October 4, 2022

Space Force on Path to Integrate Training, Create New Culture (Source: FNN)
Here's an audio segment from the 'Modern Government' series, focused on the Space Force's Space Training and Readiness (STAR) Command. Click here. (10/4)

Can Stringy Physics Rescue the Universe From a Catastrophic Transformation? (Source: Space.com)
Our universe may be fundamentally unstable. In a flash, the vacuum of space-time may find a new ground state, triggering a cataclysmic transformation of the physics of the universe. Or not. A new understanding inspired by string theory shows that our universe may be more stable than we previously thought.

Within the first microseconds of the Big Bang, the universe underwent a series of radical phase transitions. The four forces of nature — electromagnetism, gravity, the strong nuclear force and the weak nuclear force — were at one time unified into a single force. Physicists do not know the character or nature of this force, but they do know that it didn't last long. Click here. (10/3)

10,000 km Debris Tail Caused by DART Asteroid Smash (Source: New Scientist)
After being battered by a spacecraft, the asteroid Dimorphos has developed a long tail of debris. NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART) craft smashed into the small asteroid on 26 September, and an image from two days after the impact shows the resulting debris streaming away. Dimorphos is just 170 meters across, and its new plume of dust and rocks measures about 10,000 kilometers long. (10/3)

U.S. is Getting Serious About Space Junk (Source: NBC News)
The U.S. government is taking legal steps to limit the amount of space junk — the cloud of dangerous debris still orbiting the Earth — after more than six decades of space races, rocket launches, planetary missions and booming satellite activity. The key measure is the imposition last week by the FCC of a five-year lifetime for new satellites after they complete their mission, by which time they’ll have to deorbit and burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Before now, a 25-year lifetime has been in place as a guideline, but it’s never been legally enforced. The new rule applies only to satellites launched by U.S. operators, and it won’t solve the space junk problem on its own. But experts agree it’s a good start and in line with international efforts. (10/3)

NASA Maintains Full Team in Russia Despite State Department Recommendations (Source: TASS)
NASA maintains a full staff in Moscow despite the recommendations from the US Department of State to leave the Russian territory, NASA ISS Program Manager Joel Montalbano said. The NASA official said that, while the exact size of its Moscow team is classified, it is currently fully staffed. The cooperation between the two states proceeds as usual, Montalbano noted. (10/4)

Cosmonauts Print Gagarin’s Bust, Structural Elements aboard ISS (Source: TASS)
Russian cosmonauts returning to Earth tested a 3D printer during their expedition aboard the ISS, printing 19 samples, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev said. "We made 19 different samples and all of them were very successful, including structural elements and spades, and we printed a Gagarin bust, chess pieces and emblems of the universities which participated in the experiment," Artemyev said. (10/3)

Austrailia's Southern Launch Signs Agreement with US Space Command (Source: Australian Defense)
Southern Launch has become the first Australian commercial launch provider to sign a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Sharing Agreement with the United States Space Command. Under the arrangement, Southern Launch will notify the US Space Command ahead of launches to identify launch windows that ensure the trajectory of launch vehicles avoids space objects already in orbit. (10/3)

UK Agrees to ASAT Ban (Source: Gov.UK)
The UK has today, 3 October, announced that it commits not to destructively test direct ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missiles, as part of the UK’s enduring efforts to promote responsible space behaviors. Space has a vital role for global prosperity, development and security. Space systems have become integrated into global infrastructure upon which modern life depends.

The destructive testing of DA-ASAT missiles can create dangerous space debris, which threatens the functioning of these systems and can put at risk those who explore space, as well as being potentially destabilizing. The UK is leading the international debate at the United Nations to tackle space threats. A UK-sponsored resolution on 30 December 2021, established an open-ended working group to make recommendations on norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviors relating to threats by States to space systems. (10/4)

Applied Planetary Science: DART’s Bullseye (Source: Space Review)
NASA’s DART spacecraft collided with a small asteroid last week—just as the agency planned. Jeff Foust reports on how NASA hopes the impact will help people sleep a little better at night when it comes to the risks posed by asteroids impacting the Earth. Click here. (10/3)
 
NASA-SpaceX Study Opens Final Chapter for Hubble Space Telescope (Source: Space Review)
NASA announced last week it was working with SpaceX on a study to examine the feasibility of reboosting and possibly servicing the Hubble Space Telescope using a Crew Dragon spacecraft. Christopher Gainor argues that, regardless of the outcome of the study, it should help better define what the final phase of Hubble’s life will be. Click here. (10/3)
 
Sputnik’s Effect on Vanguard (Source: Space Review)
This week marks the 65th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik. Richard Easton recalls how one engineer working on a competing American satellite program reacted when he heard the news of Sputnik’s launch. Click here. (10/3)

Sidus Space Announces Over $1.9M New Purchase Orders Received in Third Quarter of 2022 (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced that in the quarter ended September 30, 2022, it has received a combined total of over $1.9 million in new purchase orders for space and defense hardware and services supporting multiple customers. (10/4)

QinetiQ Sells Belgian Satellite Division to Redwire (Source: Space News)
British defense firm QinetiQ is selling its Belgian commercial satellite systems division to Redwire. The companies announced Monday that Redwire is buying QinetiQ Space, which supplies small satellites and other instruments for European end-to-end space missions, for $31.4 million. QinetiQ said selling the Belgian company will strengthen its focus on its three home countries, the UK, US, and Australia. It is Redwire's first acquisition in nearly a year since it bought biotechnology company Techshot in November, a few months after going public to raise a war chest for further deals. (10/4)

SpaceX to Establish Alternate Crew Launch Capability at LC-40 (Space News)
SpaceX is starting work to establish a backup pad for crew and cargo launches. While upgrading LC-39A for future Starship launches, the company is starting work to establish a crew and cargo launch capability from nearby LC-40 should a Starship accident damage LC-39A. SpaceX says it will not start Starship launches from LC-39A until Starship, yet to make its first orbital launch, is a "reliable vehicle." (10/4)

EnerStar to Offer Starlink Services (Source: Space News)
EnerStar Solutions said Monday it has reached a deal to add SpaceX's Starlink broadband to the services it provides industrial workers. The Canadian company offers remote communications services in North America, but until now relied on terrestrial networks and GEO satellites. Starlink, the company says, meets demands from customers for high-bandwidth, low-latency services. EnerStar is also building a Starlink-compatible backend network for connecting internet of things devices for remote monitoring. The company is the third to announce a reseller agreement for Starlink capacity, after Speedcast and Marlink. (10/4)

Astra Gets New CFO (Source: Tech Crunch)
Astra has hired a new chief financial officer. Astra said that Axel Martinez will take over as CFO in November, succeeding Kelyn Brannon. Martinez previously held the CFO job at other technology companies, including Virgin Hyperloop, and held finance-related positions at Google for 10 years. (10/4)

Debris Hitches Ride on Ingenuity (Source: NASA)
A piece of debris hitched a ride on Ingenuity's latest flight on Mars. Images from the helicopter's latest flight last week showed a string-like object hanging from one of the helicopter's landing legs as it took off, later falling off. NASA said the source of the debris was unknown, but that Ingenuity appeared to operating normally. (10/4)

Marlink Strengthens its Presence in Greece with the Acquisition of Hellenic Radio Services (Source: Marlink)
Marlink, the smart network solutions company, has completed the acquisition of the satellite communications business of Hellenic Radio Services (HRS). This acquisition strengthens significantly Marlink’s position and footprint in the strategic Greek market and enables the company to further expand its service and support operations to meet the growing requirements of Greek shipowners. (10/3)

ASU Looks to Stars and Galaxies to Advance Knowledge of Life Beyond Earth (Source: ABC 15)
Arizona State University was recently named the #1 school for innovation by the U.S. News and World Report for the eighth consecutive year. That spirit of innovation is, in part, related to ASU’s partnerships with space programs like NASA. For decades, Dr. Rogier Windhorst, a Regents’ and Foundation Professor at ASU, has worked at ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration, while also lending his knowledge and skills to NASA on the Hubble Telescope in the 1990s, and more recently, the James Webb Space Telescope. (9/22)