October 22, 2019

Plastic Recycler Developed for ISS (Source: Space News)
Made In Space will send a plastic recycling facility to the ISS next month. The Braskem Recycler, flying on a Cygnus cargo spacecraft, is designed to turn plastic waste and 3D-printed objects into the type of feedstock that serves as the raw material for the Made in Space Additive Manufacturing Facility. Made In Space is partnering with Braskem, the Brazilian petrochemical company that produces biopolyethylene from sugarcane, on the device. (10/22)

Blue Origin, Lockheed, Northrop, Draper Join Forces for Artemis Lunar Lander (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin is joining forces with three other major aerospace firms in a “national team” to develop a human lunar lander for NASA. The company’s founder, Jeff Bezos, announced Oct. 22 his intent to work with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper on the unnamed lunar lander, the proposal for which they will submit to NASA for its Human Landing Services competition.

Under the teaming arrangement, Blue Origin will serve as the prime contractor and provide a descent stage developed for its Blue Moon lunar lander unveiled earlier this year. Lockheed Martin will build a crew-rated ascent stage, leveraging systems it developed for the Orion spacecraft. Northrop Grumman will build a transfer stage to move the lander from the lunar Gateway to low lunar orbit, based on its Cygnus cargo spacecraft. Draper will provide guidance systems and avionics for the lander.

Executives with the four companies said the urgency required by the goal of returning humans to the moon within five years led them to team up rather than pursue separate lander projects. “A national priority requires a national team, so we brought who we feel is the best in class to the job,” Brent Sherwood, vice president of advanced development programs at Blue Origin, said at a briefing with reporters. (10/22)

Blacker Than Blue: the US Navy and the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (Source: Space Review)
In the 1960s the US Navy sparred with the National Reconnaissance Office over potential payloads to be flown on the Manned Orbiting Laboratory. Dwayne Day offers new insights into that dispute from a recently declassified document. Click here. (10/22)
 
What Happens When You Leave Empty Seats at the Table? (Source: Space Review)
Recent space activities, from placing tardigrades on a lunar lander to proposals for massive satellite constellations, have raised new questions about the ethics of spaceflight. Monica Vidaurri says it illustrates the need to have more, and more diverse, groups of people involved in the discussion of those activities. Click here. (10/22)
 
Tailoring Spacesuits (Source: Space Review)
NASA made history last week with the first all-woman spacewalk outside the International Space Station. Jeff Foust reports that the achievement was a long time coming—too long, for many. Click here. (10/22)
 
Can Single-Stage-to-Orbit Disrupt Spaceflight? (Source: Space Review)
Decades of efforts have shown how difficult it is to develop low-cost, reusable launch vehicles. John Hollaway argues that track record is no reason to give up hope for finding disruptive solutions that can offer affordable, routine space access. Click here. (10/22)

Cancer Research on Chinese Space Station (Source: South China Morning Post)
An unusual cancer research project investigating tumors in space has been given the go-ahead for the soon to-be-launched Chinese Space Station. The project will examine the roles of microgravity and cosmic radiation in tumor growth and development, and look at whether weightlessness can stop cancer from growing. Researchers theorize that tumors stop growing in zero gravity, and isolating the effect of weightlessness on cancer cells will help understand their properties The study will also examine the impact of cosmic radiation on cancer risk for astronauts on long space missions, such as to Mars, and seeks ways to make trips safer. (10/20)

Satellites to Monitor Whale Strandings From Space (Source: BBC)
Scientists developing techniques to count great whales from space say the largest ever recorded mass stranding event was probably underestimated. The carcasses of 343 sei whales were spotted on remote beaches in Patagonia, Chile, in 2015 - but this survey work was conducted from planes and boats, and carried out many weeks after the deaths actually occurred.

However, an analysis of high-resolution satellite images of the area taken much closer in time to the stranding has now identified many more bodies. It's difficult to give a precise total for the number of whales involved but in one sample picture examined by researchers, the count was nearly double. Being able to detect strandings more effectively will inform the ongoing conservation of whales. It will also flag potentially deteriorating ocean conditions, something the fishing industry for example will be keen to know about. (10/17)

IAC Attracts Controversy Over Pence Visit (Source: Space News)
The 70th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) formally started on Oct. 21 in Washington DC, with more than 6,300 people registered to attend. An online petition published Oct. 19 called on the IAF to rescind Pence’s invitation to speak because of his stance on social issues. Organizers said they planned to walk out of the opening ceremonies when Pence speaks. More than 150 people have signed the petition as of the afternoon of Oct. 20, although it’s not clear how many will be at the conference.

Conference organizers, who said they were “very proud” that Pence was participating, defended the decision to invite him at the pre-event press conference. Dan Dumbacher, executive director of AIAA, said Pence was invited in his role as chairman of the National Space Council. “It’s very appropriate for the audience here at the IAC to hear from the chair of the National Space Council,” he said. (10/21)

Air Force and Boeing Continue WGS-11 Planning (Source: Space News)
The Air Force and Boeing are still negotiating the terms of a contract announced half a year ago for an 11th Wideband Global Satcom satellite. One of the items under discussion is making WGS-11 a "viable government host platform for rapid prototyping efforts." The Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center did not provide further details on what specific efforts are being discussed. The Air Force is also considering new international partners to support development of WGS-11. The Air Force estimates the satellite could be ready for launch in about five years if an agreement is reached soon. (10/20)

Senator Wants FCC to Run C-Band Auction (Source: Space News)
The chairman of a Senate subcommittee that oversees the FCC wants the agency, not industry, to auction off C-band spectrum used for satellite communications. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), chairman of the Senate Appropriations financial services and general government subcommittee, said at a hearing last week that he is unconvinced a private auction led by commercial satellite operators will be faster at transitioning the spectrum for 5G wireless service than the FCC. Kennedy said all proceeds from selling off public airwaves should benefit U.S. taxpayers, rather than going to the satellite operators, who have said they would make a voluntary but unspecified contribution to the U.S. treasury if their proposed private auction of spectrum goes forward. (10/20)

Space Companies Are Investing Big in 5G Technology (Source: Space.com)
Space companies worldwide want to bring more data to your devices, faster than ever before. Entities ranging from SpaceX to Amazon are launching (or may launch soon) huge numbers of new satellites that can carry the extra bandwidth. And cellular network providers around the world are upgrading their equipment on the ground to meet the expected future demand.

This new technology is being built out for new 5G networks. It's touted as a big leap over current 4G technology, which allows you to do data-intensive things like stream Netflix. 5G will be even better, Will Townsend, a senior analyst for market research firm Moors Insight & Strategy, told Space.com. Users will experience less latency, he said. Latency refers to the time it takes to send a packet of data to a receiver (like a cellphone) on a network. 4G networks have about 50 milliseconds of latency, and 5G networks are expected to be 10 times better, with latencies of less than 5 milliseconds. (10/20)

Review Board Recommends New Approach to Planetary Protection (Source: Space News)
A report released Friday recommends changes to modernize planetary protection guidelines to support human space exploration and private missions. The report by the Planetary Protection Independent Review Board concluded that current planetary protection requirements are "anachronistic and sometimes unrealistic" for many missions to implement. Its recommendations included reclassifying much of the moon and Mars so that less-stringent requirements will be levied on missions that land there. The report also recommended that NASA start examining how planetary protection would be used for human Mars missions, and the agency's role in applying those requirements to commercial missions. (10/20)

Firefly May Use Aerojet AR1 Engine on Small Launcher (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace announced it will work with Aerojet Rocketdyne, an agreement that could lead to use of an Aerojet engine. Aerojet Rocketdyne and Firefly said they will collaborate on multiple fronts, including the Orbital Transfer Vehicle that Firefly is building to ferry LEO satellites up to the geosynchronous arc. While Firefly is developing its own engines for its Alpha small launch vehicle, whose first flight is scheduled for early next year, the company said it's considering Aerojet's AR1 engine, originally developed for potential use on ULA's Vulcan rocket, for its larger Beta rocket. (10/20)

Rocket Lab To Begin Missions To The Moon In 2020 With New ‘Photon’ Spacecraft (Source: Forbes)
Smallsat launcher Rocket Lab has announced its ambition to begin missions to the Moon in the near-future, using a new satellite launch platform it has developed called Photon. Announced at the International Astronautical Congress in Washington D.C., Rocket Lab – which current flies its Electron rocket from New Zealand and will begin launching from a U.S. site next year – said Photon would enable small spacecraft to reach lunar orbit or conduct lunar flybys.

Photon is an evolution of the company’s existing kick stage that is used to deploy satellites in orbit, including on the company’s ninth launch last week, which saw them deploy a satellite to their highest altitude yet. It fits into the existing Electron rocket and is essentially its own standalone spacecraft, containing its own instruments, propulsion, fuel tanks, and more. Customers who want to buy an Electron mission to the Moon will be able to include their own spacecraft weighing up to 30 kilograms on Photon. But they will also be able to use the Photon platform themselves as an additional spacecraft, and use it as they see fit in lunar orbit. (10/21)

Air Force Plans In-Space Satellite Inspection (Source: Air Force Magazine)
The Air Force plans to use one experimental satellite to inspect another that has malfunctioned. The Air Force Research Lab said the Mycroft inspection satellite, launched last year into geostationary orbit, will maneuver to check on the Small Satellite Space Surveillance System (S5) smallsat. S5 launched in February but has not communicated with its controllers since March. Mycroft will inspect the exterior of S5 to confirm its solar panels and antenna are properly deployed and look for any evidence of damage to the satellite. (10/20)

DIU Seeks Innovative Space Tech (Source: Space News)
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is looking for two specific new space-related technologies. The office posted solicitations recently for satellite communications antennas to be installed on Navy warships and for handheld jam-resistant navigation devices for Army soldiers. Responses, open to any commercial vendor, are due in late October, with DIU planning to award contracts within 60 days after the solicitation closes. (10/20)

European Solar Orbiter Spacecraft Ready for Florida Launch (Source: BBC)
A European spacecraft to study the sun is ready for launch. The Solar Orbiter, or SolO, has completed assembly and testing in Europe and will soon be shipped to Florida for a launch next February on an Atlas 5. SolO will be launched into an orbit that places it closer to the sun than the planet Mercury. In that orbit it will provide closeup observations of the sun to help scientists better understand its 11-year cycle of activity. (10/20)

Irish IoT Start-Up Davra Receives Funding From European Space Agency (Source: Silicon Republic)
Davra was one of three Irish companies awarded a share of €1.5m in co-funding from the European Space Agency. Irish IoT start-up Davra was recently awarded funding from the European Space Agency (ESA) Centre for Earth Observation. The Dublin-based company secured 50pc co-funding for a €570,000 project to develop an integrated satellite and distributed ground sensor system to monitor missing tailings storage facilities (TSFs) in remote locations.

Founded in 2012, Davra has developed an application enablement platform (AEP) that allows system integrators, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and end customers to define, build and rapidly bring to market industrial-grade IoT applications. (10/19)

Luxembourg Establishes Space Resource Center (Source: Luxembourg Space Agency)
The government of Luxembourg will establish a center devoted to space resources. The Space Resources Research Center will focus on studies related to the extraction, processing and manufacturing of extraterrestrial resources. That center will be the basis for a future Space Resources Innovation Center in the country. Luxembourg, which announced a SpaceResources.lu initiative in 2016 to encourage space mining companies to set up operations in the country, said it will work with ESA on the new center. (10/20)

Nova Scotia Destined Cyclone 4M Rocket for Maritime Launch Services Passes Another Test (Source: SpaceQ)
Maritime Launch Services (MLS) and the Ukrainian based Yuzhnoye Design Office announced this morning that Yuzhnoye had successfully completed the qualification test of the fully integrated upper stage of the Cyclone 4M rocket. We haven’t heard much from MLS publicly in a while, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been busy. MLS is a Halifax based startup looking to build a spaceport in Nova Scotia to launch satellites. They plan on initially using a Ukrainian Cyclone 4M (C4M) medium-class rocket. The spaceport could eventually be home to other launch companies as well. (10/21)

Germany Considers Spaceport (Source: Deutsche Welle)
A German government minister said his country should study establishing a spaceport. Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told a German publication that he will consider a proposal by Federation of German Industries to create a domestic launch site in order to further grow the country's space industry. The proposal offered few details of where or when that facility could be built, and how it would deal with overflight issues from neighboring countries. (10/20)

SpaceX’s Next Falcon 9 Launch Delayed Until November as Lull Drags On (Source: Teslarati)
For unknown reasons, SpaceX’s next Falcon 9 rocket launch has slipped from October to November, extending an already record-breaking lull in commercial US launch activity. Depending on when SpaceX finally returns to flight, the company could have easily spent more than a quarter of 2019 between launches. After finding its stride over the last two and a half years, SpaceX’s orbital launch capacity has grown to the point that it’s nearly outpacing the world’s commercial satellite manufacturing capabilities: SpaceX can launch them faster than the established industry can build them. (10/21)

Elon Musk Admits SpaceX’s Moon Base Refueling Station Could Fail (Source: IBT)
Elon Musk admitted that SpaceX’s plans of establishing a human base on the Moon could fail and affect the company’s spaceflight programs. According to Musk, the Moon may not have enough resources to serve as a refueling station for SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft. Recently, SpaceX unveiled the details of Starship, which will serve as the company’s reusable spacecraft that will provide commercial spaceflights to the Moon and Mars. For its future launches, Musk wants to cut down the spacecraft’s overall weight and cost by filling it up with just enough fuel to reach the Moon.

For this to work, Musk plans on establishing a crewed base on the Moon that will serve as a refueling station for Starship. According to the tech mogul, the station will develop propellant on the Moon by using locally available carbon dioxide and water. With an established Moon base, Starship will then be able to obtain enough fuel for a return trip to Earth or to launch to another deep space destination such as Mars. Unfortunately, Musk recently admitted that the Moon may not have enough carbon dioxide to fully support a lunar refueling station primarily because it does not have an atmosphere. (10/20)

NASA to Test Space Technologies on Suborbital Launch From Virginia Spaceport (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Several space technologies will be put to the test with the launch of a suborbital rocket on October 22 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. SubTec-8 will fly on a Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket and is predicted to reach an altitude of 128 miles before descending by parachute and landing in the Atlantic Ocean.

SubTec-8 technologies include distributed payload communications that will allow multipoint measurements for scientists to study multiple regions in space simultaneously; a low cost star tracker for assisting in pointing the rocket when taking astronomical observations; and a high data rate encoder that will provide the ability to transmit data from the rocket to the ground four times faster than currently available. (10/21)

Congress Shouldn't Rush to Tax and Regulate Space Exploration (Source: The Hill)
Next week, thousands of space professionals from around the globe will converge on Washington, D.C., for the 70th International Astronautical Conference. These professionals and students will present and discuss an array of solutions, concepts and ideas for all things space. But when it comes to formulating new governance structures, rules and regulations, we must remember the vast gap between aspiration and execution in space. The human ability to imagine, consider and discuss future solutions and problems is nowhere more evident than in space. But that very strength also means the space community dedicates immense time and effort to addressing a universe of problems they would be fortunate to have.

As a very general principle, the three disciplines that govern space projects are, in order of increasing mutability: engineering, finance and law. First, solve the engineering problem to see if a given project is even feasible. Once the laws of physics have been observed, one can start imposing rules, restrictions and regulations. Applying these principles out of order, let's say by putting law first, doesn't provide any clear benefit, but most certainly runs the risk of prematurely and blindly excluding solutions that might otherwise clear the engineering and financial hurdles. (10/19)

Boeing and Airstream Team on AstroVan II for Starliner Astronaut Transport (Source: CollectSpace)
When Chris Ferguson last left for a launchpad to lift off into space, he rode on a modified Airstream motorhome that NASA used for decades to transport its astronauts. Now, eight years after Ferguson commanded the final space shuttle mission, there is a new Airstream vehicle ready to take him, his crew and future astronauts to the pad to fly on Boeing's new commercial spacecraft.

The newly-revealed Astrovan II, built in partnership by Airstream and Boeing, will take crews — beginning with Ferguson's, as soon as early 2020 — to Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida where Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft will be poised for launch atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. The Astrovan II made its debut Monday (Oct. 21) at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Washington, DC. (10/21)

International Space Agencies Signal Support for Artemis (Source: Space News)
Leaders of several space agencies said Monday they were committed to cooperation on lunar exploration, even if many of the details have yet to be worked out. At the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) Monday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said he welcomed commitments by Canada and Japan to cooperate on NASA's lunar plans, and looked forward to adding Europe and others. Europe will take up proposals for cooperation in lunar exploration at its ministerial meeting next month, while Russia is also planning to participate but has yet to make a formal decision. That partnership may make use of the existing intergovernmental agreement for the International Space Station. (10/21)

NASA Aims for Mars Landings in 2035 While Building Support for Lunar Gateway (Source: Space.com)
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is looking to land humans on Mars in the 2030s as he recruits partners of the International Space Station to help the agency land humans on the moon by 2024, according to his remarks at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC). "If we are accelerating the moon landing, we are accelerating the Mars landing," Bridenstine said during a livestreamed panel discussion of space agency heads at IAC in Washington, D.C. "I suggest we can do it by 2035," he added.

Bridenstine's pledge is similar (with a later deadline) to promises he made in the spring. In April, in a hearing of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, he suggested NASA astronauts could walk on Mars by 2033. In that meeting and also in May, Bridenstine added that pushing sooner for the moon would make it possible to bring astronauts to Mars faster, which is a long-term goal of the Trump administration. (10/21)

Moon Dust Could Be a Problem for Future Lunar Explorers (Source: Space.com)
Think of it as a flashback message from the Apollo moonwalkers: The moon is a Disneyland of dust. Between 1969 and the end of 1972, a dozen astronauts kicked up the powdery regolith, the topside dirt of the moon.

"The more time you spend there, the more you get covered from helmet to boots with lunar dust," recalled Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 17 commander Gene Cernan expressed similar thoughts in a technical debrief following his mission, which was the last human sojourn to the moon. "I think dust is probably one of our greatest inhibitors to a nominal operation on the moon. I think we can overcome other physiological or physical or mechanical problems except dust," he said.

Apollo crewmembers could not avoid tracking lunar material inside their moon landers. After doffing their helmets and gloves, moonwalkers could feel the abrasive nature of the dust, as well as smell and even taste the moon. And that gave rise to the "Apollo aroma," astronaut recollections of the odor of the moon. Turns out, it has a distinctive smell. Aldrin remembers that the lunar dust that soiled suits and equipment during the Apollo 11 mission smelled "like burnt charcoal or similar to the ashes that are in a fireplace, especially if you sprinkle a little water on them." (10/21)

Umbra Lab Plans SAR Constellation (Source: Space News)
Startup synthetic aperture radar (SAR) startup Umbra Lab is emerging from stealth mode with new details about its plans. Umbra plans to launch a constellation of 50-kilogram satellites that will provide SAR imagery at a resolution of 25 centimeters. The company has kept a low profile since its founding in 2015, but said it's now becoming more open as it seeks to stand out from growing competition in the market. Umbra plans to launch its first satellite next year, but hasn't disclosed the size of its constellation. (10/22)

ESA Wants Member Investment for Prometheus Engine (Source: Space News)
ESA will seek funding to develop more of its Prometheus reusable engines. Jérôme Breteau, ESA’s head of future space transportation, said at the IAC Monday that the agency will ask member states to provide funding for as many as eight additional engines. ESA's goal with Prometheus is to manufacture the engine for 1 million euros, a tenth the price of the Vulcain engine used on the first stage of the Ariane 5, and for the engine to be reusable. Work on Prometheus has been done with the expectation that it would be used on a launch vehicle in the 2030s, but ArianeGroup has mused using it on the Ariane 6 rocket, which debuts in 2020. (10/22)