February 5, 2018

How Long Will the Money Keep Flowing? (Source: Space Review)
Venture capitalists and other investors have put billions of dollars into space startups in recent years. Jeff Foust examines if that investment can continue to grow as options for exits for these investors remain limited. Click here. (2/5)
 
Mars Atmospheric Dust and Human Exploration (Source: Space Review)
Dust on Mars, and in the Martian atmosphere, could pose a serious health and safety risk for future astronauts. Joel S. Levine identifies the concerns and the research that needs to be done to better understand the risks before humans can travel to Mars. Click here. (2/5)
 
Orbital ATK, EELV, and the Chinese Word for Crisis (Source: Space Review)
Orbital ATK is preparing to offer a next-generation launch vehicle it is developing to the Air Force. Jeffrey L. Smith discusses the status of that vehicle and how it fits into the broader competitive environment for government launches. Click here. (2/5)
 
Small is Big Again in space Science (Source: Space Review)
Last week marked the 60th anniversary of the launch of the first American satellite, Explorer 1, which was far smaller than the large science satellites NASA operates today. However, Jeff Foust reports, NASA and others are growing increasingly interested in returning to smaller satellites to complement the science larger spacecraft can conduct. Click here. (2/5) 

Culberson: Don't End ISS Early (Source: Houston Chronicle)
A key member of Congress says he's opposed to ending the ISS early. In a letter published Sunday, Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA, says he "will do everything in my power to keep the International Space Station flying as long as the safety engineers tell us it is feasible to do so." The Trump administration's fiscal year 2019 budget request, due out next week, will reportedly include plans to end NASA funding of the ISS in the mid-2020s. Culberson, in his letter, notes Congress isn't bound to accept the proposal. "The president proposes, and Congress disposes." (2/5)

Don't Let Trump Kill the International Space Station (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Lawmakers and policy experts are now debating a proposal to abandon the ISS in 2024. The White House isn't releasing details until next month, but there are reports that the Trump administration has drafted a proposed budget that would end support for the ISS. Some serious questions have been raised by legitimate critics, who point out that maintaining the ISS will become more expensive and complicated the longer it stays in orbit. But scuttling the ISS after just six more years of service would waste decades of work and investment in a unique international resource.

During the last 25 years, the United States has spent about $87 billion building and operating the ISS. Congress has authorized extending the space station's operations until 2024. That's projected to cost NASA between $3 billion and $4 billion a year. Space agency officials from the United States, Russia and other international partners have floated the idea of keeping the ISS flying through 2028.

Now the shuttle program has been scrapped and the space station's future is up in the air. It's as though America built the transcontinental railroad, sent trains to the frontier for a few years, then tore up the tracks. The space station can't fly forever, but grounding it after just six more years in orbit would be a waste. Our congressional delegation needs to make sure the ISS keeps flying. (2/5)

Ending ISS Too Soon Would Be an Apollo-Sized Mistake (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
While there is a hope that the International Space Station could one day be operated at least partially commercially, there is no consensus on how that would be done or if commercial industry could sustain it alone, let alone if they could afford it. The only example of a commercial entity taking control of a space station came in 1999 with MirCorp. It was able to come up with money for a single mission before the model fell apart. Mir was just too old and expensive.

While the ISS will also someday be too old and expensive to maintain, Boeing engineers have suggested the outpost could operate without significant repair/upgrade through 2028. Several companies, such as Bigelow Aerospace and Axiom Space, are already talking about using the ISS as a construction platform to start assembling their own stations. But like all spaceflight endeavors, delays are part of the game and banking on at least one being ready by 2025 would be risky.

Even Russia is working to do a proper transition. It too wants to use the ISS as a construction base for its next space station (although if faces continual delays) and a test platform for its Soyuz crew capsule replacement called Federation. Roscosmos plans on flying Federation while phasing out Soyuz. The same must be done for ISS. (2/4)

Thales Alenia and NanoRacks Team for Commercial Space Station Airlock (Source: NanoRacks)
Thales Alenia Space will help NanoRacks build a commercial airlock module. Thales will build and test the pressure shell for the module, the companies announced early Monday, and will also produce a number of secondary structures. NanoRacks is also working with Boeing to manufacture the module, slated to be added to the station late next year. (2/5)

Florida: Prepare for Liftoff (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
Blue Origin has created a ripplie effect for local firms on the Space Coast, including a contract to local defense firm Craig Technologies. Craig declined to share details, but the company currently has 21 job openings and will triple that number within six months. Craig operates a 20,000 square-foot manufacturing division, after leaving NASA's former 161,000 Shuttle Logistics Depot after their 5-year contract/lease with the space agency ended late last year. (2/2)

Russia, Japan and China Launch Satellites in Back-to-Back Missions (Source: Space.com)
Three different rockets - one each from Russia, China and Japan - launched satellites into orbit over three days in back-to-back-to-back space missions. The launch triple play occurred between Thursday (Feb. 1) and Saturday (Feb. 3), and came one day after the U.S.-based company SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the GovSat-1 communications satellite into orbit from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in Florida. (2/4)

Ryan Gosling to Film 'First Man' Scenes at Kennedy Space Center (Source: Florida Today)
Hey, girl. Er, hey, Space Coast. Actor Ryan Gosling will film scenes at Kennedy Space Center on Monday for his new film "First Man." Gosling stars as astronaut Neil Armstrong in the biographical piece. The film takes a look at the life of the astronaut and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969. After casting calls for "First Man" at KSC, filming was set for Feb. 14. However, the schedule was moved up to the week of Feb. 5 instead. (2/4)