June 1, 2020

CPI Must Sell ASC Division to Buy General Dynamics Must Satellite Antenna Subsidiary (Source: Space News)
The Justice Department has blocked the sale of General Dynamics' satellite antenna business to CPI. The department said last week that the sale, as currently structured, would substantially lessen competition for the sale of large geostationary satellite antennas. California-based CPI, short for Communications & Power Industries, announced in August 2019 its intent to purchase SATCOM Technologies, the antenna systems business of General Dynamics Mission Systems. The department said CPI must divest a subsidiary, ASC Signal Division, before it can proceed with the acquisition. (5/29)

China Conducts Two Launches (Source: Space News)
China conducted a pair of launches over the weekend. A Long March 11 rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 4:13 p.m. Eastern Friday, delivering two technology demonstration satellites to low Earth orbit. The launch was the first of the Long March 11, a solid-fueled rocket, from Xichang. A Long March 2D rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 4:53 a.m. Eastern Sunday, placing into orbit the Gaofen-9 imaging satellite and HEAD-4, a satellite for tracking ships and aircraft. (5/29)

SES Seeks Approval for 36-Satellite Constellation (Source: Space News)
SES is seeking an FCC license for a constellation of low Earth orbit satellites. The company, which operates communications satellites in geostationary orbit as well as the O3b system of medium Earth orbit satellites, asked the FCC last week to grant U.S. market access for a constellation of 36 LEO satellites that would provide high data rate communications for internet-of-things devices and serve as a relay network for other digital traffic. SES CEO Steve Collar expressed an openness to LEO in March, describing SES as building an "integrated, cloud-scale network" in Ka-band with multiple orbits. The company was one of nine to respond to an FCC call for information from satellite operators, current or prospective, that aim to provide U.S. communications services with non-geosynchronous constellations operating in certain Ku- and Ka-band frequencies. (5/29)

Venture Capital Dries Up for Space (Source: Space News)
Venture capital investment in space companies has dried up because of the pandemic. In an interview, Matthew Kuta, president and chief operating officer of Voyager Space Holdings, said the economic crisis created by the pandemic has illustrated a fundamental mismatch between venture investors focused on making quick profits and what space companies need to be successful, which is a long-term commitment. Kuta argues that Voyager, a holding company that invests in space companies, is better suited to providing that long-term support than VCs. (5/29)

Russian Rocket Leaks at Kourou (Source: TASS)
Russian technicians are returning to French Guiana to check on a leaking upper stage. Roscosmos said that workers will be sent to the European spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, in early June to investigate what appears to be oxidizer leaking from a Fregat upper stage on a Soyuz rocket in storage there. Russia evacuated workers from the spaceport earlier this year during the pandemic, with Soyuz launches not expected to resume until the fall. (5/29)

L3Harris Supports Small Businesess Suppliers During Pandemic (Source: Herald Banner)
L3Harris Technologies is paying suppliers early and has donated $50,000 to charity as part of the company's ongoing response to the coronavirus pandemic. "It was very meaningful to our company that during this unprecedented time, L3Harris thought of us and recognized the benefit of providing prepayment to our company," said Kari Fisher, CEO of Centrion Systems, an L3Harris supplier. (5/29)

A Shaky Ride to a Smooth Launch (Source: Space Review)
On Saturday, human orbital spaceflight returned to the United States after a nearly nine-year gap with the successful Demo-2 commercial crew launch. Jeff Foust reports that, after a decade of difficulties, the launch itself was remarkably smooth. Click here. (6/1)
 
NASA Will Not Save 2020 (Source: Space Review)
The Demo-2 commercial crew launch took place amid a pandemic as well as protests in many American cities, leading some to believe the launch could be a beacon of hope, like Apollo 8 in 1968. A.J. Mackenzie argues that’s asking too much of NASA. Click here. (6/1)
 
The Genre-Defining Astronaut/Ex-Astronaut Autobiographies (Source: Space Review)
Many astronauts have written memoirs, but a few in particular stand out. Emily Carney reviews four such books that, over the years, set new standards for describing careers that either took them to the Moon or never got off the ground. Click here. (6/1)
 
Is Open Sourcing the Next Frontier in Space Exploration? (Source: Space Review)
The use of open source in software and other technologies has increasingly become a part of terrestrial industries. Dylan Taylor discusses how it can also advance spaceflight. Click here. (6/1)
 
Astrobiotechnology: Molecular Steps Toward the Boundaries of Space Exploration (Source: Space Review)
The application of biotechnology to space research, or astrobiotechnology, opens up new opportunities. Three researchers discuss how astrobiotech can advance space exploration and improve life on Earth. Click here. (6/1)