August 18, 2022

The Mini Missions Aboard the Artemis Rocket Pack a Big Punch (Source: WIRED)
After NASA’s Orion capsule separates from the SLS rocket, the SLS will deploy 10 tiny satellites, each about the size of a shoebox, which will then head off in different directions. The SLS will make for a deluxe ride into deep space for the probes, which researchers usually launch into low Earth orbit aboard much smaller rockets. One of the miniaturized spacecraft, dubbed the Near Earth Asteroid Scout, will aim for a particularly distant target: It will swing past the moon en route toward a near-Earth asteroid, where it will take detailed images.

The satellite will be propelled there by a sweeping solar sail. Despite its diminutive size, the NEA Scout, as it’s known for short, can do cutting-edge science while aiding the search for the kind of asteroid that future larger-class missions might want to visit. NEA Scout and its nine comrades demonstrate the many possible uses of nanosatellites known as CubeSats. Each is made up of sets of cubes that measure about 4 inches on a side. While some CubeSats are composed of three units in a row, called 3U, the spacecraft aboard Artemis 1 are 6U. (8/19)

Artemis I to Launch First-of-a-Kind Deep Space Biology Mission (Source: Space Daily)
Poised to launch on Artemis I from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, BioSentinel - a shoebox-sized CubeSat - will perform the first long-duration biology experiment in deep space. Artemis missions at the Moon will prepare humans to travel on increasingly farther and longer-duration missions to destinations like Mars, and BioSentinel will carry microorganisms, in the form of yeast, to fill critical gaps in knowledge about the health risks in deep space posed by space radiation. (8/12)

UCF’s Perla Latorre-Suarez Named Among Best Aerospace Graduate Students in the World (Source: UCF)
UCF’s Perla Latorre-Suarez is among the most promising graduate students in the world who are likely to change the aerospace industry, according to Aviation Week Network. The magazine and its partners — Accenture and Hexcel — this month announced their 20 Twenties Award Class of 2022. More than 80 students were nominated from around the world. The 20 winners were selected based on their academic excellence, STEM and leadership skills and innovative approach to problem solving.

The winners will get access to a network of technology hiring managers, some of the nation’s best faculty and industry experts who will help them begin to build a network of not only potential employers, but some of the greatest minds working to solve critical problems facing the aviation and space industries. Latorre-Suarez — who is pursuing a master’s in aerospace engineering at UCF — is one of only two Florida recipients who share the honor with students from Duke, MIT and Purdue, among others. (8/15)

Florida ERAU Student to Aviation Week’s 20 Twenties Sends Message of Hope to Women in STEM (Source: ERAU)
Grace Robertson has always been one of the few women in the room throughout her training to become a space industry worker — and that makes sense, considering that women represent less than 12% of global aerospace engineers. But, she says, that’s “just a statistic.” She was named to Aviation Week Network’s 20 Twenties Class. “It takes someone telling us we can’t to convince us we shouldn’t try. Sticking to your convictions and pursuing your goals despite those doubts is what makes dreams a reality.”

Now, as one of only 20 students selected nationwide for Aviation Week’s annual awards program, and working as a systems engineer on the Dream Chaser spaceplane at Sierra Space, in Colorado, she knows her years of dedication have paid off. Still, she hesitates to identify herself primarily by her work. “Being an engineer is not everything you need to be,” she said, offering advice to the next generation. “Don’t overwork yourself trying to prove that you belong. Stick to the things you love and you’ll be better able to contribute to your vision, and to that of your bigger-picture STEM goals.” (8/10)

The US Needs a Plan for Space Operations and National Security (Source: The Hill)
The role of commercial space in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is nothing short of astonishing. From near constant surveillance from multi-spectral satellites appearing on the news on a regular basis to the use of commercial satellites to augment military operations, this war illustrated just how much of an impact space can have on a modern battlefield. 

Lost amidst this coverage is how commercial space arrived at this point where it can be such a game-changer, and what we need to do next to ensure America’s space industry remains dominant. The decisions that led to where we have all of these commercial innovations were made five, 10 and 15 years ago, if not further. It has been a steady state of investment, experimentation, trials and errors, successes and failures. It was, and remains, anything but a linear process. Mavericks and risk-takers in the commercial space industry saw an opportunity and took it, and we’re reaping the benefits today. 

The sooner we look at space not just as an economy, but as a critical ecosystem, the sooner we will be able to better prepare our commercial and national security space sectors for the future. Right now, we are on the edge of the Oregon Trail of space, but we need to ensure we have the wood, the wheels, the map, and the tools necessary to forge West. These issues, and others, will be the focus of our National Security Space Program in the coming year, and we hope to advance this critical dialogue. Getting policy right, here on earth, will ensure our leadership in near-earth orbit and beyond. (8/17)

Boeing, Northrop to Join White House-Backed Advanced Manufacturing Program (Source: Reuters)
Boeing and Northrop Grumman are joining a White House-backed compact to help smaller U.S.-based suppliers increase the use of 3D printing and other advanced manufacturing technologies. The voluntary program, unveiled by President Joe Biden in May, seeks to boost suppliers' use of additive manufacturing (AM).

Driven by 3D printing, the technology allows complex shapes to be built in layers from particles of plastic or metal. The Biden administration views it as an innovation that will enable U.S. manufacturers to flourish and create jobs. The program, Additive Manufacturing Forward (AM Forward) is organized by non-profit Applied Science & Technology Research Organization of America (ASTRO America). (8/17)

US Military Contracts With UK's Inmarsat for Wideband Communications (Source: Inmarsat)
Inmarsat Government today announced that the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has awarded Inmarsat Government the U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command (MSC) Next Generation Wideband (NGW) Follow-On (FO) Contract for worldwide end-to-end commercial satellite communications services. An Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, the ceiling value of the award is $578M over a 10-year period. Under the contract, Inmarsat Government will maintain and operate commercial communications infrastructure, which includes satellite systems, teleport services and terrestrial services.

For the past decade, Inmarsat Government, the leading provider of secure, global, mission-critical telecommunications to the U.S. Government, has demonstrated its ability to deliver highly robust, exceptionally reliable, global satellite communications (SATCOM) solutions to MSC. Under this newly awarded FO contract, the company will also upgrade the primary afloat network from Ku to the Global Xpress (GX) Ka-band system, paired with Inmarsat ELERA’s enhanced L-band Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (LAISR) service to provide a uniquely reliable, global back-up network. This combination of networks ensures that MSC has secure global communications, delivering a high-throughput, low size and weight solution. (8/18)

Chinese and American Interests Vie for Kenyan Spaceport (Source: African Business)
Africa is seizing the opportunities offered by space technology. More than 20 African countries have established space programs and at least 13 have developed satellites, according to the consultancy Space in Africa. But Africa’s burgeoning space industry is viewed with suspicion in some quarters. Right-wing British tabloids often attempt to manufacture outrage with stories about recipients of UK development funding having the temerity to launch their own space programs.

Rose Croshier, policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, notes that critics seek to present a binary choice for countries in the Global South: either they combat hunger, or they splurge on vanity projects in space. But, as she points out, satellite technology can directly contribute to development objectives. For example, satellite data can provide accurate crop forecasts that help people and governments prepare for food shortages. Satellites are also key to extending access to broadband internet. Investing in space infrastructure is “worth it” for Africa, Croshier insists, “as long these programs are anchored to delivering a service to the civilian population”.

One of the next milestones will be to establish a spaceport, enabling African satellites to launch from African soil. This priority will become increasingly urgent in the coming years. Existing facilities around the world are under growing pressure due to ever-increasing demand. Satellite consultancy Euroconsult predicted in a report last December that the next decade will see 17,000 satellite launches, a fourfold increase on the previous 10 years. (8/16)

OrbitsEdge Picks Vaya Space to Launch Orbital Data Center (Source: Data Center Frontier)
Plans to operate small data centers in space got a boost this week, as satellite colocation company OrbitsEdge now has a launch partner. Hybrid rocket startup Vaya Space announced a long-term, exclusive launch agreement with OrbitsEdge, a key step in commercializing the technology for both companies.

OrbitsEdge has developed a compact rack design that will house servers inside a satellite, and has partnered with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and other vendors to create a high-performance computing (HPC) data center to be launched into low-earth orbit (LEO) to process and analyze data being created in space.

But first, you have to get the data center into space. That’s where Vaya Space comes in. Vaya was created in 2017 by former Space Shuttle Commander Sid Gutierrez, and has developed an innovative hybrid rocket design using 3D printed fuel grains created from recycled thermoplastics. The company’ tested its launch vehicle in January with a sub-orbital flight from California, and expects its first orbital mission to be in 2023. (8/7)

Scotland's R3-IoT is Now Krucial (Source: Space News)
Scottish startup R3-IoT has changed its name to Krucial as it expands its connectivity solutions for remote sensors. The company launched commercial services in May with an end-to-end managed service tailored for the aquaculture market. It is now looking to support a wider range of customers for its gateways, which use satellites and cellular networks to transmit data from nearby equipment-monitoring sensors. The company, which does not disclose its satellite partners, was one of the winners of a OneWeb innovation challenge last year. (8/18)

HawkEye 360 Activates Six Satellites in Orbit (Source: HawkEye 360)
HawkEye 360 brought two new satellite clusters into service. The company said Wednesday its fourth and fifth satellite clusters of three spacecraft each entered regular operations. The spacecraft were launched on SpaceX Transporter rideshare missions in April and May. With the two new clusters operational, the radio-frequency monitoring company says it can now monitor regions of interest up to 16 times per day. HawkEye 360's next satellite cluster is scheduled to launch as soon as December on the first Electron launch from Wallops Island, Virginia. (8/18)

African Asteroid Impact May Have Contributed to Dinosaur Extinction (Source: New York Times)
Scientists have discovered a second impact crater from around the time the dinosaurs went extinct. In a paper published Wednesday, researchers said they discovered evidence for a crater off the coast Guinea they believe was created by an asteroid impact around the same era as the much larger Chicxulub impact 65 million years ago that killed off the dinosaurs. It's not clear if the smaller impact, dubbed Nadir, is linked in any way to Chicxulub, and some cautioned more study is needed to confirm that the crater was created by an asteroid impact. (8/18)

Cosmonauts Cut ISS Spacewalk Short Due to Spacesuit Battery Problem (Source: Space.com)
Russian cosmonauts cut short a spacewalk outside the International Space Station Wednesday when one of them had a spacesuit battery problem. Oleg Artemyev was about two and a half hours into a spacewalk outside the Russian segment of the station when he reported a low voltage reading in his suit. Russian mission controllers ordered him to go back to the airlock immediately and reconnect to the station's power supply, which he did so without incident. The other spacewalking cosmonaut, Denis Matveev, also returned to the airlock a short time later. The two were part way through a planned six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk to continue setting up a European robotic arm on the station's Nauka module. (8/18)

Military Tests Systems That May Detect GPS Jamming (Source: Space News)
U.S. and allied militaries will test commercial technologies that could help detect GPS jamming or other activities that disrupt satellite-based navigation. The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is working with vendors to develop prototype systems that use data from satellites and other sources, artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to locate intentional interference to GNSS signals. It selected HawkEye 360 and Orbital Insight for the project, called Harmonious Rook, and will bring prototypes to the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training exercise in Singapore, focused on maritime crises and response to illegal activities, and the U.S. Army 1st Armored Division's Command Post Exercise at the National Training Center in California. (8/18)

Mynaric Hires Veziroglu as President (Source: Space News)
Mynaric has hired a new president to oversee production of its laser communications systems. The company said Thursday it hired Mustafa Veziroglu, previously chief operating officer for communications and sensing at SA Photonics, as president, responsible for  production, development and product management for laser communications systems that Mynaric is offering to commercial and government customers. Mynaric, which has gotten early traction for its products from government projects, is preparing to scale up production in anticipation of larger commercial orders in the near future. (8/18)

Smart And Omnispace Team-up To Explore Space-based 5G Technologies (Source: SpaceRef)
Leading Philippine telco company PLDT’s wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is collaborating with U.S.-based Omnispace to explore and demonstrate the capabilities of space-based 5G communications using low earth orbit (LEO) satellites. “This collaboration with Omnispace will allow our companies to work together to define use cases for the Philippine market,” said Arvin L. Siena.

Having launched Omnispace Spark-1 and Spark-2 in April and May, respectively, the company recently completed the deployment phase of “Omnispace Spark.” This program is the initial phase in the company’s development and delivery of the world’s first global 5G-capable satellite network. The Omnispace 5G NTN global network will interconnect with terrestrial or land-based mobile networks to serve mobile subscribers utilizing the company’s 2 GHz mobile satellite spectrum allocation and operating in 3GPP band n256. (8/18)

Europe is Seriously Considering a Major Investment in Space-Based Solar Power (Source: Ars Technica)
Europe is seriously considering developing space-based solar power to increase its energy independence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the leader of the European Space Agency said this week. "It will be up to Europe, ESA and its Member States to push the envelope of technology to solve one of the most pressing problems for people on Earth of this generation," said Josef Aschbacher, director general of the space agency, an intergovernmental organization of 22 member states.

Previously the space agency commissioned studies from consulting groups based in the United Kingdom and Germany to assess the costs and benefits of developing space-based solar power. ESA published those studies this week in order to provide technical and programmatic information to policymakers in Europe. Aschbacher has been working to build support within Europe for solar energy from space as a key to energy de-carbonization and will present his Solaris Program to the ESA Council in November. (8/18)

NASA Astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann Will Be the First Native American Woman to Travel to Space (Source: CBS News)
When NASA launches its next crew aboard a SpaceX Dragon this fall, the mission commander, astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann, will become the first Native American woman to travel to space. Mann will be heading to the International Space Station, with liftoff currently targeted for Sept. 29. She will be joined on the Crew-5 mission by NASA astronaut Josh Cassada, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina. (8/17)

Predicting Your Health on Mars with a Mathematical Model (Source: Cosmos)
How likely are you to survive a journey to Mars? A team of Australian researchers has made a model which can predict and track people’s health as they leave the atmosphere – whether they’re up there for an hour-long joyride, or a years-long trip to the Red Planet. “Obviously, there’s not a lot of data on how the human body responds in space. It’s sort of hard to just fly someone to Mars to see what happens,” says model developer Dr Lex van Loon, a research fellow at the Australian National University’s medical school.

Van Loon and colleagues have countered the lack of real test flights, by taking existing health models, and tweaking them for space flight. “We used them for years in clinical settings. These models pretty much describe your cardiopulmonary system,” explains van Loon. “They state how blood flows from your heart to your arteries, through your organs and back to the heart.” These cardiopulmonary models have been useful for understanding and treating patients on Earth. “Can we use mathematical models that have been around for years, and apply them to space environments?” asks van Loon. The answer to that question appears to be yes. (8/17)

How NASA Is Accidentally Helping People Spy on Putin’s War (Source: Daily Beast)
At first glance, NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) website does not look like something that can help track a war. Originally built to help firefighters and other officials keep track of global wildfires, the FIRMS webpage shows something that looks a bit like Google Earth with little red dots scattered across the globe. Each dot represents a fire NASA’s satellites detected with infrared sensors pointed at the Earth’s surface.

If you move the map to Ukraine, even the most casual observer is able to see that the country is ablaze. A line of fires vaguely correlating with the front line is spread along eastern and southern Ukraine. As it turns out, NASA’s satellites, in an effort to track wildfires, are inadvertently capturing the fires in the aftermath of shelling, burning munitions depots, and other heat sources from the conflict. (8/17)

Rocket Lab Supporting Search for Life on Venus (Source: Popular Science)
It’s been well over 30 years since humanity last sent a satellite into the Venusian atmosphere, but a private spacefaring startup hopes to end that lull by launching its own probe towards the planet in 2023 in search of alien life. Earlier this week, a team from Rocket Lab published its mission architecture paper outlining the company’s imminent plans to explore the clouds above Venus using a small Electron rocket strapped with a 1 kg autofluorescing nephelometer, or “an instrument to detect suspended particles in the clouds,” according to Ars Technica.

“In September 2020, scientists at MIT and Cardiff University announced they had observed what may be signs of life in the clouds of our planetary neighbor, Venus. Their observations indicated the potential presence of phosphine, a gas typically produced by living organisms. In 2023, Rocket Lab is sending the first private mission to Venus to help gather further evidence,” the company vows on its website.

If successful, the satellite will spend about five minutes passing through the window of Venusian atmosphere, during which time it will transmit its readings back to Earth for scientists to study. It’s in their hopes that these readings will potentially contain new evidence pointing towards the existence of microbial life high above Venus. “Even with the mass and data rate constraints and the limited time in the Venus atmosphere, breakthrough science is possible,” Rocket Labs’ scientists argue in their recent mission paper. (8/17)

Space Mobility, a Public-Private Space Nexus, to Debut at SpaceCom | Space Congress 2023 (Source: SpaceCom)
SpaceCom, in coordination with the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command, announces Space Mobility, an inaugural event that will mobilize and connect commercial industry executives and top officials from state and federal agencies to assure space access, rapid delivery, and orbital resiliency in the contested space domain. “Space Mobility is an important component of Space Systems Command’s efforts to bridge the gap between military buyers and new space companies," said Brig. Gen. Stephen Purdy.

Space Mobility will be a day-long conference on February 21, 2023, co-located with SpaceCom | Space Congress occurring February 21 – 23 in Orlando, Florida. SpaceCom | Space Congress is a two day conference and exposition. The Space Mobility Conference will focus on topics central to Space Systems Command’s Assured Access to Space portfolio, including Space Access, Rapid Delivery, and Orbital Resiliency. Click here. (8/18)

In-Flight Connectivity Market Set to Double in Coming Decade (Source: Euroconsult)
In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) and entertainment services across global airlines delivered unexpected revenue growth in 2021 as service providers emerged from a tumultuous financial period precipitated by the global pandemic. Euroconsult predicts a 10% increase in the number of commercial aircraft connected to in-flight services compared to 2020, totalling 9,900 planes by the end of 2021. Within the next decade, the number of aircraft using such services is expected to double to more than 21,000. (8/17)

There's No One In Charge of NASA's Mega-Moon Program (Source: Politico)
All the complex systems under development — the rocket, the capsule, lunar landers and spacesuits — still have to go under one roof. And quickly. Just three years from now, NASA plans to begin regularly rotating astronauts to the lunar surface to establish a base for scientific research and extract water and other resources to live and make fuel — all in preparation for sending humans to Mars. The series of increasingly complex missions is known as the Artemis program.

There are countless systems in various stages of development for NASA and at private space companies — from spacecraft to space suits — that will all have to come together to pull the missions off successfully and safely. And only now is NASA rushing to create a single management structure to handle it all. “There’s a lot of things that have to be figured out,” said Dan Dumbacher.

Dumbacher, who warned Congress this spring that NASA’s “piecemeal, uncoordinated approach is doomed to failure,” is among a number of agency insiders, veterans and oversight authorities who are sounding the alarm ahead of the maiden launch of the Space Launch System, the biggest rocket ever built, and the Orion capsule that are set to blast off in late August. Congress this month passed a NASA policy bill, the first in five years, that requires the agency to swiftly set up a dedicated Artemis program office to manage a host of increasingly complex programs. (8/17)

Roe v. Wade Abortion Ruling Raises Concerns About Space Command Move to Alabama (Source: AL.com)
Alabama awaits news of whether the U.S. Air Force will relocate U.S. Space Command center from Colorado to Huntsville as the military completes a review of comments on the plan. In his final days in office, President Trump advocated for relocating the Space Training and Readiness Command, which has the mission of protecting U.S. security and its satellites from space, from Colorado to Huntsville in 2026.

Some detractors of the decision have raised questions about the suitability of Alabama for the relocation given the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-CO, has lobbied against the relocation of Space Command since President Biden took office. “I’m deeply concerned about how the Dobbs decision and state abortion bans will affect Space Command’s workforce and readiness if the command leaves Colorado,” Bennet said. (8/16)

Seven Teams Advance in NASA’s $5M Watts on the Moon Challenge (Source: NASA)
NASA has announced seven teams advancing to the next level of the agency’s Watts on the Moon Challenge. The $5 million, multi-level prize competition challenges innovators from all walks of life to develop pioneering power systems light enough for spaceflight and tough enough to withstand the harsh lunar environment. The winning teams were chosen from submissions of technical documentation, including detailed engineering designs and analyses. They include teams from Florida (X-Wheel Inc.), California, Colorado, Michigan, and Ohio.

In Phase 1 of this challenge, NASA awarded a total of $500,000 to seven teams in May 2021. Sixty teams submitted original design concepts aimed at meeting future needs for robust and flexible technologies to power human and robotic outposts on the Moon.

Phase 2, Level 2 challenges these seven teams to develop and test key parts of their solutions. Up to four teams will win equal shares of $1.6 million and move on to compete in the Watts on the Moon Challenge finals. To close out the challenge, the four finalist teams will have to prove the success of their solution inside a vacuum chamber for two top prizes worth a total of $1.5 million. (8/16)

The Mission to Make Longer-Lasting Space Drugs (Source: Particle)
Access to medical supplies is a major concern for astronauts. Sleep issues, pain, congestion and allergies are all common complaints from those on extra-terrestrial missions. The use of medication by American crewmembers on the International Space Station (ISS) was monitored between 2002 and 2012. And according to the data, astronauts used sleep tablets 10 times more often than earthlings. They also used ibuprofen for pain stemming from space flight pressure changes, higher carbon dioxide levels and joint issues.

Unfortunately, the longer the space flight, the higher the chances of experiencing acute illness. Common health problems for astronauts include a weakened immune system, bone decalcification and low blood pressure. On Earth, most medicines expire within a year. In space, it can be even sooner unless protected by controlled conditions on the ISS. To figure out how to extend the lifespan of medication in space, Dr Volker Hessel from the University of Adelaide led a team to launch common drugs into space.

Volker and his team coated their tablets with iron oxide. Due to its high density, iron oxide can block gamma radiation. So the team expected the coating to provide some protection. However, they did not expect some of the artificial flavouring chemicals to help preserve the ibuprofen tablets as well. Volker says the chemical structure of two of these additives might explain why they help ibuprofen last longer in space. (8/17)

Germany Offers Model for Space-Industry Cybersecurity Standards (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Germany’s security guidance for satellites would be a good model for broader cyber standards for the entire space industry as it grows and introduces commercial software, according to European satellite experts and the German government.

The German agency that recently put out the guidance, the Federal Office for Information Security, is seeking to make it the basis for European or international cybersecurity standards related to the space industry. Space missions often involve vendors and expertise from various countries, making common standards crucial, according to space researchers and satellite companies. The German guidelines list measures to protect satellites during different phases, such as when they are being transported and tested, and when they are in orbit. (8/17)