July 29, 2018

Space Coast Will Host Yet Another Early Morning SpaceX Launch Next Weekend (Source: Florida Today)
The Space Coast will host yet another early morning launch next weekend when a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasts off from Cape Canaveral, marking the fourth mission in a row targeting a pre-dawn liftoff. While exact times have not yet been confirmed, a warning to pilots and mariners issued by the Air Force's 45th Space Wing indicated that the area around Launch Complex 40 must be clear between 11:15 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, and 3:15 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 4. SpaceX's opportunity to launch will be within that window, likely after midnight. (7/28)

JAXA Astronaut Norishige Kanai Ponders Life Out There After Six-Month Stay on ISS (Source: Japan Times)
JAXA astronaut Norishige Kanai came back to earth last month but is still dreaming of space, especially after the discovery of an underground lake on Mars brought mankind one step closer to unraveling the mystery of whether life exists on the red planet.

“I was so excited about the news,” the 41-year-old doctor with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said in an interview Friday, calling it “a major discovery that inspires dreams.” International astronomers on Wednesday announced they had detected the largest body of liquid water ever found on Mars, a breakthrough that may hold clues to whether life has ever formed on the planet or even exists today.

Kanai, who spent 168 days on the International Space Station, is firmly convinced that we’re not alone in the universe and there is life out there. “I believe there is,” he said. “In the vast universe, anything could be possible. I have high hopes that finding extraterrestrial life forms could open a new page in learning.” The soft-spoken spaceman, nicknamed “Nemo” for his background as a diving medical officer in the Maritime Self-Defense Force, blasted into space for the first time in December. (7/28)

Scots Can Take One Giant Leap Into the New Space Age With Asteroid Mining (Source: The Scotsman)
Scotland is a nation of pioneers who have always explored new frontiers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Now the announcement of the UK’s first spaceport on Scotland’s north coast opens up the potential for business breakthroughs almost as limitless as space itself.

Our burgeoning space sector already punches above its weight. We have world-leading companies with entrepreneurial mindsets and ambition, such as Clyde Space, Star Dundee and Alba Orbital, which have turned Scotland into a powerhouse of satellite technology and manufacturing – Glasgow, for example, produces more satellites than any other European city.

Having our own spaceport infrastructure will provide increased research, testing and development opportunities for these and other companies. We’ll also be less reliant on the space agencies of other nations to launch our satellites into orbit and it’ll open up increased potential for partnerships with innovation-driven space organisations around the world. (7/28)

How the UAE Space Agency Has Done More in Four Years Than Most Agencies Do in a Lifetime (Source: Outerplaces)
Today we celebrated the 4th anniversary of the UAE Space Agency and the achievements the national space sector has witnessed since its inception, which continue to strengthen the UAE's position within this vital sector on a global level & in the development of our national capabilities. Despite being relatively new to the international arena, the fledgling space agency has demonstrated a willingness to be bold and take risks that larger entities might not.

Earlier this year the UAE announced $500,000 in grants with a preference for "innovative high-risk, high reward" projects. (Time to dust off those Death Star blueprints if you have them – and we know somebody does.)

Interestingly, they also seem to be the only nation making consistent and measurable strides towards establishing a human colony on Mars. The "City of Wisdom" – a massive multimillion dollar research simulation – is currently under construction in the Emirati desert. Their reasons for colonizing Mars, however, hit a little closer to home: if we can develop a society that is sustainable on an inhospitable planet, these inventions will transform the quality of life on Earth. (7/12)

Lockheed Martin Shows That the Defense Rally Isn't Over (Source: Motley Fool)
Shares of Lockheed Martin climbed more than 40% from November 2016 to March of this year on investor enthusiasm over planned increases in Pentagon spending, and optimism that the long-troubled F-35 program was finally ready to soar. But the stock has actually lost 4% since the beginning of April after first-quarter results raised fears that the enthusiasm was overblown and the stock had climbed too far too fast.

Lockheed, trading at more than 30 times trailing earnings, remains at multiples nearly twice its 10-year average and is valued at a premium to most of its major rivals. But the company's second-quarter results, released July 24, provide at least some reason for hope that Lockheed Martin has room to grow into that valuation, and perhaps even power higher.

The reason for the increased optimism, Chief Financial Officer Bruce Tanner told analysts during a call, is that Lockheed Martin is simply winning a lot more business than it had forecast. The company for planning purposes includes a cushion to account for losses on competitions where it thinks it has a chance, but a large share of those awards have gone Lockheed Martin's way in recent months. (7/27)

Arianespace Launchers To Get Autonomous Range Safety System (Source: Aviation Week)
French space agency CNES has tapped Zodiac Data Systems for the development of an autonomous range safety system at Arianespace’s Kourou, French Guiana launch site, thus making the destruction of an off-course launcher an automated process. Thus far, the termination of a flight—thanks to onboard explosives—has been decided by the leader of a team of four on the ground.

The new system, dubbed Kassav, will be on board the launcher. It will use an inertial measurement unit (IMU), combined with dual Galileo and GPS positioning. Such a hybrid arrangement provides enough precision and is cheaper than a dual IMU, Jean-Marie Astorg, CNES’ head of launchers, explains to Aerospace DAILY. Kassav will be independent from the rest of the rocket, having its own battery and radio connections.

In its first phase, Kassav 1, the new system will be limited to launcher tracking. It is planned to be inaugurated in late 2019 on a heavy-lift Ariane 5. It also will be part of the Callisto reusable demonstrator in 2020. The full-capability Kassav 2 is scheduled to be used on an Ariane 5 or Ariane 6 in 2021, Astorg says. Kassav also will be integrated onto the Vega C light launcher. (7/24)