September 13, 2022

NASA Astronaut Reveals Why He Won’t Live in Elon Musk’s Mars Colony (Source: The Sun)
Stanley Glen Love is a 57-year-old American scientist and NASA astronaut. He joined NASA in 1998, went on his first spaceflight on Space Shuttle Atlantis in 2008, and has logged over 300 hours in space. When asked about his thoughts on Musk's Mars colony idea, Love told The U.S. Sun: "Do I think it’s possible? Yes. Do I think it would be enjoyable? No. "I think it would be horrible. This is based on an opportunity I had while in the astronaut office to go to Antarctica.

"Just to give you an example, we were in a field camp living in small tents out on the Antarctic ice cap, eight thousand feet above sea level, and we had all the food you could possibly want. "Huge crates of really good food. Food’s important on an expedition like that." Love went on to explain that his team would wait eagerly for a plane that would bring new supplies, including mail and food. He said: "They take away a bunch of garbage and they brought us three ping pong ball-sized wormy little apples from New Zealand.

"There were eight of us and we carefully portioned those Apples so everybody got exactly three-eighths of a ping pong ball-sized wormy little Apple from New Zealand and it was the best Apple you ever ate. It will be a very long time before Mars is able to produce even a wormy little ping pong ball-sized Apple. Much less a nectarine. Much less a day on the beach. Antarctica’s another model for that. I think the longest anyone has stayed there is five years continuously and then they were out of there." (9/3)

OneWeb Considers Second-Generation Constellation (Source: Space News)
OneWeb is considering plans for a second-generation constellation jointly with Eutelsat ahead of closing their proposed merger. The CEOs of the two companies said Monday at World Satellite Business Week that they could start work on the second-generation system even before the merger closes next year. That system might use Eutelsat's GEO satellite fleet to reduce the number of LEO satellites required. Before the companies announced the merger in July, OneWeb's Gen 2 was expected to feature far more satellites than the current generation to improve its connectivity services. (9/13)

Satellite Operator Consolidation Expected (Source: Space News)
The long-awaited consolidation of satellite operators may finally be occurring. The potential for small and regional fixed satellite service operators to consolidate was highlighted as a key trend at past World Satellite Business Week conferences going back to 2006. Still, until recently, few such mergers took place. The pandemic may have played a role in triggering that consolidation, particularly as companies went through bankruptcy restructuring. Fewer independent satellite operators would make it harder for new operators to enter the market, analysts warn, and they would also likely struggle to offer the same capabilities as those that have joined forces. (9/13)

Data Services Demand Driving Satellite Market Growth (Source: Space News)
Demand for data services will drive growth in the satellite communications market in the next decade. Euroconsult expects satellite communications services revenues to reach $1.2 trillion over the next decade, with data services accounting for 42% of that revenue, up from 15%. Euroconsult sees the potential for emerging services, including satellite-to-cellphone and autonomous vehicles, to generate additional revenues, offsetting declines in traditional markets like direct-to-home television. (9/13)

ESA Boost! for RFA One Launch Services (Source: ESA)
Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA), a German startup developing the three-stage RFA One orbital launch vehicle designed to operate at a high cadence, has received a contract worth €11.72 m from ESA's Boost! commercial space transportation services program. ESA is partnering with RFA for the completion of the pre-commercial development of the new launch service and demonstration of RFA One operational capabilities. The ambitious work program covers the preparation and execution of the first and second stage integrated test campaigns that will include full-duration hot fire tests.  (9/13)

ESA Wants Budget Increase From Member States (Source: Space News)
ESA plans to ask its member states for a 25% budget increase this fall. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said Monday at World Satellite Business Week that the agency is still finalizing its package of programs it will present to member states at November's ministerial meeting but expects its value to be 18.7 billion euros over three years. The funding increase is complicated by economic and geopolitical challenges in Europe. Still, Aschbacher said events such as cutting ties with Russia after the invasion of Ukraine show the importance of Europe being more independent in space. (9/13)

Firefly Delays Next Launch Attempt to Sep. 19 or 20 (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
Firefly will wait until next week for its next Alpha launch attempt. The company called off a Monday launch attempt because of poor weather, a day after problems with helium pressure in the rocket's upper stage scrubbed the first launch attempt. The company has reserved launch dates of Sep. 19 and 20 for the mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. (9/13)

Skycorp Plans Test of Computer Hard Drive on Lunar Mission (Source: Space News)
A small company plans to test advanced computing technology on a lunar lander mission. Skycorp said Monday it will send a commercial solid-state drive from Taiwan-based Phison Electronics Corp. to the moon next year on an Intuitive Machines lander. The company is currently testing that drive on the International Space Station. Separately, Ramon.Space unveiled plans last week to provide computing technology for a lander being developed for Israel's Beresheet 2 lunar mission scheduled for 2025. (9/13)

Startups Join LA-Based Space Accelerator Program (Source: Space News)
Six space startups are joining the Techstars Aerospace and Defense Accelerator this fall. The startups, five from the United States and one from the United Kingdom, will participate in the 12-week accelerator in Los Angeles, being held in person for the first time since the pandemic. The startups are working on technologies ranging from in-space manufacturing to responsive launch. (9/13)

ESA Solar Orbiter Finds Clues in Solar Wind (Source: Space.com)
ESA's Solar Orbiter spacecraft has found a kink in the solar wind that could explain how it is accelerated. Scientists announced Monday that the spacecraft detected the "switchback," or S-shaped twist in the corona, during a close approach to the sun in March. That switchback aligned with a sunspot, suggesting it is created when magnetic field lines are twisted by sunspots, breaking and realigning with interplanetary magnetic field. This injects energy into the solar wind and may explain its acceleration and heating. (9/13)

How Long Until SpaceX Launches Starship from Florida? (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
How long until we see a Starship launch from Florida? In this Cape Flyover we look at SpaceX’s rapid progress and try to extrapolate an answer. Plus, a look around the Space Coast including views of SLS on Pad 39B, Blue Origin’s SLC-36 and Exploration Park Facility. Click here. (9/12)

Spaceflight Signs with NewSpace India to Launch Astrocast IoT Satellite (Source: Space Daily)
Spaceflight Inc. announced it will launch four Astrocast 3U spacecraft aboard India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) mission under a commercial arrangement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). This mission, scheduled for October 2022, will launch from Sriharikota, India's Satish Dhawan Space Center, carrying the Astrocast spacecraft as a co-passenger to sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) along with the Indian national primary satellite. (9/13)

Airbus to Provide Satellite Communications for Armed Forces of Czech Republic and the Netherlands (Source: Space Daily)
Airbus has signed contracts with the Ministries of Defence of Czech Republic and the Netherlands to provide satellite communications for a 15 year period. The Armed Forces of Czech Republic and the Netherlands will use 2 and 3 channels respectively of the Airbus UHF (Ultra High Frequency) military communications hosted payload on-board the EUTELSAT 36D telecommunications satellite scheduled for launch in 2024. (9/13)

Vestigo Aerospace Raises $375K in Seed Funding to Spur Deorbit Systems (Source: Space Daily)
Vestigo Aerospace, a space technology company focused on deorbit systems, has closed a seed funding round with an investment of $375,000 from Manhattan West, a Los Angeles-based strategic investment firm. NASA will provide a 1:1 match of Manhattan West's investment through a Small Business Innovative Research Phase II-Extended (SBIR Phase II-E) contract.

The seed funding and the matching NASA SBIR Phase II-E award will enable Vestigo Aerospace to establish the commercial manufacturing process for Vestigo's product line of dragsails currently in development. The dragsails are designed to enable the timely deorbit of space vehicles, including CubeSats, small satellites and launch vehicle upper stages. Initial sales are anticipated for 2023. (9/13)

PCX Aerosystems Announces Acquisition of NuSpace (Source: Space Daily)
PCX Aerosystems announced the acquisition of NuSpace from Cornerstone Capital Holdings and members of the NuSpace leadership team. With engineering and manufacturing roots going back to 1907, NuSpace has evolved from a diversified mechanical systems manufacturer into a leading-edge designer and manufacturer of proprietary propellant and high-pressure tanks for advanced satellite, launch vehicle spacecraft, and missile platforms. (9/12)

Redwire and Sodern Team To Market the Exquisite-Class Eagle Eye Star Tracker (Source: Space Daily)
Redwire signed a formal teaming agreement with Sodern, a leader in star trackers and neutron systems, to produce the Eagle Eye star tracker. The Eagle Eye star tracker will leverage the flight heritage of Sodern's modular Hydra star trackers, which have flown on more than 60 spacecraft in low-Earth orbit (LEO), geostationary orbit (GEO) and in deep space environments since 2012.

Through this strategic partnership, Redwire will manufacture the exquisite-class Eagle Eye star tracker at its production facility in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and sell within the U.S. market. Redwire's Marlborough facility has deep experience developing high performance, high reliability guidance, navigation and control components, with 50 years of flight heritage. (9/13)

A Darker Shade of Blue: The Unknown Air Force Manned Space Program (Source: Space Review)
In the early 1960s, the US Air Force was looking at several options for having a role in human spaceflight even after that work was handed over to NASA. Dwayne Day examines what’s known about some of those efforts and open questions about their development. Click here. (9/13)
 
A Substantive National Space Council Meeting (Source: Space Review)
The National Space Council held its first public meeting in more than nine months last Friday. Jeff Foust reports that there were several major developments to emerge from that meeting, from space security to building up the space workforce. Click here. (9/13)
 
Lunar Mining, Moon Land Claims, and Avoiding Conflict and Damage to Spacecraft (Source: Space Review)
While there have been proposals in the past for “safety zones” around lunar landing sites, those zones may conflict with treaties. Michelle L.D. Hanlon discusses efforts to find international agreement on ways to conduct activities on the Moon without risking damage to others. Click here. (9/13)
 
Unwinding a Conflict of Treaties (Source: Space Review)
The Outer Space Treaty and the Moon Treaty make property rights on the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere difficult or impossible to establish. Paul Costello argues that a much older legal precedent could offer an alternative approach to establishing such rights. Click here. (9/13)

NASA Aims for Sep. 27 Artemis 1 SLS Launch (Source: RFI)
NASA is now targeting September 27 as the earliest possible launch date for its uncrewed Artemis 1 mission to the Moon, the agency said in a blog post Monday. The date would depend on engineering teams successfully carrying out a test to fuel up the Space Launch System rocket, and receive a waiver to avoid retesting batteries on an emergency flight system that is used to destroy the rocket if it strays from its designated range.

If it does not receive the waiver, the rocket will have to be wheeled back to its assembly building, pushing the timeline back several weeks. For the September 27 date, a "70-minute launch window opens at 11:37 am EDT," while the mission would end with an ocean splashdown of the Orion capsule on November 5. A potential next date comes on October 2. (9/12)