December 23, 2022

A Busy 2023 With Small Launchers at Multiple Spaceports (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The business of launching rockets into space is getting more crowded from U.S. shores with Rocket Lab nearing its first stateside launch attempt. Companies vying in this small-lift rocket category include Firefly, Relativity Space, Astra Space, Virgin Orbit, ABL Space Systems and Phantom Space, all of which are listed by NASA as potential providers for its small satellite launch contracts under the Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) program. Rocket launch attempts are popping up at all of the U.S. launch sites.

Relativity Space is gearing up now from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for its first ever flight, the 3D-printed Terran 1. Firefly managed it first successful launch of its Alpha rocket on Oct. 1 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. ABL Space Systems is working on its first launch attempt of its RS1 rocket from Alaska in January. Astra Space had two orbital successes with its Rocket 3 from Alaska, but in its two launch attempts from Canaveral in 2022, both ultimately ended in failure with second stage issues not allowing payloads to reach orbit. It’s now working on a new rocket not expected until 2024.

That failure was Rocket Lab’s gain, though, as one contract through VADR coming the company’s way will be to finish up the job Astra Space was not able to complete this past summer. That’s to send up the remaining four of what had been six small satellites under NASA’s Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation Structure and Storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) mission, which seeks to provide more reliable measurements of tropical storms and hurricanes looking at precipitation, temperature and humidity. (12/20)

ORBITS Act to Clear Space Junk, Protect Space Exploration, Passes Senate Unanimously (Source: Sen. Hickenlooper)
U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper applauded Senate passage of his Orbital Sustainability (ORBITS) Act, a bipartisan bill to establish a first-of-its-kind demonstration program to reduce the amount of space junk in orbit. The bill passed the Senate unanimously. Space junk, or orbital debris, currently threatens human space exploration, scientific research missions, and emerging commercial space services. There are approximately 8,000 metric tons of debris currently in orbit, including at least 900,000 individual pieces of debris that are potentially lethal to satellites.

Because of the magnitude of the current debris, simply preventing more debris in the future is not enough. The ORBITS Act will jumpstart a program focused on research, development, and the demonstration of technologies capable of safely carrying out successful Active Debris Remediation (ADR) missions to create a new market for these services. (12/22)

Bill Would Create Lottery to Send South Carolinians to Space on a Blue Origin Flight (Source: WCBD)
A state lawmaker wants to establish a lottery that would send a South Carolinian to space — or at least near space. State Rep. Neal Collins (R-Pickens) pre-filed a bill earlier this month to establish the South Carolina Blue Origin Flight Lottery Commission to create an annual lottery to send a resident on a Blue Origin flight. (12/22)

NASA Seeks Industry Interest in Raising Hubble Orbit (Source: Space News)
NASA is seeking ideas from industry about how to reboost the orbit of the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA released a request for information (RFI) Thursday, asking companies for their concepts for using commercial vehicles to raise Hubble's orbit. Such a reboost would extend the telescope's life and demonstrate how that technology could be used to assist other spacecraft.

NASA noted in the RFI that it had no plans to procure a mission, and any demonstration to reboost Hubble would have to be paid for by the company. The RFI comes three months after NASA announced a Space Act Agreement with SpaceX to study using a Crew Dragon mission to reboost and possibly service Hubble. NASA said that study is ongoing. (12/23)

Megaconstellations Could Pollute Atmosphere with Reentries (Source: Space News)
The growth of satellite megaconstellations could affect the environment through reentries. Some researchers are concerned that an increasing number of satellites reentering could inject aluminum particles and nitric oxide into the upper atmosphere, depleting the ozone layer. The reentries "are cause for concern," one scientist said but noted more research is needed to better quantify the environmental impacts. (12/23)

Japan Sets Feb. 12 for H3 Rocket Debut (Source: JAXA)
The Japanese space agency JAXA has set a date for the first launch of the H3 rocket. JAXA said Friday that the inaugural launch of the H3 is scheduled for Feb. 12 from the Tanegashima Space Center, at the start of a launch period that runs through the end of February. The H3 will carry the ALOS-3 Earth science satellite on that long-anticipated launch. (12/23)

US Seeks Options for Supporting Ukraine Connectivity (Source: Quartz)
Efforts to line up satellite connectivity options for Ukraine predated Russia's invasion. A U.S. government contractor, DAI, started looking for options at the request of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to keep Ukraine's government connected two weeks before the invasion started. That led to USAID purchasing more than 1,300 Starlink terminals for $2 million, with SpaceX donating 3,600 more. (12/23)

Juno Probe Back Online After Radiation Spike (Source: NASA)
Flight controllers have restored operations of the Juno spacecraft after a radiation-induced glitch. The spacecraft was returning data from its most recent flyby of Jupiter Dec. 14 when the downlink was disrupted. Engineers concluded that a radiation spike kept the spacecraft from accessing its memory and completed steps to restore operations on Thursday. There is no evidence of any loss of data or disruptions to science operations during the flyby, the 47th of the mission. Separately, the James Webb Space Telescope resumed science operations this week after its instruments suffered an intermittent series of problems triggering safe modes. Controllers traced the problem to a software glitch in the spacecraft's attitude control system. (12/23)

Space Coast's AML Receives Initial Investment from American Resources (Source: AML)
American Resources Corp. (ARC), a next generation and socially responsible supplier of rare earth and critical elements, carbon and advanced carbon materials to the new infrastructure and electrification marketplace, has executed its second rare earth oxide offtake agreement with Space Coast-based Advanced Magnet Lab to provide AML high-purity raw rare earth elemental feedstock for their advanced, domestic magnet production. ARC has completed an initial strategic investment into AML to further advance the technology and commercialization.

ARC has led the round of investment into AML alongside a select number of strategic investors and insiders, and the investment is in the form of a promissory note that has the ability to convert into shares of common stock of AML at a fixed valuation. AML has developed PM-Wire, a unique technology for the design, manufacture and optimized performance of permanent magnets and their end-use applications. AML's technology provides significant value propositions for electrical machines, motors, and generators - all driven by magnets. (12/23)

China's CASC Sets Goals for Lunar and Mars Exploration (Source: Space News)
China's main space contractor is working towards making the country a leading space power. In a televised lecture this week, Wu Yansheng, chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), outlined a series of goals, including a crewed lunar landing by 2030 and development of space infrastructure. China also plans a Mars sample return mission in the "next 10 to 15 years," suggesting a possible delay to earlier plans to deliver material from the Red Planet to Earth in 2031. The overarching ambition is to make China one of the world's main aerospace powers by 2030 and become a fully comprehensive space power by 2045. (12/23)

Eutelsat: Russian and Iranian Sanctions Harm Bottom Line (Source: Space News)
Eutelsat says enforcing sanctions on Iranian and Russian TV broadcasts will hurt its bottom line. The French satellite operator said Thursday it would lose up to 15 million euros ($16 million) in annual revenues from restricting broadcasters in Russia and Iran from complying with sanctions. Eutelsat said it had stopped broadcasts of three Russian propaganda channels and a state-controlled Iranian broadcaster on its satellites to comply with European sanctions against them.

The lost revenue represents 2.2% of the broadcast revenues Eutelsat reported for its previous fiscal year to the end of June 2022, or 1.3% of total revenues for a company that has been growing its connectivity business as the broader satellite TV market gradually declines. (12/23)

Northrop Grumman Working Toward Space Solar Power Beaming (Source: Space News)
Northrop Grumman says it is a step closer to demonstrating space-based solar power. The company completed ground testing of one element of its Space Solar Power Incremental Demonstrations and Research (SSPIDR) program, the ability to beam radio frequency energy toward various antennas by steering the beam. The company is progressing towards a 2025 flight demonstration of SSPIDR, where a spacecraft will collect solar power and beam it to Earth. (12/23)

South Korea's Mirae Asset to Invest $72 Million in Space X in January 2023 (Source: Reuters)
South Korea's Mirae Asset Financial Group affiliates plan to invest a total of 93 billion won ($72.43 million) in Space X in January 2023, the companies said in regulatory filings on Friday. Mirae Asset Securities Co Ltd (006800.KS) and Mirae Asset Capital Co Ltd will invest 88.5 billion won and 4.5 billion won in Elon Musk's rocket and satellite company, respectively. Separately, Mirae Asset Securities made an investment of 116 billion won in Space X through its fund in July. (12/23)

Paso Robles Partners with Cal Poly to Apply for Spaceport License (Source: New Times)
Paso Robles took a step into the future by partnering with Cal Poly on its spaceport license application. The City Council voted on Dec. 6 to pay the Cal Poly Corporation an estimated $110,000 to complete a three-part plan that would help get the Paso Robles Municipal Airport's application to become a licensed spaceport into the FAA by Aug. 31, 2023. According to city Economic Development Manager Paul Sloan, the funding approval provided the necessary tools to move forward with the license application.

The spaceport would launch rockets horizontally—like traditional airplanes—providing an opportunity for Cal Poly students to build and launch miniature satellites known as CubeSats into space and bring economic development to North SLO County.

Cal Poly's proposal involves three separate parts. The first part of the plan involves the completion of the license. The second involves facilitating partnerships between the space technology and agricultural technology industries. This includes developing and mapping out the area of the city known as the Tech Corridor by creating a website that promotes the strategic plan. (12/22)

Moon Mission Collaboration with US, Japan Among 4 Pacts ISRO Signed for Space Exploration in 5 Years (Source: MSN)
India’s collaboration with the US for the Chandrayaan 2 and 3 missions and with Japan for a joint lunar polar exploration mission are among the “four cooperative documents that ISRO has signed in space exploration in the last five years”. Space minister Jitendra Singh said the agreement with the US is for accommodating American instruments in the already-launched Chandrayaan-2 mission and the upcoming Chandrayaan-3 mission.

He also informed that the agreement with Japan is for conducting a feasibility study for a joint lunar polar exploration mission, while one with the UK is for conducting a feasibility study for collaboration in future space science missions. Singh also said that the department of space provides training and capacity-building in space science-related technology, including satellite services to neighboring small countries and other space-aspiring countries of the world. (12/23)