October 20, 2018

Ariane 5 Launches BepiColumbo on Mission to Mercury (Source: Ariane Group)
For this particularly complex mission, Ariane 5 freed BepiColombo from Earth’s gravitational pull and placed it on a transfer trajectory to Mercury, through the Solar System, by propelling it to an absolute velocity of 10.99 km/s (39,570 km/h) – 1.15 km/s (4,140 km/h) more than for the usual transfer orbit — to geostationary position. This mission benefits from the first application of the Vulcain 2 power increase (+2.25%), decided in the framework of the Ariane 5 ECA launcher performance improvement program. (10/20)

Scotland Spaceport Put on Hold (Source: Press and Journal)
Hopes of an early lift off for Scotland’s new spaceport – bringing a jobs boost for the North in its trail – appear to have been grounded. Highlands and Island Enterprise (HIE) has dampened speculation that launches are set to begin a year ahead of schedule. Public consultations have begun on the £17m project at Melness in Sutherland with a planning application expected to be lodged next year.

The new spaceport is expected to employ about 40 people directly and support about 400 jobs in the region. But amid signs that a new space race is emerging in Europe, the first launch from the A’Mhòine peninsula was being earmarked for 2020, according to reports linked to Lockheed Martin, the US company that is developing the project.

But Roy Kirk, project director of UK Vertical Launch, the body overseeing the spaceport scheme, released a statement through HIE to the which said the timetable had not changed. “HIE will develop the infrastructure required – access roads, some buildings and a launch pad – and the site will be run by a commercial operator,” said Mr Kirk. (10/20)

Mattis Asks Trump to OK US Space Command, Pick Leaders (Source: Defense One)
The Pentagon has made a number of internal moves to create the 11th combatant command. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has asked President Trump to approve the creation of a new military headquarters for space warfare, as Pentagon officials proposed earlier this summer. The request is the latest in a series of bureaucratic moves made inside the Pentagon in recent weeks that set the stage for the Defense Department’s formal proposal early next year to establish a Space Force — a sixth branch of the military.

In an Oct. 5 memo to the president, Mattis asks his boss to formally establish U.S. Space Command, which would be the U.S. military’s 11th combatant command. Mattis also asks Trump to nominate a four-star general or admiral to lead the command, and a three-star to be his or her deputy commander. (10/19)

Is a Space Force Needed? (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The White House and Congress have been considering the idea for some time. During the debate over the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, members of the House Armed Services Committee inserted a provision establishing a "Space Corps." The proposed Space Corps was to be housed within the Air Force but the provision was later removed because of objections from both the White House and Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Although he has expressed support for a Space Force now, Mattis originally opposed it over budgetary and overhead concerns.

Beyond tweets and mentions, the White House has not, in my opinion, made a compelling case for why such a force is needed. The Pentagon report, which supposedly lays its foundation, states that "potential adversaries are now actively developing ways to deny our use of space in a crisis. It is imperative that the United States adapts its policies, doctrine and capabilities to protect our interests."

There are two lessons to be taken from NASA's establishment and early history. First, it was an agency born of a crisis. The United States was seemingly falling behind its Cold War adversary and the public demanded that the government respond. Crisis often precedes the establishment of new government agencies and provides those agencies with a base of public and political support. In terms of a Space Force, there is no apparent crisis. (10/18)

A Caribbean Region Dedicated to Lifting You to the Stars (Source: St. Lucia News)
The characterizations mostly connected to the Caribbean are “paradise” and “relaxation”. The region provides a high level of ease in a world that is very busy and sometimes confined within a maze of confusing times. The “Caribbean Lounge” may be the perfect ethos of the region. With a bit more futuristic view, why couldn’t the Caribbean be a Space Lounge?

The idea is of identifying the Caribbean as the primary logistic service point to be the facilitator for persons, companies and countries, being supported by the trained elite service representatives who assist facilitating space tourism, moon exploratory activities, Mars journeys, and beyond by using the resource and accommodation rich context of the Caribbean and its collaborating nation partners.

There are five steps that might be possible scenarios going forward as a Caribbean body that might help to achieve the goal of becoming the primary Space Lounge for the world. The five development strategies are to facilitate an initial program team who would focus on setting up a series of action points and representing the scope of responsibilities for each regional partner. Click here. (10/19)

Officials Celebrate Opening of Southern Road to Spaceport America (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
State and local officials and leaders from Virgin Galactic and Spaceport America gathered at the start of the new southern road leading to the spaceport Friday to snip a ribbon celebrating the road's completion. The process to get the road built took several years and encountered numerous bureaucratic snags. The 24-mile road (from the Upham exit off Interstate 25 to the spaceport) is expected to reduce the travel to from Las Cruces to the spaceport by about 45 minutes. The road opened for travel in July. (10/19)

Why the Search for Aliens Could Unite Us Here on Earth (Source: WIRED)
If aliens are trying to talk to us (or even if they are not), Jill Tarter will be the one to find them. She cofounded the SETI institute in 1984 and ran its research center for many years. She was also the inspiration for Jodie Foster’s character in the 1997 movie Contact. Astrophysicist Maggie Turnbull, who is currently running for governor of Wisconsin, began working with Tarter in the late ’90s and is now affiliated with the SETI Institute. She’s currently working on a NASA telescope called WFIRST, set for space launch in 2025.

The two scientists take slightly different approaches to their search for extraterrestrial life. Tarter has focused on finding evidence of advanced alien technology, while Turnbull looks for biological signatures. We sat down to talk to them at the Wired 25 festival in San Francisco in October. While they may be calibrating their searches slightly differently, they’re both aligned on one important thing: The quest to find life outside our planet could bring us all together. (10/20)

Seattle Space Leaders Make Pitch to Lawmakers for a New Rocket Test Facility (Source: GeekWire)
One of Congress’ leading Democrats, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, met with leaders of the Seattle area’s space community today to make a pitch for his “Make It in America” campaign. They pitched back with an idea of their own: “Test It in Washington State.”

The Puget Sound region is quickly becoming known as a hub for space ventures such as Blue Origin, founded by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos; and Stratolaunch Systems, created by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. SpaceX, Spaceflight Industries and LeoStella have a growing presence here as well. Predating them all is Aerojet Rocketdyne, which traces its lineage in Redmond back to the 1960s.

Washington state’s space industry currently generates $1.8 billion worth of economic activity annually, according to a recently published report. But during today’s session at Aerojet’s Redmond facility, headlined by Hoyer as well as Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., several attendees noted that Washington is lagging behind other states such as California, Texas and Florida in one big area. “There’s just a lack of infrastructure here,” said Kristi Morgansen. (10/19)

House Armed Services Committee exploring several paths to a Space Force (Source: Space News)
The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee wants the Pentagon to provide more precise details on how it would organize and fund a new military service for space. In an Oct. 4 letter, Chairman Mac Thornberry asks Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Paul Selva to deliver the data by Nov. 16.

In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by SpaceNews, the committee lays out four different ways in which a Space Force could be formed. Thornberry says he wants additional information before the committee endorses any one approach. They include a Space Corps, an enhanced Space Corps, an independent military department, and a Special Operations Command-based model. Click here. (10/19)

Lake Tahoe's Underwater "Space Secret" (Source: KFBK)
Lake Tahoe is known for its breath-taking landscapes and clear water. But under the surface, there's a secret very few people know about. And that secret is that astronauts from all over the country are learning valuable skills in a space vehicle mock-up submerged 30 feet below. Rocklin scientist Dr. Eduardo Diaz with AdvancingX said teams are given tasks to complete, but they don't know what those are until they're in the space vehicle under water.

Diaz said NASA's 2016 audit pointed to 32 identified risks that needed to be mitigated. Three of those Dr. Diaz said he could help. "There's a lot of situations that can occur in a team design where if the team is not cohesive, there could be a breakdown in how things are accomplished," Diaz said. "That could lead to a detrimental event." Astronauts aren't the only ones getting in on the action. The Placer County Sheriff's Department has also sent out dive teams.

Diaz says "Submersible X" has completed 17 dives so far. AdvancingX offers applied research services to support the selection of astronauts and space tourists. Through their suite of services they select, oversee training, certify, monitor, and assess astronaut and tourism teams to support successful missions and customer experiences in isolated extreme environments. (10/16)

Iridium Satellite Fuel Tank Lands in Walnut Orchard in California (Source: Fresno Bee)
Deputies in Kings County were dispatched on Saturday to a walnut ranch near Hanford in the area of 8th and Houston avenues. The farmer had located a large and unusual metal object in his walnut orchard. At first, it was unknown exactly what the object was. Deputies took it to the sheriff’s office for storage. Detectives got on the case and reached out to Vandenberg Air Force Base and learned the object was probably a fuel tank from a satellite owned by Iridium, a communications satellite company.

Next, a detective contacted Iridium. A representative from the company identified the debris as what was left of a hydrazine fuel tank attached to a communications satellite owned and operated by Iridium, sheriff’s office said. It said the company identified the tank as coming from Iridium Satellite #70. The satellite was launched into space in late 1997 or early 1998 and was in a low orbit until it entered Earth’s atmosphere. (10/18)