March 1, 2018

ULA-Launched NOAA Satellite, with Harris Sensors, a New Weapon in Wildfire Battle (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket on Thursday launched NOAA's GOES-S satellite. The satellite systems, built by Melbourne-based Harris Corp. and expected to be operational within six months, will provide highly detailed weather maps and data for California and other areas of the western U.S. The satellite uses a sophisticated system of sensors, monitors and other hardware that gather that information.

“It’s a significant improvement,” said Eric Webster, Harris’ general manager of environmental solutions. “They will have detailed, tactical information about a fire and where it’s likely to go based on winds and intensity.” The satellite will upgrade data related to wind patterns, high-definition imagery and other forecast tools, giving NOAA more powerful tools.

Once in orbit, GOES-R became GOES-16 and started to monitor a large segment of the U.S. as officials tested the hardware. The satellite has since shifted its coverage area to the East Coast. “Having one on each coast means you can see from Hawaii all the way to Africa between two satellites,” Webster said. (3/1)

Could Smarter Space Suits Help Astronauts Stave Off Depression? (Source: Slate)
Space travel presents psychiatric risks of its own, especially over the course of protracted missions in cramped quarters. Enter an ongoing research project—funded in part by a NASA grant—at Florida Polytechnic University that would use technology embedded in astronauts’ suits to evaluate their well-being and adjust conditions accordingly. According to a press release from the university, the product the researchers are attempting to develop—which it calls Smart Sensory Skin—would monitor an array of biometric data points, including “pulse rate, blood pressure and joint angles.”

That information would then be fed wirelessly to other systems in the astronauts’ environment, allowing a space station or craft to dynamically adjust lighting, oxygen levels, and other factors. In the process, it might be possible to anticipate the needs of astronauts before they become issues, potentially staving off some of the psychological challenges associated with long stints away from Earth. (3/1)

Mojave Air and Space Port: The Final Frontier (Source: Ridgecrest Daily Independent)
Possibly the most talked about speaker at the IWV Economic Outlook Conference Feb. 22 was Mojave Air and Space Port CEO and General Manager Karina Drees. The riveted crowd listened as Drees talked about Mojave, commercial space travel and the importance of air launch technology.

Drees, who took over the air and space port after the legendary Stu Witt retired, began with a quick run-down of the 3,000 acre facility. The Mojave Air and Space Port shares restricted air space with military neighbors Edwards and China Lake. It has a 12,500 foot runway, a control tower operated during the week with radar and an onsite fire department. It also has an accredited national test pilot school where you can get a Master’s Degree for a cool million dollars. (3/1)

Former Vostochny Constuction Boss Sentenced to 12 Years (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
Yury Khrizman, the former head of Dalspetsstroy, a major state contractor responsible for the construction of Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for mass corruption. Khrizman, along with several other ex-employees of Dalspetsstroy (the Far Eastern branch of Russia’s Federal Agency for Special Construction), was found guilty of wrongdoing during the construction of the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

“The court hereby finds Khrizman guilty under Part 3 of Section 285 of Russia’s Criminal Code and Part 4 of Section 160 and sentences him to 12 years in prison and a fine of 1.5 million rubles ($26,400),” Judge Andrei Vakhnenko of the Far Eastern District Military Court said Monday.

Besides Khrizman, three other people were also found guilty of abuse of office and embezzlement. According to Interfax, Vladimir Ashikhmin, the former chief accountant of Dalspetsstroy, received seven years in prison; Viktor Chudov, a local deputy, received six years in a penal colony; and Mikhail Khrizman, the son of Yury Khrizman, was sentenced to five and a half years in jail. (2/28)

GAO Report: Webb Telescope Delay Could Bust Cost Cap (Source: Space News)
A GAO report warns that NASA's James Webb Space Telescope likely faces additional delays and could bust its $8 billion cost cap. The GAO, in a report released Wednesday, found that the program has only a month and a half of schedule reserve even after a launch slip last year from October 2018 to the spring of 2019. This makes it likely that the launch will be delayed again beyond June 2019. Issues with the observatory's spacecraft and sunshield have contributed to the latest delays. The GAO said that those additional delays, and the additional personnel prime contractor Northrop Grumman has assigned to the program, could cause the mission's development cost to exceed a cap of $8 billion set by Congress in 2011. (3/1)

Congressman Continues Press for Space Corps (Source: Space News)
A key member of Congress continues to believe that the military needs a "space corps." Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's strategic forces subcommittee, criticized the Air Force Wednesday for not doing enough to counter threats to space assets and being resistant to reform efforts. Rogers last year advocated the development of a space corps within the Air Force, but language creating it did not make it into the final version of the defense authorization bill. Rogers said he continues to believe a space corps is necessary, arguing that current problems with space programs "can't be fixed within the Air Force the way it is structured now." (3/1)

China Plans Sea-Based Launch in 2018 (Source: Xinhua)
China will attempt its first sea-based launch of satellites later this year. Yang Yiqiang, commander-in-chief of the Long March 11 project at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said one of five Long March 11 launches planned for this year will take place from a ship in order to reach low inclinations. Yang didn't specify how the rocket will be launched, or what payload it will carry. (3/1)

Astranis Joins Internet Constellation Club (Source: Space News)
A startup wants to provide broadband internet access using small satellites, but in geostationary orbit. Astranis announced Thursday raising $18 million, with Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz leading its Series A round. Astranis has developed technology that allows satellites weighing just a few hundred kilograms to provide up to 10 gigabits per second of connectivity. The company has demonstrated that technology on a cubesat launched earlier this year, and the new funding will support development of its first GEO satellite. Astranis plans to partner with existing GEO satellite operators for orbital slots and to handle marketing of those broadband services. (2/28)

Aerojet Rocketdyne Throttling Back Investment in AR1 Engine (Source: Ars Technica)
Financial document show that Aerojet Rocketdyne has not been putting as much of its own money into the AR1 engine. The company's SEC filings show the company spent just $8.2 million on the program in the third quarter of 2017 and $9 million in the fourth quarter, down from a peak of $36.6 million in the first quarter of the year. The company said it is still committed to completing the engine in 2019, but has been in talks with the Air Force about reducing its share of development costs under an existing agreement. (2/28)

WFIRST Work Continues Until Congress Decides on Cancelation (Source: Space Policy Online)
Work on NASA's WFIRST space telescope will continue through the rest of this fiscal year as Congress debates whether to accept a proposal to cancel the mission. Paul Hertz, director of NASA's astrophysics division, said at a committee meeting this week that work on the spacecraft, recently scaled back to fit within a $3.2 billion cost projection, will continue with fiscal year 2018 funding. NASA sought to cancel WFIRST in its 2019 budget proposal in part to free up money for other priorities, like exploration. Astronomers have strongly criticized that proposal. (3/1)