January 30, 2023

Europe Seeks Autonomy in Space Traffic Management (Source: Space News)
Europe is working to achieve "strategic autonomy" in space traffic management. At a conference last week, officials discussed work to build up European capabilities to detect and monitor space objects through the European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking (EUSST) partnership. EUSST grew from seven to 15 countries last year, and relies primarily on capabilities from European militaries. EUSST is interested in purchasing commercial services although it is hindered by a limited budget. (1/30)

NASA Officials Meet in Florida to Outline Moon/Mars Exploration Architecture (Source: Space News)
NASA officials met last week to outline an architecture for its moon and Mars exploration plans. The Architecture Concept Review last week at the Kennedy Space Center is part of efforts by NASA to develop its approach to achieving the more than 60 exploration objectives the agency developed last year. However, the agency offered few details about the substance of the meeting, including the architecture that emerged from it, or when it planned to share more details publicly. NASA plans to hold such architecture reviews annually to refine its approach. (1/30)

Lynk Global Completing Hawaii Ground Station (Source: Space News)
Lynk Global is close to completing a ground station in Hawaii as part of work to connect its growing smallsat constellation. The Ka-band ground station is needed to route cellular signals Lynk’s satellites pick up from LEO back to a mobile operator partner’s terrestrial network. It is the first of dozens of ground stations the venture plans to deploy worldwide to reduce latency and improve the resiliency of its network, designed to support messaging and other basic connectivity services for smartphones. The company has three satellites in orbit with plans to launch three more in late spring. (1/30)

AstroForge to Launch First Asteroid Mining Mission Test on SpaceX Rideshare (Source: Space News)
An asteroid mining startup says it will launch its first missions this year. AstroForge said its first spacecraft, a 6U cubesat to test its refinery technologies, will launch in April on a SpaceX rideshare mission. That will be followed in October by Brokkr-2, a larger smallsat that will be a secondary payload on the Falcon 9 launch of the IM-2 lunar lander mission by Intuitive Machines. Brokkr-2 will fly by an undisclosed small near Earth asteroid, collecting data to determine if the asteroid contains valuable platinum-group metals. The company raised $13 million last year and expects to raise a "totally reasonable" amount of additional capital to fund future missions to extract such metals from asteroids. (1/30)

NASA's Juno Probe Has a Camera Problem (Source: NASA/JPL)
NASA is studying a problem with the camera on the Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter. During Juno's latest close approach to the planet Jan. 22, the JunoCam camera suffered what the project called an "anomalous temperature rise" that rendered most of the images it took unusable. A similar problem took place on the previous close approach in December, but this time the temperature rise lasted longer and affected more images. The camera was able to take some usable photos once the anomaly cleared, but engineers are studying what caused the problem. JunoCam was added to Juno primarily as a public outreach payload but its images have been used by scientists as well. The camera was designed to last for at least seven orbits; Juno has now made nearly 50 orbits. (1/30)

Artemis Crew Selection Shrouded in Secrecy (Source: CNN)
NASA's plans to select the crew for the Artemis 2 mission are shrouded in secrecy. The agency is expected to announce this spring the four-person crew for the mission, featuring three NASA astronauts and one from the Canadian Space Agency. Only a few NASA officials are involved in the selection process, with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson saying he would not be involved in the decision. While there is little insight into the selection process, a number of favorites have emerged among the astronaut corps, including Reid Wiseman, who stepped down in November as chief of the astronaut office. (1/30)

Former NASA CFO Now Leads Arizona Republican Party (Source: Washington Post)
A former NASA chief financial officer is the new chairman of the Republican Party in Arizona. Jeff DeWit beat out five other candidates to lead the party in a vote Saturday by party leadership. DeWit, a former treasurer of Arizona, was confirmed by the Senate in 2018 as NASA's chief financial officer after serving as chief operating officer for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. He resigned from the post in 2020 and later worked on Trump's unsuccessful reelection campaign. Trump, in turn, endorsed DeWit. (1/30)

Dust Bedevils Perseverance with Damaging Winds (Source: Space Daily)
Scientists working on the Perseverance Mars 2020 rover mission have uncovered new insights about dust devils on the Red Planet, thanks to the meteorological sensors on the Mars Environmental Dynamics Analyzer (MEDA) instrument. The mission, which landed in Jezero crater in February 2020, has observed a high abundance of dust devils, with small seasonal variability. According to the research team, terrains with lower thermal inertia, which warm more efficiently at noon, favor the appearance of dust devils. They also found an increased dust devil activity during a short dust storm that covered the region. (1/29)

Searching for Buried Treasure on Mars with RIMFAX (Source: Space Daily)
What do the Perseverance rover and Superman have in common? They both can "see" through solid rock! Superman has X-ray vision whereas Perseverance has RIMFAX, a ground penetrating radar or GPR, located on the lower rear of the rover. RIMFAX uses radio waves to image the subsurface rock layers as the rover drives along. It is the first instrument of its kind sent by NASA to Mars and can "see" down to 10 meters depth.

As the rover drives along, RIMFAX sends out a radio signal into the surface. When the radio waves encounter a new rock layer, some waves bounce back up toward RIMFAX. RIMFAX detects these return signals and stacks them up, building an image of the subsurface rock layers. The speed the waves travel through rock depends on the rock's properties, summarized by a quantity called permittivity. Different rock types have known permittivity values; therefore, scientists can constrain the rock type of each layer. The tilt of the layers also indicates the conditions they were deposited in. (1/27)

NASA Selects Nine Technologies for Commercial Flight Tests (Source: Space Daily)
NASA selected nine space technologies for flight testing to advance innovations that address mission needs for both the agency and the commercial space industry. Selected as part of the NASA's 2022 TechFlights solicitation, these technologies will fly aboard commercial suborbital vehicles such as high-altitude balloons, aircraft following parabolic flight profiles, suborbital rocket-powered systems as well as commercial payload-hosting platforms in orbit, such as spacecraft.

By readying these technologies in an environment similar to what they will experience in space, NASA, industry, and universities can help reduce the potential cost and risk before deploying the technologies on longer, more expensive missions in Earth orbit or to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Click here. (1/27)

US Army Space Capabilities Keep Soldiers Shooting, Moving, Communicating (Source: Space Daily)
The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command focused on integrating Army space capabilities in many of its 2022 operations. In February, the United States and Europe intervened to help Ukraine with air defense systems, artillery systems and munitions, counter-unmanned aerial systems, radars, and more following Russian President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

USASMDC provided support to U.S. European Command's response to operations in Ukraine through its Force Tracking Mission Management Center and by providing space operations support to combatant commanders through its 1st Space Brigade. In addition to on-going operations within each of the combatant commands, the Force Tracking Mission Management Center had a significant increase in operational requirements in 2022. They distributed 16.5 million force tracking reports daily for 280,000 devices including support to U.S. Space Command for Human Space Flight Support. (1/25)

ViaSat Sees Marine’s ‘SATCOM as a Service’ Buy as Harbinger of Change (Source: Breaking Defense)
After a successful pilot project, the Marine Corps has extended its contract with ViaSat to provide satellite communications services — a deal that signals a sea change in how the Defense Department buys SATCOM, according to ViaSat’s head of defense business. “We’re starting to see a transition where the DoD and the services are starting to see the value of ‘SATCOM as a service‘. That’s a relatively newer way to deliver SATCOM," said ViaSat's Craig Miller. (1/27)

It’s Time for Starlink to Save the Women of Afghanistan (Source: The Hill)
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s Starlink, the constellation of satellites that provide internet, voice and text communications directly from space, has upended the way people connect with one another. The system is also having an effect in countries consumed with conflict. Starlink is providing Ukraine with a crucial weapon in its war against Russian invaders. The space-based communications system is also helping the Iranian resistance in its opposition to the authoritarian regime, with one official claiming that 800 ground terminals have been smuggled into Iran.

Now, a situation has arisen in Afghanistan that cries out for Starlink to be extended to that country, run currently by the fanatical, theocratic Taliban. One effect of America’s precipitous military withdrawal from Afghanistan has been a sharp repression of that country’s women at the hands of its totalitarian regime. The Taliban has forbidden Afghan women from getting an education, the theory apparently being that educated women are more unruly. (1/29)

SpaceX Installs Refined 'Chopsticks' Onto Florida Starship Launch Tower (Source: NasaSpaceFlight)
SpaceX moved the Chopsticks and carriage to 39A. They were moved onto a temporary work platform where they were connected and then lifted onto the tower. The Chopsticks will be used to stack and catch Starship and Super Heavy. Click here for the video. (1/30)

Space Coast Startup Vaya Space Raises Millions to Test New Rocket Tech (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
Forida-based rocket company Vaya Space Inc. just took off with $12 million in new fundraising, CEO Kevin Lowdermilk said. The company also recently opened another funding round, seeking $9 million, another SEC filing showed. The company already has $1.5 million committed from investors to that funding round, Lowdermilk said.

This infusion of capital will take Vaya Space’s rocket research into the real world in 2023. Formerly known as Rocket Crafters, Vaya Space developed the Star 3-D rocket engine, a hybrid engine that uses liquid and solid propellant, and the Dauntless rocket, to launch payloads into space for the growing small satellite sector. Vaya Space boasts it’s capable of building a launch vehicle, integrating a customer payload and being ready to launch in 30 days. Plus, Vaya touts its rocket technology is environmentally friendly because it’s fueled by recycled plastics, with the Dauntless rocket using 20 metric tons of recycled thermoplastics. (1/20)

SpaceX’s 100-Launch Target is More Realistic Than it Seems (Source: Teslarati)
SpaceX is less than a month into 2023, but CEO Elon Musk’s wildly ambitious goal of 100 launches in one year is already looking doable. Announced last August, Musk’s 100-launch 2023 target followed goals of 52 – and then 60 – Falcon rocket launches in 2022. Both 2022 goals were incredibly ambitious, with 60 requiring SpaceX to almost double its previous annual launch record. But for the first time in its history, SpaceX not only met – but exceeded – its executives’ forecasts.

The company launched 61 times in 2022, tying a four-decade-old Soviet record for the most launches of a single family of rockets in one year. Anywhere close to 100 Falcon launches in 2023 would crush that record. (1/29)

Boom: Space Florida Rockets Closer to $1B Annual Impact (Source: Florida Politics)
has already delivered a $5.9B impact since its 2007 launch. Can it deliver results faster? Can the space industry deliver a $1 billion annual impact for Florida? Officials at Space Florida feel optimistic based on economic trends in the last decade and a half. A report released this week shows a total economic impact of $5.9 billion from Space Florida’s work since its 2007 launch. That includes delivering $2.8 billion to Florida’s gross domestic product, another $1.7 billion in household income, along with some $548 billion in tax revenues.

Based on anticipated growth in the private space sector, the group expects to nearly double those results in the next five years and deliver another $5.3 billion in gains for the economy over that span. The report suggests Florida likely gained more other states from major strides in commercial expansion. The presence of three working space ports in Florida, most notably Cape Canaveral, means most rocket launches in the country take off from the Sunshine State, including 62 of the 67 launches from American soil in the years 2020 and 2021.

“These economic assets are creating a structural shift in Florida’s brand and image, from a tourism-based economy into an economy of the present and future, and as such, Florida is well-positioned to benefit from the growth of the space economy,” the report reads. Florida has developed a strong supply chain, largely in partnership with Space Florida, around the space industry cluster. (1/25)

Large Telescope Observation Assistants, Common but Crucial (Source: Xinhua)
Attention! The clouds are coming!" Before 5 o'clock in an early morning of January, observation assistant Si Zhiyu called the attention of his group members when his stereo blared out an alarm indicating that clouds were blocking the view of the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), a leading optical telescope project in China. Under the guidance of the astronomer on duty, the observation assistants closed the dome of the telescope.

In the Xinglong Observatory of the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the arrival of dawn before the sunrise means that the LAMOST will end its observations and close the dome. The mission of the LAMOST is to study the structure of the Milky Way by observing the spectrum of stars. To successfully collect the observation data, the LAMOST only operates at night. Si Zhiyu is a local of Xinglong county, north China's Hebei Province. As one of leaders of the observation assistant group, he has more than 10 years of observation experience. (1/28)

Fueling the First Space-Based Economy (Source: Via Satellite)
When asked about how he envisions the space-based space economy 50 years from now, Clay Mowry, chief revenue officer of Voyager Space, pauses for a moment. He could take this conversation in six different directions. This is not surprising, considering that Voyager Space, a space station infrastructure and services provider founded in 2019, oversees six subsidiaries.

But he’s particularly animated about a few topics: the fact that we can finally cut metal in space, Moon exploration and space colonies, and the launch of the Starlab space station, which will reimagine the International Space Station (ISS) with 37 percent less volume — but 100 percent of the ISS payload capacity for research. Click here. (1/25)

Space Florida, Israel Innovation Authority: Deadline for $2 Million in Research Funds Approaching (Source: Space Florida)
The deadline for the 2023 Space Florida and Israel Innovation Authority’s call for project proposals is less than one month away. The research and development funding available, valued at $2 million, aims to cultivate an aerospace ecosystem on the bleeding edge, and further strengthen the economic relationship between Florida and Israel. This is the tenth year that Space Florida and the Israel Innovation Authority are conducting this competitive competition.

Past recipients include Tampa-based StemRad and their radiation-shielding vest ‘AstroRad’, developed in partnership with Lockheed Martin. With initial funding from Space Florida, ‘AstroRad’ was researched and tested at Kennedy Space Center for the goal of protecting astronauts in low Earth orbit (LEO). The recent culmination of this vital research was the successful round the Moon flight of ‘AstroRad’, as it was scientifically tested aboard NASA’s Artemis I mission. Click here. (1/30)

Fight for Space Command HQ in Huntsville Continues (Source: WHNT)
The fate of the U.S. Space Command’s permanent headquarters is once again a hot topic. The fight for Space Command to come to Huntsville has been ongoing for several years. It was named a finalist in early 2021. Then, in 2022, the Department of Defense named Huntsville as the “preferred permanent location for U.S. Space Command headquarters.” While Huntsville was named the preference, many in Colorado are fighting to turn the temporary headquarters into the permanent headquarters.

U.S. Congressman and former Madison County Commissioner Dale Strong said it looks like Huntsville is the obvious choice for space command. “A civil engineer package was sent showing that the soil conditions, the ability to construct at Redstone Arsenal is more cost-effective, the ability to maintain at Redstone Arsenal is better, you look at the level of education, the list goes on. It’s the perfect fit here for north Alabama.” (1/27)

Israeli Tech Sector Warns of Economic Hit from Netanyahu’s Hardline Policies (Source: Financial Times)
Israel’s technology sector has put Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline new government on notice, warning that its controversial plans to curb the powers of the judiciary could damage the country’s $500bn economy. On Tuesday, more than 100 Israeli tech groups gave staff permission to join a “warning strike” in Tel Aviv against the plans, which would give the government and its allies control over the appointment of judges, and severely limit the top court’s ability to strike down government decisions.

The hour-long protest drew only a thousand people. But it was the latest in a series of warnings from Israel’s business community about the reform, which critics fear will give the government — widely regarded as the most rightwing in Israeli history — close to unchecked power. Last week, two former central bank chiefs said that, if enacted as planned, the overhaul could raise Israel’s cost of borrowing. Earlier this month, Standard and Poor’s said it could ultimately harm Israel’s credit rating.

The tech sector’s warnings carry particular resonance given its key role in the economy of the self-styled Startup Nation, where it accounts for around a sixth of gross domestic product, and more than half of exports. In the past two years alone, Israeli tech groups have attracted $42bn of funding. The biggest fear is that, in the longer term, the legal uncertainty spawned by the changes could make investors wary about investing in the country, and even prompt founders to start their companies elsewhere. (1/27)

Andrew Nelson Joins RS&H to Lead Aerospace Sector (Source: RS&H)
RS&H welcomes aerospace leader Andrew Nelson to serve as vice president of its aerospace group. Nelson will be responsible for leading the aerospace and spaceports markets for the engineering and architecture firm and helping continue RS&H’s long history of designing facilities that help clients advance space exploration and commercialization.

Prior to joining RS&H, Nelson excelled for over 30 years in the aerospace, aviation and space industry, domestically and internationally, as an engineer, analyst, strategist, business developer, fundraiser, trusted advisor and corporate thought leader. From his first role as an engineer on the nation’s space launch ranges, to advising foreign government leaders on how best to create robust space-friendly marketplaces. Editor's Note: Among Nelson's prior roles was business development for spaceplane maker XCOR, and most recently consultant to Georgia's Camden County for development of their proposed spaceport. (1/24)

Kienberger appointed CEO of LeoStella (Source: BusinessWire)
LeoStella, a U.S.-based, specialized satellite design and manufacturing company, has appointed aerospace and technology industry leader Tim Kienberger to succeed Mike Hettich as CEO. Hettich has retired from LeoStella after leading the company since 2019. (1/24)

Cullivan Joins Astra Board (Source: Astra)
Astra Space is proud to announce the appointment of Julie Cullivan to the Astra Board of Directors. Ms. Cullivan has held executive positions at FireEye, Autodesk, Forescout, McAfee, EMC, and Oracle. She is a recognized leader in cyber security and compliance and a sought-after speaker on topics including security as a boardroom imperative, women in security, innovation, and building high impact teams. (1/27)

Astroscale Ltd. Appoints Andrew Faiola as Commercial Director (Source: Astroscale)
Astroscale Ltd., the UK and European subsidiary of Astroscale Holdings, the market leader in satellite servicing and long-term orbital sustainability, announces Andrew Faiola as Commercial Director, effective immediately. Based in the UK, Faiola is responsible for leading Astroscale Ltd.’s commercial sales, business development and marketing activities as the company aims towards making in-orbit servicing, including debris removal, routine by 2030. (1/24)

Aegis Aerospace Restructures Executive Team for Strategic Growth (Source: Aegis)
Space and defense technology company Aegis Aerospace Inc. has announced a restructuring of its executive team to align the company for growth and increase service and product offerings to customers. The company’s current executive chairman and majority owner, Ms. Stephanie Muñiz Murphy, has taken on the additional role of chief executive officer (CEO). Bill Hollister, who has served the past two years as vice president of space & defense systems, has been promoted to company president. (1/23)

Airbus to Provide Satellite Communications for Belgian Armed Forces (Source: Airbus)
Airbus has signed a contract with the Belgian Ministry of Defence to provide tactical satellite communications services for a 15 year period. The Armed Forces will use channels of the Airbus UHF (Ultra High Frequency) military communications hosted payload on-board a commercial telecommunications satellite manufactured by Airbus.

“With this new UHF payload, Airbus will be able to offer a new UHF communications service, scheduled for launch in 2024, to the armed forces, particularly those of European countries and NATO allies” said Eric Even, head of Marketing and Sales, Connected Intelligence, at Airbus Defence and Space. (1/24)

Babin Reintroduces Bill to Provide Astronaut Transportation (Source: Rep. Brian Babin)
U.S. Congressman Brian Babin (R-TX) issued the following statement after reintroducing his bill, the ASTRO Act (H.R. 272), which ensures transportation is provided for astronauts after they return from space until they are medically discharged. “Our courageous astronauts put their lives on the line to ensure we remain the world’s preeminent spacefaring nation,” said Babin. “H.R. 272 provides our astronauts with the resources required to fully recover after they return from missions to space.” (1/24)

AAC Clyde Space to Support First European SSA GEO Satellite (Source: AAC Clyde Space)
A consortium including AAC Clyde Space's subsidiary AAC Hyperion has been selected by European Defence Fund to develop a less than 100 kg satellite to be placed in geostationary orbit (GEO) for space situational awareness. The satellite, named Naucrates, is not to be trackable from ground radar, optical telescope or radio telescope. It is set to be the first European GEO satellite for Space Situational Awareness (SSA) in GEO. (1/26)

Moscow Tries to Diminish a Soviet Space Hero – Because He's From Ukraine (Source: Polygraph)
On January 13, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Andrii Yermak, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, of falsifying history. Her gripe? Yermak stated on Telegram that the former Soviet rocket scientist and spacecraft designer Sergei Korolev was a Ukrainian.

Zakharova responded: “Recently, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, A. Yermak, made a clumsy attempt to ascribe to his country the glory of the genius of the Soviet rocket and space industry, world-famous scientist Sergei Pavlovich Korolev. ... “The only thing that connects him with Ukraine is his place of birth."

That is misleading. In fact, Korolev's family traced its ancestry in Ukraine back to the 17th century. Korolev considered himself a Ukrainian, spoke Ukrainian as his native language and loved Ukrainian songs. Until he was 19, Korolev lived, studied and designed aircraft in Ukraine. Zakharova’s comment, however, fits squarely within Russian attempts to deny Ukrainian legitimacy as part of its ongoing war. (1/18)

A Good Week for Rocket Lab, Less So for Its Share Price (Source: Bloomberg)
Rocket Lab Inc. launched its first rocket from US soil this week, delivering a payload of small satellites to orbit for a paying customer. It was a moment of triumph for the Long Beach, California-based startup, expanding its reach from an existing launch site in New Zealand to its new facility in Virginia. And the success augurs well for a fledgling industry that includes a bevy of other startups.

For a brief flicker of a moment following Tuesday evening’s launch, investors seemed to sit up and take note. Shares jumped as much as 11% in early Wednesday trading after Stifel Financial Corp. analyst Erik Rasmussen — with a buy rating on the stock — said the launch marks an “important milestone” and puts Rocket Lab on a trajectory to meet the growing demand for low-earth orbit satellite launches. (1/28)