November 6, 2022

Wait for Spaceport Cornwall Licenses a Concern to Committee (Source: BBC)
A government committee is expressing concerns over the time it is taking to issue licenses for the first launch of satellites into space from UK soil. The Virgin Orbit plane and rocket arrived at Cornwall Airport Newquay in October ahead of the mission. The Science and Technology Select Committee said it was "disappointed" the launch had not yet happened.

UK space regulator the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it "continues to work proactively with all parties". The committee published a report into UK space strategy and UK satellite infrastructure on Friday. Included within the report, it said: "We are disappointed that a launch from the UK has not yet been achieved, especially as we were assured on several occasions that the first horizontal launch would take place in summer 2022." (11/4)

US Military's X-37B Space Plane Zooms Past 900 Days in Orbit (Source: Space.com)
The U.S. military's X-37B robotic space plane just passed 900 days in orbit on its latest hush-hush mission, adding to the program's flight-duration record. The current mission is the sixth for the X-37B program and is therefore known as OTV-6 ("Orbital Test Vehicle 6"). It launched on May 17, 2020, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and it's unclear when it will end. (11/5)

Rocket Lab Helicopter Was Unable to Catch Booster Before it Fell Into The Pacific (Source: Bloomberg)
A Rocket Lab USA Inc. helicopter failed to catch a booster in midair as it returned from space over the Pacific Ocean. The problem was related to a “telemetry loss” from the Electron rocket’s first stage during re-entry, the company said in a tweet. The booster landed in the Pacific Ocean and a recovery vessel will collect it, Rocket Lab said. (11/4)

The Importance of Space Exploration to the Global Economy (Source: Fast Company)
The recent release of infrared photographs of distant galaxies, courtesy of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), has reignited the awe we hold for our universe. People worldwide saw the clearest ever image of Carina Nebula and shared their glee on social media.

The reaction to JWST’s deep space images reminds us of the promise of space exploration: shared amazement for the world we inhabit can bring us together and make us better. It also illustrates the growing commitment to a thriving space economy accessible to all. As we gear up to revisit the moon and venture onto Mars in the next decade, it’s important to understand the impact of these efforts on the wider economy—especially as space becomes increasingly democratized. Click here. (11/4)

NASA, USAID Partnership Strengthens Global Development (Source: NASA)
NASA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) signed an agreement Friday strengthening the collaboration between the two agencies, including efforts that advance the federal response to climate change.

Specifically, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) enhances and expands the agencies’ longstanding partnership that promotes science and technology solutions to address international development challenges in areas such as global health, climate change, food security, disaster mitigation and response, biodiversity conservation, environmental management, and enable open science and data infrastructure for sustainable development. (11/4)

NASA Leaders to Participate in Annual Global Climate Conference (Source: NASA)
NASA will participate in the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, which begins Sunday, Nov. 6, and runs through Friday, Nov. 18. The COP27 summit brings together countries from around the world to increase ambition by implementing existing goals and strengthening commitments to solutions that address climate change.

The agency’s vantage point from space provides critical information to advance understanding of our changing planet, including impacts from greenhouse gas emissions, the effects of warming including the decline of Arctic Sea ice, rising sea levels, more severe wildfires and shifting animal migration patterns. (11/4)