January 7, 2022

China Gaining Experience with Space Station Operations (Source: Xinhua)
China used the robotic arm on its space station to move a cargo spacecraft. The robotic arm unberthed the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft Thursday, moving it to a "predetermined location" before returning it to its original docking port and re-berthing it. Chinese officials said the test confirmed the ability of the robotic arm to relocate spacecraft and modules, and to support future assembly of the space station. (1/7)

Agencies Concerned About Fakery in Satellite Imagery (Source: Breaking Defense)
Two government agencies are working on ways to identify "deep fake" satellite imagery. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency says it's working with the National Reconnaissance Office on ways to identify manipulated data in satellite imagery as those agencies make increasing use of commercial satellite images. That includes algorithms to screen images for manipulation and development of cybersecurity data standards. (1/7)

Maezawa Plans Space Investments (Source AP)
A Japanese space tourist says he plans to invest in the space industry. Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa flew to the International Space Station last month on a Soyuz spacecraft, and in a news conference Friday in Tokyo said he believes the space industry "holds so much potential." He said he will invest in companies that can commercialize research by NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA, but did not elaborate on his plans. He said he's still planning to go around the moon on a SpaceX Starship flight in the next few years. (1/7)

America’s New Moonshot: Getting Europe to Sign Up to its Space Rules (Source: Politico)
The U.S. is pulling allies firmly into its orbit when it comes to drawing up new rules governing who can do what on the moon — but France and Germany are yet to get on board. The text, dubbed the Artemis Accords, sets out Washington's preferred principles for a new era of space exploration. It aims to set accepted standards on everything from the exploitation of natural resources on the moon, comets and asteroids to governments' ability to protect access to lunar bases or mining zones.

The lobbying comes amid a new space race with China, which is moving quickly on its own national program and has outlined embryonic plans for a moon base with Russia. Both countries have made clear they aren't interested in signing up to the U.S.-led effort. While the 18-page accords aren't legally binding, countries are expected to sign up if they want access to NASA's broader Artemis program targeted at returning astronauts to the moon this decade.

Since the text was first published in October 2020, Italy, the U.K., Poland and Luxembourg (a big promoter of asteroid mining) have signed, alongside eight other countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan and South Korea. But while many of America's biggest allies moved quickly to join, France and Germany aren't yet convinced. During a visit to Paris in November, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said French President Emmanuel Macron intended to sign but Paris hasn't yet done so. (1/4)

Spaceport America's Former CFO Alleges Retaliation, Conspiracy in Lawsuit Over 2020 Investigation (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
Racketeering, securities fraud and whistleblower persecutions are just the top notes in a sweeping civil complaint filed against the state of New Mexico with explicit references to state officials, Spaceport America staff and others by the facility's former chief financial officer. In a 250-page complaint filed in the state's first judicial district in Santa Fe, Zach De Gregorio alleges he was effectively terminated after he filed a whistleblower complaint that triggered a 2020 investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement, ethical violations and abuse of power by the spaceport's former director, Dan Hicks.

Hicks, who did not comment publicly on the claims, was terminated in 2021 and succeeded by Scott McLaughlin. Spaceport America, constructed in Sierra County with public funds between 2006 and 2012, is on state trust land close to White Sands Missile Range and also maintains business offices in Las Cruces. The civil complaint seeks damages De Gregorio claims to have suffered in the aftermath of protected whistleblower activity, while aiming numerous accusations of criminal violations at elected officers and state officials. The request seeks a jury trial on his claims. Click here. (1/4)

Florida's Space Coast a Breeding Ground for MAGA Insurrectionists (Source: Huffington Post)
Brevard County, Florida, home to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, typically makes headlines for sending people beyond Earth. Recently, however, it has drawn attention for a different reason: the number of residents it sent to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021. Federal authorities have accused seven Space Coast locals of taking part in the historic attack on the U.S. Capitol, giving Brevard County the dubious distinction of having the sixth-highest number of people arrested in the riot investigation in the country. (The top five counties represent major urban areas: Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago and Seattle.)

Among those arrested were a high school teacher who coached the football team; a pastor at a local church; his son, the church’s vice president; a parishioner at the church; and an Army veteran who belonged to the far-right militia the Oath Keepers. Why do so many of the rioters hail from this coastal region east of Orlando? In the year since the Capitol riot, academics have studied data to divine why places like Brevard County were such hotspots — an effort to better understand the underlying social conditions driving conservative Americans toward violent insurrectionism.

Some in Brevard County theorize their neighbors were inspired in part by the rhetoric and actions of their local elected lawmakers and officials. Brevard is home to a group of bellicose Republicans — all of whom have embraced former President Donald Trump’s lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. In this coterie are a sheriff with extensive ties to the extremist constitutional sheriffs movement; a state representative who may have created a website to falsely accuse two of his enemies of having an affair; a county commissioner who has advocated that a local Democratic official get an abortion so that her “litter” wouldn’t be a “scourge on humanity”; a mayor who bragged about stockpiling weapons to use against Democrats; and a U.S. congressman who recently said “Let’s go, Brandon” on the House floor. Click here. (1/6)

SpaceX Kicks Off 2022 Manifest with Florida Starlink Launch, Booster Recovery (Source: Space News)
SpaceX launched a set of Starlink satellites Thursday in the first orbital launch of 2022. The Falcon 9 lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 4:49 p.m. Eastern and placed 49 Starlink satellites into orbit a little more than 15 minutes later. The launch took a new southeastern trajectory, and range officials said it was the first of as many as five launches this month alone from Cape Canaveral that will fly southerly tracks. (1/7)

Arianespace Revenue Increased in 2021, Expects More Launches in 2022 (Source: Space News)
Arianespace is heading into the near year planning both for a transition of launch vehicles and a shifting mix of customers. The company announced Thursday it recorded $1.4 billion in revenue in 2021, a 30% increase from 2020. The company conducted 15 launches in 2021 and is projecting as many as 17 in 2022. That will include the first launches of the Vega C in the second quarter and the Ariane 6 in the latter half of the year. Arianespace, which traditionally had relied primarily on the commercial market, said it currently has a 50-50 mix of commercial and institutional customers on its order book, a "rebalancing" the company said it welcomed but added may not be a permanent change. (1/7)

US "Woefully Behind" Other Nations in Dealing with Orbital Debris (Source: Space News)
The United States is "woefully behind" other countries in dealing with orbital debris, one expert concluded. In a presentation Thursday, Darren McKnight of LeoLabs said initiatives by the U.S. Space Force to fund debris cleanup technologies are laudable but not nearly enough to address what is becoming a serious threat to the space business. He said Europe and Japan, whose space agencies are funding projects to remove orbital debris, are well ahead of the United States. The effort to remove debris is not something that can be put off, he argued: "We need to worry about it now." (1/7)

Loft Orbital Orders Satellite Buses From LeoStella (Source: Space News)
Loft Orbital has ordered a batch of small satellite buses from LeoStella. The companies declined to discuss how many buses were ordered, but Loft Orbital says one satellite is fully booked by customers and another is partially full. Loft Orbital is building a small fleet of multipurpose satellites to carry payloads and provide services on behalf of companies that do not want the hassle or expense of buying or flying their own satellites. Loft Orbital recently raised $140 million to fund additional missions to meet customer demand. (1/7)

Slingshot Aerospace to Support Space Force in Identifying RF Interference (Source: Space News)
Slingshot Aerospace has won a Space Force contract to use data from low Earth orbit constellations to identify sources of radio-frequency interference. The $2 million contract will fund development of an analytics tool that uses location data from commercial satellites in LEO to identify potential sources of electronic interference on the ground. The project is part of a program called CASINO, or commercially augmented space inter-networked operations, created to figure out ways for the military to use new space technology. (1/7)

Florida Scientist Aims to Ensure Microbe-Free Mars Samples (Source: Space Daily)
The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover is collecting samples in search of signs of ancient microbial life, which would advance NASA's quest to explore the past habitability of Mars. The samples are set to return to Earth no earlier than 2031, as part of the Mars Sample Return campaign being planned by NASA and the European Space Agency. Before the rover went to space, NASA and its engineers worked hard to prevent Earth's microbes from contaminating Mars. Now, before the samples collected by the rover return to Earth, Florida Atlantic University is helping NASA design protocols for sterilizing Mars material and protecting our biosphere. (1/7)

Life Could Be Thriving in the Clouds of Venus (Source: Space Daily)
There is renewed interest in Venus as a place that could support living organisms. "We are trying to make the case for exploring Venus and to inspire and inform future missions to collect in situ data with satellites," says Sanjay Limaye, co-author of a recent collection of papers on Venus that he hopes will do just that. Limaye is an expert on Venus. With more than 45 years of research behind him, he continues to investigate the planet's dense atmosphere. "As one of our closest neighbors it is easier to reach Venus compared to other bodies like Titan, Enceladus or even Mars," he says.

Published in 2021 in the journal Astrobiology, the series of articles targets Venus as a potential home for microbial life like bacteria and other organisms. The collection emerged from the 2019 Venera-D Venus Cloud Habitability workshop, which convened more than 50 scientists in Moscow to examine existing research and understand the planet's potential to support life billions of years ago - and today. (1/7)

Space Club Invites Nominations for Florida Space Leader (Source: NSCFL)
The National Space Club Florida Committee is accepting nominations for its premier award, the 2022 Dr. Kurt H. Debus Award, for significant contributions to the advancement, awareness, and improvement of aerospace in Florida. The deadline is 24 January. The nominee must have made significant contributions to the space industry in Florida through either technical achievement, education, or the management of aerospace related activities. The nominee must have been either actively engaged in their working career or have retired from it since the most recently conferred Debus Award. The nominee must be recognized for having been actively engaged in community service as an advocate and supporter of space. Click here. (1/5)

2022 in Space: Moon Missions, Total Eclipse, Meteor Showers, More (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Despite the winter chill Central Floridians and Alabama residents may have felt Tuesday, Earth actually orbited closer to the Sun than usual. It was the closest it will get on its annual elliptical journey part of a phenomenon known as perihelion. It’s just one of many celestial events forecast for 2022. Last year, space news was full of events like rocket launches, meteor showers, the first space tourists and billionaires blasting off. This year looks to be just as jam packed.

Stargazers might be over the moon to learn there will be two supermoons, a total eclipse, and meteor showers sprinkled throughout the year. Several countries are planning experiments and visits to the moon, with South Korea preparing for its first moonshot, potentially by August. Click here. (1/4)

Experiments Show Algae Can Survive in Mars-Like Environment (Source: Space Daily)
Chinese researchers have demonstrated that algae can survive in a Mars-like environment during four experiments since 2019, raising the hope that mankind might be able to turn the barren planet into an earth-like green one in the future. In a seven-hour experiment which took place in September this year, algae were carried by a helium balloon to an altitude of 30,000 meters and survived for four hours in lower than minus 30 degrees Celsius with intense ultraviolet light and oxygen deprivation, according to a report from the Changjiang Daily based in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. (12/30)

US Voices 'Concern' on Iran Space Launch but Favors Talks (Source: Space Daily)
The US voiced concern about Iran's new space launch, saying it would help the clerical state's missile program, but indicated it was still pursuing diplomacy to return to a nuclear deal. "The United States remains concerned with Iran's development of space launch vehicles, which pose a significant proliferation concern," a State Department spokesperson said after Iran announced it had sent three research cargo units into space.

The space launch vehicles "incorporate technologies that are virtually identical to, and interchangeable with, those used in ballistic missiles, including longer-range systems," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson contended that Iran's space launches also violate UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which blessed a 2015 nuclear deal and called upon Iran not to carry out work on ballistic missiles with the potential to carry nuclear warheads. Former president Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal three years later and imposed sweeping sanctions. (12/30)

Top 20 Kennedy Space Center Highlights from 2021 (Source: NASA)
On June 30, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson named Janet Petro director of Kennedy Space Center. Kelvin Manning, who had previously served as Kennedy’s technical associate director, was selected as the spaceport’s deputy director. In May, Robert D. Cabana, who served as Kennedy director since 2008, was named the agency’s associate administrator. Click here for a rundown of the entire year's accomlishments. (12/23)