April 28, 2018

Brooklyn-Built Spacesuits Splash Down in a Connecticut Pool (Source: Inside Science)
A scientist-astronaut-in-training, Joey Corso, 17, swam in a spacesuit in the dark. Corso had just freed himself from straps mimicking a parachute harness and successfully climbed atop an inflatable raft. The lights came on. Corso's swim, intended to mimic an emergency nighttime landing in the sea, took place in a 4-meter-deep pool inside what looked like a small aircraft hangar.

In exercises held from April 13-16, Corso and 10 other scientist-astronauts-in-training engaged in the first in-water tests of a spacesuit designed specifically for commercial spaceflight. The goal is to use these suits as part of a project to investigate the highest clouds in the world in the most mysterious layer of Earth's atmosphere. The spacesuits were tested by Project PoSSUM (Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere) at Survival Systems USA in Groton, Connecticut.

PoSSUM aims to investigate the mesosphere, the atmospheric layer extending from about 50 to 85 kilometers above Earth. Although suborbital vehicles do not achieve orbit, they still enter space, and so onboard crews and scientists need spacesuits. PoSSUM's citizen scientist-astronauts-in-training are now testing outfits from Final Frontier Design in Brooklyn, New York. It's the first spacesuit developed outside of a government contract, said Ted Southern, the company's president. (4/26)

China Sees Rocket Tech Boost (Source: Global Times)
China will master rocket recycling technology on its new CZ-8 carrier rocket by 2020 and challenge the US monopoly in the field. A Chinese expert said that if the agenda can be realized on time, China will become the world's second rocket power to master the technology, offering the prospect of a reduction in cost for carrier rockets.

At an aerospace industry seminar on Tuesday, leading Chinese carrier rocket designer Long Lehao said that China is expected to realize vertical recycling - similar to the technology employed by US-based firm SpaceX - by 2020 at the earliest on its CZ-8 rockets. This will further lower the price tag of a launch and boost China's chances of getting international commercial satellite launch orders, the CCTV report said.

Lan Tianyi, founder of Beijing-based Ultimate Blue Nebula Co, a space industry consultancy, said China will become the second rocket power to have this capacity, putting the country ahead of Russia and the EU. However, Lan said that while the aim of recycling rockets is to reduce costs for launch operators, whether this can be achieved remains to be seen. The recycled rockets developed by SpaceX are reported to have helped the company reduce launch costs by as much as 30 percent, according to media reports. (4/26)

Japan's Orbital Rocket Listed by Guinness as World’s Smallest (Source: Japan Times)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced Friday that its SS520-5 has been recognized as the smallest orbital rocket by Guinness World Records. The SS520-5, measuring 9.54 meters in height and 52 centimeters in diameter, is a three-stage solid rocket. It was launched in February this year and successfully carried into orbit the 3-kilogram TRICOM-1 microsatellite, developed by the University of Tokyo. (4/27)

Silent Sentry: Protecting Space Communications (Source: AFSPC)
The U.S. Air Force uses many types of satellite communications to transmit data all around the globe. With the encryption of data, the Air Force denies prying eyes the ability to read critical information. However, desperate enemies often try a number of subterfuge methods to disrupt SATCOM. This is where the Silent Sentry comes into play - to protect critical satellite communication links by employing multiple weapons systems for electronic warfare.

Silent Sentry’s space control mission defends against jamming attacks. They monitor satellites and watch radio signals that the satellites send down. Normal communications have certain characteristics or “fingerprints” to them, and according to Capt. Dirk Haller, commander of Silent Sentry, when these signals look different, the Airmen of the 379th OSY know something is wrong and someone may be trying to jam them.

Since satellites are critical for remotely piloted aircraft operators, they are major customers of Silent Sentry. If jammed, the pilots might lose the ability to control their RPA or not be able to receive the video feed. Silent Sentry Airman are able to communicate with the pilots via an internet relay chat. If the pilot starts to notice problems with video they are receiving or the flight controls, they notify Silent Sentry as they could be getting jammed. (4/27)

LEO Constellation Rush Not a Threat to Iridium, CEO Says (Source: Space News)
Large constellations of satellites planned for low Earth orbit (LEO) present little threat to Iridium’s business despite sharing the same orbit. More important than how high or low those constellations orbit is what spectrum they will use, Desch said. “There’s confusion a lot of times when people just use the word LEO, because they assume if they are LEO they must be a competitor when in fact if you are using Ku- or Ka-band spectrum in LEO you are really competing against [geostationary]-based broadband systems,” Desch said. (4/26)

Spread Your Wings at Space Center Houston’s New Exhibit (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Designing your own aircraft — down to wing span and color — and mimicking flying in V-formation like a bird are some of the ways you can learn about aerotechnology at Space Center Houston’s new exhibit, “Above and Beyond.” The installation, which runs through September 9, features artifacts and tools used in past space exploration, paired with interactive, hands-on tools to demonstrate what’s possible for the future of space travel, exhibits director Paul Spana said.

Spana’s favorite part of the exhibit is “Full Throttle,” a piloted mission competition that uses technology similar to a video game. On a touchscreen, you can design a supersonic fighter jet, choosing color, body style, and wing type and shape. After being assigned a unique tail number based on the country from which you choose to launch this mission, you go through a quick cockpit orientation, and then it’s time for liftoff. With a joystick controller, you begin a virtual race against other pilots, navigating wind tunnels and other challenges and earning points for speed and maneuverability. (4/27)