November 30, 2022

SpaceChain Paves Way for High-Speed Blockchain Processing in Space with 7th Launch (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceChain has successfully launched its second Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) payload into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which is on its way to the International Space Station (ISS) for installation via the SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft. The mission marks SpaceChain's seventh successful blockchain payload launch into space, and the second integration of its payload with Velas, the world's fastest EVM blockchain and open-source platform for decentralized applications.

Once installed and tested on the ISS via Nanoracks, the space node will be capable of processing Velas blockchain on the ISS and sending Velas digital assets from space, such as VLX, tokens and NFTs, in addition to performing complete high-speed transaction services across the Velas platform, including smart contract deployment and coin minting. (11/29)

3-D Radargram Brings New Focus to Mars' North Polar Cap (Source: Space Daily)
A new enhanced 3-D radar image offer a greatly improved view of the interior of the Martian north polar cap, according to a paper led by Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Nathaniel Putzig. Putzig's team produced and analyzed the 3-D image using observations obtained with the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) instrument on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).

"In creating 3-D radargrams, we assemble all the data from many 2-D profiles across the region of interest and apply advanced 3-D imaging methods to unravel all of the interferences present in the 2-D profiles, placing the reflected signals at their points of origin to produce a geometrically corrected 3-D image of the subsurface," said Putzig. (11/29)

Germany Contributes Four Billion Euros and Remains Key Partner of European Spaceflight (Source: Space Daily)
On 22 and 23 November 2022, the ministers and government representatives of the 22 member states of the European Space Agency ESA met at the foot of the Eiffel Tower in Paris to set the course for joint space programs "made in Europe". The Council at Ministerial Level is the highest political decision-making body, which sets the content and financial framework for ESA's space programmes on average every three years.

From the end of 2023, Ariane 6 will be the new European launcher to carry payloads into space. The industrial prime contractors are ArianeGroup, in Germany with sites in Bremen and Ottobrunn, and MT Aerospace in Augsburg and Bremen. Germany is contributing a total of about 162 million euros to the further development of Ariane 6 and its market introduction.

Germany is investing around 52 million euros in the optional LEAP (Launchers Exploitation Accompaniment) programme, which also includes the operation of DLR's test facility for rocket engines in Lampoldshausen. This is now considered essential infrastructure, as was previously only the case with the European Spaceport in French Guiana. Germany is contributing around 123 million euros to the Future Launchers Preparatory Programme (FLPP). Focal points are the development of a low-cost and lightweight upper stage, the improvement of the performance of existing and new engines as well as the implementation of new processes and methods. (11/26)

TI Expands Space-Grade Product Range (Source: Space Daily)
Texas Instruments (TI) (Nasdaq: TXN) has announced an expansion in its portfolio of space-grade analog semiconductor products in highly reliable plastic packages for a diverse range of missions. TI developed a new device screening specification called space high-grade in plastic (SHP) for radiation-hardened products and introduced new analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) that meet the SHP qualification.

TI also introduced new product families to the radiation-tolerant Space Enhanced Plastic (Space EP) portfolio. Compared to traditional ceramic packages, plastic packages offer a smaller footprint that enables designers to reduce system-level size, weight and power, and thus help reduce launch costs. (11/29)

Momentus Signs Contract with Australian Research Center to Place Satellite in Orbit (Source: Space Daily)
Momentus has signed a contract with the CUAVA Training Center at the University of Sydney to deploy the CUAVA-2 CubeSat in low-Earth orbit in October 2023. CUAVA is the Australian Research Council Training Center for CubeSats, Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles, and their Applications. CUAVA is a partnership centered at the University of Sydney that aims to fundamentally change the capabilities and applications of CubeSats to create major commercial value with wide applications. (11/29)

USC Works with Polaris Dawn to Study In-Flight Space Medicine (Source: Space Daily)
Today's spaceflights typically last a few days to a few months, so onboard medical treatment is mostly limited to first aid. But researchers are increasingly exploring new terrain-known as in-flight space medicine-that will be critical for maintaining astronauts' health during longer missions, such as the 21-month roundtrip to Mars. Polaris Dawn, the first of three missions in the Polaris Program, will spend up to five days conducting more than 38 studies of human health in space, including a Keck School of Medicine of USC-led effort to study a new approach to X-ray imaging onboard.

"Modern X-ray equipment isn't practical to send into space because of its significant mass and electricity requirements," said John Choi, MD, PhD, a resident physician in interventional radiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the leader of the project. "But in order to do true clinical medicine in space during a mission-in-flight space medicine-we're going to need radiology."

Ultrasound is the primary diagnostic imaging method currently used in space because ultrasound equipment is relatively portable and does not require much power. But it cannot identify certain life-threatening medical issues. For that reason, Choi and his colleagues believe that X-ray imaging and radiology-in addition to other medical capabilities and specialties such as surgery, anesthesia and emergency medicine-are crucial for effectively responding to medical emergencies in space. (11/29)

Boeing Faces Exodus of Senior Engineers in Tight Market for Talent (Source: Leeham News)
Boeing’s engineering corps could become further depleted within the next few days, as union-represented engineers and technical workers at the company’s Puget Sound plants face a Wednesday deadline on filing their retirement paperwork. If they don’t leave now, individuals could face retirement benefit losses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The potential loss of several hundred of Boeing’s most experienced engineers comes at a time when the company is scraping together engineering teams to tackle production problems in Charleston, and in the midst of an industry-wide shortage of engineering talent. (11/28)

Man Keeps Rock For Years, Hoping It's Gold. It Turns Out to Be Far More Valuable (Source: Science Alert)
n 2015, David Hole was prospecting in Maryborough Regional Park near Melbourne, Australia. Armed with a metal detector, he discovered something out of the ordinary – a very heavy, reddish rock resting in some yellow clay. He took it home and tried everything to open it, sure that there was a gold nugget inside the rock – after all, Maryborough is in the Goldfields region, where the Australian gold rush peaked in the 19th century.

To break open his find, Hole tried a rock saw, an angle grinder, a drill, even dousing the thing in acid. However, not even a sledgehammer could make a crack. That's because what he was trying so hard to open was no gold nugget. As he found out years later, it was a rare meteorite. (11/25)

Lava Cuts Off Access to Hawaii's Mauna Loa Observatory (Source: SFgate)
Access to Hawaii's Mauna Loa Observatory that sits on the north side of the erupting volcano was cut off by lava Tuesday. Lava crossed the access road, Mauna Loa Observatory Road, and power lines, NOAA, which operates the observatory, said on Twitter. "All NOAA staff are safe" the agency said. Opened in the 1950s, the observatory and research facility collects data looking at climate change. (11/29)

Rising Sea Levels Could Swamp the US Coastline by 2050, NASA Predicts (Source: Space.com)
Sea levels are likely rising faster than previously thought, meaning low-lying coastal cities in the U.S. could flood far more regularly in the coming decades, a NASA study has revealed.

According to the study, which analyzed three decades of satellite observations, by 2050, sea levels along the coastlines of the contiguous U.S. could rise as much as 12 inches (30 centimeters) above current waterlines, the research team said in a statement(opens in new tab). The Gulf Coast and Southeast are expected to be most severely impacted, and will likely experience increased storm and tidal flooding in the near future, according to the study, published Oct. 6 in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.

The findings support the "higher-range" scenarios laid out in February in the multi-agency Sea Level Rise Technical Report(opens in new tab). The report suggested that "significant sea level rise" is liable to hit U.S. coasts within the next 30 years, predicting 10 to 14 inches (25 to 35 cm) of rise on average for the East Coast; 14 to 18 inches (35 to 45 cm) for the Gulf Coast; and 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) for the West Coast." (11/30)

Startup Explores Possibility of Transplant-Organ Transport Via Spaceplane (Source: SpaceQ)
Edmonton-based Space Engine Systems (SES) will be exploring the possibility of providing hypersonic organ transportation. SES has been working on building a spaceplane—specifically a horizontally launched Single-Stage-to-Orbit aircraft (SSTO) that can use a combination ramjet and rocket engine to take off from a runway, launch into space, and land again on a runway after returning.

Though the company has had difficulties attracting support in Canada, and has pivoted to exploring opportunities in the United States and United Kingdom, SES CEO Pradeep Dass said in an interview with SpaceQ this week that they remain steadfast in their goal of building a spaceplane that can achieve orbit and, eventually, reach the Moon. (11/30)

South Korea Seeks to Land on Mars by 2045 (Source: Korea Times)
Korea will launch a space mission to Mars no later than 2045, according to a roadmap for the nation's space mission unveiled by President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday. "A country having a space mission will lead the world economy and be able to resolve challenges human beings are facing," Yoon said. The space economy refers to the economy beyond our planet, including exploring deep space, extracting resources that are rare on Earth and developing technologies necessary for space exploration.

As part of the roadmap, Korea aims to develop within the next five years an engine for a launch vehicle that can fly to the moon. Korea plans to have its spacecraft land on the Moon and begin mining lunar resources in 2032, and then land on Mars in 2045, when the country will celebrate its 100th anniversary of independence from Japanese colonial occupation.

"By 2045, we will be able to plant our national flag on Mars," Yoon said. "To make this happen, we will develop unimaginable technologies and explore uncharted areas." To facilitate this roadmap, the government has set policy goals to assist the exploration missions to the moon and Mars, develop space technology and related industries, train experts, bolster national security through space and lead international cooperation for space programs. (11/29)

Norway’s Participation in ESA to Remain Unchanged (Source: SpaceWatch Europe)
Norway has announced its commitment to maintaining its participation in the European Space Agency (ESA) at its current level. This announcement came a week before the ministerial meeting in Paris, which would shape ESA’s budget for the next three years. The agreement means that Norway’s support for ESA will remain at 161 million euros distributed over the coming period. As a result, it will enable Norway’s participation in the ESA programs that are most significant for  Norwegian companies and research organizations. (11/21)

Arianespace Contracted for Five Vega C Copernicus Launches (Source: Space News)
The European Commission awarded a contract to Arianespace for five Vega C launches of Copernicus satellites. The contract, announced Tuesday, covers five Earth observation spacecraft slated for launch between 2024 and 2026. Arianespace earlier won a contract for another Sentinel satellite, also launching on Vega C. That rocket was scheduled to make its first commercial launch last week but suffered a technical problem that will delay that mission to Dec. 20. Arianespace said the problem was with pyrotechnics in the payload fairing separation system that could not be fixed on the launch pad. (11/30)

China Launches Astronauts to TSS (Source: Space News)
China launched three astronauts to the country's Tiangong space station Tuesday. The Shenzhou-15 spacecraft launched at 10:08 a.m. Eastern on a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and docked with the Tiangong space station six and a half hours later. Astronauts Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu entered the station a couple hours later, greeted by the Shenzhou-14 crew of Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, who have been on the station for six months. This is the first direct handover between space station crews and marks the start of science operations on Tiangong, which carries 24 experiment cabinets and a payload airlock. (11/30)

Sirius X Orders Two Maxar Satellites (Source: Space News)
SiriusXM has ordered two more radio broadcasting satellites from Maxar. The twin SXM-11 and SXM-12 satellites are slated to launch around 2026-2027 and are similar to the SXM-9 and SXM-10 spacecraft ordered from Maxar last year. Although the four satellites Maxar is building will primarily replace existing capacity, SiriusXM says they will have more powerful antennas for expanding coverage in Canada and southern Alaska. (11/30)

Space Command May Partner With Commercial Launchers for Responsive Missions (Source: Space News)
The head of U.S. Space Command endorsed partnering with commercial launch companies on tactically responsive launch. Gen. James Dickinson said Tuesday that the U.S. military should take advantage of more flexible, commercially available launch options and vehicles that can operate from multiple locations to counter threats to space assets from China and Russia. He argued responsive launch would likely be needed during a conflict to augment constellations or replace damaged satellites. (11/30)

Space Command HQ Basing Decision Imminent (Source: Military.com)
Gen. James Dickinson also said a final decision on the location of Space Command's headquarters is imminent. Asked about the status of the basing decision, he said he expected a final decision to come out "shortly" by the Secretary of the Air Force after reviewing environmental reports and independent reviews by the Pentagon's inspector general and the GAO. The Department of the Air Force, in the final weeks of the Trump administration in January 2021, announced its intent to place the command's headquarters at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, a move opposed by the congressional delegation in Colorado, where the command is temporarily headquartered. (11/30)

China Investing in Advanced MilSpace Capabilities (Source: Space News)
China is continuing to invest in advanced military space capabilities, according to a new Pentagon report. The Defense Department's annual report on China's military again calls out China for plowing ahead with investments in advanced military space capabilities despite the regime's public rhetoric against the militarization of space. This year's report found China's military is better integrating space, cyberspace and electronic warfare capabilities. A concern for the United States is how quickly China is adopting commercial technologies and taking advantage of low-cost launch, according to one expert. (11/30)

SpaceX Conducts Super Heavy Test (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX conducted another static-fire test Tuesday of the Super Heavy booster for its first orbital Starship launch attempt. The booster fired 11 of its 33 Raptor engines for a burn lasting nearly 15 seconds at the company's Boca Chica, Texas, test site. The company has not announced plans for additional tests, such as one with all 33 engines, before attempting an orbital launch. (11/30)

Chinese Cargo Craft Deploys Satellite After TSS Departure (Source: Space News)
A Chinese cargo spacecraft deployed a smallsat after undocking from the Tiangong space station earlier this month. The Tianzhou-4 cargo vehicle released the Zhixing-3A satellite on Nov. 13, four days after undocking from the station and shortly before the cargo vehicle deorbited. The satellite was developed by commercial firm, Beijing Smart Satellite Space Technology Co., Ltd., which is planning a constellation of X-band synthetic aperture radar satellites. (11/30)

UK's Bullitt Plans Satellite-Linked Smartphone (Source: Space News)
British handset maker Bullitt says it will release a smartphone capable of sending and receiving texts via GEO satellites next year. The company has been working with chipmaker MediaTek for 18 months to develop the hybrid smartphone, which they say can connect directly to a satellite when terrestrial networks are unavailable without needing an external antenna. Bullitt, which designs and builds ruggedized mobile phones under brand licenses from Motorola and heavy-duty vehicle specialist Caterpillar, expects to launch initial satellite coverage across North America and Europe in the first quarter of 2023. (11/30)

Former Spire Exec Now Leads Edgybees (Source: Space News)
A former Spire executive is now CEO of Edgybees, a company that analyzes satellite and aerial imagery. Shay Har-Noy joined Edgybees from Spire, where he was general manager for aviation, and previously worked at DigitalGlobe and Maxar. Edgybees, founded in 2016 to develop augmented reality video games, quickly pivoted to augmenting full-motion video imagery with graphic overlays to provide situational awareness. More recently, Edgybees has rolled out the application of the company's technology to satellite imagery. (11/30)

SOFIA Data Found No Biosignature in Venus Atmosphere (Source: NASA)
Data from a recently retired airborne observatory found no evidence of a potential biosignature in the atmosphere of Venus. Infrared observations of Venus by the SOFIA airborne observatory failed to detect phosphine, which had been previously detected by terrestrial radio telescopes. Scientists had speculated that phosphine could be created by microbial life in the planet's upper atmosphere, but the SOFIA data suggests any phosphine in the atmosphere is at levels much lower than originally thought. (11/30)

Teams Assess Mobile Launcher and Pad After Successful Artemis I Launch (Source: NASA)
Following the successful liftoff of the world’s most powerful rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, teams carefully assessed the mobile launcher and infrastructure at Launch Pad 39B. Engineers have determined the overall mobile launcher and pad systems all performed as designed during launch and are structurally sound.

The ground systems, umbilical retracts on the mobile launcher, software, and ignition over pressure and sound suppression system from the water deluge system, which sprays water to dampen the acoustic shock and protect the deck of the mobile launcher from the flames of the engines, all supported the launch as expected throughout countdown and as the Space Launch System rocket imparted 8.8 million pounds of thrust onto the structure while leaving Earth. (11/23)

NASA Awards Texas Company $57 Million for Lunar Construction System (Source: NASA)
A nascent off-Earth construction system just got a big funding boost. NASA has awarded the Texas-based company ICON $57.2 million for its Project Olympus, which is working to develop technology that will allow humanity to build outposts on the moon and Mars using locally available dirt and rock.

ICON is a pioneer in the use of advanced construction technologies here on Earth. For example, the company built the first-ever fully permitted 3D-printed home in the United States in 2018 and has since delivered entire communities of such houses in the U.S. and in Mexico. The company launched Project Olympus in 2020, reasoning that its tech could help build critical infrastructure like landing pads, roads and habitats on the moon and Mars. (11/29)