August 22, 2018

Reusable Booster to Conduct Test Flight at Spaceport America (Source: Parabolic Arc)
EXOS Aerospace Systems & Technologies has selected Spaceport America for final testing of a reusable space launch vehicle known as SARGE (Suborbital Autonomous Rocket with GuidancE). EXOS has completed the design, test and build; has received its FAA launch license and completed the final integration and test hovering for the rocket. Spaceport American CEO Dan Hicks said a successful test flight could lead to further testing and development at the spaceport.

A successful test flight is needed to solidify the company’s plans to use the technology as the basis for a planned reusable Orbital class vehicle, the company said. “We are excited to enter into the testing phase of our SARGE platform at Spaceport America, and even more excited to reveal our plans for our Jaguar Reusable (first stage) LEO launcher,” EXOS COO John Quinn said. “We look forward to enabling space research, manufacturing and educational opportunity for the world by providing frequent suborbital flights that provide fast and affordable access to space.” (8/22)

Paul Allen Built the World’s Biggest Plane. Does Anyone Need It? (Source: Quartz)
Stratolaunch is a very big airplane, but it has never flown. With a 385-foot wing span and two fuselages, the plane dwarves even the US Air Force’s massive C-5. It’s expected to take flight this fall, three years later than Stratolaunch’s main backer, Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen, forecast when the project began in 2011. But the real question isn’t “what is Stratolaunch?” It’s, “why?”

This very big plane was designed by aerospace icon Burt Rutan to carry rockets high into the atmosphere and launch them into orbit. Private investment is flowing to companies building satellites far smaller than the multi-ton models that until recently dominated space telecommunications. Poignantly, those companies owe their existence in part to Allen’s funding of a Rutan-led team that won the Ansari X-Prize in 2004 for flying a reusable spacecraft, demonstrating that small teams could have a big impact in aerospace. Click here. (8/22)

Small Launch Vehicle Startups Proliferate (Source: SpaceQ)
At the recent Small Satellite Conference in Utah, the Small Launch Vehicles – A 2018 State of the Industry Survey paper was presented which stated that there are 79 small launch vehicles either operational, under development or rumoured. The number is staggering and highlights the enthusiasm and hype surrounding the small satellite marketplace.

The survey, the fourth by author Carlos Niederstrasser of the Northrop Grumman Corporation, identified 6 operational small launch vehicles, 34 under development and 39 rumoured. There are no Canadian small launch vehicles included in the list. However, there are at least four efforts underway in Canada that were not included as they don’t meet the criteria set out in the survey. It is possible, based on what I’ve heard to date, that one of the Canadian efforts might be included in a future survey, having progressed enough to qualify. Click here. (8/22)

NASA to Study Use of Commercial Partnerships for Space Communications Services (Source: Space News)
NASA plans to seek proposals soon for studies on the use of public private partnerships to develop the next generation of space communications services. In an Aug. 16 synopsis posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website, NASA said it planned to issue a request for proposals in early September for “trade studies and conceptual system designs and descriptions” of future radiofrequency and optical communications systems that could be carried out through partnerships, rather than traditional government procurements.

“These new capabilities may help foster the growth of the commercial satellite communications relay services market (from low Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond) and provide benefits to future NASA missions in alignment with NASA envisioned Next Generation Architecture,” the agency said in the synopsis. (8/22)

Space Force Idea Tests Constitutional Responsibilities (Source: Space News)
Creation of a Space Force as a separate military branch could test constitutional separation of powers. A new report by the Congressional Research Service said the proposal gives Congress a "unique opportunity to shape the direction of U.S. national security space at this moment in time." Depending on what options are pursued to reorganize national security space operations, there will be questions on which branch holds specific authorities to bring a new military service to fruition, it argued, adding that the various proposals put forward for the Space Force may be "initial positions in a longer-term negotiation." (8/21)

Colorado Republican on Space Force: a 'Liberal' and 'More Government' Approach (Source: Colorado Springs Gazette)
One Republican congressman says he's opposed to creating the Space Force as a separate military branch. Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado said that creating an entirely new branch devoted to space is "ridiculous," calling the proposal backed by President Trump and other Republicans "a very liberal approach to a problem where the approach is more government." Coffman, chairman of the military personnel subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, says he supports the idea of establishing a Space Corps within the Air Force instead. (8/21)

Space Force Idea Not New (Source: Washington Post)
The White House was studying a separate Space Force long before President Trump started publicly talking about it. A report prepared by the Office of Management and Budget late last year advocated for a Space Force, arguing that space, the "fourth warfighting domain" alongside land, sea and air, should have its own military branch. Keeping space within the Air Force, the report concluded, would require space programs to compete with other Air Force priorities, notably fixed-wing aviation, for funding. (8/21)

New Colorado Spaceport Limited to Suborbital Launches, Has No Customers (Source: Space News)
A Colorado airport received an FAA spaceport license despite not having any customers and amid concerns about airspace conflicts. The FAA awarded the license last Friday to Front Range Airport near Denver, which announced this week it was changing its name to the Colorado Air and Space Port. Spaceport officials acknowledged it needs to find companies to operate from the spaceport, but the license covers only a class of suborbital vehicles with both jet and rocket engines that are not being actively developed today. Prior to the award of the license, some in the aviation industry said they were worried about how launch activities at the spaceport could conflict with operations at nearby Denver International Airport. (8/21)

How Far Could Life Evolve on an Ocean Planet? (Source: Air & Space)
Assuming life can originate on a water world, say, at a hydrothermal vent at the bottom of the ocean, how far could it evolve? Could we expect intelligent life, or even technologically advanced life, on a world with no exposed land area? Octopi and other cephalopods evolved in the oceans of our planet, so there is no obvious reason why such intelligent animals could not exist on an alien water world. Whales and dolphins, on the other hand, evolved from land animals, so we wouldn’t expect to find their analogs on exoplanets covered by oceans.

What about technologically advanced life? Fire can’t exist underwater, and fire is thought to have been essential for humans to develop technology. There would be no controllable electricity underwater, either, and without electricity, it’s difficult to imagine what kind of technology could exist on a water world. Click here. (8/22)

Spaceports of the World (Source: CSIS)
Since 1957, 29 spaceports around the world have been used to launch satellites to orbit. This data repository shows the cumulative launches from each spaceport by year (from 1957 to 2017), as well as the destination orbital regime and inclination for each launch’s primary payload. Click the play button in the legend and hover over a spaceport to explore its cumulative launch history. Click a spaceport to learn more about the orbital destinations of each of each primary payload launched from that facility. Click here. (8/22)

Small Rockets Will Power the Next Stage of the Nanosat Revolution (Source: Space Angels)
Between 2012 and 2017, just over a thousand small satellites were launched into Earth’s orbit. In 2017 alone, the number of small-sat launches reached a record 335, and the demand for more launch services became painfully obvious. In 2018, the high number of small-satellites sent into space is expected to continue, and while dozens of these tiny gadgets can be crammed into the payload of a large rocket, companies can still expect to wait anywhere from six months to two years before a rideshare to orbit becomes available.

Demand is sky-high for more timely launches, and with a payload that costs tens of thousands rather than tens of millions, small-sat companies may be willing to try a new type of launch vehicle for the chance of getting off the ground in just a couple of months. If this means they can start generating revenue immediately, rather than holding off for two years while competitors cement their reputations and rake in the dollars, they may even be willing to pay a premium rate for such a service.

While the nanosat boom has been the big story of the last few years, it has set the wheels in motion for what could be the next big thing: small launch. Dozens of companies are racing to cater to the small satellite customer, offering rockets that are small, quick, and cheap enough to deploy that a small satellite company can book a dedicated launch, with all the freedom that this entails, rather than being stashed in someone else’s glove box. (8/15)