June 1, 2019

Company Denies Report, Says Stratolaunch Remains "Operational" (Source: Ars Technica)
The aerospace company founded by Paul Allen, Stratolaunch, is closing operations according to a report by Reuters that cited anonymous sources. The company will cease its efforts to challenge traditional aerospace companies in a new “space race,” four people familiar with the matter told the wire service. In response to a query from Ars about potentially ending operations, a spokeswoman for the Seattle-based company replied, "We don’t have any news or announcements to share at this time. Stratolaunch remains operational."

Questions about the future of Stratolaunch arose almost immediately after Allen, a co-founder of Microsoft, died in October, 2018, at the age of 65. According to Reuters, the decision to set an exit strategy was made late last year by Allen’s sister, Jody Allen. In January, Stratolaunch abandoned efforts to build a series of rockets to be launched from its large carrier plane—an ominous sign. (5/31)

Sen. Tim Kaine Tours Wallops launch, UAV Facilities (Source: DelMarVa Now)
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine toured the Wallops launch complex, a new payload processing facility and the unmanned aerial systems complex on Wallops Island during his visit to the Eastern Shore of Virginia. "The Eastern Shore for a long time has had two pillars of its economy — aquaculture/agriculture and tourism, Kaine said, adding, "Wallops has become a third economic pillar for the region in a way that creates not only additional certainty and stability, but also boosts tourism because people are so excited to see the interesting work happening here." (5/31)

A Glimpse Into the Space Rocket Wars (Source: Politico)
The debate is heating up this budget season over the Air Force's multibillion-dollar plan to acquire new space launch services, as Congress considers upending the tight schedule and contracting process. At the same time, concerns are growing that changes will hurt competitors that have invested huge sums developing new rockets.

"You see things out of the [House Armed Services Committee]," notes Kent Rominger, who is overseeing the development of its new OmegA launch system. "They are saying, 'Hey let's delay it a year. Hey, what if we had three awardees instead of two?' Two is the right answer. If you spread it too thin, people's business cases may not close." Click here. (5/31)

Sierra Nevada Test-Fires Next Gen Rocket Engine (Source: SNC)
Sierra Nevada Corp. opened to public view a test-firing of its patented VORTEX® rocket engine, showcasing next-generation technology available to NASA, the U.S. Air Force and commercial launch companies. Among the public officials witnessing the rocket engine test was U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). SNC’s VORTEX engine, which uses green and clean propellants, will be used for the SNC Dream Chaser spacecraft when it services the International Space Station for NASA missions starting in spring 2021. (5/29)

Air Force Targets Next-Day Space Launches (Source: Air Force Magazine)
A recent Air Force solicitation takes the first steps toward being able to order space launches on just 24 hours notice, a goal that would make the service more responsive to combat developments and avoid the weeks- or months-long waits typical of launches. “The US Air Force is investigating the possible procurement of a capability to rapidly launch and deploy space payloads critical to national security in an ultra-responsive manner,” the service wrote in a May 30 sources-sought notice.

“The objective is 24 hours from ‘call up’ notification to on-orbit capability.” If industry doesn’t believe a 24-hour window is long enough, they should recommend a different time frame that would work in case of a national emergency, the Air Force said. DOD is newly focusing on sending communications and hypersonic missile-defense satellites to LEO as the Space Development Agency’s first project. The Air Force is similarly researching satellite constellations that are resilient in part because a system could be replaced soon after it becomes unusable.

“The demonstration scenario will be based upon a rapid reconstitution requirement in response to an unforeseen event,” the Air Force said. “Survivability [the ability to withstand or avoid attack] of the rapid space launch capability is not a requirement of the demonstration, but will be a consideration for future operational capabilities.” (5/31)

Pentagon to Stop Use of Commercial Satellites Launched By Russia Starting in 2023 (Source: Radio Free Europe)
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) will stop utilizing commercial satellites launched with Russian rockets beginning in 2023 as relations between the two countries deteriorate. The order, published on May 31 in the U.S. Federal Register, could deal a blow to Russia's industry while also helping U.S. startups like SpaceX and Blue Origin founded by billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, respectively.

The move highlights the growing distrust between Washington and Moscow since Russia seized and annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014 and U.S. attempts to use its economic influence to penalize the country for its actions. The U.S. "realizes that Russia is not going to be a friend and that anything we do that helps their aerospace sector can possibly come back to bite us because they are trying to undermine our security in every way they can," Todd Harrison, the director of the Aerospace Security Project at the CSIS think tank in Washington, told RFE/RL.

"They are trying to steer satellite operators away from using Russia. It is not a sanction, but it is in the same vein," he added. The Pentagon already limits launches of dedicated U.S. military satellites to U.S. companies. However, it contracts with commercial satellite operators to use some of their capacity for military needs. (6/1)

Russia Says U.S. Military Curbs on Space Cooperation are Unfair Competition (Source: Reuters)
Russia accused the United States of trying to unfairly grab market share in the space services industry on Friday after the U.S. military imposed restrictions on space launch cooperation with Moscow. The U.S. Department of Defense on Friday banned contracts for Russian commercial satellite services if they were deemed to pose an unacceptable cyber security risk, a document on the U.S. government’s Federal Register showed.

The restrictions apply to launches carried out from Dec. 31, 2022, and cover services with satellite and launch vehicles, the document said. China, North Korea, Iran, Sudan and Syria are already subject to the same restrictions, it said. Pentagon spokesman Army Major Chris Mitchell said that he anticipated that the DoD would immediately avoid contracting with Russian commercial satellite providers. “This policy relates specifically to the Department of Defense, which is not responsible for the space station,” he said. “Questions regarding U.S.-Russian cooperation on the International Space Station should be directed to NASA.”

Editor's Note: In the 1980s and 1990s the U.S. established quotas to limit the launch of U.S. commercial satellites aboard Russian, Ukrainian and Chinese rockets. The purpose was to counter their n0n-market pricing (subsidies). The controversial quotas were encouraged by U.S. launch companies, but opposed by satellite companies. (5/31)

‘Right Stuff’ Series to Film This Fall in Cocoa Beach (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A National Geographic series of Tom Wolfe’s “The Right Stuff” will begin production this fall in Cocoa Beach, the channel has announced. Patrick J. Adams of “Suits” will play Maj. John Glenn in the series, which will debut next year. The series has some major talents behind it. Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio is an executive producer. Emmy-winner David Nutter (“Game of Thrones”) will direct the premiere. Mark Lafferty (“Castle Rock,” “Genius”) will be showrunner.

National Geographic offered this synopsis: “The series takes a clear-eyed look at what would become America’s first ‘reality show,’ as ambitious astronauts and their families become instant celebrities in a competition that will either kill them or make them immortal in the quest to be a part of Project Mercury.” The series will depict how test pilot Glenn “locks horns with Alan Shepard in an unrelenting fight to be the first man in space,” the announcement said. (5/31)

Former Head of Pentagon's Secret UFO Program Has Some (Strange) Stories to Tell (Source: Space.com)
During Elizondo's tenure at AATIP, observers reported UFOs flying at hypersonic speeds — more than five times the speed of sound. Yet there were none of the signatures that usually accompany aircraft flying at such fantastic speeds, such as sonic booms, he said. The UFOs were also unexpectedly mobile, traveling so fast that they would have experienced gravitational forces, or G-forces, that far exceed the limits of endurance for both humans and aircraft.

The F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft, one of the most maneuverable in the U.S.'s arsenal, reaches its limit at around 16 to 18 G's, while the human body can withstand about 9 G's "for a very short time" before a person would start to black out, Elizondo said. "These things that we were observing were pulling 400 to 500 G's," he said. "They don't have engines or even wings, and they are able to seemingly defy the natural effects of Earth's gravitational pull."

Some of the UFO sightings reported to AATIP were eventually resolved, as aerial drones or test firings of new types of missiles that were spotted from an unusual angle. But while many astonishing UFOs still defied explanation, there simply isn't enough evidence to suggest they belonged to extraterrestrials, Elizondo added. (5/31)

Please God, Let it Be Aliens and Not Trump's Space Force (Source: Vanity Fair)
Perhaps the only thing more curious than the news that the U.S. Navy is establishing new guidelines for reporting UFO sightings is the decision to let the public know. For decades, we have assumed government secrecy on such matters. In Ed Wood’s 1959 film, Plan 9 From Outer Space, it is suggested that even a deadly alien invasion would be hidden, at least if casualties were low. And yet, now, we’re reading about UFOs in the New York Times, seeing footage of them on video, and pilots are putting their names to their sightings. We hear the pilots chattering and laughing in a manner that’s almost ominous, reminiscent of movie scenes depicting similar lightheartedness prior to vaporization.

Then again, everything concerning UFOs is reminiscent of some movie scene, which only makes harder to engage with the details now being reported. One of the vehicles in question is said to have resembled “a giant Tic Tac” the size of a commercial plane, and the UFOs were able to “accelerate, slow down and then hit hypersonic speeds.” Another is said to be “like a sphere encasing a cube.” These UFOs seem to stay airborne all day, despite having no apparent source of energy. According to the latest Times story, they “appeared almost daily from the summer of 2014 to March 2015” in the skies above the East Coast.

What’s going on? Speculation is rife on the Y Combinator forums. Guesses include U.S. drones (a terrestrial craft), “Von Neumann probes” (self-perpetuating extraterrestrial craft), and a “disinformation campaign” (none of the above). Politico reports that advocates of the Navy’s new UFO reporting rules simply want to change “a culture in which personnel feel that speaking up about it could hurt their career.” After all, in an age when “removing the stigma” has become a refrain on everything from cannabis to male postpartum depression, maybe it was inevitable that overcoming UFO shame was next. (6/1)

SpaceX Says 60 Starlink Satellites Will Grow Harder to See (Source: France24)
SpaceX said Friday that the first 60 satellites in its "Starlink" constellation will be less and less visible from Earth as they reach their final orbit. Astronomers fear the constellation of broadband-beaming satellites, which could one day grow to as many as 12,000, could ruin scientific observation of the skies from telescopes. Until now, Musk had downplayed the concerns -- earning criticism along the way. But on Friday, the company seemed to address the issue.

SpaceX announced that "all 60 satellites have deployed their solar arrays successfully, generated positive power and communicated with our ground stations." But the statement then said that "the observability of the Starlink satellites is dramatically reduced as they raise orbit to greater distance and orient themselves." The satellites were released all at once by a Falcon 9 rocket at an altitude of 280 miles (450 kilometers). They progressively separated from one another and deployed the solar arrays. (5/31)

Is Tesla to Blame for SpaceX’s Sloppiness? (Source: Town Hall)
The growing sloppiness of SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket company, is quickly eroding the goodwill it has garnered from its governmental backers. The discovery of pervasive fraud within the company’s supply chain is the latest example of this trend. On May 22, the FBI announced its intent to prosecute an individual accused of falsifying dozens of inspection reports for parts used by SpaceX. These forged reports, which slipped by right under the company’s nose, allowed at least 76 potentially defective rocket components to be used in national security-level missions.

Clearly, an oversight that severe is unacceptable. It no doubt shakes the foundation of trust SpaceX has built as a reliable government contractor, as purportedly 10 missions could have resulted in catastrophic failure if the rocket components failed. This isn’t the first time SpaceX has demonstrated an alarming degree of ineptitude, either. Late last year, Elon Musk admitted the reason why his company was not selected to receive an Air Force contract: SpaceX dropped the ball. Apparently for no other reason than because it “had written a poor proposal that ‘missed the mark.’”

In two separate but recent incidents, SpaceX failed to pay close attention to the products it was releasing. For a company as well-respected and established as SpaceX, that amateurish behavior rings as uncharacteristic. What changed? While SpaceX as a company has remained largely consistent, its leader has not. Over the last two years, Elon Musk has faced growing pressure to dedicate his time, attention, and resources to his other business venture, Tesla. Musk has overextended himself, and SpaceX appears to be suffering as a result. (6/1)

'Space City USA' - Huntsville's Theme Park That Never Was (Source: WAAY)
It’s a fascinating footnote in Rocket City history. At the height of the space race, while Huntsville was focused on putting men on the moon, a group of local investors came up with the idea to build a Disneyland-style theme park here called Space City USA. Construction began in 1964, just a long fly ball from where Town Madison is being built right now, and some of it is still there.

The headlines hyped its arrival, saying it'd be Alabama’s answer to Disneyland, a Space City playground and a multi-million-dollar theme park to turn Alabama into a traveler's mecca. Our time-traveling guide is Lance George, a collector of Huntsville historic memorabilia, and the local authority on Space City USA, the “Never Never Land” that would never be opened. He maintains a Facebook page dedicated to the park. (5/31)

Why the Moon Landing Matters, 50 Years Later (Source: Fast Company)
This summer, on July 20, we will mark the golden anniversary of the first-ever Moon landing, and we’ll do so at a moment for space exploration that may turn out to surpass the 1969 original. The race to the Moon in the 1960s was a stunning achievement of technology, engineering, and politics–by some measures, one of the great achievements of human history. It changed the world we live in today, even if it didn’t inaugurate an era of routine space travel. The space race this time aims to do just that, to lay the infrastructure for life in space, and for a zero-gravity economy. In many ways, it’s bigger than the first space race. (6/1)

SOCOM Sticks With Leonardo For Commercial Satcom (Source: Breaking Defense)
Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is sticking with its long-time provider of commercial satellite communications, Leonardo DRS, after an open competition for up to $977 million in contract awards over five years. Leonardo DRS is the US arm of Italian aerospace and defense firm Leonardo, with a market capital value of $6.9 billion. The firm holds a majority share in satellite operator Telespazio and a minority share in Thales Alenia Space that manufactures satellites.

Under the new contract, Leonardo DRS will be providing and managing SOCOM’s Global Access Network (GAN) system that matches available commercial satellite bandwidth to individual missions and links the command’s far flung operations together. Under the contract, the firm will supply commercial satellite bandwidth, a satellite operations center support, and a secure and accredited terrestrial network to SCOCOM. (5/31)

Is a Manned Indian Space Mission Necessary? (Source: First Post)
Manned missions are, of course, more prestigious but also far more expensive and technologically challenging. They are expensive because unlike unmanned missions, one has to ensure that the crew comes back safely to earth. This means having a crew module with extra redundancies built in as a precaution against equipment failure. This in turn implies that the launch vehicle has to carry the extra weight of the crew module which means a whole new generation of launch vehicles which can carry the heavier payload.

The crew module being planned would splash down in the Arabian Sea after its mission is complete. When the module re-enters the atmosphere, the atmospheric friction generates a lot of heat. To keep the crew safe requires a special design for the module as well as specialised materials for the heat shield. These are being developed and a prototype has been tested. ISRO plans two unmanned missions to test all the systems before launching the manned mission in 2022.

The total cost of the mission will certainly be more than the Rs 10,000 crore. The question then is whether it is worth spending so much on a manned mission. There is of course the issue of national pride which such achievements bring with them. Apart from this nebulous and hard to measure benefit, it turns out that there is almost nothing which a manned mission can achieve that cannot be achieved by an unmanned mission, at a fraction of the cost. (5/31)

Dollar Bill Led to a NASA Scientist’s Imprisonment in Turkey on Terrorism Charges (Source: Washington Post)
Turkish authorities detained Golge on the morning of July 23, 2016, just as he was leaving his family’s home for the airport to return to Houston, where he worked at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Based on a tip, the Turkish officers claimed that Golge was connected to the organization that Erdogan blamed for the coup attempt, describing the Gulen movement as a terrorist group, according to the commission.

After police searched the home two separate times, they finally emerged with a single U.S. dollar bill — the evidence authorities seized to claim that Golge was connected to the failed coup and the Gulen movement. The group’s leader, Fethullah Gulen, lived in Pennsylvania. "One day you’re a NASA scientist’s wife, the next you’re an accused terrorist’s wife,” Golge’s wife, Kubra, told the Houston Press in a 2017 interview. “It’s insane.” (5/31)

Radiation Showstopper for Mars Exploration (Source: ESA)
An astronaut on a mission to Mars could receive radiation doses up to 700 times higher than on our planet – a major showstopper for the safe exploration of our Solar System. A team of European experts is working with ESA to protect the health of future crews on their way to the Moon and beyond. Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere protect us from the constant bombardment of galactic cosmic rays – energetic particles that travel at close to the speed of light and penetrate the human body.

Cosmic radiation could increase cancer risks during long duration missions. Damage to the human body extends to the brain, heart and the central nervous system and sets the stage for degenerative diseases. A higher percentage of early-onset cataracts have been reported in astronauts. “One day in space is equivalent to the radiation received on Earth for a whole year,” explains physicist Marco Durante, who studies cosmic radiation on Earth. (5/31)

These Are the Private Lunar Landers Taking NASA Science to the Moon (Source: Space.com)
NASA on Friday (May 31) announced that private lunar landers built by the American companies Astrobotic, Intuitive Machines and Orbit Beyond will carry agency science gear to the moon in 2020 and 2021. These robotic vanguard missions are key early steps in NASA's ambitious Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the moon in 2024 and establish a sustainable, long-term presence on and around Earth's nearest neighbor by 2028. Click here. (6/1)

Glonass Satellite System to Get Better Cyber Defenses (Source: TASS)
Russia’s Glonass navigation satellites will be better protected against cyber attacks, Chief Designer of Glonass Company (the operator of the Era-Glonass system) Mikhail Korablyov said. He said that one of his company’s main tasks, along with increasing the Glonass system’s accuracy, is to enhance protection of the signal against so-called spoofing attacks, in which an original satellite signal is replaced with a fake one. The source did not elaborate on what technologies are to be used for the purpose. (6/2)

Rep. Kevin McCarthy Writes About U.S. Leadership in Space (Source: Fresno Bee)
Nearly every aspect of our modern lives touches space. From financial services and navigation, to science, weather, farming, entertainment and aviation, the use of satellites is seamlessly integrated into our daily routines. Similarly, our military relies on space to decisively project power and protect national security. However, amidst the excitement and revival in space travel, the U.S. and our allies face competition from foreign countries for maintaining military, civilian and commercial dominance in space. China and Russia have deliberately developed weapons and taken steps to directly challenge American space dominance and leadership. Space is woven into the very fabric of our American way of life, but we must not allow it to become our Achilles heel.

For this reason, I applaud President Trump for leading the discussion on American space dominance and for reviving the National Space Council to focus on national policy and strategy to ensure the United States remains at the cutting edge in space technology. I also support our commander-in-chief’s decision to establish the Space Force as a new branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, which will unify and focus our efforts in space to ensure unfettered access to and freedom to operate in space, and maintain our military superiority over China, Russia and other foreign nations. (5/31)

Space Congress Comes Back to Cape Canaveral with Astronauts, Officials, Events (Source: Florida Today)
A three-day conference of space officials, experts and astronauts will convene in Cape Canaveral starting Tuesday to "light the fire" for future exploration efforts. The 46th Space Congress, held at the Radisson Resort at the Port, will bring together hundreds of experts and visitors for the conference that also aims to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's landing on the moon.

Events will range from discussions about the evolution of Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to NASA's aim to put boots back on the lunar surface by 2024. A Tuesday banquet will also honor the moon landing anniversary with Apollo astronauts Fred Haise and Al Worden in attendance. Prices range from $104 for single-day admissions to $299 for the full three days. Military, senior and student discounts are available. (5/31)