May 21, 2019

Is Space Launch Overheating? I Ask Five Rocket Startups (Source: Forbes)
The space business is hot. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly hot it is. I mean, you may think that apps and blockchain are a big deal, but they’re just peanuts to space. The Space Foundation’s seminal Space Report shows the 2018 space market was $383 billion and my own research aligns with that estimate. Reports from Goldman Sachs and Merrill suggest that will grow to between $1 trillion and $3 trillion over the next two decades. Space Angels Network reports that $20 Billion has been invested in commercial space startups. Click here. (5/21)

Florida Build of SpaceX Starship Has Advantages Over Texas Effort (Source: Teslarati)
It’s unclear if SpaceX has fully acquired Coastal Steel or is simply partnering with the small company in the early stages of its Florida Starship buildup. Regardless, even from perspectives quite a bit more distant than those available in Texas, it’s clear that the metal workmanship is at least on par with Boca Chica, if not giving them a run for their money.

Admittedly, the playing field is not exactly level. SpaceX’s South Texas team has been working just a few thousand feet away from the unobstructed Gulf of Mexico in conditions that would make for an excellent traditional-aerospace horror show. Aside from a lone tent, all welding, assembly, integration, and testing has been done while fully exposed to the elements. SpaceX’s Florida team appears to have the luxury of an established warehouse – previously used for steelwork – to use as a covered and partially insulated work and staging area. The Florida team effectively had everything they needed (give or take) on hand from the moment work began, while Texas had to quite literally build all of its facilities from nothing.

Be it the facility luxuries or Cape Canaveral’s far larger pool of local aerospace talent, it’s clear that SpaceX’s Florida team will be a competitive force to be reckoned with despite Texas’ apparent head start. In the seven days since the first photos of the Florida Starship were published, SpaceX technicians have almost doubled the height of the largest welded section, raising it from ~5.5m to ~9m. (5/21)

After the Moon, People on Mars by 2033...or 2060 (Source: Space Daily)
On December 11, 2017, US President Donald Trump signed a directive ordering NASA to prepare to return astronauts to the Moon "followed by human missions to Mars and other destinations." The dates fixed by the space agency are 2024 for the Moon and Mars in 2033, but according to experts and industry insiders, reaching the Red Planet by then is highly improbable barring a Herculean effort on the scale of the Apollo program in the 1960s.

"The Moon is the proving ground for our eventual mission to Mars," NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said at a conference this week. "The Moon is our path to get to Mars in the fastest, safest way possible. That's why we go to the Moon." According to Robert Howard, who heads up the lab developing future space habitats at the legendary Johnson Space Center in Houston, the hurdles aren't so much technical or scientific as much as a question of budget and political will.

From the design, manufacture, and testing of the rockets and spaceships required to learning the best way to grow lettuce: all the groundwork remains to be done. Just getting there will take six months at least, as opposed to three days to the Moon. The whole mission could take two years, since Mars and the Earth are closet to each other every 26 months, a window that must be taken. Key tasks include finding a way to shield astronauts from prolonged exposure to solar and cosmic radiation, said Julie Robinson, NASA's chief scientist for the International Space Station. Click here. (5/18)

Connecticut Aerospace Companies Prepare for New NASA Missions to Outer Space (Source: Hartford Courant)
NASA and U.S. military and space allies pitched Monday for business from more than 200 representatives of aerospace companies attending a Hartford meeting in search of potential contracts for a sooner-than-expected trip to the Moon. NASA is now looking to beef up its supply chain of manufacturers in anticipation of the nearly 500,000-mile round trip and construction of a base on the lunar surface in anticipation of a trip to Mars.

For many Connecticut aviation and aerospace businesses, the shift to space is a logical next step. Propulsion systems, air filtering equipment, avionics and countless other components are already being manufactured by state businesses. Collins Aerospace, for example, is the successor company to UTC Aerospace Systems, which replaced Hamilton Sundstrand, the manufacturer of numerous space travel components, including the space suit used by astronauts to replicate Earth’s environment in the void of outer space. (5/20)

NASA: Look How Many Companies Are Involved in SLS/Orion; Critics: That's Why It's Too Expensive (Source: SPACErePORT)
NASA on Tuesday tweeted "#DidYouKnow more than 1,000 companies in all 50 states help build the Space Launch System and @NASA_Orion?", linking to this expansive list. Amid tensions over the schedule and cost for NASA's evolving lunar/Mars plans, it didn't take long for critics to point out the obvious, that maximizing the number of companies involved also maximizes the program cost, complicates its management, and extends its schedule. Also obvious is one of the reasons for NASA's contracting approach: "It's extremely positive if your audience is politicians who want to know there is something for their district." (5/21)

Another Delay for Russia's New ISS Module (Source: TASS)
A long-delayed Russia module for the International Space Station won't launch until late next year. A Russian industry source said the Multipurpose Laboratory Module, also known as Nauka, is now scheduled to launch no earlier than late October or early November of 2020. The module has suffered years of delays because of hardware problems, limiting Russian utilization of the station. (5/21)

Space Industry Expansion Means Opportunities for Suppliers (Source: Space News)
A growing space industry is presenting new opportunities for lower-tier suppliers. Many of the companies exhibiting at the Space Tech Expo conference this week in California are those who provide hardware components and engineering services, rather than prime contractors for satellites and launch vehicles. Those companies see potential for new business thanks to growth in the space industry. A report earlier this month by the Satellite Industry Association estimated the overall size of the industry at $277.4 billion, three percent higher than 2017. For many suppliers, though, space remains a small part of their overall business. (5/21)

Sea Levels May Rise Much Faster Than Previously Predicted, Swamping Coastal Cities (Source: CNN)
Global sea levels could rise more than two meters by the end of this century if emissions continue unchecked, swamping major cities such as New York and Shanghai and displacing up to 187 million people, a new study warns. The study, which was released Monday, says sea levels may rise much faster than previously estimated due to the accelerating melting of ice sheets in both Greenland and Antarctica.

The international researchers predict that in the worst case scenario under which global temperatures increase by 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) by 2100, sea levels could rise by more than two meters in the same period -- double the upper limit outlined by the UN climate science panel's last major report. (5/21)

For the Fifth Year in a Row, Early Tropical Storm Formation in the Atlantic (Source: Ars Technica)
On Monday evening, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center determined that a low pressure system in the Atlantic Ocean had sustained winds of 40mph, and therefore should be named Subtropical Storm Andrea. This was the first named storm of the 2019 Atlantic season, and it could bring some moderate rainfall to Bermuda on Wednesday before dissipating. Officially, the Atlantic hurricane season does not begin until June 1, and notionally ends on Nov. 30. However, the formation of Andrea marks the fifth year in a row—dating to Tropical Storm Ana in 2015—that a named storm has formed before June 1.

This is unprecedented. According to Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane scientist at the University of Colorado, the development of Andrea breaks the previous record of four consecutive years with a pre-June storm formation. The former record was set from 1951 through 1954, he told Ars. The total of seven pre-June storms this decade, the 2010s, has also tied the number recorded in the 1950s. (5/21)

Expanding 5G Could Interfere with Weather Forecasting (Source: WZTV)
AIA last week provided a statement to the House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Environment, warning that expanding 5G consumer technology could increase the risk of interference with bands used to gather weather data. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is working with the Federal Communications Commission to prevent auctioning bands that could interfere with forecasting equipment. (5/20)

Advanced Chinese Rocket Engine Ready for Space Mission (Source: Space Daily)
A company in China has become the third in the world, after two others in the United States, to have developed a new type of rocket engine at the cutting edge of space propulsion, its maker said. LandSpace, a private startup in Beijing, announced on Friday that its TQ-12 methane rocket engine successfully underwent a 20-second trial run at the company's test facility in Huzhou, Zhejiang province. It is the world's third high-performance methane engine after SpaceX's Raptor and Blue Origin's BE-4.

The engines use liquid methane as a fuel and liquid oxygen as an oxidizer. They are reusable and are central to the development of reusable launch vehicles. SpaceX and Blue Origin, both space giants in the US, have allocated considerable resources to the research and development of such engines. LandSpace conducted four trial runs of the TQ-12 last week and all were successful, the company said. With a maximum thrust of 80 metric tons, the engine can be used on all types of carrier rockets and features good profitability. (5/21)

Moondust Could Cloud Our Lunar Ambitions (Source: WIRED)
Over the course of six moon landings, the so-called Dusty Dozen fought valiantly with their foe. They stomped their boots outside, then cinched garbage bags around their legs to stop the dust from spreading. They attacked it with wet rags, bristle brushes, and a low-suction vacuum cleaner, which Pete Conrad of Apollo 12 called “a complete farce.” (He finally stripped naked and stuffed his blackened suit into a pouch.) Cernan, upon returning from his last moonwalk, vowed, “I ain't going to do much more dusting after I leave here. Ever.”

In the end, NASA couldn't find a foolproof solution. Years after John Young commanded Apollo 16, he still believed that “dust is the number one concern in returning to the moon.” Now, with national space agencies and private corporations poised to do just that, the Apollo dust diaries are relevant once more. In January, China landed its Chang'e-4 probe on the far side of the moon, the latest step toward its stated aim of building a lunar research station. Two months later, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency said it was partnering with Toyota to design a six-wheeled moon rover by 2029.

Around the same time, Vice President Mike Pence announced plans to put American boots on the moon by 2024. According to NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine, the goal is “to go sustainably. To stay. With landers and robots and rovers—and humans.” India and Russia have missions planned too. Then there are the private ventures like Moon Express, whose Harvest Moon expedition will prospect for water, minerals, and other resources to mine. All of which raises a crucial question: What to do about that troublesome dust? An Australian physicist named Brian O'Brien may have the answer. Click here. (5/20)

SpaceX is the No. 1 Rocket Company by Revenue (Source: CNBC)
SpaceX has hurtled to the top of the launch industry over the past decade, last year bringing in more revenue than any other rocket company, according to Jefferies on Sunday. “While SpaceX is newer to the market, their lower price point has allowed them to outpace peers in estimated annual launch revenues,” Jefferies analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu wrote in a note to investors, in a “deep dive” report.

Jefferies broke out the estimated 2018 revenues for eight “heavy launch” companies, which compete in the most expensive part of the rocket market. The massive rockets, standing as tall as skyscrapers, cost anywhere between $62 million to $350 million. Jefferies charted last year’s launch revenues for SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (also known as “ULA,” a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin), Northrop Grumman, Europe’s Arianespace, Russia’s Khrunichev, India’s ISRO and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Jefferies also included Blue Origin as a competitor, although its New Glenn rocket is not expected to launch before 2021. SpaceX logged $2 billion in launch revenue last year, the report said. In total, Jefferies estimated these companies’ rockets brought in about $8 billion in revenue in 2018. Jefferies said SpaceX, as a relatively new entrant, has helped introduce “a level of price competition, which is a positive for launch market customers.” These rockets largely cater to “a government market,” where ULA and the internationally-backed companies have previously dominated. (5/20)

National Space Club Accepts Space Worker Hall of Fame Nominations (Source: NSCFL)
Each year the National Space Club Florida Committee recognizes deserving individuals who make significant contributions to the U.S. space program. Nominations for the National Space Club Florida Committee 2019 Space Worker Hall of Fame Awards are now open. The deadline is June 29th. Who is eligible? The Space Worker Hall of Fame award is intended to focus on the entire population of space workers regardless of position, discipline, or time in service. There are four categories of award: Space Launch Technology; Space Flight Support; Human Spaceflight Advancement; and Space Flight Advocacy and Education. Click here. (5/20)

Universe May be a Billion Years Younger Than We Thought (Source: NBC)
We've all lost track of time at one point or another, but astronomers really go all in. Recent studies show they may have overestimated the age of the universe by more than a billion years — a surprising realization that is forcing them to rethink key parts of the scientific story of how we got from the Big Bang to today.

The lost time is especially vexing because, in a universe full of mysteries, its age has been viewed as one of the few near-certainties. By 2013, the European Planck space telescope's detailed measurements of cosmic radiation seemed to have yielded the final answer: 13.8 billion years old. All that was left to do was to verify that number using independent observations of bright stars in other galaxies. Then came an unexpected turn of events.

A few teams, including one led by Nobel laureate Adam Riess of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, set out to make those observations. Instead of confirming Planck's measurements, they started getting a distinctly different result. "It was getting to the point where we say, 'Wait a second, we're not passing this test — we're failing the test!'" says Riess. He estimates that his results, taken at face value, indicate a universe that is only 12.5 billion to 13 billion years old. (5/18)

Musk Has a 2027 Deadline to Surround Earth with High-Speed Starlink Internet Satellites — The Service Would Work Far Sooner Than That (Source: Business Insider)
Starlink — SpaceX's planned network of thousands of interlinked satellites — may arrive as a functional global internet service provider sooner than expected. The ultimate goal of the project is to launch nearly 12,000 satellites into orbit around Earth, link them with laser beams, and give customers access to the internet system via flat, pizza-size antennas that SpaceX calls end-user terminals. If realized, such a floating mesh network could bring access to ultra-high-speed, low-lag internet to pretty much every corner of the world.

This week, SpaceX was scheduled to launch the first 60 Starlink satellites into orbit. But the launch was delayed twice, and now Musk says it will take place in about a week.. The delay, SpaceX said, will allow time for a software update and give engineers a chance to "triple-check everything." Ahead of the planned launch, SpaceX founder Elon Musk revealed new details about the longterm plan for Starlink. Musk bristled at the notion that launching anywhere close to 12,000 satellite is necessary to establish a fully functional internet service that would make his company money.

"For the system to be economically viable, it's really on the order of 1,000 satellites," Musk said during a call with reporters. "Which is obviously a lot of satellites, but it's way less than 10,000 or 12,000." Right now, about 2,000 operational satellites orbit Earth (though many thousands of dead satellites exist in "graveyard" orbits). SpaceX plans to launch roughly 60 spacecraft at a time with its workhorse Falcon 9 rockets and is looking to launch at least one Starlink mission a month over the next two years, based on figures provided by Musk. (5/17)

Have Moonsuit, Will Travel (Source: Space Review)
NASA’s new urgency to return to the Moon requires the agency to, besides developing new landers and other spacecraft, also develop new spacesuits for walking on the Moon. Dwayne Day explores the lessons many of the Apollo astronauts provided to NASA about their moonwalking experiences more than a quarter-century ago. Click here. (5/20)
 
The Launch Industry Prepares for a Shakeout (Source: Space Review)
More companies are getting into the commercial launch market, at both the large and small ends of vehicle capacities, despite uncertainty about how much demand there is for such vehicles. Jeff Foust reports that those within the industry expect a shakeout that could leave only a handful of companies standing. Click here. (5/20)
 
How Defense and Civil Space Offices Can Work Together on Space Situational Awareness and Space Commerce (Source: Space Review)
National space policy calls for handing over civil aspects of space traffic management work to the Commerce Department, but that office has little in-house expertise to take on that task. Alfred Anzaldua argues that collaboration with academia can help provide that expertise and keep the United States at the forefront of this critical field. Click here. (5/20)