February 10, 2018

ESA Awards Five Smallsat Launcher Study Contracts (Source: Space News)
The European Space Agency on Feb. 8 announced five companies will study potential small launch vehicles for the agency’s Future Launchers Preparatory Program (FLPP). ArianeGroup, MT Aerospace, European Launch Vehicle, Deimos and PLD Space are all proposing “microlaunchers” for dedicated missions to low-Earth orbit that can be “economically viable,” and “commercially self-sustaining” but “without public funding,” ESA said. (2/8)

SpaceX Could Save NASA and the Future of Space Exploration (Source: The Hill)
The successful launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket is a game-changer that could actually save NASA and the future of space exploration. The much delayed, much maligned rocket is just what the space agency needs to escape from the governmental bureaucracy that has bound her to Low Earth Orbit for the past 45 years. Unfortunately, the traditionalists at NASA don't share this view and have feared this moment since the day the Falcon Heavy program was announced.

The question to be answered in Washington now is why would Congress continue to spend billions a year on a government-made rocket that is unnecessary and obsolete now that the private sector has shown they can do it for a fraction of the cost? NASA has spent more than $15 billion so far to develop their own heavy lift rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), with a first flight planned in roughly two years. Once operational, SLS will cost NASA over $1 billion per launch. The Falcon Heavy, developed at zero cost to the taxpayer, would charge NASA approximately $100 million per launch.

If lawmakers continue on this path, it will siphon-off even more funds that NASA could otherwise use for science missions, transfer vehicles or landers that will further advance our understanding of the universe — and actually get us somewhere. The government should be focusing on their unique, longer-term goals and partnering with the private sector to help incentivize the success of this commercial U.S. enterprise. (2/8)

After Successful Falcon Heavy launch, What About NASA's SLS? (Source: Click Orlando)
The cost of a Falcon Heavy launch, according to Musk, is $90 million. A Falcon 9 single-booster launch costs an estimated $60 million, even though the Heavy has three times the lift capability. "Because in both cases the only thing that is expended is upper stage," Musk said. Musk plans to begin recovering more hardware on the rocket, including the payload fairings that make up the nose cone, which would save even more money.

When NASA's Space Launch System is complete it will become the world's most powerful operational rocket, generating as much as 9.2 million pounds of thrust upon liftoff. The SLS has been in development since before the end of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. The launch system "provides a critical heavy-lift capability, powering people and cargo beyond our moon and into deep space," according to NASA contractor Boeing. "It will be the most powerful rocket ever built, enabling diverse exploration, science and security missions." Each flight is projected to cost $1 billion per launch, however.

NASA officials said the agency will collaborate with SpaceX on deep space exploration technology, but critics of the SLS have suggested scrapping the program entirely and, instead, purchasing commercial launch services for deep space exploration. SpaceX is also developing another deep space rocket that will rival the power and payload capabilities of the SLS, code-named the "BFR," which stands for Big Falcon rocket. SpaceX said the BFR will generate 11.8 million pounds of thrust and the spacecraft and booster will be reusable. Musk said he plans to begin testing the BFR with "short hops" next year at SpaceX's Texas launch site. (2/9)

WSU Researchers Build -300ºF Alien Ocean to Test NASA Outer Space Submarine (Source: WSU)
Engineers know how to design submarines on Earth, but building one gets a lot trickier when the temperature drops to -300 Fahrenheit and the ocean is made of methane and ethane. Washington State University researchers are working with NASA to determine how a submarine might work on Titan, the largest of Saturn’s many moons and the second largest in the solar system. The space agency plans to launch a real submarine into Titan seas in the next 20 years.

The researchers re-created a Titan ocean in a laboratory. They have published a paper on their work in the journal, Fluid Phase Equilibria. Titan is of particular interest to researchers because it is similar to earth in one important way, it holds liquid. Unlike almost anywhere else in the solar system, the moon’s surface includes oceans, rivers and clouds, and like on earth, it can rain. But, instead of water, the hydrological cycle is based on methane. (2/7)

UAE Space Agency Looks Into Future Cooperation with Italian Delegation (Source: Arabian Aerospace)
The UAE Space Agency, represented by Dr. Mohammed Nasser Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, discussed avenues for future cooperation with a high-profile delegation from Italy. The Italian delegation included Liborio Stellino, Ambassador of Italy to the UAE, Sergio Lamboni, Vice President of Arescosmo – Defense and Space, and Piero Cozzi, an Arescosmo advisor.

During the meeting, the parties discussed opportunities for cooperation between their respective space industries. Topics of discussion included space exploration, skills and capacity development, and the joint exchange of information and knowledge in respect to ongoing space research and exploration. (2/5)

Why Elon Musk’s SpaceX Launch is Utterly Depressing (Source: Guardian)
On Wednesday, two things happened. In Syria, 80 people were killed by government airstrikes. Meanwhile, in Florida, Elon Musk fired a sports car into space. Guess which story has dominated mainstream news sites? The much-anticipated launch of Musk’s Falcon Heavy rocket, the most powerful ever launched by a private company, went off without a hitch. Musk successfully sent his cherry-red Tesla roadster hurtling toward Mars, launching what a CNN commentator called “a new space age”.

Meanwhile, in Syria, where hundreds of thousands of refugees may be forced to return to unsafe homes amid “global anti-refugee backlash”, an anti-government activist said despondently that he was no longer sure why he bothers to videotape the effects of bombing, since nobody ever pays attention: “I don’t know what the point is.” The UN human rights coordinator for Syria pondered what level of violence it would take to make the world care, saying officials were “running out of words” to describe the crisis.

There is, perhaps, no better way to appreciate the tragedy of 21st-century global inequality than by watching a billionaire spend $90m launching a $100,000 car into the far reaches of the solar system. Anyone who mentions the colossal waste the project involves, or the various social uses to which these resources could be put, can be dismissed as a killjoy. (2/7)

Why Waste Resources on Space? The Value of Sending a Car Into Space on the Falcon Heavy (Source: DennisWingo)
As someone who has worked in the space arena for a long time, I, as well as millions around the world are still basking in the happy glow of the successful launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy commercial launch vehicle with its payload of a Tesla Roadster and its space suited passenger (nothing in the suit really). However, as inevitably is the case, there are some that do not like that this happened.

The cry is that the resources spent in this venture could be better spent solving X,Y, or Z earthly problem. While this sentiment is understandable, it is an example of linear thinking that misses the entire point of technology and its benefits to our civilization. Click here. (2/8)

Here's Exactly What NASA Training is Like For Astronauts (Source: Men's Health)
How many astronauts does it take to change a lightbulb? By the look of things on a recent morning in the NASA Neutral Buoyancy Lab at Johnson Space Center in Houston: two. Plus hundreds of support personnel, including 14 divers suspended in the water with video cameras, all manner of tech support poolside, and a cadre of coffee-sipping flight operations specialists watching on screens in a control room overlooking the scene.

It's 9:11 a.m. when Col. Nick Hague, 42, encased in his 300-pound space suit, is lowered by crane into a pool that measures 202 feet long, 102 feet wide, and 40 feet deep. Submerged in it is a replica of the $75-billion-plus International Space Station, or ISS. For the next six hours, Hague and German astronaut Alexander Gerst will simulate an extravehicular activity (EVA), a.k.a. spacewalk, to perform maintenance tasks. Click here. (2/8) https://www.menshealth.com/guy-wisdom/what-nasa-astronaut-training-is-like

Scientists Create a New Form of Matter—Superionic Water Ice (Source: Science)
Scientists created a new form of water—called superionic ice—that acts like a weird cross between a solid and a liquid. The substance, which consists of a fluid of hydrogen ions running through a lattice of oxygen, was formed by compressing water between two diamonds and then zapping it with a laser. That caused pressures to spike to more than a million times those of Earth’s atmosphere and temperatures to rise to thousands of degrees, conditions scientists had predicted may lead to the formation of superionic ice. This kind of water doesn’t exist naturally on Earth, the scientists report in Nature Physics, but it may be present in the mantles of icy planets like Neptune and Uranus. (2/8)

With China, Russia Looming, SpaceX Launch is About More Than Mars (Source: The Hill)
SpaceX has reached another milestone with the successful launch of Falcon Heavy. The launch is another example of the organization’s persistent ability to innovate and push market expansion. It is less about the immediate financial return for SpaceX and more about what it signifies vis-à-vis America’s interest in space and the country’s ability to leverage the free market system to develop the burgeoning space domain ahead of our peers. Maintaining America’s advantage in space has both economic and national security implications.

The economic importance of outer space is increasing. Advances in computing, miniaturization, telecommunications, and a persistent, global drive to advance state security, science, and human exploration are converging to elevating the value of outer space for both governments and the private sector. Importantly, the amount of public and private sector financing for space programs increases dramatically after technology has been demonstrated. The cost and complexity of demonstrating new, revolutionary space launch, satellites, and other critical systems means any new demonstration will have larger economic influence.

The economics of space aren’t the only concern. Military operations are increasingly dependent upon satellites which provide imagery, communications, navigation, and early warning. Complicating things further is the political gray-zone that ensues when militaries become consumers of commercial space services. Both Russia and China are placing a significant emphasis on the military value of space for both offensive and defensive purposes. Meanwhile U.S. military leaders continue to emphasize the need for space superiority. (2/8)

Gingrich: SpaceX’s Launch is a Tremendous Step Toward Reasserting American Leadership in Space (Source: Fox News)
The successful test flight could mean the Falcon Heavy could start making paid missions to space within months. The National Space Council should nurture this possibility and quickly create a system that could help support as many U.S.-led launches into space as possible. Only this will create the environment necessary to establish a thriving U.S.-led business ecosystem.

If the U.S. does not do this, our competitors will. A future where China or Russia dominates in space is not a safe, secure or prosperous future for America. The Space Council must also encourage a culture across all federal space programs that allows for failure and quick recovery. One of the keys to SpaceX’s success has been its ability to fail – and move on.

This is perhaps the most important aspect of SpaceX’s successful launch. After the Apollo missions, as a country, we slowly lost our excitement over the wonder of space travel. Now landing on the moon has become ancient history. If we fail to continuously inspire, teach, and excite America’s youth, this regressive cycle could repeat itself. The National Space Council must build on the excitement of the Falcon Heavy launch – and help make sure America wins this new space race. (2/8)

In Praise of Elon Musk (Source: Washington Free Beacon)
In 2012, when the space shuttle Discovery flew above Washington, D.C., on its way to retirement at the National Air and Space Museum, a reporter asked astronaut Anna Fisher if she had any advice for a boy who wanted to travel to the stars. Sure, Fisher said. "Study Russian." I hope this young man caught a glimpse of SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket launch on Tuesday, because he might not have to study Russian after all.

It was precisely this dream that seemed jeopardized by President Obama's 2010 decision to cancel our return to the moon. Not only did America cede the final frontier to Russia and China. The policy lowered our sights. It tempered our dreams. Certain possibilities, such as Americans on the red planet, appeared to be closed off. Editor's Note: Funny how these conservative outlets switch between loving and hating Elon Musk, and they always deride Pres. Obama for ending Constellation, the Shuttle's retirement, and our reliance on Russian rides to space. (2/9)

Falcon Heavy Is Making America Great Again (Source: National Review)
What is the thing that we’re proud of today? It should probably be American technology, which is more powerful and influential than it’s ever been. But Google, Facebook, and Twitter don’t exactly inspire patriotic thoughts. They’re more likely to incite partisan rage. So I am happy to report that something surprising happened earlier this week, something to be proud of: With an inimitable mix of new-school technology and old-school spunk, we launched the world’s most powerful rocket, and Americans cheered — by the tens of millions. Elon Musks’s Falcon Heavy had a moment.

We’re not all the way back, of course. Our grandfathers and fathers still put us to shame. But there’s hope. More rockets are in the works, including NASA’s Space Launch System, a rocket that could double Falcon Heavy’s thrust and payload. Perhaps we’re learning our lesson: Great nations need great accomplishments. It’s not enough to spend our resources making our lives easier and more convenient. We can still explore. The pioneer spirit still exists, and even if we won’t ever sit atop a rocket of that size and power, we can cheer those who do. (2/9)

Projects Are Taking Off at Spaceship Company (Source: Tehachapi News)
Space travel may be a possibility for people in the near future — all in part due to a project very near to Tehachapi at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The Spaceship Company is making progress in duplicating and testing prototypes of an original design of SpaceShipTwo at its 175,000-square-foot warehouse and hopes to send the aircraft into space in the next year.

“All aspects of our human space flight program take place at the Mojave Air and Space Port and that is really unique, so we can design, build, test and support our human flight space system in one location,” said Enrico Palermo, executive vice president and general manager of The Spaceship Company. Palermo said the goal is to build three spaceships at the airport within the next six or seven months. SpaceShipTwo is still in the process of testing, using gliding techniques and utilizing a rocket on the spacecraft so it can be sent to space in the coming year. The company employs more than 450 people and some are from the Tehachapi area. (2/6)

Legislature is Warming Up to Spaceport (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The successful launch Tuesday of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket was a big step forward for the private commercial space industry, and all associated with it. It came as Spaceport America is preparing for the start of launches by Virgin Galactic, hopefully this year, while still seeking to bring new companies to southern New Mexico.

Virgin Galactic has increased its full-time staff in Las Cruces from 21 in August to 32 now, and is preparing to move at least 85 additional employees once testing is completed in Mojave, California. The company has also beefed up spending in the state, now at some $10.4 million paid to New Mexico contractors. All of that positive news has created increased optimism at the New Mexico Legislature, which in past years had considered legislation to sell the spaceport.

Spaceport CEO Dan Hicks noted that several legislative committees held interim meetings at the spaceport this past year, giving legislators a much better idea as to what they are doing, and letting them see for themselves what they have bought with their investment, and what is still needed. And it looks like those education efforts are paying off. This year, the main budget bill includes $10 million for the construction of a new hangar at the spaceport. The only hangar now at the facility belongs to Virgin Galactic. Spaceport officials say the additional facility is needed to recruit new companies to the spaceport and diversify its revenue. (2/9)

KSAT Opens New Office in Silicon Valley (Source: Evertiq)
Norwegian KSAT, a provider of satellite ground stations and part of the Kongsberg Group, has opened an office in Silicon Valley in order to be closer to the fast growing New Space industry. With the new office, the Norwegian company is gearing up to be able to provide faster and more closely integrated support on the KSAT ground solutions – optimised for constellations of small satellites. The company currently has twenty operational ground sites around the world; which operate as one interconnected network supporting both legacy and small satellites. (2/9)

Air Force Did Not Take Out SpaceX's GovSat Booster, Private Company Did (Source: America Space)
SpaceX issued a statement denying any USAF involvement, instead stating their rocket “broke apart”. Several trusted anonymous sources have since clarified that, while the USAF was considered for destroying the stage, SpaceX actually ended up hiring a private company to take care of it instead. The original story said that "trusted anonymous sources have confirmed to AmericaSpace that the U.S. Air Force carried out an air strike to blow up the unsafed floating booster." (2/8)