June 1, 2023

Using Data From Spitzer and TESS, Scientists Discover Exoplanet Littered with Volcanoes (Source: NSF)
Using data collected by NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope and NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a team of scientists has discovered an exoplanet that could potentially be covered with volcanoes. The exoplanet is Earth-sized, and the team’s results suggest that the gravitational pull of a neighboring exoplanet could be causing an increase in volcanic activity on the exoplanet.

If the results and conclusions from the team, which is led by Merrin Peterson of the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) at the University of Montreal, are true, the exoplanet, named LP 791-18 d, could be extremely similar to one of Jupiter’s four Galilean moons, Io — which is the most volcanically active celestial body in our solar system — and undergo regular outbursts of volcanic activity. (5/31)

Satellite Data Could Boost Border Security, Disaster Response (Source: Defense One)
Data should join radios, flashlight, and maps as indispensable tools in disaster response and border operations, Department of Homeland Security leaders say. “It's not always conducive to operations to just give somebody a radio. I also need to be able to see where they're at,” said Dan Steadman, the acting assistant chief for U.S. Border Patrol, during the GEOINT conference.

Steadman recalled the fatal shooting of a border patrol agent by a fellow agent in 2012. He said he heard shots fired over the radio, and he believes the death could have been prevented with the right technology and information, namely the Team Awareness Kit or Tactical Assault Kit, known as TAK. If TAK were available in 2012, the agents “would have seen each other, they would have known where each other were, they would have been able to respond appropriately to the situation that was going on. Being able to respond to sensors, they would have had overall situational awareness and that increased officer safety,” he said. (5/31)

Rocket Lab's Neutron Rocket Costs $50 Million To Launch, Competing With SpaceX's Falcon 9 Rocket (Source: TradeAlgo)
Rocket Lab is developing a larger, reusable launch vehicle named Neutron, with a cost of around $50 million per launch to compete with Elon Musk's SpaceX. "We are positioning Neutron to compete directly with the Falcon 9," Rocket Lab CFO Adam Spice said earlier this week at a Bank of America event in London on Tuesday.

‍The company revealed Neutron when it went public in 2021, and Spice says the rocket will launch in 2024. Rocket Lab said in its fourth-quarter report last month that it had begun production of Neutron's initial tank structures, as well as the building of the rocket's launch pad. Spice stated that the business intends to undertake the first "fire test" of an Archimedes engine, which will power Neutron, "before the end of the year." SpaceX offers a Falcon 9 launch for $67 million, and Spice says Rocket Lab is seeking to match that pricing for satellite clients on a cost-per-kilogram basis. It implies Neutron is aiming for a "$50 million to $55 million launch service cost," according to Spice. (5/25)

Space Law May Soon Focus on Space Debris Cleanup, Not Just Mitigation (Source: SpaceRef)
A test mission that involves cleaning up a piece of space debris by grabbing and moving it with a metal claw may preview how regulations could change in the future, according to a space law professor. Clearspace-1, a mission with a four-armed spacecraft developed by Switzerland’s ClearSpace which resembles the prize-grabbing claw machine one would find in an arcade, is expected to launch in 2026.

The goal of the CLEAR mission is to remove from orbit a Vespa upper stage that’s been whizzing around the planet since it was left behind during a 2013 mission. The European Space Agency backed the mission to demonstrate debris removal, although the Vespa will fall gradually back to Earth’s atmosphere over time regardless of intervention.

Most space debris situations fall under the United Nations’ Liability Convention that entered in force in September 1972. The nonbinding convention for signatories builds on language from the Outer Space Treaty, which is widely regarded as a foundational part of space law despite being equally nonbinding. Simply put, both the treaty and the Liability Convention make the launching party responsible for the damage caused by any space objects on Earth or in space. (5/31)

Rocket Lab to Launch Telesat Prototype Satellite (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab will launch a new prototype satellite for Telesat's broadband constellation. Rocket Lab said Wednesday it won a contract to launch the LEO 3 satellite on an Electron in the third quarter of the year. Telesat announced earlier this week it contracted with the University of Toronto's Space Flight Laboratory to build the satellite, allowing Telesat to continue tests it had been doing with another prototype satellite. (6/1)
 
New Zealand Releases National Space Policy (Source: Reuters)
The New Zealand government has unveiled a national space policy. The policy, released Wednesday, seeks to grow the country's space sector and create international partnerships. It also promotes "safe and secure" space activities and the use of space to protect national security interests. (6/1)

Scotland's Orbex Hires New CEO (Source: Northern Times)
Launch vehicle developer Orbex has hired a new CEO. The Scotland-headquartered company said it hired "tech veteran" Martin Coates as CEO, citing his more than 30 years of experience leading various companies. Coates served on the board of Orbex in its first few years. The company's founding CEO, Chris Larmour, unexpectedly resigned in April, saying the company needed new leadership for its next stage of growth. Orbex is developing a small launch vehicle called Prime yet to make its first launch. (6/1)

Space Assets Need More Cybersecurity (Source: IEEE Spectrum)
Cybersecurity researchers worry the space industry is not paying enough attention to protecting systems from cyberattacks. In a paper presented at a recent conference, a digital security researcher noted that there were no cybersecurity requirements in the call for proposals for new spacesuits. Those researchers note that a "security by obscurity" approach that had previously been used for space systems may no longer be valid today, citing vulnerabilities ranging from theft of data to ransomware. (6/1)

UCF and KSC Scientists Examine How Rocket Exhaust From Moon Landings Will Threaten Future Missions (Source: Discover)
The ejecta from lunar landings and launches could envelop the moon in a cloud of high-velocity dust particles that threaten other lunar missions. But just how significant this problem will be is currently unknown. Enter Philip Metzger at the University of Central Florida and James Mantovani at the NASA Kennedy Space Center, who have attempted to quantify the risks for the first time. They say that spacecraft orbiting high above the lunar surface should be safe but others making closer approaches risk significant impacts with this dust.

The exhaust from a 40-tonne lander is likely to accelerate surface dust to speeds of around 4500 meters per second, more than enough to send them into lunar orbit and beyond. Metzger and Mantovani calculate the trajectory of these particles and say they will form a sheet of ejecta that the orbiting Lunar Gateway is likely to have to fly through several times before it disperses. However, the damage from such impacts is likely to be minimal. Click here. (5/31)

Fortify Raises $12.5 Million for Digital Composite Manufacturing (Source: Space News)
Boston-based startup Fortify raised $12.5 million from investors including Lockheed Martin Ventures and Raytheon Technologies’ RTX Ventures. It was the first joint investment by the venture capital arms of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. With the additional funding, Fortify plans to accelerate development of its Digital Composite Manufacturing platform, which prints composite materials designed down to the nanoscale for high performance, said Karlo Delos Reyes, Fortify co-founder and chief customer officer. (6/1)

Patrick Space Force Base Selected to Host the Space Training and Readiness Command Headquarters (Source: USAF)
The Department of the Air Force selected Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, as the preferred location to host the Space Training and Readiness Command Headquarters, along with Space Delta 10. Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the preferred location for Space Delta 11, and Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, is the preferred location for Space Delta 12.
 
STARCOM, one of three U.S. Space Force field commands, is responsible for the deliberate development, education, and training of space professionals in addition to the development of space warfighting doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures, and the operational test and evaluation of Space Force systems. Space Delta 10 is responsible for doctrine and wargaming, is expected to also be located at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida. This delta develops Space Force doctrine and tactics, conducts the service’s Lessons Learned program, and executes and supports wargames to adequately posture space forces and designated joint and allied partners. (5/31)

U.S. Space Command Takes Over Responsibility for Protecting Homeland From Missile Strikes (Source: Space News)
U.S. Space Command has officially been assigned responsibilities for protecting the US from missile attacks, a job previously held by US Strategic Command. The plan directs the transfer of missile defense responsibilities from the U.S. Strategic Command commander to the U.S. Space Command commander. A key role in missile defense is to detect launches of potential threats such as North Korean ballistic missiles, and provide early warning. (5/31)

UFOs Will Remain Mysterious Without Better Data, NASA Study Team Says (Source: Space.com)
NASA held the first public meeting to discuss the findings of its UAP independent study team on May 31. The group, formed in June 2022, aims to examine data related to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), a new term that encompasses objects or incidents in the sky, underwater or in space that can't be immediately identified. The group includes former astronaut Scott Kelly and 15 other investigators from a wide variety of fields including astronomy, oceanography and even journalism.

During the opening remarks in today's hearing, team members stressed that the biggest roadblock in terms of understanding these unidentified phenomena is a lack of data. Nevertheless, NASA's Daniel Evans, assistant deputy associate administrator for research within the agency's Science Mission Directorate, noted that, because public interest in UAP is at a seeming all-time high, it is NASA's responsibility to give the topic the "rigorous scientific scrutiny" it deserves. "First and foremost, it provides an opportunity for us to expand our understanding of the world around us," Evans said. "This work is in our DNA."

Nicki Fox, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said that the UAP independent study team was commissioned "to create a roadmap on how to use the tools of science to evaluate and categorize the nature of UAPs going forward." Fox noted, however, that accessing high-quality data is difficult because the sensor platforms used to capture data are often classified. She stressed the need for high-quality unclassified data, which "make it possible for our team to communicate openly to advance our understanding of UAP not only with each other, but across the scientific community and to the public." (5/31)

FCC Dings Spaceport America and a N.M. State Agency for Pirate Radio (Source: Radio World)
This is definitely not your typical case of pirate radio enforcement. The Federal Communications Commission has issued a notice of illegal radio broadcasting to an FAA-licensed space complex and a state agency in New Mexico. The Denver office of the FCC Enforcement Bureau said it got a complaint about unlicensed FM broadcasts on 95.3 MHz and 96.3 MHz in June of last year. Its agent traced the signals to the property of Spaceport America and said they were heard during the Spaceport America Cup 2022 event.

So the commission sent a letter to Spaceport America Director of Aerospace Operations Bill Gutman and to New Mexico State Land Office Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard. It is similar to the letter it has been sending to property owners and landlords as part of its ramped-up enforcement efforts under the PIRATE Act. It warns the spaceport and the state agency of possible financial penalties of up to $2.3 million “if … we determine that you have continued to permit any individual or entity to engage in illegal radio broadcasting on the property that you own or manage.” (5/30)

Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser Spaceplane Comes to Life (Source: Sierra Space)
Sierra Space announced the successful power up of its revolutionary Dream Chaser spaceplane. Dream Chaser represents a groundbreaking leap in space transportation technology, designed to provide reliable and cost-effective access to space for a wide range of applications. With its unique lifting body design, the spaceplane combines the flexibility of an aircraft with the capabilities of a spacecraft, revolutionizing space travel.

The power-up of Dream Chaser signifies the activation of its integrated systems, showcasing the culmination of years of rigorous engineering, design, and testing. Sierra Space simulated the power that will be generated from Dream Chaser’s solar arrays once on orbit. Test engineers plugged that power into Dream Chaser and began turning on systems. Sierra Space exercised flight computers, base processors and low-voltage distribution units. (5/31)

Korea to Launch Earth Observation Satellite on Vega Rocket (Source: European Spaceflight)
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute has selected the Arianespace Vega C rocket to launch its Kompsat-6 Earth observation satellite. The launch is scheduled for no earlier than December 2024 from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. (5/31)

Environmental Analysis Clears Sentinel Missile Infrastructure Construction for Takeoff (Source: USAF)
The construction phase of Sentinel, the Air Force’s multi-billion-dollar missile modernization effort, was cleared to begin May 19 as Robert Moriarty, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for Installations, signed the project’s environmental record of decision. The Sentinel project will replace the 50-year-old Minuteman III ICBM program. The effort to modernize the land-based leg of the nation’s nuclear triad touches multiple states, covers thousands of miles, and impacts communities in Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, Colorado, Utah and Arizona. (5/24)

ESA Supports Commercialization of European Micro and Mini Launchers (Source: ESA)
Are you a European launch service provider of European privately developed micro or mini launchers? ESA is interested in supporting your growth and competitiveness! In line with the commercialization priority outlined in Agenda 2025, the primary objective of this call for ideas is to enhance the competitiveness of the European space transportation sector and identify to which extent European launch services based on privately developed micro and mini launchers could respond to ESA’s small payload needs, once they become operational. (5/31)

Company Insiders Made Billions Before SPAC Bust (Source: Wall Street Journal)
The SPAC boom cost investors billions. Insiders in the companies that went public were on the other side of the trade. Executives and early investors in companies that went public via special-purpose acquisition companies sold shares worth $22 billion through well-timed trades, profiting before share prices collapsed.

Some of the biggest winners were Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores’s investment firm Platinum Equity, British billionaire Richard Branson and convicted Nikola founder Trevor Milton. They were among many insiders who got shares on the cheap and sold them as they rose in value, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of insider-trading disclosures associated with more than 200 companies that did SPAC deals. Companies that went public this way have lost more than $100 billion in market value. At least 12 have filed for bankruptcy and more than 100 are running low on cash, battered by higher interest rates and rising costs. (5/30)

Melissa Quinn Explains Her Spaceport Cornwall Departure, Next Steps for Spaceport (Source: Via Satellite)
It could be another two to three years before another rocket launches from Spaceport Cornwall after the failed Virgin Orbit mission, says outgoing leader Melissa Quinn, who recently announced she will be leaving her role as head of the spaceport. Quinn told Via Satellite in an interview that the spaceport is taking a “wait and see” approach, but it seems another launch is some time away. The spaceport was the site of the Virgin Orbit launch failure during the spaceport’s first mission in January. Virgin Orbit is now ending operations after going through bankruptcy, selling its assets to Rocket Lab, Launcher, and Stratolaunch. (5/30)

Cutting-Edge Reconnaissance Satellites: Revolutionizing National Security from Space (Source: Space News)
IAI, a world-leading high-end reconnaissance satellite provider, offers both Electro-Optic (EO) and SAR capabilities. Designed as compact mini-satellites, they can be launched into orbit by smaller satellite launchers or ride-share with larger satellites on commercial missions. Built on IAI’s rich heritage of observation satellites, the OPTSAT 3000 represents the third-generation IAI’s EO Observation Satellites. This versatile system is designed to meet multi-purpose applications and critical national requirements. With the associated ground control stations, also developed and built by IAI, OPTSAT 3000 provides operational autonomy and full sovereignty to its customers. With high geo-location accuracy, these satellites deliver excellent image quality, agility, and multimode imaging capability. (5/30)