January 3, 2023

Military Officials Forecast 87 Launches From Florida’s Space Coast in 2023 (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
The U.S. Space Force is preparing for as many as 87 launches from Florida’s Space Coast in 2023, including dozens more SpaceX missions and the expected debuts of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan and Relativity’s Terran 1 rockets. “We expect to have about 87 launches from the Cape in calendar year 2023,” said Lt. Col. Colin Mims, commander of the 1st Range Operations Squadron, which provides range safety support for launches from the Eastern Range at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The busy 2023 follows a record-setting 2022 at Cape Canaveral. There were 57 orbital-class rockets that departed launch pads at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center last year, a sharp increase over the previous record of 31 orbital launch attempts in 1966 and 2021.

The U.S. Space Force runs the Eastern Range. Space Launch Delta 45, formerly the 45th Space Wing, has upgraded infrastructure, streamlined operations, and encouraged rocket companies to switch to autonomous flight safety systems to help shorten the time needed between launches. Launches into polar orbit used to be the near-exclusive domain of Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, but the Eastern Range approved a SpaceX request to begin launching on a southern corridor from Cape Canaveral in 2020, the first polar orbit mission from Florida since 1969. (1/2)

How Gravitational Waves Can 'See Inside' Black Holes (Source: Space.com)
Black holes are some of the most enigmatic objects in the universe. This is partially because  the equations of general relativity that we use to understand them break down when studying black holes' ultra-dense centers. However, a new paper shows how astronomers could one day overcome this challenge by using gravitational waves to "see" inside merging black holes, and learn what they're really made of.

So far, all observations of black hole mergers agree with the vanilla black hole model predicted by general relativity. But that may change in the future as new generations of gravitational wave observatories come online, a paper published Nov. 30 suggests. The key isn't the gravitational waves emitted during the merger itself, but those emitted right after, according to the paper. When the merger has finished and the two black holes become a single object, the new merged mass is vibrating with an intense amount of energy, like a struck bell.

This "ringdown" phase has a distinct gravitational wave signature. By studying those signatures, researchers may one day be able to tell which black hole theories hold up, and which don't. Each black hole model predicts differences in the gravitational waves emitted during the ringdown phase, which stem from differences in the black hole's interior structure. With different black hole structures, different kinds of gravitational waves come out. (1/2)

The Spy Agency Origins of NASA’s Next Powerful Planet-Hunting Observatory (Source: Popular Science)
A former spy satellite is now being overhauled by NASA to search for planets beyond the solar system. Once operational—the space agency plans to launch the craft within the next five years—it could reveal the origins of life itself by hunting for planets in the distant reaches of their solar systems. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will be an exoplanet hunter extraordinaire, revealing key information about the formation of solar systems and planets like our own.

But, initially, it looked like the mission would never happen. In the early 2000s, scientists at NASA and the Department of Energy both proposed a new satellite to study the farthest reaches of the cosmos, hoping to understand the cause behind dark energy, the name given to the mysterious accelerated expansion of the universe. However, with political and financial capital shifting to the development of what would become the JWST, the proposal faltered.

And then in 2011 came an unexpected gift. The National Reconnaissance Office apparently had some…extras. Sitting in a warehouse in upstate New York were two mirrors, similar to the one on the Hubble Space Telescope, that the NRO seemingly had no use for. The agency offered the mirrors to NASA free of charge. Although the actual cost of the mirror represents only a relatively small fraction of the overall budget for a space mission like this, the unexpected gift galvanized support for the satellite, and the mission got its first official name: the Wide-Field Infrared Space Telescope, or WFIRST. (1/2)

Options to Advance California's Central Coast Space Industries (Source: EdHat)
The Central Coast has an array of opportunities to enhance its waterfront infrastructure to support the growth of the offshore wind and space industries, a new study finds. The findings of the “Central Coast Emerging Industries Waterfront Siting and Infrastructure Study” will inform critical next steps in planning for offshore wind development following last week’s federal auction of three lease areas off the coast of Morro Bay and for increased launch activity at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The study identifies two scenarios for upgrading the Vandenberg boat dock to support an increase in launch activity and related operations. The existing infrastructure, used to barge in rockets and other components too large to travel by land or air, faces significant constraints. One scenario involves modest updates to improve reliability, with an estimated cost in the tens of millions of dollars. The second details more substantial upgrades that would put the waterfront infrastructure at Vandenberg’s Western Range on par with the Eastern Range at Cape Canaveral.

That scenario, which includes enabling more efficient return of reusable rockets from droneship landings, could cost several hundred million dollars, the study estimates. Those findings will be carried forward into the infrastructure planning the Vandenberg MOU group is engaged in and supports broader efforts to enhance California’s space capabilities that will be advanced by the state’s new Space Industry Task Force. (12/30)

Why Are So Many Astronauts From Ohio? (Source: Mental Floss)
There must be something in the stars over Ohio. NASA counts a surprising number of astronauts—25 of them—from the past and present who hail from the Buckeye State. As the place where the Wright brothers started building their first gliders and the home state of legendary astronaut Neil Armstrong, Ohio has a long history of developing people with a passion for flight. But why does Ohio boast such a statistically large number of astronauts?

It could be because of its connection to the Wright brothers, who developed and built their flying crafts in their home state of Ohio. While the Wright brothers may have taken their first crewed flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, it was their Ohio-grown passion for mechanics, physics, and technology that set the stage for what was to come. Many people in the state have long idolized the masters of flight, setting the stage for several Ohioans to dream of the skies and beyond.

Ohio’s stronghold on the development of NASA astronauts may also be because of the state’s pride in its homegrown astronaut heroes, including John Glenn and Neil Armstrong. Glenn was the first astronaut ever to come from Ohio, and the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth. (1/2)

Space, the Final Boondoggle (Source: Star Tribune)
Some who saw on TV the remarkable lunar images from spacecraft Orion are asking once again about billions being spent "out there" while the world faces staggering unmet challenges, like the spreading destruction of unchecked climate change. Orion's recent test mission is the first of four planned moon flights. It's part of Artemis, a program NASA says will see more and longer moon walks before building a lunar pad to launch flights to Mars. Further out, NASA foresees searching planets suitable for life should things on Earth become untenable.

Meantime, the U.N.'s latest climate report warns the world is hurling toward "uncharted territories of destruction." Without immediate, full-bore intervention, the report said, Earthlings will experience scorching temperatures by 2050, before Earth slides toward an irreversible "tipping point" of still higher temperatures, more severe storms and floods, spreading drought and rising seas. It seems certain Earth will be unfit for life (already is, for many) long before NASA can find a life-supporting planet, let alone get a critical mass of humans there.

Zipping around space is expensive. By 2025, Artemis will cost nearly $94 billion, and its next three moon flights $4.1 billion each. But that's a fraction the cost of a trip to Mars, known to be rocky and dusty with a toxic atmosphere that provides meager shielding from solar radiation. But, hey, those in astro-land say a solution to mounting social chaos is to just pack up and jet to another planet. (1/2)

India's Startup Space Race Quickens with 170 Requests for Approval (Source: Live Mint)
Private space startups in India submitted 170 requests for approval to the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) last year. Pawan Goenka, chairman of the government’s nodal space authorization agency, said that only 25-30 of these required the agency’s approval, and it has so far cleared five private space projects.

The most notable example of such approval is the launch of India’s first private space mission by Skyroot Aerospace, which launched its indigenously built Vikram-S rocket in a demonstration mission on 18 November. Goenka added that “large space companies" will emerge from India’s private sector in the coming years. (1/3)

Sidus Space Awarded Bechtel Cable Assembly Contract for Mobile Launcher 2 (Source: Sidus Space)
Space Coast-based Sidus Space has been selected by Bechtel Corporation to manufacture cables for the NASA Mobile Launcher 2 project. Sidus was previously awarded a contract to fabricate custom cables and populate unique electronics cabinets supporting the launch control subsystem and ground special power subsystems. Mobile Launcher 2 (ML2) is the ground platform structure that will launch Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1B and Block 2 configurations to the Moon, allowing the agency to send astronauts and heavy cargo to the lunar surface as part of NASA’s Artemis program. ML2 is the primary interface between the ground launch control system and the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft flight hardware. (1/3)

NASA Looking to Russia to Deal with Soyuz Coolant Leak (Source: NASA)
NASA now expects Roscosmos to decide on how to deal with a Soyuz coolant leak this month. In an update Friday, NASA said that the investigation into the Soyuz MS-22 coolant leak is continuing, including determining whether the spacecraft can safely bring its crew back home in March as originally planned. A final decision is expected some time this month. NASA added that it did consult with SpaceX about the ability of the Crew Dragon spacecraft currently at the station to accommodate more people if needed in an emergency, but said the primary focus of its work remains on the Soyuz spacecraft. (1/3)

SpaceX Launches Rideshare Mission on Polar Trajectory From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
A Falcon 9 launch started a busy year for SpaceX and Florida's Space Coast. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 9:56 a.m. Eastern from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport on the Transporter-6 dedicated rideshare mission, placing 114 payloads from multiple customers into orbit. The launch is the first of the year for Cape Canaveral's Eastern Range after 57 orbital launch attempts from the Cape in 2022, 48 of which were by SpaceX. The U.S. Space Force is projecting as many as 87 launches from the Eastern Range in 2023. SpaceX, which conducted 61 launches from Florida and California in 2022, may attempt as many as 100, including Starship launches from Texas. (1/3)

Satellogic Revenues Way Below Projections (Source: Space News)
One of the customers on the Transporter-6 mission has had to cut costs after missing revenue projections. Earth imaging company Satellogic has four satellites on Transporter-6 that will join its existing constellation of 26 high-resolution spacecraft. The company, which went public nearly a year ago in a SPAC deal, reported revenues of just $2.4 million in the first half of 2022 and projected full-year revenues of $6-8 million, far short of the $47 million it once projected in 2022. In an earnings call last month, the company said it laid off 18% of its workforce in the third quarter to cut costs while delaying work on a new satellite factory in the Netherlands. Despite the shortfall, Satellogic says it has enough funding to take the company to breakeven, now expected in 2024. (1/3)

SpaceX Plans Another Funding Round, Valuing Company at $137 Billion (Source: CNBC)
SpaceX is working on another funding round. According to correspondence sent to prospective investors, the company is seeking to raise $750 million in a round valuing the company at $137 billion. Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz is expected to lead the round; the firm also participated in SpaceX founder Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter last year. (1/3)

NASA's Planetary Science Budget 'Stressed' (Source: Space News)
Several factors are contributing to "significant stress" on NASA's planetary science budget. NASA received $3.2 billion for planetary science in the fiscal year 2023 omnibus spending bill signed into law last week, $80 million more than in 2022. However, planetary science funding is projected to remain flat for the next several years, falling short of the smaller of two budgets in last year's planetary science decadal survey. In presentations last month, NASA said costs associated with the pandemic, along with high inflation and supply chain problems, have stressed the budget. That contributed to a decision in November to delay the VERITAS mission to Venus by three years and could also push back the start of missions recommended by the decadal, such as a Uranus orbiter. (1/3)

France Gives CNES 3-Year Performance Objectives on Startup Support, Small Launchers, EU Program Bids (Source: Space Intel Report)
The French space agency, CNES, has been given detailed marching orders for how it must conduct its affairs over the next three years, with specific targets on funding small startups, winning European Union contracts and supporting the development of one or more French small launch vehicles. It is also being ordered to streamline its contracting procedures to minimize unneeded paperwork so that smaller companies are better able to access CNES funding and expertise, and to contract out to industry a higher percentage of CNES’s workload. (12/29)

Caltech Launches Space Solar Power Demonstrator (Source: Pasadena Star-News)
Scientists at Caltech launched a Space Solar Power Demonstrator prototype into orbit as part of an ambitious effort to harvest solar power in space and beam that energy back to Earth. The prototype is being launched as part of SpaceX's Transporter-6 rideshare mission from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. It being sent into space represents a major milestone in Caltech’s Space Solar Power Project, which aims to deploy a constellation of spacecraft that collect sunlight, transform it into electricity, then transmit that over long distances wherever it is needed —including to places that currently have no access to reliable power. When fully realized, the project could make what was once considered science fiction a reality, researchers said. (1/2)