September 28, 2022

Astra Making Progress on Launch Failure Investigation (Source: Astra)
The Astra team has made significant progress in the investigation into the LV0010 early shutdown of the upper stage. Our investigation process consists of four core steps: a) Flight Data Review; b) Timeline Reconstruction; c) Fault Tree Analyses; and d) Implementing Corrective and Preventative Actions.

We have completed steps #1 and #2, and are nearing completion of step #3. We’ve determined that the upper stage shut down early due to a higher-than-normal fuel consumption rate. Through the review of flight data, reconstruction of flight timelines, and the construction of an extensive fault tree, we have narrowed the root cause to an issue with the upper stage engine. We have also completed many rounds of ground testing, including multiple tests that yielded results consistent with the failure condition in flight.

The team is conducting additional experiments to verify the root cause before wrapping up the investigation with the FAA. We are focused on conducting an exhaustive investigation and ensuring that we extract all lessons learned. (9/28)

Colorado’s Lawmakers Want Space National Guard, But Others Question Why the U.S. Needs It (Source: CPR News)
As Colorado’s congressional delegation continues to fight to keep U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs, another effort is underway to establish a Space National Guard; an endeavor looking increasingly unlikely as this year’s Pentagon budget shapes up. Not only are the majority of guardians based in Colorado, but so is the largest contingent of space-focused national guard personnel.

Yet, those troops remain in the Air National Guard, which top guard leaders say has led to problems equipping and training them as the newly-minted Space Force develops its own independent procedures and culture. This year, the idea has new traction as Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) have co-sponsored a bill to create a Space National Guard outside the National Defense Authorization Act. But just as some lawmakers urge the formation of a Space National Guard, others are critical of the idea.

Opposition is also fierce elsewhere. A 2020 report from the Congressional Budget Office says setting up the reserve could cost anywhere from $100 million to $500 million per year, depending on the size of the force. The Biden Administration also “strongly opposes the creation of a Space National Guard,” arguing creating the reserve would create new government bureaucracy without delivering new capabilities to the armed forces. (9/28)

Wallops Moves Closer to Rocket Lab Launches, Manufacturing (Source: DelMarVa Now)
"Activities continue at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in preparation for Rocket Lab’s Neutron rocket pad and production facility," according to a NASA Wallops statement to Delmarva Now about current plans at Wallops. "Construction of the production facility outside of the Wallops Island gate has begun. Rocket Lab has targeted the first launch of the Neutron rocket from Wallops for no earlier than 2024."

The Launch Complex 2 at Virginia Space’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility is a dedicated pad for Electron launches developed to support missions from U.S. soil for government and commercial customers. NASA Wallops also said it, along with Rocket Lab and the Virginia Space Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, is preparing for the first two launches of the company’s Electron rocket targeted for December 2022 and January 2023.

In February, Rocket Lab announced the selection of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility as the site for its upcoming rocket launch and the state for its manufacturing center, which could create up to 250 jobs in the area. This manufacturing complex near Wallops for the Neutron will be located within proximity of Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 2, the company’s first launch site in the United States. It was built specifically for the Electron rocket, the second-most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually since 2019. (9/27)

Apple and Globalstar Deal May Signal Future of Personal Satellite Communications (Source: SpaceQ)
In September 2022, Apple announced that their new iPhone 14 would have satellite connectivity, thanks to a new deal with Globalstar. Rumors to that effect had been swirling for a while, and the announcement had a huge impact. When the dust cleared, though, a question remained: what was actually being delivered, and how will this change the smartphone market? Will they really be “eliminating dead zones,” as so many of the promotional events promised?

The answer is yes, and no. The technology is real: satellite connections on a normal smartphone is possible. But there’s a reason Apple is using it solely for emergency distress messages. Its capabilities are likely to be sharply limited. Northern Sky Research is estimating that deals like this will only accelerate, as a potentially $67 billion market forms. Click here. (9/27)

Space Force Developing Strategy for Launch Pad Allocation (Source: USSF)
The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Launch Delta 45 (SLD 45) hereby issues the following special notice: A number of Commercial Space Launch Service Providers (CLSPs) have requested use of unused launch sites on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), Florida.  SLD 45 is currently developing a Launch Pad Allocation Strategy (LPAS) to grant use of its remaining launch sites in the near future.

The purpose of this announcement is to formally seek interest from CLSPs who wish to potentially lease a launch site at CCSFS, yet do not have a Commercial Space Operations Support Agreement (CSOSA) with the USSF or a CSOSA Annex A with SLD 45. Respondents must be able to demonstrate that they have the technical and financial capability to begin launch operations within the next five years. Click here. (9/28)

NASA Says Artemis Launch Before November Will Be 'Difficult' (Source: Space Daily)
The next possible launch windows -- determined according to the positions of the Earth and the Moon -- are from October 17 to 31, then from November 12 to 27. "We know that the earliest it could go is late October, but more than likely we'll go in the window in the middle of November," NASA administrator Bill Nelson told CNN. (9/27)

Plan to Research Solar Power From Space (Source: Space Daily)
The Sun never stops shining in space, and sunlight is much more intense there than on Earth's surface. So what if we could gather that energy up in space then beam it down to Earth? Recent studies funded by the Preparation element of ESA's Basic Activities program, show the concept, called Space-Based Solar Power, is theoretically workable and could support the path to decarbonizing the energy sector.

However, significant uncertainties and technical challenges remain. In response ESA is proposing a R&D program to mature the concept and its critical technologies - SOLARIS. The challenge of decarbonizing Europe's energy sector over the coming few decades is a massive one. Almost half the emissions cuts required to move us on to a path to net zero by 2050 may need to come from technologies that are not on the market yet."

SOLARIS will help decide if it is feasible to add Space-Based Solar Power - a decades-old concept for delivering clean energy - to this work list. Solar power satellites in geostationary orbit would harvest sunlight on a permanent 24/7 basis then convert it into low-power density microwaves to safely beam down to receiver stations on Earth. The physics involved means that these satellites would have to be large, on the order of several kilometers in size, and the same being true for the collecting 'rectennas' down on Earth's surface. (9/27)

mu Space and SpaceBelt to Develop Constellation for Data-Security-as-a-Service (Source: Space Daily)
Satellite manufacturer and service provider mu Space Corp and space-based service with secure cloud data storage provider SpaceBelt have agreed to work on constellation to demonstrate SpaceBelt's concept of Data Security as a Service (DSaaS). mu Space, at this moment, is able to produce 10 satellites a year at their mu Space Factory 1 with an expansion plan that will see the number move to 100 satellites per year. (9/25)

NASA Maintains Launch Agreement With Astra (Source: Astra)
Astra and NASA have agreed to modify the terms of our existing launch services agreement for NASA’s TROPICS mission to allow for the future launch of comparable scientific payloads on version 4.0 of Astra’s rocket. We are delighted to maintain our strong partnership and to have NASA as a launch customer on the next version of Astra’s rocket. (9/28)

PlanetWatchers Provides Farming Insights with SAR Satellite Data (Source: Seraphim)
PlanetWatchers, a crop monitoring company that can provide detailed crop insights, at any time, regardless of weather and lighting conditions, has raised $11m as part of its series A funding round as part of the company’s ambitious growth plans. The Company uses Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to provide accurate insight at scale. PlanetWatchers exploits the unique benefits of SAR, to create in-season insights that reduce overheads and increase customer satisfaction.

The company, which works with a large number of crop insurance companies, uses time series-based radar data to provide detailed analysis of claims without ever visiting the field. The use of SAR, a powerful remote sensing technology bouncing microwave signals off the Earth’s surface, helps PlanetWatchers to detect physical properties and the changes to them over time, proving valuable insight to its customers. (9/27)

NASA Studying Post-Storm Launch Options for SLS (Source: Space News)
With the Space Launch System back in the Vehicle Assembly Building, NASA is studying when it be ready for another launch attempt. The SLS returned to the VAB Tuesday morning ahead of Hurricane Ian. NASA officials said they plan to replace the batteries in the rocket's flight termination system while in the VAB as well as work on other potential "limited life" items on the SLS and Orion spacecraft. NASA said it was keeping all options open for a next launch opportunity, but acknowledged it would be difficult to get that work done and be back on the pad for another launch by the end of October, when the next launch period closes. After that, the next opportunity is in mid to late November. Shortly after arriving in the VAB Tuesday morning, the building was evacuated after an electrical spark triggered a fire alarm, but there was no damage to the SLS or Orion. (9/28)

Hurricane Ian Delays Commercial Crew, ULA Launches From Florida (Sources: Space News, ULA)
The hurricane will delay an upcoming commercial crew launch. NASA announced Tuesday it was delaying the Crew-5 Crew Dragon mission, which was scheduled for next Monday, Oct. 3, by a day, adding that storm could further delay the launch. At a briefing Monday, NASA managers said they were moving ahead with a launch early next week but keeping an eye on the weather. There are additional launch opportunities later next week if needed. Weather was the only issue for the launch of a new set of American, Japanese and Russian space station crewmembers. Separately, United Launch Alliance announced Tuesday it was delaying the Atlas 5 launch of two SES communications satellites, previously scheduled for Friday, to Oct. 4 because of the hurricane. (9/28)

China Pitches International Partnerships at IAC, Deleting Russia Mentions (Source: Space News)
China is looking to build international partnerships for its space exploration efforts while not mentioning its key partner, Russia. Chinese space officials presented a range of opportunities for international cooperation in the country's plans during a session at the International Astronautical Congress last week. That includes roles on the upcoming Chang'e-7 lunar south pole mission and Chang'e-8 in situ resource utilization test mission. There are also possible roles on a future series of Tianwen missions to near Earth objects, Mars, Jupiter and Uranus. The presentation, though, made no mention of cooperation with Russia, including on the International Lunar Research Station that the two countries jointly announced last year. (9/28)

Kayhan and UT Austin Win Space Force STTR for Orbital Servicing Software (Source: Space News)
Kayhan Space and two partners won a U.S. Space Force contract to develop software for in-orbit servicing vehicles. Kayhan announced Wednesday it, along with Astroscale US and the University of Texas at Austin, won a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase 1 award worth $250,000 under the Space Force's Orbital Prime program. Under the contract, they will develop software to enable spacecraft to conduct proximity maneuvers autonomously. Orbital Prime is run by SpaceWERX, the technology arm of the Space Force, which selected 125 industry teams earlier this year for initial studies like this. Phase 1 winners will have an opportunity to compete for second-phase awards of up to $1.5 million to continue development and prototyping. (9/28)

DART Produces Massive Plume on Dimorphos Asteroid (Source: Sky & Telescope)
Images from telescopes and a passing cubesat illustrated the aftermath of the deliberate collision of NASA's DART spacecraft with the asteroid Dimorphos. The Italian space agency ASI released images Tuesday returned from its LICIACube cubesat, which flew by Dimorphos moments after the collision Monday night. The images showed a massive plume of material created by the impact. Ground-based telescopes also detected the impact plume, while images from space telescopes, including Hubble and Webb, are being analyzed. Scientists said before the impact that it would likely be several days to a few weeks before they know how much the impact changed the orbit of Dimorphos around a larger near Earth asteroid, Didymos. (9/28)

India Opens Cryogenic Engine Factory (Source: PTI)
An Indian company opened a new factory for producing cryogenic rocket engines. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited formally opened the Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility in Bengaluru Tuesday. The factory will manufacture and test the CE-20 engine used on the upper stage of the GSLV Mark 3 rocket, as well as a new liquid oxygen/kerosene engine. Engine production will formally start next March. (9/28)

Kinder Joy Releases Space Toy (Source: CollectSpace)
A brand known for offering both candy and toys in a single package is offering a space-themed line. Kinder Joy, whose egg-shaped containers include both candy and a small toy, announced its space collection that features astronauts, spacecraft and rovers. The toys also "interact" with an augmented reality phone app that offers additional space-related features. The release of the toys is tied to World Space Week next week. (9/28)

No, Starlink Probably Won't Fix Iranian Internet Censorship (Source: The Intercept)
Iranian dissidents and their supporters around the world cheered Musk’s announcement that Starlink is now theoretically available in Iran, but experts say the plan is far from a censorship panacea. Musk’s latest headline-riding gambit came after Iran responded to the recent rash of nationwide protests with large-scale disruption of the country’s internet access. On Sep. 23, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced the U.S. was easing restrictions on technology exports to help counter Iranian state censorship efforts.

Musk, ready to pounce, quickly replied: “Activating Starlink …” Predictably, Musk’s dramatic tweet set off a frenzy. Within a day, venture capitalist and longtime Musk-booster Shervin Pishevar was already suggesting Musk had earned the Nobel Peace Prize. Just the thought of Starlink “activating” an uncensored internet for millions during a period of Middle Eastern political turmoil was an instant public relations coup for Musk.

In Iran, though, the notion of a benevolent American billionaire beaming freedom to Iran by satellite is derailed by the demands of reality. Anyone who wants to use Starlink, the satellite internet service provider operated by Musk’s rocketry concern, SpaceX, needs a special dish to send and receive internet data. While it may be possible to smuggle Starlink hardware into Iran, getting a meaningful quantity of satellite dishes into Iran would be an incredible undertaking, especially now that the Iranian government has been tipped off to the plan on Twitter. (9/27)

How Netflix Series 'The Silent Sea' Recreated the Moon with Unreal Engine’s Tech (Source: Unreal Engine)
A widely acclaimed sci-fi mystery thriller, the Netflix series The Silent Sea stands out for its impressive, hyperrealistic recreation of space. Following successful Korean hits such as Squid Game, The Silent Sea also made it to the number one spot on the weekly Netflix Top 10 lists for non-English content. Westworld—a VFX studio located in South Korea daring to go beyond existing pipelines—is behind the show’s stunning visuals. The Silent Sea wasn’t Westworld’s first Unreal Engine project, but it was the first time they adopted in-camera VFX (ICVFX) using LED walls. The setting of the series, the lunar surface in outer space, has garnered rave reviews for its realism. (9/27)

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