February 28, 2022

Fears Grow for Ukraine’s Antonov AN-225, the World’s Largest Plane (Source: The Independent)
There are fears that the world’s largest plane by length, the Antonov AN-225, has been damaged amid intense fighting in Ukraine. Only a single aircraft was ever completed, initially to ferry the Soviet Union's Buran space shuttle. It made its first flight in December 1988. Since then, it has set a variety of records for its cargo capabilities. Ukraine’s parliament said on Sunday that the aircraft has been “destroyed” by Russian forces. (2/27)

US Space Capabilities Less Dependent on Russia (Source: Space News)
The ULA situation illustrates that sanctions may be less disruptive for the U.S. space industry in 2022 than 2014. After the U.S. sanctioned Russia for its annexation of Crimea and incursion into eastern Ukraine in 2014, Russia threatened to cut off exports of RD-180 engines and deny NASA seats on Soyuz missions to the ISS. However, ULA no longer needs to import RD-180 engines, and NASA can now transport astronauts to the station on commercial crew vehicles. The invasion may make future cooperation between the U.S. and Russia in civil and commercial space unlikely, though. (2/28)

Ukraine Invasion Highlights Commercial Satellite Imaging Capabilities (Source: Space News)
The invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the growing capabilities of commercial satellite imaging companies. The crisis has showcased companies like Maxar Technologies and BlackSky, whose high-resolution satellite images have been ubiquitous for several weeks as the conflict intensified. Other companies provide synthetic aperture radar imagery and aircraft tracking data collected by satellites. While the U.S. government has preemption rights on satellites operated by companies with NRO contracts, the government has allowed such imagery to be freely released, in part to help collaborate its claims. (2/28)

SpaceX Launches More Starlink Satellites From California (Source: Space News)
SpaceX launched another set of satellites Friday as the company emphasizes its commitment to space sustainability. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 12:12 p.m. Eastern Friday and released 50 Starlink satellites into orbit about an hour later. The launch came just four days after another Starlink launch from Florida. Between the launches, SpaceX issued a lengthy statement describing its commitment to safe, sustainable operation in space through the use of autonomous collision avoidance systems and injecting satellites into low orbits, among other measures. (2/28)

Boeing's CST-100 Starliner Chief Retiring (Source: Florida Today)
The head of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner commercial crew program is retiring. Boeing informed employees last week that John Vollmer will retire this week after 35 years at the company. He will stay on as an adviser for the program through the next flight, OFT-2, scheduled for no earlier than May. Vollmer will be succeeded by Mark Nappi, Boeing's program director for the Artemis 1 mission. (2/28)

Dream Chaser Could Land in Japan (Source: Space News)
Sierra Space signed an agreement Saturday to study possible landings of its Dream Chaser vehicle in Japan. The memorandum of understanding with Kanematsu Corporation and Oita Prefecture will study the ability of Dream Chaser to land at Oita Airport, an airport previously selected by Virgin Orbit to host its LauncherOne air-launch system. The agreement didn't set a timetable for the study or when the first landing there might occur. While initial Dream Chaser cargo missions to the ISS will land at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Sierra Space has emphasized the ability of Dream Chaser to land at many conventional airports. (2/28)

More Spaceports, More Problems (Source: Space News)
Other spaceports may not be facing referendums but are still coping with various issues. Among them is a lack of funding for infrastructure improvements like what is available from the FAA for airports. The FAA has the authority to issue spaceport grants, but Congress has not appropriated any funding. Commercial sites are also concerned about efforts at Cape Canaveral to increase launch capacity there, potentially through federal funding. However, those challenges and uncertain launch demand have not deterred airports and other facilities from seeking FAA spaceport licenses. Click here. (2/28)

SpaceX Should License Falcon-9 and Dragon to Other Operators (Source: SPACErePORT)
The world's legacy expendable launch systems are moving toward retirement while their operators rush to design reusable systems that compete more effectively against SpaceX and its well-proven Falcon 9 reusable rockets. Nations and corporate players are also increasingly interested in building their own human orbital spaceflight programs. Meanwhile, SpaceX has committed to replacing the Falcon family of launchers (and its Dragon capsules) with its Starship/Super Heavy system.

So what will SpaceX do with its venerable Falcon and Dragon systems? How about licensing the technology to other companies, including in Europe where they can be produced for to support ESA's ambitions for human spaceflight and reusable launchers. Operating like a Boeing or Airbus as airline suppliers, SpaceX could also continue to produce these systems at their California factory and ship them off to other companies (like ULA, Northrop Grumman, etc.) to operate. SpaceX could even spin off a launch services subsidiary to continue operating the Falcon/Dragon while SpaceX also supplies them to other users. (2/27)

Camden County Sues to Stop Vote on Georgia Spaceport Land as Early Voting Starts (Source: The Current)
Camden County on Thursday filed a petition in Superior Court to invalidate the results of the upcoming referendum on Spaceport Camden, calling it a “straw poll.” The filing came just two days before early voting on the referendum is scheduled to begin Saturday for the March 8 special election. Elections Supervisor Shannon Nettles said voting will proceed as planned. “I have not been told otherwise,” she said. The county believes the probate court erred in calling for the special election and should not certify the results. (2/25)

Mary Golda Ross: The First Native American Aerospace Engineer and Space Race Pioneer (Source: A Mighty Girl)
When Mary Golda Ross, the first Native American aerospace engineer, began her career at the aerospace company Lockheed during World War II, women engineers were rare and most companies expected them to leave after the war was over to make room for returning men. Ross was such a phenomenal talent, however, that she not only stayed at Lockheed for over 30 years years, she became an integral member of the top-secret Skunk Works program involved in cutting edge research during the early years of the space race.

In 1952, she was invited to join Lockheed's top-secret Advanced Development Projects division, commonly known as Skunk Works, where she worked on "preliminary design concepts for interplanetary space travel, manned and unmanned earth-orbiting flights, the earliest studies of orbiting satellites for both defense and civilian purposes." She also worked on the cutting-edge Agena rocket project, and on preliminary design concepts for flyby missions to Venus and Mars. (11/2021)

County Has Few Environmental Concerns at Spaceport Site (Source: Brunswick News)
Georgia's Camden County has spent more than $10.3 million to establish a spaceport, and it has more money to spend if it is allowed to close on a deal with Union Carbide for the launch site. While the lack of a guarantee that taxpayers will get a return on the money spent is a concern, opponents say the bigger concern is the site the county wants to buy.

In all, the site owned by Union Carbide includes a 58-acre hazardous waste landfill and eight other solid waste management units. It includes surface storage of empty drums, a burn and surface disposal area, an acetone pond and borrow pit, Aldicarb disposal area, two trench disposal areas, munition response areas and a surface disposal area.

The landfill was closed in 1988 with no complete record of waste. According to the environmental covenant, the property can only be used for "non-residential purposes due to potential for human exposure from hazardous waste or hazardous constituents. Despite the issues surrounding the condition of the property, John Simpson, a Camden County spokesman, said the county will not purchase or take possession of the landfill. "Camden County will not have any responsibilities related to the landfill," he said. (2/26)

Inspiring the Next Generation: Meet Three Women Space Station Engineers (Source: SciTech Daily)
Women of the International Space Station Program’s workforce are trailblazers and contribute to the success of the orbiting laboratory in remarkable ways. From program management to research or mission integration, the numerous space station teams are rich with women engineers who work hard on the ground to ensure the seamless operation of the orbiting laboratory 250 miles above.

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day was February 24, 2022, a day when NASA recognizes the contributions of women and seeks to inspire the Artemis Generation of girls and young women to pursue engineering careers and become the great innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow. With the advancements and strides women have made in recent decades, NASA understands the need to empower women and aims to continue to inspire generations of women to come. (2/27)

Contract Signed for Low Earth Orbit Project with Polish Firm (Source: Muscat Daily)
Under the auspices of Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, Omani company ETCO has signed an initial agreement with Poland’s TUATARA for the sultanate’s space mission involving the Low Earth Orbit project. As part of this historic mission scheduled in 2022, plans are in place to launch the first Omani CubeSat satellite aboard a Virgin Orbit rocket that will conduct scientific research and capture space imagery. The results will be digitally analysed, using computer vision, machine learning and artificial intelligence by TUATARA – an AI and data analytics company – in strategic partnership with ETCO. (2/26)

Leonard Nimoy’s Daughter Offering LLAP Pendant That Went Into Space For Memorial Fundraiser (Source: TrekMovie.com)
Last year, the Boston Museum of Science announced an effort to build a special memorial to Leonard Nimoy. A statue featuring his signature Vulcan salute has been designed and donations are being sought to fund the project. Nimoy’s family [of Ukrainian heritage] is fully supporting the project, which they see as a “beautiful tribute to Leonard’s life and legacy.”

So far, the project has raised around $30,000, far off its goal. While the family and museum are seeking large and corporate donors, they are also hoping to get support from the fan community for this memorial. The family announced a special gift will be given away to one lucky donor to the memorial project. The gift would be the actual LLAP pendant that was sent into space on a Blue Origin rocket last December. This pendent originated from Julie’s personal collection. (2/27)

More on Russia's Pullout From Kourou (Source: Space Policy Online)
Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin on Feb. 26 tweeted that: “In response to EU sanctions against our enterprises, Roskosmos is suspending cooperation with European partners in organizing space launches from the Kourou cosmodrome and withdrawing its technical personnel, including the consolidated launch crew, from French Guiana.”

According to Roscosmos: "There are 87 Russian citizens in French Guiana. We are talking about employees of NPO Lavochkin, who prepared the Fregat-MT upper stage, as well as employees of the Progress RCC (manufacturer of the Soyuz rockets) and TsENKI.” The Soyuz is launched from Europe's Kourou spaceport to carry Galileo satellites to orbit, as well as other commercial missions. The next launch of two Galileo satellites on a Soyuz-ST was scheduled for April. But Galileo also can launch on Ariane rockets, so the impact of Russia’s decision may be limited. (2/26)

The Russian Invasion Touches Outer Space (Source: The Atlantic)
For decades, officials in both countries have stuck to the same lines about the value of collaboration in space: Past conflicts and competitions aside, projects such as the ISS are bastions of international cooperation, an emblem of our better selves, especially during times of crisis. Our efforts in space are, no pun intended, above all that. That framing doesn’t always hold. In 2014, when the U.S. and other countries issued punitive measures against Russia for its takeover of Crimea, questions about the welfare of the ISS effort came up.

Then, as now, there were inflammatory comments thrown around from figures like Rogozin, who is himself under U.S. sanctions for his role in the invasion of the Crimean peninsula. And then, as now, there were assurances from NASA that the two nations’ work on the ISS would be just fine. (Rogozin appeared to calm down after NASA said Thursday night that a new U.S. ban on technology exports to Russia wouldn’t extend to ISS operations.)

What happens next, beyond this moment of déjà vu, is less certain. Considering how Biden and other leaders are describing their current diplomatic relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, it is unclear how long space agencies such as NASA and the European Space Agency, which includes 22 nations, can keep their working relationships with Russia untarnished by the fallout. (2/27)

Reddit Traders Took Space Stocks to the Moon. Re-Entry Could Be Ugly (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Amateur Reddit traders managed to launch the space economy into orbit last year. It is time to see which stocks can survive re-entry. There may not have been a space odyssey in 2001, but there was definitely one in 2021. British billionaire Richard Branson inaugurated a new era by traveling to the thermosphere using his Virgin Galactic venture. Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos followed on board his own space-tourism company, Blue Origin.

Also last year, Virgin Orbit, Rocket Lab, Astra Space, Redwire and Momentus joined the stock market with the same type of “blank check” merger used by Virgin Galactic in 2019. Terran Orbital and D-Orbit are scheduled to close similar deals this year. What has funneled cash into these startups, though, might be less a rational calculation of profit than the fickle desires of retail investors to discuss cool space gadgets on the internet.

Since late last year, however, recently-listed startups have come crashing down, just as Virgin Galactic’s share of mentions has shrunk to 2.6%. Its stock has lost 50% of its value from three months ago. Expectations of higher interest rates have steepened its plunge in 2022. Other space startups, while not as fashionable, also have online fan groups backing their stocks, especially on video platform YouTube. VandaTrack shows their popularity waning too as their share prices have dropped. (2/25)

Filmmaker Who Championed Kennedy Space Center’s Apollo 11 Statue Turns Focus to Sally Ride (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Documentary filmmaker Steven C. Barber has been on a commemorative space mission the last few years spearheading an effort to create statues for Apollo 11 at Kennedy Space Center and Apollo 13 in Houston. Now he’s looking to give Sally Ride her due. In 2019, Barber was able to help secure a sponsor for $750,000 to create the 7-foot-tall bronze statues of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins that was installed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s Apollo/Saturn V Center Moon Tree Garden. The statues were created by Colorado-based sculptors George and Mark Lundeen and Joey Bainer. (2/27)

China’s Long March 4C Launches Ludi Tance Radar Imaging Satellite (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
China’s Long March 4C (Chang Zheng 4C) made its fortieth launch on Saturday, carrying the second Ludi Tance radar-imaging satellite. Liftoff from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center took place at 23:44 UTC (07:44 local time on Sunday), with the satellite being deployed into a sun-synchronous orbit shortly afterward. Saturday’s launch of the Ludi Tance-1 01B satellite, also known as L-SAR 01B, follows on from the launch of Ludi Tance-1 01A at the end of January. The two spacecraft are the first to launch for a new Chinese civilian radar imaging constellation deployed in low Earth orbit. (2/26)

Whoever Controls the Moon Controls the Solar System (Source: Daily Beast)
In 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy declared that his nation would be the first to land a man on the moon. That ambitious goal would later be fulfilled as two NASA astronauts took wobbly steps across the lunar surface on July 20, 1969, much to the dismay of Russia’s own space program leaders. More than 60 years later, a new space race to the moon has begun, albeit with much higher stakes and brand new players ready to make the 238,855-mile journey.

This time, the race to the moon is about much more than just planting a flag on its dusty surface. Getting to the moon first could also mean calling dibs on its limited resources, and controlling a permanent gateway to take humans to Mars—and beyond. Whether it’s NASA, China, Russia, or a consortium of private companies that end up dominating the moon, laying claim to the lunar surface isn’t really about the moon anyway—it’s about who gets easier access to the rest of the solar system.

Going back to the moon is not really about the moon, at least not entirely. It’s a gateway to truly larger space ambitions. That’s why Artemis—NASA’s new lunar exploration program—has been consistently touted not as simply a redux of Apollo, but rather the initial foundation for a permanent presence on the moon. Nevertheless, China and Russia don’t pose much competition to the U.S. as long as NASA doesn’t dawdle on its way back to the moon. “China is absolutely working on building up its capability,” Dreier said. “But I’d say they’re at least a decade behind, if not more, compared to the U.S. capability.” (2/27)

Virgin Galactic ‘On Track’ for Spaceflights by Year-End, Despite Financial Challenges (Source: Albuquerque Journal)
Virgin Galactic is steadily laying the business and manufacturing foundation for commercial launch of space tourism operations later this year, but it’s burning through a lot of cash along the way.

During the company’s latest earnings call with investors on Feb. 22, CEO Michael Colglazier said “enhancement” work on the VSS Unity passenger rocket — and on the VMS mother ship that flies the Unity part way to space — is advancing on schedule, paving the way to restart test flights this summer, and then tourist rides to space for paying passengers by year-end. “We’re on track to launch commercial operations in the fourth quarter,” Colglazier told investors. (2/26)