Spaceflight Consistently
Affects the Gut Microbiome (Source: Space Daily)
A new Northwestern University study discovered that spaceflight - both
aboard a space shuttle or the International Space Station (ISS) - has a
consistent effect on the gut microbiome. The Northwestern researchers
developed a novel analytical tool to compare microbiome data from mice
as far back as 2011. Called STARMAPS (Similarity Test for Accordant and
Reproducible Microbiome Abundance Patterns), the tool indicates that
spaceflight causes a specific, consistent change on the abundance,
ratios and diversity of bacteria in the gut.
Perhaps most surprisingly, the team also used STARMAPS to compare
spaceflight data to data collected from Earth-based studies on the
effects of radiation on the gut. They effectively ruled out space
radiation as the cause of changes in the microbiome during spaceflight.
"Radiation definitely has an effect on the gut microbiome," said
Northwestern's Martha Vitaterna, who led the study. "But those effects
do not look like what we saw in spaceflight." (8/22)
Boeing’s $1-Billion ‘Kill
Vehicle’ Contract for Missile Defense is Killed (Source:
LA Times)
The Pentagon canceled a Boeing Co. contract for a “kill vehicle”
envisioned to shoot down missiles from North Korea or Iran, the latest
setback for a next-generation system that has struggled to prove its
effectiveness. The termination of the Redesigned Kill Vehicle comes as
the maker of the interceptor’s warhead, Raytheon Co., continued to
struggle with design and manufacturing problems that increased costs,
the Missile Defense Agency said in a statement Wednesday. Boeing had
received a $1-billion contract in May 2017 for the project. (8/21)
After Florida Launch,
Five More Delta-4 Heavy Missions Remain (Source: Space
News)
After this final launch of the single-stick Delta 4, five Delta 4 Heavy
missions remain. Gary Wentz, ULA's vice president of government and
commercial programs, said this week the last Delta 4 Heavy mission is
currently slated for the second half of 2023. Two Delta 4 Heavy
launches are scheduled for 2020 and two more in 2022 before that 2023
launch, all for the U.S. Air Force and National Reconnaissance Office.
ULA will ultimately phase out the Delta 4 Heavy in favor of the Vulcan
Centaur. (8/22)
Russia Launches Soyuz
Cargo Ship to ISS (Source: Space.com)
An uncrewed Soyuz spacecraft is en route to the International Space
Station after a successful launch last night. The Soyuz-2.1a rocket
lifted off at 11:38 p.m. Eastern from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and
placed the Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft in orbit. The spacecraft will dock
with the ISS early Saturday. The rare uncrewed Soyuz mission was a test
of flying the spacecraft on the Soyuz-2 rocket, as Russia seeks to
phase out the existing Soyuz-FG rocket used for crewed flights. While
no people are on board Soyuz MS-14, the spacecraft does have a humanoid
robot known as Skybot F-850 or FEDOR that will be tested on the
station. (8/22)
Astronauts Install New
Docking Port at ISS (Source: CBS)
Two NASA astronauts installed a new docking port on the ISS during a
spacewalk Wednesday. Nick Hague and Drew Morgan spent six hours and 32
minutes outside the station on a spacewalk to install the International
Docking Adapter (IDA) 3 on the Harmony module. The adapter will allow
commercial crew vehicles to dock with the station. A similar adapter,
IDA-2, is on another Harmony port and was used by the Crew Dragon
spacecraft during its uncrewed test flight in March. (8/21)
Ohio Airport May Be
Renamed For Gene Kranz (Source: Toledo Blade)
The city of Toledo, Ohio, is considering renaming its airport after a
famous NASA flight director. The city's mayor said Wednesday that he's
confident that the local port authority will back a proposal to name
the Toledo Express Airport after Gene Kranz, who was born and raised in
Toledo and became a flight director during the Apollo program. "Change
is hard, but Gene Kranz is exactly the sort of person you should name
an airport after," mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said. (8/22)
Skyrora Reckons it'll Be
Orbital in 3 Years – that is, if UK Government Plays Ball
(Source: The Register)
With two launches of the SkyLark Nano under its belt, Skyrora aim to go
orbital in the coming years - assuming UK Parliament keeps up. The
two-meter solid fuel-powered Skylark Nano was launched this month,
hitting an altitude of 6km and a speed of over 1,800kmph. It was a
repeat performance, with engineers using the mission to check the maths
behind their trajectory calculations.
The rocket, which was recovered by parachute, can be viewed at the
Bayes Centre during the Edinburgh Festival. The company plans to take
things a bit further by the end of the year, according to
communications manager Katie Miller. Describing Skyrora as "a private
company that wishes to conduct commercial launches", Miller laid out
the outfit's ambitious plans for the next three years. (8/22)
What Does the Rise of the
New Philippines Space Agency Mean? (Source: The Diplomat)
Last week, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte finally signed a law
that would pave the way for the creation of a more comprehensive
Philippine policy toward outer space, including the setting up of a new
space agency. The development spotlighted the broader issue of the
evolution of Philippine space policy amid the range of opportunities
and challenges therein as well as wider regional and international
developments.
The Philippines has long had an interest in outer space, including
efforts to build satellites dating back to the 1960s as well as
involvement in aspects of other areas such as education, training, and
international cooperation with countries such as Japan. But the
development of Philippine space policy has been hampered by several
challenges, including the lack of coordination and the establishment of
a single designated space agency. Over the past few years, however,
several bills have been advanced to attempt to address these lingering
obstacles, and this has gained greater traction over the past year with
a piece of legislation going past various rounds of approval. (8/21)
Life May Have Existed on
Warm, Rainy, Ancient Mars Before Winter Came (Source: CNN)
Although Mars seems cold and inhospitable today, it was a different
story 3 billion to 4 billion years ago. A new study suggests that the
Red Planet was once warm enough to host pouring rainstorms and flowing
water, which would have created an environment that could support
simple life. The knowledge of water on ancient Mars has been common for
years, but its form was up for debate. Scientists were unsure whether
the water was trapped in ice or it actually flowed over the surface.
There was also uncertainty over the duration of flowing water if
temperatures were warm enough to allow it.
A warm surface with flowing water supports the idea that life could
have formed independently on the planet's surface. The new study
includes a comparison of mineral deposit patterns with those on Earth,
which paints a picture of one or perhaps even several long-term periods
of a warm Mars with rainstorms and flowing water. Later on, as
temperatures dropped, the water would freeze. (8/21)
One Could Fly to Mars in
This Spacious Habitat and Not Go Crazy (Source: Ars
Technica)
On Wednesday, Sierra Nevada Corporation—the company that makes
aerospace equipment, not beer—showed off its proposed in-space habitat
for the first time. The inflatable habitat is, first and foremost,
large. It measures more than 8 meters long, and with a diameter of 8
meters has an internal volume of 300 cubic meters, which is about
one-third the size of the International Space Station.
Sierra Nevada developed this full-scale prototype under a NASA program
that funded several companies to develop habitats that could be used
for a space station in orbit around the Moon, as well as potentially
serving as living quarters for a long-duration transit to and from
Mars. As part of the program, NASA astronauts have, or will, spend
three days living in and evaluating the prototypes built by Sierra
Nevada, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Bigelow
Aerospace. Click here.
(8/21)
Ending the Moon Versus
Mars Fight (Source: The Hill)
Under the George W. Bush administration, the plan was to go to the moon
and then Mars. The Obama administration wanted to send people to Mars
by way of the moon. Certainly, NASA under the Obama administration
tried very hard to shift the focus of human exploration to Mars, but
even then, could not completely bypass the moon. The Asteroid Retrieval
Mission (ARM) was proposed as a part of the broader plan for
exploration and has become, effectively, a precursor to the Lunar
Gateway — a small, permanent lunar orbiting outpost — which features in
current exploration plans.
The plan under the Trump administration is something of a synthesis
that tries to go to the moon and then pivot to Mars. The fact that the
Bush, Obama and Trump administrations have agreed on anything — that
human spaceflight should take people to both the Moon and Mars —
represents an astonishing level of consensus in this political climate.
At a more pragmatic level, it demonstrates the fact that no viable plan
can completely disregard one destination at the expense of the other.
These two destinations are linked, in part due to the unyielding facts
of physics, engineering and biology. A larger issue is the political
reality. If both destinations are attractive, a moon exploration
program is viable from one administration to the next only insofar as
it sends people to Mars. Likewise, a Mars exploration program will
survive changes at the White House only if it provides for substantial
human exploration of the moon. Clearly, NASA’s budget will not allow
for simultaneous moon and Mars programs. These goals must be pursued
sequentially. (8/19)
Equatorial Space and
Precious Payload To Advance Ridesharing Opportunities For
Near-Equatorial and Polar Inclinations (Source: SpaceWatch
Global)
Small satellite launch vehicle developer, Equatorial Space, has
announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
with Precious Payload Inc. This partnership with digital freight
forwarder for space missions will advance technologies and lines of
business towards exploration of satellite ridesharing opportunities for
low-inclination launches.
Equatorial Space’s upcoming Volans microsatellite launch vehicle
capable of reaching both near-equatorial and polar inclinations from
the upcoming launch sites within APAC region. Volans is a two-stage,
hybrid-propelled launch vehicle capable of delivering 20-70kg of
payload, designed to support all major nano-and-microsat deployer
platforms.
“Equatorial’s unique offering of low-inclination launches in Asian
region caters for the niche, but thriving market. Simon is advancing
the development of the launch service rapidly, and we are excited to
help him and his team since the early days.” – said Andrey Maksimov,
the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Precious Payload. (8/21)
Semplastics and Israeli
Partner Polymertal Win Space Florida Grant (Source:
Orlando Business Journal)
Oviedo-based Semplastics, a composites engineering and manufacturing
firm, won a $500,000 Space Florida grant to continue the development of
a hybrid plastic technology for the aerospace industry. Semplastics,
through its X-MAT division, is working with Haifa, Israel-based
Polymertal to devise a lightweight plastic that can be coated with
metal. The ultimate vision is to create a composite that not only is
lightweight, but also can endure extreme temperatures to serve the
aerospace industry, said Semplastics CEO Bill Easter. (8/21)
Ohio is the Nation’s
gGateway to the Moon, Mars and Our Future (Source:
Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Ohio is the aerospace state. Our history is unrivaled by any other
state when it comes to achievements in the air and in space. Home to
the Wright Brothers. Birthplace of John Glenn and Neil Armstrong. The
Buckeye State has produced some 25 astronauts, and their achievements
make up a significant part of NASA’s legacy.
That’s why NASA’s Artemis Program is calling on Ohio to make landing
humans on the moon by 2024 a reality. Once there, we will quickly and
sustainably explore the moon and its resources, and use what we learn
to enable our next great endeavor – human exploration of Mars. To be
sure, returning to the Moon in just five short years will not be easy,
and to get there, America needs the Artemis Program, and NASA needs
Ohio’s support. It is part of our ethos – Ohio leads in aerospace
innovation. We have for more than a century, and we are more prepared
than anyone to take on the challenges ahead. (8/20)
Exploring the Cosmos at
Space Center Houston and Beyond (Source: Texas Monthly)
In Houston the other day, children outfitted with virtual reality
goggles were careering through the universe when an elderly man stopped
to admire the world’s largest pallasite, a type of meteorite. He was
decked out in a blue NASA flight suit, which suggested that he might
have been a retired astronaut rubbing shoulders with some of the
million or so annual pilgrims to Space Center Houston, the massive
shrine to the past and future of human space flight.
After all, astronauts regularly swing by from NASA’s Johnson Space
Center, situated right across the street, to give public presentations
or have lunch with guests who pay for the privilege. But you don’t have
to be an astronaut, retired or otherwise, to sport your very own NASA
flight suit. The blue onesie goes for $99.99 in the well-stocked gift
shop at Space Center Houston, where the boundaries between NASA
engineers, aerospace aficionados, and seekers of space-age spectacle
collapse like old stars across distant galaxies. (8/20)
Tardigrade Spill on the
Moon Proves We Need Rules for Spreading Life Beyond Earth
(Source: Vice)
“The tardigrade crash-landing is an important cross-road,” Panek said,
warning that our track record of diving ahead without care for
consequences resulted in abandoned bags of poop everywhere from Everest
to the Moon. “We have an opportunity now to establish a framework, to
listen to multiple perspectives, and think through the impacts of our
exploration.”
"We have to make sure the person essentially with the most money can't
just do whatever they want.” While not illegal, the idea that a private
company could accidentally scatter living creatures on the Moon without
any oversight or even disclosure is unnerving. Governments adhere to
planetary protection protocols to limit biologically contaminating
other worlds, but we don’t have laws or even cultural practices that
place similar limits on private entities. We could change that.
“We have an opportunity to be proactive, instead of reactionary,” Panek
said. Astrobiologist and space policy consultant Monica Vidaurri
agreed. “This should be a warning sign that this is going to keep
happening,” she said. “We have to make sure that we're holding each
other accountable and that we're eliminating risk that could be
avoided. We have to make sure the person essentially with the most
money can't just do whatever they want.” (8/21)
Commercial Space Flights
to be Available by the End of 2020, Virgin Galactic's Boss Says
(Source: TVNZ)
People will be taken into space on commercial flights by the end of
2020, according to the new boss at Virgin Galactic. But with increasing
concerns about climate change, there are question marks over the
project's environmental impact. Spaceport America, situated in the New
Mexico desert, bills itself as the world's first commercially-built
space port, where paying customers will be able to travel from the
NZ$339 million port into space in one of five spacecraft.
Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides dismissed concerns over the
flights' effect on climate change, comparing the average flight's CO2
emissions "around that of a business class flight from New York to the
UK... There's an awareness of our planet documented scientifically with
astronauts – they come back changed with the greater realisation of the
fragility of our ecosystem and ecosphere," he said. (8/21)
Plan to Update Rocket
Launch Licensing is Pissing Off the Commercial Space Industry
(Source: The Verge)
To launch a rocket, companies must get a series of licenses, including
one from the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA isn’t so much
focused on what a company is launching, but it mostly deems a rocket
safe to the uninvolved public and property. Currently, companies must
go through a series of steps to get this license. But in February 2018,
Trump’s National Space Council proposed making this process easier and
more efficient after hearing input from the commercial space industry.
To meet the administration's goal of streamlining paperwork, the FAA
came up with a newly proposed method for launch licensing. Since April
15th, the FAA sought insight from the public and the commercial space
industry to get their thoughts on the proposed changes. But members of
the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF), a nonprofit that
represents various companies within the private space industry, says
that the new licensing rules would actually increase the amount of
prescriptive regulations that companies would have to follow to go to
space.
CSF representatives note the irony of the situation since the
organization and its companies were the ones to ask for changes in the
first place. Its members even made recommendations for how to update
the rules. “The FAA took them, and they went and started formulating,”
Eric Stallmer, president of CSF, tells The Verge. “And it came back,
and we read it, and we tried to digest it. And then we walked away
saying, ‘This is no better than what we had.’ In fact, I think it’s
worse. It doesn’t answer the mail at all.” (8/20)
With Artemis, NASA at
Risk of Repeating Apollo Mistakes, Scientist Warns
(Source: Ars Technica)
NASA is taking big steps with Artemis, and getting a large agency like
NASA moving quickly is difficult. For all of this, however, there are
storm clouds on the horizon. Most obviously, there is the matter of
paying for the program—the US House did not including funding for this
effort in its preliminary fiscal year 2020 budget, and the Senate has
yet to draft a budget. If there is not additional funding, NASA cannot
give industry funds to go and do the work.
But there is another problem as well, which was highlighted at
Tuesday's meeting of the National Space Council by Clive Neal, a lunar
scientist at the University of Notre Dame. NASA stands a very real risk
of turning the Artemis Program into a repeat of the Apollo Program—a
flags-and-footprints sprint back to the Moon with no follow-through in
the form of a lunar base or a sustained presence in deep space.
"To look forward to the Moon, we need to learn from the past," Prof.
Neal said. "The Apollo program was a monumental achievement. However,
Apollo showed us how not to conduct human space exploration because
such a program based on international competition is not sustainable."
However, President Trump has said on multiple occasions that he is more
interested in humans "planting a flag" on Mars than returning to the
Moon. He has publicly questioned Bridenstine about the need to go to
the Moon before Mars, and during recent speeches that mention space, he
has ignored the Moon entirely. (8/21)
NASA Confirms Ocean Moon
Mission (Source: BBC)
Scientists working on an audacious mission to the ocean world of Europa
can proceed with the final design and construction of the spacecraft,
NASA says. The Europa Clipper mission will target the ice-encrusted
moon of Jupiter, which is considered a prime target in the search for
life beyond Earth. Below its icy shell, Europa is thought to hold a
170km-deep body of water. Due to launch in 2025, the Europa Clipper
mission has now passed a stage called Key Decision Point C, a crucial
marker on the road to the launch pad. (8/20)
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