December 7, 2018

Australia Leads Project to Revolutionize Astronomy (Source: Space Daily)
Australian scientists will lead the design phase of a multimillion-dollar project for a new system on one of the world's most powerful ground-based optical telescopes that will produce images up to three times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope. TThe Australian National University and Macquarie University  will design the new $AU32-million adaptive-optics system, called MAVIS, for one of the 8-meter Unit Telescopes at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile. (12/7)

UA, GeoNorth and Lockheed Team to Collect Arctic Surveillance Data for Geospatial Agency (Source: Space Daily)
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) awarded GeoNorth Information Systems (GNIS) a five-year, $15 million contract for persistent surveillance services of the Arctic region. Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will provide a scalable geospatial processing platform to enable the surveillance project.

GNIS will leverage Lockheed Martin's Rosetta technology, which includes a versatile and highly automated set of commercial and civil image processing tools that scale and adapt to deliver precision geospatial intelligence products to the NGA. GNIS, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Tatitlek Corporation, an Alaska Native Village Corporation, will work with Lockheed Martin and the University of Alaska Fairbanks' (UAF) Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF), under the banner of the Arctic GeoData Cooperative. GNIS and the partners will build, improve, monitor and maintain terrain elevation models of the Arctic region. (12/6)

An Exoplanet Inflated Like a Balloon (Source: Space Daily)
Although helium is a rare element on Earth, it is ubiquitous in the Universe. It is, after hydrogen, the main component of stars and gaseous giant planets. Despite its abundance, helium was only detected recently in the atmosphere of a gaseous giant by an international team including astronomers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland.

The team, this time led by Genevan researchers, has observed in detail and for the first time how this gas escapes from the overheated atmosphere of an exoplanet, literally inflated with helium. The results are published in Science. Helium is the second most abundant element in the Universe. Predicted since 2000 as one of the best possible tracers of the atmospheres of exoplanets, these planets orbiting around other stars than the Sun, it took astronomers 18 years to actually detect it.

It was hard to spot due to the very peculiar observational signature of helium, located in the infrared, out of range for most of the instruments used previously. The discovery occurred earlier this year, thanks to Hubble Space Telescope observations, which proved difficult to interpret. Team members from UNIGE, members of the National Centre for Competence in Research PlanetS, had the idea of pointing another telescope equipped with a brand-new instrument - a spectrograph called Carmenes. (12/7)

NASA Science Shows Human Impact of Clean Air Policies (Source: Space Daily)
As local, federal, and international policies targeting the quality of the air we breathe continue to evolve, questions arise of how effective existing policies have been in improving human health. For example, how many lives have been saved by tough air pollution policies? How many illnesses have been caused by lax policies?

NASA recently initiated two projects to provide some answers drawing on its scientific expertise and global observations of air pollution from spacecraft orbiting Earth. It is information air quality managers say they need to refine current policies and develop effective new ones. One project demonstrated that improvements in air quality in the United States between 1990 and 2010 reduced deaths from air pollution by nearly half. The other project, taking a global view of asthma, found that high levels of air pollution caused millions of emergency room visits annually.

Both projects are part of NASA's ongoing efforts to help air quality managers and policymakers solve clean air problems. The project that focused on U.S. air quality improvements used a 21-year computer simulation to estimate air pollutant concentrations, combining that with county population and baseline mortality rates. The findings showed that pollution-related deaths from heart disease, pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and stroke declined as a result of air quality improvements. (12/5)

PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Candidates Test Novel Space Suits and Biometric Monitoring Systems (Source: Space Daily)
The National Research Council of Canada's Flight Research Laboratory in Ottawa, Ontario recently completed its fourth microgravity flight campaign with Project PoSSUM, a non-profit citizen-science astronautics research organization with members from 37 countries. Such parabolic flights provide an opportunity to test in a weightless environment simulating that of space.

This campaign boasted eight individual research experiments with eleven involved organizations over a span of four flights throughout the second week of October. Among these were Final Frontier Design, testing an affordable alternative to current intra-vehicular activity (IVA) spacesuits, and the Canadian Space Agency's Bio-Monitoring garment system which was launched last Monday to the International Space Station with the Canadian Astronaut David Saint-Jacques.

Project PoSSUM, an acronym for 'Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere', invited undergrads, grads, professors, professionals from industry, and also the Canadian Space Agency to take part in crafting experiments for the campaign. This approach led to a gamut of topics being studied: from fluid mechanics, to planetary sciences, to life support systems, which are hoped to lead to novel discoveries and applications for space and earth. (12/6)

'Dark Fluid' with Negative Mass Could Dominate the Universe (Source: Space Daily)
The two mysterious dark substances can only be inferred from gravitational effects. Dark matter may be an invisible material, but it exerts a gravitational force on surrounding matter that we can measure. Dark energy is a repulsive force that makes the universe expand at an accelerating rate. The two have always been treated as separate phenomena. A new study suggests they may both be part of the same strange concept - a single, unified "dark fluid" of negative masses.

Negative masses are a hypothetical form of matter that would have a type of negative gravity --repelling all other material around them. Negative masses are not a new idea in cosmology. Just like normal matter, negative mass particles would become more spread out as the universe expands - meaning that their repulsive force would become weaker over time. However, studies have shown that the force driving the accelerating expansion of the universe is relentlessly constant. This inconsistency has previously led researchers to abandon this idea. If a dark fluid exists, it should not thin out over time. (12/6)

NASA and SpaceX Still Aiming for January Commercial Crew Test Flight (Source: Space News)
While a SpaceX commercial crew test flight might not launch on a date in early January previously announced NASA, both agency and company officials are optimistic the mission will still fly later in the month. NASA announced Nov. 21 that the first of two test flights of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, also known as Dragon 2, was targeted for launch Jan. 7. That mission, known as Demo-1, will fly the spacecraft to the International Space Station but not carry any crew.

Shortly thereafter, though, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine cautioned that the launch date had yet to be finalized. “There are reviews in [December] to decide configuration, waivers and date,” he tweeted Nov. 24. “[International] partners, the range, and ISS availability could also impact schedule.” The agency announced the date despite that uncertainty in order to set deadlines for media accreditation, particularly for international media who have a Dec. 7 deadline to apply to cover the launch.

However, both NASA and SpaceX officials have said in recent days they remain optimistic that the mission can launch in January, although likely later than the Jan. 7 date announced in November. Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of build and flight reliability at SpaceX, said in a Dec. 3 briefing at the Kennedy Space Center prior to the launch of a cargo version of the Dragon spacecraft that the Demo-1 spacecraft was undergoing final integration and testing in Florida ahead of the launch. (12/7)

'Blueberries' on Mars Have a Watery Past. But Scientists Are Still Baffled. (Source: Space.com)
It was just a few months after NASA's Opportunity rover touched down on Mars in 2004 that it spotted a geological curiosity: tiny, iron-rich spheres scattered across the rock surface near the robot's landing site. Snack-loving scientists working with the mission dubbed these objects "blueberries," but the features were easier to name than to understand. Their recipe remains something of a puzzle.

Trying to sort out the origins of these blueberries has always involved studying similar-looking spherical formations here on Earth. New research takes its inspiration from these terrestrial analogs to offer a new idea of the chemistry that may have gone into whipping up these Martian blueberries. In turn, this research helps reveal what ancient Mars may have looked like.

The blueberries are tantalizing for more than just their whimsical name; they also constituted some of the earliest evidence we had that Mars was once incredibly wet. "No matter what the exact chemistry of these spherules was to start, the fact that they're there tells us [that] a lot of liquid water moved through these rocks over time," Briony Horga said. (12/5)

Harris Wins $196 Million NASA Contract to Build Next-Generation Space Telescope (Source: WXXI)
Harris Corporation has been awarded a nearly  $196 million contract to help build a space-based telescope. The work involves the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST). Much of the work is being done in Rochester NY and Senator Chuck Schumer says it will help support 160 local jobs. The work by Harris involves modifying a telescope that was originally designed for a different federal program.

“Harris is taking the telescope that was built for another mission and we’re going to take it apart and we’re going to put it back together again and adjust its performance so that it meets the WFIRST requirements,” said Laura Abplanalp. This telescope provides a view of space which is 100 times greater than the Hubble telescope, and it will be able to measure light from a billion galaxies. (12/5)

Thales Alenia to Build South Korean Radar Satellites (Source: Space News)
Thales Alenia Space has won a contract to build four radar satellites for South Korea. The company said Wednesday that it signed separate contracts with Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Hanwha Systems Corp. to develop four high-resolution radar satellites for South Korea’s Agency for Defence Development. Thales will share information with its South Korean partners on building remote sensing satellites with synthetic aperture (SAR) radar payloads for Earth imaging, using a five-meter antenna designed to unfold after launch. (12/6)

Inmarsat Signs On as Japan's First Commercial H3 Launch Customer (Source: MHI)
Inmarsat will be the first commercial customer for Japan's H3 rocket. Inmarsat and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. announced the agreement Thursday, which calls for the launch of an unnamed Inmarsat satellite in 2022 on the first commercial flight of the rocket. The H3 is set to make its debut in 2020, promising cost savings over the existing H-2 series of rockets. (12/6)

Cargo Spacecraft Outgassing May Affect Exterior ISS Instruments (Source: WIRED)
Outgassing from Dragon cargo spacecraft may be affecting instruments on the exterior of the ISS. Researchers using one such instrument, SAGE III, found evidence of contamination on its sensor that took place when the Dragon is attached to the station. One possible source of the contamination is the paint on the Dragon's exterior, which could degrade when exposed to ultraviolet light. A presentation documenting that contamination disappeared from a NASA server a day after an inquiry about it, and the instrument team formally said they have noticed no negative contamination effects on their instrument. (12/6)

Maxar Plans Real Estate Sale in Silicon Valley (Source: Space News)
Maxar has taken the first step in its plans to sell unneeded real estate in Silicon Valley. The company said Thursday it sold SSL's Building 1 in Palo Alto for $70 million. Some 400 satellite design and production engineers currently there will shift to a nearby facility. Maxar said it was planning to sell much of its Silicon Valley property as it divests its SSL geostationary satellite business, expecting to raise as much as $200 million from those sales to help pay down the company's debt. (12/7)

Japan's Axelspace Raises $22.8 Million (Source: Axelsace)
Japanese remote sensing company Axelspace has raised $22.8 million in a Series B round. The company announced the round Friday, which will go toward the development of additional satellites. The company's first satellite, GRUS, is scheduled to launch on a Soyuz rocket Dec. 27 from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. Axelspace is now planning to build two more GRUS satellites for launch in 2020, and has a goal of developing a constellation capable of imaging the entire planet every day. (12/6)

UK Seeks Range Services for Planned Spaceport (Source: UK Space Agency)
The U.K. Space Agency is offering more than $750,000 for launch range services. The agency announced Thursday that it is soliciting proposals to provide commercial range services for the country's planned spaceport in northern Scotland and other facilities. These services include tracking launches and monitoring airspace at launch sites. The agency also announced it is awarding more than $400,000 to the U.K. Association for Science and Discovery Centres to provide space science education services. (12/6)

Russia's Space Agency Claims Fake News Smear Campaign Underway (Source: TASS)
Roscosmos officials claim the agency is the subject of a "smear campaign." A spokesman for the state space corporation complained that both Russian and foreign press were engaged a smear campaign, based on a "brief monitoring" of reporting. The report didn't identify any specific cases where Russian or foreign media reported inaccurate information. (12/6)

Dark Matter Searches See Mixed Results (Source: Science)
One dark matter experiment has cast doubt on the findings of another. Researchers involved with the COSINE-100 detector in South Korea said they have have not seen any traces of a hypothesized dark matter particle known as a weakly interacting massive particle, or WIMP. An Italian experiment called DAMA has seen traces of WIMPs in its data for years, according to scientists involved in that project. Other scientists, though, have questioned whether the signals detected by DAMA are WIMPs or some other astrophysical phenomenon. (12/6)

Florida Research Underway on Quest for Optimal Spacesuit (Source: Florida Tech)
Over the past two years, Florida Tech’s spaceflight research has looked to advance safety, efficiency and comfort in spaceflight experience. Those factors start with the spacesuit. Working with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), Florida Tech is now undertaking human testing to utilize the unique characteristic of the Florida Tech-owned spacesuit. The suit can be custom fit to the size of the person wearing it, unlike most previous space suit designs.

Currently, eight research subjects have been randomly selected from Florida Tech and ERAU. Each subject puts on the spacesuit, which is then adjusted to their comfort and to maximize suit performance. Since every subject has different body types, their motion inside the space suit is different as well, and that is key for the research: how each subject moves will give insight into how to better equip the suit and ultimately improve the interaction between the suit-wearing person and the flight deck of a spacecraft.

Wearing the spacesuit, the research subject performs moves with his or her arms as per a short training program prior to the experiment. He performs ten moves working with an instructor from ERAU while a Florida Tech spacesuit technician supports spacesuit adjustments and pressure operations. At the same time, ERAU’s motion tracking system is recording the motion of the movement, creating a 3D motion “envelope” in both pressurized and unpressurized configurations. These envelopes differ significantly, and that is what the researchers are studying. (12/7)

China Embarks on a Historic Mission to Land on the Far Side of the Moon (Source: The Verge)
Early Saturday morning in China, a rocket will launch, carrying a lander and a rover bound for the Moon. It will mark the beginning of China’s ambitious lunar mission known as Chang’e-4, which will attempt to land spacecraft on the Moon’s far side — the region that always faces away from Earth. No other nation has ever attempted such a feat — which means the mission could catapult China into spaceflight history. (12/6)

China Launches Saudi Satellites (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
Another Chinese rocket launched several small satellites Thursday night. The Long March 2D rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 11:12 p.m. Eastern, a launch announced with little advance notice. The payload on the launch includes the SaudiSAT-5A and B satellites, Earth observation and technology demonstration spacecraft developed by Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology. Several other Chinese smallsats are also believed to be on the launch. (12/7)

Midland TX Reaffirms Aerospace Interests with Super/Hypersonic Workshop (Source: Midland Reporter-Telegram)
A Texas city is reiterating its commitment to the space industry despite past setbacks. The Midland Development Corporation hosted the High Speed Aerospace Transportation Workshop, bringing in industry representatives to discuss spaceflight and other high-speed aerospace activities. Midland's airport is an FAA-licensed spaceport, although its initial customer, XCOR Aerospace, went bankrupt last year. Brent Hilliard, chairman of the board of the development corporation, said that his organization has "no intention of walking away" from the space industry. (12/8)

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accelerate Like a ‘Speeding Freight Train’ in 2018 (Source: New York Times)
Greenhouse gas emissions worldwide are growing at an accelerating pace this year, researchers said Wednesday, putting the world on track to face some of the most severe consequences of global warming sooner than expected. Scientists described the quickening rate of carbon dioxide emissions in stark terms, comparing it to a “speeding freight train” and laying part of the blame on an unexpected surge in the appetite for oil as people around the world not only buy more cars but also drive them farther than in the past — more than offsetting any gains from the spread of electric vehicles.

“We’ve seen oil use go up five years in a row,” said Rob Jackson. Worldwide, carbon emissions are expected to increase by 2.7 percent in 2018, according to the new research, which was published by the Global Carbon Project, a group of 100 scientists from more than 50 academic and research institutions and one of the few organizations to comprehensively examine global emissions numbers. Emissions rose 1.6 percent last year, the researchers said, ending a three-year plateau. (12/5)

VISIONS-2 Provides a Look at Earth’s Escaping Atmosphere (Source: NASA)
Two NASA sounding rockets were successfully launched Dec. 7 from Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, in Norway providing scientist a look at the process of Earth’s atmosphere escaping into space. The Visualizing Ion Outflow via Neutral Atom Sensing-2 or VISIONS-2 rockets were launched at 6:06 and 6:08 a.m. EST from the launch site operated by Norway’s Andoya Space Center.

Preliminary information shows that the flights of the two Black Brant X rockets were successful and good data was received. VISIONS-2 is looking at atmospheric escape, the process whereby Earth is slowly leaking its atmosphere into space. Understanding atmospheric escape on Earth has applications all over the Universe — from predicting which far off planets might be habitable, to piecing together how Mars became the desolate, exposed landscape it is today. (12/7)