December 26, 2017

Trump has Big Plans for NASA – But is it Just a Fantasy? (Source: Guardian)
The potential moon mission harkens back to policy under George W Bush, who in 2004 asked the agency to “gain a new foothold” there. His successor, Barack Obama, prioritized instead a 2030s mission to Mars, a program that has inched along due to its relatively low levels of funding.

Trump’s proposals leave many questions unanswered – a timeline, budget, specific goals and methods – and space policy experts expressed cautious optimism tempered by deep skepticism about the details. “It could be a significant, almost historic step – if it is followed through,” said John Logsdon, professor emeritus at George Washington University and founder of the Space Policy Institute. “The proof is in the pudding, and the pudding is whether there is meaningful funding.” (12/26)

Astronomers Shed Light on Formation of Black Holes and Galaxies (Source: Keck Observatory)
Stars forming in galaxies appear to be influenced by the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy, but the mechanism of how that happens has not been clear to astronomers until now. Astronomers examined the energetics surrounding the powerful winds generated by the bright, vigorous supermassive black hole (known as a “quasar”) at the center of the 3C 298 host galaxy, located approximately 9.3 billion light years away.

“While black holes themselves do not emit light, the gaseous material they chew on is heated to extreme temperatures, making them the most luminous objects in the universe.” The UC San Diego team’s research revealed that the winds blow out through the entire galaxy and impact the growth of stars. “This is remarkable that the supermassive black hole is able to impact stars forming at such large distances,” says Shelley Wright. (12/20)

SpaceX has a Record Year with 18 Launches — and 2018 May Be Better (Source: Business Day)
When SpaceX launched a batch of satellites into low-earth orbit on Friday evening from California’s central coast, it capped a record year for the closely held company led by Elon Musk. SpaceX has completed 18 missions in 2017; that’s more than any competitor this year and far exceeds the eight it launched in 2016 before a September explosion grounded the company for the rest of the year while an investigation took place.

"SpaceX has had a phenomenal year, and they’ve motivated and inspired a lot of people as to what is possible," said Eric Stallmer, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, an industry group for the private space sector. The coming year is expected to be even bigger. With three launch pads now at their disposal after repairing the one damaged in the September 2016 blast, Musk and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell have said they expect to fly roughly 30 missions in 2018. (12/24)

Potential Boeing Embraer Merger Shakes Up Small Jet Market (Source: AvGeekery
This week's report on the potential merger of Boeing and Brazilian aircraft company Embraer has sent shockwaves through the small jet market and could reshape the competitive landscape. The talks are taking place against the backdrop of an ongoing dispute between Boeing and Canadian jet manufacturer Bombardier. Boeing filed a complaint against Bombardier for allegedly illegally dumping jets into the U.S. market by selling its C Series to Delta Airlines for absurdly low prices.

The dispute almost incited an international trade war, as Bombardier then gave an ownership stake in the C Series joint venture to Airbus. The Airbus Bombardier partnership did not only affect Boeing; it fueled speculation about Embraer’s E2 jet program. According to analyst Carter Copeland of Melius Research, “I’m sure Embraer’s view of the likely success of their product in the E2 was materially altered by the Airbus transaction for the C Series. They went from competing against a distressed Bombardier to competing against a healthy and extremely competitive entity in Airbus. That changes the mindset of the leadership team at Embraer.”

Editor's Note: From Florida Today: "A Boeing-Embraer deal would have a significant impact on Brevard County, where Embraer has substantial business jet assembly operations... not to mention, the possibility that United Technologies' acquisition of Rockwell Collins will lead to a new search for a division headquarters for the combined unit." (12/23)

Brazil Blocks Embraer Takeover (Source: Avweb)
The president of Brazil says his government will exercise its veto power to block the transfer of control of Embraer to Boeing. Michel Temer said Friday the company is not for sale but he would welcome investment from Boeing. "All partnerships are welcome. What is not an option is the transference of control," said Temer. The Brazilian government has special shareholder status in the company and can veto any decision by the company management and directors. (12/23)

The New Space Race is Postponed Until 2018 (Source: Engadget)
Aboard the International Space Station, an A4-size flag of the United States hangs next to a 1:100 model of a space shuttle. The memento, placed there by the last crew to fly on shuttle Atlantis, is meant to be retrieved by the next batch of astronauts that launches on a US spacecraft. NASA had hoped to reach that goal in 2017 after awarding Boeing and SpaceX billion-dollar contracts under the Commercial Crew Program (CCP). However, the road back to manned missions is paved with thorns and technical challenges.

We certainly won't see any astronauts ferried to Low Earth Orbit before the year ends, but both companies believe that 2018 is the year that flag will be returned to Earth. By awarding two companies contracts under the same program, NASA kicked off a new kind of space race. In one corner, we have the SpaceX Crew Dragon, a successor to the original Dragon capsule it's been using to deliver supplies to the ISS. In the other corner, we have Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, which the company has been working on since 2010.

Both commercial crew partners were on track for a 2017 launch at the beginning of the program, but by the end of 2016, they admitted that they wouldn't be able to stick to their original schedules. NASA had to purchase additional seats on Russian Soyuz rockets for late 2017 and early 2018 to make up for the delay. Boeing had to push back its timeline because a Spacecraft 3 dome was damaged during the manufacturing process. SpaceX was forced to delay its first CCP flights after a Falcon 9 exploded on the launch pad in 2016. (12/26)

Egypt Teams Up with Japan to Launch a Satellite in July 2018 (Source: Zawya)
Egypt will launch a satellite with 70% to 80% Egyptian components in cooperation with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in July 2018 Egypt’s higher education minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said. The satellite’s control unit was implemented by Egyptian engineers at the remote sensing agency, Abdel Ghaffar added, noting that an Egyptian-manufactured camera will be installed on the satellite.

The minister also announced that Egypt will start establishing a complex for satellite collection on the Suez Road, and the first phase of the Egyptian Space City is scheduled to be completed next year in collaboration with China. The percentage of the Egyptian parts in satellites are likely to reach 100% by 2022. (12/26)

Japan Launches Two Earth Observing Satellites on H-IIA Rocket (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
A Japanese H-IIA rocket took to the skies on December 23, carrying GCOM-C1 (nicknamed SHIKISAI) and SLATS (dubbed TSUBAME) Earth-observing satellites. The liftoff occurred at the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. The rocket thundered off from the pad when its twin SRB-A boosters were ignited and the launch vehicle commenced a short vertical ascent. Afterward, the H-IIA rocket turned south-east and started heading over the Pacific Ocean. (12/23)

Ukrianian Zenit Rocket Launches Satellite From Kazakhstan (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
A Ukrainian-built Zenit booster and a Russian-made Fregat upper stage launched with an Angolan communications satellite Tuesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, heading for an orbital perch more than 22,000 miles above Earth. A nearly 20-story-tall Zenit rocket lifted off with the Angosat 1 spacecraft from Site 45 at the historic spaceport in Kazakhstan, where launch occurred at 1 a.m. Wednesday local time. (12/26)