January 10, 2020

Human-Based Models to Study Space Radiation and Countermeasures (Source: Space Daily)
The Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) is releasing a new funding initiative supporting research advances in the study of effects of space radiation on human physiology and seeking countermeasures to be used in deep space exploration. TRISH seeks and funds high-risk, high-reward solutions for predicting and protecting the health of future astronauts on deep space missions. Galactic cosmic radiation will be a significant health and performance challenge facing crewmembers on NASA's planned return to the moon by 2024 and future missions to Mars.

This new space radiation initiative seeks effective human-based complex in-vitro and ex-vivo models to study a variety of novel countermeasures against space relevant ionizing radiation exposure, which future deep space explorers must endure. The Institute is awarding up to one million per year for up to three years. TRISH especially encourages multidisciplinary teams to apply for this opportunity. (1/10)

Second Spaceship in Virgin Galactic's Fleet Completes Major Build Milestone (Source: Space Daily)
Virgin Galactic has reached the "Weight on Wheels" milestone in the build of its second commercial spaceship. In this milestone, all major structural elements of the vehicle were assembled, and the vehicle deployed its main landing gear and carried its own weight for the first time. The milestone signals strong progress in the manufacture of Virgin Galactic's space vehicle fleet by The Spaceship Company, VGH's wholly-owned aerospace development subsidiary.

This Weight on Wheels milestone has been reached considerably faster than it took to get to this stage with the first spaceship in the Virgin Galactic fleet, VSS Unity, which is currently in flight test. This pace has been achieved through a more efficient, modular assembly process, as well as experience curve benefits. (1/10)

NASA’s Artemis I Core Stage Could Arrive to KSC as Early as July (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA’s long path back to the moon is finally inching its way closer to Florida. The first core stage for the planned Artemis I lunar mission left NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans on Wednesday for a barge ride over to Mississippi where it will throttle up all four engines to simulate its eventual launch from Kennedy Space Center.

“It is a historic milestone,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Jim Morhard. “You think about last March when Vice President Pence gave us the direction at NASA to go forward to the moon by 2024, and we said we’d finish the core stage just before the end of the year, and today it’s really less than two weeks from the date we said we’d be done." (1/10)

Former DARPA Chief Joins Lockheed Martin (Source: Space News)
The former head of DARPA has joined Lockheed Martin. Steven Walker was named Thursday vice president and chief technology officer of the company, effective next week. Walker announced last month that he was leaving DARPA, and Friday is his last day at the agency. While at DARPA, he was credited with reinvigorating the agency’s hypersonic weapons and space efforts. Walker replaces Keoki Jackson, who will become Lockheed Martin's chief engineer and vice president of engineering and program operations. (1/10)

Dynetics Leads Lunar Lander Team Competing for NASA Contract (Source: Space News)
Dynetics is bidding on NASA's human lunar lander program, leading a team that includes Sierra Nevada Corporation. In a call Thursday, Sierra Nevada executives said they were part of a Dynetics-led team bidding on NASA's Human Landing System program to develop a lander to transport astronauts to the surface of the moon. Dynetics confirmed they bid on the program, but declined to give further details. Boeing and a Blue Origin-led team previously said they submitted proposals, and SpaceX is widely believed to also be a bidder. (1/10)

House Committee Approves Space Weather Bill (Source: Space News)
The House Science Committee approved a space weather bill Thursday. The committee favorably reported the Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act, introduced in November by Reps. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) and Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) The bill is intended to coordinate federal government space weather research, forecasting and operations with input from academia, commercial firms and groups affected by space weather. Members of Congress have proposed similar legislation for four years, but so far have been unable to come up with a version that can pass both the House and Senate. (1/10)

SLS Core Stage Readies for Green Run (Source: Space News)
The first Space Launch System core stage rolled out of the factory this week. The core stage, built at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, will be shipped to the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for testing, including a "Green Run" test that will fire its four RS-25 engines for eight minutes. In a media teleconference this week, prime contractor Boeing said that, in a best-case scenario, those tests should be done, and the stage transported to the Kennedy Space Center, by July or August, but could take until October to complete. (1/10)

ABL to Test Small Launcher Propulsion Components at Edwards (Source: Space News)
A small launch vehicle developer has an agreement to perform testing at Edwards Air Force Base. ABL Space Systems signed a three-year cooperative research and development agreement with the Air Force Research Laboratory in July to test rocket propulsion components at a site at Edwards, but the agreement was not disclosed until Thursday, after the company stared work there. ABL is developing a small launch vehicle intended to place up to 1,200 kilograms into orbit for $12 million. (1/10)

China Tests Mobile Ground Terminal for Quantum Comms Satellite (Source: New Scientist)
China has tested a mobile ground terminal for quantum satellite communications. The mobile unit, weighing just 80 kilograms and small enough to be mounted on the roof of a car, successfully communicated with the Mozi experimental satellite launched in 2016. Mozi is designed to test quantum satellite technology, whose encryption is far stronger than conventional systems. The satellite had previously required the use of far larger ground terminals. (1/10)

Arecibo Temporarily Closed After Earthquakes (Source: Space.com)
Earthquakes in Puerto Rico have temporarily closed the Arecibo Observatory there. A magnitude-6.4 quake on Tuesday and subsequent aftershocks have closed the giant radio observatory through at least Friday, although initial inspections have not turned up any damage. The observatory is still working to repair damage from Hurricane Maria in 2017. (1/10)

Japan May Extend Hayabusa Mission (Source: Jiji Press)
Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft may get an extended mission. Hayabusa2 is en route back to Earth after collecting samples from the asteroid Ryugu. While a capsule carrying those samples will land late this year, the rest of the spacecraft will fly past Earth. The Japanese space agency JAXA is evaluating targets for an expended mission, most likely another near Earth asteroid. (1/10)

Expansion Still Puzzles Astronomers (Source: Space.com)
Different measurements of the expansion of the universe continue to puzzle astronomers. One set of measurements of the Hubble constant, made using measurements of Cepheid variable stars, yields one value, while others using the cosmic microwave background result in a different value. A new study using a third technique yielded a result close to that from the Cepheid variables, but astronomers still don't know why the results from the cosmic microwave background are different. "The measurements are consistent with indicating a crisis in cosmology," said one astronomer. (1/10)