December 5, 2018

London Turns to America After EU Excludes Britain from Galileo Satellite Program (Source: Defense News)
The United Kingdom is open to working with U.S. industry to build a new global navigation satellite system, following London being frozen out of the Galileo spacecraft program by the European Union, the British defense secretary said this weekend. “We are very much open to" working with the U.S. on a new system, Gavin Williamson said. “We will be very happy to work with allies, like-minded friends in terms of development, and it will be something that I think will bring quite considerable benefits."

“If you look at this, it isn’t something that necessarily will compete with the Global Positioning System," Williamson added. "And, actually, no single country should wish to be completely reliant on one system, and the EU, through Galileo, never let the U.S. effectively be able to have the access to the system that it would need.” The remarks by Williamson came 48 hours after Britain hardened its negotiating position in the row with the European Union over being excluded from Galileo’s military and security data post Brexit. (12/5)

Layoffs and Stalled Projects Plagued Moon Express. Then NASA Stepped In (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The call came in the middle of a hectic week, between flights to Canada and meetings. It had been a fraught year defined by setbacks. “How are you doing today?” said one of the voices on the phone from NASA’s Office of Procurement. These were the people who called if you were just about to win — or lose — a coveted NASA contract. The one at stake on this day, Nov. 20, was valued in the billions.

“Well, you are going to determine that,” came the tentative reply from Bob Richards, founder and CEO of Moon Express, a lunar lander company based in Cape Canaveral just outside the gates to the Air Force Station. Moon Express’ lunar dreams had been grounded for more than a year due to lack of funding, causing it to lay off about half of its staff. It needed at least part of the NASA contract to stay afloat. The person on the phone laughed — a good sign. “Well, we are probably going to make you very happy today,” the person said.

It was the moment space start-ups pray for — when NASA extends a lifeline. About 17 months before, a major investor had suddenly, unexpectedly, pulled out. The money, less than $20 million, Richards said, would have taken Moon Express through the next year and beyond. But without it, Moon Express spiraled into turmoil. Not a dollar was spent on its facilities at the Cape’s launch complex 17, which don’t have running water or reliable electricity. Projects stalled. And payments to employees started to run late until, in summer 2018, Moon Express had to lay off eight employees. Click here. (12/5)

Russian Old-Guard May Be Turning Against Russian Space Program (Source: Ars Technica)
Valery Ryumin has had a long career as an engineer and cosmonaut: he was twice named a Hero of the Soviet Union, a veteran of two long stints on the Salyut-6 space station (remarkably, he spent 175 days there in 1979 and returned again in 1980 for another 180 days), and eventually a crew member of space shuttle Discovery's mission to the Mir space station in 1998.

Now 79 years old but still a respected figure in Russian space circles, Ryumin has given a highly critical interview about the present and future of Roscosmos and the Russian space program. The interview was published on Pravda.ru, a pro-government news website with a nationalistic bent that is not related to the long-time newspaper of the Russian Communist Party, Pravda. It seems significant that this publication would feature such a negative view of Russia's activities in space.

As part of the interview, Ryumin is asked about Russia's stated plans to send humans to the Moon in the 2020s. "On what money?" he replies. "In recent years, the leaders are blowing more smoke than doing anything substantive." Ryumin says that the current leader of the Russian space corporation Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, "may be talented and a pretty good organizer, but in order to survive in this business, you need to know the history and have real experience. It takes a lot of time." (12/5)

Largest Collision of Black Holes Ever Detected by Scientists (Source: Digital India)
A team of scientists have detected the gravitational waves that resulted from the largest collision of black holes ever observed and that formed a new black hole about eighty times larger than the sun. This and 3 other black hole fusions were detected by an international team of scientists formed by the Advanced laser interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the U.S. and the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.

In July 2017, the fusion of the black hole binary system was detected over 9 billion light years away and resulted in the largest black hole known , the Anu said in a statement. “This event also had black holes spinning the fastest of all mergers determined so far. it’s also by far the most distant merger determined,” said Susan Scott, a physicist at the Anu. The other 3 collisions were detected in August 2017 at a distance between 3 billion and 6 billion light years away, and the resulting black holes were fifty six to sixty six times larger than the sun. (12/4)

Firefly Gift of $1M Funds UT Rocket Engineering Program (Source: UT Austin)
The University of Texas at Austin and Firefly Academy, a nonprofit organization run by Austin-based firm Firefly Aerospace, have partnered to establish Firefly@UT — a $1 million, multi-year program that, for the first time, will offer UT students the opportunity to design, develop and assemble an industrial-scale rocket capable of launching to the edge of space.

Philip Varghese, professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics in the Cockrell School of Engineering, will serve as the faculty adviser for Firefly@UT. The program will be open to all UT students regardless of their field of study, giving hundreds of graduate and undergraduate engineers a rare opportunity to participate in the construction of a full-scale, liquid-fueled rocket. Through this new partnership, Firefly Academy will introduce students to hands-on rocket engineering and multidisciplinary collaboration earlier in their academic careers. (12/4)

Greenland Ice Shelf Melt in "Overdrive...Off the Charts" (Source: USA Today)
The icy realm of Greenland is getting hot under the collar. The melting of Greenland's massive ice sheet has now accelerated, scientists announced Wednesday, and shows no signs of slowing down, according to a new study. "Melting of the Greenland ice sheet has gone into overdrive," said Luke Trusel, a glaciologist at Rowan University and lead author of the study. "Greenland melt is adding to sea level more than any time during the last three and a half centuries, if not thousands of years," he said. (12/5)

SpaceX Launches Cargo, But Fails to Land Rocket at Florida Spaceport (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceX on Wednesday blasted off its unmanned Dragon cargo ship, loaded with supplies, science experiments and food for the astronauts living at the International Space Station but failed to successfully land its booster afterwards. "We have had a great liftoff," said SpaceX commentator John Insprucker, as the Falcon 9 rocket soared into the sunny, blue sky over Cape Canaveral, Florida at 1:16 pm, carrying 5,600 pounds (2,500 kilograms) of gear.

The mission was SpaceX's 16th mission for NASA as part of a long-term contract to ferry supplies to space. The Dragon cargo ship successfully made it to orbit, which was the primary goal of the launch. But the tall portion of the rocket missed its goal of securing an upright landing on solid ground at Cape Canaveral's Landing Zone 1. After separating from the second stage, and firing its engines to return to Earth, a video camera on board showed the first stage spinning.

"Grid fin hydraulic pump stalled, so Falcon landed just out to sea," CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter. "Appears to be undamaged and is transmitting data. Recovery ship dispatched...Engines stabilized rocket spin just in time, enabling an intact landing in water!" he wrote. It was the first time SpaceX ever failed to land a booster on solid ground, following a string of 12 straight successes. (12/5)

Florida's Space Coast Recognized for Turnaround (Source: Space News)
One of the clearest signs that the Space Coast region of Florida has rebounded economically from the end of the shuttle program is that there is now space commerce on Space Commerce Way. The two-lane road had for years connected two highways just outside the gates of the Kennedy Space Center, with visions of a large business park developing there. But other than a single building, there was little activity along the road, which became primarily a shortcut by tourists going to KSC’s visitors center.

It’s a different story today. Earlier this year Blue Origin opened a 750,000-square-foot factory along Space Commerce Way that the company will use to manufacture its New Glenn rocket, which will launch starting in 2020 from Launch Complex 36 at nearby Cape Canaveral. Across the street, OneWeb Satellites, the joint venture of OneWeb and Airbus, has built a factory designed to produce the hundreds, and eventually thousands, of satellites planned for OneWeb’s broadband constellation.

Those facilities are among the biggest, but not the only, signs of a revitalization and diversification of the region’s space industry. When the shuttle program ended in 2011, bringing with it the loss of thousands of jobs, some wondered if the region would ever be able to recover. Some companies closed facilities, other businesses shut down entirely and people moved away. Click here. (12/3)

'Apollo to the Moon' No More: Air and Space Museum Closes Gallery (Source: CollectSpace)
For more than 40 years, the "Apollo to the Moon" gallery at the National Air and Space Museum has provided millions of visitors a close-up look at some of the key artifacts from humanity's first visit to another world. On Monday (Dec. 3), the gallery will close forever. (11/30)

China Maneuvers to Snag Top-Secret Boeing Satellite Technology (Source: Wall Street Journal)
China is allegedly using a startup to gain access to advanced American satellite technology. Global IP, a U.S.-based company, ordered a high-throughput satellite from Boeing in 2016, with financial backing from Chinese investors. The founders of the company said they left after concerns its investors, supported by the Chinese government, were using the company as a means to gain access to satellite technology prohibited for export to China under U.S. law. The satellite remains under construction although Global IP has yet to raise the $200 million needed to complete it. (12/4)

SpaceX Just Misses Catching Rocket Nose Cone — But Still Plans to Reuse It (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX didn't manage to catch the rocket nose cone that fell back to Earth during Monday's epic launch from California, but the company plans to reuse the $6 million piece of equipment anyway. Both halves of the protective payload fairing surrounding the 64 small satellites that were lofted Monday (Dec. 3) by a twice-flown SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket evaded the company's speedy, net-equipped boat, Mr Steven. The parts instead splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.

But that's not a deal-breaker for reuse, according to SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk. "Falcon fairing halves missed the net but touched down softly in the water. Mr. Steven is picking them up. Plan is to dry them out & launch again. Nothing wrong with a little swim," Musk said. (12/4)

DirecTV Owner AT&T Says it’s Done Buying Satellites (Source: Space News)
AT&T, owner of U.S. satellite television giant DirecTV, is finished buying satellites, executives said Nov. 29. “We’ve launched our last satellite,” John Donovan, CEO of AT&T Communications, said during a presentation to analysts. AT&T Communications is a business unit of AT&T that covers the company’s Mobility & Entertainment, Business, and Technology & Operations divisions. (12/5)

Launcher Takes long-Term View of Small Launch Market (Source: Space News)
A startup that recently hired an experienced Ukrainian engineer is taking a long-term view for development of a small launch vehicle, believing that performance will win out over time. New York-based Launcher announced Dec. 4 that it hired Igor Nikishchenko as its new chief designer. Nikishchenko has more than 30 years of experience in liquid-fuel engine development, working as deputy chief designer at Ukraine's Yuzhnoye and, more recently, for Italian launch vehicle company Avio.

Max Haot, founder and chief executive of Launcher, said Nikishchenko will have a role similar to chief engineer or chief technology officer. “He’ll be responsible for all of our design and engineering,” he said in an interview. Launcher is particularly interested in Ukrainian work on oxygen-rich staged combustion, a type of engine that offers higher performance than alternative approaches using the same propellant combination of kerosene and liquid oxygen.

Editor's Note: Am I the only one who thinks the recent trend for space company names is not helpful? Companies like "Launcher", "Spaceflight", "Satellite Services", and others are using the most basic of names, making it difficult to write (and learn) about them. Try googling the names of these companies. (12/5)

Ariane 5 conducts dual passenger launch with GSAT-11 and GEO-KOMPSAT-2A (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
Ariane 5 returned to action on Tuesday with another dual passenger launch this time with GSAT-11 and GEO-KOMPSAT-2A. Liftoff from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana was on schedule at the start of a 76 minute launch window that opened at 5:37 pm local time (20:37 UTC). Flight VA246 was performed from Ariane Launch Complex No. 3 (ELA 3).

Flight VA246 marks Arianespace’s 10th mission performed in 2018, and the company’s sixth this year using a heavy-lift Ariane 5 – which is one of three launch vehicles operated by Arianespace at the Spaceport, along with the medium-lift Soyuz and light-lift Vega. Ariane 5 delivered a lift off performance of more than 10,200 kg. on the mission to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), which was designated Flight VA246. (12/5)

Classified: A Review of US Defense Missions Launched in 2018 (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
2018 has seen five payloads launched for the Department of Defense. Two of these missions were classified and one failed. With the upcoming flight of a ULA Delta Heavy with the NROL-71, SpaceFlight Insider takes a look back at the DoD’s 2018 launch manifest. Click here. (12/5)

How to Handle a Medical Emergency on a Deep Space Mission (Source: The Verge)
Here on Earth, having a medical emergency means calling an ambulance and getting to a nearby hospital as soon as possible. In space, that’s not really an option. For astronauts living on the International Space Station, Earth is several hours away, and the only way to get back is on a capsule that plunges through the planet’s atmosphere. That’s why astronauts have basic medical training so they can deal with a medical emergency if one arises.

However, there is always the option to evacuate the ISS if a medical situation is dire enough. On a trip to the Moon or Mars, that won’t be a possibility. A trip to the Moon takes several days, while a trip to Mars could take several years. Astronauts on those missions will need to work autonomously to address any major health problems, especially those traveling to Mars, who will have limited communication with ground control. Radio signals could be delayed by up to 20 minutes each way on a Mars mission, which means they’ll be on their own. Click here. (12/4)

India Launches 'Heaviest' Satellite for Internet Access (Source: BBC)
India's heaviest satellite has gone into orbit on a French rocket to help boost broadband internet services. Weighing about 5,854kg (12,906lb), the GSAT-11 is India's "most-advanced" multi-band communication satellite. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched the satellite from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana early on Wednesday morning. It will be placed in a geostationary orbit by the end of this month and its transponders will be switched on. (12/5)

Alaska Spaceport Plans New Building as Demand Increases (Source: Miami Herald)
The Alaska Aerospace Corporation plans to construct a temporary building to support launch operations at the spaceport on Kodiak Island. Officials solicited bids last month for the manufacture and delivery of materials to construct a 4,000-square-foot (372-square-meter) building at the Pacific Spaceport Complex, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported Tuesday.

The new building will provide staff and customer personnel with shelter to "work on rockets and related hardware," said Mark Lester, the president of the corporation. The building is planned for the complex's Area 3, where several launch pads are located. The materials requested include a "pre-engineered system of standard metal framing components and membrane enclosure," according to the bid document. (12/5)

2019 Could Be Huge for Private Spaceflight (Source: Astronomy)
The upcoming year is shaping up to be a big one for private spaceflight. A number of big players in the race to get paying passengers to space seem poised to actually make that happen, and companies like Boeing and SpaceX have announced a number of ambitious goals. It looks like they might be beat by the Brit, though. Last week, billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson claimed that his company Virgin Galactic will send astronauts into space by Christmas of this year. Branson told CNN that he is “pretty confident” about this goal.

As anticipated, SpaceX is pushing forward with their plans to launch the Crew Dragon spacecraft, the company’s first commercial crew vehicle, in 2019. SpaceX recently announced that they will launch the first unmanned test flight with Crew Dragon on January 7, 2019. The vehicle is scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A, which was once used for NASA’s Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. SpaceX aims to launch the first crewed flight with Crew Dragon in June 2019, but this is also a tentative date.

NASA is beginning to embrace this influx of private spaceflight companies, and the agency recently partnered with nine private space firms that will be a part of their Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. While companies in the program will create spacecraft to ferry crewless payloads to the moon, these efforts could also support the future of humans on both the moon and, eventually, Mars. (12/5)

Rocket Lab Prepares to Launch Historic CubeSat Mission for NASA (Source: Rocket Lab)
US small satellite launch company Rocket Lab is gearing up for the company’s third orbital launch of the year, the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa)-19 mission for NASA. The launch is a significant moment for the small satellite industry, as it’s the first time NASA CubeSats will enjoy a dedicated ride to orbit on a commercial launch vehicle, thanks to NASA’s forward-leaning Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) initiative. VCLS is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program headquartered at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (12/4)

Trump Loves Space Force. Can He Convince Skeptical Lawmakers? (Source: Virginian-Pilot)
President Trump may typically communicate via quickly fired, unfiltered tweets, but when he talks about creating a Space Force to defend vulnerable U.S. satellites and other extraterrestrial interests, his language becomes uncharacteristically poetic. “The essence of the American character is to explore new horizons and to tame new frontiers,” he said in June. “But our destiny, beyond the Earth, is not only a matter of national identity, but a matter of national security — important for our military, so important.”

Trump’s supporters share his enthusiasm. His oft-touted proposal has become a big applause line during campaign rallies, which are now punctuated with loud chants of “Space Force! Space Force!” But Trump needs to convince more than his base of the need for this new military service. He can’t create a sixth branch of the military — the first in more than 60 years — without congressional authorization. And if Trump wants to stick to his ambitious goal of standing up the force within two years, he’ll need to sell the idea fast, a particularly heavy lift considering Democrats will have control of the House come January.

Support from the Republican-controlled Senate, meanwhile, looks much more promising but isn’t exactly guaranteed, especially on Trump’s expedited timetable. Senators previously rejected a House-passed proposal to create a Space Corps within the Department of the Air Force, akin to the Marine Corps’ relationship within the Navy. But there are signs that at least members of Trump’s own party may be coming around to the idea of Space Force. (12/4)

Space: A New Battleground for Japan (Source: Nippon.com)
The latest updates to Japan’s National Defense Program Guidelines and Mid-Term Defense Program are due to be drawn up at the end of this year. It is already clear that one new priority in these crucial strategic documents will be cybersecurity and the defensive implications of space technology. Prime Minister Abe Shinzō recently suggested that maintaining an advantage in these new areas is of “vital importance” to national security, placing Japan’s space capabilities under new scrutiny.

Japan’s space development program has followed a somewhat different path from the one seen in other countries. When the National Space Development Agency of Japan was established in 1969, a resolution of the Diet decreed that Japan’s development and use of outer space should be exclusively limited to peaceful, civilian purposes. Today, however, many modern weapons systems are almost impossible to operate without the use of a space system.

A country’s ability to build and operate space systems is now a decisive factor in maintaining a military advantage. Under the 2008 Basic Space Law, the development and use of space for defense purposes was allowed on a restricted basis for the first time. But compared to countries like the US and China, the scale remains extremely limited. The priority for Japan should be the reality that the country’s own defense capability could potentially be affected by any attack on the space systems of its American ally. Even if the country does decide to develop its own space system, the objective should not be simply to serve Japan’s defensive needs alone. Japan should aim to be in a position to offer its own systems to its allies. (12/5)

Why Spaceplanes Are Not Flying (Source: Space Tech Asia)
Despite over 80 attempts taking place over seventy years, a true spaceplane has never been flown. No clear answer has emerged thus far why this concept is so elusive in its realization. Spaceplanes are visualized as taking off horizontally from a conventional runway, ascending directly into space, and re-entering to loiter and land on a runway in an easy, seemingly effortless manner like a conventional transport aircraft.

Undoubtedly the best and briefest answer to this perplexing question is, in my mind, Don Pettit, the very articulate NASA astronaut and veteran of the International Space Station who called it the “Tyranny of the Rocket Equation”! Don Petit’s insights, there has been many a clarion call from spaceplane advocates for a fresh look at hypersonic air-breathing propulsion (HAP) as the key to low cost access to space. Click here. (12/5)

Commercializing Space: Is the UK Space Industry Ready? (Source: Open Access Government)
Having recently launched the first all-British radar satellite and with Britain’s first spaceport due to become operational in Scotland by 2020, it is clear that the UK’s space sector is thriving. But is it ready to capitalize on this position of strength when it comes to commercializing space? The UK Space Agency has estimated that about 40% of the small satellite systems currently in orbit were built in Britain and our manufacturing capability in this area is particularly strong. Click here. (12/5)