March 30, 2022

AIP Report: Harassment, Discrimination in Astronomy Takes Many Forms (Source: Space Daily)
The AIP Longitudinal Survey of Astronomy Graduate Students was initiated by the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in 2006 to better understand the forms and long-term impacts of harassment in the field of astronomy. The study polled astronomy graduate students during the 2006-07 school year and followed up with those same people in 2012-13 and in 2015-16 after they entered the workplace. Across the study, 33% of the respondents reported experiencing harassment and discrimination at school or work.

"Our examination of the context reveals the depth and variety of forms of harassment and discrimination," said AIP's Rachel Ivie, co-author of the resulting report, "Exploring Harassment and Discrimination Experiences in Astronomy." "Because harassment and discrimination are so pervasive, they seem to be part of the climate and structure of astronomical educational and work settings, occurring in many different situations and across career stages." (3/30)

Orbex and FORCE Technology to Develop Advanced Rocket Engine Testing (Source: Space Daily)
Orbex and FORCE Technology have been awarded a new contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) to further develop an X-Ray Inspection System for rocket engines. The system will enable the two firms to carry out non-destructive, high-energy X-ray inspections of Orbex's large-scale 3D-printed rocket engines prior to flight, using advanced technology to eliminate any internal flaws. It will become a key component of the Orbex engine testing regime, reinforcing the reliability and safety credentials of the Orbex 'Prime' rocket. (3/29)

Viasat, Inmarsat to Boost UK Space Industry Investments (Source: Space Daily)
Viasat and Inmarsat, the US and UK satellite communications groups, have agreed on a package of legally-binding economic undertakings with the UK Government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as part of the proposed combination of the two companies. BEIS welcomed the constructive discussions that have taken place with both companies on their future plans. The transaction remains subject to the regulatory processes of the UK. (3/29)

Redwire Provides Solar Arrays for New Weather and Climate Research Satellite (Source: Space Daily)
Jacksonville-based Redwire Corp. is supplying solar array technology that will power the newest of PlanetiQ's weather and climate monitoring satellites, GNOMES-3, which is aboard the Transporter 4 launch scheduled to lift off on April 1, from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in Florida. GNOMES-3, the third satellite in the GNSS Navigation and Occultation Measurement Satellite series, is designed to collect more than 2,500 radio occultation measurements of Earth's atmosphere each day. Redwire solar arrays also powered the previous satellite in the series, GNOMES-2, which launched in 2021. (3/30)

Space Coast Startup Pitch Challenge Showcases Area Entrepreneurs (Source: Space Coast Daily)
More than 250 people representing diverse investment groups from around the country attended the first-ever Space Coast Pitch Challenge at Groundswell Startups on March 10. New and emerging funds say they were excited by the startups and even more impressed by the passion and energy of the founders throughout the evening. Founded in 2015, the Groundswell tech incubator now serves as home to more than 200 tech-focused founders and entrepreneurs. Groundswell COO, Jarin Eisenberg, says the momentum of what is happening in the Space Coast’s growing startup ecosystem is at a major inflection point. (3/16)

Russian Soyuz Capsule Returns ISS Crewmembers to Earth (Source: Space News)
A Soyuz spacecraft landed in Kazakhstan this morning, returning three people from the International Space Station. The Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft landed at 7:28 a.m. Eastern at the designated landing zone in Kazakhstan, four hours after undocking from the station. The spacecraft returned Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotr Dubrov and NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei. Dubrov and Vande Hei spent 355 days on the station, which for Vande Hei set an American spaceflight record. The landing was not affected by tensions between Russia and the West over Russia's invasion of Ukraine that had severed most other space-related ties. (3/30)

NASA Avoids Public Spectacle for SLS Pad Test (Source: Space News)
NASA says it's ready for a countdown test this weekend of the Space Launch System, one that will take place largely within a cone of silence. NASA officials said Tuesday they're ready to proceed with the wet dress rehearsal, where the SLS will be filled with cryogenic propellants and go through a countdown that stops just before the core stage's engines would ignite. A successful test could allow NASA to set a date for the Artemis 1 launch about a week later, they said. NASA will not provide live commentary of the test, which officials said was out of concerns about revealing export-controlled information, although such concerns did not stop launch commentary for past launches. The agency will provide social media updates over the weekend and hold a briefing on Monday. (3/30)

India's Pixxel Raises $25 Million for Satelltie Constellation (Source: Space News)
Indian remote sensing startup Pixxel has raised $25 million to help it build a satellite constellation. Pixxel raised the Series A round from investors led by Canada's Radical Ventures. Pixxel has raised $33 million to date, which will fund the launch of two hyperspectral imaging satellites this year and six in 2023. The first of those satellites is scheduled to launch on a SpaceX rideshare mission Friday. Pixxel expects to have 30 satellites in orbit by the end of 2024. (3/30)

Virgin Orbit Considers Alternate Uses for Air-Launch Capability (Source: Space News)
Virgin Orbit is looking beyond satellite launch for revenue growth opportunities. On an earnings call Tuesday, company executives said they're seeing interest from the U.S. government and companies for using its LauncherOne system for launching missile defense targets and supporting hypersonics R&D. The company expects to conduct up to six orbital launches this year, the first of which took place in January. The next, an unspecified national security mission, is scheduled for the second quarter. Virgin Orbit, which went public at the end of last year in a SPAC deal, reported revenues of $7.4 million and a net loss of $157.3 million in 2021. (3/30)

Singapore Signs Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Singapore is the latest country to sign on to the Artemis Accords. Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong signed the agreement Monday in Washington as part of a state visit to the United States. Singapore hopes that, by joining the Artemis Accords, it can cooperate more closely with the United States and other nations, including development of norms of behavior for space activities. Singapore is the 18th country to sign the Accords. (3/30)

SpiderOak to Provide Space System Cybersecurity to Lockheed Martin (Source: Space News)
Lockheed Martin signed a contract with SpiderOak Mission Systems to provide cybersecurity services for space systems. The contract allows Lockheed Martin to use SpiderOak's OrbitSecure software, originally developed for terrestrial cybersecurity applications but repurposed for space systems. The software uses blockchain for data transactions so every modification made to the ledger is time-stamped and signed, ensuring traceability. (3/30)

China Launches Three Small Satellites (Source: Xinhua)
China launched three smallsats on a Long March 11 Tuesday night. The solid-fueled rocket lifted off at 10:29 p.m. Eastern from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. It placed into orbit the Tianping-2A, Tianping-2B and Tianping-2C satellites, which state media described as being used for surveying the space environment and improving orbital prediction models. (3/30)

China Plans X-Ray Astronomy Satellite (Source: Space News)
China plans to launch an X-ray astronomy spacecraft next year. The Einstein Probe passed a major review and is on track to launch in 2023. It will carry X-ray instruments to detect flashes from cataclysmic cosmic events, such as stars ripped apart by black holes, helping astronomers understand how stellar matter falls into black holes and the complex and rare phenomena of formations of jets of ionized matter emitted by such events. (3/30)

Emirati Venus Mission Completes Review (Source: The National)
An Emirati mission to visit Venus and several asteroids has completed a review. The mission, which does not yet has a formal name, completed a mission concept review that puts it on a path to launch in 2028. The spacecraft would swing by Venus and then as many as seven asteroids, concluding with a landing on an asteroid. Half the mission will be built by companies in the U.A.E. (3/30)

Cook to Lead Dynetics (Source: Dynetics)
Dynetics has named Steve Cook as its next president. The company, owned by Leidos, said Tuesday that Cook will take over as president on Friday, succeeding Dave King, who will remain at the company in a consulting capacity to ensure a smooth transition. Cook joined Dynetics in 2009 after a NASA career that included being manager of the Ares launch vehicle projects during the Constellation program. (3/30)

Artist Koons Wants to Fly Sculpture to Moon (Source: The Verge)
An artist known for kitschy balloon sculptures wants to take his art to the moon. Jeff Koons, best known for balloon sculptures of animals made of stainless steel, is working with Intuitive Machines to fly a small version of that art on that company's first commercial lunar lander mission later this year. The art will be encased in a transparent "thermally-coated" cube 15 centimeters on a side and carried to the moon on the Nova-C lander. Pace Gallery, which represents Koons, declined to say what art would be contained in that cube but claimed it would be the first "authorized" works of art sent to the moon. (3/30)

Blue Origin’s Suborbital Space Trip Brings the Final Frontier Down to Earth (Source: GeekWire)
When Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture sends its next crew on a suborbital ride to space, as early as Thursday, there won’t be any TV celebrities on board. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing. “I’m personally seeing more and more people I know flying on each flight … and that’s more exciting to me than celebrity fliers,” said Laura Seward Forczyk. “People in my network flying makes it feel much closer and more accessible.”

Folks who aren’t space consultants, or space geeks, might be hard-pressed to name a single member of the sextet — although they’d probably remember that “Saturday Night Live” comedian Pete Davidson gave up his seat due to a scheduling conflict. To fill that seat, Blue Origin chose its own Gary Lai. He’s the chief architect for the New Shepard suborbital spaceship that’s due to take off Thursday morning from the company’s Launch Site One amid the rangeland of West Texas. (3/30)