August 23, 2017

Internet of Things Startup Helios Wire Raises $4 Million for Satellites (Source: Space News)
Helios Wire, a satellite-enabled Internet of Things startup led by former UrtheCast founder and chief executive Scott Larson, announced Aug. 21 that it closed a $4 million funding round. Helios Wire will use the money to pay for satellites to help customers track and communicate with billions of devices worldwide. (8/22)

The Physics Behind NASA's 'Quiet' Supersonic Jet Design (Source: Quartz)
Getting a plane to fly faster than the speed of sound isn’t the problem—it’s quieting the thunderous sonic boom that’s heard on the ground. In 1973, the US government banned overland commercial supersonic flights. Now NASA and Lockheed Martin think they have a winning design for a quieter supersonic jet, one that will create a hum similar to that of an air conditioner below the flight’s path. Click here. (8/16)

Imagining the Future: How Illustrators Shape Visions of the Future (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
Oftentimes, the public becomes inspired about space by seeing fantastic imagery, photos, and illustrations. Men like Robert McCall, Chesley Bonestell, and Alan Bean have lit the fire of imagination in a million minds. It was with this firmly in mind that SFI sat down with our team of graphic and photo illustrators and asked them: What got them interested in sharing their excitement for space exploration with the world? Click here. (8/22)

MDA’s Canadian Future and the Critical Need for a New Space Strategy (Source: SpaceQ)
“We’re on a cliff.” That’s how Don Osborne, President of MDA’s Information Systems in Canada, described the current status in Canada without a new space strategy in place. But before you get too alarmed, Osborne did say he’s optimistic that the government is listening, which suggests that a new meaningful space strategy is forthcoming. (8/17)

Universal Stakes, Who Owns The Rights For Space Exploitation (Source: Worldcrunch)
Of the 195 countries in the world, only 27 are smaller than Luxembourg. The landlocked country in western Europe has the world’s second highest GDP per capita (more than $104,000). Its lands are rich in iron ore and, since the 1970s, Luxembourg has been promoting itself as a hub of financial services in Europe. The country has had a stable government and is generally welcoming of foreigners. But in the near future — or even today — knowing this much about Luxembourg will not be enough. Click here. (8/18)

India Considers Outsourcing PSLV Rockets to Consortium of Joint Venture (Source: Live Mint)
Known for its low-cost satellite launches, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is looking at a consortium for building launch vehicles to enhance its capacity and capture a larger slice of the global space industry, its chief A.S. Kiran Kumar said on Monday. Kumar emphasised on the building capacity within the organization as well in the domestic industry. “We are trying to increase the number of launches. We are trying to look at a consortium, a joint venture entity, to build launch vehicles,” Kumar said. (8/21)

Lockheed Martin Powers-up Next Orion Spacecraft for First Time (Source: SpaceRef)
Engineers at Lockheed Martin and NASA breathed life into the next Orion crew module when they powered up the spacecraft for the first time at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Designed for human spaceflight, this Orion will be the first to fly more than 40,000 miles beyond the Moon during its nearly three-week Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), a feat that hasn’t been possible before.
 
“Orion was designed from the beginning to take humanity farther into space than we’ve ever gone, and to do this, its systems have to be very robust and reliable,” said Mike Hawes, vice president and Orion program manager at Lockheed Martin. “Over the last year, we’ve built great momentum in assembling the crew module for EM-1. Everyone on the team understands how crucial this test campaign is, and more importantly, what this spacecraft and mission means to our country and future human space flight.”
 
The initial power-on event was the first time the vehicle management computers and the power and data units were installed on the crew module, loaded with flight software and tested. Evaluating these core systems, thought of as the “brain and heart” of the Orion capsule, is the first step in testing all of the crew module subsystems. (8/22)

We Can Get to Mars in 10 Years (Source: CIO)
“Travel light, live off the land, make your own fuel.” These are the key things astronauts must do after they land on Mars, according to American scientist and author, Dr Robert Zubrin. Zubrin, known for his advocacy for the manned exploration and colonisation of a planet that is 54 million kilometres from Earth, was the keynote speaker at the ANZ CIO Forum dinner in Sydney last week.

Zubrin told the audience that the human interplanetary expansion effort is now ready to take off: “turning humanity into a multi-planet species with an open future and open frontier in front of us.” He believes that humans will land on Mars within 10 years of a program launch. Click here. (8/22)

No Aerospace Firms Among Chinese, Russian Entities Sanctioned for North Korea Ties (Source: Space News)
No aerospace firms were among the 16 Chinese and Russia entities the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Aug. 22 for supporting North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The 10 companies and six individuals targeted by Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control are alleged to have conducted  business with North Korea in violation of United Nations’ sanctions aimed at denying Pyongyang outside funding for its weapons programs.

Most of the entities Treasury is targeting are directly or indirectly involved in buying and selling North Korean coal, oil and mineral resources. Treasury also sanctioned firms and individuals involved in sending North Korean laborers abroad to build statutes. The sanctions were announced a week after the New York Times linked North Korea’s recent spate of successful missile tests to black-market purchases of Ukrainian and Russian propulsion technology. (8/22)

Innovation And Modest Growth Mark Space Sector (Source: Aerospace America)
When an Indonesian bank wanted to provide secure online banking to its customers across more than 13,000 islands, it launched its own communications satellite into geosynchronous orbit last year rather than renting a service to cover the 3,000 kilometer service expanse.

The satellite, called BRIsat, short for Bank Rakyat Indonesia, is the first communications satellite dedicated to the activities of a bank, according to the Space Foundation advocacy group in Colorado Springs. The bank judged that it would cost more to pay a different company to relay signals through satellite transponders and ground station. The Space Foundation cites this example in its “Space Report 2017: The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity,” to underscore the variety of corporate strategies in the growing private space sector. Clicke here. (8/21)

Top 5 African Countries with Advanced Space Programs (Source: Face2Face Africa)
Who said space technology is a preserve of the well-to-do economies like America, Europe and Asia? If this is your line of thought, then you are in for a big shock. African space programs have been in existence for more than 50 years. The first attempt by an African to land on the moon was made in 1964 by a Zambian high school teacher Edward Mukuka Nkoloso, who attempted to outdo America and the Soviet Union in the race to land on the moon. Although he did not succeed, his ambitious idea gave rise to the numerous space programs that Africa boasts today. Here are the top five African countries that are currently running advanced space programs. (8/15)

NASA is Designing a Spacecraft That Could Nudge Asteroids Out of Earth’s Way (Source: PRI)
What if we could nudge an asteroid out of our way by shooting a missile at it, changing the asteroid’s orbit just enough to avoid a collision with Earth? With its new Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, NASA is hoping to do just that: The refrigerator-sized missile is now in a preliminary design phase. If built, DART would take aim at an asteroid called Didymos B, which will (non-threateningly) approach Earth in 2022, and again in 2024. Click here. (8/21)

Boeing, Northrop Get Contracts for Nuclear Missile Work (Source: Houston Chronicle)
The Air Force said Monday it has awarded contracts to Boeing Co. and Northrop Grumman Corp. for work that could lead to replacement of the nation's intercontinental ballistic missiles. The contracts are part of a planned overhaul of the U.S. nuclear arsenal that will cost tens of billions of dollars.

The Air Force said that it gave Boeing a $349 million contract and Northrop Grumman a $329 million award to advance the technology needed to replace the Minuteman III missiles that date to the 1970s. The Air Force wants the work done in August 2020. (8/22)

From Boeing to SpaceX: 11 Companies Looking to Shake Uup the Satellite Space (Source: FierceWireless)
The FCC granted WorldVu Satellites Ltd., doing business as OneWeb, permission in June to enter the U.S. satellite market. OneWeb wants to build a constellation of 720 satellites to provide internet services across the world and expects to launch its first satellite next year. But it’s far from the only company with designs on space. Despite earlier attempts at satellite businesses that came and went, new entrants want to take advantage of advancements in technology and give it a go. Click here. (8/21)