May 16, 2018

NASA Urged to Hedge Bets on Commercial Crew (Source: Space News)
A NASA advisory committee, concerned about commercial crew delays, wants the agency to develop plans to operate the ISS with a reduced crew. At a meeting this week of the ISS Advisory Committee, chairman Thomas Stafford said it believed current commercial crew schedules, which call for test flights later this year, are "optimistic" based on past delays. The committee recommended that the ISS partnership "pursue plans to protect for a minimum crew capability to ensure ISS viability" until commercial crew vehicles enter service. Those plans could include having Russian cosmonauts trained to operate key systems on the U.S. segment of the station, he said. Earlier this year, NASA said it was studying used the crewed test flights for the commercial crew vehicles under development as operational missions as a hedge against further delays. (5/16)

Launch Costs Driving Air Force Toward Smaller Satellites (Source: Space News)
A general says lower launch costs and the contested nature of space will drive the Air Force to smaller satellites. Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, head of Air Force Materiel Command, said expectations for space systems have changed as large satellites become "very attractive" targets for attack. There is also less of a need for large satellites, she argued, as launch prices decline. The growing number of small satellite and small launch vehicle ventures, she said, "will require the space acquisition community to adjust how they do business." (5/16)

China Policy Change Allowed Major Commercial Space Growth (Source: Space News)
A change in Chinese policy a few years ago has led to a major growth in the country's commercial space industry. Chinese leadership became increasingly aware in 2015 that commercial space activities are an essential element in making China an all-around space leader, resulting in changes like a 2016 white paper that made the first mention private investment in space. There is now a growing number of Chinese companies developing spacecraft and launch vehicles, including i-Space, which tested a sounding rocket in April as a step towards a small orbital launch vehicle, and OneSpace, which plans a suborbital launch of its OS-X rocket as soon as Thursday. (5/16)

Russia Sees Continued "Spending Violations" in Defense, Space (Source: Moscow Times)
A Russian regulators said that "spending violations" in the country's defense and space sectors have grown significantly in the last year. The Audit Chamber found $20 billion in spending violations across the government in 2017, double the amount found in 2016. More than 40 percent of those violations came from the space industry. Roscosmos and development of the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East have been a top target for the Audit Chamber in its annual reports. (5/16)

Inter-Planetary Cubesat Shares Photo of Earth, Moon (Source: NASA/JPL)
A cubesat launched to Mars earlier this month has captured an image of the Earth and moon. A camera on one of the two Mars Cube One (MarCO) cubesats, launched as secondary payloads with the InSight Mars lander May 5, took an image of the Earth and moon four days after launch. The image, in which the Earth and moon appear as dots, was primarily intended for engineering purposes, confirming that its high-gain antenna properly deployed. (5/16)

Astrobotic's Lunar Lander to Carry Earth Library (Source: The Verge)
A commercial lunar lander will carry a copy of Wikipedia, printed on tiny metal sheets. The Arch Foundation said Tuesday its Lunar Library will fly as a payload on Astrobotic's first lunar lander mission in 2020. The library will consist of a copy of Wikipedia printed on sheets of metal thinner than a human hair, allowing the online encyclopedia to fit into a container the size of a CD. The foundation flew a similar payload, consisting of Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" triology, on the Tesla Roadster launched on the Falcon Heavy inaugural mission. For Astrobotic, the Lunar Library is the company's 12th payload customer for its lunar lander mission. (5/16)

'Right Stuff' Author Dies (Source: collectSPACE)
Tom Wolfe, author of The Right Stuff, has passed away. Wolfe died Monday in New York at the age of 88. One of his most famous books is The Right Stuff, his account of the early days of NASA's human spaceflight program, which served as the basis for the 1983 film of the same name. The book and movie served as inspiration for later generations of astronauts and others in the space industry. "'The Right Stuff' was an inspiration to me and millions of others. He will be missed," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. (5/16)

Mining Asteroids Could Be Worth Trillions of Dollars (Source: CNBC)
The race to space traditionally has advanced with exploration and even tourism in mind, but space-mining is looking like an increasingly legitimate idea, opening the possibility of a new civilization — and profits — on another planet. "Governments and even experts in the field are still debating over the appropriate uses of these resources, and it remains a difficult question to answer."

Noted astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, among others, have claimed that the world's first trillionaire will make his or her fortune in space minerals. According to NASA, the minerals that lie in the belt of asteroids between Mars and Jupiter hold wealth equivalent to a staggering $100 billion for every person on Earth.

There's a lack of legal clarity over the ownership of space resources, however, and laws presiding over space are largely ambiguous in general, according to Ian Christensen, the director of private sector programs at the Secure World Foundation, a space-related think tank. "Enforcement is done by national government authorities, but a specialized space authority does not exist yet," Christensen said. (5/15)

Satellite-Builder SSL Sets Sights On Metal Asteroid (Source: Aviation Week)
SSL was not looking to get into the planetary science business per se when it shopped for new customers for its workhorse SSL-1300 bus, the chassis of 87 communications satellites currently operating in Earth orbit.

But the company came to realize that with several technology advances, including higher-power electric thrusters and more efficient solar arrays—upgrades already being incorporated into its communications satellite designs—the 1300 bus could meet technical and reliability requirements, as well as the cost caps, of some NASA science and exploration missions. (5/9)

SLS Block 1 Design Matures (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
NASA has been touting its Space Launch System (SLS) as the “most powerful rocket ever built” since its inception, and initially listed its payload capability to low-Earth orbit (LEO) as 154,324 pounds (70 metric tons). Though less than what the Saturn V could launch when it was active, it was a significant increase over the Space Transportation System’s – better known as the Space Shuttle – 60,600 pounds (27.5 metric tons) offered.

Indeed, when SLS began its development, United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Delta IV Heavy was the most capable launcher in the U.S. fleet, with a 63,470 pound (28.79 metric ton) capability to LEO. Therefore, with an ability to loft more than twice the payload of its closest stablemate, SLS would clearly meet the agency’s need for a vehicle capable of supporting deep-space human exploration.

However, with the rapid growth of NewSpace companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, many pundits began to wonder if there was a need for a rocket like SLS. In fact, when SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy – with a LEO capability listed as 140,700 pounds (63.8 metric tons) in its fully disposable configuration – those voices became even louder. Click here. (5/10) 
    
SpaceX’s Block 5 Falcon 9 Another Space Launch Game-Changer (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
... Musk said that reusing the second stage of the rocket is still in the cards for the Falcon 9. For upcoming flights, he said the company is gathering data about the reentry experience of the stage. “Previously we’ve not put a lot of effort into gathering data on the upper stage after it does its disposal burn,” Musk said. “So we’re required to do a disposal burn and kind of the stage re-enter and break up in an unpopulated area in the Pacific.

SpaceX, Musk said, wants to learn in detail at what altitude and speed the second stage breaks up and under what conditions. But it will need to transmit that data, which he said is tricky. “When it’s coming in, it’s coming like a meteor,” Musk said. “So it’s got this sort of like, ball of plasma, and you can actually only broadcast sort of like, diagonally backwards. Click here. (5/16) 

NASA's Emerging Microgap Cooling to be Tested Aboard New Shepard (Source: Space Daily)
An emerging technology for removing excessive, potentially damaging heat from small, tightly packed instrument electronics and other spaceflight gear will be demonstrated for the first time during an upcoming suborbital flight aboard a reusable launch vehicle.

Thermal engineer Franklin Robinson, who works at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, is scheduled to fly his experiment aboard the fully reusable Blue Origin New Shepard launch vehicle to prove that the microgap-cooling technology is immune from the effects of zero gravity.

The demonstration, funded by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate's Flight Opportunities program, is an important step in validating the system, which engineers believe could be ideal for cooling tightly packed, high-power integrated circuits, power electronics, laser heads or other devices. The smaller the space between these electronics, the harder it is to remove the heat. (5/16)

An 'Exploration Exhibition' to Launch the New Planetary Science Caucus (Source: Planetary Society)
Rockets aren't the only thing that launch. The congressional Planetary Science Caucus formally kicked off last Wednesday with an “exploration exhibition” at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. to raise awareness of the caucus and of the many ways in which industry and scientific institutions participate in the exploration of the planets.

Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye and its board of directors were on hand to welcome hundreds congressional staff and seven members of Congress, including the caucus co-Chairs Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) and Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), who also addressed the crowd. (5/14)

The Mad, Volunteer-Run Mission to Fire a Human Into Space by 2030 (Source: WIRED)
The plan sounds simple: at four o’clock on a mid-May morning, a small flotilla of ships will set sail from the Danish island of Bornholm for international waters in the Baltic Sea, from where – later that day – a 6.7-meter-tall rocket, weighing 178 kilograms, will be fired 12.6 kilometers into the air, then float back down to Earth with the help of a parachute. But given that the rocket is a mishmash of pre-existing components, repurposed for space travel, the task is gargantuan.

The rocket isn’t part of a national military test or a major space program supported by NASA or the European Space Agency (ESA). It’s not even the latest test of Elon Musk’s multi-billion-dollar SpaceX project, or one of Virgin Galactic’s trial launches. It’s been cobbled together by a crowdfunded team of around 50 volunteers working in a Copenhagen warehouse who share a dream: of putting a human into space. Click here. (4/21)

Here's China's Plan to Compete with SpaceX and Blue Origin (Source: Popular Science)
China has plans to launch reusable space rockets to compete with the likes of SpaceX and Blue Origin. The Chinese Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the leading builder of Chinese space launch rockets, announced that its Long March (CHang Zheng in Chinese) LM-8 space rocket will launch in 2020.

Like the SpaceX Falcon and Falcon Heavy, the LM-8's first stage will be reusable, using leftover fuel to land vertically. This shouldn't come as a surprise, given that CASC has previously promised to make all its rockets reusable by 2035.

The LM-8 is a medium-sized space launch vehicle, capable of carrying 7.7 tons to low-earth orbit. It shares the same first stage core as the larger Long March 7 (which is China's newest man-rated rocket), but compared to the Long March 7, it has only two K2 liquid rocket boosters. Once the LM-8's second stage separates to enter orbit, the LM-8's first stage will descend back to the ground by carefully burning remaining fuel to maneuver onto the landing pad, with the aid of grid fins. In the last moments of descent, landing struts will unfold from the bottom of the rocket to ensure a smooth touchdown. The boosters will separate and parachute back to the ground. (5/14)

Iridium to Complete Next-Generation Satellite Deployment by this Fall (Source: Space News)
Iridium expects to have its next-generation satellite constellation deployed and in service by this fall as it looks to win approvals for new maritime and aviation applications. In a conference call with reporters May 14, Iridium Chief Executive Matt Desch said the remaining three launches of Iridium Next satellites should be completed by the third quarter of this year, with the satellites in the final positions shortly thereafter.

“All of the satellites are going to be in place within probably about 30 days of our final launch,” he said. The Iridium operations team has become more efficient in maneuvering new satellites into their planned orbital slots and putting them into service. “It will be very shortly after our final launch that we will have 100 percent Iridium Next satellites.”

Iridium has launched 50 Iridium Next satellites to date on five SpaceX Falcon 9 launches dating back to January 2017. Of those satellites, Desch said 47 are in service while the other three are drifting to their planned orbital planes. (5/14)

Chinese Commercial Launch Sector Nears Takeoff with Suborbital Rocket Test (Source: Space News)
In the early hours of April 5 on Hainan Island, Chinese company Space Honor, or i-Space, successfully sent a single-stage solid-propellant rocket over the Karman line to an altitude of 108 kilometers.

The low-key test was a step in the development of an orbital 1.4-meter diameter, 20-meter tall Hyperbola-1 rocket, which the company aims to test launch in June 2019 with the capability of sending a 300-kilogram payload into low Earth orbit. Hyperbola-3, expected to debut before the end of 2021, will be capable of lofting two metric tons to LEO. (5/15)

'Lost' Asteroid the Size of the Statue of Liberty Buzzes by Earth (Source: FOX News)
An asteroid the size of New York City's Statue of Liberty buzzed by Earth Tuesday, and this time, scientists were ready and waiting. At its closest point, the asteroid – called 2010 WC9 – was roughly 126,000 miles from earth, about half the distance between Earth and the moon at approximately 6:05 ET. The estimated diameter of the asteroid ranges from 197 to 427 feet, making this "pass one of the closest approaches ever observed of an asteroid of this size," EarthSky reports. (5/15)

These Free-Range Planets Rove Around in a Pair (Source: Astronomy)
A rogue planet long escaped from its home stellar system may not be so alone on its trip. 2MASS J11193254–1137466 was announced last year as an untethered planetary-mass system in the TW Hydrae association, a grouping of stars with a center point about 95 light-years away. 1137466 is around 160 light-years away, but its motion indicates an 80 percent possibility that it’s part of this grouping of young stars. And a recent analysis suggests that it’s not one large planet but two slightly smaller gas giants, each about 10 million years old.

Both objects are around four Jupiter masses and seem gravitationally bound to each other as binary rogue planets with a separation about four times the distance between Earth and the Sun. If confirmed, it’s the first binary rogue planet pair ever discovered. Their mass places them firmly in the planetary range rather than brown dwarfs, which are “failed stars.”

However, it’s possible that they formed like brown dwarfs, which accumulate mass like stars through the collapse of gas clouds but fail to ignite, fusing hydrogen into heavier isotopes rather than into helium, which is required to be classified as a star. Both planets were likely ejected from a star in the association and took up their free-roaming ways. While their mother star may have spurned them, at least they have each other, and that counts for something. (5/14)

Virginia Students Plan Far Out Experiment to Outer Space (Source: USNWR)
Students around far Southwest Virginia are planning a mission to space. It's not some sort of hypothetical or simulated experiment. Miniature satellites that they're experimenting with today, each just a few inches long, will be loaded aboard an International Space Station re-supply rocket in November.

Sometime before the rocket arrives, a hatch will open, the so-called ThinSats will drift into space and begin orbiting Earth over 100 miles away. Students, ranging from grades three to 12, will have five days to track their satellites and collect data before they burn up upon re-entry into the atmosphere.

It's a program years in the making, with around 100 students involved from Wise, Russell, Bland and Washington counties as well as the city of Norton. The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority is sponsoring the program, both with funding and planning help. Eastside High School science teacher Jane Carter said the program offers a lot of teaching opportunities, from collecting and analyzing data to recognizing weather patterns. (5/13)

Octopuses Came to Earth From Space as Frozen Eggs Millions of Years Ago (Source: Express)
Octopuses are “aliens” which evolved on another planet before arriving on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago as “cryopreserved” eggs via a process known as panspermia, radical new research has suggested. The extraordinary claims were made in a report entitled Cause of Cambrian Explosion – Terrestrial or Cosmic? which was co-authored by a group of 33 scientists and published in the Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology journal.

The paper suggests that the explanation for the sudden flourishing of life during the Cambrian era – often referred to as the Cambrian Explosion – lies in the stars, as a result of the Earth being bombarded by clouds of organic molecules.

But the scientists go on to make an even more extraordinary claim concerning octopuses, which seem to have evolved on Earth quite rapidly something like 270 million years ago, 250 million years after the Cambrian explosion. The paper states: “The genome of the Octopus shows a staggering level of complexity with 33,000 protein-coding genes more than is present in Homo sapiens. “One plausible explanation, in our view, is that the new genes are likely new extraterrestrial imports to Earth." (5/14)

Chinese Rewrite Record, Live 370 Days in Self-Contained Moon Lab (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese volunteers have completed a one-year test living in a simulated space lab in Beijing, setting a new record for the longest stay in a self-contained cabin. Four students, two males and two females, emerged from the Yuegong-1, or Lunar Palace 1, at Beihang University to the applause of academicians, researchers and fellow students Tuesday.

The total length of the test, which started on May 10th last year, reached 370 days, with the third stage accounting for 110 days. Liu Hong, chief designer of Yuegong-1, said the test marks the longest stay in a bioregenerative life support system (BLSS), in which humans, animals, plants and microorganisms co-exist in a closed environment, simulating a lunar base. Oxygen, water and food are recycled within the BLSS, creating an Earth-like environment. (5/15)