March 2, 2021

Cornwall Says 'Actually Maybe We Will Want Space Tourism' (Source: Cornwall Live)
People have called on Cornwall Council not to dismiss space tourism which they say could provide a boost to the economy and new opportunities. Hundreds of people have responded with comments about the possibility of space tourism operating from the planned Spaceport Cornwall after the leader of Cornwall Council said this week that he would tell Sir Richard Branson that it would not be an option. It came after councillors raised questions at this week's full council meeting following reports in the national press that Sir Richard had hinted that his Virgin Galactic could follow Virgin Orbit in operating from Spaceport Cornwall. (2/27)

Waiting is the Hardest Part (Source: Space Review)
Last week, three very different space projects announced delays ranging from weeks to a year or more. Jeff Foust reports on these slips and what they say about the space industry’s struggles to stay on schedule. Click here. (3/1)
 
Don’t Move US Space Command (Source: Space Review)
In January, the Air Force announced it would move the headquarters for US Space Command from Colorado Springs to Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. Matthew Jenkins argues that the proposed move is unwise from both fiscal and operational perspectives. Click here. (3/1)
 
India’s Foray Into the Commercial Space Market (Source: Space Review)
An Indian rocket launch over the weekend carried not just nearly 20 satellites, but also marked the beginning of a new phase of Indian space activities. Ajey Lele describes how the launch is part of a broader space commercialization effort by the Indian government. Click here. (3/1)

How Elon Musk Convinced Gwynne Shotwell to Join SpaceX (Source: WIRED)
Before she would become one of two principal leaders at SpaceX, Gwynne Shotwell worked with Hans Koenigsmann at a much smaller company in Southern California named Microcosm. In contrast to the laconic German engineer, Shotwell is bold and effervescent. She has plenty of brains but none of the nerdiness or awkwardness that characterizes some engineers. A former cheerleader in high school with a hearty laugh, she could talk to anyone. And often, she and Koenigsmann would go out to lunch.

After Koenigsmann took a new job at SpaceX in May, 2002, Shotwell celebrated by taking him to lunch at their favorite spot in El Segundo, a Belgian restaurant named Chef Hannes. Sometimes, to tease her friend, Shotwell called the eatery Chef Hans-y. After they ate, she dropped Koenigsmann off at 1310 East Grand a few blocks away. The large building was home to perhaps only half a dozen employees at the time. As they pulled up, Koenigsmann invited Shotwell inside to see his new digs. “Just come in and meet Elon,” he said.

The impromptu meeting might have lasted 10 minutes, but during that time Shotwell came away impressed by Musk’s knowledge of the aerospace business. He seemed no dabbler, flush with internet cash and bored after a big Silicon Valley score. Rather, he had diagnosed the industry’s problems and identified a solution. Shotwell nodded along as Musk talked about his plans to bring down the cost of launch by building his own rocket engine and keeping development of other key components in-house.(3/2)

Blue Origin’s Massive New Glenn Rocket is Delayed for Years. What Went Wrong? (Source: Ars Technica)
In the fall of 2017, shortly after he became chief executive officer of Blue Origin, Bob Smith received an extensive briefing on the state of the New Glenn rocket program. The projected launch date for the massive, reusable rocket was 2020, he was told. As Smith assessed the progress on New Glenn to date and drew upon his long experience at Honeywell Aerospace, he soon came to the conclusion that this launch date was unreasonable. "This is not a 2020 launch program," he said at this meeting. "This is a 2022 program, at best."

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos was not present for this, but his response afterward was that he would absolutely not accept any revision to the launch date for the large orbital rocket. Blue Origin should be optimistic with its projections, Bezos said. And then they should meet those projections. Bezos' rocket company, of course, did not meet those projections. Last week Blue Origin said it would not launch until the fourth quarter of 2022, at the earliest.

Bezos originally envisioned a more modest-sized rocket comparable to the Falcon 9 or United Launch Alliance's single-stick Delta IV. In some iterations, New Glenn had just three main engines. This would have represented a more incremental step for a launch company that has yet to put a gram of material into orbit. But instead of offering a waypoint between New Shepard and a massive orbital rocket, Bezos ultimately opted to jump right to the massive, 313-foot-tall version. "It's like if NASA had gone straight from Alan Shepard to the Saturn V rocket, but then also had to make the Saturn V reusable," one former Blue Origin employee said. (3/1)

SpaceWorks Awarded Contract to Develop New Capability for Rescue Package Delivery (Source: SpaceWorks)
SpaceWorks Enterprises has been contracted by the U.S. Air Force to develop its envisioned system for global autonomous delivery of an on-demand Personnel Recovery Kit (PRK). SpaceWorks’ Air-launched Drone Delivery Device will leverage emerging commercial capabilities to provide a solution for PRK deceleration and delivery from deployment speeds of up to Mach 6. The contract was awarded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Transformational Capabilities Office (TCO).

The AD3 system is designed to quickly deploy and deliver PRKs anywhere in the world from various military aircraft, providing readily accessible life-saving capabilities and equipment to the warfighter. This optimized, low-cost solution is fully functional in a GPS denied environment and features evasive maneuverability and very precise final mile delivery accuracy. (3/2)

China Preparing to Build Tiangong Sation in 2021, Complete by 2022 (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
China is gearing up for its next big leap in space exploration: the construction of its modular crewed space station, the Tiangong. Starting in 2021, the construction of the Tiangong orbital space station is expected to be complete in 2022 after eleven missions, including three launches of different modules, four launches of cargo vehicles and four crewed launches.

This step comes after a phased approach to human spaceflight development, beginning with the uncrewed test flights of a crewed space vehicle (Shenzhou-1 to Shenzhou-4). This was followed by the launch of a crewed mission (Shenzhou-5 with one taikonaut), the launch of a space crew (Shenzhou-6 with two taikonauts and Shenzhou-7 with three taikonauts), and the execution of an extravehicular activity (Shenzhou-7).

China also achieved the launch of a Salyut-1 type space module (Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2), the development of rendezvous and docking (Shenzhou-8), space module occupation and long duration flight (Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10), and the launch of a cargo freighter (Tianzhou-1) for the regular resupply of orbital stations. (3/1)

American Rocketry Challenge Announces Multiple Sites for 2021 Competition’s National Finals (Source: AIA)
To protect the health and safety of teams, teachers, mentors, and families while continuing to build the next generation of STEM leaders, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and the National Association of Rocketry (NAR) will extend competition deadlines and hold National Final Fly-off at multiple regional sites to determine the 2021 American Rocketry Challenge champion. The 2021 National Finals will take place over a two-week period in mid-late June at 10 or more launch sites across the country (to be selected based on the location of this year’s finalists).

“While the pandemic continues to pose challenges for all of us, it is not dampening the enthusiasm or excitement for The American Rocketry Challenge. Our rocketeers’ stories and ingenuity continue to inspire our industry, and we cannot wait to see what they accomplish this year,” said AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning. “Even with the continued challenges, we have found a creative way to have the nation’s top 100 teams compete later in the summer and at sites closer to home. This solution will enable the competition to flourish, while prioritizing the health and safety of the American Rocketry Challenge community.”

The top 100 teams qualifying for the National Finals will be announced on May 21 along with the official launch sites. Over June 12, 13, 19, and 20, launch sites will host multiple three-hour launch windows, consistent with local and state COVID-19 safety requirements, along with federal guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A virtual awards ceremony will be hosted on Monday, June 28, to celebrate the winners of the 2021 American Rocketry Challenge. (3/1)

Thermal Shielding - SpaceX Wins AFRL Contract for Hypersonic Thermal Protection (Source: Space News)
SpaceX won an Air Force Research Laboratory contract to research thermal shields for hypersonic vehicles. The $8.5 million contract will support research on advanced materials and manufacturing techniques for heat shields that protect hypersonic vehicles in flight. The lab said the goal of the research is "to enable low-cost, high volume production of next generation thermal protection systems." SpaceX has extensive experience in thermal protection systems from its launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft programs. (3/2)

Engine Heat Shielding - SpaceX Pinpoints Cause of Landing Failure (Source: Space News)
SpaceX said Monday that an engine on the most recent Falcon 9 rocket shut down in flight, preventing the booster from landing. A company official said at a NASA briefing that covers insulating portions of the Merlin engines on that Feb. 15 launch were "life leaders" in the Falcon 9 fleet, with the most flight experience of such components.

The cover on one engine had a small hole that allowed hot gas into the engine, causing it to shut down. The rocket was still able to successfully deploy its payload of Starlink satellites but with the failed engine the booster did not have enough thrust to make a landing. NASA said it's following the issue, but noted that the Falcon 9 first stage that will be used for next month's Crew Dragon mission doesn't have anywhere near the same level of use as the one lost on the Starlink mission. (3/2)

Military Payload Set for Cygnus Flight to ISS (Source: Space News)
The Space Development Agency will fly a payload on a Cygnus cargo mission to the space station later this year. The Persistent Infrared Payload is scheduled to be part of the NG-16 Cygnus mission, launching as soon as this July. Northrop Grumman received a $13.8 million contract last year for flying the payload on the cargo vehicle. The payload will collect sample data to develop algorithms that sensors will use to identify hypersonic missiles flying in low orbits. Data will be collected during the Cygnus resupply mission from shortly after berthing with the ISS until the end of the mission a few months later. (3/2)

Can Technology Open Spaceflight to Disabled Astronauts? (Source: WIRED)
What would it be like to have a spaceship with a truly diverse crew—not the mix of alien species seen in so many sci-fi series, but human beings with all kinds of bodies? The European Space Agency announced in early February that it is recruiting a new pool of four full-time and 20 reserve astronauts for upcoming missions to the International Space Station, as well as future international missions to the moon. The agency promises the new astronaut class will be more gender-diverse than ever, and will seek qualified individuals with certain disabilities.

During a press conference two weeks ago, ESA officials told reporters the agency would open its upcoming application pool to include candidates who have a lower limb deficiency in one or both legs or feet, either congenitally or due to amputation; people who have differences in the lengths of their legs; or people who are less than 130 centimeters (4 feet, 3 inches) tall. This new height standard is considerably shorter than NASA’s existing requirement that astronauts must stand between 5 feet, 2 inches and 6 feet, 3 inches. All ESA astronaut candidates also need to have at least a master’s degree in a science, technology, or engineering field, or have training as a test pilot, and be younger than 50 years old.

ESA spokesperson Marco Trovatello says the application process, which opens March 31 and continues through May 28, is just the beginning for the so-called “parastronaut” program. The last time the agency had astronaut openings, they received more 8,000 applications. Trovatello says that agency officials consulted with both NASA and the International Paralympic Committee before making the announcement. “We have informed all our ISS partners regarding our intent,” Trovatello wrote in an email to WIRED. “But we have to run the feasibility study first.” (3/2)

South Korea's Hanwha Expanding in Space Sector (Source: Space News)
South Korean aircraft engine producer Hanwha Aerospace is working to expand its space business. Hanwha paid $96.8 million in January to take a 30% stake in Satrec Initiative, a South Korean satellite manufacturer. That deal is part of an effort by a "space task force" within Hanwha to identify opportunities to grow its space business. That's included an acquisition of one satellite antenna company, Phasor Solutions, and a partnership with another, Kymeta. (3/2)

Cosmonauts Filling Cracks in ISS Module (Source: TASS)
Russian cosmonauts will spend several days fixing an air leak on the ISS. Work started Monday to fill a crack in the Zvezda module using sealant and polyurethane foam, work that's expected to take five days to complete. The crack is located in the "intermediate chamber" of the module, which was sealed off over the weekend. Air pressure in that chamber dropped by more than a third by Monday. (3/2)

China Close to Picking Name for Mars Rover (Source: Xinhua)
China has announced the three finalists for the name of its Mars rover. The China National Space Administration said the top three names from an online poll are Zhurong, a fire god from Chinese mythology; Nezha, a Chinese mythological figure; and Hongyi, a Chinese term for having a broad and strong mind. A panel of experts will now weigh in on the name for the rover, which is part of the Tianwen-1 mission currently orbiting Mars and scheduled to land in May or June. (3/2)

Crew Dragon on Track for April Launch, Maybe Starliner CST-100 Too (Source: Space News)
That Crew Dragon mission remains on schedule for launch next month, but a Boeing CST-100 Starliner test flight is facing more delays. NASA officials said at a briefing Monday they're still targeting April 20 for the launch of the Crew-2 mission, although the date may change by a few days in order to maximize the launch opportunities. NASA wants to launch Crew-2, and return the Crew Dragon on the Crew-1 mission currently at the station, by early May to avoid constraints with both the splashdown and sun angles at the ISS. An April 2 launch of Starliner on an uncrewed test flight, though, will likely be delayed because preparations are running about two weeks behind schedule. NASA and Boeing have not identified a new launch date. (3/2)

Insulation Failure - Chinese Hyperbola-1 Commercial Launch Failure Blamed on Foam Debris (Source: Space News)
A Chinese commercial launch failed last month because of foam insulation. The Hyperbola-1 rocket launched Feb. 1 but appeared to veer off course shortly after liftoff. An investigation found that foam insulation designed to fall off the vehicle got stuck in one of four grid fins at the base of the first stage. The foam later broke off but changed the angle of the fin, causing the rocket to go off course. Beijing-based iSpace said it will strengthen management and technical capabilities, enhance quality awareness, improve risk identification and take other measures as it prepares for another Hyperbola-1 launch in a few months. (3/2)

Meet Diana Trujillo, a Trailblazing Flight Director for NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover (Source: CBS News)
NASA aerospace engineer Diana Trujillo came to the U.S. with only $300 and worked housekeeping jobs to pay for school. Now, she's a flight director for the Mars Perseverance rover. Click here. (3/1)

Abbey: Biden Should Reconsider Need for SLS Rocket (Source: Baker Institute)
The SLS has suffered significant cost overruns and schedule delays. A 2020 Office of Inspector General (OIG) report stated the cost of the booster had already grown by nearly 30% (about $2 billion) and that the first launch of the rocket, originally planned for late 2017, would be delayed to June 2021 or later.2 The lack of transparency relative to the program’s costs also made it difficult to determine the expected true cost of the program. NASA had estimated the development costs through its first launch to have grown to $8.75 billion, when a launch had been assumed in November 2020, an increase of 25%.

In view of the current availability of a significant number of commercial launch vehicles with proven payload capabilities, as well as the industry’s progress in providing a launch vehicle with significantly greater lift capabilities, the Biden administration should reconsider the need for the SLS during its annual budget review. Its launch costs are much greater than those being quoted for existing rockets, as well as those projected for larger commercial boosters with comparable payload capabilities to the SLS. Affordability must always be considered in view of demanding budgets and in view of the availability and the acceptability of lowercost alternatives. (3/2)

Crew Members Wanted! Join Yusaku Maezawa on the Journey to the Moon! (Source: DearMoon)
“dearMoon” -- the first civilian lunar orbital mission -- is planned to lift off in 2023. Two years after the press conference that drew international attention, MZ has a big update to share. The video also contains a special message from SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk. Click here. (3/2)

SpaceX Planning Starlink Manufacturing Facility in Texas (Source: @joroulette)
A new job posting says SpaceX is building a Starlink manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas. "To keep up with global demand, SpaceX is breaking ground on a new, state of the art manufacturing facility in Austin, TX." (3/2)

Space Tango Plans Orbital Mini Space Station in Two Years (Source: Space Daily)
Kentucky-based Space Tango, a firm that conducts science experiments on the International Space Station, has plans to launch its own miniature, automated orbital research platform in about two years. Space Tango has small research containers, or CubeLabs, on the space station. Bustling business and growing need for such experiments in microgravity led the company to plan its own space station, founder and CEO Twyman Clements said. He declined to say how much the company would spend on the project or how much each spacecraft might cost.

The space station, named ST-42, would be little more than a capsule with solar panels for electrical power and a heat shield. The interior could be reconfigured depending on what each mission required, Clements said. The spacecraft has been in the design phase for about two years. Space Tango is trying to decide what type of propulsion ST-42 would have, he said.

Space Tango hasn't chosen a launch provider, but Clements said he has looked at ride-sharing launches with California-based companies SpaceX and Rocket Lab, among others. Space Tango, which has about 22 employees, plans to launch a test prototype in 2023 that wouldn't have a heat shield, just to test launch and spaceflight, Clements said. Typical missions would remain in a low-Earth orbit for about two weeks, he said. Plans call for the capsule to splash down near Florida, where Space Tango plans an initial processing facility near Kennedy Space Center. (3/2)

Ice Frozen Under Mars' Surface Offers Major Resource to Aid Future Settlements (Source: Space Daily)
Frozen water is hiding beneath the dust-covered surface of Mars, and scientist Ali Bramson wants to find it. She sees a chance to both sustain future human explorers and answer questions about the red planet's climate. Bramson, a Purdue University assistant professor of planetary science, was part of recent research to determine the location and depth of the subsurface ice. The results of the NASA Subsurface Water Ice Mapping (SWIM) project were published in Nature Astronomy.

Her work in SWIM focused on radar subsurface discovery and mapping of ice deposits in Mars' northern hemisphere. Another SWIM project Bramson participated in, completed in December, examined the southern hemisphere. Bramson said work toward finding the ice deposits - possibly created by snowfall - and determining how accessible it is from the surface has been building in recent years. Findings will offer early ideas about where Mars habitats could be located. (3/2)