November 9, 2017

Biologists Have Found Out How long Can Microorganisms Live on Mars (Source: Space Daily)
Taking into account the intensity of radiation in the Mars regolith, the data obtained by us makes it possible to assume that hypothetical Mars ecosystems could be conserved in anabiotic state in the surface layer of regolith (protected from UV rays) for at least 1.3-2 million years, at a depth of two meters for no less than 3.3 million years, and at a depth of five meters for at least 20 million years. (11/9)

What Happens If China Makes First Contact? (Source: The Atlantic)
Almost twice as wide as the dish at America’s Arecibo Observatory, in the Puerto Rican jungle, the new Chinese dish is the largest in the world, if not the universe. Though it is sensitive enough to detect spy satellites even when they’re not broadcasting, its main uses will be scientific, including an unusual one: The dish is Earth’s first flagship observatory custom-built to listen for a message from an extraterrestrial intelligence. If such a sign comes down from the heavens during the next decade, China may well hear it first. Click here. (11/9)

XCOR Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Troubled XCOR Aerospace, a pioneer in reusable rocket engine technology, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in federal court on Wednesday, according to court documents. The filing will lead to the liquidation of the 18-year old company, whose engine technology was designed to power the two-person Lynx suborbital space plane XCOR was building. The vehicle, which was designed to take off and land on a runway, was only partially completed before most work on it stopped last year.

Court records indicate XCOR has assets worth between $1 million and $10 million and liabilities ranging from $10 million to $50 million. The estimated number of creditors range from 100 to 199. The bankruptcy is the culmination of a series of financial setbacks for XCOR that saw the departure of three of its four founders and a series of layoffs. In May 2016, the company laid off about half of its roughly 50 employees, with most of the cuts affecting the team developing Lynx. (11/9)

Rocket Industry Looks to Run More Like an Airline (Source: Washington Post)
After decades of building commercial airliners, Boeing is now developing something that looks like a plane and sometimes acts like a plane — but is not a plane. The company’s latest invention is instead a spaceplane. The Phantom Express, as it is known, would perform like one of the many jets in Boeing’s vast fleet, landing on a runway with a 737-like wingspan, able to take off quickly on demand — just fuel up and go.

Several firms are working on flying on a weekly, if not daily basis, making a once-rarefied event as routine as commercial air travel. Some are even allowing customers to order a launch online — just enter the number and mass of your satellites, and the orbital inclination, as if choosing toppings on a pizza delivery.

The market for these new launches is being driven by a revolution in satellite technology that is dramatically reducing their size. Just as computers have gone from massive mainframes to handheld devices, satellites have shrunk from the size of garbage trucks to that of shoe boxes. To meet the potential demand, there are more than 40 small launch vehicles in development around the world, said Phil Smith. “There is a rush to address this perceived demand, and only a handful will survive,” he said. (11/9)

Commercial Cargo Program a Bargain for NASA (Source: Ars Technica)
It has generally been assumed that NASA will save money by spurring the development of services by US companies to supply the International Space Station, but such conclusions have largely been based on estimates. Now, a rigorous new review authored by a NASA analyst, and published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, offers a clear answer to this question.

According to the new research paper by Edgar Zapata, who works at Kennedy Space Center, the supply services offered by SpaceX and Orbital ATK have cost NASA two to three times less than if the space agency had continued to fly the space shuttle. For his analysis, Zapata attempted to make an "apples to apples" comparison between the commercial vehicles, through June 2017, and the space shuttle.

Specifically, the analysis of development and operational expenses, as well as vehicle failures, found that SpaceX had cost NASA about $89,000 per kg of cargo delivered to the space station. By the same methodology, he found Orbital ATK had cost $135,000 per kg. Had the shuttle continued to fly, and deliver cargo via its Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, it would have cost $272,000 per kg. (11/8)

SEDS Conference Brings Space-Minded Students to Cape Canaveral (Source: UCF)
Join hundreds of passionate young professionals and students for the annual national conference of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. The conference is run and organized entirely by students, and will run from November 16-18. SpaceVision 2017 will be held at Radisson's Resort at the Port in Cape Canaveral. Experience our interdisciplinary approach to the future of space development and witness our commitment to student leadership in aerospace and STEM fields. Click here. (11/8)

SpaceX Suffers Merlin Engine Failure in Texas (Source: Florida Today)
A SpaceX engine test failure at a rocket development facility in Texas has prompted an investigation into the incident but is not expected to impact launch schedules, the company said Wednesday. SpaceX confirmed that a Merlin engine suffered an "anomaly" during a qualification test on Sunday at the company's facility in McGregor. No one was injured and further testing at the facility has been suspended until the investigation determines a cause.

The company also said the incident should have no impact on this or next year's launches, including next Wednesday's planned launch of a secretive payload for Northrop Grumman from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A. "We are now conducting a thorough and fully transparent investigation of the root cause," SpaceX said. "SpaceX is committed to our current manifest and we do not expect this to have any impact on our launch cadence.” (11/8)

Maritime Launch Services Targets May 1 to Begin Construction at Nova Scotia Spaceport (Source: SpaceQ)
Maritime Launch Services (MLS) is targeting May 1, 2018 to break ground and begin construction on Canada’s first commercial spaceport, in Nova Scotia. MLS CEO Steve Matier said they are in the “final closing” of their Series A financing and already working on the next round. As Matier points out, this is a commercial project with no funding coming from either the Canadian or Ukrainian governments. Matier has applied for a Canadian working visa and plans to relocate his family to Nova Scotia. (11/9)

SLS Managers Rally the Troops to Avoid EM-1 Slip Into 2020 (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
With the Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1) launch date now officially set for the end of 2019, Space Launch System (SLS) managers have been sending out memos to the workforce rallying them to protect that latest target. With a “risk informed” date of June 2020 also cited, managers are insisting that will only come to pass if they “do nothing” to mitigate the schedule risk.

NASA’s new flagship rocket has been making good progress during its recent years of development. However, the huge project still has a number of challenges to overcome ahead of its maiden launch. That first launch, Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1), will be a one-off test flight, sending an uncrewed Orion on a mission around the Moon. The launch will be conducted by a Block 1 SLS.

A large standdown period will then occur prior to the next mission, currently Exploration Mission -2 (EM-2) with the larger Block 1B SLS. As such, NASA is technically working on two rockets via near-parallel paths. The focus is understandably on EM-1, with hardware currently deep in production and major milestones fast approaching. (11/9)

Senate Committee Narrowly Backs Trump Pick for NASA Chief (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A Senate committee on Wednesday narrowly backed President Donald Trump's nominee to serve as the next NASA chief. Republicans on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee used their slender majority to overcome objections from Democrats to advance the selection of Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-OK. The party-line vote was 14-13.

Bridenstine, 42, is serving his third term representing a conservative district in northeast Oklahoma. Democrats criticized past comments he made dismissive of global warming as a man-made problem. They also voiced concern about Bridenstine's harsh criticisms of Democratic lawmakers and fellow Republicans over the years, and questioned whether he would keep the space agency from being mired in political battles. (11/8)

Former XCOR Chief Confirmed for Pentagon Post (Source: Midland Reporter-Telegram)
The former CEO of XCOR Aerospace has been confirmed by the Senate to a Pentagon post. The Senate voted 91-7 this week to confirm Jay Gibson as deputy chief management officer at the Defense Department, a position the White House nominated him for in June. Gibson previously ran XCOR, a company developing rocket engines and a suborbital spaceplane that has encountered financial problems. (11/8)

Defense Bill Nixes Space Corps But Reorganizes DOD Space (Source: Space News)
The final version of a defense authorization bill won't include a Space Corps, but does call for major reforms to military space programs. The conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act warns of a "broken national security space enterprise" and includes several changes to how it's organized, while not agreeing to create a Space Corps as required by the House version of the act.

It names Air Force Space Command as the sole authority for organizing, training, and equipping all U.S. Air Force space forces. It eliminates the principal defense space adviser, the Defense Space Council and the recently-established deputy chief of staff of the Air Force for space operations. The act also renames the Operationally Responsive Space Office the Space Rapid Capabilities Office, reporting to Air Force Space Command. (11/8)

SpaceX Wins Turkish Launches (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX has reportedly won a contract to launch two new Turkish communications satellites. Turkish Transport Minister Ahmet Arslan said Thursday that SpaceX will launch the Turksat 5A and 5B satellites, which Turksat recently ordered from Airbus. The satellites are scheduled for launch in 2020 and 2021. The announcement came a day after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara to discuss deals involving both SpaceX and electric car company Tesla. (11/8)

Virgin Galactic Readies for Move to Spaceport America (Source: Santa Fe New Mexican)
Virgin Galactic is pledging a "big move" of jobs to New Mexico as it prepares for commercial service with its SpaceShipTwo vehicle. A company executive told state legislators this week that the company expects to add 85 employees to its operations in the state in the next year in preparation for the start of SpaceShipTwo flights from Spaceport America. Those plans assume tests of the vehicle, in progress in California, go as expected, allowing commercial service to begin by the end of next year. (11/8)