August 17, 2018

NASA Admits $400M Mars Opportunity Rover Could Be Lost Forever (Source: FOX News)
NASA said that it may never again have contact with the Opportunity rover, after the craft got caught up in a Martian dust storm in the middle of June. While expressing optimism that the worst of the Opportunity's rover's problems may be behind it, as the dust storm starts to "decay," NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Andrew Good cautioned that the battery for the $400 million vehicle might have discharged so much power and been inactive for so long, it could be a loss. (8/17)

NASA Identifies 'Foreign Object Debris' Spotted by Mars Curiosity Rover (Source: C/Net)
NASA's Curiosity rover team spotted a weird-looking object on Mars this week and worried it might be a piece of spacecraft debris. The rover snapped an image of a thin, light-colored item laying on top of the reddish ground. It stands out from the surrounding surface. Curiosity's Earth handlers labeled the enigmatic piece as "Pettegrove Point Foreign Object Debris." Pettegrove Point is the area the rover is currently exploring inside the Gale Crater on Mars.

There was some concern the rover might have dropped a piece of itself. "In fact, it was found to be a very thin flake of rock, so we can all rest easy tonight -- Curiosity has not begun to shed its skin," Curiosity team member Brittney Cooper declared, after a closer look.  Curiosity got a better view of the rock by using its ChemCam to zoom in and identify it as a natural piece of the Mars landscape. (8/17)

Rogozin Accuses Musk of Dumping Below-Cost Boosters on Market (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin says Russia is working on a reusable launch vehicle that would land back on the runway and accused the U.S. government of letting Elon Musk’s SpaceX of dumping below-cost boosters on the international market to kill competition. The new heavy Soyuz-5 rocket, currently developed by Russia, must become more powerful yet remain cheaper than the products supplied by the competitors, the recently-elected head of the Russian space corporation told TASS in an extensive interview on Thursday.

While Moscow is looking into adding reusable elements to the Soyuz-5 to further lower launch costs, reusability is not a universal solution to achieve this goal, Rogozin believes. Musk’s SpaceX, which is currently the only company to have launched reusable rockets commercially, manages to cut the costs by other means, the Russian space boss pointed out.

“Musk’s advantage is not the reusability but that the US government gives him opportunities for dumping [prices] on the market. Musk sells his launches twofold to the Pentagon, covering his losses on the commercial market and killing competitors, who lack such a generous state behind them,” Rogozin said. Due to its geography, Russia is largely unable to make Falcon-style reusable boosters that would make vertical powered descent to a movable platform at sea, and so it has to follow an alternate path sticking to horizontal landings or relying on parachutes, he said. (8/17)

Aerojet Rocketdyne Expands Solid Rocket Motor Center of Excellence at Arkansas Facility (Source: Space Daily)
Aerojet Rocketdyne, a leader in the development and manufacture of aerospace and defense products, has announced plans to expand its Southern Arkansas facility near Camden, where the company manufactures solid rocket motors and warheads critical to national defense.

Aerojet Rocketdyne's currently envisioned expansion plans include investing in new infrastructure and creating more than 140 new jobs over the next three years. The growth would bring total employment to approximately 900 employees at the facility. Working in partnership with Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), Calhoun and Ouachita Counties, more than $50 million dollars will be invested in the expansion.

NASA Team Demonstrates "Science on a Shoestring" with Greenhouse Gas-Measuring Instrument (Source: Space Daily)
A novel instrument that has already proven its mettle on field campaigns will attempt to measure atmospheric greenhouse gases from an occultation-viewing, low-Earth-orbiting CubeSat mission called Mini-Carb early next year - marking the first time this type of instrument has flown in space.

Emily Wilson, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, is teaming with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to fly a smaller, more ruggedized version of her patented mini-Laser Heterodyne Radiometer, or mini-LHR, on a CubeSat platform early next year. Although NASA is currently measuring carbon dioxide from space, the agency has never flown a laser heterodyne radiometer to do the job.

Laser heterodyne radiometers were adapted from radio receiver technology. In this variation, the concentrations of greenhouse gases are found by measuring their absorption of infrared sunlight. Each absorption signal is mixed with laser light in a fast photoreceiver within the instrument and the resulting signal is detected at an easier-to-process radio frequency. (8/17)

Lockheed Martin, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Launch New Astronaut Training Experience (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)\
Lockheed Martin and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex "launched" the new Astronaut Training Experience (ATX) on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018. The event was conducted with pomp, leading members of the space community and those who stand to benefit from this new attraction. The event was held in honor of Lockheed Martin becoming the attraction's title sponsor.

Igniting the spark of interest in today’s youth can be a difficult task. The ATX is an effort to breach the disinterest in education that is a hallmark of students – by combining the tasks they would need to perform if they were to become astronauts with an engaging experience. On top of that, they would be walked through their encounter by trained educators.

Lockheed Martin has donated a full-scale mock up that provides participants with an idea of the scale of the working spaces they might encounter while on orbit. Lockheed Martin has been tapped to produce a habitat that could one day orbit the Moon as what has come to be called NASA’s “Gateway.” Potential missions to the Red Planet are all part of the plan. In fact, ATX is actually two missions in one. One element would be the astronaut training itself – while the second would be “Mars Base 1.” Much like the regular duties on the ISS, these future “astronauts” would learn about the science being conducted on the Red Planet as well as the engineering required. (8/17)

Senate Urged to Pass FAA Bill (Source: AIN Online)
The Aerospace Industries Association joined 32 aviation organizations to send a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, urging them to pass a long-term FAA reauthorization bill before funding for the agency runs out on Sep. 30. "Long-term legislation will allow employers, manufacturers, customers, and communities the certainty to continue to build, invest, hire, innovate, and grow in this dynamic industry," the letter said. Editor's Note: This bill includes important space-related provisions, including for the operation of Space Support Vehicles under revised FAA guidelines. (8/15)

Air Force Space Programs Vulnerable to Cyberattack (Source: Space News)
Air Force space programs are vulnerable to cyberattacks and sabotage because of supply chain issues, a new report concluded. An audit by the Defense Department’s inspector general office, released this week, found security cracks in the supply chain of four critical military space programs, including the Space Based Infrared System and GPS. Air Force Space Command "did not fully implement DoD supply chain risk management policy," according to the report, creating security gaps that could be exploited. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center said in a response to the audit that it agreed with its findings and was implementing measures to improve security. (8/16)

Proposed NASA Deputy Administrator Would Focus on Acquisition Reform (Source: Space News)
The nominee to be NASA's deputy administrator says he will focus on acquisition reform and finding new ways to work with commercial partners if confirmed. In a questionnaire released by the Senate Commerce Committee, James Morhard emphasized his managerial experience as Deputy Sergeant at Arms for the Senate and background as an appropriations staffer, rather than any experience in the space industry.

Morhard said the key challenges facing NASA include establishing a "clear, compelling, and executable direction" for its human spaceflight efforts, developing new relationships with commercial partners and a need to "work to address the national space acquisition process." The committee will hold a confirmation hearing regarding his nomination next Thursday. (8/16)

Pence Plans Second Visit to JSC (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Vice President Mike Pence will make a return visit to the Johnson Space Center next week. Pence announced the visit on Twitter Thursday, saying he was going to JSC to "talk about the future of human space exploration." That visit is scheduled for next Thursday, according to NASA, but details about the trip are still being worked out. Pence visited JSC in June 2017 to announce the new class of NASA astronauts. (8/16)

Loral Wins USAF Satellite Contract (Source: Space News)
Space Systems Loral has won an Air Force contract to develop tactical satellite communications technologies. The contract with the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center covers work to develop, test and analyze antenna subsystem prototypes to demonstrate key technologies for resilient, cost-effective and high-performance protected tactical satellite communications. The contract is the latest in a growing number of military space projects for SSL, a company once known for doing commercial satellites almost exclusively. (8/16)

Surrey to Launch Two Satellites on Indian Rocket (Source: SSTL)
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) said Thursday it will launch two of its smallsats on a Indian PSLV rocket next month. The British smallsat developer said NovaSAR-1, a small synthetic aperture radar satellite, and SSTL S1-4, a high-resolution Earth imaging satellite, will be among the payloads on the PSLV-C42 mission launching in September. The UK Space Agency provided more than $26 million to support development of NovaSAR-1 and will have access to the radar imagery it produces. (8/16)

New (Old) Russian ISS Module Now Scheduled for Nov. 2019 Launch (Source: TASS)
A long-delayed Russian space station module is now scheduled for launch next November. Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the Russian state space corporation Roscosmos, said the Nauka module is scheduled for launch in November 2019, and will be shipped to the Baikonur launch site around the end of this year for launch preparations. The module, originally developed as a backup to the Zarya module in the 1990s and now reconfigured to support research, has seen its launch date slip for years because of technical problems. (8/16)

Poll Shows Low Public Support for Space Force (Source: CNN)
Another poll shows a lack of public support for the Space Force. The CNN poll found that 37 percent of respondents supported creating the Space Force as a separate military branch, but that 55 percent were opposed. Even among supporters of President Trump, only half said they backed the creation of the Space Force. (8/16)

This is the Rover China Will Send to the [Far] Side of the Moon (Source: CNN)
China has unveiled a new lunar rover as it prepares to become the first nation in the world to explore the [far] side of the moon later this year. Revealed at a press conference Wednesday, the unmanned vehicle is 1.5 meters (5 feet) long and about one meter (3.3 feet) wide and tall, with two foldable solar panels and six wheels. China announced its intentions in 2015 to send a rover to the [far] side of the moon. In May this year, it launched a relay satellite to establish a communication link between Earth and the planned lunar probe. (8/16)

At KSC, Lockheed Martin Developing Deep Space Habitat Prototype Based on ISS Module (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A massive cylindrical habitat may one day house up to four astronauts as they make the trek to deep space. Lockheed Martin gave a first look at what one of these habitats might look like Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center, where the aerospace giant is under contract with NASA to build a prototype of the living quarters.

Lockheed is one of six contractors — the others are Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corp.’s Space Systems, Orbital ATK, NanoRacks and Bigelow Aerospace — that NASA awarded a combined $65 million to build a habitat prototype by the end of the year. The agency will then review the proposals to reach a better understanding of the systems and interfaces that need to be in place to facilitate living in deep space.

Lockheed’s design uses the Donatello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, a refurbished module dating back to the space shuttle era that was once destined to transfer cargo to the International Space Station. But Donatello was never sent into space, and the module has now instead been transformed into Lockheed’s prototype. (8/16)

In Trump's Universe, Everyone Loves "Space Force" (Source: Comedy Central)
Michael Kosta visits a Trump rally in South Carolina to find out how the president's supporters feel about his proposal to add a Space Force branch to the U.S. military. Click here (Space Force comments start about halfway into the video). (6/26)

NanoRacks Awarded Study to Help Develop Vibrant Future Commercial Space Economy (Source: NanoRacks)
Last week, NASA announced the awardees for an ongoing effort to foster commercial activity in space. This effort allows 13 companies to study the future of commercial human spaceflight in low-Earth orbit, including long-term opportunities for the International Space Station. NanoRacks is one of these awardees.

Through this award, we will investigate the commercial case for the repurposing of in-space hardware via our NanoRacks Space Outpost Program, a concept we have already proven to be technically feasible from our NASA NextSTEP Phase II award. We will work with three types of partners in this study including: hardware providers, finance partners, and our current and future customers. What was once science fiction in our industry is now fast becoming a reality—commercial outposts at low-cost for factories, warehouses, hotels, office buildings, and more! (8/16)

Angara Rocket Family to Replace Proton Launchers NET 2024 (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
Angara rockets could fully replace Russia’s long-serving Soviet-era Proton launch vehicles as early as 2024. This is according to an industry official, who made the remark at an aerospace conference in the city of Kazan. Proton rockets have been in service since 1965. In recent years Russia and International Launch Services (ILS) have utilized the rocket in its 190-foot (58-meter) tall “M” variant to send military and commercial satellites to orbit.

About three to eight Proton-M launches are typically conducted annually from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan these days. The number of launches of Proton-M rockets is decreasing every year as the production of this rocket is drawing to a close and no new launch contracts are likely to be signed in the near future. According to remarks made by Yuri Koptev, Chairman of the Science and Engineering Board of the state-run Rostec corporation, Proton rockets will apparently still be in service for at least another six years as the number of constructed Angara launchers apparently is not enough to meet requirements. (8/17)

Boeing to Acquire Millennium Space Systems (Source: Boeing)
Boeing will acquire Millennium Space Systems, a provider of agile, flight-proven small-satellite solutions, under an acquisition agreement that will expand Boeing's satellite and space portfolio, talent and capabilities. "Millennium Space Systems' expertise in vertically-integrated small-satellite solutions perfectly complements Boeing's existing satellite portfolio, and will allow us to meet the needs of a diverse customer set," said Boeing's Leanne Caret.

Millennium Space Systems was founded in 2001 and is based in El Segundo, Calif. With approximately 260 employees, the company has developed high-performance satellites for exacting missions ranging from 50 KG to more than 6,000 KG. The acquisition, which is subject to customary conditions, is expected to close by the end of third quarter 2018. Once finalized, Millennium Space Systems will become a Boeing subsidiary, operating under its current business model and reporting to Mark Cherry, vice president and general manager of Phantom Works.

The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction will have no impact on Boeing's 2018 financial guidance or the company's commitment to returning approximately 100 percent of free cash flow to shareholders. (8/16)

UrtheCast, Amid Restructuring, Acquires Analytics Firm from Land O’Lakes (Source: Space News)
Canadian remote sensing company UrtheCast says it has sufficient resources to cover the $20 million purchase of analytics firm Geosys from U.S. dairy giant Land O’Lakes. Urthecast, which is in the midst of a restructuring in pursuit of becoming profitable, lost $10 million for the three months ending June 30.

Geosys, a Minneapolis-based geoanalytics firm billing itself as the “largest purchaser of agricultural satellite imagery worldwide,”  should have greater success serving other agriculture customers who view Land O’Lakes as a competitor, and will serve as a conduit for UrtheCast satellite imagery. (8/16)

NASA Armstrong Collaborates with ULA for Cryogenic Fluid and Mid-Air Retrieval Demos (Source: Parabolic Arc)
NASA is partnering with six U.S. companies to develop 10 “tipping point” technologies. NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center will collaborate with ULA on two selected proposals. ULA will receive $2 million for the Cryogenic Fluid Management Technology Demonstration proposal that focuses on enabling efficient and safe transportation in to and through space.

This cryogenic fluid management demonstration project seeks to prove that very low cryogenic fuel boil off is achievable and can support long duration missions. ULA will perform critical testing of the existing space launch vehicle Centaur Cryote-3 tank. Another ULA award with Armstrong focuses on increasing access to planetary surfaces. The company will receive $1.9 million for a mid-air retrieval demonstration. This project will flight demonstrate mid-air retrieval capabilities up to 8,000 pounds, increasing current capabilities by a factor of four.

Editor's Note: It isn't mentioned, but the mid-air retrieval demonstration seems tailor-made for ULA's Vulcan reusability scheme, which involves the mid-air retrieval of the rocket's first-stage engine pod. (8/16)

As the Pentagon Moves to Stand Up a Space Force, Budget Fight Looms (Source: Space News)
There are no estimates yet for what it will cost to stand up a Space Force as a separate military service. The Pentagon will request funds in next year’s budget to get the process started but Congress will want to know the full costs. Some proponents of the Space Force have argued that if portions of the Air Force or the intelligence community are carved out to form a new service that there should be no significant added costs.

But that would be a fantasy, said Gen. Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Somehow there is a misconception out there that “this is going to be absolutely resource neutral,” he said. “I think we have to be wide-eyed about the kind of resources” that would be needed to support a sixth branch of the military. “Standing up an organization is generally not resource neutral,” he said. (8/11)

Weird Circles in the Sky May Be Signs of a Universe Before Ours (Source: New Scientist)
Swirling patterns in the sky may be signs of black holes that survived the destruction of a universe before the big bang. “What we claim we’re seeing is the final remnant after a black hole has evaporated away in the previous aeon,” says Roger Penrose, a mathematical physicist at the University of Oxford. He is co-creator of a theory called conformal cyclic cosmology (CCC). It states that, rather than having started in the big bang, the universe infinitely cycles through periods of ballooning up and collapsing. (8/15)