January 20, 2018

Deputy Defense Secretary Assigned as Principal Space Advisor (Source: Space News)
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will be taking on the duties of space adviser that previously resided with the secretary of the Air Force, according to a memorandum sent to Defense Department military and civilian leaders. In the Jan. 17 memo, titled “Guidance for Increasing Lethality and Warfighting Readiness in Space,” Shanahan lists a number of changes that will be made to the management and organization of the national security space enterprise.

The most important shift is Shanahan assuming the oversight of the military space portfolio that previously resided with the secretary of the Air Force. Shanahan’s memo was written in accordance with Section 1601 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. (1/18)

California Legislators Move Forward Bill to Create California Aerospace Commission (Source: Space News)
A California Assembly committee approved plans to create a California Aerospace and Aviation Commission, which would serve as a central point of contact for the industry and recommend actions the state could take to retain jobs and encourage the industry’s growth. “It sends message to the aerospace community that the state hears and sees what’s happening in the industry and wants to protect it and grow it,” said Judy Kruger, LAEDC’s aerospace industry development director. “It also sends a message outside the state of California.”

Other states offer generous financial packages to encourage California aerospace companies to relocate. Moon Express, for example, moved from California to Florida in 2015 after announcing a deal with Space Florida to share the cost of refurbishing launch facilities. “California needs something that looks like Space Florida, something that connects Sacramento to this growing new space phenomenon here in California,” said Sean Casey, managing director of the Silicon Valley Space Center.

If the pending legislation passes, the California Aerospace and Aviation Commission would differ from Space Florida in one important way. Space Florida has a $19.5 million budget while California Assembly Bill 427 would not direct any state funding to the new commission. Instead, the commission would be supported by public and private donations to a California Economic Development Fund Aerospace and Aviation Account. (1/19)

ULA Launches Atlas V Rocket from Cape Canaveral (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket successfully took off Friday night from Cape Canaveral. The rocket carried a payload of the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) GEO Flight 4 mission for the military. The SBIRS program is designed to act as a missile-warning system and provide technical intelligence.

It was the 75th flight for ULA’s Atlas V rocket and the first from Cape Canaveral for the company this year. The launch, originally scheduled for Thursday, was delayed 24 hours because of a problem with the booster’s liquid oxygen system, ULA said. ULA launched a Delta IV last week from California. (1/19)

Russia Now Looking to Sell its Prized Rocket Engines to China (Source: Ars Technica)
With US sanctions and space policies barring their use, Russian RD-180 rocket engine manufacturers are looking to other markets. In doing so, they've found willing buyers in China, although this has come with some concerns. Even though the rocket engine technology behind the RD-180 is 40 years old, it remains one of the highest performing engines in the world, with a near-perfect service record.

Negotiations are underway for the engine technology between Russia's NPO Energomash and the China Great Wall Industry Corporation. These discussions have been closely tracked by both Western officials and those in Russia. For the U.S. and its allies, there is the concern that China's use of the engine technology will extend beyond peaceful uses in space. It is believed that China wants the powerful and efficient engines for a new generation of ballistic missiles that could target US aircraft carriers.

In Russia, too, there is wariness because China doesn't just want to buy engines as a customer, as United Launch Alliance did with the RD-180 for its rockets. Rather, they want to eventually build the engines themselves. “The Russians understand that what the Chinese ultimately want to do is put them out of the rocket engine business,” Rick Fisher, a missile technology expert at the International Assessment and Strategy Center in Washington, told the publication. (1/19)

US Astronauts Will Fly with Russia Through 2019 Because Boeing and SpaceX are Late (Source: Quartz)
SpaceX is now scheduled to fly its first crewed test flight in December 2018, while Boeing is planning to do so in January 2019. But both dates are optimistic; NASA believes they could slip another year, into 2020. Until then, the US and the rest of the world are dependent on Russia’s Soyuz rockets to access the ISS.

Undergirding the entire project is a controversial debate about whether the companies that build space hardware for the government should be guaranteed a profit, or asked to operate within the bounds of a fixed-price contract. NASA and SpaceX pioneered the latter approach with a successful partnership that developed spacecraft and rockets to bring cargo, but not humans, to the ISS.

“NASA may seek additional funding or accept significant risks,” Rep. Brian Babin said today. “Neither of those options is viable.” That leaves just one option: SpaceX and Boeing eating the costs of schedule delays as they re-engineer their vehicles and re-plan operations to keep astronauts as safe as possible. At the same time, it’s worth recognizing that NASA is pushing the two companies to meet a safety standard that is far higher than that met by the Space Shuttle while it served as America’s ride to space. (1/19)

Space Companies Received $3.9 Billion in Private Investment During 'Year of Commercial Launch' (Source: CNBC)
Private investors poured $3.9 billion into commercial space companies last year, according to a report from investment firm Space Angels. A record 120 venture capital firms made investments in space ventures last year, the report finds. The last eight years have seen around $25 billion in exits, as acquisitions and public offerings take venture capital investments from start-ups to the next level. (1/19)

Will Virgin Galactic Ever Make It Into Space? (Source: Telegraph)
This week has seen a new development in what might be deemed the 21st century version of Waiting For Godot - specifically, an update from Virgin Galactic about its much-promised but little-delivered plans to offer space flights for paying tourists. Last Thursday saw the company's state-of-the-art craft VSS Unity complete another test flight. It was released from its WhiteKnightTwo "mothership" above the Mojave Desert in California, and put through a series of rigorous procedures.

It all sounds very positive, and seems to support Richard Branson's recent assertion that Virgin Galactic could be in space - with him on board - in the very imminent future. "We are hopefully about three months before we are in space, maybe six months before I’m in space,” Virgin Galactic's founder said in October. But will this be the case? Over the last decade, Virgin Galactic has become as famous for its setbacks as its grand ambitions.

This week a spokesman said: "We appreciate the support of our customers and the public while we make steady progress through our flight test program. We all want to fly to space as quickly as possible but the team remains diligent, thorough and focused on all aspects of testing - from ground tests, simulator training, and data analysis - to ensure spaceship readiness and safety." (1/19)

New Technique for Finding Life on Mars (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers demonstrate for the first time the potential of existing technology to directly detect and characterize life on Mars and other planets. The study used miniaturized scientific instruments and new microbiology techniques to identify and examine microorganisms in the Canadian high Arctic - one of the closest analogs to Mars on Earth. By avoiding delays that come with having to return samples to a laboratory for analysis, the methodology could also be used on Earth to detect and identify pathogens during epidemics in remote areas.

At present, most instruments on astrobiology missions look for habitable conditions, small organic molecules and other "biosignatures" that generally could not be formed without life. However, these provide only indirect evidence of life. Moreover, current instruments are relatively large and heavy with high energy requirements. This makes them unsuitable for missions to Europa and Enceladus - moons of Jupiter and Saturn which, along with Mars, are the primary targets in the search for life in our solar system.

Using a portable, miniature DNA sequencing device (Oxford Nanopore MiniON), the researchers show for the first time that not only can the tool be used for examining environmental samples in extreme and remote settings, but that it can be combined with other methodology to detect active microbial life in the field. The researchers were able to isolate extremophilic microorganisms that have never been cultured before, detect microbial activity, and sequence DNA from the active microbes. (1/19)

Central Florida Space Growth 'On The Horizon' (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
A few space industry leaders are among the 2018 regional 'game changers' who are contributing to Central Florida's continued economic expansion for 2018 and beyond. Included are Port Canaveral's John Murray, who says the port is working with Space Florida to apply the spaceport's rocket fueling expertise to the seaport's expected growth in LNG-fueled cruise ships. Bob Richards of Moon Express expects to hire 20-30 people this year to support the company's lunar commerce ambitions.

Greg Wyler of OneWeb says his company will likely expand its satellite factory and he's "personally pretty committed to Florida." And Stan Thornton of the Orlando Aviation Authority says his agency is building a passenger light-rail connection between the Space Coast and the Orlando International Airport. (1/15)

Satellites Paint a Detailed Picture of Maritime Activity (Source: Space Daily)
ESA has helped coastal authorities to track up to 70% more ships and pick up nearly three times more ship positions via satellite than was possible before. Large cargo vessels and passenger ships are required to carry Automatic Identification System equipment. It transmits the course and speed as well as identification and position information to other vessels and shore stations. Originally developed to prevent collisions, it now also tracks ships to help prevent pollution, aid in the movement of dangerous goods, and promote routine surveillance. (1/19)

2,900 NASA JSC Employees Will Go Without Pay if Government Shuts Down (Source: Houston Chronicle)
About 94 percent of the more than 3,000 Johnson Space Center employees will be placed on unpaid leave if the government shuts down Friday at midnight, NASA documents show. And they'll only get retroactive pay for that time if Congress approves it in budget appropriations,  another agency document states. The public also would be impacted by this shutdown. All educational support activities, such as NASA instructors going into schools, would be discontinued. The public would not be able to access NASA's website either. (1/19)

New Mexico's Las Cruces Plans Space Festival (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
Organizers say the first edition of the Las Cruces Space Festival, to be held April 12 and 14, will be a small affair and they hope it will grow over the years. The idea is to showcase the region’s aerospace industry, show people what has been accomplished in southern New Mexico and encourage new generations of Las Crucens to enter the growing aerospace field.

The date, April 12, was selected to coincide with the anniversary of human space flight, when the USSR launched Yuri Gagarin into a single orbit around the earth in 1961. “The intent of the festival is to celebrate what we already do in space, not worry about what’s coming,” said Pat Hynes, director of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium at New Mexico State University.

Hynes said plans are still developing, but events will allow the public to learn about space-related activity in the region. On Saturday, April 14, various activities will be set up around the Plaza de Las Cruces which may include informational booths, a possible space-related movie at the Rio Grande Theatre and other activities. (1/14)