July 7, 2022

Elon Versus Ergen (Source: Quartz)
Has Charlie Ergen finally met a rival he can’t intimidate? The telecom tycoon built his fortune as a satellite television pioneer with Dish. Today, Ergen’s company has made a $30 billion bet by buying up licenses to use the electromagnetic spectrum between 12 and 12.7 gigahertz and asking the Federal Communications Commissions to approve a 5G mobile network there.

Standing in his way? Elon Musk and his biggest fans, the subscribers to SpaceX’s satellite internet network Starlink. Starlink and other satellite operators use that same radio real estate, and SpaceX argues that the two networks cannot coexist. It wants the FCC to say no to Ergen and Michael Dell, another billionaire entrepreneur who also owns licenses for a significant share of these radio waves through a company called RSAccess.

The technical questions are hard to resolve, and the sides have submitted dueling engineering analyses. Dish and RS Access say a proposed 5G network wouldn’t interfere with satellite transmissions from companies like SpaceX and OneWeb. SpaceX says that finding is the result of “laughably false” assumptions, and that a more accurate assessment predicts outages for three-quarters of SpaceX customers in Las Vegas, a city used for the study because both sides have deployed networks there. (7/7)

Stellar Ventures Unveils $23 Million Early-Stage Fund (Source: Space News)
Stellar Ventures unveiled a fund July 7 with $23 million to invest in early-stage space-related startups. “The cost of launch has come down so much that any person with an innovative idea can bring it to market,” Stellar Ventures co-founder Celeste Ford said. “It’s like the internet in the 90s. People didn’t know what they were going to do with it. Now, they can’t work if their internet is down.” Stellar Ventures plans to work closely with Stellar Solutions, a Silicon Valley systems engineering firm Ford founded in 1995. Stellar Solutions currently has more than 300 employees working with U.S. and international aerospace companies and government agencies. (7/7)

Dish Says SpaceX’s Starlink 5G Interference Study is Flawed (Source: Space News)
Dish Network and others pushing for permission to use 12 GHz spectrum for 5G said July 7 that SpaceX’s study on how it would severely disrupt its broadband customers is “scientifically and logically flawed.” The 5G for 12 GHz Coalition, which includes the satellite TV broadcaster and a mix of telcos, public interest groups and trade associations, said the study draws nationwide conclusions from a “single cherry-picked” area that is “among the most unfavorable geographies to analyze” interference.

The coalition also said SpaceX’s broadband company Starlink was spreading misinformation by telling customers their service cannot coexist with plans to use 12 GHz frequencies for a high-power 5G network. The Federal Communications Commission has received nearly 100,000 comments amid Starlink’s call to customers to urge the agency to reject Dish Network’s 12 GHz proposal. (7/7)

VIPC’s Virginia Venture Partners Invests in Lynk to Provide Reliable Cellular Coverage via Satellites (Source: VIPC)
Virginia Venture Partners, the equity investment program of Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), today announced an investment in Virginia-based Lynk. Lynk provides satellite broadband connectivity from directly to customers’ existing standard mobile phones; even in the most isolated areas, with no need to purchase a new device. Lynk will use this investment to accelerate the company’s initial commercial service, planned for late 2022. (7/5)

Alien Invasion Expert Supports DoD UAP Effort (Source: Space News)
If the Pentagon investigation of unidentified aerial phenomenon wasn't strange enough, it now turns out that one of its leaders was Travis Taylor, co-author of "Alien Invasion: How to Defend Earth." Taylor, a UFO hunter featured in the TV series "The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch" and "Ancient Aliens," was initially called "chief scientist" of the panel, which reported to Congress on "the threat posed by unidentified aerial phenomena."

Taylor, who holds PhDs in optical science and aerospace engineering, and a master's degree in physics, also writes science fiction. (7/6)

Virgin Galactic Selects Boeing Subsidiary Aurora to Build New Motherships (Source: Virgin Galactic)
Virgin Galactic announced an agreement with Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, to partner in the design and manufacturing of the company’s next generation motherships. The mothership is the air launch carrier aircraft in Virgin Galactic’s space flight system, that carries the spaceship to its release altitude of approximately 50,000 feet.

Aurora plans to manufacture the aircraft at its Columbus, Mississippi and Bridgeport, West Virginia facilities. Final assembly of the motherships will be completed at the Virgin Galactic facility in Mojave, California. (7/6)

LIGO Resumes Work in 2023 and Will Catch Gravitational Wave Signals Fainter Than Ever (Source: Space.com)
Following two years of upgrades, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) is almost ready for its next operating run, which is set to begin in March 2023. During this fourth operating run (O4) LIGO  —  which comprises two detectors, one in Washington and one in Louisiana — will be joined by two other gravitational wave observatories: the Virgo interferometer, in Italy, and the Kamioka Gravitational Wave Detector (KAGRA), in Japan. (7/5)

Congress Must Support a Diversified, Multi-Layered Approach to Space Missile Warning (Source: Breaking Defense)
SECAF Frank Kendall highlighted missile warning and tracking as “a no-fail space mission.” He is exactly right. For decades, adversary nations have observed US military advantages, specifically the unique ability to execute robust long-range strikes. These operations hold key targets at risk — command centers, production facilities, logistics lines, supply depots and more. Destroy the right combination of these and an opposing military force will have a hard time staying in the fight.

That is why adversary nations have doubled down on developing their own long range strike options through a range of missile technologies. They want to hold US homeland targets and our forward operating bases at risk and, consequently, this threat must be blunted.

Key to defeating a long-range strike from our adversaries is having the means to detect, track and counter a range of new and virulent delivery systems. This requires a modernized warning and tracking enterprise comprised of a multi-layered space-based architecture of sensors across all orbital regimes. (7/5)

Construction of China's First Commercial Launch Site Starts in Hainan (Source: Xinhua)
Construction of China's first commercial spacecraft launch site started Wednesday in Wenchang City, south China's island province of Hainan. As a major project of the Hainan free trade port construction, the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site is committed to becoming world-class, market-oriented, and further improving the launching capability of China's commercial carrier rockets.

Hainan will make full use of the synergistic advantage of the launch site and policies of the free trade port, striving to build Wenchang into a top-ranking international space city, said Feng Fei, governor of Hainan. (7/6)

How the Star Trek Saga Blazed New Trails for Space Exploration — with a Hand From Superfan Jeff Bezos (Source: GeekWire)
Over the course of five decades, advances in space science and exploration have changed the Star Trek saga — but it’s obvious that the sci-fi TV show has changed the course of space exploration as well. You need look no further than Amazon’s billionaire founder Jeff Bezos, who took inspiration from Star Trek to green-light talking computers and his very own Blue Origin space effort.

The same goes for SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who’s mentioned in the same breath as the Wright Brothers in a “Star Trek: Discovery” episode. “I can’t imagine a version of the world where Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos exist, for better or worse, however you feel about them, without Star Trek,” says Ryan Britt, the author of “Phasers on Stun,” a new book chronicling the history of the Star Trek sci-fi franchise. (7/5)

Air Force Space & Missile Museum Supports USF Digitization of Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: AFSMM)
For the last several years, the Air Force Space & Missile Museum has initiated and collaborated on several digitization projects. One of the most fruitful partnerships has been with the University of South Florida Libraries and their DHHC program. Their ever expanding virtual tour of the Cape incorporates several museum facilities, along with other historic and cultural sites around the installation.

The digitization of Cape structures and material culture has included several artifact highlights at the museum. The team is currently scanning Hangar C as part of this initiative. The result will include a digital 3D landscape of the Cape, approachable by audiences around the world in the form of virtual tours, augmented reality, and virtual reality. The museum will continue to work with USF to enhance the preservation and accessibility of the Cape’s rich history. (7/6)

Australia Just Flew its Own 'Vomit Comet.' It's a Big Deal for Zero-Gravity Space Research (Source: Space.com)
On June 18, a two-seater SIAI-Marchetti S.211 jet took off from Essendon Fields Airport in Melbourne with an expert aerobatic pilot at the controls and a case full of scientific experiments in the passenger seat. Pilot Steve Gale took the jet on Australia's first commercial "parabolic flight," in which the plane flies along the path of a freely falling object, creating a short period of weightlessness for everyone and everything inside.

Parabolic flights are often a test run for the zero-gravity conditions of space. This one was operated by Australian space company Beings Systems(opens in new tab), which plans to run regular commercial flights in coming years. As Australia's space program begins to take off, flights like these will be in high demand. (7/5)

L3Harris Invests in Mynaric (Source: Space News)
L3Harris is making a strategic investment in laser communications company Mynaric. L3Harris will take a 7.2% stake in Mynaric for $11.4 million under an agreement announced late Tuesday. L3Harris currently uses Mynaric's laser communications terminals for airborne applications but will expand its use to other applications, including space. Mynaric will also provide access to testing facilities, such as a laser communications terminal it plans to install on the International Space Station later this year. (7/6)

China's New "Commercial" Launchers Prepare for Test Flights (Source: Space News)
Several Chinese companies are preparing for test flights of new rockets from China's Jiuquan spaceport. Landspace and iSpace are working on vehicles powered by methane and liquid oxygen they plan to launch from sites at Jiuquan. CAS Space, a spinoff from the state-owned Chinese Academy of Sciences, is also preparing for its first launch from Jiuquan with its ZK-1A (Lijian-1) solid rocket. China Rocket, a spinoff from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, is targeting a first launch of the comparable Jielong-3 solid rocket no earlier than September. (7/6)

Ed Dwight Was in Line to be the First Black Astronaut. History Had Other Ideas (Source: NPR)
In the 1960s, the U.S. was embroiled in a tense space race with the Soviet Union — and was losing. By the start of the decade, the Soviets had already sent the first satellite and the first man into space. So, on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy made a pledge to the nation: The U.S. would land a man on the moon before the decade ended.

This challenge excited most Americans, but many Black people resented money being poured into the space race that could have gone to aid the cause of civil rights and help impoverished Black communities. At the same time, the Soviets were pointing to the racial inequality in the U.S. to show the superiority of the Communist system. Click here. (7/5)

More Downmass Capabilities Needed to Realize Benefits of In-Space Manufacturing (Source: Aerospace America)
In-space manufacturing is reaching a crucial point. Dozens of companies are now developing technologies to make use of the microgravity environment to beat the efficiency and quality of goods and materials made on Earth. The question has been how to bring products home safely in sufficient quantities. At the moment, the only U.S.-made vehicles capable of bringing anything back are SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

Not quite ready yet are Boeing’s Starliner capsules and Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser spaceplanes, and of course Russia has its Soyuz capsules and China its Shenzhous. Much more return capacity will be needed for entrepreneurs to springboard in-space manufacturing into a capability that can transform entire industries on our planet.

So far, the ability to make useful items in space, such as optical fibers that can be made into cables, has been demonstrated on the International Space Station. Enough material has been brought home aboard the Dragons to show the promise of in-space manufacturing, and now, startups are eyeing novel and cheaper ways of getting material back from space. (7/5)

Field Tests Help Prepare NASA Tech for Fire Season (Source: Space Daily)
Even before the summer's hottest, driest weather has arrived, wildfires have taken a heavy toll in some parts of the U.S. This spring, in collaboration with fire response teams, NASA researchers tested their prototype tools to help make the demanding job of wildland firefighters safer. One element of the solution developed by NASA's Scalable Traffic Management for Emergency Response Operations (STEReO) project focuses on firefighters who operate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones.

Drones are able to capture thermal images of the landscape below, which can help determine the safest, most effective approach to fighting a particular fire. Activities in the airspace above such a disaster become complex, with multiple types of aircraft performing operations. STEReO's prototype device, called the UAS pilot's kit (UASP-kit), notifies drone pilots where crewed aircraft are positioned, allowing them to safely stay out of the way.

The NASA team evaluated their UASP-kits in real-life settings at two field tests this spring - one with multiple stops across the southern United States, the other in Northern California. (7/6)

Star with the Shortest Orbital Period Around Black Hole Discovered (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers at the University of Cologne and Masaryk University in Brno (Czech Republic) have discovered the fastest known star, which travels around a black hole in record time. The star, S4716, orbits Sagittarius A*, the black hole in the centre of our Milky Way, in four years and reaches a speed of around 8000 kilometers per second. S4716 comes as close as 100 AU (astronomical unit) to the black hole - a small distance by astronomical standards. One AU corresponds to 149,597,870 kilometers. (7/6)

OneWeb Granted Landing Rights License in Brazil (Source: OneWeb)
National telecommunications regulator, Anatel, has granted a 15-year license for OneWeb to address connectivity solutions in the country. License approval marks OneWeb’s entry into the market in Brazil, after it was announced it would be one of the few countries to host two satellite gateways in Petrolina and Maricá. (7/6)

New Generation of Rockets Queue Up to Launch From Florida Facilities in 2022 (Source: Air Force Magazine)
NASA, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance are all preparing to launch their next-gen rockets from Florida’s Space Coast, two of them before the year is out. One is expected to liberate the U.S. launch enterprise from its reliance on Russian-made RD-180 engines, while all three rockets could eventually carry astronaut crews. Click here. (7/5)

The New Age of Space Exploration Could Damage the Ozone Layer (Source: Weather Network)
With the increasing number of rocket launches, concern is growing for the amount of black carbon being spread into the upper atmosphere. As a result, there are now calls for new regulations to reduce the environmental impacts from space flights.

Black carbon, also known as soot, is produced by the incomplete burning of fossil fuels. It became a major problem in the late 19th century, at the start of the Industrial Revolution, due to its impacts on human health. As a result, in the decades since, measures were taken to reduce the amount of black carbon that gets emitted into the air.

Another source of black carbon is becoming more of a concern in the 21st century, though. Rocket launches are currently estimated to release around 1,000 tonnes of soot into the atmosphere each year, says NOAA, although the exact amount is still poorly understood. (7/5)

Georgia Supreme Court’s Spaceport Case Pits 1st Amendment vs. County Home Rule (Source: Georgia Recorder)
The Georgia Supreme Court is set to hear a case next month that First Amendment experts say could create significant barriers to voters who want to use a public initiative to rein in their local elected officials. It’s the latest episode in the long-running Camden County efforts to build a spaceport on the Georgia coast.

The county is challenging a clause in the Georgia Constitution that paved the way for a special election that is blocking the purchase of 4,000 acres for a controversial spaceport. During a two-year period, Camden residents obtained the signatures of more than 10% of registered voters required to put the referendum on the ballot. Voters rejected a resolution permitting the county to complete the land deal.

Clare Norins wrote that the county is unable to provide evidence that supports its view that the county’s authority to conduct business is severely threatened by giving voters the power of a referendum that allows the public to air its grievances through protected political speech. Residents felt they were being ignored as county commissioners pursued a prolonged quest to launch rockets off Georgia’s coast toward sensitive barrier islands. The supreme court has scheduled an Aug. 23 hearing for the case. (7/6)