October 31, 2019

First Cubesats to Mars Were Almost Lost Upon Arrival (Source: Space.com)
The first-ever interplanetary cubesats went dark just before their big moment last fall, spurring a last-minute rescue effort. The two satellites, part of NASA's $18 million MarCO (Mars Cube One), mission were tasked primarily with demonstrating that tiny spacecraft can explore deep space. But team members also wanted the spacecraft to help relay communications from NASA's InSight Mars lander during the latter's touchdown attempt on Nov. 26, 2018. Just a day before the landing, however, MarCO-B, "suddenly did not appear" during the remote check-in with engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), mission chief-engineer Andrew Klesh said. (10/30)

NASA Selects Minority-Serving Institutions to Advance Aerospace Manufacturing (Source: NASA)
The Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) of NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement is partnering with the agency’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate to provide students at minority-serving institutions the education and experience needed to help address manufacturing needs in the U.S. aerospace sector.

The MUREP Aerospace High-Volume Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management Cooperative will provide almost $1.5 million to fund curriculum-based learning, research, training, internships, and apprenticeships at three institutions to meet the growing demand for expertise and techniques in high-volume aerospace manufacturing. During the next two years, these institutions will develop innovative opportunities for students to learn about designing and building aerospace parts using high-volume manufacturing practices, as well as supply chain management of those parts. (10/30)

Eutelsat Buys Satellite From Thales Alenia (Source: Space News)
Eutelsat has signed an agreement with Thales Alenia Space for a new communications satellite. Eutelsat-10B, slated for launch in 2022, will be an all-electric satellite with more capacity than Eutelsat-10A, the satellite it will replace. The satellite, based on the Spacebus NEO platform, will produce 14 kilowatts of power to support the Ku-band high-throughput payloads, plus traditional C- and Ku-band widebeam capacity. Eutelsat said multiple in-flight Wi-Fi providers, including Gogo, have committed to lease more than a third of the new high-throughput satellite capacity. (10/30)

SES Sees Revenue Drop (Source: Space News)
SES said its revenues fell in the first three quarters as the year as new data services failed to make up for declining video services. The $1.591 billion in revenue SES reported was down 3.6% from the same period last year. TV broadcasting revenue dropped even more, down 8.1%. SES blamed the video decline on U.S. broadcasters dropping standard-definition channels, along with changes in how customers in general watch television. The company is emphasizing cloud services, including new ones for broadcast customers where they can use Microsoft Azure to transfer video files, prepare content for broadcast and other functions. (10/30)

Defense Authorization Bill Skips Space Force (Source: Space Policy Online)
A slimmed-down version of a defense authorization bill includes no language about a Space Force. Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced Tuesday a "skinny" version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) intended to pass quickly if negotiations between the House and Senate on the full NDAA remain bogged down on issues like border wall funding. The skinny NDAA lacks controversial provisions, including those that would establish a Space Force. Inhofe said some version of an NDAA needs to pass before the end the year to prevent "essential, noncontroversial authorities for national security programs" from expiring. (10/30)

Sample Return Capacity Further Reduced in Artemis Planning (Source: Space News)
Initial Artemis lunar lander missions might be limited in the amount of samples they return from the moon. In presentations Tuesday at a lunar science conference, NASA officials said they're already planning the types of science those missions can perform and identifying potential landing sites. However, the ongoing lunar lander procurement requires landers to return only a minimum of 35 kilograms of samples, a total that includes the mass of sample containers. There may also be limitations in just how many samples brought up on the lunar landers can be returned to Earth on Orion. One potential workaround would be to return samples collected by Artemis crews on separate robotic sample return spacecraft. (10/30)

Hayabusa2 Completes Mission at Ryugu Asteroid (Source: Jiji Press)
Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft has wrapped up its work at the asteroid Ryugu and is ready to return home. The last major task for the spacecraft was the deployment earlier this month of Minerva-II 2, which was intended to be a small rover designed to land and travel across the surface of the asteroid. However, that rover suffered problems with its control system, and instead scientists tracked its descent to measure the asteroid's gravitational field. Hayabusa2 will depart Ryugu in November and December, returning asteroid samples it collected to Earth. (10/30)

NASA: Four Astronauts Will Stay on the Moon For Two Weeks (Source: Futurism)
Two NASA scientists just shared fascinating new details about the agency’s planned Moon mission. During Wednesday’s annual meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group, John Connolly and Niki Werkheiser said that NASA plans for the next two astronauts on the Moon’s surface to post up for 6.5 days, according to a new Ars Technica story — twice as long as any NASA astronauts before them.

Connolly and Werkheiser said that the astronauts may conduct as many as four spacewalks while on the Moon’s surface. During those walks, they’ll sample water ice and perform other scientific observations. The pair also shared details on an unpressurized rover NASA plans to send to the Moon’s surface ahead of the crewed mission. NASA is designing the rover so that astronauts will be able to control it remotely, according to Connolly and Werkheiser — a capability Ars described as “like Tesla’s ‘Smart Summon’ feature, only on the Moon.” (10/30)

UK Should Ditch Plans for Rival Geolocation/Navigation Satellites (Source: Space Daily)
The UK has been accelerating plans to develop its own global navigation satellite system after its exclusion from secure aspects of Galileo as a result of Brexit. A satellite scientist on Friday proposed the UK Government ditch plans for the country's own full-blown GPS system, while suggesting that an MOD defence program called Skynet 6 be used to piggyback a system to rival the EU's Galileo, reported the Daily Express.

Stuart Eves, a satellite systems engineer whose CV includes a 16-year-career with the Ministry of Defence, told the tabloid that instead of attempting to build a hugely expensive rival to Galileo, the UK should instead develop a system based on geosynchronous satellites similar to India's Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), or the Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS). (10/28)

Space Coast Activities at Center of Emerging $1T Space Industry, Says Report (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
A new report from Morgan Stanley leaves little doubt that Florida’s Space Coast is driving the space industry upwards — and stands to benefit from the sector’s continued growth. Human exploration of space can be a catalyst to grow the industry through increased public and investor awareness, according to an Oct. 29 report by the New York-based investment bank. Morgan Stanley projects the global space industry will be worth $1 trillion by 2040, a leap from the $350 billion the firm values the industry at today.

The private and public groups — including Blue Origin, NASA and SpaceX — that have reinvigorated the industry all are undertaking some of their most important work on Central Florida’s Space Coast, meaning the area likely will continue to see more jobs and investment as space exploration flourishes. Specifically, the report highlighted four recent or upcoming milestones that have ramped up the potential of human space exploration, three of which have direct ties to Central Florida. Click here. (10/31)

The Growing Risk of a Major Satellite Cyber Attack (Source: Via Satellite)
Last year at CyberSat, David DeWalt, CEO of Momentum Cyber and all-around cyber influencer, said one of the sectors he was most worried about when it came to a high-profile cyber-attack was satellite. It made for sobering listening. James Turgal, managing director, Cyber Risk Services at Deloitte and Touche agreed with this assessment. He says, “Dave is correct about his fears of seeing a major cyber incident, whether that presents itself as an intrusion into the satellite itself or a breach into and collection of data transmitted from the satellite.”

In terms of what he sees as the particular vulnerabilities in satellite networks, Turgal adds that the main areas of concern have to be the human factor and the supply chain. He said there is no question that cyber vulnerabilities exist and are exploited because of the human factor. “Cyber risk and cybersecurity is more about people behind keyboards than it is about technology. The human factor; either someone engaging in an activity (witting or unwitting) on behalf of a cyber threat actor. Or, the omission of action (intentional or unintentional) such as patching, misconfiguration of systems; all of these factors can allow a gap to form which can be exploited by a threat actor,” he says.

When talking about supply chain vulnerabilities, Turgal says that because satellites and systems are made from thousands of parts manufactured in places both inside and outside the U.S., vulnerabilities can be built in by threat actors — which can cause greater levels of access to the satellite system as a whole. No matter what the satellite and its purpose, the greatest threat is that the functionality of the system can be altered by a cyber-attack. So, who will the attackers be? “Adversaries that could include very sophisticated criminal groups, nations, or at times, even high-end amateurs could take action that deny services that business, academia, and the public depend on.” (10/31)

Blockchain: The Next Big Disruptor in Space (Source: Via Satellite)
As a breakthrough technology, blockchain inspires many tech innovators to compare it to the industrial and internet revolutions. Why, and what does it mean for the space industry? This digital ledger — which offers unprecedented security and trust among users because it cannot be hacked or centrally controlled – represents a new way to streamline existing processes, create cost savings, and securely exchange information and value. In fact, along with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT), it’s been called the “holy trinity of disruptive technology.”

Blockchain in satellites creates transparency, trust, and efficiency in the satellite value chain. For instance, in logistics, using smart contracts for launching and operating satellites, accessing transparent information for insurance purposes, as well as in exercising governmental functions — such as resorting to blockchain in the licensing process of launching a satellite and in monitoring space operations. It is also beneficial when it comes to distribution of blockchain information via satellite and even in turning satellites into “smart emancipated devices” through using smart contracts. (10/31)

The Risky Rush for Mega Constellations (Source: Scientific American)
Like it or not, the mega constellations are coming. By the end of 2020, SpaceX plans to launch about 1,000 satellites in its Starlink constellation, singlehandedly increasing the number of active satellites in orbit by half. One of their competitors, OneWeb, intends to launch more than 400 satellites of its own in the same period, while other companies have similar plans for additional large constellations soaring aloft in the near future. And as the number of active satellites skyrockets, so too does the potential for severe adverse effects on our planet's orbital environment.

"If you don't take action now, then you will be as responsible as those who have not taken care of climate change," says Kai-Uwe Schrogl, chief strategy officer for ESA. A new and lucrative standard in global connectivity is the impetus for these sprawling swarms of spacecraft. Blanketing our planet in satellites to beam high-speed Internet to any location on Earth around the clock could banish the days of struggling with spotty Wi-Fi and cellular connections, while also transporting the estimated three billion people who are currently offline into the digital age. If these companies are successful, the entire world could be suddenly interlinked as never before, with the Internet becoming truly omnipresent for essentially every human on the planet.

Achieving this goal requires some heavy lifting, in its most literal sense. U.S.-based SpaceX plans to launch at least 12,000 satellites, with the possibility of lofting another 30,000, based on recent filings from the company. U.K.-based OneWeb hopes to orbit about 650 satellites, possibly increasing to almost 2,000 in the future, and U.S.-based Amazon is planning for more than 3,000 satellites in its Project Kuiper constellation. Other companies and nations, including China, also have their eye on developing similar constellations, with rough estimates suggesting there could be more than 50,000 satellites in total added to Earth orbit in the coming decades. (10/31)

The Strange Science of the US Air Force's Top-Secret Space Plane (Source: WIRED)
In the dead of night, a space plane landed at Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center after over two years in orbit. Although the US Air Force seems to be pleased with how this mission ended, it has been tight-lipped about what it was for. At only 2.7 metres tall with a 4.2m wingspan, the unmanned Boeing X-37B orbital test vehicle looks like a smaller version of the Nasa space shuttle. It orbited the Earth for 780 days, performing secret experiments for the Air Force before returning home autonomously.

The Air Force says that these experiments “benefit the national space community” and concern areas such as advanced guidance, navigation and control, and reentry and landing. What we don’t know is why this plane was launched into space, or what it learned up there. What is for sure, however, is that the plane has broken its own record for time in orbit, as the previous mission touched down on May 7, 2017 after 718 days. This is this fifth mission of its kind for a combined total of 2,865 days. It is the lightest orbital space plane launched to date at only 5,000kg. (10/31)

Scientists Plan a New Orbiter Mission to Pluto (Source: Astronomy)
The main reason for a new mission is that many of the mysteries New Horizons found require new types of instrumentation to be brought to bear — instruments New Horizons did not carry. Whether that orbiter mission is funded depends almost entirely on the findings of the next planetary decadal survey, whose committee will begin its work next year. The survey results will appear in 2022.

Why do we want to go back? There are many reasons. First, limited by the nature of its fast flyby, New Horizons could map only 40 percent of Pluto’s geology and surface composition at good resolution. The same is true for Charon. And we learned even less about Pluto’s four small moons because the craft didn’t fly close to any of them.

Second, we learned that Pluto is a dynamic world, with a roiling nitrogen glacier, avalanches, and a complex and time-variable atmosphere. But New Horizons’ flyby reconnaissance of Pluto all took place in one roughly 24-hour period, July 14, 2015. It gave us a wonderful snapshot first look, but no chance to see the daily, seasonal, and geological changes that an orbiter can probe but a flyby cannot. (10/30)

SpaceX’s Starship Mk1 Prototype Heads to the Launch Pad – But Why? (Source: Teslarati)
SpaceX has transported (half of) its Starship Mk1 prototype to its South Texas launch pad for the first time ever, signifying that the company is about to enter a major new stage of testing. The move, however, raises the question: why is SpaceX transporting only half of Starship Mk1 to the launch pad?

Following SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s September 28th presentation on Starship, the spacecraft prototype was partially disassembled, having essentially been mocked up to stand as a backdrop at the event. The impact was fairly minor, taking up no more than a few days of work, but Starship Mk1 remains in two large, separate pieces – a curved nose section and the ship’s cylindrical propellant tank and propulsion section. (10/31)

Humanity Can’t Afford to Keep Space Pristine (Source: Foreign Policy)
The entrepreneur Elon Musk’s Martian ambitions are coming into clearer focus with each gleaming steel panel welded onto the two early spaceship prototypes under construction. While standing in front of a Starship Mark 1 last month, he reiterated his commitment to “making humanity multiplanetary” by founding a city on Mars. For Musk, Jeff Bezos, and other space visionaries, the solar system is filled with nearly unlimited natural resources that will relieve pressure on the Earth’s fragile environment, grow the U.S. economy exponentially, and propel humanity toward its destiny in the stars.

Yet, Musk’s shining city on Mars and Bezos’s lunar ice mines are not universally celebrated. There is a group in the space community who view the solar system not as an opportunity to expand human potential but as a nature preserve, forever the provenance of an elite group of scientists and their sanitary robotic probes. These planetary protection advocates such as Monica Grady demand the strictest interpretation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which calls for avoiding “harmful contamination” of celestial bodies. Under this regime, NASA incurs great expense sterilizing robotic probes in order to prevent the contamination of entirely theoretical biospheres. (10/30)

NASA Awards Modification to Safety, Mission Assurance Services Contract (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded a contract modification to Bastion Technologies, Inc. of Houston for safety and mission assurance (SMA) services. This modification increases the value of the current indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract by $35.7 million to a maximum potential value of $267.4 million. The contract was awarded with a two-year base period that began Nov. 1, 2017, and six one-year options. Funding is obligated on cost-plus-fixed-fee and hybrid, cost-plus-fixed-fee/incentive-fee task orders. (10/30)

Space Companies to Compete for $40 Million Pot at Air Force Live Pitch Event (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Air Force has selected 30 startups and small businesses to participate in a live pitch event Nov. 5-6 in San Francisco focused on the space industry. These companies will have an opportunity to win on-the-spot contracts from a pot of money estimated at about $40 million, said Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics. (10/30)

GAO Report Critical of Air Force Space Command and Control Program (Source: Space News)
The Government Accountability Office in a new report gave low marks to the Air Force’s Space Command and Control program, a project that seeks to provide commanders with better tools to monitor what is happening in space. The Space Command and Control program, or Space C2, is managed by the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. In a report released Oct. 30, GAO said the program suffers from disjointed management and requires more oversight from the Defense Department. (10/30)

Four To Demo Hypersonic Space Sensor Prototypes (Source: Aviation Week)
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has selected four companies to demonstrate a prototype for a new space-based sensor optimized to detect and track maneuvering, hypersonic targets gliding or cruising within the atmosphere.   Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Leidos, L3Harris Technologies and Raytheon each received $20 million contracts to design a prototype payload for a risk-reduction demonstration of the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS), MDA announced Oct. 29. (10/30)

Morgan Stanley: Don't Underestimate the Economic Importance of Launching People Into Space (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Investors shouldn't underestimate the importance of launching people into space, Morgan Stanley said in a research report released Tuesday. The Wall Street investment bank expects communication satellites, Earth observation technology and transportation to be the economic drivers of a space economy, but investors should not underestimate human space exploration as a "critical enabler of public will."

"We believe a sequence of milestones involving sending humans into space for more regular, more ambitious missions can be an important driver to increase public and investor awareness of the emergence of a trillion dollar economy," the research report said. (10/29)

President Zelensky Ssigns Law Regulating Ukraine Space Activities (Source: Ukrinform)
President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed the law amending the Law of Ukraine “On amendments to certain laws of Ukraine on the state regulation of space activities,” which was approved by the Verkhovna Rada on October 2, 2019, according to the parliament’s press service. "The law creates conditions for developing the domestic space industry, enhancing its investment attractiveness, creating a competitive environment for space entities of different forms of ownership. The document stipulates that enterprises, institutions and organizations of any form of ownership and legal organizational form can be subjects of space activities,” reads the report. (10/30)