September 18, 2022

NASA’s DART Deploys Camera Probe Ahead of Asteroid Impact (Source: Gizmodo)
DART won’t survive its mission to deflect an asteroid, but the recently deployed LICIACube—a tiny probe equipped with cameras—will document the encounter in gory detail.

NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is the space agency’s first demonstration of a defense strategy to protect against threatening asteroids. The 1,376-pound spacecraft is scheduled to smash into Dimorphos—the junior member of the Didymos binary asteroid system—on September 26 at 7:14 p.m. ET. Dimorphos poses no threat to Earth, but the experiment, should it work, will slightly nudge the moonlet from its current trajectory. In the future, a similar strategy could be used to deflect a genuinely threatening asteroid. (9/16)

Engine Makers Sound Downbeat on Supersonic, Leaving Boom in a Bind (Source: Flight Global)
In the wake of Rolls-Royce’s departure from Boom Supersonic’s Overture programme, three additional propulsion specialists have indicated they have no interest in developing powerplants for supersonic civilian aircraft, leaving fresh questions about who will supply the jet’s engines.

Boom is developing Overture, a four-engined airliner it says will carry 65-80 passengers, fly at Mach 1.7 and have range of 4,250nm (7,871km). First delivery is scheduled for 2029. However, as yet, there is no engine supplier. That issue was brought into focus last week when Rolls-Royce announced it was exiting the project having completed contracted engineering studies. Now GE Aviation, Honeywell and Safran Aircraft Engines tell FlightGlobal they also have no interest in developing engines for civil supersonic aircraft. (9/16)

Michigan Spaceport Ambitions Come Back to Earth (Source: Iosco County News Herald)
When it was first proposed, the idea of a space port had many Oscoda residents and officials excited. In April of 2019, representatives from the Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association (MAMA) visited the Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport on a speculative trip to determine whether it was suitable as a horizontal launch site. The reasoning was Wurtsmith’s exceptionally long runway and low population, which could support the large aircraft and FAA regulations surrounding space-related requirements.

In February 2020, MAMA announced Wurtsmith as the site for horizontal launches to the excitement of the community. That same month, representatives held a community meeting in Lansing’s state capitol building, fielding questions and making a presentation to the public. Oscoda Wurtsmith Airport Authority (OWAA) representative Dave Dailey made stood alongside other regional figures like township supervisor at the time Aaron Weed, State Representative Sue Allor and Gavin Brown of MAMA.

Fast forward to January of 2022, Gavin Brown tells OWAA and the Township of Oscoda that licensing is moving “full speed ahead,” telling them to expect a liquid oxygen facility. Brown said other facilities aren’t economically feasible because they just thought, ‘if we build it and get the license they will come.’ “I’m not thinking that way. I’m thinking, how do we bring value? Value that, to the customer, would be something like a liquid oxygen facility, so we don’t have to truck it in and it’s going to be available.” After that, it was radio silence. (9/13)

OneWeb Plans to Raise Billions to Fund Vast Communications Network in Orbit (Source: Daily Mail)
British satellite giant OneWeb plans to raise billions of pounds to fund a vast communications network in low orbit, The Mail on Sunday has learnt. The technology business, which was bailed out by the taxpayer in 2020, is in talks with a group of banks about the ambitious plan that would help pay for a new generation of launches – known as Gen II.

One source said the amount raised would be around £3billion of debt. It is understood the Government's export credit agency is involved in the discussions, according to City sources. UK Export Finance (UKEF) provides funds and guarantees to lenders for firms in strategic industries exporting from the UK. The process could also involve France's state-backed investment bank BPI and the US's credit export agency. (9/17)

Musk Hits Back on Russia (Source: The Street)
Elon Musk is a troublemaker in the Russian war machine. By sending Starlink into besieged Ukraine, the tech mogul derailed Moscow's plans to cut the country off from the outside world by destroying its telecommunications infrastructure.

"Rough data on Starlink's usage: around 150K active users per day. This is crucial support for Ukraine's infrastructure and restoring the destroyed territories," Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister and Digital Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on May 2. Fedorov explains that Starlink is now a kind of lifeline for many of his compatriots: "Ukraine will stay connected no matter what," he added.

The former head of Russia’s space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, has threatened Musk’s life, the billionaire said in a tweet in May. "You will have to answer in an adult way, Elon, no matter how you turn on the fool,” Rogozin wrote in a message. In May, Musk said that Russia had tried to hack the Starlink network. "Starlink has resisted Russian cyberwar jamming & hacking attempts so far, but they’re ramping up their efforts," the mogul wrote on May 10. (9/17)

UAE and China to Partner on Lunar Rover (Source: Space Policy Online)
The UAE and China are working together on future missions to the Moon including a UAE lunar rover. This is the first space cooperation between the two countries. The UAE space program has been working closely with the United States, which is on the cusp of resuming its own lunar lander missions.

The UAE is one of the original signatories of the U.S.-led Artemis Accords that sets principles for responsible behavior on the Moon, so the deal with China came as a bit of a surprise to the space community. H.E. Salem Humaid AlMarri, Director General of Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC), signed the agreement with Wu Yanhua, Vice Administrator of the China National Space Administration (CNSA). (9/17)

China, Africa Cooperate in Space for Different Reasons (Source: Voice of America)
Experts say China and African nations are increasingly cooperating in space to develop different ideas for the future. Chinese astronauts are known as taikonauts. They have been carrying out space diplomacy while on a six-month mission on the Tiangong space station. The space structure is in the process of being built. Three taikonauts spoke to students from eight African countries through a video link this month. The China Mission to the African Union supported the event.

Oniosun said the joint efforts are “not necessarily because China and the rest are engaging to help Africa, they’re doing so because they get economic, social and cultural capital in return.” China’s “remote sensing satellite networks” in Africa help to support its Belt and Road (BRI) development program. Linking “partner states” is one of the uses for cooperation in space, it said. Hu said that “under the guidance of the Belt and Road Initiative…space cooperation has become a highlight of China-Africa cooperation.”

Oniosun said the African space economy in 2021 was valued at about $19.5 billion. He said it is predicted to grow by 16 percent in the next four years. As of 2022, 13 African countries have 48 satellites. Six of them were built by China and one was built by the U.S. Experts say satellite communication is extremely important to communication in Africa. (9/17)

China's Shenzhou-14 Astronauts Complete EVA (Source: Xinhua)
China's Shenzhou-14 astronauts have completed their extravehicular activities (EVAs), the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on Saturday. At 1:35 p.m. (Beijing Time), Cai Xuzhe opened the hatch of Wentian's airlock cabin. By 3:33 p.m., both Cai and Chen Dong were outside. The pair returned to the lab module at 5:47 p.m. after about five hours of EVAs, according to the CMSA, which has declared the mission a complete success. (9/17)

China Likely to Start Suborbital Space Travel in 2025, with Tickets Costing 2-3m Yuan (Source: Global Times)
China's commercial space sector is entering its best development phase, and the country is expected to start suborbital space travel in 2025, with fares likely to fall between 2-3 million yuan ($286,400-$429,600), a senior rocket scientist said. Previously, Virgin Galactic announced plans to open space trips priced at $450,000 per seat, media reports said.

The sector in China has entered the 2.0 era, driven by applications and market forces, from the 1.0 era that featured basic manufacturing and research and development, and it will likely catch up with the development level of the US within 10 years, Yang Yiqiang, a senior rocket scientist and founder of CAS Space, a Beijing-based rocket company, told the Global Times. (9/17)

Why NASA Blew Up a Space Habitat in Texas (Source: Mashable)
When a future house for astronauts explodes, a celebration might seem inappropriate, but engineers at a commercial space company couldn't be prouder of their shredded outer space house.

Sierra Space, working on one of three NASA contracts to develop commercial space stations, just completed something called the "Ultimate Burst Pressure" test on a mockup of its low-Earth orbit space dwelling. The LIFE habitat, short for Large Inflatable Flexible Environment, could one day serve as rooms on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space station, Orbital Reef. If all goes well, the companies hope to start building the station in 2026. (9/17)