November 26, 2021

Six Ways Shoebox-Sized Satellites are Trying to Change the World (Source: BBC)
The CubeSat is a small but mighty bit of tech. About the size of a shoebox, the tiny satellites were invented by Professor Bob Twiggs in 1999 as an educational tool for students. "They couldn't put very much in it, which was the real challenge. It forced them to quit adding things to their designs," Bob says, laughing. Quicker and cheaper to build and launch than conventional satellites, there are now hundreds of CubeSats orbiting Earth, made by universities, start-ups and governments. Here we look at six exciting projects that are trying to change the world. Click here. (11/22)

Why Rocket Lab, Astra Space, and AST SpaceMobile Stocks All Crashed Today (Source: Motley Fool)
Tuesday was a miserable day to own space stocks. In 1:20 p.m. ET trading, shares of AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ:ASTS) are down a steep 9%, and Rocket Lab USA (NASDAQ:RKLB) and Astra Space (NASDAQ:ASTR) aren't doing any better -- down 9.2% and 9.8%, respectively. All of a sudden it seems investors have lost interest in the final frontier. Why did that happen? It may be a confluence of factors.

On the one hand, space start-up Astra stock went "to the moon" yesterday, shooting as high as a 42.5% gain at one point, before closing the day up about 15%. That presented a windfall profit for investors who had bet -- rightly -- on the company's succeeding with its seventh attempt at a rocket launch, which did in fact reach orbit. It also provided these investors an opportunity to cash out their winnings today, and the cavalcade of investors rushing to exit Astra may have sparked a run on all space stocks, as other space enthusiasts took their cue and headed for the exits as well. But I very much fear there's another factor at work here, and it's one that may plague investors in the space sector for years.

The combined revenues of all three of these companies add up to less than $60 million -- and 85% of that is from just one of the companies, RocketLab -- while their combined losses amount to more than $424 million, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Suffice it to say that's not a lot of "value" to support the $9.5 billion combined market capitalization of these three companies, and this makes the stocks susceptible to dramatic sell-offs whenever investors lose confidence in their prospects. Granted, analysts are optimistic about all three stocks turning profitable... eventually. (11/23)

Astroscale Raises $109 Million Series F Round (Source: Space News)
Astroscale announced Nov. 25 that it raised $109 million from European and Japanese investors in a round it says will allow it to accelerate plans for active debris removal and satellite servicing. The Series F round, the largest to date raised by the Tokyo-based company, was led by Japan’s THE FUND Limited Partnership with participation from several other investors, including Seraphim Space Investment Trust in the United Kingdom and DNCA Invest Beyond Global Leaders, a sub-fund of Luxembourg-based DNCA Invest and managed by DNCA Finance in France. (11/25)

Mining Tech Heads for the Stars as IMDEX Backs Lunar Rover Project (Source: Space Daily)
Mining-tech leaders IMDEX - the company behind breakthrough drill and blast technology BLASTDOG TM - is backing development of an Australian-made lunar rover that NASA could send to the moon by 2026. IMDEX is part of a group of companies supporting Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth (AROSE) that is looking to leverage autonomous technology prevalent in the mining sector for use in the space industry.

IMDEX is in advanced development of IMDEX BLASTDOG TM , a multi-sensor system that captures ore body knowledge from mine blast holes in real time to assist in efficient mine planning and production. It is deployed on a semi-autonomous carrier and has the potential for specific application for the lunar rover project. (11/24)

Battelle Energy Alliance, NASA Seek Industry Partners to Design Nuclear Power System for Lunar Applications (Source: Space Daily)
Battelle Energy Alliance, contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, and NASA are seeking proposals from nuclear and space industry leaders to develop innovative technologies for a fission surface power (FSP) system for lunar power applications. The request for proposal can be viewed here. Proposals are due by Feb. 19, 2022.

The FSP project is sponsored by NASA in collaboration with the Department of the Energy and INL to establish a durable, high-power, sun-independent power source for NASA missions on the moon by the end of the decade, as well as potential subsequent missions. The proposal request targets the initial system design. (11/22)

NASA Wants to Use the Sun to Power Future Deep Space Missions (Source: MIT Technology Review)
In August 2022, a NASA probe called Psyche will set out to explore a giant metallic asteroid called Psyche 16, to help scientists learn more about how planets form. The way Psyche reaches its target, though, will be different from typical NASA missions. Building on technology used in previous missions, including Dawn and Deep Space 1, solar power will help propel Psyche into deep space. If that proves successful, it could be the start of a new era of using more fuel-efficient probes for both space exploration and commercial missions.

While other spacecraft, like Lucy, have used solar energy to operate instruments, Psyche will be among the first of NASA’s deep-space missions to use solar energy for both onboard operations and propulsion. Paulo Lozano, director of MIT’s space propulsion laboratory, says Psyche could lay the groundwork for more solar-powered space exploration. Eventually, the technology could help us investigate multiple celestial objects for longer periods and potentially make human-crewed missions outside of Earth’s orbit more affordable and feasible. 

“It actually opens up the possibility to explore and to commercialize space in a way that we haven’t seen before,” Lozano says. Because a spacecraft that uses solar-electric propulsion requires less propellant than a chemically powered one, it has more space on board for cargo, scientific instruments, and, someday, astronauts. One company, Accion Systems, is developing more efficient ion thrusters for Cubesats as well as larger satellites and other spacecraft. (11/24)

NASA, INL Take Next Step Toward Developing Dynamic Radioisotope Power System (Source: Space Daily)
Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has selected Aerojet Rocketdyne as the lead subcontractor for the first of three phases toward the development of a dynamic radioisotope power system for a lunar demonstration mission by the late 2020s as outlined in Space Policy Directive-6. The goal of this technology demonstration is to develop and demonstrate performance of a system that is three times more efficient than the current radioisotope power system technology. The dynamic radioisotope power system will use decay heat from plutonium-238 to create electricity via dynamic power conversion. (11/24)

DARPA Focusing on Biomanufacturing to B-SURE (Source: Space Daily)
The DoD has a role in orbital and lunar missions as defined by the US Space Force (USSF) Space Capstone Publication. In this document, USSF notes the "inherent value of the space domain and the tremendous influence space has on U.S. prosperity and security." There is a critical DoD need for the continued development and future expansion of orbital manufacturing to enable and ensure supply chain resiliency, sustained technological superiority, and asset security and repair for current and future operations.

To meet this unique challenge, DARPA is taking an initial step to explore and de-risk manufacturing capabilities that leverage biological processes in resource limited environments with its Biomanufacturing: Survival, Utility, and Reliability beyond Earth (B-SURE) program. Imagine you are going to space. There is a long list of items and supplies you will definitely need, but there is an even longer list of things you might need, depending on how your mission progresses.

The current paradigm in space is to pack everything you might possibly need, but this approach is complex and logistically burdensome. Imagine instead that you pack only fermentation equipment, feedstocks, and a freezer full of microbes that each convert the feedstock into a different useful molecule, material, or product so you have everything you might need and can produce it on demand. This is the eventual goal of space biomanufacturing; bring the microbes and equipment you need to manufacture a wide range of raw materials or products that become critical during the course of the mission. (11/24)

Merging Black Holes May Create Bubbles that Could Swallow the Universe (Source: New Scientist)
Large colliding black holes could be a breeding ground for tiny black holes. If we spot signs of these cosmic lightweights, it could provide proof of the fundamental nature of our universe. There have been hints in particle physics that our universe may not be in the lowest possible energy state – instead of a true vacuum, it may be in a state called a false or metastable vacuum. (11/26)

Scientists Fling Model Stars at a Virtual Black Hole to See Who Survives (Source: NASA)
Watch as eight stars skirt a black hole 1 million times the mass of the Sun in these supercomputer simulations. As they approach, all are stretched and deformed by the black hole’s gravity. Some are completely pulled apart into a long stream of gas, a cataclysmic phenomenon called a tidal disruption event. Others are only partially disrupted, retaining some of their mass and returning to their normal shapes after their horrific encounters.

These simulations, led by Taeho Ryu, a fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching, Germany, are the first to combine the physical effects of Einstein’s general theory of relativity with realistic stellar density models. The virtual stars range from about one-tenth to 10 times the Sun’s mass. The division between stars that fully disrupt and those that endure isn’t simply related to mass. Instead, survival depends more on the star’s density. Click here. (11/26) https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/scientists-fling-model-stars-at-a-virtual-black-hole-to-see-who-survives

The Entire History of Soviet Rocket Engines (Source: Everyday Astronaut)
This article aims to summarize the background of well-known and not so well-known Soviet rocket engines, the history of their development, their main characteristics, and the rockets they flew on. Click here. (11/24) https://everydayastronaut.com/soviet-rocket-engines/

The Search for Extraterrestrial Life is Going to Look at Our Nearest Galactic Neighbor (Source: NBC)
Scientists are starting to look for life in our galactic backyard. Alpha Centauri, two stars that at just over four light-years (about 25 trillion miles) away are the closest sunlike stars to our solar system, is the focus of a new effort to find planets that could reveal signs of life. The project centers on building a small space telescope — dubbed TOLIMAN after a medieval name for the star — that will go into Earth’s orbit in about two years and could start detecting planets by about 2025. (11/24)

Record Number of First-Time Observers Get Hubble Telescope Time (Source: Nature)
Since NASA introduced a double-blind review system to reduce bias, more successful proposals are coming from astronomers who haven’t been awarded observation time before. An unprecedented number of first-time investigators have secured viewing time on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in the years since the agency overhauled the application process to reduce systemic biases.

In 2018, NASA changed the way it evaluates requests for observing time on Hubble by introducing a ‘double-blind’ system, in which neither the applicants nor the reviewers assessing their proposals know each other’s identities. All the agency’s other telescopes followed suit the next year. The move was intended to reduce gender and other biases, including discrimination against scientists who are at small research institutions, or who haven’t received NASA grants before. (11/25)

Northrop Grumman Australia Teams with Inmarsat for Sovereign Satellite Capability (Source: Space Daily)
Northrop Grumman Australia will partner with Inmarsat to develop an agile, resilient and sovereign satellite communications capability to support the future joint force and protect Australia's strategic interests in response to the JP9102 Australian Defence Satellite Communication System project. Under JP9102, the two companies will collaborate to deliver an Integrated Control Segment that provides the Commonwealth with flexibility across commercial and military SATCOM networks. (11/23)

Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru May be Opened in December (Source: Times of India)
India has finalized a syllabus for astronaut training in India for the Gaganyaan program. ISRO will soon make operational a basic astronaut training facility in Behgaluru. While this center, hosting at least three types of simulators and other training facilities, is expected to be launched as early as December, a larger more sophisticated astronaut training facility will eventually come up in Challakere, 200 km away, for future human space programs (11/26)

China's Leo Group Hits Wall with Planned $50m SpaceX Investment (Source: Nikkei)
A Chinese internet services and manufacturing company's high-profile plan to invest in billionaire Elon Musk's aerospace company SpaceX has hit a wall as a partnership formed for the investment fell apart. Shanghai-based Leo Group said Thursday that it received a $50 million refund from Tomales Bay Capital Anduril III (TBCA), its partner for the planned investment in SpaceX, without elaborating.

Leo said it thinks "there is no legal basis" for termination of the agreement, and it will not accept the return of funds. Leo "reserves all rights to safeguard the interests, including but not limited to judicial proceedings," the company said in a statement. (11/26)

China Launches Kuaizhou Solid-Fuel Rocket with Test Satellite (Source: OurSpace)
On November 25, China launched the 13th flight of the Kuaizhou-1A rocket at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, carrying a test satellite into space. According to Chinese reports, the Shiyan-11 test satellite successfully entered the scheduled orbit and the launch mission was a complete success. (11/24)

China to Openly Select Sci-Tech Projects for Space Station Cargo Craft (Source: Xinhua)
China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) recently released an announcement to openly select projects of sci-tech experiments and applications to board the country's Tianzhou cargo spacecraft from society. The project application is open for government organizations, research institutions, educational institutions, enterprises and industry groups, said the CMSA.

Any project that faces the sci-tech frontier, meets the requirement of national development strategy and sci-tech development trend, or is forward-looking, innovative or has industrial development value can submit the application on or before Jan. 15, 2022, the agency said. Tianzhou-3 and Tianzhou-2 were launched on Sept. 20 and May 29 respectively this year, to transport supplies and materials for the construction of China's space station. (11/16)

Russian Cosmonauts Study Crew Dragon Spacecraft Operations (Source: TASS)
Russian cosmonauts have not started familiarizing themselves with SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft yet, but undergo training on some operations with the spacecraft, Roscosmos Executive Director on manned space programs Sergey Krikalyov told TASS. "They are not familiarizing themselves with the Crew Dragon spacecraft at this moment; they are learning operations, because it is a common task," Krikalyov said, answering a question whether Russian cosmonauts are studying the US spacecraft while undergoing training on the US ISS segment. According to the official, training plan for the Crew Dragon is yet to be determined. (11/26)

Russian Cargo Ship Departs Space Station to Make Room for New Docking Module (Source: Space.com)
A Russian cargo ship departed the ISS early Thursday (Nov. 25) to make room for a new docking port that's already on its way to the orbiting laboratory. The automated Progress 78 cargo ship, also known as Progress MS-17, undocked from Russia's Nauka science module on the station and is doomed to a fiery disposal in Earth's atmosphere. Its departure clears the way for the arrival of Prichal, a new Russian docking port module, that launched to the International Space Station on Wednesday (Nov. 24). (11/25)

Investigation Results Into Hole in Russia’s Soyuz MS-09 Handed Over to Law Enforcement (Source: TASS)
Russia’s Roscosmos state space agency has handed the results of an investigation into a hole in the habitation compartment of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft over to law enforcement agencies, the corporation said in a statement on Friday. "All results of the investigation regarding the hole in the habitation compartment of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft have been handed over to law enforcement agencies," the statement reads.

The Izvestia newspaper reported earlier on Friday, citing sources, that the reason behind the hole could have been NASA astronaut Serena Maria Aunon-Chancellor’s desire to return to Earth because of a blood clot or a fight with her boyfriend onboard the International Space Station (ISS). A source told TASS earlier that the hole had been drilled in weightlessness by a person not acquainted with the spaceship’s design.

On August 30, 2018, a loss of air pressure was detected onboard the ISS. It turned out later that air was leaking through a hole in the habitation compartment of the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft. Experts concluded that the hole had been drilled in the spacecraft’s hull from the inside. Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin announced in September 2019 that the agency was aware of the origin of the hole, but would not make the information public. (11/26)

Heading for Mars? Not Until a Lot of Work on Novel Space Materials is Completed (Source: Cosmos)
Fundamentally, space is a realm of extremes, from temperature – with hot and cold cycles of +288°C to -101°C – to ultra-high vacuum environments. Then there are the incredibly fast micro-meteorites – essentially tiny grains of space dust travelling at about 72 km/second. Materials used for spacecraft and space travel have no protective layer of atmosphere available to shelter them. If a micro-meteorite collides with the surface of a spacecraft at hyper velocities, it can lead to microcracks in space materials and eventually the failure of parts of the craft.

To protect against such debris, shielding materials can be added to spacecraft. The Gemini and Apollo missions employed a heat shield made of fibreglass honeycomb filled polymer resin, whereas SpaceX’s Dragon is reported to use resin-impregnated carbon fibre as its heat shield material. Multicomponent impact-resistant materials have also been developed, consisting of mounted aluminium and bulletproof Kevlar layers bonded with resins to reduce the penetration of small debris. However, repairing these multi-component designs has always been an issue.

In many cases, the resins or polymer binders used in such composites or coatings are permanently set, so any damage cannot be reversed or repaired. The only solution is replacement of the whole structure, which is too expensive and can be challenging in space. You have to try to imagine future spacecraft that will include dynamic features, such as self-preservation (the ability to heal or repair themselves), recyclability and multifunctionality, along with new materials and design paradigms that make it possible to support vessels capable of adapting to their journey. (11/26)

Kodiak Rocket Complex Hosts Successful Orbital Launch in Freezing Cold (Source: Anchorage Daily News)
A private rocket successfully launched into orbit last week after taking off in freezing temperatures in Kodiak. The launch on Friday marked Astra’s first successful commercial orbital launch for the U.S. Space Force at the Pacific Spaceport Complex, the company said in a statement. The Space Force contracted the launch through a Defense Innovation Unit agreement to test the deployment of a dummy payload, the company said. Just after 9 p.m., the rocket shot more than 300 miles upward and reached orbit in less than 10 minutes, the statement said. (11/24)