March 10, 2020

Mars, the Red Planet: Facts and Information (Source: National Geographic)
After decades of study using orbiters, landers, and rovers, scientists have revealed Mars as a dynamic, windblown landscape that could—just maybe—harbor microbial life beneath its rusty surface even today. With a radius of 2,106 miles, Mars is the seventh largest planet in our solar system and about half the diameter of Earth. Its surface gravity is 37.5 percent of Earth’s.

Mars rotates on its axis every 24.6 Earth hours, defining the length of a Martian day, which is called a sol (short for “solar day”). Mars’s axis of rotation is tilted 25.2 degrees relative to the plane of the planet’s orbit around the sun, which helps give Mars seasons similar to those on Earth. Whichever hemisphere is tilted closer to the sun experiences spring and summer, while the hemisphere tilted away gets fall and winter. At two specific moments each year—called the equinoxes—both hemispheres receive equal illumination. Click here. (3/8)

We're Getting a Clearer Picture of What Life on Mars Would Be Like... And It Still Sucks (Source: Barstool Sports)
NASA recently revealed the highest resolution landscape photo ever taken of the Red Planet by the Curiosity Rover. The rover took the picture back on Thanksgiving, and it’s pretty cool you can zoom in and look at the endless red rocks, and dirt, and grey skies as far as the eye can see. Not surprisingly, other articles also came out this week talking about how even though Mars is supposedly “beautiful”, hopeful martians shouldn't get too excited because your blood would literally fizz like a soda in the CO2 rich martian atmosphere that's always well below freezing.

You'd need a spacesuit anytime you want to go outside; and it’s likely that the first humans on Mars will need to spend months to years inside their ship on the surface, just hoping nothing breaks in the constant dust storms while they wait for more colonizers to arrive and help build bigger structures. (3/9)

SpaceX Raising Over $500 Million, Double what Elon Musk’s Company Planned to Bring In (Source: CNBC)
SpaceX is raising half a billion dollars in new funding, according to documents seen by CNBC on Monday, as the Elon Musk company continues work on three ambitious projects. The company authorized $500.06 million at a price of $220 per share, the documents show, and values SpaceX at around $36 billion — up from $33.3 billion last year. Notably, the round is about double the $250 million that SpaceX was looking to raise, as CNBC reported previously. (3/9)

Musk on Planning for Mars: ‘The City Has to Survive if the Resupply Ships Stop Coming From Earth’ (Source: CNBC)
It will take 1,000 spaceships and “a million tons” of vitamin C to make life on Mars sustainable, says SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Otherwise “you’re going to die slowly and painfully.” That’s because in order to live on Mars, “we need to have a self-sustaining city” there, Musk recently told Ars Technica. A city on Mars “has to survive if the resupply ships stop coming from Earth for any reason whatsoever,” Musk told Ars Technica. “Doesn’t matter why. If those resupply ships stop coming, does the city die out or not?”

And “in order to make something self-sustaining, you can’t be missing anything. You must have all the ingredients. It can’t be like, well this thing is self-sustaining except for this one little thing that we don’t have. It can’t be.” Click here. (3/9)

Musk: We’re Not Spinning Off Starlink (Source: Space News)
SpaceX has no plans to make Starlink a separate business, Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and chief executive, said March 9. Musk said SpaceX is “thinking about that zero,” instead focusing mainly on ensuring Starlink doesn’t flop. The precedent set by past companies that attempted big telecom constellations in low Earth orbit and went bankrupt, either briefly or permanently, is one SpaceX wants to avoid, he said. “That would be a big step, to have more than zero in the not bankrupt category,” Musk said. (3/9)

Bye Bye, Vandenberg Air Force Base. Hello, Vandenberg ... Space Force Base? (Source: The Tribune)
As Vandenberg Air Force Base continues its push to be at the forefront of America’s space-related activities, it could soon be getting a name change. Vandenberg officials on Thursday confirmed that the base near Lompoc is in talks to be renamed to better reflect its involvement in the fledgling Space Force branch of the military, though they did not specify exactly what the new name might be. (3/9)

NASA Warns 4-Kilometer Planet-Killer Asteroid Currently Headed For Earth (Source: IB Times)
NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) is currently tracking a massive asteroid that’s expected to approach the planet next month. According to the data collected by the agency, the approaching asteroid is big enough to destroy the planet during an impact event. CNOES identified the incoming asteroid as 52768 (1998 OR2). As noted by the agency, this asteroid is currently moving at a speed of almost 20,000 miles per hour. It has an estimated diameter of 4.1 kilometers, which is equivalent to 13,451 feet. This makes the asteroid longer than the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

According to NASA, 52768 (1998 OR2) is an Amor asteroid. Although Amors are not Earth-crossing asteroids such as Apollos, they can still approach Earth from dangerous distances. Due to its natural orbit and massive size, 52768 (1998 OR2) has been classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid. (3/8)

Colorado's Buckley AFB Pitched for Trump's Space Command HQ (Source: Colorado Politics)
Colorado's U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner might have President Trump's ear to bring the proposed U.S. Command to the state, but U.S. Rep. Jason Crow makes a pretty good pitch for Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora. Location is everything. “We may joke about how Colorado is one mile closer to space, but the reality is our state is an established leader in space with the workforce, resources, quality of life and infrastructure necessary to make USSPACECOM a success," Crow said in a press release. (3/9)

Space Industry Sees Growing Effects of Coronavirus Outbreak (Source: Space News)
As the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak grows worldwide, executives believe the space industry will not be immune from its effects but also may not be hurt as badly as other sectors. The spread of the coronavirus disease, formally known as COVID-19, continues to grow both in the United States and other countries. The World Health Organization reported more than 109,000 cases worldwide as of March 9, including 3,809 deaths. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 423 cases and 19 deaths, also as of March 9.

The effects of the coronavirus outbreak were also apparent at the Satellite 2020 conference here, which started March 9. Conference organizers said shortly before the start of the conference that 12% of exhibitors and an estimated 10% of attendees had canceled plans to attend because of the outbreak. Lineups of conference panels were in flux as some speakers dropped out. During one panel discussion March 9, which took place as stock markets in New York opened for trading and immediately plummeted, executives and analysts said they expected space companies to feel the economic effects at a scale similar to other industries. (3/9)

Space Symposium Still On Track Despite Coronavirus Concerns (Source: The Gazette)
Three weeks from the start of the Pikes Peak region's most prominent conference, organizers of the Space Symposium were cautiously moving ahead with plans despite the looming threat of coronavirus. Other large conferences, including the South by Southwest film, media and music gathering in Austin, Texas, have cancelled in recent days as spread of the respiratory illness grows across America. The Space Symposium, the planet's top gathering of rocket scientists, remained on track to kick off at The Broadmoor on March 30. (3/9)

NASA Ames Employee Tests Postive For Coronavirus; Employees Told To Work Remotely (Source: KPIX)
An employee at NASA's Ames Research Center tested positive for coronavirus and the whole center has been put on a mandatory telework status until further notice, NASA officials said Sunday. (3/9)

RUAG Space Celebrates 700 Satellite Separations (Source: RUAG)
RUAG Space celebrated 700 satellite separations. Swedish space minister was attending the event in Linköping, Sweden. In February RUAG Space has successfully placed over 700 satellites in space. “This is a huge achievement which highlights the outstanding capabilities we have in satellite separation,” says Peter Guggenbach, Executive Vice President of RUAG Space. (3/9)

Successful Launch for Airbus’ Bartolomeo (Source: Airbus)
The Airbus built Bartolomeo platform has been successfully launched on 06 March from Cape Canaveral, Florida, US. Bartolomeo is now on its journey to the International Space Station (ISS) and will be installed outside of the Columbus Laboratory, the European module of the ISS built by Airbus. Bartolomeo - named after Christopher Columbus' younger brother - is funded by Airbus and will be operated with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA). The platform can host up to 12 different payload slots, providing them with a power supply and data transmission back to Earth.

Not only does this provide opportunities for Earth observation, but also environmental and climate research, robotics, material sciences, astrophysics or to test new technologies in space, paving the way for their commercialisation. The platform’s unique vantage point 400 kilometres above the Earth offers unobstructed views of our planet enabling the hosting of external payload in low-Earth-orbit. (3/9)

L3Harris Technologies Introduces New Reflector Antenna Tailored for Smallsat Missions (Source: L3Harris)
L3Harris Technologies has introduced a new small satellite reflector antenna that will help decrease the size, weight and overall time to produce smallsats. Lighter and more compact than legacy designs, the new Smallsat Perimeter Truss (SPT) leverages L3Harris’ advanced Perimeter Truss design, while optimizing its mass to make the unit lighter and smaller to package onto small satellites. Offered in diameters up to four meters, and specifically designed for use on smallsat platforms, the Ka-band SPT is one-third the size and 50% the weight of previous designs. When stowed, the reflector is about the size of a commercial office fire extinguisher. (3/9)

China Launches New BeiDou Navigation Satellite (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a new satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 7:55 p.m. Monday (Beijing Time), only one step away from completing the whole global system. The satellite, the 54th of the BeiDou family, was sent into a geostationary orbit as planned by a Long March-3B carrier rocket.

China began to construct its navigation system, named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper constellation, in the 1990s and started serving the Asia-Pacific Region in 2012. At present, all the first generation BDS-1 satellites have ended operations, and a total of 54 BDS-2 and BDS-3 satellites have been sent into space. (3/9)

Startup Financing Flourished in 2019 With No Sign of Slowing (Source: Space News)
Space industry startups attracted $5.7 billion in financing in 2019, “shattering the $3.5 billion record set the previous year,” according to a new report by Bryce Space and Technology, a Washington consulting firm. While Investors took stakes in 135 space startups around the world, four of the largest ventures – SpaceX, Blue Origin, OneWeb and Virgin Galactic — claimed nearly 70% of the total financing, according to “Startup Space: Update on Investment in Commercial Space Ventures” published March 9.

SpaceX and Blue Origin combined collected $1.9 billion in 2019, Bryce estimated. Meanwhile, OneWeb received about $1.25 billion and Virgin Galactic raised more than $682 million, thanks largely to its reverse merger with special-purpose acquisition company Social Capital Hedosophia and subsequent public trading of its stock, according to the report. (3/9)

Japan’s Space Program Aims at the Moons of Mars (Source: Asia Times)
There are still too many articles appearing about China challenging America’s dominance in space and about India’s attempt to keep up with China that ignore the fact that Japan is far ahead of both of them. Hayabusa2 is scheduled to release its sample return capsule for landing at the Woomera Test Range in Australia in December 2020. It will then fly on in solar orbit awaiting further instructions. The follow-up to Hayabusa2 was announced in February, when Japan’s Martian Moon eXploration Mission (MMX) was upgraded from a conceptual pre-project to an active JAXA Project.

JAXA describes MMX as follows: “Approximately one year after leaving Earth, the spacecraft will arrive in Martian space and enter into an orbit around Mars. It will then enter a Quasi Satellite Orbit (QSO) around one of the Martian moons to collect scientific data and gather a sample from the moon’s surface. After observation and sample collection, the spacecraft will return to Earth carrying the material gathered from the Martian moon.” The schedule: launch date in 2024, Martian orbit insertion in 2025 and return to Earth in 2029. (3/10)

Navy to Make Modest Personnel Contribution to Space Force, New Space Designator Likely (Source: USNI)
While some Navy personnel are helping the new Space Force take shape, the Navy’s contribution to the newest military branch will be small, a senior service official said. "With last year’s establishment of U.S. Space Command, “there have been requirements that are coming for the fleet to support SPACECOM. As the Space Force has stood up, we have supported Space Force’s stand-up with a few billets at the headquarters, as a temporary loan.”

Eventually, the number of Navy personnel transferred into the new branch will be “small numbers, under 100 probably when we’re done,” Brown said. “But we’ll see where that goes, but a lot of effort going on inside that... Additionally, at the operational level, we’re missing space expertise that we need to be able to pull all of these pieces together.” Brown said he’s also working with the chief of naval personnel on “the potential of having a small space designator within the Navy so I can professionalize the Space Cadre force,” (3/9)

Army Now Accepting Applications for Next Astronaut (Source: US Army)
If you're looking to upgrade your combat uniform to a spacesuit, here's your chance. The Army is currently searching for candidates to be its next astronaut. And whether enlisted, warrant officer or a regular officer, any Soldier who is qualified can apply. In the previous astronaut class, the service considered about 200 Soldiers who applied for the NASA Astronaut Candidate Program. "We're hoping for a lot more [this year]," said Lt. Col. Anne McClain, an Army astronaut who spent six months in space last year. Those interested can apply through Military Personnel message 20-062, which outlines the application process. The deadline is March 31. (3/5)

Small Launchers Don't Foresee Price War (Source: Space News)
Developers of small launch vehicles aren't worried about a "race to the bottom" on launch pricing. Executives with Rocket Lab and Virgin Orbit said at a conference panel Monday that while companies developing new vehicles may offer very low prices initially, that pricing will moderate as companies realize how capital intensive it is to develop a small launcher and then operate it regularly. They also downplayed pricing pressure from rideshare services, arguing that they see strong demand from customers who want the flexibility and responsiveness offered by dedicated launch. (3/10)

Responsive Launch is Still Not Quite Ready for Prime Time (Source: Space Review)
The DARPA Launch Challenge ended last week without a winner as the sole remaining team failed to launch within the competition window. Jeff Foust reports on how Astra was less than a minute away from launching when it had to scrub its launch, and what it means for the long-running effort to demonstrate responsive launch. Click here. (3/9) 
 
Space Reconnaissance and Anglo-American Relations During the Cold War (Source: Space Review)
The special relationship between the United States and United Kingdom extended to access to reconnaissance satellite imagery during the Cold War. Aaron Bateman examines how that influenced policy in the UK regarding arms control and anti-satellite weapons in the 1980s. Click here. (3/9)  

Meet the Americans Who Want Starlink (Source: Inverse)
When James Palashoff and his wife decided to move, it was a decision that would send them back in time. The 57-year-old from Pittsburgh was hoping to reduce their costs, now that their kids have left home. They chose to move to a secluded rural area in Andover, Ohio that acts as a campsite to about 3,000 people during the summer. But while they currently have internet access at a blazing-fast one gigabit per second in Pittsburgh, their new place offers nothing faster than 20 megabits.

“I just want to be able to watch TV while my wife’s working on the computer,” Palashoff says. “I won’t be able to do [that] when we move up there.” Maybe Elon Musk can help? Palashoff is one of several Americans placing their hopes in Elon Musk’s latest ambitious plan: to fill the sky with up to 42,000 satellites, far eclipsing the few thousand total in orbit at the moment, to deliver high speed, low latency internet anywhere with a line of sight to the satellites. (3/9)

Scientists Will Soon Be Able to Monitor Air Pollution Hourly From Space (Source: The Verge)
NASA, South Korea, and the European Space Agency are working together on a “virtual constellation” of space-based instruments to document global air quality in unprecedented detail. For the first time, scientists will be able to track pollution from space on an hourly basis.

The first instrument to launch was South Korea’s Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) on February 18th, which flew into space mounted on a Korean satellite also tasked with ocean surface monitoring. NASA plans to send a nearly identical instrument to space aboard a commercial communications satellite in 2022, it said in a briefing today. They’ll be followed by the European Space Agency’s two instruments that will join its existing air quality monitoring satellites, with the first taking off in 2023. (3/9)

Discovery Points to Origin of Mysterious Ultraviolet Radiation (Source: University of Utah)
Billions of lightyears away, gigantic clouds of hydrogen gas produce a special kind of radiation, a type of ultraviolet light known as Lyman-alpha emissions. The enormous clouds emitting the light are Lyman-alpha blobs (LABs). LABs are several times larger than our Milky Way galaxy, yet were only discovered 20 years ago. An extremely powerful energy source is necessary to produce this radiation--think the energy output equivalent of billions of our sun--but scientists debate what that energy source could be.

A new study provides evidence that the energy source is at the center of star-forming galaxies, around which the LABs exist. The study focuses on Lyman-alpha blob 6 (LAB-6) located more than 18 billion light years away in the direction of constellation Grus. The collaborative team discovered a unique feature of LAB-6--its hydrogen gas appeared to fall inwards on itself. LAB-6 is the first LAB with strong evidence of this so-called infalling gas signature. The infalling gas was low in abundance of metallic elements, suggesting that the LAB's infalling hydrogen gas originated in the intergalactic medium, rather than from the star-forming galaxy itself.

The amount of infalling gas is too low to power the observed Lyman-alpha emission. The findings provide evidence that the central star-forming galaxy is the primary energy source responsible for Lyman-alpha emission. They also pose new questions about the structure of the LABs. (3/9)

How Quickly is the Universe Expanding? (Source: Cosmos)
It’s often said that science is self-correcting. First, a scientist presents a result, openly admitting that they may have made a mistake somewhere along the way. Next, other scientists step in to check their numbers, reproduce the experiment, or, better yet, test the conclusion via an entirely different, independent method. If all parties agree, we have a consensus, and people begin to cautiously trust the original conclusion.

It doesn’t stop there, of course – anything we think we know in science can change based on new data or analyses – but if you’re going to rank the believability of different kinds of results, those supported by more than one group in more than one way should be highest on your list. The tricky part is when experiments disagree. Hard science should never be a matter of opinion; it’s all based on the idea that there is a right and replicable answer, and through rigorous experimentation and logical thought, we will find it. (3/10)

OneWeb, SpaceX Optimistic About Cheap User Terminals (Source: Space News)
Executives from SpaceX and OneWeb say their companies are working intensely on user terminals so customers will be able to get internet connectivity from their respective low Earth orbit constellations. Both companies expect to start regional service in high northern latitudes by the end of the year, with global service following in 2021 — OneWeb with around 650 satellites and SpaceX with around 1,500 of an eventual 12,000 satellites.

OneWeb expects to have user terminals between $1,000 to $1,500 for community Wi-Fi services, Browne said. Community Wi-Fi hotspots are often used to connect internet cafes and public spaces where dozens of devices connect simultaneously to the internet. OneWeb’s “aspirational” goal for the core antenna chipsets needed to create user terminals for commercial aircraft is $150,000, Browne said. “That would be about half of what the market price is currently,” he said. “I think we can do that.” (3/9)

Producing Human Tissue in Space (Source: UZH Innovation)
The University of Zurich has sent adult human stem cells to the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory. With this innovative concept Prof. Oliver Ullrich and Dr. Cora Thiel from the UZH Space Hub will explore the production of human tissue in weightlessness. Weightlessness as a tool is being used, because physical forces such as gravity influence how stem cells differentiate and how the formation and regeneration of tissue is organized. The experiment will be conducted together with Airbus Defence and Space in a mobile mini-laboratory, the CubeLab module of the US company Space Tango. This approach could be of benefit for transplantation medicine and precision medicine and as an alternative to animal experiments. (3/9)

Kepler’s Decision to Build its Own Cubesats Surprises Manufacturers (Source: Space News)
Kepler's decision to build its satellite constellation in-house is a surprising move to satellite manufacturers. The Canadian company recently announced it would build its fleet of 140 cubesats despite the proliferation of companies specializing in producing cubesats. AAC Clyde, which built three prototype satellites for Kepler, said it couldn't offer the combination of price, scheduled and technology that Kepler desired. Manufacturers think that operators have unrealistic price targets, while operators like Kepler and others say the benefits of vertical integration outweigh the costs. (3/9)

Making Aerospace Workforce Training a National Mandate for the Future (Source: Space Daily)
As the aerospace workforce ages, technology advances and space operations become more contested it is imperative to continually train engineers and managers to refresh and advance their knowledge base in order to keep the U.S. competitive. This challenge is further complicated by the fact that over the past few years roughly 40% of U.S. skilled tradesman have retired.

Aviation Week recently reported that the average age of an aerospace employee was over 45, and only about 4% of all industry employees were between the ages of 22 and 25. This indicates that the demand for workforce training will remain high for at least the next several decades. It has also been reported that the size of the aerospace workforce is slowly decreasing, requiring aerospace manufacturers to do more with fewer employees. This means productivity initiatives are even more important to maintain competitiveness. The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) has reported that "Companies will need to become even more efficient to stay competitive.

Longtime aerospace workers are retiring in record numbers. Many have crossed the 60-year-old milestone in recent years. This trend is expected to continue, resulting in the loss of a vast amount of technological and engineering knowledge. The solution will require a combination of short-term and long-term strategies. One approach to maintaining an industrial leadership position is continual workforce training in the technologies and processes needed to compete in the international marketplace. (3/10)

Space Force Budget Dominated by Rockets and Satellites (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force's fiscal year 2021 budget request primarily goes toward satellites and launches. The $15.4 billion request for the U.S. Space Force contains $10.3 billion for research, development, testing and evaluation of space systems, and $2.4 billion for the procurement of satellites, ground equipment and launch services. That supports continued work on a next-generation missile warning satellite system, more GPS 3 satellites, and funding for three launches and continued support of Launch Service Agreement awards. The remaining $2.7 billion goes to operations, training and maintenance activities as well as war-related satellite services and space operations. (3/9)

Soyuz Launch of Spy Satellite Delayed (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
A Soyuz launch postponed last week likely will be grounded for a month. A Soyuz rocket was scheduled to lift off last Thursday carrying the Falcon Eye 2 reconnaissance satellite for the United Arab Emirates, but the launch was postponed with few details disclosed. Officials said the rocket's Fregat upper stage will be replaced. It's not clear if the problem is related to one that postponed a Soyuz launch from Russia earlier this year that also required a change of Fregat stages. (3/9)

Bacteria on ISS Not a Major Concern (Source: Space.com)
While bacteria flourish in space, they are no more dangerous there than on Earth. Researchers found that two strains of bacteria contaminated the water supply on the station, and efforts to eliminate them by a thorough cleaning the system have failed. However, the bacteria don't appear to be any more virulent than similar bacteria seen in water on Earth, and that if they were to cause an infection in an astronaut, it could be treated with antibiotics. (3/9)

Over 9,000 Asteroids Feasible for Mining May Help Ignite New Space Race (Source: Sputnik)
There are over 9,000 of the so called near-Earth objects (NEOs) out there that could become targets of such mining efforts. "Space exploration is vitally important for our future and offers a new reality by providing human beings with new resources in many aspects", the report states. "Space can help us solve the problems we face on Earth, such as resource and population pressures, shrinking energy supplies, environmental protection, scientific advances, new manufacturing and production processes, and space tourism and settlement".

The authors further argue that space mining "could help start the colonisation of planets where finding water would be imperative", noting that water can be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen - the former to be used as fuel, the latter to be used for breathing - not to mention that water can be used to help grow food and to serve as "a protective shield from the harsh rays from space such as ultraviolet, infrared, and others". The document also suggests that asteroid mining can also be used to help ensure the safety of our planet by preventing space rocks from colliding with Earth. (3/10)

Apollo 13 Exhibitry Available to Museums (Source: CollectSpace)
The museum that is home to the Apollo 13 capsule is using the mission's upcoming 50th anniversary to offer other museums a traveling exhibit about it. SpaceWorks, the restoration and replication division of the Cosmosphere museum in Kansas, is offering a traveling exhibit about the mission that includes artifacts from the mission and high-resolution imagery of the capsule, which was restored by and is on display at the Cosmosphere. The exhibit is part of a broader initiative by the museum to offer its artifacts and exhibits for lease to other museums. (3/9)

'Strange' Glimpse into Neutron Stars and Symmetry Violation (Source: Brookhaven)
New results from precision particle detectors at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) offer a fresh glimpse of the particle interactions that take place in the cores of neutron stars and give nuclear physicists a new way to search for violations of fundamental symmetries in the universe. The results, just published in Nature Physics, could only be obtained at a powerful ion collider such as RHIC, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility for nuclear physics research at DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory.

The precision measurements reveal that the binding energy holding together the components of the simplest “strange-matter” nucleus, known as a “hypertriton,” is greater than obtained by previous, less-precise experiments. The new value could have important astrophysical implications for understanding the properties of neutron stars, where the presence of particles containing so-called “strange” quarks is predicted to be common. (3/9)

New Type of Pulsating Star Discovered (Source: Space Daily)
A star that pulsates on just one side has been discovered in the Milky Way about 1500 light years from Earth. It is the first of its kind to be found and scientists expect to find many more similar systems as technology to listen inside the beating hearts of stars improves. "What first caught my attention was the fact it was a chemically peculiar star," said co-author Dr Simon Murphy from the Sydney Institute for Astronomy at the University of Sydney. "Stars like this are usually fairly rich with metals - but this is metal poor, making it a rare type of hot star."

Dr. Murphy shared the find with international collaborators to discover others had started to study the star, known as HD74423, which is about 1.7 times the mass of the Sun. Stars that pulsate have been known in astronomy for a long time. Our own Sun dances to its own rhythms. These rhythmic pulsations of the stellar surface occur in young and in old stars, and can have long or short periods, a wide range of strengths and different causes. There is however one thing that all these stars had thus far in common: the oscillations were always visible on all sides of the star. Now an international team, including researchers from the University of Sydney, has discovered a star that oscillates largely over one hemisphere. (3/10)

NASA Is Pushing Lunar Pit-Stop to Mars, But Elon Musk's Plan Is More Direct (Source: Interesting Engineering)
The way to Mars, NASA believes, is two-fold: first, we return to the Moon and build a deep-space "pit-stop" station in Lunar orbit. Then, after perfecting the next-gen model of ion propulsion, the agency will launch deep-space exploratory vessels to orbit the Red Planet, where they will build another space station. By contrast, Elon Musk and his Starship project prioritize a SpaceX mission to the surface of the Red Planet itself, instead of a return to the Moon. Meanwhile, NASA — along with a large consortium of international partners — seems determined to bring not just humans, but also our markets and economic infrastructure, into space. Click here. (3/9)

NASA Glenn Breaks Ground on Aerospace Communications Facility (Source: Aerospace Manufacturing and Design)
NASA held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Aerospace Communications Facility (ACF) at the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, March 4. The new 54,000ft2 facility will be NASA's premier facility for radio frequency communications technology research and development. It will allow NASA and commercial partners to develop faster, higher capacity communications for future missions to the moon and Mars. It will also house research in advanced communication for future urban air mobility (UAM) and autonomous flying vehicles. (3/6)

Surprise! Earth and the Moon Aren't Made of Exactly the Same Stuff (Source: Space.com)
The moon and Earth may be more different than previously thought, challenging existing models for how the moon formed, a new study finds. Earth originated about 4.5 billion years ago, and previous research suggested that the moon arose a short time after that. For the past three decades, the prevailing explanation for the moon's origin was that it resulted from the collision of two protoplanets, or embryonic worlds. One of those was the newborn Earth, and the other was a Mars-size rock nicknamed Theia, after the mother of the moon in Greek myth.

"Once the dust settled, two bodies were left — Earth and the moon," new study co-author Zachary Sharp, a planetary scientist at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, told Space.com. This "giant impact hypothesis" seemed to explain many details about Earth and the moon, such as the large size of the moon compared with Earth and the rates of rotation of the two bodies. However, in the past 20 or so years, evidence has emerged to challenge that hypothesis and suggest a multitude of alternatives.

In the new study, researchers conducted new high-precision measurements of oxygen isotope levels in a range of lunar samples. The researchers expanded on previous work by focusing on a wide variety of types of moon rock. The scientists found that there were subtle but regular differences in oxygen isotopic composition depending on the kind of lunar rock tested, Sharp said. This suggested that prior work that averaged together lunar isotope data while ignoring differences in rock type might not have given an accurate picture of the differences between Earth and the moon. (3/9)

Is the End Near for Mars Odyssey? Trump's Proposed 2021 Budget Could Doom Long-Lived Mission (Source: Space.com)
NASA's longest-running Mars mission may be on the chopping block. While President Donald Trump's 2021 budget request clearly threatened NASA missions like the jet-borne telescope SOFIA, another potential shutdown was tucked inside the request. Proposed cuts to the 2001 Mars Odyssey program would bring its budget to a scant million dollars a year, effectively terminating the mission. The budget request is just that, a request; Congress makes the ultimate decision about budgets and can choose to continue funding the mission. Nevertheless, the threat has Mars scientists anxious about the mission's future. (3/9)

White House Might Consider Space Policies on Cybersecurity, Supply Chain, Nuclear Power (Source: Space News)
The National Space Council is weighing a new policy directive that would call for the space industry to voluntarily adopt cybersecurity standards to help protect data and companies’ intellectual property. The White House focus over the past year with regard to space policy has been on “supply chain hygiene,” said Mir Sadat, who served on the National Security Council until last month.

There is a growing push in the Trump administration to raise awareness about hackers trying to target satellite networks and industrial spies stealing U.S. space technology, Sadat said March 9 during a panel at the Satellite 2020 symposium. “If we’re going to start relying on smallsats, we have to make sure that these things don’t get hacked,” Sadat said. The commercial space industry’s supply chain is a topic that is extensively discussed at the White House, he said. The administration would like U.S. companies to reduce their dependence on foreign suppliers and, when domestic sources are not available, make sure that suppliers are certified. (3/9)

Frontier Development Lab Sets 2020 Challenges (Source: Parabolic Arc)
The Frontier Development Lab (FDL) applies artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to space science to push the frontiers of research and develop new tools to help solve some of the biggest challenges that humanity faces. FDL is a public-private partnership with NASA in the USA and ESA in Europe. Click here. (3/10)

Front Range Biosciences Launches Hemp and Coffee Tissue Culture Samples to Space (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Front Range Biosciences (FRB), an agricultural technology company focused on breeding and nursery production of new plant varieties and seeds for the hemp and coffee industries, has launched its mission to transport plant cultures to space to examine the effects of zero gravity on plant gene expression. In partnership with SpaceCells USA Inc. and BioServe Space Technologies at the University of Colorado Boulder, FRB’s coffee and hemp cell cultures are being delivered to the International Space Station (ISS) on the SpaceX CRS-20 cargo flight. (3/10)

Startups Launch Innovative R&D on SpaceX CRS-20 to Improve Patient Care on Earth (Source: Parabolic Arc)
What if the next breakthrough to improve patient care on Earth came from research off of Earth—in space? Three biotechnology startups have launched research to the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, tackling a broad range of patient care objectives—from next-generation diagnostic tools to drug discovery and improved devices for drug delivery.

These three entrepreneurial projects, identified through the MassChallenge startup accelerator program, launched on SpaceX’s 20th commercial resupply services mission to the space station on Friday from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Over the years, Boeing and the ISS National Lab have partnered to fund more than 15 separate MassChallenge-identified startup concepts that could be advanced through the unique space-based environment of the orbiting laboratory. Click here. (3/10)

NASA OIG: SLS Cost Exceeds Congressional Agency Baseline Commitment (Source: NASA Watch)
"NASA continues to struggle managing SLS Program costs and schedule as the launch date for the first integrated SLS/Orion mission slips further. Rising costs and delays can be attributed to challenges with program management, technical issues, and contractor performance. For example, the structure of the SLS contracts limits visibility into contract costs and prevents NASA from determining precise costs per element... Moreover, as NASA and the contractors attempt to accelerate the production of the SLS Core Stages to meet aggressive timelines, they must also address concerns about shortcomings in quality control.

Based on our review of SLS Program cost reporting, we found that the Program exceeded its Agency Baseline Commitment (ABC)--that is, the cost and schedule baselines committed to Congress against which a program is measured--by at least 33 percent at the end of fiscal year 2019, a figure that could reach 43 percent or higher if additional delays push the launch date for Artemis I beyond November 2020." (3/10)

China Tests Mars Probe for 2020 Mars Mission (Source: Xinhua)
The Beijing Aerospace Control Center announced on Tuesday that China completed a probe test ahead of an exploration mission to Mars this year. The wireless network test is the only joint ground rehearsal between the mission center and the spacecraft. According to the center, the test has not been affected by the novel coronavirus epidemic, and the technical staff is working hard to ensure the success of the mission. (9/10)

SpaceX's Latest Starship Test Was Uneventful and That's Great News for its Flight Debut (Source: Teslarati)
According to Elon Musk, SpaceX has successfully completed its latest Starship prototype test in a uniquely uneventful fashion, great news for the next-generation rocket’s next steps and first flight tests.

The SpaceX CEO revealed the news some 12 hours after the company wrapped up the Starship tank test at its Boca Chica, Texas facilities. Another excellent example of SpaceX’s preferred process of agile development, the test followed just nine days after the Starship SN01 prototype’s first cryogenic test unexpectedly unearthed a design flaw. SpaceX analyzed the results of Starship SN01’s unintentional launch debut and drew up plans to rapidly repurpose a Starship tank initially destined for the SN02 prototype.

By using existing hardware to test an upgraded iteration of the part that destroyed Starship SN01, SpaceX has now effectively retired the risk posed by that prior failure less than two weeks after it occurred. Elon Musk specifically noted that the former SN02 engine section “passed cryo pressure & engine thrust loads,” confirming that there was more to the exceptionally uneventful evening of March 8th than met the eye. While putting on much less of a show for local observers, this particular boring test is a great sign for the next few steps of SpaceX’s Starship development program. (3/10)

Momentus Buys Six Slots on SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Missions (Source: TechCrunch)
Momentus, the in-space shuttle service for payloads, has bought six spaces on SpaceX SmallSat Rideshare Program missions. The launches include five trips to Sun-synchronous orbit and one to mid-inclined low Earth orbit, and after delivery, Momentus’ small space shuttles will carry customers’ payloads to customized drop-off altitudes and orbits. The company’s Vigoride vehicles already have customers, including Steamjet, NuSpace and Aurora Space Technologies, according to a statement from the company. (3/9)

Camden Chairman Keeps Spaceport Faith Despite Lengthy Failure to Launch (Source: Georgia Recorder)
Two months after Camden County suddenly scaled back its yearslong quest to become a licensed spaceport capable of launching larger rockets, its chairman and top booster is still all in, saying space-related jobs are the future. And critics say the recast license application is just the most recent sign that the county might as well have launched $8 million straight into the sun.

Spaceport’s biggest champion is confident his pet project will expand horizons for the coastal community of Woodbine. With the county’s pursuit of a spaceport, Camden is getting an opportunity to participate in the future, said county commission Chairman James Starline. The private space industry now handles satellites, but plenty of companies are banking on space tourism, suborbital travel, even mining asteroids. Starline was on the commission in 2012 when the county’s development authority started pursuing permits for a combined airport and spaceport on an old 4,000-acre Union Carbide site.

Some of the country’s 11 licensed spaceports are built only for vehicles to take off horizontally like airplanes. That is, at the ones that have had launches lately. But commercial vertical launches will be Camden’s uncommon advantage in the region, Starline said. Florida’s Cape Canaveral about 200 miles to the south offers some vertical commercial launch space, he said. “But if the military has something they need to do, the commercial is cast aside [at Canaveral.] That would not happen [in Camden] because we don’t have a military presence on the spaceport.” (3/8)

UK's Shetland Spaceport Plans Move Ahead as Formal Proposal Lodged (Source: Shetland Times)
The public will be given the opportunity to comment on proposals for a spaceport to launch small vertical rockets from Unst during a series of exhibitions in early May. The move follows the submission by Shetland Space Center (SSC) of its formal proposal of application notice to Shetland Islands Council prior to a full planning submission in June. In what is deemed by planning legislation to be a “major application”, SSC is seeking permission to build a vertical launch spaceport, including a launch pad complex, mobile tracking stations and assembly/integration hangar buildings with associated security fencing, access and servicing at Lamba Ness. (3/9)