June 19, 2019

Study Recommends Policy to Protect U.S. Space Industry (Source: Space News)
A new report calls for industrial policies to protect America's space industrial base form Chinese influence. The report by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Defense Innovation Unit warned of China's stealth investments in U.S. companies and the country's coordinated public-private efforts to dominate markets and advance space technology ahead of the United States. It suggests the U.S. government could help the space industry get easier access to diverse sources of capital, as well as change procurement and licensing processes and other regulations to reduce delays and micromanagement of the space industrial base's ability to deliver next generation space capabilities. (6/18)

Commercial Space Bill Appended to Defense Bill (Source: Space News)
A group of senators is seeking to win passage of a commercial space bill by adding it to a defense authorization bill. The bipartisan group of senators, led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), introduced an amendment to the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last week that contains the text of the Space Frontier Act. That bill seeks reforms to commercial launch and remote sensing regulations and extends the authorization of the ISS to 2030. Attaching the Space Frontier Act to the NDAA could be a means to sidestep jurisdictional disputes in the House that derailed passage of a version of the bill last year. (6/18)

House Bill Would Add Funding to FAA Space Office and Shift Space Commerce Funding (Source: Space News)
Amendments to a House appropriations bill will do little to change NASA's budget but could affect two other space-related offices. The House is scheduled to start consideration later this week of a "minibus" of several appropriations bills, including the Commerce, Justice and Science bill that funds NASA. Amendments submitted for consideration of the bill make only modest adjustments to NASA, primarily to space technology and education work.

However, another amendment to the Transportation appropriations bill would add more than $8 million to the proposed $24.9 million for the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, increasing it to its authorized level. Another amendment would transfer funding for the Office of Space Commerce and Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs office from NOAA to the office of the Secretary of Commerce. (6/18)

Boeing to Relocate Space & Launch Division HQ to Florida (Source: Boeing)
To strengthen collaboration and integration across its portfolio, Boeing is relocating the headquarters of its Space and Launch division to Titusville, on Florida’s revitalized Space Coast. Space and Launch, a division of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, currently has its headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. “Expanding our Boeing presence on the Space Coast brings tremendous value for our commercial and government space programs through focused leadership, strategic investment, customer proximity and additional contributions to the vitality of the region,” said Jim Chilton.

The headquarters move will have no impact on Boeing’s space operations in other states, including California, Texas, Alabama, Colorado and Louisiana. "Boeing will continue to be a dynamic space presence in its existing locations, contributing to the vitality of those aerospace hubs, collaborating with our regional partners, and inspiring future generations of space engineers, technicians and innovators,” Chilton said. (6/19)

More Relocation/Consolidation on Space Coast After Harris L3 Merger (Source: Aviation Week)
The proposed merger between Harris and L3 is still pending approval by authorities, but the teams have begun making plans on spin-offs, real estate and new partnerships, including on classified programs. One of the first casualties of the merger of the communications and sensing companies will be L3’s headquarters in New York City, which will be consolidated with Harris’ existing facility in Melbourne, Florida.

“We won’t have a presence in New York City much beyond the closing,” said Harris CEO Bill Brown, who is slated to maintain the same position in the combined company. Several of the company’s business units could also be on the chopping block, as the newly-rebranded L3 Harris attempts to fuse an operating company out of two companies with long histories of existing as holding companies for diverse portfolios of often unrelated businesses. (6/19)

Enterprise Florida Touts State's Aerospace/Aviation Industry at Paris Air Show (Source: EFI)
Florida has long been the world’s premier gateway to space, the undisputed air traffic hub of the Americas, a major hub for flight training and MRO, and home to leading manufacturers of all types of aircraft and aircraft components. As a result, Florida has a rich supply chain and talent pool benefiting industry businesses. It's no wonder industry leaders including Boeing, Embraer, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, and so many more have significant operations here. Click here. (6/19)

Honeywell to Build Quantum Communications Satellite for Canada (Source: SpaceQ)
Honeywell has won a contract to build a quantum communications demonstration satellite for the Canadian Space Agency. The $30 million Canadian ($22.4 million) contract covers development of the Quantum EncrYption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat), scheduled for launch in 2022. The satellite will test the use of quantum encryption technologies for satellite communications. (6/18)

Viasat has switched an upcoming satellite from an Ariane 5 to the new Ariane 6. Arianespace announced Monday that its contract with Viasat for an Ariane 5 launch of a ViaSat 3 satellite has been modified to launch the satellite instead on the Ariane 64, the version of the Ariane 6 with four strap-on boosters. The contract modification makes Viasat the first company to commit to using the Ariane 6, whose orders to date have been for government missions. (6/18)

Saturn Satellite Networks Formed (Source: Space News)
Several former executives of a satellite operator have started a new satellite manufacturer. Saturn Satellite Networks will build satellites ranging from 600 to 1,700 kilograms, and already has a customer order. The company's executive chairman is Tom Choi, former CEO of satellite operator ABS, and two other former ABS executives are also in key positions at Saturn. The company is targeting as customers those nations who want their own satellite but for which a traditional multi-ton spacecraft is too large. (6/18)

Avanti Moves Away From Broadband Services (Source: Space News)
Avanti is shifting its business plan away from consumer broadband to providing capacity to other satellite operators. Avanti reported $53.5 million in revenue for 2018, down $3.1 million from its previous fiscal year. Despite the decline, Avanti said it gained financial momentum in the last six months of 2018 by executing on its revised strategy. The company announced recent deals with Viasat and Turksat, providing them with capacity on its satellites, and is also doing business with the U.S. Defense Department. (6/19)

Orbit Fab Demonstrates Satellite Refueling Approach at ISS (Source: Space News)
A startup has successfully tested satellite refueling technology on the International Space Station. Orbit Fab flew an experiment to the station, demonstrating the ability to transfer water between two satellite testbeds. The tests involved water that, at the end of the experiments, was transferred to the station's own water supply. The company says those tests, as well as development of a spacecraft refueling interface, are key milestones in its plan to provide on-orbit refueling capabilities in the future. (6/19)

Saturn 1B Restoration Completed at KSC Visitor Complex (Source: CollectSPACE)
An Apollo-era rocket is back on public display after being refurbished. The Saturn 1B rocket has return to the "Rocket Garden" at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex after undergoing a nearly yearlong refurbishment. The rocket was built and prepared for potential use on a Skylab rescue mission, and had been on display at the visitor's center for 40 years. The refurbishment repaired damage done by years of exposure to the elements, which had corroded some parts of the rocket. The restoration should add "several decades" to the life of the rocket, the center said. (6/19)

Space Adviser Resigns at Pentagon (Source: Space News)
The Air Force secretary's space adviser also announced his resignation Tuesday. John Stopher, principal assistant to the secretary of the Air Force for space is stepping down from his post effective July 19 to take a job in the private sector. Stopher joined the administration in August 2017 and in recent months worked closely with former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson to help prepare the Air Force to stand up a Space Force if Congress enacts a new service. (6/19)

Trump Order Could Eliminate NASA Advisory Committees (Source: Space News)
An executive order could require NASA to cut some of its advisory committees. The executive order from President Trump last Friday directed all federal agencies to review their advisory committees that operate under the Federal Advisory Committee Act and recommend those that should be terminated by Aug. 1. Each agency is directed to cut at least one-third of their existing committees. NASA currently has 12 such committees, including the NASA Advisory Council and Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel. Retired Air Force Gen. Les Lyles, chairman of the NASA Advisory Council, said he felt the council was doing a good job, but that the jury was still out on another such committee, the National Space Council's Users' Advisory Group, which has been operating for only a year. (6/19)

DoD Considers LEO Constellations for 'Ubiquitous Communications' (Source: Space News)
The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says low Earth orbit satellite constellations could serve key military needs. Gen. Paul Selva said Tuesday that such systems, like those being considered by the Space Development Agency (SDA), could provide "ubiquitous communications" and other capabilities needed by deployed forces. Selva said it remains to be seen if the SDA can take advantage of its rapid acquisition authorities to bring a LEO constellation to fruition. (6/19)

Politics, Lack of Support, Funding Have Foiled US Plans to Return to Moon (Source: Space Daily)
Mankind's first steps on the moon a half-century ago were followed by three more years of lunar missions. And then, a standstill. Neither the United States nor any nation on Earth has sent a manned mission to the moon since NASA's Apollo 17 mission left in late 1972. While the space administration has periodically made plans to return, none have reached the operational phase. A large part of the reason is a lack of money and support.

The Constellation Program, proposed by George W. Bush's administration, hoped to return to the moon no later than 2020. It, however, was canceled by the Obama administration after the financial crisis. President Donald Trump has pushed for a return since taking office, but has equivocated on whether travel to the moon or Mars should take priority.

"Any project as complex as Apollo requires three things: resources, technology and - most important - the will to do it," Apollo 7 astronaut Walt Cunningham said in 2015. He pointed out that NASA's portion of the federal budget peaked at 4 percent in 1965 and has remained minimal ever since. "For the past 40 years, it has remained below 1 percent and for the last 15 years it has been driving toward 0.4 percent of the federal budget," he said. "Manned exploration is the most expensive space venture and consequently, the most difficult for which to obtain political support." (6/18)

New Report Finds NASA Awarded Boeing Large Fees Despite SLS Launch Slips (Source: Ars Technica)
As NASA talks up its Artemis Program to return humans to the Moon by the year 2024, a new report from the US Government Accountability Office raises questions about the space agency's ability to build the spacecraft and rockets intended to carry out that mission. Instead of launching in 2020, the Artemis-1 mission that will see a Space Launch System rocket boost an uncrewed Orion spacecraft around the Moon will instead launch as late as June 2021, the GAO report finds.

NASA also appears to have been obscuring the true cost of its development programs, particularly with the large SLS rocket, which has Boeing as its prime contractor. "While NASA acknowledges about $1 billion in cost growth for the SLS program, it is understated," the report found. "This is because NASA shifted some planned SLS scope to future missions but did not reduce the program’s cost baseline accordingly. When GAO reduced the baseline to account for the reduced scope, the cost growth is about $1.8 billion."

NASA now estimates that it will spend about $10 billion to develop the rocket and associated ground systems at Kennedy Space Center, where the vehicle will launch from. This figure assumes the vehicle does not encounter additional technical problems during the test and qualification phase of the hardware—which is where such problems typically arise. Despite these delays, the report found that NASA has continued to pay Boeing substantial award fees. NASA assessed Boeing's performance on development of the SLS rocket's core stage as "good," "very good," and "excellent" at various times. The agency gave Boeing $271 million in award fees during this period, even after the rocket's scheduled launch continued to slip. (6/19)

Problems Persist with “Moon 2024” (Source: Doctor Linda)
What did GAO conclude? “NASA’s SLS, Orion, and EGS [ground support] programs NASA “has been unable to achieve agreed-to cost and schedule performance” for SLS, Orion, and ground support systems. “NASA acknowledges that future delays to the June 2020 launch date are likely, but the agency’s approach in estimating cost growth for the SLS and Orion programs is misleading. And it does not provide decision makers, including the Administrator, complete cost data with which to assess whether Congress needs to be notified of a cost increase, pursuant to law.

By not using a similar set of assumptions regarding what costs are included in the SLS baseline and updated SLS cost estimates, NASA is underreporting the magnitude of the program’s cost growth. Similarly, NASA is underreporting the Orion program’s cost performance by measuring cost growth to an earlier-than-agreed-to schedule date. As a result, Congress and the public continue to accept further delays to the launch of the first mission without a clear understanding of the costs associated with those delays.” (6/19)

Commercial Space Companies Have Received $7.2 Billion in Government Investment Since 2000 (Source: The Verge)
Early investments from a government agency, like NASA or the Air Force, can be a crucial step in the evolution of commercial space companies from scrappy startups to successful businesses. That’s according to a new report from Space Angels, an investment firm focused on the space industry, which quantified how much money government agencies have invested in private aerospace firms over the last 18 years.

The analysis reveals just how important a role the government still plays in the private space industry. It found that early public investment can sometimes be the difference between life and death for a company. “I think it’s really important for people to recognize that it isn’t just the private sector deciding to do something,” Chad Anderson, CEO of Space Angels said. (6/19)

SpinLaunch Secures First Launch Services Contract (Source: SpaceRef)
Jonathan Yaney, founder, and CEO of SpinLaunch, has announced that the company has been awarded a responsive launch prototype contract from the Department of Defense (DOD), facilitated by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). SpinLaunch is developing a kinetic energy-based launch system that will provide the world’s lowest-cost orbital launch services for the rapidly growing small satellite industry. In 2018, the company received $40 million in a Series A financing round from Airbus Ventures, Google Ventures, and Kleiner Perkins.

The recently published State of the Space Industrial Base states that the future and growth of the U.S. space economy is “critically dependent on continuing reductions in the costs and risks associated with launch. There is a bifurcation of launch providers between lower-cost, “bulk” carriers...and higher-cost, ‘niche’ providers offering lower lift-mass, but launch to a specific orbit.” (6/19)

NASA Invests $45M in US Small Businesses for Space Tech Development (Source: Space Daily)
American businesses will help NASA land astronauts on the Moon in five years and establish a sustainable presence there, as part of the agency's larger Moon to Mars exploration approach. NASA has selected 363 proposals from small businesses and research institutions across 41 states to help advance the types of capabilities needed for those future missions, as well as to support the agency in other areas.

These selections have an estimated value of more than $45 million and are part of NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Editor's Note: Ten Florida-based SBIR and STTR projects were awarded. Click here. (6/19) 

Most Comprehensive Search for Radio Technosignatures (Source: Space Daily)
Breakthrough Listen - the astronomical program searching for signs of intelligent life in the universe - has submitted two publications to leading astrophysics journals, describing the analysis of its first three years of radio observations and the availability of a petabyte of radio and optical telescope data. This represents the largest release of SETI data in the history of its field.

Listen is performing detailed observations of a sample of 1,702 nearby stars (within about 160 light-years from Earth) using the Green Bank Radio Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia and CSIRO's Parkes Radio Telescope in Australia. In addition, exploration of a wide swath of our galaxy's disk is underway at Parkes, observations of a one-million-star sample will soon commence at the MeerKAT telescope in South Africa, Lick Observatory's Automated Planet Finder is being used to search for optical signals, and collaborations continue to grow with a number of partner facilities across the globe.

These techniques include searches for powerful signals occupying a narrow range of radio frequencies, and scans for bright lasers used for communication or propulsion, as well as new algorithms built on machine learning techniques that are being used to study unexplained astrophysical phenomena in addition to the technosignature search. Breakthrough Listen has now submitted a more wide-ranging and detailed analysis of 1,327 nearby stars (almost 80% of Listen's nearby star sample), observed over the last three years. (6/19)

Swedish Space Corporation to Introduce a New Service for Easy Access to Space (Source: Space Daily)
SSC is currently developing Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden with both new capabilities and services. A testbed for reusable rockets is currently being established, and SSC aims at launching small satellites in a couple of years. In addition, SSC is now introducing a new flight ticket service for suborbital space flights, accessible and affordable for both current and new types of customers. The new concept introduces both the opportunity to fly fractional payloads, ranging from only a few kg up to 800 kg, and a substantially more frequent flight schedule.

The flight ticket service is carried out jointly between SSC and DLR MORABA within the EuroLaunch partnership. SSC has launched more than 560 suborbital rockets from Esrange Space Center since the 1966. At Esrange, SSC also operates one of the world largest ground stations for satellite control and data reception. This legacy gives SSC a unique position in the European space community. For scientists and researchers using microgravity as a tool, the new flight ticket concept SubOrbital Express covers a complete set of services ranging from a flight ticket including launch, quick and safe land recovery to customized services such as design and development of experiment payload modules. (6/19)

European Reusable Launch Systems for More Sustainability in Spaceflight (Source: Space Daily)
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and five European companies have teamed up in the RETro Propulsion Assisted Landing Technologies (RETALT) project to jointly advance the research and development of key technologies for European vertical-landing launch vehicles. The consortium will spend three years examining the aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics - that is, in-flight surface temperatures - flight dynamics during both the outward and return flight phases, and navigation and control, as well as structural components, materials and mechanisms.

"Reusable space transport systems equipped with retropropulsion are already being used in the United States. The images and videos from SpaceX were a global sensation. It might therefore be surprising to learn that the physical phenomena underlying the technologies are not yet fully understood, but it is true. As things stand, we are lacking high-quality, experimental data from wind tunnel tests and ground-based demonstrations," says Ali Gulhan, RETALT Project Coordinator. (6/19)

A Rocket for UK's Highland Spaceport Plan (Source: The Times)
Doubts have been cast on the suitability of the site chosen as the location for Britain’s first major spaceport. The UK Space Agency announced last year that the A’Mhoine peninsula in the Highlands had been selected as the best place in Britain from which to reach highly sought-after satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets.

However, research has questioned why a “wild land” site covered by environmental designations was chosen for the Sutherland spaceport (SSP). It also casts doubts on claims that 40 “high-quality jobs” would be created, suggesting “the jobs which will be available to local people have been stated as housekeeping and security”. (6/18)

NASA Spacecraft Snaps Detailed Asteroid Picture from Closest Orbit Yet (Source: The Verge)
NASA’s asteroid-sampling spacecraft OSIRIS-REx just snapped its closest picture yet of Bennu, the deep-space rock it’s been hovering around since the end of last year. The high-resolution image highlights the object’s very rocky surface and even showcases a very large boulder on its southern half. The vehicle first got into Bennu’s orbit on December 31st, 2018, flying about a mile away from the asteroid’s surface. From that path, OSIRIS-REx mapped Bennu’s surface in intricate detail, and also observed some interesting things from this vantage point, including rocks spewing from Bennu’s surface. (6/17)

Two Potentially Life-Friendly Planets Found Orbiting a Nearby Star (Source: National Geographic)
A tiny, old star just 12 light-years away might host two temperate, rocky planets, astronomers announced today. If they’re confirmed, both of the newly spotted worlds are nearly identical to Earth in mass, and both planets are in orbits that could allow liquid water to trickle and puddle on their surfaces.

Scientists estimate that the stellar host, known as Teegarden’s star, is at least eight billion years old, or nearly twice the sun’s age. That means any planets orbiting it are presumably as ancient, so life as we know it has had more than enough time to evolve. And for now, the star is remarkably quiet, with few indications of the tumultuous stellar quakes and flares that tend to erupt from such objects. (6/18)

Space Force Nears Approval as First New Military Arm Since 1947 (Source: Bloomberg)
The Pentagon’s proposed Space Force, vying to be the first new branch of the military created in more than 70 years, may now be a done deal with just the name and structural details left to hash out. The House Armed Services Committee under a Democratic majority voted Thursday for what it calls Space Corps, following a similar move last month by the GOP-led Senate backing a Space Force—the name President Trump coined. While initially met with skepticism in Congress, the panels almost certainly will greenlight the dedicated unit in the final defense authorization bill this year.

Specifics such as the Space Force structure still need to be worked out. House appropriators are also angling to restrict funding due to their own questions and doubts. But the Pentagon and Trump, who has touted Space Force, are now headed for a major victory with the creation of the first separate service branch since the Air Force was formed in 1947.

Editor's Note: This article suggests the differences between a Space Corps and a Space Force are minor "structural details." A Space Corps is technically not a new military service; it is a branch of the Air Force. A Space Force is a much bigger deal. (6/18)

Top DoD Official Shank Resigns; SCO Moving To DARPA (Source: Breaking Defense)
"My integrity and belief in SCO’s mission is more important to me than my friendship over many years with Mike (Griffin).” That is why the head of the Pentagon’s vaunted Strategic Capabilities Office, Chris Shank, has resigned rather than see his office transferred to DARPA. Griffin called Shank into his office on Friday and told him the office would be transferred and asked for Shank’s resignation. He agreed and immediately resigned.

Griffin has pushed hard for the transfer of the SCO but Rep. Mac Thornberry, top HASC Republican, added language calling for more study of the move in the HASC National Defense Authorization Act markup last Wednesday. The Senate Armed Services Committee added similar language. They are not alone in opposing the transfer of SCO, which has been seen as the lead Pentagon office for taking advanced technologies and getting them into the hands of troops quickly, within two to five years. (6/17)

Shanahan Withdraws as Defense Secretary Nominee, and Mark Esper Is Named Acting Pentagon Chief (Source: New York Times)
President Trump withdrew the nomination of Patrick Shanahan to be the permanent defense secretary, leaving the Pentagon in transition at a time of escalating tensions with Iran and questions about the role of the military on the border with Mexico. Mr. Shanahan, a former Boeing executive who had been serving as the acting defense secretary, announced his resignation as an F.B.I. background investigation, conducted on all cabinet nominees, was continuing because of incidents of family violence.

Mr. Shanahan’s ex-wife had accused him of punching her in the stomach, which Mr. Shanahan has denied. He said his ex-wife started the fight, and his spokesman said she was arrested and charged with domestic violence. The charges were eventually dropped. Mr. Trump named Mark T. Esper, the secretary of the Army and a former Raytheon executive, to take over as acting secretary of defense. He did not say whether Mr. Esper would be nominated for the permanent position. (6/18)

Trump Admin Hid Shanahan’s Dark Past, Senators Say (Source: Daily Beast)
The senators tasked with vetting Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan say they were unaware of the accusations of domestic violence in his family that led to his resignation Tuesday. The altercations never came up during Shanahan’s 2017 confirmation hearing for the position of Deputy Secretary of Defense, lawmakers told The Daily Beast, nor did it arise as he was preparing to assume the role of Pentagon chief permanently.

“We’ve been wondering why we have not gotten an FBI report. It has seemed slow to us. And now we understand why,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, adding that he “didn’t know” about Shanahan's ex-wife’s arrest for punching Shanahan in the face, nor his son’s arrest for attacking his mother with a baseball bat, until reports surfaced in USA Today and the Washington Post about the alleged incidents. (6/18)

Leading the World and Beyond in Commercial Space Transportation (Source: FAA)
Before an aerospace industry Commercial Space Panel at the Paris Air Show today, Acting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Daniel K. Elwell told participants that the Department of Transportation is building a regulatory framework to retain United States leadership and enable the limitless potential and possibilities of commercial space.

Elwell credited much of the success of the United States in commercial space transportation to the administration’s approach to make sure regulatory requirements do not hamstring industry. Recently, the FAA put forward a proposed rulemaking to streamline and get rid of rules that have outlived their usefulness, are duplicative, or unnecessarily burdensome. Two more rulemakings are being prepared to improve how FAA oversees spaceports and provide better access and interaction with commercial space and air traffic operations.

Elwell cited ever-increasing launch activity as evidence in the vibrancy and growth of the commercial space sector: 23 successful launches in 2017; 33 successful launches in 2018, a new record; and as many as 41 launches are on the calendar for this year. (6/18)

National Security Space Launch Program Headed for NDAA Conference Fight (Source: Space News)
The House and Senate Armed Services Committees don’t see eye to eye on the National Security Space Launch program. In its markup of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, the SASC reaffirmed the Air Force’s position that the NSSL Phase 2 competition must stay on schedule and no more than two providers should be selected.

HASC Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA), a long time critic of the Air Force’s launch program, inserted provisions in the HASC bill that would add some competition at the end of Phase 2 and creates a $500 million fund that could be accessed by SpaceX if it wins a Phase 2 contract. These two different visions will have to be reconciled in conference. (6/18)

As It Plans LEO Constellations, DoD Must Prepare to Deal with Congestion (Source: Space News)
The buzzword in military space these days is “proliferated LEO,” which is Pentagon-speak for large numbers of small satellites in low Earth orbit. The first project of the newly created Space Development Agency will be to design a proliferated LEO architecture and figure out how it can support military activities in space such as missile detection, communications and global navigation. SDA Director Fred Kennedy believes that within a few years, DoD will be able to shift some capabilities from large spacecraft in higher orbits to small satellites closer to Earth.

Now we’re hearing that the National Reconnaissance Office is likewise ready to jump on the LEO bandwagon to take advantage of lower cost satellites and cheaper launch services. With a proliferated constellation of dozens of spacecraft, the government can take more risks, says Troy Meink, director of NRO’s geospatial intelligence directorate. “You can have a higher failure rate and be able to deal with that. Losing two out of 10 is not as bad as losing one of two.” With the benefits of LEO come concerns, however. One is the growing congestion and danger of not knowing exactly what is up there. (6/16)

UCF is Part of NASA Cassini Mission That Reveals New Details about Saturn’s Rings (Source: UCF)
Even though NASA’s Cassini spacecraft’s mission to Saturn ended in 2017, scientists are still poring over the copious amounts of data it transmitted. Now, in a new paper that appeared in Science on Friday and includes two University of Central Florida co-authors, researchers are offering glimpses into the nature and composition of the mighty planet’s legendary rings by using data from some of the closest observations ever made of the main rings.

The paper is a big picture and detailed look at the planet’s rings and includes an analysis of Cassini’s “grand finale” observations made before the spacecraft’s planned crash into the planet on Sept. 15, 2017. The study reports the rings, which are comprised of icy particles ranging from the size of a marble to the size of a car, have three distinct textures – clumpy, smooth and streaky – and that tiny moons exist within the rings and interact with surrounding particles. (6/17)

Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor - 2019-2020 Report (Source: GCAC)
The purpose of this research and the resulting book is to provide a framework to understand aerospace and aviation activities in the region between Southeast Louisiana and Northwest Florida. And what do we mean by framework?

 It’s one thing to know jetliners are built in Mobile, Ala. Another to realize final assembly work on another type of aircraft is done 35 miles away in Moss Point, Miss. It’s a matter of context - know what is going on in your back yard and the neighbor’s back yard.  This year’s edition provides additional context by looking at aerospace and aviation activities in all four states of which this region is a part. It makes it all the more clear the unique role of the Interstate 10 region, the only area where the economic interests of all four of those states come together. Click here. (6/18)

Krispy Kreme Debuts Doughnut for Apollo 11 Moon Landing 50th (Source: CollectSPACE)
Krispy Kreme is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing with the launch of a new type of doughnut. The sweet-treat retailer on Monday (June 17) introduced the "Original Filled," a twist on its classic Original Glazed doughnut now with a choice of two fillings: "Classic Kreme" and "Chocolate Kreme." More than just an anniversary offering, the Original Filled doughnut is now part of Krispy Kreme's permanent menu. (6/17)

NASA Boss Says 'No Doubt' SpaceX Explosion Delays Flight Program (Source: Reuters)
The explosion that destroyed a SpaceX astronaut taxi in April “no doubt” delays NASA’s drive to return Americans to the International Space Station from U.S. soil later this year, the U.S. space agency’s chief said. But NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine stopped short of offering a clear flight timeline for its multibillion-dollar Commercial Crew Program, and said he would not prejudge the results of an investigation into the incident.

“There is no doubt the schedule will change,” Bridenstine told reporters at the Paris Airshow. “It won’t be what was originally planned.” Bridenstine’s comments cast fresh doubt on billionaire Elon Musk’s goal of returning astronauts to the orbiting research lab from U.S. soil this year, though a person familiar with the matter said SpaceX has privately expressed confidence that it can rebound. (6/18)

North of the Cape, Developer Eyes Volusia Square Shopping Center for Aerospace Hub (Source: Daytona Beach News Journal)
The aging Volusia Square shopping center near the International Speedway is mostly empty storefronts these days, but a California developer has emerged with an ambitious plan to change that. Not by attracting big-box retailers to fill the vacancies created by the departures in recent years of Toys ‘R’ Us, Hobby Lobby, TJMaxx, hhgregg and other tenants.

Instead, developer Chad Hagle is proposing to convert the shopping center into an aerospace business park for companies interested in becoming part of the Space Coast’s growing private commercial space flight industry. Hagle has yet to close on his purchase of the shopping center, but he has already begun marketing the Volusia Square property under a new name: Space Square. He also posted an aerial photo showing how close the Space Square site is to Daytona Beach International Airport and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

That posting was accompanied by Hagle’s comment: “Daytona is a hub for aerospace. The future is bright.” Local business leaders had nothing but praise for Hagle’s plans. “This (Space Square) could provide a home for companies that may not be an exact fit for the Embry-Riddle (aviation/aerospace) research park,” said Keith Norden, CEO of Team Volusia Economic Development Corp. (6/16)

Russian Firm Unveils Lunar Program Concept (Source: TASS)
The Central Research Institute of Machine-Building (TsNIIMash), which is the lead research organization of Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos, unveiled the concept of the country’s lunar exploration program on Monday. As the TsNIIMash materials indicate, the first landing on the Earth’s natural satellite is planned for 2023. Cosmonauts will carry out "experiments on the surface and applied research." During this period, automated space ships will also be operating on the Moon’s surface.

After that, regular missions to the Moon are planned along with the deployment of a permanent lunar base. The basic stage is scheduled for 2032 - 2035. The permanent base is planned to be deployed precisely by 2035. During regular missions, "re-transmitters, energy modules and robotized systems" will be deployed on the surface of the Earth’s natural satellite, the materials say. At this stage, cosmonauts will carry out scientific experiments on the surface. (6/17)