February 2, 2023

Sidus Space Announces Closing of $5.2 Million Public Offering (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space (Nasdaq: SIDU) announced the closing of its underwritten public offering of 17,250,000 shares of its Class A common stock (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof, which included the full exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option. Each share of Class A common stock was sold to the public at a price of $0.30 per share. The gross proceeds to the Company from this offering were approximately $5.2 million before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other offering expenses. (2/2)

SpaceX Launches More Starlink Satellites From Florida, Recovers Booster (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
SpaceX launched another set of Starlink satellites early this morning. The Falcon 9 lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:58 a.m. Eastern and deployed 53 Starlink satellites into orbit about an hour later. The launch is the third to place Starlink satellites into orbits authorized for its Gen2 constellation, although the spacecraft appear to be similar in size to satellites for its first-generation constellation. (2/2)

Space Force Readies 72-Satellite Tranche 2 Procurement (Source: Space News)
The Space Force's Space Development Agency is planning a new procurement of 72 satellites. The SDA released a draft solicitation this week for the satellites, which will make up a portion of a planned 216-satellite Tranche 2 Transport Layer communications constellation. The Tranche 2 Beta satellites will be similar to the Tranche 1 satellites being built by Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and York Space Systems, with Ka-band and optical communications payloads. The 72 Beta satellites will be divided into six orbital planes, to be awarded to multiple vendors. (2/2)

OneWeb Inks Deal with Canada's Galaxy Broadband (Source: Space News)
OneWeb signed a $50 million contract to provide broadband services for a Canadian company. Remote communications provider Galaxy Broadband announced Wednesday it was buying the capacity on OneWeb's constellation to deliver services in Nunavut, a sparsely populated region of northern Canada about three times larger than Texas. Galaxy Broadband already uses OneWeb at more than 75 sites in the country. OneWeb's coverage is currently limited to northern Canada while it waits to deploy the 46 satellites it needs to provide global service. (2/2)

South Korea Ditches Russian Rocket for Launch of KOMPSAT (Source: Space News)
South Korea has shifted the launch of an imaging satellite from Angara to Vega C. The South Korean government announced Wednesday that its KOMPSAT-6 satellite will launch on Vega C, although no date has been set for the launch. The spacecraft, with a synthetic aperture radar imaging payload, was to launch in late 2022 on an Angara rocket, but South Korea terminated the contract for the launch in December in light of sanctions linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Two other South Korean satellite missions were also set to launch on Russian Soyuz rockets: a cubesat constellation called SNIPE will now launch on the domestic KSLV-2 rocket while the government will procure an international launch of the CAS500-2 remote sensing satellite. (2/2)

Fire at South Korean Rocket Test Facility (Source: Yonhap)
A fire broke out at a South Korean facility during testing of a rocket engine. The fire took place Tuesday at the Naro Space Center during a test of an engine turbopump being developed for the KSLV-3 rocket. The problem is not linked to the KSLV-2 rocket, slated to make its third launch in May. (2/2)

Canada Begins Consultation on Launch Regulations (Source: SpaceQ)
The Canadian Space Agency has started a public consultation on space regulatory reform. The consultation, which started this week and closes in early April, seeks public input on the current regulatory framework for space activities in Canada and ideas for changes. The consultation is linked to plans announced last month by Transport Canada to create a new commercial launch licensing approaches. (2/2)

India Completes Investigation of SSLV Launch Failure (Source: Space News)
The Indian space agency ISRO says it has completed the investigation into the failed inaugural launch of a small rocket. ISRO said the first Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) mission failed last August when a shock stronger than expected during separation of the rocket's second stage briefly saturated accelerometers in the rocket's guidance system. That guidance system then switched to a "salvage mode" where it tried to reach orbit without using data from those accelerometers, which the system assumed had failed.

The limited guidance available in that mode ended up placing the payloads into a very low orbit, causing them to reenter immediately. ISRO said it has changed the stage separation system and updated the guidance system to prevent the problem from happening again. ISRO is preparing for a second SSLV launch that could take place as soon as next week. (2/2)

Atoms for Space (Source: Quartz)
Nuclear tech is in season: Climate change and geopolitics have governments prolonging the lifespans of aging nuclear electricity plants and building new ones. Just last week, the US approved a smaller, modular nuclear reactor for electricity generation, only the seventh it has ever okayed. Not surprisingly, that’s reflected in space as well. Nukes have always been intertwined with the space program as both a motivator to seize the orbital high ground and an enabler of long-term missions.

No nuclear rocket has ever been demonstrated. Today’s engineers have some advantages, says Anthony Calomino, NASA’s program manager for DRACO and the official in charge of the agency’s nuclear research. Advances in materials science, manufacturing techniques, and computer modeling will make the job easier. Making it more challenging, though, are stricter rules around atomic testing.

The challenge of making the reactor as light as possible is a materials science problem: Fission reactors use a radioactive solid fuel—in this case, high-assay low-enriched uranium—and a moderator, a substance that slows the neutrons the fuel emits so they are more likely to collide with other fuel atoms and cause the desired chain reaction. NASA already has a pilot program developing nuclear power for future moon settlements. (2/2)

Why is Everyone Talking About Nuclear Propulsion? (Source: Native Mode)
Mars is the reason why everyone is talking about nuclear propulsion. While Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) has various applications, it’s the potential for human exploration of the red planet that has captured the public’s imagination and the Propulsion Community’s renewed interest in NTP. For the first time in over half a century, we have embarked on a mission to put humans back on the surface of the Moon — this time to stay. And, directly following this, to begin in-person, human exploration of Mars.

However, when we think seriously about putting boots on the dusty surface of the red planet, we must understand that it’s all about time: how long between launch opportunities, how long it takes to traverse the immense distance between our planets, and how much time we can spend exploring on Mars before we have to come home. At the closest, Mars and Earth are a staggering 34 million miles apart. But our spacecraft can’t fly in a straight line directly to Mars. Our spacecraft will need to travel a great, sweeping arc of around 300 million miles to arrive.

With current practical chemical propulsion technology, that will take about seven months. This has many, substantial knock-on effects on the mission architecture. Our 12 months of research on Mars requires twice the supplies, life support and other logistics to support the transits. Additionally, this very long duration significantly increases the probability of being hit by a strong proton storm. Clearly, the faster we can complete the journey to Mars the better. This means developing a much more efficient propulsion technology that could cut transit time by at least 50%, making the trip safer, and leaving more mass available for experiments and research gear. (1/18)

A Comparative Analysis of Germany's Microlaunchers (Source: Capitol Momentum)
Germany has distinguished itself as one of the hotbeds of European launch startup activity. The country has seen the launch and development of three of the continent's most prominent launch startups in HyImpulse Technologies, Isar Aerospace, and Rocket Factory Augsburg. All three share the same mission: building small rockets to deliver satellites and/or satellite constellations into space.

Their funding sources include public grants. All three companies also competed in the first DLR German Microlauncher Competition (which was managed under the ESA Boost! program, which aims to foster commercial launch capabilities in Europe), in which Isar Aerospace won the first round and RFA the second and final round. Click here. (2/2)

Boeing Gets $1.6 Billion Contract for US Ballistic Missile Upkeep (Source: Space Daily)
Boeing has been awarded a $1.6 billion contract to provide guidance subsystem support for US Minuteman III Intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base in the state of Utah, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 1, 2039, the Department of Defense said in a statement. The Minuteman III, which has been in service for 50 years, is a warhead-equipped missile that can carry a nuclear bomb during wartime. (2/2)

Studies on Hibernating Squirrels May Help Astronauts (Source: Space Daily)
Can studying sleeping Arctic ground squirrels help astronauts and further NASA's mission? Dr. Kelly Drew and her students studied hibernating squirrels and their ability to retain muscle and bone mass during extended hibernation and they think it could apply to astronauts. Drew, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Alaska was awarded funds though through NASA Space Grant. Lessons learned through the study of hibernating Arctic ground squirrels can help researchers understand how the human body functions in a weightless environment. (2/1)

The Space Industry is Attracting New Business (Source: Axios)
Traditionally Earth-bound companies, industries and investors are now looking to space as a place to do business, compete and invest. The space economy's continued growth hinges on space companies proving their worth to non-space entities, and moving beyond established industry partnerships and government contract money. The space economy is "going to grow by regular companies thinking about regular ways that they can solve regular problems through and with space," McKinsey partner Jesse Klempner tells Axios.

That may now be happening. "I think that folks are starting to wake up to the fact that we are really at the emergence of a massive space economy and a lot of growth," McKinsey senior partner Ryan Brukardt tells Axios. 2021 was a high-water mark for investing in the space industry, with $14.5 billion raised through private investment, according to data from Space Capital. Last year saw a major downturn in investment, but the space economy still grew and reached $424 billion in 2022, according to a report from Euroconsult. (1/31)

Virgin Orbit Receives Another Small Investment From Branson—and it’s Worrisome (Source: Ars Technica)
Virgin Orbit notified investors that it has raised an additional $10 million from Branson's Virgin Investments Ltd. But there are a few things in the filing that raise concerns about VO's financial solvency. The company spent the better part of the last decade developing LauncherOne and integrating its operations with the aircraft at a cost of about $1 billion. During this time, it was funded by the Virgin Group, as well as an Emirati state-owned holding company, Mubadala Investment Company.

In November 2022, Branson invested $25 million in an unsecured convertible note. A month later, he invested $20 million. Importantly, this was a secured note, giving Branson priority as a creditor for the company's assets, including "all aircrafts, aircraft engines (including spare aircraft parts), and related assets." It appears that after Virgin Orbit failed to raise equity capital and exhausted its other fundraising options in November, the company pledged all of its assets to Branson in December.

This week's financial disclosure is troubling for several reasons. The $10 million amount is very low, providing only a few weeks of funding for the company given its high overhead and large payroll. Moreover, the note has an interest rate of 12%, double the rate of the November and December notes. And the new filing contains a separate security agreement that turns the unsecured November note into a secured obligation. The investments from Branson likely extend the company's financial runway into at least April 2023. Therefore, ahead of or during the earnings release in March, it's possible that the company may announce some sort of "review" of its strategic options as it seeks to remain financially solvent. (2/1)

Northrop & Johnson Partners with Space Perspective (Source: Northrop & Johnson)
Northrop & Johnson, the leader in luxury yachting and lifestyle, is proud to announce its newest strategic partnership with Space Perspective, the world’s only carbon-neutral space travel company, unlocking exclusive access to a transformative journey to space for select clients. “Our collaboration with Space Perspective will take our already stellar roster of experiences and luxury client exclusives to the literal next frontier, space!” says Daniel Ziriakus, President & COO of Northrop & Johnson.

With plans to launch in 2024, with over 1,000 tickets sold Space Perspective has totally reimagined and reengineered human spaceflight. They offer a safe, gentle, luxurious, and carbon-neutral journey to space on board Spaceship Neptune a pressurized capsule propelled by a SpaceBalloon the size of a football stadium. During their 6-hour journey, traveling at 12 mph, Space Explorers will enjoy cocktails, Space Gastronomy, Wi-Fi and more all without the need for rigorous training or the stress of crushing g-forces. (1/30)

Flashback: F-15 Global Strike Eagle Tested Air Launch Concept (Source: AeroTech News)
The concept of air launching vehicles from carrier aircraft is a concept that has been around for decades. From launching small missiles, parasite fighter aircraft, or manned, hypersonic vehicles, air-launch is a proven technology. In the mid 1980s, the Air Force tested the capability of air launching a multistage, anti-satellite ASM-135 missile from beneath an F-15 Eagle in a successful attempt to destroy an orbiting satellite.

In 2006, Boeing proposed a similar concept for missile launch, this time using an unmanned variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle with the launch vehicle mounted dorsally instead of ventrally. Boeing designated this variant as the F-15 Global Strike Eagle. The concept proposed the F-15 GSE as a low-cost demonstration of global strike capability utilizing a variety of munitions including the little-known Common Aero Vehicle.

Defined as a maneuverable, hypersonic reentry vehicle that has the capability of dispensing a variety of payloads inside the atmosphere, the CAV concept eventually merged with the Air Force/DARPA Falcon project. Providing a Low Earth Orbit launch capability for micro satellites, or microsats, was another mission possibility for the F-15 GSE and, with future upgrades, delivering heavier ballistic and orbital payloads. (1/23)

Twenty Years Later, Loss of Space Shuttle Columbia Still Teaches Us Lessons (Source: Florida Today)
The first few weeks of the year have historically been a period of pain for spaceflight. On Jan. 27, 1967, three Apollo 1 astronauts were killed on the pad when a fire broke out in their capsule; seven space shuttle Challenger astronauts were lost during a catastrophic launch failure on Jan. 28, 1986; and then Columbia's breakup over Texas on Feb. 1, 2003.

Looking forward, O'Keefe and other NASA officials who were on duty in 2003 naturally agree that remembering the tragedies is crucial not only to saving lives, but to the overall mission of exploration itself. It's a sentiment that takes on even more importance when considering Florida continues to break flight cadence records every year, sending more and more payloads – and people – to orbit as part of an overall strategy that looks to the moon and, someday, Mars.

"Looking around, talking to lots of folks, and it struck me: I thought, 'This is a good thing,'" O'Keefe said of the ceremony in Houston. "To remind everybody what this means is exactly what we had in mind." (1/31)

ATLAS Works With AWS To Advance Federated Network And Expand Ground Station Coverage (Source: ATLAS)
ATLAS Space Operations, a leading Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) provider, today announced that it is the first provider to join the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Solution Provider Program (SPP) to resell AWS Ground Station, a fully managed ground station infrastructure which lets customers control satellite communications, process data, and scale their operations. The SPP is an official AWS program allowing specific AWS Partners to resell AWS services to end customers as part of their unique offerings.

The SPP will expand ATLAS’ global federated network, a network of networks that work together seamlessly through Freedom™, ATLAS’ proprietary software that integrates its global ground network with partnered ground antenna sites. ATLAS clients will now have access to 11 additional ground sites, giving customers low-latency and low-cost access to AWS services so that they can quickly store and process their data. The Freedom software abstracts complexity through features such as flex scheduling, streaming metrics, pass insights, status updates, and one endpoint for all TT&C. This facilitates automation and integration into existing architectures. (1/31)

Enter the Hunter Satellites Preparing for Space War (Source: WIRED)
Former US AIR Force major Even “Jolly” Rogers is worried about a space war. “Conflict exists on a continuum that begins with competition and ultimately leads into full-scale conflict like what you’re seeing in Ukraine,” he says. The US, he adds, is already “in active competition with Russia and China for freedom of action and dominance of the space domain. And it’s evolving very quickly.” According to a recent FCC filing, True Anomaly is now gearing up for its first orbital mission.

In October, True Anomaly hopes to launch two Jackal “orbital pursuit” spacecraft aboard a SpaceX rocket to low earth orbit. The Jackals will not house guns, warheads, or laser blasters, but they will be capable of rendezvous proximity operations (RPO)—the ability to maneuver close to other satellites and train a battery of sensors upon them. This could reveal their rivals’ surveillance and weapons systems, or help intercept communications.

In their first mission, dubbed Demo-1, the Jackals will merely spy on each other, using thrusters, radar, and multi-spectral cameras to approach within a few hundred meters. If that goes well, Rogers envisages deploying thousands of autonomous spacecraft in service of the US military, controlled by a team of human operators and AI “to pursue adversaries wherever they fly, and to provide the tools of accountability.” (2/1)

Lynk Targets April for Launch of Sat-to-Phone Service (Source: Mobile World)
Lynk Global successfully deployed two more satellites as part of a plan to launch a phone connectivity service, despite the target for availability being pushed from December 2022 to April. CEO Charles Miller asserted the company remains in a good position to launch a satellite-to-phone service in April. Miller has maintained Lynk Global leads the sector, with technology patented in 2017 and space testing commenced in 2019. (1/11)