September 29, 2018

Lockheed Awarded $1.4B for First GPS IIIF Satellites (Source: Space Daily)
Lockheed Martin has received a contract for the first two GPS IIIF satellites, Space Vehicles 11 and 12, which are follow-ons to the initial 10-satellites of the new GPS III constellation. The contract, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defese, provides for engineering, space vehicle test bed and simulators, and production of GPS IIIF Space Vehicles 11 and 12. (9/28)

DARPA Invests in Propellant-Free Rocket Theory (Source: Space Daily)
Physicist Mike McCulloch plans to use a $1.3 million grant from the federal agency DARPA to prove his quantized inertia theory is more than just a spark plug for heady debates on online physics forums. McCulloch believes his ideas about quantized inertia and Unruh radiation can inspire the creation of a rocket engine that turns light into thrust without the assistance of a chemical propellant. Engineers at DARPA think McCulloch might be onto something.

"There is increasing global activity in space," said Mike Fiddy, program manager for the Nascent Light-Matter Interactions program in DARPA's Defense Sciences Office. "DARPA is seeking to deepen our understanding of how to move objects around in more energy efficient and versatile ways."

McCulloch thinks imbalances in Unruh radiation can be used to generate a more energy efficient thrust. "Uhler radiation is a kind of radiation that you see when you accelerate," McCulloch, a professor of physics at the University of Plymouth in England, told UPI. "When you accelerate, a horizon radiation appears behind you, and the radiation emanates from this horizon the way Hawking radiation is emitted by the horizon of a black hole." (9/26)

Texas School Starts Aerospace Program (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
Southwest High students will have the chance to build their own small aircraft as part of a new aeronautical science, technology, engineering and math program. It will run from pre-kindergarten through high school, supported by a grant from The Dee Howard Foundation. Southwest Independent School District administrators unveiled it at a Wednesday news conference at Bob Hope Elementary School, where all fifth-grade classes will be given drone assembly kits. (9/26)

NASA Stands By SpaceX, Even as Elon Musk’s Troubles Grow (Source: Washington Post)
The future of Tesla may be imperiled by a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit that seeks to oust Elon Musk, the chief executive. But SpaceX, one of Musk’s other companies, has continued to garner support from its key customers, especially NASA, which can’t afford to see one of its main suppliers falter.

SpaceX has become vital to NASA’s operations and is also a key supplier to the Pentagon. The government has invested billions of dollars in SpaceX and relies on it to send science experts and cargo to the International Space Station, and to launch national security satellites used in modern warfare. By next year, SpaceX is poised to fly NASA’s most valuable assets — its astronauts — to space.

While once it was a scrappy start-up that clawed and sued its way into the federal market, now it is a major federal contractor that is vital to the government’s space program. While Musk is chief executive (and “lead designer”), others at the company are in charge of day-to-day operations. “There’s no alternative at this point to using a commercial company,” said Carissa Christensen, the chief executive officer of Bryce Space and Technology, a consulting firm. “NASA cannot magic up its own vehicle. It doesn’t have one.” (9/28)

Blue Origin Latest Economic Win for Surging Huntsville (Source: AL.com)
Thursday's announcement that Blue Origin, officially, will be producing rocket engines at a new Cummings Research Park facility in Huntsville sparked a celebration. But not only for the city's victory in landing another coveted high-tech, high-paying project. Blue Origin is merely the latest in what's been a string of industrial development wins for Huntsville.

"We have communities all the time call us and try to find out how we do things and they want to emulate what Huntsville does," said Shane Davis, director of urban and economic development for the city of Huntsville. As the Rocket City rocks on, Davis updated the city council on previous headline-grabbing economic development announcements as well as recapping the financial agreements the council approved more than a year ago when Blue Origin agreed to come to Huntsville - pending the landing of the contract with United Launch Alliance that was announced Thursday. (9/28)

Americans are Dubious of Space Travel (Source: YouGov)
Space exploration is popular. But would you personally go into space? The latest Economist/YouGov Poll finds the American public strongly in support of sending astronauts to the moon again and sending astronauts to explore Mars. They favor independent space exploration, like Elon Musk’s SpaceX program. But when it comes to taking the trip themselves – even if money were no object and you could afford the cost – most would reject the opportunity. But only 15% of Americans would decrease government funding of space exploration. (9/28)

SpaceX has Big Plans for its BFR. Can it Find Enough Billionaires to Pay for the Rocket? (Source: LA Times)
SpaceX has a growing list of future destinations for its BFR rocket and spaceship system — most recently, a trip around the moon with a paying passenger on board. But funding for its development is far from secured. Satellite launches and NASA missions to the Space Station are stable revenue streams, possibly approaching $2 billion annually. But they aren’t necessarily going to put a major dent in the estimated $5-billion BFR development cost.

And there are questions about whether SpaceX’s proposed satellite broadband business will be operating and turning a profit by 2023, when BFR is scheduled to take Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa around the moon. That leaves space tourism as the wild card — and potentially most lucrative — funding stream outlined this month by SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk. “It’s almost like a crowdfunding model, a very small, elite crowd,” said Bill Ostrove. (9/28)

How a Chinese Rocket Scientist’s Resignation Started a Nation Talking About its Poorly Paid Talents (Source: South China Morning Post)
A legal document describing how an obscure rocket scientist left his job at a Chinese aerospace company has gone viral, igniting a fierce debate over state-owned enterprises struggling to retain their talent, as well as fears of China falling behind in the global space race. Photos of the document were published on Thursday in a Weibo essay by blogger Zi Zhuzhang, titled “Why are talents that can directly influence China’s moon landing left to languish at the bottom of state-owned enterprises?”

It prompted debate on social media, including open criticism of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) – which is rare in China – on the same day that President Xi Jinping vowed to continue to strengthen SOEs and said attempts to “diminish SOEs are wrong and one-sided”.

The document states that Zhang Xiaoping had left his job as deputy director of rocket design at the institute, a state-owned enterprise, where he was responsible for developing rocket propellers that could potentially be used to launch Chinese spacecraft onto the moon. The document describes how Zhang was “most crucial to the development process”, had “irreplaceable” talents and argued that his departure could affect China’s race to send people to the moon. (9/28)

Not NASA: New Australian Space Agency More 'Nimble', 'Industry-Focused' (Source: Canberra Times)
Time is running out for the states and territories to make their case to house the new Australian Space Agency, as the organization "hits the ground running" in its efforts to spruik the country's space credentials internationally. The agency's mission is to triple the size of the Australian space industry and create up to 20,000 new jobs. It's a vastly leaner operation than other government space agencies like NASA or the European Space Agency. (9/298)

NASA Climate Mission Trump Tried to Kill Moves Forward (Source: Science)
A new space station sensor that will lay the foundation for future long-term observations of Earth’s climate is moving ahead, despite repeated attempts by President Donald Trump’s administration to kill it. Yesterday, amid a torrent of other news, NASA quietly announced it had awarded a $57 million contract to start building the instrument, which is scheduled to launch to the International Space Station (ISS) early next decade.

Last year, the Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) Pathfinder was one of several earth science missions targeted by the new administration for cancellation. Although Congress ultimately rejected that request, it prompted NASA to halt work on the project in May 2017. (9/28)

The Options For The Future Of The International Space Station (Source: American Action Forum)
The International Space Station (ISS) was originally intended to last until 2015, just after the Space Shuttle program stopped, yet congressional acts have extended its lifespan, even as costs have risen for maintaining its viability. The Trump Administration has proposed privatizing the ISS by 2025, but this move has significant congressional opposition and might not be economically feasible.

Best estimates indicate the total annualized revenues for private entities would be short of the projected costs by $1 billion to $1.8 billion. NASA should consider reforming how the rights to intellectual property developed on the ISS are allocated to encourage more private investment, along with reforming its relationship with the private organization currently managing the ISS. Reforms likely will not make a full privatization viable, however: The best long-term solution to the ISS’s growing expense likely is its decommission. (9/25)

Cruz Wants NASA to Consider Revenue Opportunities from Commercial Activities (Source: Space News)
As NASA shows growing interest in commercial activities, from space station research to merchandise, one senator wants the agency to financially benefit from them. During a hearing of the Senate space subcommittee, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), chairman of the subcommittee, mentioned commercial research performed by major companies on the International Space Station through partnerships with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the nonprofit that operates the portion of the ISS designated a national laboratory.

Cruz, in his comments, cited specific research by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and pharmaceutical company Merck when asking if that work should be subsidized by taxpayers, as is the case today through access to the station and crew time by astronauts there. (9/28)

ESA’s Leader Gets Extra Time for His Vision of European Space (Source: Space News)
In July, the European Space Agency announced, with surprisingly little fanfare, that it was extending the term of its current director general, Jan Woerner, by two years. Woerner’s four-year term was set to expire next July, just months before the agency’s next triennial ministerial meeting where member states decide what programs to fund and at what levels.

With that extension, Woerner has the confidence that he will be in office for that ministerial meeting, seeking approval for programs to guide ESA’s future. That future contains a number of questions, from the fate of the International Space Station and planning for a return to the moon to emerging challenges like reusable launch vehicles and growing concerns about the safety of the space environment. (9/28)

As Satellite Constellations Grow Larger, NASA Worries About Orbital Debris (Source: The Verge)
Multiple aerospace companies, including SpaceX and OneWeb, have vowed to someday launch thousands of satellites into low Earth orbit, but these mega-constellations could make space a more congested and dangerous place. That’s why NASA is recommending in a new report that these companies make sure their future satellites are taken out of orbit as soon as they complete their missions.

The aerospace industry is particularly concerned with spacecraft collisions because these accidents can create multiple pieces of debris zooming through space at thousands of miles per hour. And these fragments can threaten other spacecraft in orbit, causing further crashes and damage. Many are concerned that these collisions could cause a cascade effect, where crashes become more and more frequent so that low Earth orbit becomes too crowded to safely sustain satellites. (9/28)

Cancer-Causing Chemicals Found in Cocoa Beach Groundwater (Source: Florida Today)
A day before environmental activist Erin Brockovich visits the Space Coast, the city of Cocoa Beach released a new round of water samples Friday that show yet more evidence that cancer-causing chemicals linked with firefighting foams once used at Patrick Air Force Base are widespread in the city's groundwater and sewage.

The latest tests for fluorinated chemicals in the city's groundwater and sewage found 11 of 19 samples taken in August exceeded the federal drinking water guideline for the chemicals. While Cocoa Beach's drinking water comes from sources on the mainland, the latest corroborating evidence of the toxic chemicals increases concerns that the contamination of the barrier island's water table is more widespread than originally feared with bigger health implications. (9/28)

Congressmen Accuse Air Force of Blocking Space Force (Source: Space News)
Two leading congressional proponents for a separate military service devoted to space say they regret the "games" being played about it within the Pentagon. In a joint appearance Thursday, Reps. Mike Rogers and Jim Cooper, the chairman and ranking member of the strategic forces subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, blamed the Air Force for working behind the scenes with senators to block the reorganization they have been pushed for the last few years. Rogers criticized a recent Air Force estimate that establishing the Space Force would cost $13 billion over five years as "gold plating" in an effort to convince other members of Congress that the proposal is unaffordable. (9/27)

China's Long March 5B Delays Could Slow New Space Station Plan (Source: Space News)
Development of China's space station could be delayed by launch vehicle issues. A Chinese official said this week that the first launch of the Long March 5B will not take place in the first half of next year as previously planned. China planned to use that vehicle to launch elements of its space station, starting in 2020. Officials didn't give a reason for the delay or a new launch date. (9/27)

China's Commercial Kuaizhou Rocket Launch Planned This Week (Source: Space News)
Chinese launch company Expace plans to launch a Kuaizhou-1A rocket Saturday. The launch is scheduled for shortly after midnight Eastern time based on airspace closure notices. The solid-fuel rocket will launch a small satellites called Centispace-1-S1, about which little is known. (9/27)

Stratolaunch Developing New Rocket Engine (Source: Space News)
Stratolaunch released new details Thursday about a rocket engine it is developing. The PGA engine, named after the company's founder, Paul G. Allen, uses liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants and is designed to produce 200,000 pounds-force of thrust. The company plans to begin hotfire tests of the engine's preburner by the end of the year at NASA's Stennis Space Center. Stratolaunch plans to use the engine on the family of launch vehicles it is developing for launch from its giant aircraft. (9/27)

Former OneWeb Exec Joins Cubesat Startup (Source: Space News)
The former CEO of OneWeb Satellites has joined a satellite startup. Brian Holz is the new chief architect for Akash Systems, a startup developing cubesats with diamond-infused components. Such components can operate more efficiently than conventional components. The company has filed for an FCC license to operate a 12U cubesat in late 2019 or early 2020 to test a Ka-band transmitter. (9/27)

Japan's Asteroid Landers Return Images of Ryugu (Source: BBC)
The two small landers deployed by Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft have returned additional images from the surface of an asteroid. The images from the two Minerva-II1 spacecraft show the asteroid Ryugu has a surface filled with boulders of varying sizes. The two spacecraft have demonstrated their ability to move across the surface by "hopping." The main Hayabusa2 spacecraft will later approach the asteroid, collecting samples for return to Earth. (9/27)

UN Sees Space as Peace Driver (Source: Space.com)
An event at the UN this week made the case for space as a "driver for peace." The event by the organization Space Trust at UN Headquarters in New York included the unveiling of an exhibit called "Black Marble Earth," an inflatable sphere that shows what the Earth looks like at night. UN officials argued that space plays a key role in achieving many of its Sustainable Development Goals. (9/27)

Air Force Gives ULA $867 Million to Sustain Atlas and Delta Launch Capability (Source: DOD)
United Launch Services has been awarded an $867,081,864 for Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle launch capability for the Delta IV and Atlas V families of launch vehicles. The contract modification is for mission integration, base and range support, maintenance commodities, Delta depreciation, and Atlas depreciation and provides for mission assurance, program management, systems engineering, and integration of the space vehicle with the launch vehicle, launch site and range operations, and launch infrastructure maintenance and sustainment. (9/27)