August 20, 2021

Pentagon Poised To Unveil, Demonstrate Classified Space Weapon (Source: Breaking Defense)
For months, top officials at the Defense Department have been working toward declassifying the existence of a secret space weapon program and providing a real-world demonstration of its capabilities. The effort — which sources say is being championed by Gen. John Hyten, the vice-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff — is close enough to completion that there was a belief the anti-satellite technology might have been revealed at this year’s National Space Symposium, which kicks off next week.

Expert speculation on what could be used for the demonstration ranges from a terrestrially-based mobile laser used for blinding adversary reconnaissance sats to on-board, proximity triggered radio-frequency jammers on certain military satellites, to a high-powered microwave system that can zap electronics carried on maneuverable bodyguard satellites. (8/20)

SpaceX Surge at Texas Launch Site Causing Dangerous Commutes on Highway (Source: ValleyCentral.com)
A SpaceX employee says reckless drivers are causing him to fear for his safety during his daily commute to work. The employee wished to stay anonymous but sent us an email detailing the reckless driving that he feels is putting his and other driver’s lives at risk on State Highway 4. The dynamics on the highway have changed in the last three years, with SpaceX development speeding up in a race to orbit. Now, over 1,500 employees and contractors use the highway to get to and from the launch site. (8/20)

Starship Could Launch Next Generation of Starlink Constellation (Source: Space News)
SpaceX is proposing using Starship to launch the second generation of its Starlink constellation. In filings with the FCC this week, the company outlines two proposed architectures for deploying nearly 30,000 satellites. The Starship-enabled Starlink configuration comprises 29,988 satellites at altitudes of between 340 and 614 kilometers, across nine inclined orbits. An alternative configuration using the Falcon 9 would spread 29,996 satellites across 12 orbital inclinations at altitudes between 328 and 614 kilometers altitude. The satellites will be "somewhat larger and generate more power" than originally planned, but the company argued they will not interfere with other constellations. (8/20)

South Korea Plans Big Investment in Military Space (Source: Space News)
South Korea intends to invest $13.6 billion over the next 10 years to bolster its defense capabilities in outer space. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the national arms procurement agency, unveiled an investment roadmap Thursday. Among the investments is nearly $1.4 billion for "core technologies" for military satellites. South Korea has ramped up efforts to bolster its defense capabilities in outer space since May, when the United States scrapped a 42-year-old nonproliferation restriction on ballistic missiles. (8/20)

Redwire Opens Digital Engineering Facility Aimed at National Security Space Agencies (Source: Space News)
Jacksonville-based Redwire is opening a digital engineering facility to support national security customers. The Hyperion Operational Space Simulation Laboratory is a virtual environment accessible from remote locations where agencies and companies can prototype hardware and design space architectures and concepts of operations. The company foresees the military using the facility to develop new satellite designs and test their performance and resilience against cyber attacks. (8/20)

Blue Origin Lawsuit Puts Halt to SpaceX Lunar Lander Work (Source: Space News)
NASA will stop work on its Human Landing System contract with SpaceX through October as a court takes up a lawsuit filed by Blue Origin. The Court of Federal Claims released a schedule for the case Thursday that included a "voluntary stay of performance" on the contract by NASA until Nov. 1. NASA said it offered the stay in exchange for an "expedited litigation schedule" that concludes by Nov. 1. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in an interview Thursday before the announcement that the lawsuit, filed by Blue Origin a week ago, would lead to "further delay" in the Artemis program, but noted that the Justice Department, and not NASA, is handling the suit in federal court. (8/20)

Japan Aims to Bring Back Soil Samples From Mars Moon Phobos by 2029 (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Japan’s space agency plans to bring soil samples back from the Mars region ahead of the U.S. and Chinese missions now operating on Mars, in hopes of finding clues to the planet’s origin and traces of possible life. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, plans to launch an explorer in 2024 to land on the Martian moon Phobos to collect 10 grams of soil and bring it back to Earth in 2029. The rapid return trip would put Japan ahead of the US and China in bringing back samples from the Martian region despite starting later. (8/20)

NASA Wants Industry to Build Next-Generation Space Stations (Source: NextGov)
With the International Space Station approaching the end of its lifespan, NASA is looking to the private sector to build the next generation of space stations and other space-based destinations for science-based missions and the burgeoning space tourism industry. “The [ISS] should be able to be operated safely for several years, but eventually we anticipate somewhere in the latter part of this decade, we are going to retire it,” Phil McAlister, NASA's director of commercial spaceflight, said. (8/19)

Space Systems Command to Invest in Commercial Tech (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Systems Command is working to tap into private sector capabilities, focusing on cloud services and space domain awareness. The Space Vision 2030 roadmap calls for investing in promising space technologies. “The commercial space sector is driving the market, and Space Systems commanders are eager to facilitate these companies and bring their unique solutions into our programs of record,” said Joy White. (8/20)

Space Force Awards $32 Million in Contracts to Startups and Small Businesses (Source: Space News)
At a virtual pitch event Aug. 19, the U.S. Space Force selected 19 companies that each will receive $1.7 million Small Business Innovation Research Phase 2 contracts. The ‘Space Force Pitch Day’ marked the launch of SpaceWERX, a new industry outreach organization funded by the Space Force and the Air Force Research Laboratory. Click here to see the winners. (8/20)

SpaceX 23rd Resupply Mission Will Carry Bone and Plants Studies to ISS (Source: Space Daily)
The 23rd SpaceX cargo resupply services mission carrying scientific research and technology demonstrations to the International Space Station is targeted to launch in late August from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Experiments aboard include an investigation into protecting bone health with botanical byproducts, testing a way to monitor crew eye health, demonstrating improved dexterity of robots, exposing construction materials to the harsh environment of space, mitigating stress in plants, and more. (8/20)

Kleos Builds its Military Knowledge Under US DOD Program (Source: Space Daily)
Kleos Space S.A, a space-powered Radio Frequency Reconnaissance data-as-a- service (DaaS) company, has appointed Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Mario E. Zaltzman as a military advisor for a 12-week period under a secondment program with the US Department of Defence. LTC Mario Zaltzman is a member of the US Army Reserve, where he is responsible for critical technology and product acquisitions. He has also held several senior positions in the private sector. Mario is working with Kleos as part of DoD's SkillBridge program, which enables Service members to transition to civilian employment within related industries. (8/20)

Russia's Soyuz Launch Carrying OneWeb Satellites Scrubbed (Source: Space.com)
A Soyuz launch of OneWeb satellites was scrubbed shortly before the scheduled liftoff. The countdown was halted less than a minute before launch, but Arianespace, the launch services provider, said only that "a non-nominal event during the final automatic sequence" triggered the abort. The launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, carrying 34 OneWeb satellites, has been rescheduled for Friday. (8/20)

ULA Will Require Employees Receive Covid Vaccines (Source: CNBC)
Rocket builder United Launch Alliance, the joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, will require all employees to receive vaccinations against Covid-19 beginning Sep. 1. “The recent increase in cases in our communities and among our teammates is beginning to stress the schedule and negatively impact our ability to meet our commitments to our customers,” ULA CEO Tory Bruno wrote. ULA – headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, with operations in Alabama, Texas, Florida, and California – is one of the top U.S. manufacturers of large rockets. (8/19)

Private Industry Spacesuit Advancements are the Solution to OIG Report Findings (Source: Space News)
To design and manufacture a spacesuit — which is at its core a personalized spacecraft — takes an organization with extensive knowledge and experience. ILC Dover has designed and manufactured every EVA spacesuit for NASA from the Apollo moon landing through the suits currently used for spacewalks on the International Space Station. We have the design and manufacturing expertise and infrastructure to design, qualify, and manufacture multiple suits in the time required to support the Artemis missions. 

In 2016, ILC Dover delivered a prototype lunar landing suit, which incorporated a variety of updates and innovations learned from the development and manufacturing of the original Apollo lunar exploration suits. Known as the Z-2 suit, it was developed to evaluate the mobility of several new design features. NASA evaluated the Z-2 suit, and subsequently made the decision to use the Z-2 design as the basis of the NASA in-house Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU), intended to be used across multiple programs, including the ISS and Artemis.

The "Astro" iteration of this advanced spacesuit is engineered for high mobility and ease-of-use, utilizing a lightweight architecture, and modular sizing. It can be used by a wide variety of sized crew members in a wide variety of applications. In addition to easy resizability, Astro incorporates a high visibility helmet system to ensure the astronaut can see, speak, and breath easily in challenging situations, as well as a modular architecture to adapt to a wide variety of missions. (8/20)

Geost Acquired by ATL Partners (Source: Space News)
A private equity firm is acquiring Geost, a developer of space surveillance sensors. ATL Partners announced the acquisition of Geost Thursday, but terms of the deal were not disclosed. Geost, founded in 2004, makes electro-optical and infrared sensors for satellites and ground-based surveillance systems. Geost plans to ramp up development and manufacturing of such payloads in anticipation of growing demand from the Defense Department and the intelligence community. (8/20)

Urban Sky Raises $4.1 Million for Microballoon System (Source: Space News)
A startup developing stratospheric balloons that can provide imagery at much higher resolutions than satellites raised a seed round of funding. Denver-based Urban Sky raised $4.1 million from several investors to continue development of its "Microballoon" systems. Those balloons, flying in the stratosphere, can take images with a resolution of 10 centimeters. The company sees interest from several markets that require imagery sharper than what is available from space but also less expensive than other aerial imagery systems. (8/20)

Firefly Plans First Launch in September From California Spaceport (Source: Noozhawk)
Firefly Aerospace is planning a first launch of its Alpha rocket in early September. The company announced Thursday it performed a successful static-fire test of the rocket on the pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base, allowing it to proceed with a launch no earlier than Sept. 2. Company officials said earlier that the company was awaiting a component needed for the rocket's flight termination system before proceeding with a launch attempt. (8/20)

Astra Gets Green Light for Late-August Launch From Alaska Spaceport (Source: Tech Crunch)
Rocket launch startup Astra has received a key license from the FAA, giving the green light for the company’s first commercial orbital launch at the end of the month. Astra CEO Chris Kemp tweeted the news on Thursday, adding that the launch operator license through the FAA is valid through 2026. The new license is a modification of the company’s previous launch license and applicable to the current version of the company’s rocket, a company spokesperson told TechCrunch.

The license, posted on the FAA’s website, authorizes Astra to conduct flights of its Rocket v3 launch vehicle from the company’s launch pad at the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak, Alaska. It expires on March 9, 2026. It clears the way for Astra to conduct a demonstration mission for the U.S. Space Force on August 27, as well as a second launch planned for some time later this year. (8/19)

Boeing's CST-100 Back in Florida Processing Facility (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner is back in the factory after valve problems postponed a launch earlier this month. Workers removed the spacecraft from its Atlas 5 rocket and rolled it back to the company's Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center. Boeing and NASA announced last Friday that the launch was postponed at least for several months because of valves that were stuck shut in the spacecraft's propulsion system. (8/20)

NASA Wallops Launches Rocket Carrying Student Experiments (Source: WAVY)
NASA Wallops launched a 44-foot suborbital sounding rocket Thursday night. The launch happened at 5 p.m. It’s carried student experiments from eight community college and university teams, including Virginia Tech, into suborbital space. The students worked on the projects for more than a year. (8/19)

Space Command is on ‘Good Glide Path’ to Full Operational Capability (Source: Defense News)
Gen. James Dickinson, the first commander of U.S. Space Command, has been focused on putting meat on the bones of the new organization since its inception just a few years ago. The commander says he’s been steering talented service members across the military into the leadership ranks and is growing the command’s strength to reach full operational capability.

But there’s still much to be worked out when it comes to how the command will support the other services and vice versa, how it will work with other allies and partners and even where it will ultimately be based. Click here. (8/19)

Microsoft Protests Amazon Win of Big US Cloud Contract (Source: Space Daily)
Microsoft on Thursday confirmed it is challenging a decision to award a multi-billion-dollar cloud computing contract to its rival Amazon. US media reports said the contract valued at $10 billion is for modernizing storage of classified data at the National Security Agency (NSA). "Based on the decision we are filing an administrative protest via the Government Accountability Office," Microsoft said in response to an AFP inquiry.

"We are exercising our legal rights and will do so carefully and responsibly." NSA spokesperson said that it "will respond to the protest in accordance with appropriate federal regulations," while Amazon declined to comment. A post on the Government Accountability Office website showed that it is considering a protest filed by Microsoft in July concerning the NSA, but provided no details. The move came as payback of sorts for Amazon successfully protesting a different $10 billion cloud computing contract that had been awarded to Microsoft. (8/13)

Firefly Aerospace Selects Redwire as Key Mission Partner in 2023 Lunar Lander Mission (Source: Space Daily)
Jacksonville-based Redwire has been awarded a subcontract from Firefly Aerospace to provide avionics and critical navigation systems for their Blue Ghost lunar lander. Firefly was awarded a contract to deliver a suite of 10 science investigations and technology demonstrations to the Moon in 2023 for NASA's Artemis program. The award is part of the agency's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. (8/19)

NASA Awards Grants in Break the Ice Lunar Challenge (Source: Space Daily)
As NASA prepares to go to the Moon with the Artemis program, in-situ resource utilization is paramount, and there is no hotter commodity than water. To that effect, 13 teams from across the US have won a share of a $500,000 prize in a competition that asked for ideas for digging and hauling icy Moon "dirt" - or regolith.

Redwire Space, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, won first place and $125,000 for its proposed two-rover system designed for simplicity and robustness. The company's Lunar Regolith Excavator (L-Rex) would excavate large amounts of icy regolith. A versatile, low-mass transportation rover called Lunar Transporter (L-Tran) would be responsible for deploying the excavator and delivering regolith and ice.

Colorado School of Mines won second place and $75,000 for its proposed Lunar Ice Digging System, or LIDS. LIDS would include three rovers - excavator, regolith hauler, and water hauler, as well as a communications and navigation system. Austere Engineering of Colorado, won third place and $50,000 for its Grading and Rotating for Water Located in Excavated Regolith (GROWLER) system. NASA selected 10 additional teams that submitted viable and innovative ideas that could benefit to NASA and the nation soon. Each will receive $25,000. (8/19)

India to Test Solid Rocket Motor for Small Launcher (Source: Space Daily)
The Indian space agency is gearing up to test the solid fuel motor of its small rocket under development, said a senior official. The official also said the space agency is planning to fly the small rocket - Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) - before the end of this year itself with an Indian earth observation satellite. The SSLV is being designed to have a carrying capacity of about 500kg targeting the small satellite launch market. (8/19)

NASA Seeks Student Ideas for Suborbital Experiments (Source: Space Daily)
NASA is calling on all sixth through 12th-grade educators and students to submit experiments for possible suborbital flights as a way of gaining firsthand experience with the design and testing process used by NASA researchers. The NASA TechRise Student Challenge invites students to design, build, and launch experiments on suborbital rockets and high-altitude balloons. The challenge aims to inspire a deeper understanding of Earth's atmosphere, space exploration, coding, electronics, and the value of test data. (8/19)