innovation and Strategic Technology Advancement" program. The BAA covers topics such as in-space mobility and refueling as well as artificial intelligence for ground operations. The BAA comes as the NRO performed the final launch under a five-launch contract with Rocket Lab early Thursday under a Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR) contract. (3/22)
Undersea Cable Cuts Bolster Interest in Rivada's Constellation (Source: Space News)
Rivada Space Networks says a recent series of undersea internet cable cuts has bolstered interest in its satellite constellation .Rivada CEO Declan Ganley claimed that enterprises have been flocking to the company to learn how its proposed constellation of up to 600 satellites could provide redundancy for their networks. While he said Rivada had MOUs worth more than $7 billion from potential customers, he provided few specifics on financing for that constellation. That constellation would be built by Terran Orbital, and Terran CEO Marc Bell said Rivada remains current on all invoices ahead of plans to deploy two or four prototype spacecraft before the end of the year. (3/22)
Hanwha Phasor Adds Product to Burgeoning Broadband Terminal Market (Source: Space News)
Hanwha Phasor plans to release its first flat panel antenna this summer to join a wave of multi-orbit broadband terminals coming to the market. The company's Phasor L3300B is designed to connect land vehicles for government and commercial users seeking connectivity from Ku-band satellites in GEO or LEO.
Hybrid antennas promise customers greater network redundancy and the flexibility to access the strengths of various orbital regimes without the need for multiple terminals, making them particularly suitable for vehicles on the move. The company says it is talking with potential military customers across the United States, Europe and South Korea, and expects to start taking orders in the next three months. (3/22)
Amid Mixed Mixed Financial Results, Intuitive Machines Plans Second Lunar Lander Mission (Source: Space News)
Intuitive Machines is looking ahead to its next lunar lander mission and other contracts. The company reported Thursday an operating loss of $56.2 million in 2023, but said its cash balance grew since the start of the year from $4.5 million to $54.6 million after the exercise of stock warrants and other investments. The company is continuing to review data from the IM-1 lunar lander mission and says it still expects to launch IM-2 by the end of the year. Intuitive Machines is also looking to win additional business, such as upcoming NASA contracts for an Artemis lunar rover and cislunar communications services. (3/22)
India Performs Launcher Landing Test (Source: PTI)
India performed another landing test of a reusable launch vehicle prototype. The RLV-LEX-02 vehicle, an unpowered winged vehicle, was dropped from a helicopter Friday from an altitude of 4,500 meters and glided to a runway landing. The vehicle is intended to test landing technologies that could be used on a future reusable launcher. (3/22)
India's Angikul Cosmos Postpones Suborbital Launch Demo (Source: Express News)
An Indian startup has postponed the launch of a suborbital vehicle. Agnikul Cosmos has planned to launch its Sub Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) mission Friday from a launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, but called off the launch after "certain minor observations" in the vehicle during launch preparations, details of which the company did not disclose. Agnikul Cosmos did not disclose a new launch date. The SOrTeD mission is intended to test systems the company plans to use in the Agnibaan small launch vehicle it is developing. (3/22)
Caltech to Develop Space Exploration Center (Source: LA Times)
A $100 million donation to Caltech will fund a new center to develop exploration technologies with a "SpaceX vibe." Caltech said Thursday that the donation from financier Gary Brinson will allow it establish the Brinson Exploration Hub, which will focus on development of technologies for space and Earth applications. The center will take on a more iterative approach to technology development with a higher tolerance for risk. (3/22)
Astronomers Seek to Preserve Lunar Farside Shielding (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers are meeting this week to find ways to preserve the far side of the moon for radio astronomy. The meeting in Italy by the International Academy of Astronautics is intended to study how to keep the lunar farside, shielded from terrestrial radio emissions, radio-quiet as exploration of the moon increases. Astronomers want to preserve that environment to support future radio telescopes there that could better observe the universe. (3/22)
ISS National Lab-Sponsored Optical Glass Fabrication Moves the Future of In-Space Manufacturing (Source: CASIS)
New fiber optics experiments sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory launched on Northrop Grumman’s 20th Commercial Resupply Services (NG-20) mission. These experiments will test Flawless Photonics, Inc.'s unique approach to solving the issue of gravity-induced defects in optical glass products manufactured on Earth. (3/21)
DoD Innovation Unit to Assess Firefly Vehicle for Missions Beyond Earth Orbit (Source: Space News)
The Defense Innovation Unit announced March 21 it has signed an agreement with Firefly Aerospace to study the potential use of the company’s Elytra orbital vehicle for missions beyond geosynchronous Earth orbit. The Pentagon’s commercial technology arm, DIU awarded Firefly a study contract that, once complete, could lead to as many as two flight demonstration missions in the region between GEO orbit and the moon, known as cislunar space. (3/21)
SpaceX Retaliated Against Employees Who Discussed Pay, Labor Board Says (Source: Quartz)
SpaceX is facing new labor-related allegations. Officials at the National Labor Relations Board say SpaceX engaged in unfair labor practices after it retaliated against its employees in December of 2022. SpaceX “interfered with, restrained and coerced its employees” from discussing “wages, hours, or conditions of employment,” the NLRB said in its filing. Employees that came together to discuss salaries and employment terms were then fired, the agency said.
NLRB also alleged that SpaceX maintained a hostile work environment that discouraged workers from contacting NLRB. The space company has an estimated 9500 employees, NLRB says. (3/21)
High School Students Contribute to Exoplanet Discovery (Source: SETI Institute)
In a project aimed at democratizing science and fostering educational enrichment, a group of high school students from the Galaxy Explorer program at the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California, made contributions to the field of exoplanet research. Researchers from the SETI Institute worked with the students to use backpack-sized digital smart telescopes provided by Unistellar; these young citizen scientists played a role in observing and confirming the nature of a warm and dense sub-Saturn planet, known as TIC 139270665 b, orbiting a metal-rich G2 star. (3/21)
Life’s Building Blocks are Surprisingly Stable in Venus-Like Conditions (Source: MIT News)
If there is life in the solar system beyond Earth, it might be found in the clouds of Venus. In contrast to the planet’s blisteringly inhospitable surface, Venus’ cloud layer, which extends from 30 to 40 miles above the surface, hosts milder temperatures that could support some extreme forms of life. A new study reports that, in fact, some key building blocks of life can persist in solutions of concentrated sulfuric acid.
The study’s authors have found that 19 amino acids that are essential to life on Earth are stable for up to four weeks when placed in vials of sulfuric acid at concentrations similar to those in Venus’ clouds. In particular, they found that the molecular “backbone” of all 19 amino acids remained intact in sulfuric acid solutions ranging in concentration from 81 to 98 percent. (3/20)
Pioneering Muscle Monitoring in Space to Help Astronauts Stay Strong in Low-Gravity (Source: University of Southampton)
Astronauts have been able to track their muscle health in spaceflight for the first time using a handheld device, revealing which muscles are most at risk of weakening in low gravity conditions. An international research team monitored the muscle health of twelve astronauts before, during and after a stay on the ISS. Findings indicate that the astronauts’ daily exercise regime was effective in preserving most muscle groups, but crucial lower leg muscles showed signs of deterioration. (3/20)
MDA Space CEO Mike Greenley Wins Satellite Executive of the Year Award (Source: SpaceQ)
At the Satellite 2024 conference in Washington, MDA Space CEO Mike Greenley was announced as the winner of the 2023 Satellite Executive of the Year Award. Greenley was up against some very tough competition that included Chris Kubasik, CEO of L3Harris, Eva Berneke, CEO of Eutelsat Group, Kathy Warden, CEO of Northrop Grumman, Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab, and Stuart Daughtridge, Chairman of the DIFI Consortium. (3/20)
Two Dozen CA Congressional Reps Urge NASA to Commit Funds to Mars Sample Mission (Source: MyNews LA)
Roughly two dozen California congressional representatives sent a letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson Wednesday calling on him to commit at least $650 million to an ambitious Jet Propulsion Laboratory-led mission to collect rock and soil samples from Mars and return them to Earth. The Mars Sample Return mission has fallen victim to budget cutbacks, contributing to the layoffs of more than 500 people at JPL in Pasadena earlier this year. (3/20)
Sierra Space Solar Panels Providing Power for LizzieSat in Low Earth Orbit (Source: Sierra Space)
Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company and emerging defense tech prime building a platform in space to benefit and protect life on Earth, has achieved yet another milestone in space technology by providing the cutting-edge solar technology that powers Sidus Space’s first LizzieSat satellite, which successfully launched and deployed to Low Earth Orbit on March 4. Sierra Space provided a full shipset of eight deployable solar panels and one top plate to Sidus Space. (3/20)
Agnikul's Two-Minute-Long Mission Could Give India a New Launch Vehicle (Source: India Today)
Agnikul Cosmos, a private aerospace company, is all set to conduct the maiden test of its under-development launch vehicle to demonstrate the reliability of a homegrown system. The Sub-Obital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) mission will last just over two minutes, from launch to splashdown, and yet it could pave the way for the next generation of satellite launchers from the country. (3/21)
Starship Could Have a Big Impact on Small Launch Vehicle (Source: Space News)
A large launch vehicle could end up having a big effect on the small launch vehicle market through low prices and encouraging customers to build larger satellites. The emergence of SpaceX’s Starship vehicle, which is designed to place 100 metric tons or more into low Earth orbit, has captured the attention of companies developing vehicles that can place one metric ton or less into orbit because of Starship’s potential to further reshape a market already affected by the company’s Falcon 9.
“Starship for sure will disrupt further the launch business and the space business in general,” said Marino Fragnito, senior vice president and head of the Vega business unit at Arianespace, during a panel at the Satellite 2024 conference March 20. “One scenario is that Musk could really monopolize everything." Starship would seem to be ill-suited for launching smallsats given its massive size. “I think Starship will open new business, like exploration, human spaceflight and commercial space stations,” he said. “I don’t think Starship can launch small satellites or will be used to launch small satellites.” (3/21)
Officials from several companies operating or developing small satellite launch vehicles are worried that SpaceX's giant Starship rocket could have a big impact on their marketability. Starship's ability to haul more than 100 metric tons of payload mass into low-Earth orbit will be attractive not just for customers with heavy satellites but also for those with smaller spacecraft. Aggregating numerous smallsats on Starship will mean lower prices than dedicated small satellite launch companies can offer and could encourage customers to build larger satellites with cheaper parts, further eroding business opportunities for small launch providers. (3/22)
Night Flight for Astrobotic's Xodiac (Source: Ars Technica)
The Xodiac rocket, a small terrestrial vertical takeoff and vertical landing technology testbed, made its first night flight. The liquid-fueled Xodiac is designed for vertical hops and can host prototype sensors and other payloads, particularly instruments in development to assist in precision landings on other worlds. This first tethered night flight of Xodiac in Mojave, California, was in preparation for upcoming flight testing with the NASA TechLeap Prize’s Nighttime Precision Landing Challenge. These flights will begin in April, allowing NASA to test the ability of sensors to map a landing field designed to simulate the Moon's surface in near-total darkness. (3/22)
Xodiac has completed more than 160 successful flights, dating back to the vehicle's original owner, Masten Space Systems. Masten filed for bankruptcy in 2022, and the company was acquired by Astrobotic a couple of months later. Astrobotic's primary business area is in developing and flying robotic Moon landers, so it has a keen interest in mastering automated landing and navigation technologies like those it is testing with NASA on Xodiac. David Masten, founder of Masten Space Systems, is now chief engineer for Astrobotic's propulsion and test department. "The teams will demonstrate their systems over the LSPG (Lunar Surface Proving Ground) at night to simulate landing on the Moon during the lunar night or in shadowed craters." (3/22)
A Rare Countdown Abort for Soyuz (Source: Ars Technica)
On Thursday, a crew of three people was due to launch on a Soyuz rocket bound for the International Space Station. However, the launch scrubbed at about 20 seconds before the planned liftoff time, just before the sequence to ignite the rocket's engines was initiated, due to unspecified issues, Ars reports. The three people inside the Soyuz spacecraft, on top of the rocket, were NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus. (3/22)
GITAI's Robotic System Triumphs in ISS Demo (Source: Space Daily)
GITAI USA Inc. reports the completion of its technological demonstration, which involved a 1.5-meter-long autonomous dual robotic arm system (S2) performing tasks outside the International Space Station (ISS). This demonstration represents a critical advancement in on-orbit satellite servicing, demonstrating capabilities critical for satellite maintenance, repair, and assembly in space. (3/20)
NASA Industry Team Advances Lidar Technology for Earth and Lunar Missions (Source: Space Daily)
This summer, NASA engineers will embark on airborne tests of innovative laser technologies designed for Earth science and potentially enhancing lunar exploration models. These instruments, based on light detection and ranging (lidar) technology, promise to refine the accuracy of models depicting the Moon's topography and identify suitable landing areas for the Artemis missions. (3/22)
Study Shows Bed Rest Simulating Space Affects Human Gene Rhythms (Source: Space Daily)
A study has revealed that simulated microgravity conditions, akin to those experienced by astronauts, cause disruptions in the natural rhythms of gene expression in humans. This simulation was achieved through 60 days of bed rest, providing insights into the molecular changes that occur in space. The study underscores the effects of microgravity on human physiology, which includes immune system weakening, inflammation escalation, and the decline of muscle mass and bone density. (3/20)
Antaris and SpeQtral Unveil Quantum Encryption Satellite Collaboration (Source: Space Daily)
Antaris, a supplier of military space mission software, has teamed up with SpeQtral, specialists in quantum key distribution (QKD), to manufacture and deploy satellites equipped with quantum-safe key distribution technology for both government and commercial use. The collaboration includes merging SpeQtral's cutting-edge quantum payloads with Antaris's SatOS space vehicle software and partner bus platforms, setting a new standard in the field. (3/19)
General Atomics Partners with Lockheed Martin for Next-Gen Missile Tracking Satellites (Source: Space Daily)
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has been selected by Lockheed Martin Space to supply missile warning, tracking, and defense payloads. These systems are essential components of Lockheed Martin's project under the Space Development Agency's (SDA) Tranche 2 Tracking Layer Program, which involves deploying 18 satellites. (3/19)
Congress Scrambles to Pass $1.2T Spending Bill (Source: New York Times)
Congressional leaders have unveiled a $1.2 trillion spending bill to fund the government until September, amid uncertainty about avoiding a partial shutdown over the weekend. Facing a Friday midnight deadline to prevent funding lapses for significant agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon, lawmakers are hastening to pass the bill. (3/21)
A SpaceX Cargo Dragon Launched to the ISS (Source: Space News)
A Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport Thursday and placed the CRS-30 Dragon into orbit. The Dragon, carrying more than 2,800 kilograms of cargo, is scheduled to dock with the ISS Saturday morning. The launch was the first to use a new crew tower at Space Launch Complex 40, which SpaceX built to provide a backup to Launch Complex 39A. (3/22)
Final FY-24 Spending Bill Would Reduce Space Force Budget (Source: Space News)
A final fiscal year 2024 spending bill would reduce the Space Force's budget by $1 billion relative to what it requested. The bill, released early Thursday, would provide the service with $29 billion, about $1 billion less than what the Biden administration had requested but still some $2.7 billion more than Space Force received for 2023. The bill cuts the Space Force's procurement account request by $600 million and its research, development, testing and engineering account by $400 million.
The bill, though, does increase funding for National Security Space Launch research and development as well as Tactically Responsive Space. A big winner in the 2024 defense bill is the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), which gets a an $842 million increase. The House and Senate are expected to take up the bill today to avert a partial government shutdown. (3/22)
Space Command to Improve GEO Object Tracking (Source: Space News)
The head of U.S. Space Command says the military plans to improve its abilities to track objects in geosynchronous orbit. With a growing need for better space domain awareness, the Pentagon wants additional satellites acting as eyes and ears in the GEO belt, Gen. Stephen Whiting said Thursday. The U.S. Space Force is modernizing ground-based sensors, such as a deep space radar, that are critical to monitoring the GEO belt. The Space Force and the intelligence community are also working on new surveillance satellites to keep a closer eye on potential threats such as anti-satellite weapons. (3/22)
NRO to Support Agile Launch Innovation (Source: Space News)
The National Reconnaissance Office is seeking new technologies to support its launch operations. The NRO's Office of Space Launch recently issued a Broad Area Announcement (BAA) seeking proposals for its "Agile Launch Innovation and Strategic Technology Advancement" program. The BAA covers topics such as in-space mobility and refueling as well as artificial intelligence for ground operations. The BAA comes as the NRO performed the final launch under a five-launch contract with Rocket Lab early Thursday under a Rapid Acquisition of a Small Rocket (RASR) contract. (3/22)
Undersea Cable Cuts Bolster Interest in Rivada's Constellation (Source: Space News)
Rivada Space Networks says a recent series of undersea internet cable cuts has bolstered interest in its satellite constellation .Rivada CEO Declan Ganley claimed that enterprises have been flocking to the company to learn how its proposed constellation of up to 600 satellites could provide redundancy for their networks. While he said Rivada had MOUs worth more than $7 billion from potential customers, he provided few specifics on financing for that constellation. That constellation would be built by Terran Orbital, and Terran CEO Marc Bell said Rivada remains current on all invoices ahead of plans to deploy two or four prototype spacecraft before the end of the year. (3/22)
Hanwha Phasor Adds Product to Burgeoning Broadband Terminal Market (Source: Space News)
Hanwha Phasor plans to release its first flat panel antenna this summer to join a wave of multi-orbit broadband terminals coming to the market. The company's Phasor L3300B is designed to connect land vehicles for government and commercial users seeking connectivity from Ku-band satellites in GEO or LEO.
Hybrid antennas promise customers greater network redundancy and the flexibility to access the strengths of various orbital regimes without the need for multiple terminals, making them particularly suitable for vehicles on the move. The company says it is talking with potential military customers across the United States, Europe and South Korea, and expects to start taking orders in the next three months. (3/22)
Amid Mixed Mixed Financial Results, Intuitive Machines Plans Second Lunar Lander Mission (Source: Space News)
Intuitive Machines is looking ahead to its next lunar lander mission and other contracts. The company reported Thursday an operating loss of $56.2 million in 2023, but said its cash balance grew since the start of the year from $4.5 million to $54.6 million after the exercise of stock warrants and other investments. The company is continuing to review data from the IM-1 lunar lander mission and says it still expects to launch IM-2 by the end of the year. Intuitive Machines is also looking to win additional business, such as upcoming NASA contracts for an Artemis lunar rover and cislunar communications services. (3/22)
India Performs Launcher Landing Test (Source: PTI)
India performed another landing test of a reusable launch vehicle prototype. The RLV-LEX-02 vehicle, an unpowered winged vehicle, was dropped from a helicopter Friday from an altitude of 4,500 meters and glided to a runway landing. The vehicle is intended to test landing technologies that could be used on a future reusable launcher. (3/22)
India's Angikul Cosmos Postpones Suborbital Launch Demo (Source: Express News)
An Indian startup has postponed the launch of a suborbital vehicle. Agnikul Cosmos has planned to launch its Sub Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) mission Friday from a launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, but called off the launch after "certain minor observations" in the vehicle during launch preparations, details of which the company did not disclose. Agnikul Cosmos did not disclose a new launch date. The SOrTeD mission is intended to test systems the company plans to use in the Agnibaan small launch vehicle it is developing. (3/22)
Caltech to Develop Space Exploration Center (Source: LA Times)
A $100 million donation to Caltech will fund a new center to develop exploration technologies with a "SpaceX vibe." Caltech said Thursday that the donation from financier Gary Brinson will allow it establish the Brinson Exploration Hub, which will focus on development of technologies for space and Earth applications. The center will take on a more iterative approach to technology development with a higher tolerance for risk. (3/22)
Astronomers Seek to Preserve Lunar Farside Shielding (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers are meeting this week to find ways to preserve the far side of the moon for radio astronomy. The meeting in Italy by the International Academy of Astronautics is intended to study how to keep the lunar farside, shielded from terrestrial radio emissions, radio-quiet as exploration of the moon increases. Astronomers want to preserve that environment to support future radio telescopes there that could better observe the universe. (3/22)
ISS National Lab-Sponsored Optical Glass Fabrication Moves the Future of In-Space Manufacturing (Source: CASIS)
New fiber optics experiments sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory launched on Northrop Grumman’s 20th Commercial Resupply Services (NG-20) mission. These experiments will test Flawless Photonics, Inc.'s unique approach to solving the issue of gravity-induced defects in optical glass products manufactured on Earth. (3/21)
DoD Innovation Unit to Assess Firefly Vehicle for Missions Beyond Earth Orbit (Source: Space News)
The Defense Innovation Unit announced March 21 it has signed an agreement with Firefly Aerospace to study the potential use of the company’s Elytra orbital vehicle for missions beyond geosynchronous Earth orbit. The Pentagon’s commercial technology arm, DIU awarded Firefly a study contract that, once complete, could lead to as many as two flight demonstration missions in the region between GEO orbit and the moon, known as cislunar space. (3/21)
SpaceX Retaliated Against Employees Who Discussed Pay, Labor Board Says (Source: Quartz)
SpaceX is facing new labor-related allegations. Officials at the National Labor Relations Board say SpaceX engaged in unfair labor practices after it retaliated against its employees in December of 2022. SpaceX “interfered with, restrained and coerced its employees” from discussing “wages, hours, or conditions of employment,” the NLRB said in its filing. Employees that came together to discuss salaries and employment terms were then fired, the agency said.
NLRB also alleged that SpaceX maintained a hostile work environment that discouraged workers from contacting NLRB. The space company has an estimated 9500 employees, NLRB says. (3/21)
High School Students Contribute to Exoplanet Discovery (Source: SETI Institute)
In a project aimed at democratizing science and fostering educational enrichment, a group of high school students from the Galaxy Explorer program at the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California, made contributions to the field of exoplanet research. Researchers from the SETI Institute worked with the students to use backpack-sized digital smart telescopes provided by Unistellar; these young citizen scientists played a role in observing and confirming the nature of a warm and dense sub-Saturn planet, known as TIC 139270665 b, orbiting a metal-rich G2 star. (3/21)
Life’s Building Blocks are Surprisingly Stable in Venus-Like Conditions (Source: MIT News)
If there is life in the solar system beyond Earth, it might be found in the clouds of Venus. In contrast to the planet’s blisteringly inhospitable surface, Venus’ cloud layer, which extends from 30 to 40 miles above the surface, hosts milder temperatures that could support some extreme forms of life. A new study reports that, in fact, some key building blocks of life can persist in solutions of concentrated sulfuric acid.
The study’s authors have found that 19 amino acids that are essential to life on Earth are stable for up to four weeks when placed in vials of sulfuric acid at concentrations similar to those in Venus’ clouds. In particular, they found that the molecular “backbone” of all 19 amino acids remained intact in sulfuric acid solutions ranging in concentration from 81 to 98 percent. (3/20)
Pioneering Muscle Monitoring in Space to Help Astronauts Stay Strong in Low-Gravity (Source: University of Southampton)
Astronauts have been able to track their muscle health in spaceflight for the first time using a handheld device, revealing which muscles are most at risk of weakening in low gravity conditions. An international research team monitored the muscle health of twelve astronauts before, during and after a stay on the ISS. Findings indicate that the astronauts’ daily exercise regime was effective in preserving most muscle groups, but crucial lower leg muscles showed signs of deterioration. (3/20)
MDA Space CEO Mike Greenley Wins Satellite Executive of the Year Award (Source: SpaceQ)
At the Satellite 2024 conference in Washington, MDA Space CEO Mike Greenley was announced as the winner of the 2023 Satellite Executive of the Year Award. Greenley was up against some very tough competition that included Chris Kubasik, CEO of L3Harris, Eva Berneke, CEO of Eutelsat Group, Kathy Warden, CEO of Northrop Grumman, Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab, and Stuart Daughtridge, Chairman of the DIFI Consortium. (3/20)
Two Dozen CA Congressional Reps Urge NASA to Commit Funds to Mars Sample Mission (Source: MyNews LA)
Roughly two dozen California congressional representatives sent a letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson Wednesday calling on him to commit at least $650 million to an ambitious Jet Propulsion Laboratory-led mission to collect rock and soil samples from Mars and return them to Earth. The Mars Sample Return mission has fallen victim to budget cutbacks, contributing to the layoffs of more than 500 people at JPL in Pasadena earlier this year. (3/20)
Sierra Space Solar Panels Providing Power for LizzieSat in Low Earth Orbit (Source: Sierra Space)
Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company and emerging defense tech prime building a platform in space to benefit and protect life on Earth, has achieved yet another milestone in space technology by providing the cutting-edge solar technology that powers Sidus Space’s first LizzieSat satellite, which successfully launched and deployed to Low Earth Orbit on March 4. Sierra Space provided a full shipset of eight deployable solar panels and one top plate to Sidus Space. (3/20)
Agnikul's Two-Minute-Long Mission Could Give India a New Launch Vehicle (Source: India Today)
Agnikul Cosmos, a private aerospace company, is all set to conduct the maiden test of its under-development launch vehicle to demonstrate the reliability of a homegrown system. The Sub-Obital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) mission will last just over two minutes, from launch to splashdown, and yet it could pave the way for the next generation of satellite launchers from the country. (3/21)
Starship Could Have a Big Impact on Small Launch Vehicle (Source: Space News)
A large launch vehicle could end up having a big effect on the small launch vehicle market through low prices and encouraging customers to build larger satellites. The emergence of SpaceX’s Starship vehicle, which is designed to place 100 metric tons or more into low Earth orbit, has captured the attention of companies developing vehicles that can place one metric ton or less into orbit because of Starship’s potential to further reshape a market already affected by the company’s Falcon 9.
“Starship for sure will disrupt further the launch business and the space business in general,” said Marino Fragnito, senior vice president and head of the Vega business unit at Arianespace, during a panel at the Satellite 2024 conference March 20. “One scenario is that Musk could really monopolize everything." Starship would seem to be ill-suited for launching smallsats given its massive size. “I think Starship will open new business, like exploration, human spaceflight and commercial space stations,” he said. “I don’t think Starship can launch small satellites or will be used to launch small satellites.” (3/21)
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