August 28, 2018

The Case Against Mars Colonization (Source: Guardian)
If humans do eventually land on Mars, they would not arrive alone. They would carry with them their earthly microbes. Trillions of them. There is a real risk that some of these microbes could find their way onto the surface of Mars and, in doing so, confuse – perhaps irreversibly so – the search for Martian life. This is because we wouldn't be able to distinguish indigenous life from the microbes we'd brought with us. Our presence on Mars could jeopardise one of our main reasons for being there – the search for life.

Furthermore, there is no one way of knowing how our microbes may react with the vulnerable Martian ecosystem. We need to first update our policies on planetary protection and apply them fairly to both public and private sector entities. We need to understand humans' unique role in exploration, beyond robots. And we can't lose sight of challenges on Earth, nor use the promise of Mars as an opportunity to deflect responsibility from Earth. But for me, the issue comes down to timing. The technology will not be ready to send a human to Mars for at least another 10, perhaps even 15 years. This is a good thing. We should use this time carefully to make sure that, by the time we can go to Mars, we really should. (8/28)

Space Launch Training Cooperation (Source: Space Daily)
The 30th Space Wing and 45th Space Wing launch training teams recently came together to gain further understanding of each other's training programs. The main focus of the Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station collaboration was to discuss ways to synergize and standardize training for both coasts as well as introduce new training tools.

"Our purpose when we go out to view these operations is to verify procedures are being done correctly," said 2nd Lt. Matthew Preszler, 1st ASTS launch vehicle engineer trainer. "There are a lot of safety hazards during operations. There's a lot of regulation behind safety. If they don't understand that ahead of time, they could find themselves in a really tight pinch with lifting and moving hardware, or interfering with contractor progress at launch sites."

Editor's Note: Companies like RocketLab are proposing regularly scheduled monthly launches, like departures from an airport. This kind of scheduling approach allows the launches to also serve as training opportunities for launch crews, payload service providers, and range operators, as well as testbeds for range technologies, missile defense sensors, etc. (8/28)

Commercial Spaceports 2018 (Source: Space Daily)
While it is true that when Richard Branson first launched the Virgin Galactic Mothership II he predicted a steady flow of launches that carried wealthy tourists to the edge of space by 2009. That schedule has been stretched some nine years already. The 2014 crash of SpaceshipTwo has increased the delay and caused some customers to ask for refunds on deposits. One additional casualty of this situation is Spaceport America, a $200 million facility investment that is gathering dust, and not much more. Virgin Galactic was its anchor tenant.

It is hardly a surprise that Spaceport America has had to readjust its business model and is looking for new clients. The New Mexico site has become an elaborate events space, hosting everything from school trips and corporate events to product launches. Thanks to the early hype, spaceport projects have attracted international attention, and countries around the globe have announced plans for building such facilities. Sweden and the UK are both hoping to build spaceports that may dominate the European space tourism business. In addition, Space Ventures announced interest in building spaceports in Singapore and the UAE.

There appears to be little doubt that space tourism will become reality. It is simply a matter of time. The market for commercial space transportation and human space travel will likely grow exponentially, and the demand for spaceport services will grow with it as well. Editor's Note: The Global Spaceport Alliance will meet on Nov. 26 in Houston for a discussion of common interests and policy development to promote the space transportation industry. (8/28)

Ten Ways A Space Force Will Make America Weaker (Source: Forbes)
It's still a joke, but it isn't funny anymore. Despite widespread opposition to creating a sixth branch of the military, the president on reflection decided it was a "great idea" and directed defense officials to begin preparations for the new service. On August 9 the Pentagon released a preliminary report laying out plans for establishing a space development agency, a space operating force, and a unified space command. The next budget request sent to Congress will seek legal authority to separate the Space Force from other military organizations.

Congress should reject that proposal. It is a poorly conceived, wasteful undertaking that will weaken the joint force. America's military needs in space would be far better served by retaining the existing organization of the joint force and making modest adjustments to assure space challenges are met in a timely fashion. Most experts already know this. The president, who isn't an expert, does not. So for the benefit of those who have not been paying close attention and might be captivated by rhetoric untethered to reality, here are ten reasons why creating a Space Force would be a really bad idea. Click here. (8/27)

Space Force – Maintaining Military Dominance While Saving Dollars and US Lives (Source: Town Hall)
he U.S. Space Force that President Trump is advocating will be in some ways a big change and in some ways only a small change from the U.S. military of today. Currently, we use space to leverage our capabilities on land, sea and air to provide combat dominance. It has literally forced our enemies to either stay within their borders or be very surreptitious about their movements. Both China and Russia had to make their recent moves in the South China Sea and Crimea, gradually and only with a weak-willed U.S. president.

Why? Because today with space-based sensors, we know immediately what every major military is doing in the world. We also can attack those militaries with an integrated military force that is deeply connected with space-based communications. These forces depend on armed drones overhead that are being flown from the United States using space-based communications to drop weapons, accurately using space-based GPS, without risking a pilot. No aircraft carrier or large troop forces are required. The US stomped out ISIS in Syria in months with a U.S. force of less than 2,000, but with a space force of tens of thousands back in the U.S. (8/28)

Can Mars Be Terraformed? (Source: Scientific American)
Is terraforming Mars feasible today? Is there enough CO2 locked up in the planet that, if it could be mobilized back into the atmosphere, would create a thicker atmosphere and a warmer environment? We have used spacecraft measurements from the last 20 years to estimate how much CO2 remains on the planet and recently published a paper in Nature Astronomy that assessed how much of the remaining CO2 can be released with present-day technology.

We didn’t address what technology might be used, but Elon Musk has suggested, for example, that we could terraform Mars simply by exploding nuclear bombs over the polar caps. The heat from those would release the CO2 locked up in the polar caps back into the atmosphere, and the thicker atmosphere would produce greenhouse warming to heat the planet. In our study, we found that much of the planet’s CO2 has been lost to space, and that very little of what remains can be put back into the atmosphere.

Mars’ current atmospheric pressure is approximately six millibars (mbar), or just over one half of one percent of the pressure at the surface of the Earth. CO2 is present as ice in the polar caps; as gas “adsorbed” (or physically bonded) to regolith grains; as carbon-bearing minerals (carbonates); and possibly as “clathrates”. The total amount of gas present in these reservoirs is likely to be less than the equivalent of some 100 mbar and maybe only about 20 mbar of it could be readily put into the atmosphere. This falls well short of the one bar atmosphere of CO2 that would be needed to warm the planet enough to allow liquid water to be stable. (8/27)

NASA is Preparing for Future Space Missions by Exploring Underwater Volcanoes Off Hawaii (Source: Popular Science)
Nearly two and a half miles under the surface of the water, the volcanic seafloor of Hawaii will soon host a new NASA mission called SUBSEA (Systematic Underwater Biogeochemical Sea Science and Exploration Analog). Its goal is to explore the habitability of the Lō`ihi seamount off the coast of the Big Island as an analog for icy moons like Enceladus.

In order to thoroughly explore the region, SUBSEA will operate off of a ship called Nautilus where it will deploy two submarine-type remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) called Hercules and Argus. “We’re going to be examining this from the standpoint of understanding ocean sciences in general, but also because it offered a really good analog to other potential hydrothermal systems at places like Enceladus and Europa,” says Dr. Darlene Lim, Principal Investigator of SUBSEA. (8/27)

European Rocket Scientists Pledge to Make First Private Moon Landing in 2018 (Source: The Telegraph)
The first private Moon landing could be made by a group of European scientists next year. A group of rocket engineers called PTScientists (Part-time Scientists), has built a landing module and two rovers, which are expected to launch in 2018 on board Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The landing module will be programmed to touch down in the Taurus-Littrow valley, around two miles from the site of the final Apollo 17 mission.

It will deploy two rovers with the aim of tracking down Nasa’s moon buggy which was left behind by Gene Cernan, the last man on the Moon. The team is keen to find out how well the buggy has survived on the lunar surface for more than four decades and, if successful, it will mark 46 years since humans drove on another world. (8/19)

How Do You Build on the Moon? Start with Lunar Dust (Source: Space.com)
To learn how to build with moon dust, researchers are turning to volcanic powder here on Earth. Several countries are planning lunar missions over the next decade, and some may choose to send human settlements to the moon's surface. Many programs have recently tested out the habitability of lunar bases. But how would you build a base in the first place?

The rough, fine dust that covers the moon's surface, known as regolith, may have structural potential. And researchers with the European Space Agency (ESA) recently announced their "lunar masonry" studies to see how it would fare. Their idea is to try to break reliance on earthy construction materials. To get an idea of how one might make bricks from moon dust, researchers analyzed volcanic material near Cologne, Germany, where eruptions happened 45 million years ago. This volcanic powder is a good match for what lunar dust might be like.

The moon dust substitute is named "EAC-1" after ESA's European Astronaut Centre, whose researchers found that it was a good match with the real deal. And lunar dust may also support human missions in another way, too: "One of the great things about the lunar soil is that 40 percent of it is made up of oxygen," Cowley said. Researchers on another EAC project are studying how to extract the oxygen within moon dust so that astronauts may extend their stays on the moon. (8/27)

This Is How NASA's Trying to Find Better Cancer Treatments in Space (Source: Space.com)
With careful attention from an astronaut, a blood cell experiment may deliver improvements on cancer-fighting treatments. There's a lot of blood in space right now — to be exact, there are a lot of endothelial cells that come from blood vessels. Astronauts are helping study these cells aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Angiex Cancer Therapy trials, which NASA astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor introduced in a new video published by NASA on Tuesday. Click here. (8/27)

'Without Question,' Astronauts will Return to Space From the Space Coast in 2019, NASA Chief Says (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Speaking to reporters at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., NASA Administrator James Bridenstine said that 2019 will bring the return of crewed American launches into low-Earth orbit. "Without question, by the middle of next year, we'll be flying American astronauts on American rockets from American soil," he said. NASA had already announced target dates for next year, but Bridenstine’s comment speaks to the certainty the space agency now has in a program that has been plagued by a string of delays. (8/28)

Is a Third Crewmember on Boeing's Starliner Test Flight Too Risky? (Source: Space Policy Online)
Former astronaut Jim Voss raised sharp questions today about why a third crewmember will be aboard Boeing’s Starliner test flight unless it is essential. During a discussion at a NASA advisory committee meeting, NASA officials said that Boeing astronaut Chris Ferguson, who is assigned to the test flight, is also in training for an extended ISS mission, but will fly whether or not he is needed on ISS.  Voss insisted there is no reason to risk a third crew member unless it is absolutely necessary to the continuity of ISS operations.

Both Boeing and SpaceX crew vehicles must undergo first an uncrewed demonstration flight test and then a crewed demonstration flight test before they are certified for operational use.  The original plan was for each to carry two astronauts.  SpaceX does not have its own astronauts, so the two for Crew Dragon would be from NASA.  Boeing hired former NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson and wanted to have him on board to flight test its new vehicle, with the second crew member from NASA.

Earlier this year, however, NASA revealed that it had modified its contract with Boeing to allow its demonstration flight to carry three people — two from NASA and one from Boeing.  Last month, NASA announced the flight crew assignments for the commercial crew missions.  For Starliner’s test flight: Ferguson and NASA astronauts Eric Boe and Nicole Mann. (8/27)

Commercial Crew Test Flight Could Visit ISS (Source: Space News)
NASA is keeping open the option of using a commercial crew test flight as a long-duration mission to the International Space Station, but won't make a decision on that until next summer. At a meeting of a NASA Advisory Council committee Monday, NASA officials said that the three people assigned to the crewed test flight of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, including Boeing test pilot Chris Ferguson, are getting training on ISS systems should that mission be extended, but NASA will wait until next summer and examine the progress Boeing and SpaceX are making before making a decision. Those crewed test flights are scheduled to take place by mid-2019, which NASA says should provide "sufficient margin" before NASA access to Soyuz seats runs out in early 2020. (8/28)

India's Human Spaceflight Plan Includes 3-Astronaut Crew for Initial Mission (Source: PTI)
India plans to fly three people on its first crewed spaceflight. At a briefing Tuesday, Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh said the first crewed "Gaganyaan" mission will carry three people on a seven-day flight in low Earth orbit, a mission scheduled for no later than 2022. That crewed flight will be preceded by two uncrewed flight tests, the first of which will take place within two and a half years. (8/28)

SpaceX Confirms its Next Space Coast Launch Will Happen No Earlier than Sep. 8 (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
After delays, SpaceX has finally set a date for its next Space Coast launch. The Elon Musk-led private company will launch the Telstar 18 VANTAGE satellite, developed by Canadian telecommunications company Telesat, no earlier than Sep. 8. The company had originally announced that it would launch the satellite no earlier than August, but the launch date has been pushed back several times, according to Spaceflight Now. Spaceflight Now reported last week that the date had again been delayed to no earlier than Sept. 9. (8/28)

Pegasus ICON Launch Set for October 6 From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
The delayed launch of a NASA space science mission has been rescheduled for October. NASA has rescheduled the launch of its Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) spacecraft on a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket for Oct. 6 from Cape Canaveral. The launch was scheduled for June, on a flight out of Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific, but a technical issue with the rocket discovered as it was being ferried across the Pacific prompted the delay. NASA switched launch sites because of better range availability from Florida. (8/28)

KSC Mobile Launch Tower Ready for Slow Roll to Pad (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
The mobile launch tower that will be used for the first Space Launch System missions will go to the launch pad for the first time in its current configuration this week. NASA plans to move the Mobile Launcher to Launch Complex 39B on Thursday for tests before rolling it into the Vehicle Assembly Building. The launch platform, originally built during the Constellation program and modified for SLS missions, will support launches of the initial Block 1 version of the SLS. NASA received additional funding from Congress earlier this year to build a second platform that will be designed for the larger Block 1B version. (8/28)

Why Does the Earth Rotate? (Source: Space.com)
Every day, the Earth spins once around its axis, making sunrises and sunsets a daily feature of life on the planet. It has done so since it formed 4.6 billion years ago, and it will continue to do so until the world ends — likely when the sun swells into a red giant star and swallows the planet. But why does it rotate at all? The Earth formed out of a disk of gas and dust that swirled around the newborn sun. In this spinning disk, bits of dust and rock stuck together to form the Earth, according to Space.com, a sister site of Live Science. As it grew, space rocks continued colliding with the nascent planet, exerting forces that sent it spinning, explained Smadar Nao. (8/27)

Donald Trump’s Space Force Isn’t as New or as Dangerous as it Seems (Source: Space Review)
The proposed Space Force has attracted significant debate in the last two months, including widespread criticism that it’s a step towards weaponizing space. Cameron Hunter and Bleddyn Bowen argue that the concept is neither as new nor as alarming as some claim. Click here. (8/27)
 
Space Force Booster #1 (Source: Space Review)
As the debate about establishing a Space Force as a separate military branch continues, one official has emerged as the concept’s biggest proponent outside of the White House: NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine. Jeff Foust reports on Bridenstine’s advocacy and what might be driving it. Click here. (8/27)
 
Why Airworthiness Certification is Necessary for Commercial Human Spaceflight (Source: Space Review)
Current federal regulations of commercial human spaceflight vehicles use a licensing system and “informed consent” for regulation. Mike Snead discusses the need for a more rigorous airworthiness approach to ensure the safety of those flying such vehicles and for the growth of the overall industry. Click here. (8/27)
 
Measuring the Progress in Space Access, 25 Years After DC-X (Source: Space Review)
This month marked the 25th anniversary of the first flight of the DC-X, a vehicle at the time that promised to usher in a new era of reusable launchers. Jeff Foust examines the progress that has been made, particular in the last five years, on lower cost and more frequent space access. Click here. (8/27)

NASA’s Growing Trust in Private Companies Fuels Innovation (Source: Utica Observer-Dispatch)
NASA’s evolution has been years in the making, officials said, as it grows more comfortable giving industry more autonomy and freedom, which many hope will spark the kind of innovation necessary to make spaceflight more routine. Over the years, it has developed deep partnerships with several companies, awarding them billions of dollars in contracts to carry out crucial services.

NASA does lend its expertise and oversight, but at the same time, the companies are teaching the agency a thing or two about how to apply business practices to open the frontiers of space. None more so than Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which from the beginning of its partnership with NASA ran into resistance, a clash of Silicon Valley-style ethos with government bureaucracy, youthful impatience with aged bureaucracy. (8/27)

OneWeb, Arianespace Target December-February for First Soyuz Launch (Source: Space News)
The first launch of OneWeb’s low-Earth-orbit broadband constellation could still happen by year’s end, but may slip into early 2019, according to officials from OneWeb and launch provider Arianespace. December’s planned Soyuz launch of the first 10 satellites, organized by European launch provider Arianespace, “may move back a month or so,” OneWeb founder Greg Wyler told SpaceNews. (8/27)