January 25, 2020

Trump’s Space Force Logo Was Apparently a Surprise to the Pentagon (Source: Washintonian)
At 4:31 on Friday, President Trump tweeted an image of what he said is the Space Force’s official “new logo.” Just minutes before, I had been on the phone with a spokesperson for the Space Force—who had told me something else entirely. I had been interviewing the spokesperson about the particulars of various Space Force accoutrements that are in the works—the branch’s uniform, song, and, as it so happened, official seal. Funny I should ask, the spokesperson said—he happened to be looking at mockups for a possible seal on the office’s desktop computer screen. “That is all being kicked around right now as I speak,” he said.

Throughout the 15-minute conversation, the spokesperson seemed to suggest that the Pentagon was some distance away from choosing an official seal. “There’s a lot of stuff that’s still in progress,” he said, things that are “under design and conceptual stages right now—same with logos, branding, that type of effort.” Focus groups are currently evaluating some of the designs, he told me. One reason for the slow pace, he said, is copyright law: “Trademark, copyright stuff, also for [potential] seals,” he said. “So that’s why it’s a process.”

The spokesperson said to check back in after the 36th annual Space Symposium in April. “We don’t want to get too ahead—there’s nothing official,” he told me. Then, five minutes after the call ended, Trump tweeted the logo, which many observers have noted closely resembles the fictitious logo of Star Trek’s Starfleet Command. (1/24)

Debate is On Over New Name for Colorado Springs' Space Force Troops (Source: The Gazette)
There is an ongoing problem with the new Space Force: What do you call its personnel? For the moment, the Pentagon is calling them airmen. And that was accurate before Congress converted Air Force Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base into the nation’s sixth armed service branch. Now they are a new service and deserving of a new name. Many names are already out. Space cadet, for instance, carries a negative connotation that wouldn’t make it past the brass.

Some have suggested rocketeer, which only reflects part of the job. One suggestion from Twitter is to call them “spacers,” a gender-neutral phrase that would be the “sailor” for the stars. I have actually given this thing thought, after getting past the obvious Star Trek jokes. Historically, cavalry gave other ground troops a huge advantage by sweeping around and taking the enemy from the rear. Those serving in America’s cavalry are proudly called troopers, rather than soldiers. I think the men and women in this new service have earned an honorable title from the work they do every day. They are troopers. (1/23)

Parachute System for Russia's New "Eagle" Crew Capsule to be Completed in 2023 (Source: TASS)
Work on the creation of a parachute system for the new Eagle spacecraft will be completed in 2023. This was announced by the Director General of the Research Institute of Parachute Engineering. "Work continues on the development of a parachute system for the promising Orel spacecraft within the framework of a previously concluded state contract with a completion date of 2023," he said.

To date, autonomous ground and flight tests of individual elements of the parachute. "At the moment, the structural appearance of all the major components and elements of the system is fully defined, a cycle of autonomous ground and flight tests of individual elements of the system is carried out for the subsequent transition to the final stages of creating a parachute system," Rozhkov said. Then it is planned to conduct complex tests with a model of the returned apparatus. (1/24)

Building an Orbiting Internet Just for Satellites (Source: IEEE Spectrum)
At present, NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) is the only network that can help route signals from satellites to the correct ground stations. However, TDRSS is rarely accessible to companies, prohibitively expensive to use, and over 25 years old. It’s simply unable to handle the traffic created by all the new satellites. Getting data back to Earth from a satellite is oftentimes one of the bottlenecks that limits an observation system’s capabilities.

With three other engineers, I started Kepler Communications in 2015 to break this bottleneck. Our goal is to create a commercial replacement for TDRSS by building a constellation of many tiny satellites in LEO. The satellites will form the backbone of a space-based mesh network, sending data back and forth between Earth and space in real time. Each of our satellites, roughly the size of a loaf of bread, will operate much like an Internet router—except in space. Our first satellite, nicknamed KIPP after the companion robot from the 2014 sci-fi epic Interstellar, launched in January 2018.

When fully deployed by 2022, Kepler’s network will include 140 satellites spread equally among seven orbital planes. In essence, we’re building an Internet service provider high above Earth’s surface, to allow other satellites to stay in contact with one another and with ground stations, even if two satellites, or a satellite and a ground station, are on opposite sides of the planet. (1/23)

Canadian Space Agency Quietly Supports Maritime Launch Services (Source: SpaceQ)
The Canadian Space Agency does not have a stake in Maritime Launch Services (MLS), nor have they provided them any funding, but in a quiet way, they are supportive. If you talk to people from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) about MLS they’ll say they find the proposal for a Canadian spaceport in Nova Scotia interesting, or that it looks promising. They won’t go on the record and say we support them.

But as was evidenced last week, and in their own way, they publicly voiced support for a Maritime Launch Services initiative. It’s a small thing, but it is important. The support came on the occasion of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) and MLS. According to Joe MacDonald, Executive Director Government Relations & Strategic Initiatives at StFX, the two organizations will work “in the areas of research, scientific testing, technology development, environmental protection, economic development, training and employment of highly qualified personnel.” (1/24)

Bankrupt Vector Proceeding With Sale of Assets (Source: Space News)
Vector, the launch vehicle and smallsat technology company that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December, announced Jan. 24 it is proceeding with plans to sell its satellite technology to Lockheed Martin or another bidder. Vector announced that Lockheed Martin has agreed to purchase Vector’s “GalacticSky” software-defined satellite technology for $4.25 million as a “stalking-horse bidder.” That sale will go through unless the company receives “higher or better” bids from others by Feb. 21.

If Vector does get additional bids for GalacticSky, it will be sold at auction Feb. 25. Any higher bids must be worth at least $4.9 million, according to court documents about the sale, to compensate Lockheed for expenses and to pay a $200,000 “break-up fee” for not closing the original agreement.

“GalacticSky was designed to transform the aerospace and satellite industry, moving it from the current approach of providing hardware-centric solutions and capabilities to one based on a much more flexible and cost-efficient software-defined system,” Vector said in a statement about the sale. “Vector’s ultimate vision for GalacticSky was to provide a platform and service that would have allowed developers to build satellite applications and then upload their applications to an already orbiting satellite or constellation.” (1/24)

Relativity Space Could Change the Economics of Private Space Launches (Source: Tech Crunch)
The private launch market is an area of a lot of focus in the emerging space startup industry, not least because it unlocks the true potential of most of the rest of the market. But so far, we can count on one hand the number of new, private space launch companies that have actually transported payloads to orbit. Out of a number of firms racing to be the next to actually launch, LA-based Relativity Space is a prime contender, with a unique approach that could set it apart from the crowd.

I spoke to CEO Tim Ellis about what makes his company different and about what kind of capabilities it will bring to the launch market once it starts flying, something the company aims to do beginning next year. Fresh off a $140 million funding round in October 2019, Relativity’s model could provide another seismic shift in the economics of doing business in space, and has the potential to be as disruptive to the landscape — if not more so — as SpaceX.

“We built the largest metal 3D printers in the world, which we call a ‘Stargate,’ ” Ellis said. “It’s actually replacing a whole factory full of fixed tooling — and having all of our processes being 3D printing, we really view that as being the future because that lets us automate almost the entire rocket production, and then also reduce part count for much larger launch vehicles so our rocket can carry a 1,250-kg payload to orbit.” Because Relativity Space’s  launch vehicle is nearly 10 times larger than those made by Rocket Lab  or Orbex, “it’s a totally different payload class.” (1/23)

Five Features That Make Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser Spaceplane Unique (Source: Forbes)
Sierra Nevada (SNC) is not your typical federal contractor. Created by two Turkish immigrants who arrived in America as students with little more than their backpacks, it has become a trusted supplier of high-tech solutions to the military, the intelligence community and civil agencies such as NASA. Along the way, Eren and Fatih Ozmen—who did not meet until they both attended the University of Nevada—have become billionaires. They remain the sole owners of SNC today, and while their roster of clients has grown to include major aerospace firms and international customers, they remain focused first and foremost on finding affordable high-tech solutions to challenges the U.S. faces.

Dream Chaser is readily adaptable to a range of applications. Its launch site, landing site, vehicle configuration, mission duration and other characteristics can be adjusted to meet the needs of diverse users. Because it does not use highly toxic fuel or require specialized infrastructure, it can land on aircraft runways pretty much anywhere. This offers numerous advantages, for example by getting payloads and astronauts returning from space to their final destinations quickly and safely.

Although only a quarter the length of the Space Shuttle, Dream Chaser has greater carrying capacity than the other spacecraft being used in NASA’s commercial resupply program. Equipped with an expendable cargo module, it can carry six tons into low earth orbit—enough to supply astronauts on the International Space station for half a year. Almost all of that six tons is carried under pressurized conditions. It can also bring back two tons of cargo, including fragile science experiments, thanks to its modest gravity loading on reentry and landing. There is space on board for up to seven astronauts. Click here. (1/14)

Nothing But Net (Source: TIME)
Count on SpaceX to keep things interesting. Once you master getting spacecraft to orbit, why not also figure out a way to land the first stage boosters upright for reuse? Once you build a rocket like the Falcon Heavy, why not load a cherry-red Tesla aboard? Now that SpaceX has succeeded in its critical launch-abort flight, it's time to float a new big idea. This one: Landing the crewed Dragon spacecraft at sea, under parachutes, like the old Mercury, Gemini and Apollo spacecraft, but catching it in a net supported by barges before it actually hits the water. This would minimize their exposure to corrosive seawater. (1/24)