July 24, 2018

Defense Authorization Bill Doesn't Include Space Force (Source: Space Policy Online)
The final version of a defense authorization bill won't include language about creating a Space Force. The conference version of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, reconciling differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill, does not require the creation of a Space Force sought by President Trump in June. The bill does retain a provision in the House bill calling for the creation of a new U.S. Space Command as part of Strategic Command to carry out "joint space warfighting." (7/24)

Webb Telescope Cost Spike Could Reduce Funding for Other NASA Science (Source: Space News)
NASA's science programs could face a funding crunch in future years because of delays in the James Webb Space Telescope. At a meeting of NASA's Astrophysics Advisory Committee Monday, Paul Hertz, director of NASA's astrophysics division, said they key years for increased costs created by JWST delays will be fiscal years 2020 and 2021 because the telescope will still be in development rather than in operation, as previously projected. That will require about $490 million in extra funding over those two years, which he acknowledged could come at the expense of other programs in astrophysics or elsewhere. The House Science Committee will hold an unusual two-part hearing on the status of JWST this Wednesday and Thursday. (7/24)

Electric Thrusters Becoming a Popular Alternative for Cubesats (Source: Space News)
There's growing interest in developing electric thrusters for use on cubesats. Advances in technology that enable such thrusters to fit inside cubesat form factors, as well as a desire to give such satellites propulsion for carrying out their missions and avoiding potential collisions, has led to a growing number of companies offering such thrusters on the market. Some of those companies are getting flight experience on their thrusters now, with others hoping to start flying their thrusters as soon as later this year. The large number of companies, though, could lead to consolidation in the near future. (7/24)

Japan's Interstellar Continues Small Launcher Development Despite Setbacks (Source: Astro Watch)
A Japanese company says it will continue work on a small launch vehicle despite a failure last month. Interstellar Technologies launched its second suborbital rocket, Momo-2, June 30, only to have the vehicle lose power and crash back to earth seconds after liftoff. In an interview, company CEO Takahiro Inagawa said the failure is still under investigation, with a focus on the vehicle's propulsion system, particularly roll-control thrusters. A third launch attempt, he said, could take place within months. (7/23)

Europa Lander Could Spot Evidence of Life (Source: Space.com)
A future Europa lander mission could find evidence of life by literally scratching the surface. A new study found that "recognizable" amino acids could be found in Europa's ice 10 to 20 centimeters below the surface, and potentially as little as one centimeter below, depending on the radiation exposure levels on the surface of the icy moon of Jupiter. Those radiation levels would still be too high for any known terrestrial life, but could make it easier to find organic molecules that are key "biosignatures" of life deeper within the moon. (7/24)

Space Tourism Getting More Expensive: KSC Visitor Complex Raises Ticket Prices (Source: Florida Today)
It now costs more money to tour NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Delaware North, the company that operates the KSC Visitor Complex under a NASA contract, raised ticket prices Monday to $57 for adults and $47 for children, increases of 14 and 18 percent, respectively. The increases, the company said, were the first since 2012 and come after it made a number of improvements to the facility. Delaware North has operated the center since 1995 without the use of federal or state funding. The center recorded a record attendance of more than 1.7 million visitors last year. (7/24)

China Focus: Capture an Asteroid? (Source: Space Daily)
A group of Chinese scientists are mulling a bold idea to capture a small near-Earth asteroid, which might be a potential threat, and bring it back to Earth to exploit its resources. "Sounds like science-fiction, but I believe it can be realized," said Li Mingtao, a researcher at the National Space Science Center under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Li and his team raised the audacious idea in a contest of innovative future technologies recently held in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, and entered the finals with another 59 projects. The contest encouraged young Chinese scientists to conceive groundbreaking technologies and trigger innovation. (7/24)

Russian Aerospace Workers Suspected of Leaking Data (Source: Sputnik)
Employees of Russia's Central Research Institute of Machine Building (TsNIIMash), a rocket and spacecraft scientific center at the Roscosmos space corporation, are main suspects in the high treason case. "Most searches are carried out at the TsNIIMash. A number of employees of the enterprise and their offices are being searched by investigators and security agencies," the source said.

According to the sources, TsNIIMash Head Dmitry Paison had no access to secret information and is seen by investigators as a person who "might have known about the situation." Earlier in the day, the Kommersant newspaper reported that Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) officers had carried searches in offices of a number of TsNIIMash employees as part of the investigation into the high treason case. According to the media outlet, "dozens of people" are suspected of working for foreign intelligence and "leaking" top secret designs in the area of hypersonic devices. (7/23)

Images Suggest North Korea Dismantling Satellite Launch Site (Source: The Hill)
Satellite images reportedly suggest North Korea has begun dismantling facilities at a major satellite launch site as a step toward fulfilling promises made to President Trump during a historic summit. According to The Associated Press, analysts say images show a rocket engine test stand and another building being razed by North Korean forces. Analysts wrote that the move was meant to send a signal to the U.S. and its allies that the North remains committed to the deal struck in Singapore, the AP added. (7/24)

British Launch Plans Finally Lift Off (Source: Space Review)
A highlight of last week’s Farnborough International Airshow in the UK was a long-awaited announcement by the British government of its plans to support the development of a spaceport and vehicles to use it. Jeff Foust examines those plans and the issues the companies, and the government, face to make those plans a success. Click here. (7/23)
 
Now Witness the Firepower of This Fully Operational Falcon 9 Rocket (Source: Ars Technica)
The Falcon 9 rocket has undergone four major revisions over the last eight years, culminating in the Block 5 rocket. The initial expendable version of the rocket (v1.0) could lift about 10.5 tons to low-Earth orbit. This was a nice, tidy rocket but hardly a superstar. However, one of the defining features of SpaceX is the company's ruthless devotion to innovation. And while it may be reasonable to criticize the company for moving too far too quickly and with not quite enough focus on the here and now—when the culture of innovation works, it works.

In just eight years, SpaceX has jumped from the first version of its rocket to the Block 5 rocket. This powerful rocket can lift nearly 23 tons to low-Earth orbit, having undergone hundreds of changes and upgrades since its initial flight. Theoretically, its first stage will be capable of 10 flights before requiring significant refurbishment. It is so capable that even company founder Elon Musk (the high minister of the culture of innovation at SpaceX) says it's good enough. This is probably the last major revision of the Falcon 9. (7/24)

Pencils Down: OmegA Awaits Final Grade on EELV (Source: Space Review)
The Air Force will soon make selections on vehicles for the next generation of the EELV launch program, with Northrop Grumman’s OmegA one of the leading contenders. Jeff Smith examines what we know about the OmegA design and how it might stack up to the competition. Click here. (7/23)
 
Powering the First Element of the Gateway (Source: Space Review)
NASA is gearing up to seek proposals for the first element of its Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway. Jeff Foust reports on what some of the companies that worked on earlier studies for that element have in mind, even as the Gateway itself becomes more ambitious. Click here. (7/23)
 
An Alternative Proposal for a Revolution in Hypersonics and Space (Source: Space Review)
In the concluding part of his examination of approaches to hypersonics research, Mike Snead discusses the political and economic issues of developing “aircraft-like” access to space. Click here. (7/23)

Outer Space May Have Just Gotten a Bit Closer (Source: Science)
Reaching the stars just got a bit easier. A new study argues that the boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space—known as the Kármán line—is 20 kilometers, or about 20%, closer than scientists thought. Though the new definition won’t make a difference for launching rockets and spacecraft, it could help clarify a legal debate that will set the rules for space policy—and commercial spaceflight—for years to come.

Until now, most scientists have said that outer space is 100 kilometers away. At that point, it’s been thought, the speed needed to achieve lift in the superthin atmosphere is equal to the speed needed to simply orbit the planet; once there, a spacecraft’s horizontal pace would counteract the tug of Earth’s gravity. It’s an insight that has long been credited to aerodynamics pioneer Theodore von Kármán, though he credited the term to the world’s first “space lawyer,” Andrew Haley, in 1963. Editor's Note: Here's a presentation showing the various answers to the question "where does space start?" (7/24)

Russian Space Worker Arrested for High Treason (Source: TASS)
An employee of a Russian space research center has been arrested on charges of treason. A Roscosmos spokesperson said Sunday that Viktor Kurdryavtsev, a research fellow at the Central Research Institute for Machine-building, or TSNIIMASH, was arrested on "high treason" charges. Roscosmos didn't provide additional information, but other sources said he was arrested for allegedly providing information on Russian hypersonics projects to Western intelligence agencies. (7/24)