September 25, 2019

Researcher Explores Better Use of Microbes for Space Travel (Source: Space Daily)
Jose Lopez, Ph.D., a professor at Nova Southeastern University's (NSU) Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, has now joined the space colonization movement with a peer reviewed scientific opinion article calling for a rational and systematic approach to future space colonization of Mars or other planets. Lopez is a research scientist and claims microbes would be a better immediate investment to successfully colonize the red planet.

"Life as we know it cannot exist without beneficial microorganisms," he said. "They are here on our planet and help define symbiotic associations - the living together of multiple organisms to create a greater whole. To survive on a barren (and as far as all voyages to date tell us) sterile planets, we will have to take beneficial microbes with us. This will take time to prepare, discern and we are not advocating a rush to inoculate, but only after rigorous, systematic research on earth."

Lopez and colleagues now assert that this rigorous microbial research agenda needs to be implemented for any future successful colonization of Mars. Moreover, microbes should probably supersede current ambitions to send people to Mars or other solar system locales, as they can condition or terraform places we may want to eventually colonize. In the long run, the effort will save humanity money, can be life-sustaining and boost microbiological understanding. However, to determine the most useful microbes for space requires a lot more research here on earth. (9/25)

NRO Gets Access to Commercial Hyperspectral Satellite Imagery (Source: Space News)
The National Reconnaissance Office has awarded its first contract for commercial hyperspectral imagery. HySpecIQ, a private-equity backed startup, received the award, the value of which the NRO declined to disclose. The contract follows three commercial imagery study awards announced by the NRO in June to BlackSky Global, Maxar Technologies and Planet. HySpecIQ announced plans for hyperspectral satellites several years ago but backed off because of a lack of demand. The company is moving forward again with such satellites, and antiicpates having two to three in orbit within the next three years. (9/25)

NASA's Next Space Telescope Not a Science Mission (Source: Space News)
NASA will proceed with development of a space-based telescope to search for near-Earth objects, but not as a science mission. Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for science, said at an advisory committee meeting Monday NASA will develop the NEO Surveillance Mission based on the NEOCam mission concept that was proposed for the previous Discovery mission competition. The new mission will be a directed mission, part of NASA's planetary defense program, and will not compete with other science missions. The mission has an estimated cost of $500–600 million, and will launch no earlier than fiscal year 2025. (9/25)

Satcom Latency Becomes an Issue for Competing Rural Broadband Providers (Source: Space News)
Satellite operators say that latency requirements put them at a disadvantage when competing for a FCC rural broadband program. The FCC is seeking to connect up to four million U.S. homes and small businesses through a new program called the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund that would subsidize broadband in underserved regions from 2020 to 2030. But companies who can’t provide service with 100 milliseconds or less latency will be penalized, making it more difficult for them to compete for funds. SES and Viasat said that the latency requirements make it difficult for satellites in medium or geostationary Earth orbits from participating even though the cutoff is "arbitrary" and would not be noticed by users. (9/25)

Argentina and Turkey Want to Build Satellites (Source: Space News)
A joint venture by Argentina and Turkey seeks to get into the geostationary satellite manufacturing business, despite weak demand. Gsatcom Space Technologies, a joint venture of Argentina's state-run technology company INVAP and Turkey's partly state-owned Turkish Aerospace Industries, formed last year with the goal of building and selling small GEO satellites at home and abroad. Argentine and Turkish institutions are anticipated customers for the venture's satellites, since both countries desire to maintain a satellite manufacturing capability. (9/24)

DOD Missile Warning Satellites Could Be Orbited Higher (Source: Defense News)
The Pentagon's Space Development Agency (SDA) is adjusting its plans for a proposed missile warning satellite constellation. The new head of the agency, Derek Tournear, said the SDA was moving the satellites from an original altitude of 400–500 kilometers to 1,000–1,500 kilometers, reducing the number of satellites needed for global coverage. The SDA also won't be able to accelerate its deployment plans after Congress rejected a request to reprogram $15 million in 2019 funding to the agency. (9/25)

ESA Plans Satellite for Earth Atmosphere Monitoring (Source: BBC)
The European Space Agency will develop a satellite to provide a high-resolution view of the warming atmosphere. The Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring, or Forum, satellite will observe the atmosphere at far-infrared wavelengths to measure how greenhouse gases are warming the atmosphere. The spacecraft, with an estimated cost of $285 million, will launch on a Vega rocket in the mid-2020s. (9/25)

UK Company to Provide Payload Aboard Astrobotic Lunar Lander (Source: Forbes)
A secretive British company will fly a payload on Astrobotic's first lunar lander. Astrobotic said Tuesday that Spacebit will fly a "commercial and scientific" payload on Astrobotic's Peregrine lander, set for launch in mid-2021. Spacebit declined to go into details about the payload, saying it will discuss more information about it in October. The company, established in 2015 originally as a venture to use blockchain technologies in space, is founded by a Ukrainian entrepreneur who is funding the company from proceeds of the sale of another company. (9/25)

NASA JSC to Demolish Apollo Quarantine Building (Source: Houston Chronicle)
NASA's Johnson Space Center is planning to tear down the building where the first Apollo astronauts were quarantined after their return from the moon. The center will tear down the Lunar Receiving Laboratory in 2020, which has fallen into disrepair, and build a new building on the site. The center will create an "interpretive park" there to preserve the history of the original facility. (9/25)

US Agencies Disagree on Orbital Debris Mitigation (Source: Breaking Defense)
An update to orbital debris mitigation guidelines has reportedly been delayed by disagreements among government agencies. Several government agencies, including NASA, the Defense Department and the FCC, have been working to update debris mitigation guidelines developed years ago. A point of contention is whether to shorten the current 25-year period for disposing of satellites after the end of their missions, with the DoD leading efforts to shorten that period while NASA has been arguing for additional studies first. (9/25)

Japan Launches Cargo Craft to ISS (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
Japan launched a cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station Tuesday. The H-2B rocket carrying the HTV-8 cargo spacecraft lifted off at 12:05 p.m. Eastern from the Tanegashima Space Center, placing the cargo spacecraft into orbit about 15 minutes later. The launch was delayed by two weeks because of a pad fire during prelaunch preparations for the original launch attempt. The HTV-8, carrying several tons of supplies that include new batteries for the station's power system, will arrive at the ISS Saturday. (9/25)

Senate Funding Bill A Mixed Bag for Artemis (Source: Space News)
Senate appropriators approved a bill Tuesday that would give NASA $22.75 billion in 2020, but falls short in funding some parts of the agency's Artemis program. The commerce, justice and science (CJS) spending bill, marked up by an appropriations subcommittee Tuesday, increases funding for the SLS, including the Exploration Upper Stage, which NASA proposed not to fund in 2020. However, the bill provides less than $750 million for human lunar landers, versus the request for $1 billion in NASA's budget amendment from May. The bill also restores funding for the WFIRST astronomy mission, Earth science missions and education programs proposed for cancellation in the request. The full Senate Appropriations Committee will take up the bill Thursday. (9/25)

Blue Origin Wants Air Force to Select More Than Two Launch Companies (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin is arguing that there's enough demand for more than two major launch providers. The company offered Tuesday the results of a study by a consulting firm it declined to name that concluded there is growing demand for launch services, enough to accommodate three or even four companies. Blue Origin says that the Air Force's plan to select only two companies in an ongoing launch procurement will freeze out other competitors, even though the service would benefit from those other companies that would also be supported by commercial business. Blue Origin submitted a "pre-award" protest to the GAO in August, which the agency is set to decide by November. The Air Force, in a white paper that serves as a rebuttal to that protest, defended its approach for a five-year block buy from two companies. (9/25)

A Breakdown of DoD Satellite and Launch Contractor Awards (Source: Space News)
DoD awarded about $19.3 billion in contracts for satellites and launch services from fiscal year 2015 to 2019, according to Bloomberg Government. DoD data is delayed three months so the final will be slightly higher. Not surprisingly, the top three contractors are United Launch Alliance, Lockheed Martin and Aerospace Corp. Of the $19.3 billion, BGOV estimated ULA received $7.9 billion, Lockheed Martin $4.4 billion and Aerospace $3.5 billion.

Rounding out the top 10 vendors: SpaceX ($808 million) Northrop Grumman ($729 million) CalTech ($725 million) Blue Origin ($180 million), Ball Aerospace ($171 million) Kratos Defense ($150 million) and Boeing ($143 million). (9/24)