March 6, 2018

DoD Delivers Report to Congress on Space Reforms: Air Force Acquisition System a Big Problem (Source: Space News)
The report is highly critical of the current acquisition system for space systems. It points out that today’s processes slow down modernization at a time when U.S. access and use of space capabilities are being threatened by foreign adversaries. “The biggest challenge we face is the acquisition system, which needs to improve dramatically,” Davis noted. “Congress has diagnosed the problem correctly,” he said, “and we are making significant changes already on space throughout the government, and within DoD.” (3/6)

Polish Space Agency Eyes $420M Program (Source: Space News)
The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) is currently consulting on its draft National Space Program under which it aims to spend close to 1.43 billion Polish zloty ($420 million) over an eight-year period. Senior agency officials say the program will allow them to team up Polish space industry players with foreign partners to develop two new satellites and acquire developed technologies.

Under the plan, the funds are to be allocated to support the development of an astronomical observation satellite, a SAR microsatellite, and a number of other R&D projects in Poland’s space sector, among others, according to the agency. (3/6)

SpaceX Starlink Satellites Could Pose 'Unprecedented' Space Junk Problem (Source: Mashable)
The chain reaction Don Kessler warned of has not yet come to pass, but now the Elon Musk-founded company SpaceX has detailed plans to launch almost 12,000 satellites to orbit, according to applications filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The ambitious proposal, to beam down fast internet from space, is called Starlink.

And if this grand fleet of satellites is realized, SpaceX would have to face the unparalleled challenge of making sure these satellites don’t exacerbate Earth’s space debris problem, and at worst, advance a cascading, irreversible reality filled with space junk. “It is unprecedented,” said Kessler in an interview. “The sheer number, that’s the problem.”

A SpaceX spokesperson declined to comment on the exact number of satellites the company is planning to launch, but an FCC public notice, dated August 12, 2017, states that “SpaceX also proposes to add a very-low-Earth orbit NGSO [non-geostationary orbit] constellation, consisting of 7,518 satellites” to the previous application of 4,425. If realized, this grand number would total 11,943 fuel-carrying satellites, each weighing nearly 900 pounds. (3/6)

US Scientists Plot Return to the Moon's Surface (Source: Nature)
When Apollo astronaut Eugene Cernan stepped off the Moon in December 1972, it marked the end of US researchers’ access to the lunar surface. Since then, no US mission has touched down there to collect scientific data. That could soon change.

In December, President Trump ordered NASA to send astronauts back to the Moon. On Feb. 12 he proposed a 2019 budget that would allow the agency to begin planning a $200-million lunar exploration program. In the weeks since, NASA officials have started sketching out how that effort might unfold — from a series of small commercial landers, to larger NASA landers, to a multinational space station near the Moon that could serve as a base for robots and astronauts traveling to the lunar surface. Click here. (3/5)

Movements of Fire and Shadow: The X-23 PRIME Reentry Vehicle and American Satellite Reconnaissance (Source: Space Review)
Early reconnaissance satellites returned their film using canisters caught in midair near Hawaii. Dwayne Day describes how the Air Force and NRO considered a different approach that involved the use of an experimental winged vehicle. Click here. (3/5)
 
Launch Canada (Source: Space Review)
Canada has many impressive space capabilities, but it lacks an ability to launch its own satellites. Jeff Foust reports on discussions at a recent conference where Canadian companies and others discussed efforts to provide launch services, using either imported rockets or vehicles built within the country. Click here. (3/5)
 
Why It’s a Bad Idea to Weaken the Moon Treaty (Source: Space Review)
Some have suggested ideas to modify the Moon Treaty to make it more amenable to commercial space activities, including space resource extraction. Dennis O’Brien argues that the solutions may be worse than any problem they try to fix. Click here. (3/5)
 
The New European Challenge for Boosting Commercial Activities on the Space Station (Source: Space Review)
Airbus and ESA concluded an agreement last month to mount a commercial platform on the exterior of the International Space Station. Anne-Sophie Martin discusses the project and how it fits into the legal issues regarding commercial activities on the station. Click here. (3/5) 

SpaceX Reaches 50th Falcon-9 Launch Milestone with Midnight Launch at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Space News)
On its 50th Falcon 9 launch, SpaceX successfully placed a large communications satellite into orbit. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 12:33 a.m. Eastern and deployed the Hispasat 30W-6 satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit a little more than a half hour later. The SSL-built satellite will replace the 15-year-old Hispasat 30W-4 satellite at 30 degrees west, providing services in C-, Ka- and Ku-bands. The six-ton satellite was one of the largest launched by the Falcon 9 to date. (3/6)

NASA Finds International Interest in Lunar Plans (Source: Space News)
NASA sees strong interest in its lunar exploration plans from potential international partners, but cautions it can't take that leadership for granted. Bill Gerstenmaier said Monday there's been considerable interest from both current ISS partners as well as emerging space nations in cooperating on elements ranging from life support systems to lunar landers. NASA and other ISS partners have also released a draft set of standards for deep space technologies. He acknowledged, though, that some countries are "hedging their bets" about working with the U.S. given past changes in direction, leaving the door open to working with China. (3/6)

Cochran's Senate Departure Opens Door for Shelby (Source: Politico)
The chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee will resign at the end of the month. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) said Monday that health issues led him to retire before his current term ends in 2020. He plans to stay through this month in order to oversee completion of the fiscal year 2018 omnibus spending bill. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA, is next in line to chair the full committee, and Shelby said Monday night he will seek the chairmanship. (3/6)

China Testing Robotic Arm for Space Station (Source: GB Times)
China is testing a robotic arm for its future space station. The arm will be used to assemble elements of the space station, joining modules to a common docking hub. It will also be used for moving equipment and supplies from cargo spacecraft and working with a planned space telescope that will be in the same orbit as the space station. (3/6)

Sealed Apollo Samples May Be Opened for New Lunar Effort (Source: Space.com)
As part of its lunar exploration plans, NASA is considering opening lunar sample canisters that have remained sealed since the Apollo missions that collected them. Several sample containers from the later Apollo missions, sealed on the lunar surface, remain unopened. Lunar scientists are interested in opening one of them, allowing state-of-the-art instrumentation to analyze the samples to measure any traces of volatiles. NASA has identified such studies as an early step in its overall new lunar exploration strategy. (3/6)

No, Iran Doesn't Have an ICBM Program (Source: War on the Rocks)
Let’s be realistic: Iran will not surrender its missile program. Rockets play too central a role in Iran’s defense and deterrence posture, especially given its antiquated and inferior air force. The need for missiles is also deeply embedded in the national psyche, from the days in the mid-1980s when acquiring and firing back Scud missiles was the only way to retaliate against Iraqi missile strikes on Iranian cities. It should be possible, however, for the U.S. and its allies to limit Iran’s missile program.

This includes preventing it from obtaining intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and intermediate-range systems (between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometers in range). The facts are clear: None of the missiles Iran has under development come close to being able to hit the U.S. Nor can they reach much of Europe beyond its southeastern corner.

Iran does have a space program, which potentially “could serve as a test bed for developing ICBM capabilities.” The program also provides engineers with critical experience developing powerful booster rockets and other skills that could be used in developing longer-range missiles. But Iran’s satellite launchers are not ICBMs in disguise. Iran’s two space-launch rockets, the Safir and Simorgh, are optimized for launching satellites, and are not well suited to perform as a ballistic missile, for which they have never been tested. (3/5)

LEO/MEO Satellites Poised to Make a Mark in Military Sector (Source: Via Satellite)
Commercial enterprises and consumers in underserved markets are not the only industry segments excited about the potential of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, which soon will launch into orbit, bringing new capabilities to a variety of users. The defense community increasingly recognizes the powerful capabilities of these emerging constellations for meeting the military’s continuous need for low-latency high bandwidth for missions at sea, over land and in the air.

The United States Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA) recent Request for Information (RFI) calling for a low-latency satellite connectivity solution underscores the government’s openness for considering new non-Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) solutions. And that cooperative posture also has been illustrated during the Air Force’s wideband Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) exercise to define the future space architecture, where several LEO and MEO companies put forth their recommendations. (3/5)

NASA, Partners Seek Input on Standards for Deep Space Technologies (Source: Space Daily)
In order to maximize investment in, and benefits of, future deep space exploration platforms and technologies, NASA and its International Space Station partners have collaborated to draft standards that address seven priority areas in which technology compatibility is crucial for global cooperation.

The agency and its partners are seeking feedback on these draft interoperability standards, which cover: avionics, communications, environmental control and life support systems, power systems, rendezvous operations, robotics, and thermal systems. This standardization effort aims to support commonality without dictating design features beyond the interfaces that allow hardware systems to operate with each other. (3/6)

World-First Firing of Air-Breathing Electric Thruster (Source: Space Daily)
In a world-first, an ESA-led team has built and fired an electric thruster to ingest scarce air molecules from the top of the atmosphere for propellant, opening the way to satellites flying in very low orbits for years on end. ESA's GOCE gravity-mapper flew as low as 250 km for more than five years thanks to an electric thruster that continuously compensated for air drag. However, its working life was limited by the 40 kg of xenon it carried as propellant - once that was exhausted, the mission was over.

Replacing onboard propellant with atmospheric molecules would create a new class of satellites able to operate in very low orbits for long periods. Air-breathing electric thrusters could also be used at the outer fringes of atmospheres of other planets, drawing on the carbon dioxide of Mars, for instance. (3/6)

China's Space Station Will Crash to Earth in a Few Weeks (Source: Daily Mail)
An out-of-control space station put in orbit by China will come crashing back to the planet within weeks and could hit Europe, the US, Australia and New Zealand. The Tiangong-1 space station, which is hurtling towards Earth carrying a 'highly toxic chemical', will likely hit sometime between March 24 and April 19.

Agencies around the world have been monitoring the doomed 8.5-tonne craft, which is believed to contain dangerous hydrazine, as it falls toward the planet. However, it will only be during the final week that experts will know with full confidence when it would land and where the debris will fall. (3/6)

World’s Largest Airplane May Launch a Shuttle Called Black Ice (Source: Washington Post)
But Allen has bigger ambitions for Stratolaunch, like pairing it with a new space shuttle that’s known inside the company as Black Ice. “I would love to see us have a full reusable system and have weekly, if not more often, airport-style, repeatable operations going,” Allen said. The Black Ice space plane would be about as big as NASA's space shuttle and capable of staying up for at least three days.

It could be launched from virtually anywhere in the world, as long as the runway could accommodate Stratolaunch’s size. And it would be capable of flying to the International Space Station, taking satellites and experiments to orbit, and maybe one day even people — though there are no plans for that in the near-term. Then it would land back on the runway, ready to fly again. (3/6)