April 24, 2020

US Government is Helping Get Cash to Private Space Companies, Replacing Frozen Venture Capital (Source: CNBC)
Frozen private capital has led U.S. civil and military agencies to step up or accelerate funding to space companies during the coronavirus crisis. “We kicked into high gear as soon as it was apparent a lot of companies were not going to be able to conduct business as usual due to distancing requirements,” NASA’s Mike Read said. Brigadier General Steven Butow, leader of the Defense Innovation Unit’s space portfolio, said his unit is looking to help space companies survive the crisis.

U.S. equity investment in space companies totaled $5.4 billion across 36 deals in the first quarter, according to a report Friday by NYC-based firm Space Capital. But the second quarter is likely to just see a fraction of that investment, according to Space Capital managing partner Chad Anderson, as deal flow in the U.S. will follow China’s path. Chinese investment in space was climbing by record amounts until the first quarter, when “activity in China was basically shut off,” Anderson said. (4/24)

Space Force Unveils Its First Weapon, a Satellite Jammer (Source: Futurism)
The U.S. Space Force recently acquired its first offensive weaponry: a device capable of blocking satellite communications, temporarily rendering orbiting satellites useless. The technology behind these Counter Communications Systems, as they’re called, has already existed for years, but the devices were only delivered to the military last month. With them, the U.S. can now disable enemy satellites from the ground.

While these weapons are new for the U.S. military, they had already been deployed elsewhere. For instance, Popular Mechanics reports that Russia’s military has had similar weapons in place since 2019. And while the technical details of how the jammers work are kept under wraps, PopMech reports that there have been at least 13 similar systems up and running around the world back in 2017.

While the Counter Communication Systems don’t actually damage the satellites they target, they pose a major threat to military and other communication networks that rely on satellites to relay messages. That means soldiers could be cut off from communication networks while they’re on a mission. And in a far more drastic scenario, missile alert systems could suddenly be disabled, leaving whatever nation got jammed vulnerable to a devastating attack. (4/23)

Aerion Supersonic Will Move Global Headquarters to Florida (Source: Enterprise Florida)
Aerion Supersonic will construct a new state-of-the-art campus – Aerion Park – in Melbourne, Florida. Aerion Park will form a new global headquarters and integrated campus for research, design, build and maintenance of the company’s supersonic aircraft. The new project involves a multi-year $300 million investment that is expected to generate at least 675 jobs in Florida by 2026.

“The Space Coast has become a hub for the aviation and aerospace industry, and my administration continues to make it a priority to expand this high-wage and important business sector,” said Governor DeSantis. Aerion will break ground on the new campus later this year ahead of manufacturing of the AS2 business jet commencing in 2023. In addition to the 675 new jobs Aerion will bring to the state, Aerion Park is expected to attract key aerospace suppliers within the supersonic technology ecosystem to bring business to Florida, creating additional roles for scientists, designers, engineers and aircraft builders.

Editor's Note: More supersonic jets coming to the Space Coast. Aerion will leverage the supply chain that has grown to serve companies like Embraer, Northrop Grumman, and others involved in aviation production near Melbourne International Airport. Nearby at Kennedy Space Center, Starfighters Aerospace operates a fleet of F-104 jets capable of speeds in excess of mach 2.1. (4/24)

NASA: Do Not Come to Florida for SpaceX's Hhistoric Astronaut Launch (Source: CNN)
The head of NASA is urging space enthusiasts not to show up to Florida for the launch of SpaceX's first crewed mission next month. The historic launch, slated for May 27, will be broadcast online, and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said that is where the general public should plan to watch astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken fly into space atop a SpaceX rocket. NASA said it is not inviting any spectators to the launch site at Kennedy Space Center. In Brevard County, Florida, county officials are also discouraging tourists from showing up to the area's beaches and other popular launch viewing sites.

"We know there's a lot of excitement about returning humans to spaceflight, and we're proud that it's happening here in our county — but everyone is safer at home right now," Don Walker, the county board of commissioner's communications director, said. If people do flock to Brevard County, Walker added, they should expect "a headache and a half."

Public parking is closed along the county's entire 72-mile stretch of coastline. Restaurants are still shut down, and hotels are not welcoming guests. If that is still the situation next month, Walker said an influx of tourists could leave people gridlocked in traffic and stranded on roadways. Walker added that the county is continuing to monitor the Covid-19 outbreak, and he said it's possible restrictions could change over the next month. Some rules were lifted for Florida beachgoers this week. (4/24)

Viasat Gets FCC Approval for MEO Cconstellation (Source: Space News)
California-based satellite operator Viasat received a green light from the Federal Communications Commission April 23 to provide connectivity service in the U.S. with a medium-Earth-orbit constellation licensed in the Netherlands.  Viasat originally proposed a 24-satellite broadband constellation in 2016, but reduced it to 20 satellites in 2018, saying the lower number would reduce the risk of unwanted signal interference. The satellites would operate at 8,200 kilometers using Ka-band and higher frequency V-band spectrum for uplinks and downlinks.

Viasat is the last of 12 companies to receive a license or market access since the FCC began a processing round in 2016 when a wave of proposals followed OneWeb’s original FCC request. Of the 12, only Boeing’s requests were not approved, since Boeing quietly withdrew its applications for constellations sized at 60 satellites and 2,956 satellites in 2018. (4/24)

FCC Defers Orbital Debris Regulations (Source: Space News)
The FCC deferred a decision on a wide range of new orbital debris regulations. Commissioners were set to vote on new, more stringent regulations, which faced criticism from many in industry as well as Congress. However, the FCC decided to adopt only a small subset of those proposals, involving quantifying collision risks and probability of successfully deorbiting satellites.

They instead chose to seek additional comment on other rules, including those that would require operators to indemnify the U.S. government, set collision risk standards more stringent than those used by NASA, and requiring satellites flying an altitudes above 400 kilometers to be maneuverable. That process could also open the door for revisiting the existing requirement that satellites be deorbited with 25 years of the end of their mission, a timeframe many argue is too long. (4/24)

Speedcast Files for Bankruptcy (Source: Space News)
Satellite services company Speedcast International filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Thursday. The Australian company, which ended 2019 with $669 million in debt, said customer struggles, amplified by the pandemic's impact on the cruise sector, made it "impossible" to raise much-needed equity. The company has arranged for up to $90 million in debtor-in-possession financing to maintain operations during its restructuring. Speedcast leases capacity on more than 80 satellites to provide communications services for a variety of markets, some of which, like oil and cruise lines, have been hard-hit by the pandemic. (4/24)
   
Space Force Anticipates ~7000 Air Force Transfers (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force expects more than 7,000 airmen will transfer to the new service this year. Lt. Gen. David Thompson, vice commander of the Space Force, said  that he expects a majority of those eligible to transfer will do so, and that he is seeing great enthusiasm in the ranks about the opportunity to serve in the newest branch of the military. Airmen who volunteer to transfer and are accepted will be reenlisted or recommissioned starting this fall. Thompson also said the Space Force is working on a proposal on how to align multiple organizations involved in space acquisitions. (4/27)

NASA Supporting Multiple Pandemic Support Projects (Source: Space News)
Several NASA projects are ready to help assist the response to the coronavirus pandemic. NASA said Thursday that a ventilator developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory passed tests at a New York hospital this week and is awaiting emergency approval by the FDA. A "positive pressure helmet" intended for those patients whose breathing difficulties aren't severe enough to require a ventilator is also pending FDA approval. An internal NASA crowdsourcing platform collected more than 250 ideas for projects since the beginning of this month, including one that could lead to an instant "breathalyzer" coronavirus test.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said that NASA's top priorities remain commercial crew and Mars 2020, both scheduled for launch in the coming months, but he asked the public to watch the SpaceX commercial crew launch from home rather than travel to Florida to see it in person. (4/27)

China's Origin Space Orders Orbital Telescope (Source: Space News)
Chinese startup Origin Space has signed a contract with a satellite maker for development of an optical space telescope. The contract covers the development of Yang Wang-1, or "Look Up-1," which would launch in 2021. The companies did not disclose the size of the spacecraft or the telescope it will contain. Origin Space plans to use the spacecraft to perform observations of asteroids as a first step toward utilization of space resources. The company raised $7 million in funding last October as an initial step in its pursuit of space resources, although other startups with asteroid mining ambitions failed to make much progress before being acquired and shifting focus. (4/27)

China Sets Naming Scheme for Mars and Other Planetary Missions (Source: Reuters)
China's upcoming Mars mission will be named Tianwen-1. "Tianwen," or "Questions to Heaven," is a poem written by Qu Yuan more than 2,000 years ago. The China National Space Administration said the Tianwen name will be used for all future Chinese planetary exploration missions. Tianwen-1, which includes an orbiter, lander and rover, is scheduled to launch to Mars in July. (4/27)