March 18, 2022

Russian-European Mars Mission Suspended Over Ukraine War (Source: France24)
A Russian-European mission to land a rover on Mars has been suspended due to the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine, the European Space Agency announced Thursday, as Moscow said it regretted the "bitter" decision. The ExoMars mission had been set to use a Russian launcher later this year to send a European rover to drill for signs of life on the Red Planet. However, the ESA said the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Moscow had forced it to cease cooperation with Russia and look for another way to launch ExoMars and four other missions using Russian rockets.

The head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, called the decision a "shame". "This is a very bitter (decision) for all the enthusiasts of space," Rogozin said on Telegram. He said the project "would lose several years" but that Russia would "conduct this research expedition on our own". He added it would be done "without any 'European friends' with their tails tucked because of American shouting." (3/17)

600 kg Part of the SpaceX Rocket Falls Near Home in Brazil (Source: Vol)
Residents of a rural property in São Mateus do Sul, in the southeastern region of Paraná, found what experts point out as a piece of SpaceX 's Falcon 9 rocket . The object was found on March 16, on the land of the couple João Ricardo Pacheco and Joseane Maria Franco. The material of almost 600 kg and about four meters in length intrigued the couple. The piece was about 50 meters from the house where they live and 30 meters from the road on the banks of the farm. (3/18)

South Korea, U.S. to Discuss Cooperation in Space Security (Source: Yonhap)
South Korea's Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Park In-ho will meet the chief of the U.S. Space Command here later this week to discuss North Korea's long-range rocket development and other security issues, his office said. Park and Gen. James Dickinson are set to hold talks 160 kilometers south of Seoul on Saturday, as the allies are striving to bolster combined defense in the wake of the North's continued missile launches. They are expected to discuss ways to bolster the sharing of intelligence between the two militaries and cooperation in space security operations and missile defense. (3/18)

Exploring Venus in a Manta Ray Inspired Spacecraft (Source: The Debrief)
A new spacecraft inspired by the manta ray and designed to surf the clouds of Venus has received a second round of funding from NASA. Dubbed BREEZE or the Bioinspired Ray for Extreme Environments and Zonal Exploration, the newly proposed inflatable craft would move through the Venusian clouds by propelling its wings like a manta ray. NASA already has two missions on the drawing board, with VERITAS and DAVINCI+ receiving $500 million apiece last year and expected to launch sometime between 2028 and 2030.

Unlike most atmospheric balloon concepts, which are dependent on wind for propulsion, BREEZE can flap its wings like a manta ray and propel itself to its destination. According to the project’s summary, this bio-inspired flight “is achieved through oscillatory wing morphing, offering precise control and allowing for multiple flybys over the same location.” Also inspired by the musculoskeletal system of a manta ray, the wing’s control actuators will be located internally, shielding them from the planet’s corrosive atmosphere. (3/1)

NASA Rolls Out SLS Rocket for Pad Testing (Source: Space News)
NASA's Space Launch System rolled out to the launch pad for the first time overnight. The mobile launch platform carrying the SLS rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the Kennedy Space Center shortly before 6 p.m. Eastern Thursday, arriving at Launch Complex 39B early Friday morning. The vehicle will undergo tests at the pad culminating in a fueling test and countdown rehearsal scheduled for April 3. The SLS will then roll back to the VAB for final checkouts before returning to the pad for the Artemis 1 launch this summer. (3/18)

ESA Weighs Launch Options Without Soyuz Access (Source: Space News)
ESA is also weighing options for launching satellites that were to fly on Soyuz rockets. Russia suspended operations of the Soyuz rocket from French Guiana last month, leaving five European missions looking for new launches. ESA officials said their preference is to launch those missions on European rockets, namely the Ariane 6 and Vega C, but would not rule out using non-European launchers. Both Ariane 6 and Vega C are scheduled to make their first launches this year. The Vega C faces complications from its use of a Ukrainian engine in its upper stage. ESA officials said they have engines for the first three Vega C missions and are looking into alternatives if the Ukrainian engine is no longer available. (3/18)

Bilateral US/Russia Space Security Discussions On Hold (Source: Space News)
While international discussions on space security will continue this year, bilateral talks between the US and Russia are on hold. Eric Desautels said an "open ended working group" established by the U.N. General Assembly in December to address space security issues will hold its first session in May in Geneva. That group will recommend norms and principles of responsible behavior in space. Desautels said he could not predict if the Russians would somehow try to disrupt the working group meeting. After the invasion of Ukraine, "there are certainly not any sort of direct bilateral engagements with the Russians" on space issues. (3/18)

Cosmonauts Heading to ISS From Baikonur (Source: NASA)
Three Russian cosmonauts are set to launch to the International Space Station today. A Soyuz rocket is scheduled to lift off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 11:55 a.m. Eastern placing the Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft into orbit. The spacecraft will dock with the station about three hours later. The Soyuz is delivering Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev and Sergey Korsakov to the ISS for a six-month stay. (3/18)

SpaceX Launch to Set New Booster Reuse Record (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
SpaceX will attempt to set a new booster reuse record with a launch tonight. A Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:24 p.m. Eastern, carrying 53 Starlink satellites. The Falcon 9 booster for this mission will be making its 12th flight, having first flown on the Demo-1 mission in 2019. Forecast project a 70% chance of acceptable conditions. (3/18)

Orbit Fab Wins $12 Million From DoD to Tweek Fueling Interface (Source: Space News)
Orbit Fab has won a $12 million deal to ensure its fueling interface works with U.S. military satellites. The funding includes $6 million from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force and $6 million from Orbit Fab's private investors. The funding will integrate Orbit Fab's RAFTI fueling port with military satellites to enable refueling. Orbit Fab developed RAFTI to support its planned fleet of tankers to provide in-space refueling services. (3/18)

Sierra Space and MHI Team for Orbital Reef Tech (Source: Space News)
Sierra Space will work with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) on technologies that could be used on commercial space stations. The companies announced the memorandum of understanding Thursday to study a "wide range of technologies" that could be used on Orbital Reef, the commercial space station Sierra Space is partnering on with Blue Origin and other companies. MHI built the Kibo lab module for the ISS as well as the HTV cargo spacecraft and the H-2 launch vehicle. (3/18)

Astra Postpones Release of Financial Results (Source: Astra)
Astra postponed the release of its financial results Thursday. The launch vehicle company was scheduled to release its fourth-quarter and full-year financial results Thursday but announced it needed to delay their release to March 31. The company said it only recently discovered a change in its filing status after it went public through a SPAC merger and thus needed to postpone the release of the results. It expects those results "to meet or be more favorable than previously issued guidance." (3/18)

SNL's Davidson Bows Out of Blue Origin Suborbital Mission (Source: CNN)
Pete Davidson is not going to space after all. Blue Origin announced late Thursday that the comedian from "Saturday Night Live" fame had dropped out of the next New Shepard suborbital flight but did not give a reason. The company plans to name a replacement in the next few days and has delayed the launch from March 23 to March 29. (3/18)

India Maps Out Plan to Increase Satellite Launches (Source: Space Daily)
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (INSPACe) has started hiring people for top posts at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to take on new space missions and increase the manufacturing and launch of satellites. ISRO is all set to take its missions to another level with an increase in the number of satellite manufacturing and launches. The space agency will look at increasing the space missions with its rockets, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and upcoming Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV). (3/17)

China is Developing New Solid Rockets to Boost Overall Space Capabilities (Source: Space News)
Chinese state-owned entities are developing a growing range of solid rockets to meet growing launch demands and contribute to a wider strategy of making China a fully-fledged space power. Jielong-3, also known as Smart Dragon-3, is expected to make its first flight in September according to recent state media reports. It will be able to launch from land or sea, with new maritime launch facilities both providing greater flexibility and reducing pressure on China’s main spaceports.

The new launcher is being developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), a major rocket developer under the ownership of CASC, China’s main space contractor. It is also the latest in a line of planned solid rockets, despite some having very similar capabilities. (3/18)

Beyond Gravity Boosts its Capacity for Satellite Dispenser Systems (Source: Space Daily)
Beyond Gravity (formerly RUAG Space) is significantly ramping up its production of satellite dispensers in Linkoping, Sweden, with the construction of a new facility. It will be used to produce dispensers for satellite constellations. With the new building, Beyond Gravity is doubling its production capacity for satellite dispenser systems and creating 60 new jobs in Linkoping. The groundbreaking ceremony took place today in the presence of representatives from the Swedish Space Agency, the city of Linkoping and Beyond Gravity.

With this new building, Beyond Gravity will double its production capacity in Linkoping. Instead of one dispenser system every month, the company will produce one every two weeks in the future. The capacity expansion will cover the increased dispenser production volume required to support the growth of large satellite constellations. This will also lead to the creation of new jobs in Linkoping, as the number of employees in dispenser systems production will increase by 60, from about 140 at present to about 200 in 2023. (3/17)

Celestia Aerospace Closes 100M Euro Seed Round with London-Based Invema Ltd (Source: Space Daily)
Invema Group LTD invests 100 million euros in the orbital solutions company Celestia Aerospace located in Barcelona. With this investment round, Celestia Aerospace launches a nanosatellite production center (low-mass satellites - from 1 to 10 kg - and small dimensions - a cube measuring 10 centimeters per side), for the creation of Earth Observation and Secure Communications constellations, among other applications. The production plant applies lean-manufacturing concepts typical of the automotive industry and will have a final production capacity of up to 100 units per year. (3/17)