July 31, 2019

Humans Will Never Colonize Mars (Source: Gizmodo)
The suggestion that humans will soon set up bustling, long-lasting colonies on Mars is something many of us take for granted. What this lofty vision fails to appreciate, however, are the monumental—if not intractable—challenges awaiting colonists who want to permanently live on Mars. Unless we radically adapt our brains and bodies to the harsh Martian environment, the Red Planet will forever remain off limits to humans.

The Red Planet is a cold, dead place, with an atmosphere about 100 times thinner than Earth’s. The paltry amount of air that does exist on Mars is primarily composed of noxious carbon dioxide, which does little to protect the surface from the Sun’s harmful rays. Air pressure on Mars is very low; at 600 Pascals, it’s only about 0.6 percent that of Earth. You might as well be exposed to the vacuum of space, resulting in a severe form of the bends—including ruptured lungs, dangerously swollen skin and body tissue, and ultimately death.

The thin atmosphere also means that heat cannot be retained at the surface. The average temperature on Mars is -81 degrees Fahrenheit (-63 degrees Celsius), with temperatures dropping as low as -195 degrees F (-126 degrees C). By contrast, the coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was at Vostok Station in Antarctica, at -128 degrees F (-89 degrees C) on June 23, 1982. Once temperatures get below the -40 degrees F/C mark, people who aren’t properly dressed for the occasion can expect hypothermia to set in within about five to seven minutes. Click here. (7/30)

NASA Announces US Industry Partnerships to Advance Moon, Mars Technology (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected 13 U.S. companies for 19 partnerships to mature industry-developed space technologies and help maintain American leadership in space. NASA centers will partner with the companies, which range from small businesses with fewer than a dozen employees to large aerospace organizations, to provide expertise, facilities, hardware and software at no cost. The partnerships will advance the commercial space sector and help bring new capabilities to market that could benefit future NASA missions.

The projects supported by Kennedy Space Center include a SpaceX project "to advance their technology to vertically land large rockets on the Moon. This includes advancing models to assess engine plume interaction with lunar regolith"; and a Lockheed Martin project "to test technologies and operations for autonomous in-space plant growth systems. Integrating robotics with plant systems could help NASA harvest plants on future platforms in deep space." Click here. (7/30)

NASA Announces Call for Next Phase of Commercial Lunar Payload Services (Source: NASA)
NASA has announced the latest opportunity for industry to participate in its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) efforts to deliver science and technology payloads to and near the Moon. The newest announcement calls for companies to push the boundaries of current technology to support the next generation of lunar landers that can land heavier payloads on the surface of the Moon, including the South Pole, as part of the agency’s Artemis program, which will send the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024, setting the stage for future human exploration of Mars.

NASA anticipates the need for both small and mid-size lunar landers to enable a variety of science investigations and larger technology demonstration payloads that will meet science objectives and human exploration goals. Future payloads could include rovers, power sources, science experiments, and technology to be infused into the Artemis program. Any companies newly selected under this call will join the nine CLPS providers already contracted to provide services to the lunar surface to support NASA exploration priorities and use the Moon as a proving ground for systems and technologies that will enable humans to explore Mars. (7/30)

Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage to be Converted into a Historical Museum (Source: Florida Today)
After the Civil War, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse's keepers and their families lived "lonely, hot, buggy" lives amid salt marsh mosquitoes, armadillos and coral snakes along the desolate shoreline. The 151-foot-tall lighthouse was crafted of cast iron — so it functioned "like a pizza oven" during sweltering summer months, described James Underwood, president of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation.

The museum may open by early November, Underwood  Located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the historic lighthouse was completed in 1868 near the beach. Threatened by shoreline erosion, crews and mule-drawn carriages hauled the lighthouse inland, where workers reassembled and re-lit the tower in July 1894 atop the Florida sand roughly 1 mile from the Cape's eastern tip.

"This building has, in all these years, just a 3-degree tilt. Considering the Leaning Tower (of Pisa), we don't have that problem," Brooks told a tour group Thursday. "It really is an amazing structure. It is still functioning. It's one of the few lighthouses in America that is still working," Brooks said. (7/30)

Lockheed Martin Set to Unveil Navy Fleet Ballistic Missile Operation in Titusville (Source: Florida Today)
Lockheed Martin on Tuesday will officially mark the transition of its fleet ballistic missile headquarters from California to the Space Coast, reinforcing the region's critical role in the nation's nuclear deterrence triad. During a morning ceremony at its Titusville facility, company, local and military officials will gather to mark the move of the program that supports submarine-launched Trident missiles.

Test flights are often conducted – unannounced in advance for security reasons – by the Navy's Naval Ordnance Test Unit off the coast of Cape Canaveral. Of the 700 program employees once in Sunnyvale, California, a total of 350 have already found or will find their way to the Titusville campus. The remainder were transitioned to roles in Colorado. (7/30)

This Apollo 11 Experiment is Still Happening on the Moon (Source: CNN)
When astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the surface of the moon 50 years ago, they took photos, collected lunar rock samples and left behind an experiment that's still sending back data. Aldrin placed an array -- an arrangement of 100 quartz glass prisms in rows -- on the surface. Later, the Apollo 14 and 15 missions would also add similar arrays to the surface. The simple experiment doesn't require any power, which is why it's still serving a purpose.

The arrays reflect light, which is full of valuable insight, back towards Earth. Observatories in Italy, France, Germany and New Mexico regularly aim lasers at the arrays and note the time it takes for the light to return to Earth, according to NASA. Scientists can measure that distance down to a few millimeters. This allows researchers to determine the moon's orbit, rotation and its current orientation, which will be needed to land on the moon. They also act like mile markers for the cameras attached to spacecraft. (7/29)

Sun’s Puzzling Plasma Recreated in a Laboratory (Source: Quanta)
The sun’s magnetic fields form enormous loops that extend from the sun’s surface into space. Some of these loops are small enough to fit entirely within the sun’s corona, while others stretch to the edges of the solar system. In general, these loops trap plasmas because charged particles travel along magnetic fields rather than across them. Some plasmas escape from the sun by following the loops that extend far into the solar system. These plasmas become the so-called “fast” solar wind.

Scientists think that blobs of plasma can also break out of the smaller loops to generate the “slow” solar wind. The loops break and reattach themselves in a process called reconnection, sloughing off some of the trapped plasma. But the details of where and how magnetic reconnection happens have eluded us. So a team of researchers decided to try to re-create the sun’s magnetic field structure in a ball of plasma in their laboratory. (7/30)

Russia Launches Military Satellite (Source: TASS)
Russia launched a military communications satellite early Tuesday. The Soyuz-2.1a rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 1:56 a.m. Eastern and placed the Meridian-M satellite into its planned orbit. The satellite will provide communications services from its inclined, elliptical Molniya orbit. (7/30)

X-37B Foils Tracking Attempts (Source: Popular Mechanics)
Former Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson says the Air Force's unmanned space plane, the X-37B has capabilities to avoid tracking by US adversaries. "They don't know where it is going to come up next, and we know that that drives them nuts," she said while speaking at the Aspen Security Forum. Click here. (7/29)

Air Force Seeks Transfer of Appropriated Funds to Missile Warning Satellites (Source: Space News)
The Air Force is asking Congress to transfer funding previously appropriated for other programs to its next-generation missile warning satellites. A request submitted by the Air Force earlier this month would shift $93.2 million from programs funded in fiscal year 2019 and $67.5 million from programs funded in fiscal year 2018 for the next-generation Overhead Persistent Infrared system, or next-gen OPIR. The $160 million request submitted this month is far smaller than the $632 million reprogramming that Air Force officials said months ago was needed to deliver next-gen OPIR by 2025, but the service didn't explain why the request has been reduced. (7/30)

OrbitBeyond Backs Out of NASA Lunar Deal (Source: Space News)
One of the first companies awarded contracts by NASA for commercial lunar lander services has backed out. OrbitBeyond informed NASA that "internal corporate challenges" would prevent it from carrying out a $97 million task order awarded by NASA at the end of May for a lunar lander mission scheduled for September 2020. The company didn't elaborate on the reasons it was not able to perform the mission. OrbitBeyond, along with Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines, received awards from NASA as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. OrbitBeyond will still be eligible for future CLPS task orders. (7/30)

Hyten Poised for Confirmation (Source: Breaking Defense)
Air Force Gen. John Hyten, arguably the leader of the military space community, appears before the Senate today regarding his nomination to become vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Much of his confirmation hearing this morning by the Senate Armed Services Committee is likely to center on allegations of sexual misconduct made by a former Army officer who worked for him. An internal Air Force investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing, but some question the way the Pentagon handled the case. Hyten, currently the head of U.S. Strategic Command, has been dubbed the "real father of the Space Force" for his advocacy of space issues. (7/30)

Italy to Increase Space Projects with “Mirror Programs” of European Agencies (Source: Space News)
Italy is seeking to increase the capabilities of its space sector through programs that mirror European initiatives. Italian Space Agency President Giorgio Saccoccia said the Ital-GovSatCom satellite contract announced last week inaugurates an initiative to create "mirror programs" where Italy provides its own supplemental spacecraft to European Commission-led programs. That effort could include in the future spacecraft linked to the Galileo navigation and Copernicus Earth observations programs by the EU. The $335 million Ital-GovSatCom is being financed through a public-private partnership, with the private sector paying half the cost of the satellite. (7/30)

Arianespace Reschedules Ariane 5 to Aug. 6 (Source: Arianespace)
Arianespace has rescheduled an Ariane 5 launch postponed by the Vega launch failure. The company said Monday the Ariane 5 launch of the Intelsat 39 and ERDS-C satellites is now scheduled for Aug. 6 from French Guiana. The launch was scheduled for this month but postponed in order to study common systems between the Ariane 5 and the Vega after the Vega launch failure earlier this month. (7/30)

Japan Schedules Cargo Launch to ISS in September (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
The next Japanese cargo spacecraft to the ISS is scheduled for launch in September. The Japanese space agency JAXA announced Monday that the HTV-8 cargo spacecraft will launch on an HTV rocket Sept. 10. The spacecraft will deliver 3.5 metric tons of cargo to the station, including six new batteries for the station's power system. (7/30)

Swedish SmallSat Express Planned for 2021 Launch (Source: Swedish Space Corp.)
To meet the increasing need for launch opportunities for small satellites, CubeSats in particular, SSC has initiated SmallSat Express, a European launch capability for small satellites. In 2021, Swedish Space Corporation plans to launch satellites from Esrange outside of Kiruna in the North of Sweden. (7/30)

China Moving to Normalize Sea Launch Operations at Port City (Source: Weixin)
In June of this year, the Long March 11 rocket developed by China Aerospace Science and Technology Group arrived at Haiyang Port, Yantai, Shandong Province, and successfully completed its first sea launch mission. It is reported that the "China Eastern Space Port" project is planned to be implemented within the year, and it is planned to build China's first sea launching mother port in Haiyang to promote high-frequency, normalization and systemization of sea launch. (7/30)

A New Path for Space Investment? (Source: Space Review)
A lot of money has flowed into space startups in recent years, but there have been few exits by companies that were acquired or went public. Jeff Foust reports on Virgin Galactic’s non-traditional approach to raising money and going public, and whether other companies will follow its lead. Click here. (7/29)
 
How Space Technology Benefits the Earth (Source: Space Review)
There are many examples, both well-known and more obscure, of how space applications provide benefits, and produce profits, on Earth. Jeff Greenblatt and Al Anzaldua outline both those existing applications and those that may emerge in the near and long term. Click here. (7/29)
 
The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary at EAA AirVenture (Source: Space Review)
One of the final commemorations of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 took place last week at the EAA AirVenture show. Eric Hedman provides an overview of how Mike Collins and others in attendance reflected on the mission. Click here. (7/29)
 
Apollo as Viewed From a Jungle (Source: Space Review)
When Apollo 11 returned to Earth 50 years ago this month, one young boy listened to the spacecraft’s return in a remote part of India. Ajay Kothari describes how that inspired him to pursue a career in aerospace, and how it can be an inspiration again for a return to the Moon. Click here. (7/29)

Russia Launches Cargo to Space Station (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
Russia launched a Progress spacecraft on a quick trip to the International Space Station Wednesday. The Soyuz-2.1a lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodome at 8:10 a.m. Eastern, placing the Progress MS-12 spacecraft into orbit less than 10 minutes later. The Progress is making a two-orbit approach to the ISS, with docking scheduled for 11:35 a.m. Eastern. That same approach will be used for crewed Soyuz missions to the ISS starting next year. The Progress is bringing about two and a half metric tons of cargo and other supplies for the station. (7/31)

Hyten Wins Support for Nomination (Source: Space News)
Air Force Gen. John Hyten won key endorsements Tuesday in support of his nomination to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. At a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, former Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson said allegations of sexual misconduct by Hyten were false. Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ), a committee member and who herself a victim of sexual assault when she served in the Air Force, also said Hyten was innocent.

The majority of the committee members at the hearing, including chairman Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), said they supported his nomination. Hyten, the current head of U.S. Strategic Command, was asked about space issues at the hearing, and said while there's a "good transition" for creating a Space Force in the Senate's defense authorization bill, he had issues about making the head of Space Command also the leader of the new Space Force. (7/31)

Challenges Ahead for ISS (Source: Space News)
NASA's ISS program manager said there are "significant challenges" ahead for the station because of uncertainty of when commercial crew vehicles will enter service. Kirk Shireman, speaking at the ISS R&D Conference Tuesday, said there's "significant uncertainty" about when Boeing and SpaceX will be ready to start routine missions carrying astronauts to and from the station. He said the agency was looking at a number of options involving crew time and resources on the station, depending on when those vehicles are ready. While the transition to commercial crew vehicles may be shaky, he said he was optimistic that NASA will soon enjoy a "normal cadence" of missions again. (7/31)

Intelsat Believes Satellite Loss Not Caused by Design Flaw (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
Intelsat believes an external event, and not a design flaw, disabled one of its satellites earlier this year. The company announced Tuesday that investigators concluded either a harness flaw in conjunction with electrostatic discharge linked to solar weather activity, or a micrometeorid impact, caused the sudden failure of the Intelsat 29e satellite in April. The investigation appeared to rule out an issue with the design of the Boeing-built satellite that could affect other Intelsat satellites. Intelsat stated that it concluded there was a "very low risk" of a similar problem occurring on those other satellites. (7/31)

China Using SpaceX-Style Grid Fins to Control Stage Falls (Source: Space News)
A recent Chinese launch used technology similar to that on SpaceX's Falcon 9 to guide the descent of the rocket's first stage. The Long March 2C launch last week was the first time the rocket flew with grid fins attached to the first stage. The fins were used to guide the first stage to a more precise drop zone, addressing concerns about spent stages falling on towns and villages. The technology is also a step toward controlled descent and landings, which could lead to reuse of rocket stages. (7/31)

China's iSpace to Increase Launch Rate (Source: Reuters)
Chinese commercial launch company iSpace plans to increase its launch rate now that it has successfully reached orbit. The company's Hyperbola-1 rocket successfully launched several payloads into low Earth orbit last week, making it the first private country in China to reach orbit. With that sucecss under its belt, iSpace says it will perform up to eight launches next year. It was also critical of other Chinese startups that have tried and failed to reach orbit: "If you don't have a rocket that can go into orbit, that shows that you don't have a product. What business model can you speak of then?" a company vice president said. (7/31)

Japan and India Discuss Lunar Collaboration (Source: NHK)
A Japanese government official confirmed that discussions are underway with India about a joint lunar mission. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday Japan's space agency, JAXA, is in talks with its Indian counterpart, ISRO, about a lunar lander mission, but offered few details about the mission itself. Reports in India last week after the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-2 mission said that a Chandrayaan-3 mission in the early 2020s could be done in cooperation with Japan. (7/31)

SpaceX Tests Next-Gen Rocket Starhopper in Texas, Builds in Florida (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceX is marching on with tests of its next-generation Starship rocket and spacecraft, with test fires in Texas and construction in Florida. Elon Musk tweeted video showing a test on Thursday of a prototype for the new system, called Starhopper, at the company's facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The test was a short launch, or hop, that lifted the Starhopper a few dozen meters into the air, untethered. The company is testing how its new engine, the Raptor, will work with the new Starship.

The Texas video, shot from a drone, showed the shiny metal Starhopper, which is covered in stainless steel, lifting off as it was surrounded by a large cloud of smoke. Tests have not been obvious at the Florida location, which is in an isolated industrial park in Cocoa, but a tall prototype of the Starship is visible from the surrounding area. Musk previously said both Florida and Texas sites will make many Starships. (7/31)

3D Printed Rocket Fuel Comparison at James Cook University (Source: Space Daily)
James Cook University scientists in Australia are using 3D printing to create fuels for rockets, and using tailor-made rocket motors they've built to test the fuels. JCU lecturer in mechanical engineering Dr Elsa Antunes led the study, which made use of the revolutionary and rapidly advancing 3D printing technology. The JCU scientists 3D printed fuel grains (solid, plastic-based fuel) for the hybrid rockets using plastics and other materials. (7/31)