December 21, 2018

FCC Fines Swarm for Unauthorized Launch of Satellites (Source: Space News)
The Federal Communications Commission (the Commission) has entered into a Consent Decree to resolve its investigation into whether Swarm Technologies engaged in unauthorized deployment and operation of satellites, unauthorized operation of earth ground stations, and other unauthorized operation and testing of radio frequency equipment. One month after the Commission denied Swarm Technologies’ application to deploy and operate four experimental satellites, Swarm Technologies launched and operated the satellites anyway, with no authorization to do so.

Unauthorized deployment and operation of satellites risks satellite collisions and radio frequency interference, threatening critical commercial and government satellite operations. To settle this matter, Swarm Technologies admits that it engaged in these unlawful acts, will implement a five-year compliance plan, and will pay a $900,000 civil penalty. (12/20)

Canadian Military to Launch 3-Satellite System to Track Vessels (Source: Space Daily)
Canada is preparing to launch a group of three satellites to track ships near the nation's coast and also track vessels in parts of the world where Canada conducts military operations with allied nations, the Department of National Defense (DND) announced. "This mission will carry a multi-mode synthetic aperture radar and an automatic identification system to enable enhanced ship tracking and provide greater awareness of Canada's territories as well as other areas of interest around the world where DND and its allies operate," the release said on Friday. (12/20)

China Launched More Rockets Into Orbit in 2018 Than Any Other Country (Source: MIT Technology Review)
Privately funded space startups are changing China’s space industry. And even without their help, China is poised to become a space power on par with the United States. As American and Russian space programs struggle with uncertain budgets, China is expanding its efforts on every front: communications and reconnaissance satellites; a navigation and positioning constellation to rival America’s GPS; a human spaceflight program; and ambitious space-science and robotic exploration projects.

All of these are enabled by a menagerie of new rockets with advanced capabilities. 2018 is shaping up to be the first year in which more rockets reach Earth orbit from China than from any other country. As of mid-December, China had made 35 successful launches, as against 30 for the US. The US has spent considerable time trying to figure out how to stymie Chinese space plans. It blackballed China from the ISS; a widely criticized 2011 law prohibits bilateral contact between NASA and Chinese scientists. Such efforts are counterproductive. They isolate the US without acting as a meaningful check on Chinese ambitions. (12/20)

How Russian Relations Could Spell the End of the US Space Program (Source: The Hill)
Imagine a professional football team relying on another football team to train its players, transport its equipment and develop its plays. This system may work fine — until one team needs to beat the other. This is what is happening between the U.S. and Russia. We are allowing Russia to partially train our astronauts, send our equipment into space and even have access to technology that could be vital to a future space race.  Because our friendship is uncertain with Russia, so is this really the best policy for the United States’ space interests?

One alternative that we have is funding the private sector in the United States. SpaceX expects its Crew Dragon capsule to be ready for testing in 2019. Boeing also anticipates that its CST-100 Starliner casual will be ready in the coming year. Both companies estimate that the cost will be under $60 million per astronaut, which is a savings of over 25 percent compared to the Russian Soyuz. With the understanding that Russia’s rockets are antiquated in design and managed by a rival nation, the need to support the domestic space program rather than a rival in what could be the most important exploration race in human history becomes even clearer.

Policymakers must also remember that they cannot rely on the private sector alone for space exploration. Companies like SpaceX have a record of falling behind schedule, and in a race being in second place is being the first loser. Congress needs to end partisan bickering and begin protecting the interests of the people of the United States. If SpaceX and Boeing are going to continue getting funding for these vital projects, then the Congress needs to ensure that these projects are kept on track, all the while ensuring that the companies have what they need to complete the projects on time. (12/20)

Queen Guitarist Brian May Releases Tribute to NASA Spacecraft (Source: Space Daily)
Jamming and astrophysics go hand-in-hand for Queen lead guitarist Brian May, who announced Wednesday he is releasing a musical tribute to a far-flung NASA spacecraft that is about to make history. The US space agency's New Horizon's spacecraft will soon make the most distant flyby of a cosmic object ever, zipping by an object called Ultima Thule -- a billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond Pluto, on January 1.

A NASA scientist involved with the mission asked the legendary British guitarist behind "Bohemian Rhapsody" -- who also holds a doctorate in astrophysics -- to contribute some music to play as the flyby occurs. And May, 71, agreed. The "New Horizons" track (Ultima Thule mix), which will be released New Year's Day, is his first solo single since 1998. "For me it's been an exciting challenge to bring two sides of my life together -- astronomy and music," said May in a statement.

"I was inspired by the idea that this is the furthest that the Hand of Man has ever reached -- it will be by far the most distant object we have ever seen at close quarters, through the images which the spacecraft will beam back to Earth," he added. "To me it epitomizes the human spirit's unceasing desire to understand the Universe we inhabit." Portions of the wailing guitar track, overlaid with the voice of the late legendary scientist Stephen Hawking, are already available here. (12/20)

Aphelion Orbitals Closes Shop (Source: Ars Technica)
The New Jersey-based company, which sought to build "the smallest orbital vehicle possible," is ending that effort. "We had a good plan, ambitious yet competent. It's so sad we just ran out of time." More of this coming ... This is the brutal reality of the smallsat launch market. As more companies reach the marketplace in the coming year, it will be more difficult for other companies to raise money at the very time they need infusions of cash to reach the launchpad. We wish the employees of Aphelion well as they move back into the job market. (12/21)

Senate Passes Commercial Space Bill (Source: Space News)
The Senate approved legislation Dec. 20 to reform commercial space regulations and extend the life of the International Space Station, but the passage may be too late for this bill to become law. The Senate approved by unanimous consent the Space Frontier Act, S. 3277, a bill introduced in July by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and co-sponsored by Sens. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Ed Markey (D-MA). The bill approved by the full Senate includes several changes to the one that cleared the committee.

Among its new provisions are sections calling for studies on the joint use of military facilities for commercial launches and on ways to improve the integration of launches and reentries into the national airspace system. It also renames the Office of Space Commerce within the Commerce Department as the Bureau of Space Commerce to be led by an Assistant Secretary for Space Commerce, a change sought by the Commerce Department to elevate the importance of the office. The bill authorizes $10 million a year for the bureau for fiscal years 2020 through 2024.

While the bill is devoted primarily to reforms of commercial launch and remote sensing regulations, it also extends authorization to operate the ISS from 2024 to 2030. Cruz and Nelson included that extension after expressing opposition to the administration’s plan in its fiscal year 2019 budget request to end direct funding of the ISS in 2025. The bill authorizes NASA to start a low Earth orbit commercialization program “to encourage the fullest commercial use and development of space by the private sector of the United States.” NASA sought to start such a program in its 2019 budget request that could lead to installation of commercial modules on the ISS and, later, commercial space stations. (12/21)