April 20, 2018

Rubio's Reversal Assured Bridenstine Confirmation for NASA (Source: USA Today)
"If you look at the time frame (of finding someone else), we timed it out to March 2019. NASA cannot go two and a half years (from Trump's inauguration) without a director," Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) said. "An agency needs guidance. It needs to have someone there who has both the authority the backing of the administration to get things done." The senator also said Bridenstine has assured him "he's going to run it in a non-political way and that he's going to be fair to Florida and I'll take him at his word for that."

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-FL, who as a congressman representing the Orlando area was a payload specialist on a 1986 flight of the Columbia space shuttle, lobbied his fellow Democrats to oppose Bridenstine, arguing he is too partisan for the job. “The NASA administrator should be a consummate space professional … not a politician,” Nelson said on the Senate floor before the vote. "More importantly, the administrator must be a leader who has the ability to bring us together, to unite scientists and engineers and commercial space interests and policymakers and the public on a shared vision for future space exploration.” (4/18)

Two New Inductees for Astronaut Hall of Fame (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame is inducting two new astronauts. Joining the other 95 astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle Programs will be Space Shuttle astronauts Thomas Jones and Scott Altman. This will be the 17th class of shuttle astronauts to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Inductees to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame are selected by a special committee of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. (4/20)

SpaceX Gearing Up for Block-5 Debut (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Now that SpaceX has successfully launched NASA’s TESS satellite into orbit, there’s a pause of at least two weeks in scheduled Florida launches until SpaceX may attempt its first launch of the Falcon 9 Block 5. The Block 5 is an upgrade intended to allow each rocket to be reused up to 10 times with little refurbishment and up to 100 times with more refurbishment, according to an article on Teslarati.com, which said the current Falcon 9 can only be reused two or three times. SpaceX has moved the Block 5 to Florida after testing in Texas.

SpaceX is currently aiming for a departure from Kennedy Space Center “no earlier than” May 4, although the mission has been delayed a few times already. The payload is called Bangabandhu 1, and it was built by a French firm, Thales Alenia Space. Thales has a U.S. arm also, with significant offices in Orlando and Melbourne. (4/20)

Ready, Set…Mars! Imagining Life on the Red Planet (Source: HP)
A solar-field construction vehicle with nimble robot arms that piece together solar cells. Vertical turbines that harness the energy of dust storms — and shield nearby cities from their force. A compact settlement built underground in rust-red soil, capped by series of stunning atriums.

Those are just a few of the winning entries that wowed the judges of the second round of HP’s Mars Home Planet challenge, including star architect Daniel Libeskind; Dr. Robert Zubrin, president of the Mars Society; and Dr. Sanjay Vijendran of the Mars Mission for the European Space Agency. “The entries are mind-bending,” says Sean Young, HP’s worldwide segment manager for product development and AEC. “Some are so beautiful and so well thought out that it makes you want to go live on Mars.” Click here. (3/30) 

Netflix Doc 'Mercury 13' Chronicles First US Women Tested for Spaceflight (Source: CollectSpace)
A famous scene from space history gets an unexpected twist in the first moments of "Mercury 13," a new documentary now streaming on Netflix. "That's one small leap for a woman, another giant step for mankind." That line, which comes across as both familiar and foreign, is delivered in a woman's voice with the archival footage of men walking on the moon. It underscores what might have been — and the overall theme of the one-hour, 18-minute film from directors David Sington and Heather Walsh. (4/20)

Train Like an Astronaut (Source: Space Nation)
We’ve signed a collaboration agreement with NASA. Meaning we’re able to bring the universe of knowledge contained in real life astronaut training straight to your smartphone. Daily updating missions and minigames put you at the center of your own astronaut adventure, and teach you in a fun and inspiring way what it takes to be an astronaut. Click here. (4/20)

Air Force: 'Future is Very Bright' for Cape Canaveral Launches, 45th Space Wing (Source: Florida Today)
Air Force officials are confident that the Space Coast will be home to a bright future thanks to its role as one of the most active spaceports in world. “Assured access to space is absolutely essential to our national security.” Raymond reiterated what the local unit, the 45th Space Wing, has coming down the pike: The “Drive to 48,” or a target of supporting up to 48 launches a year, which translates to one a week on average. That could come as soon as 2020 as Blue Origin enters the manifest along with SpaceX, ULA, Orbital ATK, NASA and possibly others.

“That will represent almost 50 percent of the world’s launches from that one place,” Raymond said, noting that the infusion of autonomous operations into launches will help make that possible. SpaceX’s Falcon 9, for example, supports the Autonomous Flight Termination System, which can automatically destroy a rocket if deemed dangerous or straying from its path. In return, it has reduced cost and staffing requirements for the Air Force. (4/19)

OneSpace of China Tests Vertical Assembly of Rocket Ahead of Debut Launch (Source: GB Times)
Chinese NewSpace launch service provider OneSpace has performed a vertical assembly rehearsal of its OS-X rocket ahead of the company's debut rocket launch in June. The vertical assembly took place in Beijing on April 11, using independently developed equipment to transport the rocket. The test verified the function and performance of a range of equipment, including transportation and lifting systems, launch pad, as well as rocket assembly, transfer and erection processes.

The OneSpace OS-X1 rocket is designed for suborbital flights to provide high-altitude research and test services. Its debut launch is planned for June, following successful tests of its solid-propellant engine in December. The site of the first launch and details of potential payloads are yet to be disclosed. The company hopes that its OS-M rocket series, first with the OS-M1 rocket, will later provide low-cost, light-lift launch services for low Earth (LEO) and Sun-synchronous orbits (SSO).

OneSpace is one of a number of emerging players in the Chinese commercial launch sector, Landspace, i-Space, Linkspace, which has recently succeeded with a vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) test, and Expace, which is aiming to perform four commercial launches inside a week later this year. (4/20)

China's Shanxi Province Considers Active Role in Commercial Launch Industry (Source: GB Times)
A Chinese province is considering getting into the commercial launch business. Shanxi Province in North China is home to the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, used primarily for launches of satellite to polar and sun-synchronous orbits. Province officials said they are interested in ways to support commercial launch activities at the center, including creating its own commercial launch company. (4/20)

Commercial Sponsorship of Space Stations Possible (Source: Space News)
Commercial sponsorships of future space stations may be possible. Companies planning commercial space stations are grappling with questions about how they will operate, including the role of government customers and corporate sponsorship. NASA expects that commercial stations will require some degree of government support to be viable, but also assumes that if companies fund the development of stations, they will get some kind of naming rights. That worries some people: "I don't want the Taco Bell International Space Station," said one engineer who attended a panel discussion on the topic at the 34th Space Symposium. (4/20)

Hyperspectral Imagery From Dutch Cubesat (Source: Space News)
A Dutch firm has released the first images from a hyperspectral instrument on a recently launched cubesat. Cosine Measurement Systems said its HyperScout miniaturized hyperspectral camera, flown on the GomX-4B satellite launched in February, is working well. The company expects the data from the instrument to be used in managing irrigation, monitoring fire hazards and detecting floods, among other change-detection applications. (4/20)

BE-4 Engine Qualification Testing Moving Toward Completion (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin says its BE-4 engine should complete qualification tests by the end of this year. In an interview, company CEO Bob Smith said that testing of the large engine is going well as the company steps through a methodical test program. Blue Origin plans to use the BE-4 on the first stage of its New Glenn orbital rocket and is offering it to ULA for its Vulcan rocket. Smith also said test flights of Blue Origin's New Shepard suborbital vehicle should resume in a few weeks, and the company could perform the first flight with people on board by the end of the year. (4/20)

Eutelsat Sells Hispasat Stake (Source: Space News)
After a lengthy government review, Eutelsat has sold its stake in satellite operator Hispasat for $373 million. Hispasat said Thursday that Eutelsat sold its one-third stake primarily to Spanish toll road company Abertis, with the Spanish government's Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology taking a small part. Abertis now owns nearly 90 percent of Hispasat. Eutelsat announced plans to sell its Hispasat shares last May, but had to wait for for the Spanish government to complete a review of the sale. (4/20)

Harris Says Existing Sensor Could Meet USAF Weather Satellite Needs (Source: Space News)
Harris Corporation is offering an updated version of a legacy sensor for an Air Force weather satellite program. Harris says its Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) can meet the Air Force's needs for cloud characterization and theater weather imagery for future weather satellite efforts. Harris has built 19 models of the AVHRR for U.S. and international customers. (4/20)

Arianespace to Launch Japanese Satellite (Source: Space News)
Arianespace has won a contract to launch a Japanese communications satellite. The contract, announced Thursday, covers the launch of the BSAT-4b for Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation of Japan on an Ariane 5 in 2020. Space Systems Loral won a contract to build the satellite last month. (4/20)

SpaceX Signs Lease for California BFR Factory (Source: Los Angeles Times)
SpaceX has won approval to build a factory for its BFR launch system at the Port of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners approved a permit Thursday for SpaceX to build a factory on a 19-acre site at the port formerly used by a shipbuilding company. The lease agreement has a base period of 10 years and two 10-year options, with annual rent payments starting at nearly $1.4 million. Building the factory at the port, the company said, will allow it to ship the giant vehicles by sea to launch sites. (4/20)

RUAG Continues U.S. Expansion, in Florida, Alabama and California (Source: Space News)
Swiss company Ruag is increasing its manufacturing activities in the United States. The company, which makes various satellite and launch vehicle components, is making investments in facilities in Alabama and Florida, as well as a research center in Silicon Valley. It has about 100 employees at those facilities. Ruag sees the greatest potential for growth in the U.S., the company's CEO said in an interview. (4/20)

Patent Applications a Measure of China Space Growth (Source: Space News)
Patent applications offer one measure of the growth of China's space capabilities. Data analytics firm Govini found that space technology patent applications filed in China grew by more than 13 percent over the last five years. Some of those applications, the firm acknowledged, may be by foreign companies seeking intellectual property protection. Nonetheless, the growth leads analysts to conclude that China is "becoming a more important economy for space-related technologies." (4/20)

Second SpaceX Block 5 Rocket Spied in Texas, Solidifying May 4 Debut (Source: Teslarati)
Following reports from SpaceX’s Hans Koenigsmann that the company’s newest Falcon 9 Block 5 soared through its first hot-fire testing faster than any of the rocket’s previous upgrades, the second Block 5 booster has been spotted vertical, prepping for its own round of static-fire testing in McGregor, Texas.

After a thorough period of tests for the first Block 5 booster B1046, the presence of what can only be B1047 backs up Hans’ comments beyond a shadow of doubt. B1046 is now understood to be awaiting its inaugural on-pad static fire and launch at SpaceX’s Pad 39A, currently scheduled for NET May 4. While not entirely clear at this point, B1047 will most likely return to California after its test campaign in Texas, supplying SpaceX’s Vandenberg AFB launch site with a highly reusable booster. (4/20)

NASA’s Lunar Space Station Is Almost Here (Source: Bloomberg)
NASA’s goal of returning to the moon should see a major push in early 2019, when the agency awards its first contract for the lunar “Gateway” program. The Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway is NASA’s planned “staging” area intended for studies of the moon and the deep-space environment. Eventually, it will function as a way station for astronauts traveling to and from Mars.

NASA’s first spending for the platform will be for power and propulsion elements early next year, followed by habitation components, Associate Administrator William Gerstenmaier said Thursday at the Space Symposium conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They will probably be launched moonward, in that order, starting in 2022. The platform should be orbiting the moon in 2025, said Gerstenmaier. (4/20)