June 1, 2018

NASA Opens KSC to More Commercial Development (Source: NASA)
NASA Kennedy Space Center has transformed from a government-only launch complex to the nation’s multi-user spaceport, as set forth in the KSC Master Plan. NASA KSC’s multi-user spaceport strategy leverages KSC’s unique location, land resources, and infrastructure to achieve agency programmatic objectives while also providing opportunities for the development of capabilities and assets for commercial aerospace endeavors.

This Notice of Availability (NOA) is targeted towards users that are interested in developing commercial capabilities on vacant KSC property in accordance with the KSC Master Plan. Based on responses to this NOA, NASA may select potential partners with which to have additional discussions regarding possible public-private partnerships to allow for commercial development of available KSC property. The specific land uses that NASA may consider include: Launch Operation and Support; Assembly, Testing, and Processing; Renewable Energy; Research and Development; Support Services; Vertical Launch; and Vertical Landing.

NASA has limited real estate capacity to accommodate commercial development and operation of vertical launch and vertical landing sites. For these two land use categories, information received in response to this NOA may be used to determine if the commercial aerospace industry is ready to develop vertical launch and vertical landing capabilities on KSC in the next 2-5 years.  Based on the level of interest, NASA may take additional steps to conduct a fair and open competition to select the most qualified entities for development of these land uses. Click here. (5/31)

Here’s What Earth Looks Like From the US’s Most Advanced Weather Satellite (Source: The Verge)
Almost three months after launching into space, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) latest weather satellite, called GOES-17, sent us its first official images of our planet. The incredible views, which were captured on May 20th and made public today, were taken even as the satellite is having some issues with one of its instruments.

GOES-17 went up to work with GOES-16, another NOAA weather satellite that was launched in 2016. The two probes, which are part of the so-called GOES-R series, are able to scan most of the Western Hemisphere from the coast of Africa all the way to New Zealand. Their observations from 22,300 miles (almost 36,000 kilometers) above Earth are key to monitor hurricanes, droughts, wildfires, lighting, and fog. The two spacecraft also provide us with stunning views of our planet. Click here. (6/1)

Blue Origin Gets In on NASA Studies for Resource Utilization on Moon and Mars (Source: GeekWire)
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture is among 10 teams that will share about $10 million in NASA funding to look into techniques for using resources from the moon and Mars. The studies are aimed at advancing technologies for in-situ resource utilization, or ISRU.

Such technologies could, for example, make use of ice in lunar soil to produce drinkable water, breathable oxygen and rocket propellants for refueling spacecraft. To cite another example, carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere could contribute to the production of methane fuel. Relying on ISRU resource processing would reduce the amount of fuel and supplies that’d have to be launched from Earth for missions heading to the moon, Mars or other space destinations. (6/1)

NASA has set up three research tracks as part of its public-private NextSTEP-D program. “NextSTEP” stands for “Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships.” The D refers to Appendix D of the NextSTEP-2 program description, which focuses on ISRU technologies.

To Win the New Space Race, US Must Abandon Clunky, Outdated Systems (Source: The Hill)
The United States is at an historic inflection point in terms of its national security. Depending on the path Washington takes, America will either secure its leadership and dominance in space for the foreseeable future or cede the high ground to competitors like China and Russia.

If the United States government can break its outdated model of acquisition, seize upon the new and emerging capabilities offered by commercial companies in space, and rapidly integrate advanced technologies into the national security space architecture, America will control the highest ground for the next generation and beyond. But, if Washington continues to rely on its overly bureaucratic acquisitions systems and risk calculus, it will lose the new space race. This may sound hyperbolic, but it is the critical risk our country faces today.

Our adversaries know the orbits of our satellites and our space capabilities more broadly, and are working to counter these strengths. Indeed, General Hyten has gone so far as to say that “I won’t support the development any further of large, big, fat, juicy targets,” referring to the traditional satellites in use today. While the senior Air Force leadership may say the right things, the sprawling bureaucracy they oversee is doing the exact opposite. Contracts to replace aging architectures are just “copy and paste” versions of previous iterations that leave little or no room for innovation. (6/1)

Space Force? Create a “Space Guard” Instead, Some Argue (Source: Space News)
As the White House and Congress debate whether to establish a “Space Force” within the Defense Department, some believe a more effective approach is to develop an organization analogous to the Coast Guard. Former government officials and other experts have suggested a “Space Guard” could be a more effective tool in dealing with space security issues in an era where there are more countries, and more companies, operating in Earth orbit.

George Nield said a “reasonable option” would be to create a Space Guard modeled on the Coast Guard. Its mission, he said, would be to “enhance the safety of space operations and preserve the space environment.” That Space Guard, he said, would be part of a civilian department during peacetime, but integrated into Defense Department during wartime. He added later that ability to be placed under the Pentagon’s control could eliminate the need for either a separate Space Force or a “Space Corps” within the Air Force.

A Space Guard could have a policing duty not typically assigned to militaries, said Rand Simberg, a former engineer and longtime commentator on space policy issues. However, he cautioned that the analogy to the Coast Guard is not perfect. “Sea is not space. Maritime law doesn’t project directly into outer space because that’s not the way the Outer Space Treaty is written,” he said. Likewise, he noted, maritime salvage laws don’t apply to space objects, a challenge for orbital debris removal efforts. (6/1)

Who Will Own Space as Commercialization Trend Continues? (Source: Florida Today)
Under the 1967 Treaty on Outer Space, no single country can lay claim to ownership of the moon or the planets. But what about private individuals or companies? Could Coca-Cola or McDonald’s install a big neon advertising sign on the lunar surface? Space law is something that people are seriously starting to consider. In recent years there have been plans to mine asteroids, which can contain trillions of dollars worth of precious metals. But who has rights to these asteroids? Is it the first person to get there?

Some are also concerned about the impact of increased space activity on our cultural heritage. In 2013, a bill was out before the U. S. Congress which attempted to preserve the Apollo landing sites as National Historical Parks in the hope of protecting the sites against future landings. Are the sights worth saving? Given the 1967 Treaty on Outer Space, can one nation claim lunar land in this way, even for a seemingly noble purpose? (6/1)

Elon Musk Responds to Boeing's Claims It Will Fly to Mars First (Source: The Street)
When asked by TheStreet (TST) on Thursday about who will be first to Mars, Boeing (BA) or SpaceX, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said emphatically: "Boeing." ... "We are working jointly with NASA and building that first rocket space launch system. It's about 38 stories tall, the first story is being built right now. It has 9.2 million pounds of thrust on that rocket, it's the biggest rocket ever. We will begin test flights starting next year."

Added Muilenburg, "I firmly believe that the first person to step foot on Mars will get there on a Boeing rocket." Musk has stated this year that it will begin test flights of its Mars rocket in early 2019. The big-thinking entrepreneur believes SpaceX will be able to send manned rockets to Mars by 2024. Musk wasted no time responding to Boeing on Twitter, saying "do it" in tweet reply to TheStreet's founder Jim Cramer. (6/1)

Gingrich: Space Entrepreneurs Will Change Our Lives With Advances That are Out of This World (Source: FOX News)
Much of American history has been created by entrepreneurial pioneers who kept inventing things. Throughout our history, America has been shaped by entrepreneurial risk takers who were focused on innovation – and on doing and making things better and cheaper.

Along the way, government has traditionally helped by not getting in the way of the inventors and entrepreneurs – and making sure they had a fair commercial playing field to try out their ideas. This is one reason why the rise of Bernie Sanders-style socialism is alarming – it is the opposite of historic American inventiveness, creativity and progress.

Today this tradition of aggressive entrepreneurs is taking on new life in working to get Americans into space, something I discuss in my new book, “Trump’s America.” While government wants to occasionally send highly trained astronauts on relatively brief missions, the new space entrepreneurs want to send thousands of people into space. They represent the democratization of space – just as the Wright Brothers and Henry Ford represented the democratization of air and land travel. (6/1)

When Did We Stop Thinking Big? Save the International Space Station (Source: The Hill)
The International Space Station (ISS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year and pass an amazing 18 years of continuous occupation by crew from 18 nations. However, its future is in danger at the time when it can contribute the most to preparing for long duration, deep-space human missions, and we need to complete important long-term scientific and medical experiments.

Current law would either privatize NASA’s operations on ISS by 2025, or result in the destruction of the station. Our human spaceflight laboratory is now reaching its peak scientific capabilities, and it would be a policy failure to schedule an end to consistent government funding of ISS. NASA’s FY 2019 budget proposal includes plans to end funding for the International Space Station by 2025 or transferring our valuable taxpayer investment to a private U.S. or international company or consortium. Conservatives, like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have opposed this plan.

The total investment by the U.S. alone in ISS exceeds many tens of billions of dollars, and while the case for privatizing it or destroying it to save a few billion dollars a year towards lunar exploration has an allure, it would be false economy to end or diminish the role of ISS before the U.S. is actually proceeding to the moon. Congress would be better advised to add the necessary funding to continue ISS operations as well as to explore the moon. (6/1)

APT Satellite Experiencing Solar Array Malfunction (Source: Space News)
APT Satellite has turned off several transponders on its Apstar-6 satellite because of a power problem. The Hong Kong-based satellite operator said a malfunctioning solar array on the 13-year-old satellite forced it to shut down the transponders. The company is working with satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space to try to correct the problem. APT Satellite moved the new Apstar-6C satellite, launched less than a month ago, to the same orbital slot as Apstar-6 to restore service for affected customers. (6/1)

DARPA's Blackjack Project to Demo LEO Constellation Capabilities (Source: Space News)
Proposals are due to DARPA next week for a project to demonstrate the ability to deploy a low Earth orbit constellation of military satellites. The Blackjack project seeks to show how such constellations could be used for surveillance or communications applications traditionally performed by much larger satellites. DARPA plans to award $117.5 million in contracts over three phases to up to eight bus or payload suppliers. (6/1)

Dark Matter May Carry Electrical Charge (Source: Cosmos)
Scientists studying the “cosmic dawn” — a time when the first stars ignited in the early universe — have found evidence that dark matter might contain particles carrying a small electrical charge. If the evidence stands up, says Avi Loeb, chair of the Department of Astronomy at Harvard University, it adds immensely to our understanding of the enigmatic substance that comprises more than 80% of the universe’s mass. Until now, he says, dark matter is only known by its gravitational interactions with ordinary matter. Those reveal that something is out there, even though we don’t know what it is.

“[But this] is the first time we might have detected a property of dark matter, like the fact it has an electric charge,” he explains. The new find is based on observations conducted by a project with the cumbersome title of Experiment to Detect the Global EoR (Epoch of Reionisation) Signature, or EDGES for short, which uses a pair of small radio telescopes in Western Australia to monitor the entire sky for radio emissions at frequencies of approximately 80 megahertz — just below the lower end of the FM radio dial. (6/1)

Dunes of Methane Ice Dot Pluto's Cold Surface (Source: Mashable)
Pluto is an oddball. The dwarf planet plays host to mountains made of ice that could rival the Rockies alongside a heart-shaped plain of ice that looks like the world's dominant feature when seen from high above. But that's not all. According to a new study in the journal Science this week that makes use of images taken during the New Horizons flyby of Pluto in July 2015, the tiny world also has dunes of methane ice at the border of part of the heart-shaped region known as Sputnik Planitia.

"When we first saw the New Horizons images, we thought instantly that these were dunes, but it was really surprising because we know there is not much of an atmosphere," study co-author Jani Radebaugh said. "However despite being 30 times further away from the sun as the Earth, it turns out Pluto still has Earth-like characteristics. We have been focusing on what's close to us, but there's a wealth of information in the distant reaches of the solar system too." (6/1)

Heavier Astronauts Have Higher Risk of Post-flight Eye Changes (Source: APS)
New research suggests that changes in the eye that occur during spaceflight may be related to how much an astronaut weighs. Reduced gravity levels can lead to spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) in some astronauts. SANS refers to structural changes in the eye that may impair vision, including swelling of the optic nerve (optic disc edema) and colored indentations (choroidal folds) in the blood vessel network at the back of the eye. Researchers now think that how much a person weighs may play a role in these ocular changes.

On Earth, the weight of the body’s tissues presses against other bodily structures (e.g., bones, muscles, organs, veins) creating compressive forces, which can affect pressures in blood vessels and in organs throughout the body. These compressive forces increase as body weight increases. In microgravity, body tissue is weightless, so compressive forces against the rest of the body are absent. People with more body tissue—and therefore a higher body weight—are proportionately more likely to experience physiological changes in a low-gravity environment because they experience a greater change in these compressive forces, the researchers hypothesized. (6/1)

Uncut Video of Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity Test Flight (Source: Space.com)
When Virgin Galactic sends its SpaceShipTwo spaceliner on a test flight, it's a pretty safe bet to expect a polished video recap of the mission. And that's exactly what the private spaceflight company did this week after a successful rocket-powered test flight Tuesday (May 29). But here's something different: an uncut video of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity as it lights its rocket motor, streaks upward and deploys its novel feathering system to begin the glide back to Earth. Click here. (6/1)

On Second Flight, SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket to Launch 'Brute' of a Satellite from Florida Spaceport (Source: Florida Today)
Fourteen months ago, the space industry watched with fascination as European satellite operator SES prepared to become the first customer to launch on a used SpaceX rocket. Martin Halliwell, chief technology officer at Luxembourg-based SES, had high confidence in the Falcon 9 rocket’s flight-worthiness but knew there was no precedent for a large, orbital rocket flying for a second time.

As soon as Monday, SES plans to launch for the fourth time on what SpaceX calls a “flight proven” Falcon 9 booster, the 13th time overall that SpaceX will reuse a rocket. SpaceX delayed the planned launch from Friday, allowing for "additional tests on Falcon 9’s second stage." Atop the 230-foot rocket this time is a communications satellite Haliwell has called a “brute.” At roughly 12,000 pounds, the SES-12 spacecraft built in France by Airbus Defense and Space is not the heaviest of its kind, but is big and tall. “It’s basically two satellites in one,” said Halliwell, describing broadcasting and broadband satellites “smashed together into one bus.” (5/31)

Why DARPA Wants Everyone to Launch Tiny Satellites (Source: WIRED)
Back in April, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency—Darpa—announced that it would hold a "Launch Challenge": To win, competitors have to launch something small into space two times in a span of weeks. It's going to be a bit of a fire drill: Less than a month before the first launch, sometime in the last quarter of 2019, Darpa will tell competitors where it will take place. Then, less than two weeks before go-time, the agency will give them details about orbit, payload, and pad.

And then they must rinse-repeat within weeks, with new requirements that they'll only receive after the first launch. The agency will give $10 million to the first-place winner, plus $400,000 to all who qualify to enter at all, and $2 million to everyone who nails the first launch. Darpa hopes the DoD will pivot to constellations of small space objects, sent up so often that the citizenry simply shrugs its collective shoulders at every successful rocket launch. It doesn't even have to be a rocket. “I don’t care if FedEx is three trucks and two boats and an airplane,” says Master. "Get it there and I’ll pay you.” (5/31)

What's Driving SpaceX's Sky High Valuation? (Source: Forbes)
SpaceX stands out among the list of multi-billion dollar startups as one of the few companies that has grown by focusing on an industry that has existed for decades, rather than disrupting existing industries through the use of technology. While SpaceX’s ultimate goal of colonizing Mars will take decades to reach, if at all, the company has definitely achieved a series of significant milestones since it was founded in 2002. Click here. (5/30) 

IG Calls For Better Oversight Of NASA Reimbursable Agreements (Source: Aviation Week)
Despite ongoing reforms, NASA has failed to accurately size up the value and performance of hundreds of reimbursable agreements with outside government agencies, commercial companies, academia and international interests eager to leverage NASA’s underutilized technical capabilities and facilities, the agency’s inspector general found. (5/30)

Defense Satellite Market Could Grow 10% Annually (Source: Aviation Week)
The U.S. defense satellite market could reach $30.30 billion by 2023, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3%, according to a new forecast by consulting company Frost & Sullivan. (5/30)

New Federal Policy Would Hike Student Spacecraft Costs, Threatening Technology Education (Source: The Conversation)
There are only a handful of astronauts, but every year thousands of high school and college students get to visit space vicariously, by launching their own satellites. Students design, build and test each one, and then work with space industry professionals to get them loaded on rockets and launched into orbit. But this opportunity – available to students and educators for more than 30 years – may not continue much longer, as the Federal Communications Commission considers hiking communications licensing fees beyond the reach of most students and schools.

In a move that threatens U.S. education in science, technology, engineering and math, and could have repercussions throughout the country’s aerospace industry, the FCC is proposing regulations that may license some educational satellite programs as commercial enterprises. That could force schools to pay a $135,350 annual fee – plus a $30,000 application fee for the first year – to get the federal license required for a U.S. organization to operate satellite communications.

It would be a dramatic increase in costs. The most common type of small satellite used in education is the U.S.-developed CubeSat. A working CubeSat that can take pictures of the Earth can be developed for only $5,000 in parts. They’re assembled by volunteer students and launched by NASA at no charge to the school or college. Currently, most missions pay under $100 to the FCC for an experimental license, as well as several hundred dollars to the International Telecommunications Union, which coordinates satellite positions and frequencies. (5/31)

The Case for Disabled Astronauts (Source: Scientific American)
Every six-year-old wants to be an astronaut. This career goal is right up there with firefighter, detective, cowboy and ballerina. Before long, though, most recognize that they do not meet, and will in fact never meet, the non-negotiable physical requirements for the job. They are too tall, or they have a weak knee, flat feet or some other slight but uncorrectable, physiological irregularity that means they do not have what Tom Wolfe called "The Right Stuff.”

Because there are thousands of applicants for each spot, space agencies can afford to be picky. The classic science fiction author Robert Heinlein once noted, "We can turn down a ship's captain just for low blood sugar before breakfast and a latent tendency to be short-tempered therefrom until he's had his morning porridge.”

But this unapologetic demand for physiological near-perfection is not only unnecessary; it will actually become a serious liability as mission durations increase. Survival chances for any long-term mission will be dramatically improved by loosening these restrictions until all people, regardless of disability, are eligible to be astronauts. I say this not because of some ineffable theoretical advantage of “diversity.” I will use the example here of a totally blind astronaut, but a similar case could be made for other physical disabilities. (5/31)

NASA Dives Deep into the Search for Life (Source: Space Daily)
Off the coast of Hawaii's Big Island and more than 3,000 feet beneath the ocean surface lie the warm, bubbling springs of a volcano - a deep-sea location that may hold lessons for the search for extraterrestrial life.

Here, NASA and its partners are blending ocean and space exploration, with a project called SUBSEA, short for Systematic Underwater Biogeochemical Science and Exploration Analog. Lessons learned in both fields will be mutually beneficial and could help design future science-focused missions across the solar system.

Saturn's moon Enceladus and Jupiter's moon Europa are thought to have liquid oceans and hydrothermal activity under icy crusts. Locations on Earth with key similarities to future deep-space destinations are called analog environments. SUBSEA's target, the springs emerging from a volcano forming the next Hawaiian island, called the Lo`ihi seamount, is an analog for these ocean worlds. (5/31)

Gilmour Space Prepares for Suborbital Hybrid Rocket Launch (Source: Space Daily)
Homegrown rocket company, Gilmour Space Technologies, has completed a longer duration test-fire of its proprietary hybrid rocket engine, bringing it one step closer to launching Australia and Singapore's first privately-developed commercial rockets to space. This latest test-fire comes just over a week after the Australian government officially launched the Australian Space Agency and released details of a nine-month space industry review.

"This was a 12-second static fire of what will be our first-stage orbital rocket engine. It demonstrated stable thrust, and peaked at 75 kilonewtons (or 16,900 pounds) of force," said Adam Gilmour. An earlier test in March had generated 70 kN, reportedly then the world's largest successful test of a single-port hybrid rocket engine. Gilmour Space is planning a suborbital test launch in the third quarter of this year, and is working with the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to approve this launch from a remote private property in Queensland. (5/31)

ULA Wins $18.8 Million Increase to EELV Contract (Source: DOD)
United Launch Services LLC, Centennial, Colorado, has been awarded an $18,866,842 modification (P00192) to previously awarded contract FA8811-13-C-0003 for Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Phase 1. This modification provides for an increase in the mission resiliency for a launch vehicle configuration that had been previously ordered under the EELV contract, and brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $8,853,675,400. Work will be performed in Centennial, Colorado; Decatur, Alabama; and the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Florida, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2019.  (5/20)

Why China is Opening its Space Station to International Partners (Source: GB Times)
While a project like the CSS builds capacity and high-technology capabilities, spurs innovation, brings scientific gains, inspires new generations and demonstrates to the domestic and international audiences what China, under Communist Party leadership is capable of, international cooperation brings further benefits, including leverage in diplomacy, but also gains in technology and experience from the outside and, potentially, sharing costs.

This initial invitation from the UN through the Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), and the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), is limited to science research and payloads - like the UN and Japan's KiboCube initiative - Bowen notes that a very interesting question in terms of prestige and legitimacy seeking through space is who will be the first country to have a guest astronaut on a Chinese rocket.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has agreed among its members to pursue a long-term goal of sending one of its astronauts to the CSS, perhaps around a decade from now. Three ESA astronauts are currently learning Chinese as part of these efforts, and last year Samantha Cristoforetti and Matthias Maurer joined Chinese counterparts for joint sea survival training off the coast of Shandong Province, illustrating the steps taken on both sides towards a joint Chinese-European human spaceflight mission. (5/31)

Embry-Riddle Student is Helping NASA Prepare for Trips to Mars (Source: Space Daily)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduate student Karen Brun's interest in the NASA space program grew through a 32-year career in the U.S. Air Force where she specialized in aviation and air mobility operations serving as a C-5 Galaxy Flight Engineer. She never lost sight of her interest in space.

As she prepared for civilian life, she acquired FAA licenses and ratings including Instrument Rated Private Pilot; Remote Pilot; Aircraft Dispatcher; Airframe and Power Plant Mechanic; and Flight Engineer (Turbojet). She stayed committed to aviation safety and human factors by participating in flying simulations as part of an ongoing FAA-sponsored study researching possible causes of weather-related general aviation accidents.

The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide Campus student finished 45 days in a simulated space habitat this past fall as part of NASA's Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) at Johnson Space Center in Houston. HERA is a unique three-story structure designed to serve as an analog for isolation, confinement, and remote conditions in extraterrestrial exploration scenarios. (5/31)

No U.S. Crew Will Command The International Space Station in 2019 (Source: AmericaSpace)
When Expedition 56 astronaut Drew Feustel relinquishes the helm of the International Space Station (ISS) to Germany’s Alexander Gerst, early in October, more than a year will elapse with no U.S. citizen in command of the multi-national orbiting outpost. From that date, and throughout the entirety of 2019—for the first time in the station’s two-decade history—we will see a 12-month calendar year without a U.S. ISS Commander. NASA has revealed that no fewer than two European Space Agency (ESA) astronauts will command the ISS during this period, together with three Russian cosmonauts. (5/31)

Space Innovators Confident They Are Building America’s Next Large-Class Launcher (Source: Defense Daily)
Orbital ATK believes it has the right rocket to answer the U.S. Air Force’s quest for a new Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV). The company is drawing on its history of space launch success to produce its all-American, large-class launcher: OmegA. OmegA is a low-cost, low-risk solution that will fully meet the intermediate- and heavy-class vehicle requirements of EELV.

One thing that sets Orbital ATK apart is that it plays a critical role on every national security launch program. OmegA is the logical next step for a company with such a robust portfolio, providing the capability to launch intermediate and heavy payloads. It will be the company’s largest and most capable rocket. The company points out that the O and A at the beginning and end of the name pay homage to the Orbital ATK name and history of innovation; the name also highlights OmegA is the finale in the company’s rocket lineup, from small- to large-class.

The three-stage OmegA relies substantially on existing technology, ensuring a relatively short development period at a time when the Air Force is eager to speed up the fielding of new systems. OmegA will share common propulsion, structures and avionics systems with current and future programs. Such commonality will keep the all-American OmegA affordable for the Air Force’s EELV program while also saving other government agencies about $600 million over 10 years. (4/16)

Why it’s Time to Study How Rocket Emissions Change the Atmosphere (Source: The Verge)
Every time a rocket launches, it produces a plume of exhaust in its wake that leaves a mark on the environment. These plumes are filled with materials that can collect in the air over time, potentially altering the atmosphere in dangerous ways. It’s a phenomenon that’s not well-understood, and some scientists say we need to start studying these emissions now before the number of rocket launches increases significantly.

It’s not the gas in these plumes that’s most concerning. Some rockets do produce heat-trapping greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, but those emissions are negligible, according to experts. “The rocket business could grow by a factor of 1,000 and the carbon dioxide and water vapor emissions would still be small compared to other industrial sources,” said Martin Ross, a senior project engineer at the Aerospace Corporation.

Instead, it’s tiny particles that are produced inside the trail that we need to watch out for, Ross says. Small pieces of soot and a chemical called alumina are created in the wakes of rocket launches. They then get injected into the stratosphere, the layer of Earth’s atmosphere that begins six miles up and ends around 32 miles high. Research shows that this material may build up in the stratosphere over time and slowly lead to the depletion of a layer of oxygen known as the ozone. (5/31)