July 31, 2018

Aerospace Corporation Examines the U.S. Regulation of Space Commerce (Source: Parabolic Arc)
The Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy (CSPS) released a new issue brief today that analyzes the U.S. administration’s plans to significantly enlarge the space portfolio of the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). The plan calls for DOC to expand its range of responsibilities beyond regulatory reform to encompass space traffic management and to promote the nation’s commercial space sector.

CSPS’s new issue brief, Remaking U.S. Regulation of Space Commerce, focuses on the administration’s plan to build on what had been a small DOC office to carry out an ambitious space commerce strategy and facilitate an array of emerging private-sector space activities. The author, James Vedda, Ph.D., a policy expert with CSPS, provides insight on the plan and reveals that much of it represents renewal of strategic goals that has been in place for more than a decade.

Vedda explains that what’s old is new again. “Although the level of attention is new, the DOC has been involved in commercial space activities through its Office of Space Commerce (OSC) since the late 1980s.” The issue brief also highlights that the basic requirements have been in place at least since the OSC issued its strategic plan in 2007. Click here. (7/31)

Northrop Grumman's Space Business a Mixed Bag (Source: Space News)
In the first earnings call since the $9 billion acquisition of Orbital ATK was officially completed, Northrop Grumman executives last week struck an optimistic tone about the future of the company’s space business even though NASA’s troubled telescope continues to cast a dark cloud. Lucky for Northrop Grumman shareholders, profits from what used to be Orbital ATK, now Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, “saved the day,” observed industry consultant Jim McAleese, of McAleese & Associates. The Orbital acquisition closed “in the nick of time” to grow Northrop’s second quarter sector operating profit.

McAleese noted Innovation Systems drove the majority of Northrop’s more than 10 percent top-line 2Q sales growth — virtually all of Northrop’s 3 percent 2Q sector operating profit increase. Innovation Systems accounted for almost 60 percent (about $400 million) of Northrop’s $646 million 2Q sales growth. Orbital/Innovation Systems only contributed 23 calendar days of sales, from closing June 6 through the end of the quarter June 30. Because of Innovation Systems’ strong numbers, Northrop escaped from a potential $69 million negative adjustment for the Webb telescope. (7/31)

Why Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc Stock Is Soaring Today (Source: Motley Fool)
Aerojet Rocketdyne recorded $467.2 million in revenue during the second quarter, which was 1.7% above the year-ago quarter and $3.5 million ahead of analysts' consensus forecast. Net income, meanwhile, rocketed 43% to $34.8 million and earnings jumped 40% to $0.45 per share, which beat analysts' expectations by $0.18 per share.

Driving the higher sales and earnings were increased deliveries on its standard missile and PAC-3 programs, which offset lower sales from its space programs. Meanwhile, profits soared thanks to an improvement in margins as the company kept its costs in check. Aerojet Rocketdyne's stronger-than-expected second-quarter showing is a welcome sign because it comes on the heels of a string of earnings misses. However, while the quarter was strong, it's unclear whether the company can maintain this momentum given its current backlog. Aerojet Rocketdyne ended Q2 with a total backlog of $3.9 billion, which is down from $4.6 billion at the end of last year. (7/31)

North Korea Working on New Missiles (Source: Washington Post)
U.S. spy agencies are seeing signs that North Korea is constructing new missiles at a factory that produced the country’s first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States, according to officials familiar with the intelligence.

Newly obtained evidence, including satellite photos taken in recent weeks, indicates that work is underway on at least one and possibly two liquid-fueled ICBMs at a large research facility in Sanumdong, on the outskirts of Pyongyang, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe classified intelligence.

The findings are the latest to show ongoing activity inside North Korea’s nuclear and missile facilities at a time when the country’s leaders are engaged in arms talks with the United States. The new intelligence does not suggest an expansion of North Korea’s capabilities but shows that work on advanced weapons is continuing weeks after President Trump declared in a Twitter posting that Pyongyang was “no longer a Nuclear Threat.” (7/30)

Astronaut Crew Quarters Being Prepped for Return to Human Spaceflight from American Soil (Source: NASA)
Past and current astronauts stay at the crew quarters for more than just missions to space. There are important meetings, speaking engagements, Silver Snoopy Award presentations, critical hardware testing and other official business that brings astronauts to the crew quarters, located on the third floor of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building. In recent years, the facility has gone from hosting about 50 astronauts a year to three times that amount, Lauren Lunde said.

A significant, recently completed upgrade will await the Commercial Crew astronauts. There are new carpets and ceiling tiles, and fresh paint on the walls. Appliances all have been replaced, as has the audio/visual teleconference system in both conference rooms. The suit room, last used in an official capacity in July 2011 for STS-135, the final mission of the Space Shuttle Program, has been reactivated and remodeled. The area is furnished with new recliners and tables, and there are now three suit containment rooms — one each for Orion, Boeing and SpaceX. (7/30)

Former NASA Expert Warns About 'Magical Thinking' When Sending Crews Into Deep Space (Source: Daily Press)
As NASA gears up for a crewed mission to the Martian system in the 2030s, or exploring the moon even sooner, one former chief of flight medicine at the Johnson Space Center has an important message: not so fast. Astronauts will face real biomedical risks in deep space, especially on long-duration missions, said Jim Logan, who retired from NASA in 2012.

Many risks are already identified because they’ve been studied in crew members aboard the International Space Station, he said — loss of bone density, loss of muscle mass, including to the heart muscle, changes to the immune system and many other effects caused by the near-weightless environment. The biomedical challenges of weightlessness are significant, Logan said, especially considering there are no known technologies in place or even considered to address them as humans prepare to embark on longer deep-space voyages. Meanwhile, scientists are well aware that cosmic and solar radiation will hector humans once they venture beyond Earth’s magnetic field.

Still, there likely remain many other biomedical challenges that the world’s best minds haven’t even dreamed up yet. “What we’ve learned in 57 years of human space flight is that, during short-duration missions, you can do just about anything you want as long as you take the environment with you and your crews are adequately trained,” Logan said. “But, once missions get longer — up to six months and beyond — then the life science aspects get pretty significant. And, once you start talking about interplanetary flight, that’s a whole new ballgame.” (7/31)

NASA Certifies Russia's RD-180 Rocket Engines for Human Spaceflight (Source: Sputnik)
NASA and the US Air Force have certified Russia's RD-180 engines for Atlas V carrier rockets to used for manned spaceflights by US astronauts, Igor Arbuzov, director general of Russia's major rocket engine manufacturer JSC NPO Energomash and the United Launch Alliance, said in an interview with Sputnik.

"Yes, as of today, RD-180 is certified by NASA to perform manned flights," Arbuzov said. He explained that a commission comprised of NASA and US Air Force representatives had conducted an audit of compliance of NPO Energomash's technological processes and management system with US requirements last year. According to Energomash's director general, the first flight of an Atlas V carrier rocket with Russia's RD-180 engines, which will carry a Starliner spacecraft and crew on board, should take place in February 2019. (7/31)

Telesat Picks Thales-Maxar Team for LEO Broadband Study (Source: Space News)
Telesat has awarded a contract to a joint Thales-Maxar team to study development of its low Earth orbit broadband constellation. The "System Design and Risk Management Project" will involve design work for both the space and ground segments of Telesat's constellation, and could lead to giving the companies a contract for full development of the system. Thales Alenia Space will lead the team, but didn't disclose the specific roles and responsibilities it and Maxar's Space Systems Loral will play in the project. Telesat's schedule for the 117-satellite constellation has slipped by about a year, with the company now expecting it to be in full operation in 2022. (7/31)

China Launches Earth Observation Satellite (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a high-resolution Earth observation satellite Monday night. A Long March 4B rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 11 p.m. Eastern and placed the Gaofen-11 satellite into orbit. The spacecraft will provide high-resolution imagery for civilian applications, although Chinese officials disclosed few specifics about this satellite. (7/31)

NASA Safety Panel Skeptical on Commercial Crew Schedule (Source: Space News)
A NASA safety panel says it may still be too soon to set schedules for crewed test flights of commercial crew vehicles. At a recent meeting of NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, members said that while it's possible to "project a realistic timeframe" for the uncrewed demonstration flights by Boeing and SpaceX, "firm dates for the crewed flight tests are still uncertain" pending the outcome of those uncrewed tests and other work. NASA will announce the crews for those test flights, and for the first operational missions by those vehicles, during an event Friday. Panel members said that they have seen no evidence of schedule pressure impacting safety of the vehicles. (7/31)

Cygnus ISS Mission Ends with Pacific Splashdown (Source: Northrop Grumman)
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft ended its mission Monday with a reentry over the South Pacific. The Cygnus spacecraft, named "S.S. J.R. Thompson," reentered Monday afternoon a little more than two weeks after departing the ISS. The spacecraft carried more than 3,000 kilograms of cargo for disposal. The Cygnus launched in May when the it was still operated by Orbital ATK, whose acquisition by Northrop Grumman closed while the spacecraft was at the ISS. Northrop said the next Cygnus mission could launch later this year "pending NASA's specific cargo needs." (7/31)

Space Council Takes Active Interest in Spectrum Assignments (Source: Space News)
The National Space Council will participate in the next major international conference on radiofrequency spectrum. A senior policy adviser said the council would be represented at the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference, or WRC-19, to be held next November in Egypt. That conference is expected to consider proposals that could hand over some satellite spectrum for terrestrial 5G applications. The National Space Council will back efforts to "ensure a stable, harmonized international regulatory environment for satellite services" while also identifying more spectrum for 5G uses. (7/31)

Rocket Lab Secures Lease for New Zealand Launch Site (Source: National Business Review)
Rocket Lab has secured a long-term lease for its New Zealand launch site. The U.S.-headquartered company won approval from the New Zealand government's Overseas Investment Office for a 20-year lease for its launch site on the Mahia Peninsula and a tracking station on the Chatham Islands. The company is also planning a launch site in the U.S. with four existing spaceports identified as finalists. A decision is expected in August. (7/31)

Experts Skeptical on Space Force Plans (Source: Space News)
A group of national security experts offered a skeptical take on plans for a separate Space Force. During a panel discussion at the Brookings Institution Monday, experts said that establishing a separate force intended to provide more focus on military space systems could instead draw attention away from ongoing activities. "Suddenly the focus will shift on who is going to report to whom, and how do we get these directives written and everything that goes along with creating a brand new bureaucracy," said Deborah Lee James, former Secretary of the Air Force. She and others argued that a better approach is to turn the Air Force Space Command into a "sub-unified" command under U.S. Strategic Command, eventually becoming a separate U.S. Space Command. (7/31)

Pentagon To Start Creating Space Force — Even Before Congress Approves It (Source: Defense One)
The U.S. Defense Department this week will take the first steps to create the Space Force, a new branch of the military ordered up by President Trump but not yet fully backed by Congress. In coming months, Defense Department leaders plan to stand up three of the four components of the new Space Force: a new combatant command for space, a new joint agency to buy satellites for the military, and a new warfighting community that draws space operators from all service branches.

These sweeping changes — on par with the past decade’s establishment of cyber forces — are the part the Pentagon can do without lawmakers’ approval. Creating the fourth component — an entirely new branch of the military with services and support functions such as financial management and facilities construction — will require congressional action. Defense officials plan to spend the rest of 2018 building a “legislative proposal for the authorities necessary to fully establish the Space Force.” (7/31)

GAO Backs Use of Commercial Satellites to Host Military Payloads (Source: Space News)
The Pentagon should use commercial satellites as host platforms for military sensors and communications packages, says a new Government Accountability Office report. GAO auditors investigated the pros and cons of “hosted payloads” and agreed with what private satellite operators have been saying for years: The military can save money and get capabilities on-orbit faster by hitching rides on commercial satellites.

The industry has been building huge spacecraft that have extra carrying capacity, and hosting national security payloads is viewed as a profitable business that also helps the military fill a need. The report says there are national security benefits to deploying military payloads on commercial satellites. “Using hosted payloads may also help facilitate a proliferation of payloads on orbit, making it more difficult for an adversary to defeat a capability.” (7/30)

Senate FAA Bill Inches Closer with Amendment Block (Source: AIN)
The U.S. Senate has begun circulating an initial block of nearly four-dozen amendments expected to be offered as a package to the comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill, signaling that the chamber is progressing toward a possible vote on the legislation. Senate Republican and Democrat leaders met in recent weeks to discuss potential amendments, and the ranking Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Bill Nelson (Florida), told the Washington insider publication Politico that at as long as “we don’t have people trying to attach controversial amendments to it, we should be able to get it through because the basic FAA bill is now all agreed to.”

Timing of when it may come up for a vote is less clear, with initial hopes that it may reach the Senate floor this week. However, now it might get pushed to next week, if leadership brings it up. Amendments cover a range of issues, including workforce development; airport funding, equipage and specifications; and operations, security, and air traffic management of unmanned aircraft. (7/30)

Nelson Wins "Champion of Aerospace and Science" Award (Source: AIA)
Recognizing his ongoing and enduring support of the industry, the Coalition for Aerospace and Science (CAS) recently recognized Senator Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) with its “Champion of Aerospace and Science” award at its second Annual Showcase of NASA Partnerships & Collaboration. Each year, CAS presents this award to a Member of Congress who has been a strong advocate for NASA.

“With the active leadership of Senator Nelson, NASA has helped to transform Florida’s space coast from a location primarily known for government launches and landings to a 21st Century Spaceport that accommodates a wide range of government and private sector launches and hosts world class manufacturing facilities,” said AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning. (7/30)

U.S. Spy Agencies: North Korea is Working on New Missiles (Source: Washington Post)
U.S. spy agencies are seeing signs that North Korea is constructing new missiles at a factory that produced the country’s first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States, according to officials familiar with the intelligence. Newly obtained evidence, including satellite photos taken in recent weeks, indicates that work is underway on at least one and possibly two liquid-fueled ICBMs at a large research facility in Sanumdong, on the outskirts of Pyongyang, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe classified intelligence.

The findings are the latest to show ongoing activity inside North Korea’s nuclear and missile facilities at a time when the country’s leaders are engaged in arms talks with the United States. The new intelligence does not suggest an expansion of North Korea’s capabilities but shows that work on advanced weapons is continuing weeks after President Trump declared in a Twitter posting that Pyongyang was “no longer a Nuclear Threat.” The reports about new missile construction come after recent revelations about a suspected uranium-enrichment facility, called Kangson, that North Korea is operating in secret.  (7/31)

Noise And Emissions Are Central Issues For Resurgent Supersonics (Source: Aviation Week)
Engines, noise and emissions are at the center of a growing debate over the reintroduction of supersonic travel. U.S. startup Boom Technology is pressing lawmakers and regulators to set less-stringent environmental standards for supersonic transports (SST) to reflect engine technology, but this is being resisted by European aviation authorities and rival aircraft developers.

Boom, along with hopefuls Aerion and Spike Aerospace, are convinced advances in technology can enable supersonic aircraft that are more fuel efficient and have less environmental impact than the Concorde Anglo-French airliner. But a limited market means these startups targeting near-term opportunities for supersonic business jets and small airliners will be forced to use derivatives of existing engines because of the high cost of developing clean-sheet powerplants meeting their needs.

But an analysis by an environmental research group suggests the costs of using available engines—in fuel burn, emissions and noise—could be high. Using a derivative of an existing turbofan, a near-term commercial SST could exceed international limits on carbon dioxide (CO2) by 70% and nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 40%, while burning 5-7 times as much fuel per passenger as a comparable subsonic aircraft. (7/31)

Mars Terraforming Not Possible Using Present-Day Technology (Source: Space Daily)
Science fiction writers have long featured terraforming, the process of creating an Earth-like or habitable environment on another planet, in their stories. Scientists themselves have proposed terraforming to enable the long-term colonization of Mars. A solution common to both groups is to release carbon dioxide gas trapped in the Martian surface to thicken the atmosphere and act as a blanket to warm the planet.

However, Mars does not retain enough carbon dioxide that could practically be put back into the atmosphere to warm Mars, according to a new NASA-sponsored study. Transforming the inhospitable Martian environment into a place astronauts could explore without life support is not possible without technology well beyond today's capabilities.

Proponents of terraforming Mars propose releasing gases from a variety of sources on the Red Planet to thicken the atmosphere and increase the temperature to the point where liquid water is stable on the surface. These gases are called "greenhouse gases" for their ability to trap heat and warm the climate. "Our results suggest that there is not enough CO2 remaining on Mars to provide significant greenhouse warming were the gas to be put into the atmosphere; in addition, most of the CO2 gas is not accessible and could not be readily mobilized. As a result, terraforming Mars is not possible using present-day technology," said Jakosky. (7/31)

Public Comments Slam Coastal Georgia Spaceport Proposal (Source: Savannah Morning News)
More than 15,000 people and organizations commented to the Federal Aviation Administration about its draft Environmental Impact Statement on Spaceport Camden, a proposed rocket launch facility in Camden County. “The number of comments received is greater than previous EISs, in which we received a few hundred,” FAA spokesman Hank Price wrote in an email.

For comparison, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ environmental impact statement on the deepening of the Savannah harbor drew about 1,100 comments when it was released in 2010. The Spaceport Camden EIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of the proposal, including construction of launch site infrastructure, launch operations, and provisions for visitors and viewing launches. The 90-day comment period for the spaceport document closed last month.

Interest in the controversial project has been intense, in large part because of that proximity to Cumberland, which sits under the proposed flight path. Nearly 11,000 of the comments came as email form letters from the National Parks Conservation Association, which alerted its more than one million members to the threats it sees the spaceport posing to the wilderness experience on Cumberland. The volume of emails from around the country sends a message, said Southeast Campaign Director Emily Jones. Click here. (7/29)

Putting Boots on Mars Requires a Long-Term Commitment, Experts Tell Senators (Source: Space.com)
A group of senators heard expert opinions during a committee hearing on Wednesday (July 25) about what will be required — logistically and scientifically — to safely land humans on Mars. The hearing was coordinated by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who is chair of the Subcommittee on Space, Science, and Competitiveness.

"Mars is today the focal point of our national space program," Cruz said during opening remarks. "If American boots are to be the first to set foot on the surface, it will define a new generation — generation Mars." But right now, NASA's focus seems to be split between the moon and Mars — a point raised by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, who asked whether the NASA budget is being "robbed" because efforts aimed at a journey to the moon are drawing resources away from the real priority of Mars.

The panelists seemed to push back against that portrayal, arguing that low-Earth orbit and lunar missions offer valuable testing grounds for technologies humans will need to reach Mars at all. But the real goal of the hearing seemed to be one of building a case for a long-term, firm NASA vision. Three of the panelists talked about the importance of stable funding and priorities. (7/26)

Firefly Seeks Removal of Restrictions to Work in Ukraine (Source: Interfax)
Firefly Aerospace ties prospects and filling cooperation with the Ukrainian rocket and space industry with its reform and the abolition of existing restrictions on work of private companies in the space sector of Ukraine. "Changing the legislative framework, assisting private companies in the industry, updating approaches and tasks will entail the arrival of both investors and customers in the Ukrainian rocket and space industry," said Firefly's Maksym Poliakov.

"Post-Soviet management, as a rule, is closed to cooperation and is not ready to issue any guarantees for investors. The state should guarantee not loans attracted by state enterprises for the project, but comfortable working conditions for investors and partners in Ukraine," he said. "First of all, the work of the Ukrainian office of Firefly will be aimed at interaction in R&D (Research & Development) tasks that arise during the development of Alpha and Beta carrier rockets by the main U.S. office of the company in Texas. (7/27)

Hiring Data Indicate That SpaceX's BFR Team is Forming (Source: Thinknum)
SpaceX's BFR team, the team building the highly anticipated reusable launch vehicle and spacecraft that promises to one day take us to Mars, has some open positions. Two, to be exact. And if you're a rocket scientist, you may want to get your resume ready. That's because as of just last month, SpaceX is listing jobs with the term "BFR" in their titles for the first time. Beginning on June 12, 2018, SpaceX listed an open position for "BFR Build Engineer" in what just might be the coolest job listing we've ever come across. Click here. (7/30)

Why NASA is Cool Again (Source: Federal News Radio)
When President Donald Trump spoke to steelworkers this week, he mentioned the U.S. would be sending people to Mars very soon. “Soon” is relative. It’ll probably be another two or three decades before humans visit Mars. Click here. (7/27)

Geospace Technologies Corp. Acquires Florida's Quantum Technology Sciences (Source: Business Wire)
Geospace Technologies (NASDAQ: GEOS) today announced that it has acquired all of the outstanding common stock of Quantum Technology Sciences, Inc., a Florida-based tactical security and surveillance systems solutions provider (“Quantum”). Quantum’s operations will remain in Florida, performing as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Geospace Technologies Corporation.

Quantum has more than 27 years as a U.S. Federal Contractor supporting Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Energy, and other agencies with geophysical sensing research and development. Quantum spent nearly a decade developing a proprietary detection system called SADAR®, the seismic-acoustic equivalent to RADAR and SONAR. This technology detects, identifies, locates, and follows activities of interest in real-time, such as pedestrians, vehicles, motorized watercraft, and subterranean activity. (7/30)

Telesat Selects Thales Alenia Space and Maxar Technologies for LEO Satellite Constellation Systems Design (Source: SpaceQ)
Telesat announced today it has selected a consortium comprised of Thales Alenia Space and Maxar Technologies to further systems design for Telesat’s LEO constellation. Leading up to the selection, Telesat had built contracted two demonstration satellites for the LEO constellation, LEO-1 and LEO-2. LEO-2 was built SSL, a Maxar Technologies company with Toronto based sub-contractor Spaceflight Laboratory. That satellite was lost when the rocket it was launched on had its trajectory incorrectly programmed. LEO-1, built by SSTL in the U.K. was successfully launched this past January. (7/30)

NASA ASAP Safety Panel Reviews Boeing Starliner Test Anomaly (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
Boeing suffered a test stand failure of Starliner’s critical pad abort thrusters in late-June, a failure that reportedly ended with the leaking of volatile propellant from the thruster system. In multiple statements to numerous outlets thereafter, Boeing stated that they were “confident we found the cause and are moving forward with corrective action.” But that wasn’t quite the take-away from the ASAP meeting that occurred days after the company issued its statement.

“Boeing recently conducted a hot fire test for their low-altitude abort milestone for the CST-100,” noted a member of the ASAP panel.  “And there was an anomaly on that test that we need to better understand in terms of its potential impact on the design and operation and the schedule...And so although there’s a lot of interest in this issue, Boeing has asked for some additional time to step back and understand that a little better.”

During its admittedly brief discussion of Boeing, ASAP members made no mention of any potential corrective action, instead indicating that Boeing was still in the process of understanding exactly what happened with the failure. It is possible that ASAP was referring to information that predated the Boeing statement. Regardless, one thing was clear from ASAP: Boeing’s current schedules for both their uncrewed and crew test flights, known as the Orbital Flight Test (OFT) and the Crew Flight Test (CFT), respectively, are in a state of flux and not well understood. (7/30)

NASA at 60-Something (Source: Space Review)
NASA turned 60 years old this week—unless you celebrate its birthday in October. In any case, Jeff Foust reports on what a panel discussion last week involving the current NASA administrator and two of his predecessors had to say about the past and future of the agency. Click here. (7/30)
 
Space Force and International Space Law (Source: Space Review)
As the Trump Administration considers setting up a establishing a Space Force as a separate military branch, what space law issues does it pose? Babak Shakouri Hassanabadi argues that, despite prohibitions in international law on many types of military space activities, there are cases where a military space force would be consistent with treaties. Click here. (7/30)
 
Around the Moon, Revisited (Source: Space Review)
A century before the Apollo landings, Jules Verne penned a story about a human mission around the Moon. Eric Hedman argues that the classic book is worth a second read. Click here. (7/30)