September 6, 2017

Chinese Mars Simulation Base Planned for Science, Ecotourism (Source: China.org)
Planners have mapped out a 400-million-yuan ($61 million) development plan to turn a red rock basin in China into a Mars scientific research base and eco-tourism site. Liu Xiaoqun, from the moon and deep-space exploration department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), said on Tuesday that a planning meeting was held in Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Northwest China's Qinghai province to determine the development of the Mars simulation base.

The red rock area in Qaidam basin in western Qinghai has been called the most "Martian" place on Earth, with its natural features, landscape and climate all similar to those on the red planet. The government of Haixi and the Chinese Academy of Sciences signed an agreement in November last year to build the base, and they have since begun discussing the project's location. A number of CAS scientists have participated in the planning of the Mars simulation base in Haixi.

Liu said the base is expected to consist of a "Mars community" and a "Mars campsite." The campsite will have a number of experimental module-like accommodations. It will be built as a one-stop base for experiential learning in aerospace, astronomy, geography and new energy. (9/5)

Commercial Spaceports Planned in Japan (Source: Nikkei)
Japan's first private-sector effort to build rocket-launching facilities is underway as new aerospace legislation paves the way for meeting growth in demand for small observation satellites. Canon Electronics, a Canon unit, has joined IHI subsidiary IHI Aerospace, construction company Shimizu and the state-owned Development Bank of Japan to establish joint venture New Generation Small Rocket Development Planning. The new company had begun scouting potential sites nationwide by Tuesday, aiming to shorten the list in time to embark on operations in fiscal 2018 at the earliest, following government checks.

The government has led Japanese space development. Launches have generally been at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Tanegashima or Uchinoura space centers in Kagoshima Prefecture in the south. With the new effort, candidates would need to meet such conditions as having open shore or outlying islands to the south, and no people or buildings within 1km of the launch point. Some see construction costs reaching tens of billions of yen, or hundreds of millions of dollars, depending on scale. Options include jointly owning sites with local municipalities, as well as setting up public-private ventures.

A private-sector launch site could operate on the client's schedule, unhindered by government satellite launch plans. Such facilities would demand heavy investment in exchange for self-sufficiency. New aerospace business legislation that takes partial effect this autumn requires potential civilian launch sites to be checked for safety and receive government approval. Private-sector launch sites are uncommon in the world at large. Click here. (9/6)

Why the New Space Race Must Focus on Sustainability (Source: World Economic Forum)
There are roughly 1,500 satellites orbiting Earth right now, providing a wide array of data and services that are critical to human societies. They contribute information that’s vital for the environment, education, food security, public health, water resource management, human rights, disaster relief and nuclear security. The Global Position System, for example, is estimated to have benefited the US economy by more than $55 billion in 2013 alone.

Space-derived services not only improve the efficiency and effectiveness of many terrestrial activities but also provide much of the information and understanding needed to prevent and mitigate a variety of risks. At the same time, the field of space is experiencing rapid changes. There are a growing number of governments, companies, and other entities starting to get involved in space, and some are exploring new types of activities and capabilities that could in the future bring massive and new benefits. Click here. (9/4)

Lockheed Coupling Orion With Future Exploration Systems (Source: Aviation Week)
Lockheed Martin is pursuing a close integration between the Orion crew capsule it is developing for NASA and the proposed lunar-orbiting Deep Space Gateway (DSG) and follow-on Deep Space Transport (DST) intended to carry astronauts on long journeys to Mars and other deep-space destinations. (9/5)

Israel's IAI Shows Growing Interest in Satellite Development (Source: Space News)
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is seeing growing demand for small, but highly capable, small imaging satellites. IAI built the VENµS and Optsat-3000 Earth-observation spacecraft launched last month, each weighing only a few hundred kilograms. IAI says it is seeing growing demand for such spacecraft, capable of providing high-resolution imagery at lower costs than much larger satellites. IAI said it's also still waiting to see if the Israeli government will support plans for IAI to build a GEO communications satellite for Spacecom. (9/6)

Ariane 5 Countdown Halted After Engine Start (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
Liftoff of an Ariane 5 rocket from a tropical launch pad in South America was halted moments after its main engine ignited Tuesday in a rare last-second abort for the heavy-lift launcher. The Ariane 5 was counting down to liftoff at 5:51 p.m. EDT, but the launch was aborted after an otherwise trouble-free countdown. Two umbilical arms, one for liquid hydrogen and another for liquid oxygen, retracted from the Ariane 5’s upper stage in the final 10 seconds of the countdown, and the Ariane 5’s Vulcain 2 main engine fired as the clock reached zero.

The Vulcain 2 engine, burning super-cold hydrogen fuel, was supposed to throttle up to around 300,000 pounds of thrust at full power. An automated check of the engine’s readiness was supposed to be completed before computers gave the command to light the Ariane 5’s twin solid rocket boosters seven seconds later.

But the computers apparently noticed something wrong, and ordered an automatic abort. The Vulcain 2 engine shut down safely, and officials reported the Ariane 5 and its two passengers — the Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a communications satellites — were secured following the abort. The Ariane 5 will be rolled back to its final assembly building for engineers to investigate the problem.

Cubesat Voice-Comms Test Paves Way for Sky and Space Global’s 200-Satellite Constellation (Source: Space News)
Sky and Space Global, an Australian satellite startup with offices in London, Israel and Poland, successfully sent voice, text and imagery over a trio of prototype cubesats meant to pave the way for a constellation of 200 by the end of the decade. The test makes Sky and Space Global the first “to successfully use narrowband connectivity provided by nano-satellites to deliver a voice call,” the company said Sept. 5. (9/5)