April 19, 2020

NASA Reveals Ambitious Multi-Spacecraft Plan to Bring a Piece of Mars Back to Earth (Source: Tech Crunch)
That NASA intends to collect a sample from Mars and return it to Earth is well known — they’ve said so many times. But how would they go about scooping up soil from the surface of a distant planet and getting it back here? With a plan that sounds straight out of sci-fi. Described by the project’s lead scientist in a virtual meeting reported by Nature, NASA and the European Space Agency’s proposed Mars sample retrieval program is perhaps the most ambitious interplanetary mission ever devised. (I’ve asked NASA for more details and will update this post if I hear back.)

The first part of the plan is already public: It relies on the Mars Perseverance rover, which is currently being prepared, despite the pandemic, for its launch in July. Perseverance will perform sampling using a drill and soil scoop, filling 30 small tubes with the results of its Martian delvings and storing them on board. The next step is where things start to get wild. A second spacecraft will travel to Mars, launching in 2026 and arriving in 2028, and land near Perseverance in Jezero crater. It will deploy a second rover, which will roll over to Perseverance, collect the sample tubes, and deposit them in the “Mars ascent vehicle” that also came with it. This small rocket will launch itself and the samples into orbit — the first time a spacecraft will have taken off from the surface of Mars.

At this point, a third spacecraft waiting nearby will synchronize its orbit with the sample retrieval craft, collect it, and return to Earth with it, where it will make its — controlled, one hopes — reentry in 2031. Naturally Perseverance can’t shoot the samples back on a ballistic trajectory itself for a variety of reasons. That necessitates a second surface vehicle. And engineering that vehicle to fill the roles of outbound spacecraft, lander, rover, ascent vehicle, and return spacecraft may simply be impossible. So a third spacecraft is needed as well. (4/16)

In Space Exploration, Switzerland Punches Above its Weight (Source: SwissInfo)
All of a sudden, everyone is talking about it: the 2019 Nobel Prize won by Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz has reminded the Swiss that the country’s astrophysicists are at the forefront of the hunt for exoplanets, as they are in many areas of space exploration and research. The galaxy is teaming not only with stars, but also with planets. The first to have identified one of these planets orbiting a star other than our sun were none other than Switzerland’s own Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz. 

24 years later, the discovery earned Mayor and Queloz the Nobel Prize for physics. Today it’s about going further. Understanding what exoplanets are made of is the mission of the CHEOPS spatial telescope, the first European satellite ‘Made in Switzerland’ that was launched last December. But the Swiss reputation in space exploration was not established with CHEOPS, neither with Mayor and Queloz, nor even with the Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier – first non-American mission specialist at NASA. In 1969, Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the moon wearing Swiss watches on their wrists. (4/18)

Mojave Air and Space Port Maintains Flight Readiness During Pandemic (Source: Mojave Desert News)
Mojave Air and Space Port is open and operational during the COVID-19 crisis, as required by the FAA, according to Chief Executive Officer and General Manager Karina Drees. MASP held its regular board of directors meeting April 7 via teleconference. “This is obviously quite an unusual time for the world and the airport included,” said Drees during her report to the board. “A handful of our companies are considered mission critical here at the airport, so they are still operating. The airport is mandated by FAA, so we’re still open.” Drees said staff was working on staggered schedules to limit contact with co-workers and customers. (4/17)

Oita Airport to Become Asia’s First Air-to-Orbit Launch Base (Source: Asahi Shimbun)
Oita Airport intends to become the first in Asia to launch a satellite into space from a plane. The Oita prefectural government said it has signed an agreement with Virgin Orbit, a U.S. affiliate of Britain’s Virgin Group, on launching the satellite as early as 2022. “I expect (Oita Airport) to become a hub for space transport in Asia,” astronaut Naoko Yamazaki said during an online news conference held on April 3 at the prefectural government office.

Yamazaki serves as representative director of the Space Port Japan Association, which is supporting the project. Under the plan, Cosmic Girl, a Boeing 747-400 remodeled by Virgin Orbit, will take off from the airport with a small satellite-mounted rocket called LauncherOne under its body. (4/18)

Why Is Space Still So White? (Source: Marie Claire)
In 2018, astronaut Jeanette Epps was preparing to become the fourth African-American woman to travel to space and the very first African-American crew member to live on board the International Space Station (ISS). It would have been momentous. Then, six months before the mission, Epps was suddenly removed without explanation. "I don't know where the decision came from and how it was made, in detail or at what level," Epps said later that summer, when she was supposed to be on board the ISS. "There's no time to really be concerned about sexism and racism and things like that, because we have to perform. And if it comes into play, then you're hindering the mission, and you're hindering the performance."

At the time, NASA did not clearly state why Epps was removed from the mission. NASA has since said Epps’ removal had to do with flight-readiness, which includes extensive physical, emotional, and mental preparation. “The training demands for International Space Station missions are extreme, and flight readiness requirements [for Jeanette Epps] were not satisfied,” a spokesperson said. “Serena Auñón-Chancellor, who was previously assigned to [the following mission] Expedition 58/59, served as Epps’ backup and was moved to [the current mission] Expedition 56/57 crew assignment.”

Some may take relief in the fact that Epps wasn’t replaced by a white man. Auñón-Chancellor identifies as Latina. Yet, she's one of 12 Hispanic NASA astronauts, and one of two female Hispanic astronauts in the program. We could not find reliable data on the number of Asian-American female astronauts since the program started. In other words, NASA’s track record of investing in women of color astronauts is not exactly solid. (4/16)

House Members Ask FCC To Delay Action on Orbital Debris Rules (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Three leaders of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology have called upon the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to delay action on new orbital debris mitigation rules planned for Thursday. “Given the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 crisis, the immense effort undertaken to recover from the pandemic, and the potential for the FCC’s proposal to exacerbate impacts on U.S. industry and international competitiveness at a critical period in our nation’s history, we hope that you will agree to postpone future action,” the letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai read.

The letter was signed by: Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX); Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK); and Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK), chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics. “Stakeholders have communicated significant concerns with the proposed rule,” the letter said. “The FCC’s own draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, issued on February 19, 2019, notes that the Commission may not have cited sufficient authority to promulgate initial orbital debris regulations."

Industry representatives have worried that proposed rules to limit debris and de-orbit satellites at the end of life could drive companies to relocate overseas. Legislators also asserted authority over orbital debris regulations in their letter. “The Committee is granted jurisdiction over ‘[o]uter space, including exploration and control thereof’ under House Rule X(1)(p)(1). Legislation related to regulatory authority over orbital debris has a long history of being considered before the Committee, as well as oversight activities related to the topic,” the letter said. (4/18)

Why a Citizen-Powered Network May Be the Answer to Tracking Space Assets (Source: Politico)
A citizen-powered tracking network could be the model for creating a global inventory of space assets and their orbits, according to the co-founder of the space firm that is building out such a novel platform that was opened to all users this month. TruSat, which was first unveiled in October by ConsenSys Space, aggregates objects in space from inputs uploaded from people around the world who locate and photograph a satellite in the night sky and process the data from a time-stamped image.

The information collected by multiple users is used to predict a satellite’s orbit. The open-source nature of the network means no one owns the data and all the raw information is widely accessible. And that could overcome distrust and increase international cooperation in tracking the growing number of space objects that must operate at a safe distance and in separate orbits. (4/17)

The 2020s: The Space Exploration Decade with $260 Billion Invested by Governments (Source: Euroconsult)
According to Euroconsult’s latest research, “Prospects for Space Exploration”, global government investment in space exploration totalled nearly $20 billion in 2019, a 6% increase year-on-year. Thirty-one countries and space agencies lead this global investment with the U.S. accounting for 71% of spending. Funding for space exploration is forecast to increase to $30 billion by 2029, driven by Moon exploration, transportation, and orbital infrastructure. Approximately 130 missions are expected over the coming decade, compared to 52 missions conducted over the past 10 years. (4/14)

NASA Joins California Team to Develop COVID-19 Solutions (Source: Parabolic Arc)
NASA has joined forces with a task force in Antelope Valley, in northern Los Angeles County, California, to build medical devices to help patients with coronavirus (COVID-19). NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center partnered with Antelope Valley Hospital, the City of Lancaster, Virgin Galactic, The Spaceship Company (TSC), and Antelope Valley College to come up with innovative ideas to solve possible shortages of critical medical equipment.

This task force is working closely with medical professionals at the hospital to provide alternative solutions to needed equipment that is not available for a large-scale emergency. One of their first efforts was to build a prototype oxygen hood that has now proven to work for the doctors at the hospital. The production of 500 will begin next week at TSC’s Faith Facility in Mojave. (4/19)

The Silver Lining Of New Space Bankruptcies (Source: Forbes)
When any company considers bankruptcy protection, clearly something is not going to plan. Companies of all different sizes to file for bankruptcy roughly 20,000 times every year. But there's a silver lining. A free market and the associated continuous elevation of our standard of living depends on it. Bankruptcy protection laws allow companies to suspend payments, renegotiate contracts and generally restructure for another shot at success in the future.

Government policymakers, many of whom have modest experience in commercial business, must recognize this fact as they determine their role in the future space industry. The ugliest thing is not bankruptcy; it's the government thinking it must prop up business ideas that are not viable. Out of the first wave of next generation space companies, some embraced the financing model of Silicon Valley, securing funding through venture capital (VC) firms. Plenty of these endeavors needed extensive investment over many years to design, produce, launch and operate constellations of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of satellites. Because of these timelines, companies’ VC investors cannot assess profitability until hundreds of millions of dollars are spent and begin losing confidence before real revenue begins.

The most recent and visible example is OneWeb’s bankruptcy announcement. When companies are unable to finance an idea to completion, projects are abandoned with little residual value left. This has also been true for some of the next generation launch companies, save for those backed by a billionaire or their government. The next generation space ecosystem doesn’t always require billion-dollar VC investments to generate revenue and flourish, as the majority of companies haven’t required it. The government policymakers must focus on these small companies and sole proprietorships that design, produce, integrate and operate next generation space systems. (4/16)

NanoAvionics and Mexican Space Agency Introduce a Nanosatellite Pilot Project for Future Space Missions (Source: NanoAvionics)
Nanosatellite manufacturer and mission integrator NanoAvionics, together with the Mexican Space Agency (AEM) and students from the Polytechnic University of Atlacomulco will develop first the nanosatellite for the State of Mexico, (one of the most important states of the country), the AtlaCom-1. Building the nanosatellite is part of a pilot project to establish a nanosatellite infrastructure for future space missions designed and built by Mexico’s youth.

The project, starting in September 2020, is a testimony to the importance of space applications enabled by nanosatellites, which are rapidly becoming essential to national economies. Together, the Mexican Space Agency, amazingly led by Dr. Salvador Landeros, appointed director general of AEM in 2019, and NanoAvionics are fostering the advanced skills that Mexican youth will need to bring the country’s space industry forward. (4/17)

Florida Gov. DeSantis: Crowds Impacted, But NASA's May Launch of Astronauts is 'Critical' (Source: Florida Today)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said NASA's selection of next month for the first crewed mission in nearly a decade is critical, though he cautioned that crowds might be impacted due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. "The reports I've been getting were that even though this has been a real major shock to the economy, a lot on the Space Coast has been going very well," he said.

Historically, crewed launches have attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Space Coast, offering an economic boon to countless businesses. But the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing guidelines have complicated things. "They can do it without people congregating," DeSantis said. "We'll see what we're looking like then." As the state moves into slowly reopening, however, he cautioned that huge crowds aren't going to just be permitted overnight.

"As we get into the next phase, you're not going to go right into having huge crowds right away of course. So that may be impacted there," he said. "But I think by and large if you let people know what the expectations are, I think most people have been pretty respectful of that. NASA's selection of May 27 to fly astronauts comes at a complicated time for the country, but also Brevard County. A spokesperson said not only is the county dealing with the pandemic, but also preparations for hurricane season – and now how to handle what could potentially be thousands of launch spectators. (4/18)

More on the Economics of Rocket Reusability (Sources: CNBC, @Peter_J_Beck, @elonmusk)
According to ULA's Tory Bruno: "You add things, and costs, to a rocket in order to enable it to be reused. Propulsive flyback adds lots and lots of things. So, an individual booster that has been built for reuse costs more than if it were configured to be expendable. That's why flying it twice does not mean it costs half as much... [You also need] a fleet of ships or recovery barges to deploy downrange, ... landing pads...transportation... services...refurbishments...intensive  inspections...tooling... You need a certain number of flights to break even on all these costs."

"We model this carefully. Our estimate remains around 10 flights as a fleet average to achieve a consistent break even point for the propulsive flyback type of reuse... This is the goal originally articulated by [SpaceX]... No one has come anywhere close to demonstrating these economic sustainability goals." Meanwhile, a SpaceX official has said the company cab bring Falcon-9 launch prices down to below $28M each, from the current $62M.

Rocket Lab's Peter Beck weighed in by acknowledging their Electron non-propulsive rocket reusability approach (like ULA's) relies on "the atmosphere" to do much of the recovery work, and that his rocket's added recovery-related hardware impart only a 10% reduction on the Electron's payload capacity. This is much less of an impact than if the rocket was outfitted for propulsive landings. He also said Rocket Lab does not believe recovery/reuse of their fairings would be economical. Elon Musk has said the first-stage and fairing make up about 70% of the Falcon-9 cost. Musk said a 20% payload capacity impact would be "outstanding" but provided no details on how much the Falcon 9's reusability approach reduces total payload capacity. (4/18)

SpaceX Reduces Planned Altitude for Starlink Constellation, Potentially De-Orbiting Test Satellites (Sources: @planet4589, @pqzs293f)
SpaceX has formally asked to relocate their highest layer of the Starlink constellation to 540-570km. This should mitigate the interference the satellites have caused for astronomers. These satellites were previously authorized to operate at altitudes from 1,110 km to 1,325 km. Also, the company's first Starlink test satellites, launched in Feb 2018, appear to be in the process of being retired. Their orbital decay suddenly accelerated on Mar 28. (4/17)

Northrop Grumman Attaches Life-Extender to Orbiting Intelsat Satellite (Source: CNBC)
Intelsat's IS-901 satellite returned to service this morning after Northrop Grumman's MEV-1 life extension spacecraft successfully docked and relocated the satellite to its new orbit. For the first time ever a robotic spacecraft caught an old satellite and extended its life. Intelsat IS-901 was launched in June 2001 and is years beyond its intended lifespan. (4/17)

The Case for Past Life on Mars Gets Stronger (Source: Air & Space)
Vincenzo Rizzo from the National Research Center in Cosenza, Italy, asks a provocative question: Why are many scientists reluctant to accept the use of geological methods to identify biological processes on Mars, when those methods are commonly used on Earth? He points to a case in Germany from 1908, when a scientist by the name of Ernst Kalkowsky proposed that layered mounds, columns, and sheet-like sedimentary rocks called stromatolites were of biological nature. His contemporaries did not believe him. But Kalkowsky was later proven correct. Stromatolites are now known to be the oldest evidence for life on Earth, stretching back at least 3.5 billion years, and they still exist in some remote regions.

In his paper Rizzo follows in Kalkowsky’s footsteps by analyzing images from the Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity rovers on Mars that indicate the presence of biotic macrostructures such as stromatolites. He suggests that if no non-biological explanation can be found, the images should be considered as possible candidates for Martian stromatolites. Rizzo shows many examples of structures that have an amazing resemblance to stromatolites on Earth. Carl Sagan’s saying, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” comes to mind. For every structure produced by biological processes, there might be some geochemical or physical process that mimics it. (4/18)