August 29, 2022

3D Constructor Apis Cor Relocates to Space Coast (Source: Apis Cor)
Apis Cor last year moved its headquarters from Massachussetts to Florida's Space Coast. The company, which develops the technology and systems to construct large buildings with 3D printers, was highlighted at last week's Space Coast Symposium. In 2021 Apis Cor technology was used to develop a building at SpaceX's Starbase complex in Texas. They have also been working with NASA toward enabling the technology to build structures on Mars. The company's Impreza home design won an award during a recent Parade of Homes on the Space Coast. (8/29)

Parker Hannifin's Bid For UK Aerospace/Defense Contractor Meggitt Gets Green Light (Source: Law360)
Parker Hannifin Corp. has won all the necessary antitrust and foreign investment approval for its planned £6.3 billion ($7.4 billion) acquisition of Meggitt PLC, according to an update issued by the British engineering services company on Friday. (8/29)

Working in Tandem: NASA's Networks Empower Artemis I (Source: SpaceDaily)
NASA's Artemis missions are returning humanity to the Moon and beginning a new era of lunar exploration. Soon, the agency plans to launch the Artemis I mission, an uncrewed flight test that will take a human-rated spacecraft farther than any before. Although uncrewed, Artemis I will test essential systems for future crewed missions to the lunar region, including the first-ever launch of NASA's most powerful rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS rocket will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and enter a complex orbit to bring the Orion spacecraft to the Moon.

Throughout its journey, the Artemis I mission, including Orion and SLS, will receive comprehensive communications and navigation services from NASA's two networks: the Near Space Network and the Deep Space Network. These services are essential during launch, orbit, and re-entry - all phases of the mission. The video above details each network's support and the collaboration needed between the two to get essential spacecraft and science data from the mission. This first test of Artemis I will help NASA to prepare the networks for future crewed voyages to the lunar region, and later, on to Mars. (8/28)

NASA Scrubs First Artemis Launch Attempt (Source: Space News)
NASA scrubbed its first attempt to launch the Artemis 1 mission this morning after encountering a problem with one of the Space Launch System's core stage engines. NASA called off the launch shortly after the scheduled 8:33 a.m. Eastern liftoff and more than an hour into an unplanned hold at T-40 minutes. The hold was prompted by a problem flowing liquid hydrogen into one of four RS-25 engines in the core stage to thermally condition them ahead of launch, called a hydrogen kickstart. Several troubleshooting attempts failed to resolve the problem.

That hydrogen kickstart was not tested on the last wet dress rehearsal in June because of a leak in a quick-disconnect fitting in a liquid hydrogen line that was later replaced. The next launch opportunity for the Artemis 1 mission is no earlier than Friday, depending on how long it takes to correct the problem. The mission is the long-delayed first launch of the SLS, established by a 2010 NASA authorization act that called for the vehicle to be ready by the end of 2016. (8/29)

NASA is Set to Return to the Moon. Here are 4 Reasons to Go Back (Source: NPR)
No doubt, many people are wondering: Why go back? There's a lot of science to be done on the moon. The rock samples brought back by Apollo astronauts decades ago taught scientists a lot about the geologic history of Earth and the moon. What can be gathered by today's astronauts could tell us even more, says David Kring, a lunar geologist. The Artemis landing sites "are some of the best places to go for lunar geology and understanding lunar ice and sampling lunar ice," says Bethany Ehlmann.

It's a stepping stone to Mars. Mars is at least 200 times farther from Earth than the moon, which means an enormous challenge in keeping astronauts safe from such things as radiation exposure, Craig Hardgrove says. "We would be doing [Mars-bound astronauts] a service and everyone a service if we test out all these technologies on the moon first." Also, dozens of new technologies created to go into space and to the moon have also brought substantial benefits to people on Earth — spawning everything from hand-held computers to insulin pumps and freeze-dried food. Artemis could spark similar innovations.

It has the potential to inspire a generation of engineers and scientists. It's often said that the Apollo moonshot inspired thousands of new engineers and scientists. While numbers are impossible to quantify, according to a 2009 survey of 800 researchers, "the Moon landings deserve credit for motivating a large fraction of today's scientists. ... I think it can absolutely be inspirational, hopefully not just for people like me, but [also] people who may not be thinking about careers in space exploration or engineering," Hardgrove says. (8/28)

Competitors Say Starlink-to-Phone Connectivity Plan Validates Their Efforts (Source: The Verge)
Companies developing satellite systems to connect directly to cellphones say the SpaceX/T-Mobile partnership does not faze them. Those companies announced last week they would work together to provide messaging and other services using T-Mobile spectrum and antennas on the second generation of Starlink satellites, putting them in competition with companies like AST SpaceMobile and Lynk. Executives with those two companies said the SpaceX/T-Mobile partnership validates their plans by showing the demand for their services, which they believe they can offer sooner than SpaceX and T-Mobile. (8/29)

Russia Open to Continued Crew Exchanges with US Carriers (Source: TASS)
Roscosmos says it is willing to continue crew exchanges between Soyuz and commercial crew vehicles if the initial exchanges go well. Sergey Krikalev, head of human spaceflight program at the agency, said Friday that he would be willing to extend the current agreement with NASA to exchange seats "if the experience is positive." NASA astronaut Frank Rubio will fly on a Soyuz next month and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina on a SpaceX Crew Dragon launching in early October. (8/29)

Japan Developing Insurance Approach for Private Astronauts (Source: Kyodo)
The Japanese space agency JAXA will work with an insurance company to provide coverage for commercial space travelers. JAXA and Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company said they would jointly develop policies for private astronauts, including insurance against injury and damage. JAXA will offer technical expertise, while Mitsui Sumitomo will leverage its risk assessment experience. "Everybody feels scared of space travel to some extent," said one official involved with the project. "We hope the new product will mitigate their fears and help promote the industry." (8/29)