August 19, 2022

Students Create Satellite for Upcoming NASA Mission to the Moon (Source: Spectrum News 1)
A satellite that Morehead State University students and staff built will soon head to the moon on the most powerful spacecraft ever made. The Lunar IceCube, engineered at Morehead State University, will launch aboard NASA’s Artemis I. Once launched, the Lunar IceCube will orbit the moon looking for water. Ben Malphrus, executive director of Morehead State University’s Space Science Center, said they know there is water on the moon. The Lunar IceCube will help determine how much, and where it is. (8/19)

Researchers Propose Plasma-Based Method for Mars Oxygen Production (Source: Space Daily)
A group of scientists have developed a plasma-based method of producing and separating oxygen on Mars. The team of researchers shared a method that can harness and process local resources on Mars to produce oxygen and other products. The Martian atmosphere is primarily made up of carbon dioxide that can be split to produce oxygen using electron beams. "By converting different molecules directly from the Martian atmosphere, plasmas can create the necessary feed-stock and base chemicals for processing fuels, breathing oxygen, building materials and fertilizers," the study's abstract states. (8/16)

Transporter Erector for Blue Origin New Glenn Goes Vertical (Spaceflight Insider)
For the first time since arriving at Cape Canaveral, Florida, last year, Blue Origin’s transporter erector, which will be used for the company’s massive New Glenn rocket, was raised to the vertical position at Launch Complex 36. On Friday, Aug. 19, Blue Origin raised the transporter erector for its first integration test with the pad and ground software in the coming week. The company’s testing of the structure may take several days to exercise all fits and checks.

The transporter erector will be used to move the New Glenn Rocket from its hangar at the launch site to the launch pad. Additionally, it’ll be used to lift the rocket into the vertical position for launch. It’ll also have equipment for fueling, etc. New Glenn’s first launch is expected sometime in 2023. It’ll be able to lift up to 45 metric tons to low Earth orbit and 13 metric tons to geostationary transfer orbit, according to Blue Origin. (8/19)

SpaceX Plans More California Launches (Source: Ars Technica)
SpaceX aims to double Vandenberg cadence. Following an August 12 launch of another batch of Starlink satellites, SpaceX has extended its annual Falcon 9 launch record from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This was the eighth Falcon 9 launch from the spaceport this year. The company's previous high-water mark from Vandenberg was six launches, in 2018.

But the company is not stopping there. In a post on LinkedIn, SpaceX's manager of Falcon 9 operations, Steven Cameron, said the company is hiring to support a higher launch cadence. "We are hiring skilled technicians as we move to increase the launch cadence on the West Coast by more than double," Cameron wrote. "Dont [sic] have the background we are looking for? Thats [sic] ok, are you tenacious? We will train you." (8/19)

Sky Perfect JSAT Picks SpaceX Starship to Launch Satellite in 2024 (Source: Space News)
Sky Perfect JSAT has become the first major commercial satellite operator to buy a launch on SpaceX's Starship vehicle. The Japanese satellite operator said Thursday it signed a contract to launch its Superbird-9 geostationary orbit satellite in 2024 but did not disclose additional details about the deal, including why it selected Starship over SpaceX's existing Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy vehicles. Previously, NASA had selected Starship for its Human Landing System program while AST SpaceMobile has an agreement with SpaceX that provides options for booking Falcon 9 or Starship launches until the end of 2024. (8/19)

Congress Prefers That DoD Hire Launch Integrator for Rideshare Missions (Source: Space News)
Congress has questioned the Defense Department's ability to manage rideshare launches. The House Armed Services Committee, in its version of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, suggested that DoD should hire a "common launch integrator" to help manage the integration of Space Development Agency satellites on launch vehicles. A common launch integrator would work with SDA, satellite manufacturers and launch providers to facilitate the integration of payloads with multiple launch vehicles. The committee suggested DoD could use the existing U.S. Space Force Launch Manifest Systems Integrator contract, currently held by Parsons but up for recompete in 2024, to handle that work. (8/19)

Sweden's Ovzon Readies for Launch of First Satellite (Source: Space News)
Swedish broadband company Ovzon says its first satellite is scheduled to launch between December and February after supply chain delays. The Ovzon 3 satellite can now enter the final stages of integration and assembly with manufacturer Maxar Technologies, which had been waiting on parts that include a reaction wheel from supplier Honeywell. Ovzon 3 missed an Ariane 5 launch opportunity with Eutelsat's Konnect VHTS satellite when it became clear it would not be ready for the early September launch. Arianespace is looking to add Ovzon 3 to one of three remaining Ariane 5 flights before transitioning to the Ariane 6. (8/19)

Iceye Provides Ukraine with Satellite Imagery (Source: Space News)
Iceye will provide the Ukrainian government with the equivalent of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging satellite to provide imagery over Ukraine. Iceye announced an agreement Thursday with the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, under which Iceye will transfer the full capability of one SAR satellite collecting imagery and data over Ukraine plus access to other satellites in its constellation to the Ukrainian government. Iceye will continue operating the SAR satellites and provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with frequently updated satellite imagery on critical locations. (8/19)

Underground ‘Genius Lab’ One Step Closer to Finding Dark Matter (Source: Cosmos)
An experiment to search for dark matter, which will take place in a gold mine under the Victorian town of Stawell, has just completed the first stage of its plans. Stage one of the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL) was officially opened today. Although there’s no detector or other equipment yet in the new space, the once cave like structure now looks like a shiny new laboratory, equipped with working showers and air-conditioning. The lab, located in the active Stawell Gold Mine, is 1-kilometer underground and includes a research hall 33 meters long, 10 meters wide and 12.3 metres high. (8/19)

NASA Embraces Planetary Science Decadal Recommendations, With Caveats (Source: Space Policy Online)
The head of NASA’s planetary science division is enthusiastically embracing most of the recommendations of the recent Decadal Survey from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Praising the study overall, Lori Glaze nevertheless pointed out that the amount of money needed to execute the program is a lot more than what’s in NASA’s current plan and there are a few recommendations with which NASA does not concur. Click here. (8/19)

NASA Selects Astrophysics Mission Concepts (Source: Space News)
NASA has selected several astrophysics mission concepts for further study, but their development could be delayed. NASA said Thursday it will fund nine-month concept studies of two Medium Explorer mission concepts, the Survey and Time-domain Astrophysical Research Explorer and Ultraviolet Explorer, as well as two missions of opportunity, the Large Area Burst Polarimeter and Moon Burst Energetics All-sky Monitor. NASA will select one Medium Explorer and one mission of opportunity for development in 2024, but budget pressures on NASA's astrophysics program could delay their launches late this decade. (8/19)

ULA Plans Alabama Factory Expansion for Vulcan Centaur (Sources: WAAY, Manufacturing Business Technology)
United Launch Alliance plans to expand its factory in Alabama to meet increased demand for Vulcan Centaur. The company says it plans to add 46,000 square meters to its Decatur facility in order to increase production of Vulcan Centaur to meet demand from Amazon's Project Kuiper and other customers. The expansion will cost $300 million and create 250 jobs. Separately, Northrop Grumman recently broke ground on a new factory in Utah where it will produce solid rocket motors, including the GEM 63XL strap-on boosters used on Vulcan Centaur. (8/19)

Northrop Breaks Ground on Utah Solid Rocket Motor Manufacturing Facilities (Source: Manufacturing Business Technology)
Northrop Grumman is expanding its solid rocket motor manufacturing facilities with the groundbreaking of new state-of-the art facilities to support nearly every phase of solid rocket motor manufacturing, including case manufacturing, propellant mixing and casting, and final assembly. The infrastructure investment and expansion of solid rocket motor manufacturing will more than triple the company’s capacity to deliver its 63-inch-diameter Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM 63) solid rocket booster and the extended length variation (GEM 63XL), which will be critical to support the new contract award received from ULA in June. (8/15)

Senators Again Seek to Block Ligado's Use of 5G Spectrum (Source: Breaking Defense)
A group of senators is making a renewed push to block Ligado's use of spectrum they claim will interfere with GPS. In a letter Wednesday to FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, the eight senators asked her to stay the decision the commission made to allow Ligado to use spectrum for 5G applications near bands that carry GPS signals. A National Academies study on potential interference, required by Congress in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, is scheduled for release Sep. 9. (8/19)

Russia Reschedules ISS Spacewalk (Source: TASS)
Roscosmos has tentatively rescheduled a spacewalk cut short by a faulty spacesuit battery. The agency is planning a Sep. 2 spacewalk to complete tasks that were not performed during Wednesday's spacewalk by Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveyev. Artemeyev reported a voltage issue with his spacesuit that led flight controllers to order him back to the airlock a couple hours into the planned 6.5-hour spacewalk. (8/19)

NASA Awards Accelerate Small Business Tech for Earth and Space (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded six U.S. small businesses funding to continue work on technologies poised to make a significant impact in key areas, from wildfire readiness to sustained lunar exploration. Collaborating with small businesses is a crucial part of developing the novel ideas needed for NASA's ambitious goals. The six awardee businesses first developed their technologies through the NASA SBIR program. After maturing their technologies with Phase I and Phase II funding from the program, the businesses will receive Phase II Sequential awards, designed to spur rapid advancement for technology demonstration and use by NASA. The awards total nearly $27 million. (8/19)

Canadian Spaceport Has Potential US User (Source: Ars Technica)
Maritime Launch Services, which is attempting to develop a spaceport in Nova Scotia, Canada, reported a quarterly loss of $4.3 million for the three-month period that ended June 30, 2022, SpaceQ reports. The spaceport firm also says it has a "letter of intent" for an alternative medium-class launch vehicle for the site. Originally, it had intended to launch the Ukrainian Cyclone 4M booster, with a lift capacity of 5 metric tons to low-Earth orbit. But there are concerns about the availability of the rocket due to Russia's war against Ukraine.

In its document, Maritime Launch Services states, "If it is required, the medium-class launch vehicle capability of the Cyclone 4M can be replaced with at least two others that are in development in the United States, one of which with we have a letter of intent." Presumably this refers to rockets under development by Rocket Lab and Firefly, but for now the Canadian company isn't saying. (8/19)

Crown Land Lease Approved for the Development and Operation of Spaceport Nova Scotia (Source: Business Wire)
Maritime Launch Services (Nova Scotia) Ltd. is pleased to announce that the Company has signed a crown land lease with the Province of Nova Scotia for land to develop and operate Spaceport Nova Scotia. The Company is leasing approximately 334.5 acres of crown land near the rural communities of Canso, Little Dover and Hazel Hill. "We’re excited to build Spaceport Nova Scotia, but even more excited to build our team in Canso, Hazel Hill, and Little Dover, creating good jobs in the growing space sector.”

The lease granted by the Province of Nova Scotia is a 20-year term with an option to renew for another 20 years, should the Company comply with the terms and conditions outlined in the lease. The purpose of the lease is to use the Crown Lands for the development of a private commercial space launch site consisting of a horizontal integration facility, launch pad, and related infrastructure to support launch activities. (8/18)

India’s Space Policy Will Focus on Private Sector Participation (Source: New Indian Express)
To begin with, two draft policies, one on space communications and remote sensing, were formulated. Following this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met top officials in the Department of Space in December 2020. This led to the birth of ISpA. This was followed by the formation of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) aimed at the promotion of space. The policy will likely be released soon. The PMO, in turn, will hold consultations with the departments and ministries concerned before it goes to the Cabinet. (8/19)

What is ISRO's New SSLV and Why is it Important? (Source: Business Standard)
India's government recently told the Parliament that it was eyeing a share in the global satellite launch market. Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh said that state–run NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) is envisaging launches of several foreign satellites onboard ISRO’s SSLV, PSLV and GSLV-MkIII. A market for launching small satellites into low Earth orbits has emerged in recent years. It is driven by the needs of developing countries, universities, and private corporations. The SSLV aims to cater to this market. (8/19)

UK's Skyrora Completes Second Stage Test (Source: Ars Technica)
UK-based launch company Skyrora announced Thursday the completion of a static fire test of the second stage of its Skyrora XL orbital rocket. Completing the test brings Skyrora closer to entering commercial operations, with the rocket's inaugural orbital launch scheduled for 2023 from the Saxa Vord Space Centre in northern Scotland. The 20-second test burn of a single 70 kN liquid engine operated within design margins and achieved the expected thrust, the company said.

The three-stage XL launch vehicle is a small rocket, with a lift capacity of about 300 kg to low-Earth orbit, and is of modular design so that it can be easily transported to the launch site. Skyrora previously tested the third stage of its XL launch vehicle in December 2020. The first stage of Skyrora XL is currently in construction, with hot-fire tests due to take place in mid-2023. "Our Skyrora team went from clean tarmac to a full static fire test in just 2.5 days," said the company's chief operating officer, Lee Rosen. (8/19)

Europe Wants a Super-Heavy Launcher (Source: Ars Technica)
A deadline is coming up for European countries and companies to respond to an "Invitation to Tender" for a new heavy lift rocket. The European Space Agency issued the tender on June 28, 2022 and plans to close it on September 12. The space agency is seeking preliminary ideas for a "European reusable and cost-effective heavy-lift" rocket. The initial contracts will be small, valued at 200,000 to 500,000 euros.

A huge leap in performance ... "This analysis has as its purpose to develop an adapted and more performant transport means to accommodate large space infrastructures (e.g. space-based solar power, space data centre, etc.) and deep space missions," the document states. "It is foreseen that after 2035, with the European Green Deal initiative, current European launch vehicles will not be able to transport large payloads with the necessary cadence." This could be a reference to Europe's interest in space-based solar power. The goal of this vehicle will be to deliver "at least" 10,000 metric tons to orbit a year. (8/19)

Mining Asteroids? Growing Food in Space? Good GovernanceWill Be Essential (Source: The Interpreter)
Through the creation of the Australian Space Agency in 2018, the country’s strategy and focus are centred on “space assets and infrastructure” as detailed by a series of roadmaps. While Australia’s current space activities may be small in comparison to those of other nations, Australia has the potential to become a leader in the areas of space assets and infrastructure, as well as space resources. The extent of the country’s future contribution to these areas largely depends on how well it can leverage existing industry, such as in the resources sector, and facilitate new industry through entrepreneurship and start-ups.

Australia’s future space contributions could include building rovers to carry out industrial tasks on the Moon, and assistance with the extraction and use of space resources, which will be of high importance to any lunar mission and has the potential to contribute towards wider sustainability advances here on Earth. As humanity approaches environmental tipping points, a few of which have already likely been exceeded, certain efforts are reducing emissions and increasing sustainability.

Development of space technology and manufacturing techniques such that can shift industry and manufacturing off Earth and to orbit would be advantageous, and is possible, as is the eventual mining of asteroids for resources. Furthermore, the advances in space agriculture that will be necessary to support large colonies and bases on the Moon and Mars will be transferable to Earth to build greater efficiency and resilience into agricultural systems while increasing agricultural yield. (8/19)

Aerion Assets Set for Auction on Sep. 7 (Source: AIN Online)
Aerion had planned to develop its supersonic passenger aircraft on Florida's Space Coast on a state-of-the-art manufacturing campus in Melbourne. After the company went bust, financial advisory consulting and services firm Development Specialists Inc. (DSI) has set a Sep. 7 deadline for bids for the assets of defunct company. DSI was appointed to oversee the sale of the assets of Aerion, which ceased operations in June 2021 after a nearly two-decade quest to bring a supersonic business jet to market.

Through a court-appointed insolvency proceeding similar to that of the bankruptcy process, the sale is being conducted under Florida statutes instead of federal laws. Joseph Luzinski, senior managing director of DSI, is overseeing the bid process. Proceeds from the sale of the assets are to go to creditors. GE Aviation had the largest claim, which in original court documents was estimated at about $32 million, with Spirit AeroSystems and Boeing collectively owed nearly $8.5 million. Here's a list of assets available for bidding. (8/19)