September 5, 2022

Rocket Lab Fires Up Space-Flown Engine in Reusability Milestone (Source: Space.com)
Rocket Lab just took another step toward booster reusability. Rocket Lab fired up a Rutherford engine from one of its space-flown Electron boosters this week for the very first time. The test fire is a milestone in the company's efforts to create boosters that can go to space and back again repeatedly,  as the first stages of SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 already do. Early data from the 200-second test fire show that the engine "performed to the same standard of a newly built Rutherford engine," Rocket Lab officials stated. (9/2)

NASA's Perseverance Found Green Sand on Mars — Here's What That Means (Source: Screen Rant)
NASA's Perseverance rover has examined nearly four billion years old mineral rocks in the Jezero crater of Mars and scientists were astounded by the unexpected results. A few years back, Mars orbiters found a rock formation comprising Olivine, a mineral that's plentiful over a large area on the planet. Olivine-rich rock formation extends from the inner rim of Jezero Crater into the surrounding area. Perseverance's startling discovery has shown a majority of the rocks were not the typical sedimentary rocks that had been deposited on the lake bottom by rivers. Instead, numerous rocks were composed of Olivine-rich solidified lava.

Olivine is a brown or olive-green mineral occurring in rocks of volcanic origin that imparts a dark green hue to many of Hawaii's beaches. Old rocks on Earth are highly weathered due to the effects of billions of years of wind, water, and life. On Mars, however, Olivine-rich rocks are pristine and considerably easier to examine and analyze. A theory suggests that the mineral olivine may have formed deep within the ground from volcanic lava before being steadily exposed by erosion. (9/2)

Why China is Fuming Over NASA’s Artemis Program (Source: The Hill)
Most of the civilized world is thrilled at the mission of Artemis I, the NASA-led first step for returning human beings to the lunar surface. The same cannot be said about China. An article in the Global Times, China’s English-language mouthpiece, has some snarky things to say about Artemis and NASA in general. The article stated, “As NASA is trying hard to relive its Apollo glories, China is working on innovative plans to carry out its own crewed moon landing missions.”

The article accused the United States of fomenting a new space race: “China’s crewed moon landing is more in line with scientific principles, but NASA might grow more hostile against China in the space domain given the huge pressure it is facing to maintain its global leadership in moon exploration.” A recent CNN article suggests that the Chinese are right when they accuse the United States of conducting a space race. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson referred to such a contest.

Zhao Lijian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, accused the United States of “smearing” China’s “normal and reasonable outer space endeavors.” We are to believe a country that practices genocide against the Uyghur minority group, threatens Taiwan and engages in cyber espionage along with other clandestine activities around the world plans nothing alarming in space. (9/4)

Can Space Save Earth? (Source: LA Times)
The world economy is in the doldrums, pessimism is rife around the world, and most young people, according to one survey, believe climate change means the end of human life on Earth. Yet a better future beckons, if we can only begin to look outside ourselves, and even beyond our planet. It is in space that we may find solutions to some of our most pressing problems, including a workable energy strategy and access to the precious minerals needed to sustain our prosperity.

Despite a decades-long torpor at NASA, the space industry is making a major comeback. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis has just announced that it is formally tracking the industry’s growth, which it estimates contributes approximately $200 billion annually to the U.S. economy and already employs 354,000 people. The global space economy could reach $1 trillion by 2040, according to new research from Morgan Stanley. These activities are already helping Earth in profound ways.

Within the United States, California should be well-positioned to benefit from the space economy boom. But there are troubling signs that we may be losing some of the business already. There have been a number of launches from Texas, New Mexico and Florida, and some spaceship manufacturing has already shifted from California to more business-friendly places like Florida’s Space Coast and Texas, where Musk’s manufacturing is now concentrated. Yet that’s not the whole story. While we have seen some large rocket manufacturing migrate away from California, satellite and drone manufacturing are alive and well here. (9/4)

Years After Shuttle, NASA Rediscovers the Perils of Liquid Hydrogen (Source: Ars Technica)
As the space shuttle often was delayed due to technical problems, it therefore comes as scant surprise that the debut launch of NASA's Space Launch System rocket scrubbed a few hours before its launch window opened. The showstopper was an 8-inch diameter line carrying liquid hydrogen into the rocket. It sprang a persistent leak at the inlet, known as a quick-disconnect, leading on board the vehicle. Valiantly, the launch team at Kennedy Space Center tried three different times to stanch the leak, all to no avail.

The space shuttle was an extremely complex vehicle, mingling the use of solid-rocket boosters—which are something akin to very, very powerful firecrackers—along with exquisitely built main engines powered by the combustion of liquid hydrogen propellant and liquid oxygen to serve as an oxidizer. Over its lifetime, due to this complexity, the shuttle on average scrubbed nearly once every launch attempt. Some shuttle flights scrubbed as many as five times before finally lifting off. For launch controllers, it never really got a whole lot easier to manage the space shuttle's complex fueling process, and hydrogen was frequently a culprit.

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, but it is also the lightest. Because it is so tiny, hydrogen can squeeze through the smallest of gaps. This is not so great a problem at ambient temperatures and pressures, but at super-chilled temperatures and high pressures, hydrogen easily oozes out of any available opening. To keep a rocket's fuel tanks topped off, propellant lines leading from ground-based systems must remain attached to the booster until the very moment of launch. In the final second, the "quick-disconnects" break away from the rocket. This equipment cannot be bolted together tightly enough to entirely preclude the passage of hydrogen atoms—it is extremely difficult to seal these connections under high pressure, and low temperatures. (9/3)

Paso Robles Partnering with Cal Poly to Develop Commercial Spaceport (Source: KSBY)
The City of Paso Robles is moving forward with plans for a commercial spaceport. In a few years, space planes could be taking off from the Paso Robles Airport to deliver satellites into low-earth orbit. The city has partnered with Cal Poly to make the project a reality. “We’re looking at a horizontal launch license which is basically using a next-generation craft called space planes and they take off from conventional runways,” said Paul Sloan. The city is partnering with Cal Poly. The university is leading the application process with the FAA. (9/1)

SpaceX Filing Shows Plans for Massive Building in Near Austin, Texas (Source: Teslarati)
SpaceX recently filed for a massive building in Bastrop County, Texas which is just east of Austin. According to filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, SpaceX is constructing a ‘shell building’ that will be 521,521 square feet. The estimated cost of the project is $43 million and the building is expected to be completed by July 2023. Musk previously debunked reports in July that he was developing plans for a new private airport near Bastrop.

At the beginning of August, Elon Musk said that the report wasn’t true and that it would be silly to build another private airport. He had some constructive criticism and said that Austin’s existing commercial airport needed another runway since the city is growing fast. Multiple sources said Elon was developing plans for a new private airport, but perhaps those sources could have been confused. What we do know is that SpaceX has plans for a massive building that will most likely be a warehouse or something.

It makes sense for SpaceX to have facilities near Austin considering Tesla, The Boring Company and Neuralink each are in the vicinity.  Whatever SpaceX’s plans for the site are, one can be sure that Mars and making life multi-planetary are the ultimate goals here. (9/1)

Drug and Alcohol Test Results Might Be Waived for Air Force and Space Force Recruits (Source: Military.com)
Air Force and Space Force recruits who fail a drug or alcohol test as they get ready to ship out for training may still be allowed to join the ranks under a new policy proposal being weighed by the services. Spokeswoman Ann Stefanek confirmed that officials are currently considering the policy change."The Department of the Air Force is reviewing a potential change to its Drug and Alcohol testing policy that would allow for the provision of waivers for candidates who test positive on their initial Drug and Alcohol Test at Military Processing Stations," Stefanek said. (9/2)

Spaceports Pop Up Around the Country and Not All Communities are Happy About It (Source: CNBC)
Spaceports are popping up across the country, and local communities that are fighting back. Fourteen are licensed by the FAA across the country. Click here. (9/2)