March 5, 2019

Northrop Grumman Sticks With OmegA Rocket in High Stakes Launcher Competition (Source: Space News)
It has been nearly a year since we first heard about the solid-propulsion OmegA rocket. The company had secretly been designing the rocket for about three years. OmegA is viewed as an underdog in the national security launch field dominated by ULA and SpaceX. The Air Force gave the vehicle a vote of confidence in October when it awarded the company a $792M cost-sharing development contract for OmegA. Northrop plans certification flights of OmegA's intermediate variant in 2021 and its heavy variant in 2024.

Despite healthy government funding, the OmegA program represents a major corporate investment for Northrop Grumman. Industry insiders have speculated that the company might not stick with the program if it becomes a financial drain. Northrop Grumman, after all, is known for carefully avoiding risky bets, bowing out of Pentagon competitions it does not believe it has a strong chance to win. Over the past couple of years, it chose to not bid for the production of Air Force GPS 3 satellites and several big-ticket military aircraft.

In the upcoming launch procurement competition under the newly named National Security Space Launch program, OmegA would be the only solid-propulsion contender. All the other vehicles expected to compete use liquid propulsion. Working to the company’s advantage, analysts have pointed out, is the idea that an Air Force investment in OmegA benefits the U.S. government more broadly. Solid rocket motors are being used in several programs that will be in production over the next 10 years, including NASA’s future space launch vehicle and the Air Force’s next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile. (3/5)

Of Course Scott Pruitt's EPA Stopped NASA From Studying Cancer Risk After Hurricane Harvey (Source: Esquire)
Back in 2017, when Hurricane Harvey tore through Texas all the way up to the petro-and-chemical mini-state of Houston, many people in the storm's path worried about what might be unleashed into the air and water if Harvey blew into the huge network of industrial plants to which Houston is home. Some of those concerned people, it seems, worked at NASA. Very few of them, it seems, worked in the upper echelons of the EPA.

NASA scientists were preparing to fly a DC-8, equipped with the world’s most sophisticated air samplers over the hurricane zone to monitor pollution levels. The mission never got off the ground. Both the state of Texas and the EPA told the scientists to stay away. According to emails obtained by The Times via a public records request and interviews with dozens of scientists and officials familiar with the situation, EPA and state officials argued that NASA’s data would cause “confusion” and might “overlap” with their own analysis — which was showing only a few, isolated spots of concern.

NASA scientists say that, had the DC-8 been deployed, it would have provided the most comprehensive and detailed analysis of air quality in the region, allowing for a more thorough understanding of the situation. “It’s totally possible we’d have found nothing at all to be concerned about,” said Tom Ryerson, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researcher who had previously been part of the Deepwater Horizon mission. “But at least we’d have known that,” he said, “without a doubt.” (3/5)

Canada is Going to the Moon – and It’s About Time (Source: Globe and Mail)
“Canada is inviting you to dream big.” These were the words directed at our country’s youth, from Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques, who was orbiting 400 kilometers above the surface of the Earth in the International Space Station (ISS) last Thursday. The live event followed an announcement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Canada will join NASA and be the first country committed to participating in the next generation space station, the Lunar Gateway – a platform orbiting the moon.

The announcement includes more than $2-billion to be spent over 24 years and comes at a critical time for the space industry and the world. The leadership shown by this government to make a bold commitment, a promise in the Prime Minister’s words, that “Canada is going to the moon,” is more than an investment in the future; this is a critical step toward a new universe of intellectual and practical possibility.

We will likely develop many of these new and innovative technologies using a commercial model, designed to support a cislunar economy and allow our industry to thrive in the long term without further support from the taxpayer. All the Canadian space industry needed was this bold vision to allow us to consolidate our position as a world leader in space robotics and AI, technologies that all future space activities will be depend on. An important part of the announcement was funding for a new program called LEAP: Lunar Exploration Accelerator Program. (3/4)

Blood Testing Device Heading to International Space Station (Source: CBC)
A Halifax medical technology company that believes it has discovered the holy grail in rapid diagnostic blood testing is getting nearly $3 million from the federal government. Led by Dalhousie University neuroscientist and founder Alan Fine, Alentic Microsciences has patented a hand-held device that can analyze a tiny amount of blood, producing test results on the spot almost immediately.

"It is going to produce health-care benefits for the public at large. It is going to lower the costs of delivery of health care," Fine told CBC News Monday, after the company received a $2.92-million loan from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. The portable analyzer can generate test results from any location in five minutes using only a drop of blood from a pinprick. The information from that drop of blood would be enough for a complete blood count, a test used by medical professionals to diagnose a patient's overall health. (3/5)

NASA Commercial Crew Program Timeline (Source: Aviation Week)
Here is an interactive timeline showing NASA's milestones for the Commercial Crew program through July & August of this year, when SpaceX and Boeing plan to launch their first crewed test missions. Click here. (3/4)

Billions Flow to US Space Industry, but Reckoning Looms (Source: Fox Business)
An unprecedented amount of outside investment Opens a New Window.  is flowing into the U.S. space industry Opens a New Window. , but the sector is bracing for a wave of expected failures as startup Opens a New Window.  firms grapple with developing a viable way to make money in the commercial market. Angel investors, private equity firms, large U.S. corporations and others are flooding the sector with funding, helping to prop up companies that are working on everything from launch vehicles and antennas for small satellites, to off-planet development on the moon.

Venture capitalists alone invested $1.6 billion in the industry in 2017, according to an analysis by Bryce Space & Technology. The total industry is valued at over $18 billion. But experts say many startups will have difficulty developing a profit model beyond the initial backing and may end up shuttering in the next 12 to 24 months.

They'll "be a number of winners, but I expect there to be far more losers,” Shahin Farschchi, partner at venture capital firm Lux Capital, told Fox Business. “The danger here is that there are a lot of companies that are attempting to offer otherwise commodity products that require massive upfront investment in hopes of being able to compete with otherwise traditional products.” (3/5)

‘Galactic Nuclear Superbubbles are Bombarding Earth with Cosmic Rays,’ NASA Reveals (Source: Metro)
Mysterious ‘galactic nuclear superbubbles’ are likely to be one of the sources of ‘cosmic rays’ which ‘bombard’ Earth, NASA has announced. Scientists have released the results of a study investigating a galaxy called NGC 3079, which is home to a pair of huge bubbles as well as a supermassive black hole. One of these bubbles has been observed speeding up particles which are then catapulted out into space. This finding suggests some of the cosmic rays which hit Earth are produced by superbubbles. (3/5)

ISS Astronauts Assemble Tools for Robotic Refueling Demo (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
If humans are ever to settle the Solar System sustainably, a number of technologies will need to be perfected, including in-space refueling. As such, NASA created the Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM), a series of experiments designed to understand and perfect technologies for robotic propellant transfer and help extend the life of spacecraft.

The first “phase” was launched aboard the final Space Shuttle mission, STS-135, in 2011 and was attached to an experiment platform on the exterior of the International Space Station. Since then, two phases involving testing hardware and techniques needed for propellant transfer were completed and a new module, RRM3, was launched to the outpost in late 2018 to begin phase 3: cryogenic propellant transfer. (3/5)

ISU and Florida Tech Host Center for Space Entrepreneurship Event at KSC (Sources: Florida Tech & ISU)
Join the Center for Space Entrepreneurship on April 3-4 for a seminar to learn about the business of launch from industry insiders. Attendees receive exclusive tours of launch and private industry facilities, plus a reception at KSC's Astronaut Hall of Fame. A $2,000 fee includes tours, reception and investor seminars featuring an impressive list of speakers. Click here. (3/5)

Getting Space Right is Both a National Security and an Economic Question (Source: Space News)
China and Russia are aggressively pursuing space-based capabilities. China successfully destroyed an old weather satellite in a test in 2007, creating a debris field which could have damaged countless other satellites. They’ve stayed at it, continuing to work on anti-satellite weapons including lasers, signal jammers, and other ways of blinding our assets in space. In some areas, they are beating us. Moscow too, continues to develop counterspace capabilities. Last November, Norway reported that Russia was blocking GPS signals during a local exercise. If Russia can do that on a tactical level, you better believe they can do it on a strategic level.

A Defense Intelligence Agency report called “2019 Challenges to Security in Space” captures the threat both Beijing and Moscow represent. Russia and China are developing advanced technology like lasers, hacking tools and missiles to counter American strength in space, it says. These capabilities can “achieve a range of reversible to nonreversible” effects, according to the report. For us in the U.S., getting space right is not just a national security question, but an economic question as well. We are on the cusp of a new revolution in terms of space-based and space-enabled capabilities.

From remote sensing and imagery, to communications and potentially high-speed internet beamed from orbit, space will become even more central to our lives. We simply cannot afford to, and must not, sit idly by. The United States government needs a focused, all-hands-on-deck strategy for space. If nothing else, the ongoing debate over the proposed Space Force has brought to light the importance of space to our national and economic security, but we can’t let the momentum wane when, and if, legislation implementing its creation is finally passed. (3/4)

China's Commercial Rocket to Make Maiden Flight Soon (Source: Xinhua)
China's first carrier rocket for commercial use is scheduled to make its maiden flight in the first half of 2019, according to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALVT). The rocket, named Smart Dragon-1 (SD-1), is the first member of the Dragon series commercial carrier rockets family to be produced by CALVT, as China accelerates the development of commercial space industry. China's current carrier rockets all belong to the Long March family.

CALVT launched the design and development of the small-scale, solid-propellant rocket in Feb. 2018. The SD-1, with a total length of 19.5 meters, a diameter of 1.2 meter, and a takeoff weight of about 23.1 tonnes, is capable of sending over 150 kg payloads to the solar synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 km. Since the rocket is designed especially for commercial use, its cost for sending payloads per unit into orbit is lower than that of similar rockets in the international market, according to CALVT. (3/5)

The SpaceX-ULA Proxy War is Heating Up (Source: Space News)
The Defense Department’s Office of Inspector General disclosed Feb. 11 that it will examine whether the Air Force complied with its own criteria for new-entrant rockets when it certified SpaceX’s Falcon 9 in 2015 and Falcon Heavy in 2018 to carry national security payloads. Just days before the OIG’s review came to light, two lawmakers supportive of SpaceX asked the Air Force for an independent review of the $3.2 billion in Launch Service Agreement (LSA) contracts awarded in October to help Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman and United Launch Alliance (ULA) develop new rockets.

These events, regardless of whether or how they might be connected, are a reminder of the dog-eat-dog world of military space launch. For years, SpaceX rivals have complained the Air Force bowed to political pressure in certifying Falcon 9 to compete for national security launch contracts under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. More recently, they have questioned why Falcon Heavy was certified after just one launch. Click here. (3/4)

Soon, Hundreds of Tourists Will Go to Space. What Should We Call Them? (Source: Ars Technica)
Perhaps within a matter of a months, a handful of customers will board a spacecraft and fly above Earth's atmosphere to float for a few minutes, where they will presumably gawk at our planet's graceful curvature. Shortly after this, dozens, and soon hundreds, will follow. Space enthusiasts have made such promises about space tourism for nearly a decade, but in 2019 it's finally coming true.

This is not a story about the definition of space. For a long time, the generally accepted boundary of space was 100km, the so-called the Kármán line. Rather, it is to discuss what to call people who buy tickets on suborbital vehicles. They're not trained astronauts. (Many of NASA's best and brightest recruits train for five years, or more, before launching). They're not crew. Mostly, they simply had the disposable funds to buy a ticket, a free weekend, and the fortitude to strap themselves to a rocket. Not surprisingly, Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin both believe people who buy their tickets should justifiably call themselves astronauts.

According to NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott, "I think it's simple: if they get to 'space,' they're an astronaut... We're at a time where the opportunity for traveling to space is opening up to more people. Whether you are traveling to space as a professional who lives and works there or as someone just visiting, it seems the simplest approach is the best." Over time, this may need to evolve, she said. When there are many people living, working, and visiting space, there may need to be some distinction between the space professional and the visitor classification. (3/4)

UCF Research Laying Groundwork for Off-World Colonies (Source: UCF)
Before civilization can move off world it must make sure its structures work on the extraterrestrial foundations upon which they will be built. University of Central Florida researchers are already laying the groundwork for the off-world jump by creating standards for extraterrestrial surfaces. Their work was detailed recently in a study published in the journal Icarus.

According to the wealth management company, Morgan Stanley estimates the space economy will be worth more than $1.1 trillion by 2040. "With economics moving in that direction, it's important for us to get a head start trying to create the regulatory and engineering environments to make sure everything is done safely and justly," UCF's Phil Metzger says. In the study, Metzger and the team of researchers outlined standards for simulated extraterrestrial surface material and then applied the standards to a simulated extraterrestrial surface material created in the Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science's Exolith Lab housed at UCF.

While extraterrestrial surface material can range from lunar soil to Martian dirt, Metzger and the researchers created standards specifically for asteroid surfaces in this study. The team measured mineralogical composition; elemental composition; densities of rocks and crushed rocks known as regolith; mechanical strength; magnetic susceptibility; volatile release pattern; and particle size destruction. This standardization is highly needed, Metzger said, as previous attempts at creating simulated extraterrestrial surface material have used everything from floral foam to beach sand. (3/4)

Far out! First All Female Spacewalk (Ever) Set for March (Source: Florida Today)
On July 25, 1984, cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to walk in space. Now, almost 35 years later, history will once again be made as the first all-female spacewalk is scheduled to take place March 29. NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch will conduct a spacewalk as part of the Expedition 59 crew at the International Space Station, along with Canadian Space Agency flight controller, Kristen Facciol serving as console at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Facciol revealed her announcement March 1 via Twitter when she alerted her followers she would be "on console providing support for the FIRST ALL FEMALE SPACEWALK." Since 1998, there have been 213 spacewalks at the space station. The U.S. has seen 160 spacewalks in U.S. spacesuits, while Russia has had 53 spacewalks in Russian spacesuits. (3/4)

Spire Seeks Military Business (Source: Space News)
Cubesat constellation company Spire is looking to grow its business with the Pentagon. The company announced Tuesday it is hiring Paul Damphousse to lead its national security business development work. Damphousse was chief of advanced concepts at the former National Security Space Office while serving in the Marine Corps and has also worked in industry, most recently at SES Government Solutions.

Spire says it's seeing increased interest from the Defense Department for capabilities its smallsats can provide, either using existing sensors or customized ones that can be added to new satellites. Spire expects to launch 30 to 40 new satellites this year, but with additional and improved sensors that make each satellite about 10 times as powerful as those it launched just a couple years ago. (3/5)

Space Florida Seeks Federal Funding for Bridge to Spaceport (Source: Florida Today)
Space Florida is seeking federal funding to replace an aging bridge that is a vital link to the Kennedy Space Center. Space Florida said it's requesting funding from the Department of Transportation for a bridge to replace the existing one on State Road 405 that leads to the Kennedy Space Center. That bridge, built in 1964, is deteriorating, and may no longer be safe to handle heavy loads as soon as 2021. The project, which will use state and NASA funding in addition to the Department of Transportation grant, will also support widening of Space Commerce Way, a nearby two-lane road that goes by new factories for Blue Origin and OneWeb Satellites, to four lanes. (3/5)

Commercial Crew’s Time Approaches (Source: Space Review)
A SpaceX Falcon took off in the middle of the night this weekend, sending a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station on a test flight to verify the vehicle is ready to carry astronauts. Jeff Foust reports on the status of the mission and what remains to be done before that spacecraft carries people into orbit. Click here. (3/4)
 
Denial, Disruption, and Development in the Space Launch Business (Source: Space Review)
Despite recent advances in reusability, rockets are fundamentally similar today to those developed in the middle of the last century. John Hollaway wonders when there will be a true disruption in space access. Click here. (3/4)
 
The Moonrush Has Begun (Source: Space Review)
Last month, SpaceIL’s Beresheet lunar lander launched, and is now making its way to the Moon for a landing attempt in April. Gerald Black argues this is the beginning of a new commercial rush to the Moon where, like the gold rushes of the 19th century, suppliers could cash in as well. Click here. (3/4)

Space Power Plant: China's New Plans to Conquer the Final Frontier (Source: CNN)
China says it is working to develop a solar energy plant in space that could one day beam enough power back to Earth to light up an entire city. If scientists can overcome the formidable technical challenges, the project would represent a monumental leap in combating the Earth's addiction to dirty power sources which worsen air pollution and global warming.

A space-based solar power station could also provide an alternative to the current generation of earthbound and relatively ineffective renewable energy sources.
Scientists had previously thought space solar plants (SSPs) would be prohibitively expensive. But with Beijing pledging to invest 2.5 trillion yuan ($367 billion) in renewable power generation -- solar, wind, hydro and nuclear -- by 2020, China might just have the financial firepower. Click here. (3/4)