April 15, 2021

Space Junk Removal Is Not Going Smoothly (Source: Scientific American)
A Space Age “tragedy of the commons” is unfolding right under our nose—or, really, right over our head—and no consensus yet exists on how to stop it. For more than a half-century, humans have been hurling objects into low-Earth orbit in ever growing numbers. And with few meaningful limitations on further launches into that increasingly congested realm, the prevailing attitude has been persistently permissive: in orbit, it seems, there is always room for one more.

After so many decades of the buildup of high-speed clutter in the form of spent rocket stages, stray bolts and paint chips, solid-rocket-motor slag, dead or dying satellites and the scattered fragments from antisatellite tests—all of which could individually damage or destroy other assets—low-Earth orbit is finally on the verge of becoming too crowded for comfort. And the problem is now poised to get much worse because of the rise of satellite “mega constellations” requiring thousands of spacecraft. Starlink is but one of many similar projects: Another mega constellation from a company called OneWeb is already being deployed. And Amazon’s Project Kuiper is seeking to create a mega constellation of up to 3,200 satellites in the near future.

As the congestion has grown, so too have close calls between orbiting assets. The International Space Station, for instance, regularly tweaks its orbit to avoid potentially hazardous debris. Worse yet, there has been an uptick in the threat of full-on collisions that generate menacing refuse that exacerbates the already bad situation. Consider the February 2009 run-in between a dead Russian Cosmos satellite and a commercial Iridium spacecraft, which produced an enormous amount of debris. Click here. (4/14)

China Calls for Banning Space Weapons (Source: Sputnik)
China is calling on the global community to urgently start the negotiations on the space arms control, which should be based on a document proposed by Beijing and Moscow, the foreign ministry's spokesman, Zhao Lijian, said. "We are calling on the international community to start negotiations and reach agreement on arms control in order to ensure space safety as soon as possible," Zhao said, noting that the talks should be based on the draft agreement proposed by the two countries. "China has always been in favor of preventing an arms race in space, it has been actively promoting negotiations on a legally binding agreement on space arms control jointly with Russia." (4/14)

Satellite Network to Find Carbon Super-Emitters (Source: BBC)
A constellation of satellites will be flown this decade to try to pinpoint significant releases of climate-changing gases, in particular carbon dioxide and methane. The initiative is being led by an American non-profit organisation called Carbon Mapper. It will use technology developed by the US space agency over the past decade. The satellites - 20 or so - will be built and flown by San Francisco's Planet company. (4/15)

Putin Approves Separate Russian Space Station as ISS Faces “Avalanche” of Failures (Source: Parabolic Arc)
The Kremlin-backed news channel RT reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed off on a new space station called ROSS to replace an International Space Station (ISS) expected to suffer an “avalanche” of failures after 2025. -- In recent years, the ISS has begun to fall apart, with astronauts now frequently discovering cracks. Last week, it was revealed that Russian cosmonauts were still working on plugging a leak first noticed in 2019. The ongoing problems with the international station have prompted Moscow to begin creating a replacement.

Called ROSS, the Russian orbital satellite will consist of three to seven modules and will be able to carry up to four people. Although only approved by Putin on Monday, on the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s landmark first human spaceflight, the project has been in the works for some time. Last November, the first deputy designer general for space contractor RSC Energia revealed his belief that Russia needed to get started on a new station, saying the ISS was already falling apart. (4/14)

A Zoologist Imagines What Alien Life Might Look Like (Source: Salon)
Animals as varied as sharks, salamanders, and duck-billed platypuses can detect electric fields around them, while some fish, including the South American knifefish and various species of African elephantfish, can actually generate unique, complex electric fields, which they use to communicate information about their social status, sex, and dominance position within their social group.

Could animals like these exist on other planets? On a celestial body with completely dark oceans, such as Saturn's moon Enceladus, our notion of evolution would support this method of communication, leading us to believe that aliens on such a planet might concoct their language out of electric signals. These are the kinds of musings that can help us postulate about alien life, according to "The Zoologist's Guide to the Galaxy: What Animals on Earth Reveal About Aliens — and Ourselves," by University of Cambridge zoologist Arik Kershenbaum.

Kershenbaum has studied wolves in Yellowstone National Park, dolphins in the Red Sea, and small mammals called hyraxes in Israel, and the crux of his argument revolves around his experience as an evolutionary biologist. If we can understand how life evolves here on Earth, we can then ask pertinent questions about how and why creatures on other planets might develop in a certain way. After all, Kershenbaum points out, the laws of physics are constant throughout the universe, so we can view Earth as an "evolutionary testing ground" for realistic solutions to life's problems. (4/13)

The Era of Reusability in Space Has Begun (Source: Ars Technica)
A large, passenger van-sized spacecraft sidled up to an active, 6-ton satellite on Monday afternoon about 36,000 km above the Earth's surface. Slowly, ever so slowly, the distance between the two vehicles closed. There was nothing wrong with the satellite, which is 17 years old and owned by Intelsat. All the while, on Wednesday, it continued actively delivering broadband and other media services across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. But it was running desperately low on fuel to maintain its position, and Intelsat would have soon had to send the vehicle to a "graveyard" orbit.

Northrop sold the first two mission-extension missions to a commercial customer, Intelsat. However, the company expects that much of its future business may come from governments seeking to protect and extend the life of their most valuable assets in space. “Government interest is accelerating as they see this capability bearing out,” said Tom Wilson, a vice president at Northrop Grumman and president of its SpaceLogistics subsidiary. "We’re on the cusp of some bigger initiatives with them." (4/13)

Beware of 'Oxygen False Positives' in Search for Signs of Life on Other Planets (Source: Space Daily)
In the search for life on other planets, the presence of oxygen in a planet's atmosphere is one potential sign of biological activity that might be detected by future telescopes. A new study, however, describes several scenarios in which a lifeless rocky planet around a sun-like star could evolve to have oxygen in its atmosphere. The new findings highlight the need for next-generation telescopes that are capable of characterizing planetary environments and searching for multiple lines of evidence for life in addition to detecting oxygen. (4/14)

Russia Seeks Binding Treaty Against Space Weapons (Source: Sputnik)
Russia has called for talks to create a legally binding international instrument that would ban the deployment of any type of weapons in space, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic space flight. The anniversary of the first Soviet cosmonaut's flight, marking the beginning of humanity's space era, is celebrated every year in Russia as Cosmonautics Day on April 12. On the same day, the world marks the International Day of Human Space Flight. (4/13)

China Considers Process for Lunar Sample Management (Source: Space Daily)
China has set up an expert committee for lunar samples, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said. According to the regulations on lunar sample management, the CNSA established the committee as an expert advisory institution for the management of lunar samples. The committee aims to give full play to the scientific value of lunar samples and standardize their management. It will exercise the functions of review and consultation related to lunar samples following the principles of fairness, impartiality and openness, said the CNSA. (4/14)

Employment and Investment in Private U.S. Space Industry on the Rise (Source: Florida Today)
Despite other sectors of the economy experiencing a downturn due to COVID-19, the aerospace industry is soaring to new heights.  Some might say astronomical heights. A new report released by the non-profit Space Foundation found that U.S. private space employment has reached a nine-year high.

“Space is now home to the most dynamic and innovative economy on the planet, and that is why Space Foundation’s Center for Innovation and Education is so dedicated to enabling and expanding access to build a skilled workforce for tomorrow,” said Tom Zelibor, CEO, Space Foundation. “There has never been a better time to find a place in the space economy.”

Analysis of the U.S. Labor Bureau of Statistics for five key space sectors showed that hiring increased in all five adding nearly 5,000 workers in 2020, a 3.2% increase from 2019. In 2020, private space employment totaled 147,953 workers, the highest level since 2011, the year the space shuttle program was coming to an end and 149,818 were employed. (4/14)

China and Russia Are Launching the New Cold War Into Space (Source: Bloomberg)
As the dinosaurs could tell you if they weren’t all dead, a well-aimed rock dropped down the gravity well from space can pretty much be a game-ender, civilization-wise, making the defense of space actually kind of a big deal. China and Russia, America’s adversaries in the new cold war, seem to get this and have big plans to militarize the void, writes James Stavridis.

They’re teaming up on a moon base, raising the specter of “Ad Astra”-style rover shootouts; they're also testing out blowing up satellites, the very thing that kicked off the plot in “Gravity.” But despite Russia’s long and glorious history in space, its program has fallen on hard times lately, writes Clara Ferreira Marques. Too much central planning and not enough cash or entrepreneurialism mean Russia is fast losing ground. Wealthy space hobbyists such as Bezos and Elon Musk could help the U.S. keep an edge on its rivals. (4/12)

ULA's RocketShip Documents Journey to Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg (Source: ULA)
Navigating both rivers and open oceans, the highly maneuverable R/S RocketShip plays a critical role in all missions launched by United Launch Alliance (ULA). Let’s take a ride with the vessel as it leaves Decatur, AL to deliver the Delta IV Heavy rocket for the National Reconnaissance Office's NROL-82 mission to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Click here to see the video. (4/14)

MBRSC Teams Up with Japan’s ispace on Emirates Lunar Mission (Source: ispace)
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) has signed a contract with Japan’s ispace, inc. (ispace), under which the latter will provide payload delivery services for the ambitious Emirates Lunar Mission. Under this agreement, ispace becomes a key strategic and implementation partner to MBRSC on the Emirates Lunar Mission, the first of its kind from the Arab world.

The ‘Rashid’ rover will be transported to the Moon on ispace’s lunar lander during the company’s ‘Mission 1’ in 2022 as part of its commercial programme known as ‘HAKUTO-R’. Under the terms of the agreement, the Japanese lunar exploration company will deliver the Emirates Lunar Mission’s ‘Rashid’ rover to the Moon, provide wired communication and power during the cruise phase, and engage in wireless communication on the lunar surface. The project is a key part of the UAE’s space exploration strategy, which is centred around building new knowledge capabilities, inspiring future generations to pursue space science and research, and fostering global collaboration. (4/14)

US Mint to Honor Astronaut Sally Ride on 'American Women' Quarter (Source: CollectSpace)
The first female U.S. astronaut to fly into space will be honored by the United States Mint in 2022, leading off a series of circulating coins depicting notable American women. Sally Ride, who famously made history launching on the space shuttle in 1983, will be featured as part of the Mint's American Women Quarters Program. The late astronaut will be one of the first two women represented on the new coins, which will be issued through 2025. (4/14)

Lockheed Martin Designs Mid-Size Satellite Bus (Source: Space News)
Lockheed Martin announced a new line of satellites designed for space-based surveillance. The company is pitching the new mid-size satellite, based on its LM400 bus, as an alternative to tactical surveillance platforms like airplanes and drones. Lockheed sees tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites as playing a central role in the Pentagon's efforts to connect weapons systems from all military services, an initiative known as "joint all-domain command and control." Those satellites would be mass-produced at its Gateway Center facility in Denver. (4/14)

York Space Systems Moves Toward Automation of Constellation Operations (Source: Space News)
York Space Systems is finding ways to automate satellite operations to save time and money. The company said automation allowed it to reduce the number of people needed to operate a constellation from 15 to zero. Automating satellite operations is part of the company's efforts to reduce costs and increase capabilities. York is currently building 10 satellites in its Denver facility, which is designed to produce 20 spacecraft simultaneously. (4/14)

SLS Core Stage Coming Soon to KSC (Source: NASA)
NASA says the Space Launch System core stage tested last month will soon be ready to ship to the Kennedy Space Center. The SLS core stage performed an eight-minute static-fire test of its four engines at the Stennis Space Center March 18, a test the agency said appeared "flawless." Workers have since refurbished the stage and made other preparations for its shipment by barge later this month to the Kennedy Space Center for the Artemis 1 launch. (4/14)

Slingshot Aerospace Wins Space Force Contract for Missile Tracking Software (Source: Space News)
Slingshot Aerospace won a Space Force contract to develop software to help satellite operators visualize missile detection. The $1.3 million contract, announced Tuesday, covers development of a graphics tool that makes it easier for operators to view and interact with complex data collected by the Space Force's overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) sensor satellites, used to detect and track missile launches. Slingshot will partner with Zoic Labs on the project; Zoic Labs' parent company, Zoic Studios, creates visual effects for Hollywood movies. (4/14)