June 9, 2023

Why Didn't Other Newspapers Print the Explosive UFO Story? (Source: Vanity Fair)
I’ve learned that Kean and Blumenthal did, in fact, bring the story to the Times, but the paper of record turned it down. Blumenthal, reached by phone, confirmed the paper “passed on an early version” in April. The pair also pitched their story to Politico and The Washington Post. The Post had been trying to further report the story that the reporters had brought to the paper, but didn’t think it was ready for publication; among its reservations, according to a source familiar, was that it was unclear what members of Congress made of Grusch’s testimony.

“To be clear -- the Washington Post did not pass on our story,” Kean wrote on Facebook. “Ralph and I took it to the Debrief because we were under growing pressure to publish it very quickly.” When the pair realized the Post “just needed more time and there was no clear sense of when we might finish that process,” they took the story to The Debrief, an outlet that had published the two before and was “willing and able to move quickly,” he said. Now out in the world, the reporting process is raising even more eyebrows.

During interviews with both Grusch and Kean, it became clear that neither had seen photos of the alleged craft. NewsNation’s Brian Entin asked Kean about the lack of receipts: “He has the credentials, but there’s no documents that he’s handed over, there’s no pictures, and as a journalist, you want to see documents; you want to see pictures.” But Kean said the lack of documents or photographs did not raise red flags for her because “all of that information is classified.” She believes it, she said, “because of all the sources I have who have told me the same thing… I don’t think there’s some conspiracy among all these people who don’t know each other to make something like this up.” (6/8)

CNES, E-Space Complete Next-Generation Low Earth Orbit Constellation Study (Source: Space Daily)
E-Space has completed a five-month feasibility study, commissioned by the French Space Agency, Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). The study aimed at assessing and validating the technical capabilities of the E-Space satellite system (space platform, communication payload, guidance, navigation and control (GNC) and user terminal) as well as the long-term viability of the Company's underlying business model. The study further identified technical opportunities to expand engagements for future collaborations between CNES, E-Space and the French space ecosystem. (6/9)

Bigger Chinese Rocket for Moon Landing (Source: Xinhua)
China is working on a rocket for its moon landing mission, which will send a manned spaceship and a lander to lunar orbit in two separate flights, chief designer of the country's manned space program Zhou Jianping revealed. The spaceship will send the taikonauts to lunar orbit and dock with the lunar lander. The lander will subsequently carry the taikonauts to the moon's surface. After they complete tasks there, the lander's ascender will lift the taikonauts back into lunar orbit to rejoin the spaceship and then return to Earth, Zhou said in a media interview.

When asked to compare with the crewed space station flights, Zhou said the moon landing mission would be more difficult, as the latter demands a larger carrying capacity of the launch vehicle. To achieve a moon landing, the required carrying capacity, equivalent delivery capacity to low-Earth orbit, will be around 130 to 140 tonnes, 30 to 40 percent larger than needed to launch the whole Chinese space station combination (with six components). (6/9)

Astronomers Observe Giant Tails of Helium Escaping Jupiter-Like Planet (Source: Space Daily)
A team of astronomers has used observations from the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at the McDonald Observatory to discover some of the longest tails of gas yet observed escaping a planet. The planet, HAT-P-32b, is nearly twice the size of Jupiter and losing its atmosphere through dramatic jets of helium unfurling before and behind it as it travels through space. These tails are more than 50 times the length of the planet's radius. (6/9)

Planet Labs Reports Q1 Loss, Lags Revenue Estimates (Source: Zach's)
Planet Labs posted a quarterly loss of $0.13 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.16. This compares to loss of $0.17 per share a year ago. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 18.75%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post a loss of $0.16 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.14, delivering a surprise of 12.50%. Planet Labs posted revenues of $52.7 million for the quarter ended April 2023. This compares to year-ago revenues of $40.13 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters. (6/8)

India's Next Generation Launch Vehicle, a Preliminary Report (Source: Times of India)
A large team at India's space agency is working on the proposed Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) and the architecture has been finalized. “The preliminary report has been submitted by the team which elaborates on what the rocket should look like...We want it to be at least partially (the boosters) reusable, it should use the new generation propulsion, have cryogenic propulsionin case we need to improve payload and it must be manufacturable using the materials currently available in India. (6/8)

Starship, Budgets, Complacency -- Jim Free's Top Worries About Artemis (Source: Space Policy Online)
The successful Artemis I uncrewed test flight last year was a feather in NASA’s cap as it gets ready to return American astronauts to the lunar surface. But many challenges lie ahead. In fact, the man in charge of the program is worried Artemis I went so well that complacency will set in. Not to mention whether SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System will be ready in time or if he’ll get the budget he needs. All in all, he thinks that first post-Apollo Moon landing likely will slip from 2025 to 2026. Click here. (6/8)

US Must Update Military Requirements for Satellite Cyber Defense (Source: Breaking Defense)
When it comes to the security of space assets, there is widespread agreement the greatest threat will come in the cyber domain. In the following op-ed, former vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Sandy Winnefeld and former Air Force Materiel Command head Ellen Pawlikowski lay out their vision of how to introduce greater cyber resiliency for space.

Catastrophic events, such as the terrorist attacks of 9/11, sometimes arrive as so-called “black swans.” These are events completely unforeseen, largely due to failures of imagination. Other times, catastrophes have arrived in the form of so-called “gray rhinos” — equally impactful events that were actually envisioned by leaders who failed to take preventive measures. Click here. (6/8)

SAIC to Develop ‘Software Factory’ for Space Development Agency (Source: Space News)
The Space Development Agency awarded a $64 million contract to Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) to develop a software applications factory for the agency’s low Earth orbit constellation. The contract, announced June 8, is for the agency’s BMC3 application factory, short for Battle Management Command, Control and Communications.

BMC3 is the on-orbit data processing and computing system for the Transport Layer of communications satellites that the Space Development Agency (SDA) plans to deploy over the next several years. SAIC will not build an actual factory but a cloud-based development process to design, test and update software applications using a repeatable path. The system also has to provide extra layers of cybersecurity to protect classified information. (6/8)

Space Force Assigns 12 National Security Missions to SpaceX and ULA (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force launch procurement office on June 8 announced an additional 12 missions assigned to SpaceX and ULA under the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contract. The 12 missions are projected to start launching in 2025. SpaceX was assigned five Space Development Agency (SDA) launches to low Earth orbit and a U.S. Space Force classified mission, USSF-31. SDA is building a large constellation of communications and missile-tracking sensor satellites that will be launched in batches. ULA was assigned two SDA launches; two National Reconnaissance Office missions, NROL-64 and NROL-83; the eighth Global Positioning System GPS 3; and the U.S. Space Force USSF-114 classified mission. (6/8)

Space-Flown Seeds Take Root in Orbit with UF (Source: WMFE)
Scientists are beginning to understand how plants grow in space. Crews on the ISS have grown radishes, mustard seeds, and even chilies. Rob Ferl and Anna-Lisa Paul, researchers at the University of Florida, found that the plants change their cellular structure to grow in the harsh conditions of space -- and want to find out if they pass on those changes to the next generation. We spoke with Anna-Lisa Paul, research professor in horticultural sciences and Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research at the University of Florida, about a second generation of space seeds taking root in low-Earth orbit. Click here. (6/7)

UF Research: Brain Cavities That Swell in Space May Need at Least 3 Years to Recover (Source: Science News)
Spacing out spaceflights may benefit astronauts’ brains. While outside Earth’s atmosphere, fluid-filled chambers in the brains of astronauts tend to adapt to microgravity by expanding. But after a space mission, these structures might take three years to shrink back to normal, researchers report June 8 in Scientific Reports. The finding suggests that astronauts might need at least that much time between flights before their brains are ready to be in space again.

At the brain’s center sit four cavities — or ventricles — brimming with liquid that cushions the organ and clears out waste. But with little gravity in space, fluids accumulate in an astronaut’s head. So the ventricles adapt by taking in more fluid and expanding, says space scientist Rachael Seidler of the University of Florida in Gainesville. (6/8)

Firefly Aerospace Acquires Spaceflight Inc. (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace has acquired Spaceflight Inc., adding its satellite transportation services to its portfolio of launch vehicles and spacecraft. Firefly said acquiring Spaceflight would help it offer “end-to-end” space transportation services, which includes the Alpha launch vehicle, Blue Ghost lunar lander and Space Utility Vehicle transfer vehicle. The companies did not disclose the terms of the acquisition.

Spaceflight has been owned by a 50/50 partnership of Japanese companies Mitsui & Co. and Yamasa Co. for three years, after parent company Spaceflight Industries spun off its rideshare launch business as Spaceflight Inc. In February it hired Tiphaine Louradour, former president of International Launch Services, as its new chief executive. (6/8)

Capella Space Awarded Multi-Year Blanket Purchase Agreement by NASA (Source: SpaceRef)
Capella Space announced it has been awarded a five year blanket purchase agreement (BPA) by NASA’s Earth Science Division for the purchase of its high resolution SAR imagery and data for evaluation to determine their suitability for advancing NASA’s science and application goals. Under this sole-source agreement, NASA will have access to Capella’s commercial SAR image products, which range from 0.5 to 1.2 meter ground resolution and represent one of the highest resolution imagery capabilities offered by any SAR provider. (6/8)

GAO Raises Concerns About Space Force Projects (Source: Space News)
The Government Accountability Office raised some concerns about Space Force programs in a new assessment. A report Thursday looking at 101 of the Pentagon's largest programs cautioned that the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) geostationary missile warning satellites "must overcome numerous challenges" to be able to start launching in 2025. GAO said the estimated cost to date of developing the satellites has exceeded $6 billion. The report also said the SDA's architecture of satellite constellations for missile tracking and communications "faces challenges with integrating a complex system of multiple vendors and segments" into systems the agency plans to update every two years. (6/9)

Spending Caps Likely to Impact NASA Budget (Source: Space News)
NASA officials say spending caps that were part of the debt-limit deal will likely keep the agency from getting its full 2024 budget proposal funded. That deal caps non-defense discretionary spending at 2023 levels for fiscal year 2024 and raises it 1% for 2025. Appropriators have yet to start work on spending bills or even get funding allocations for those bills. However, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said at a committee meeting this week that it's "unlikely" NASA will get the 7% increase it sought for 2024. She and other officials, though, say they don't know the implications of the caps on specific agency programs, other than it may create additional stress on them. (6/9)

China Launches Experimental Satellite on Kuaizhou-1A Rocket (Source: Xinhua)
China launched an experimental satellite on a small rocket Thursday night. A Kuaizhou-1A solid-fuel rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 10:35 p.m. Eastern and placed the Longjiang-3 satellite into its planned orbit. Chinese media said Longjiang-3 will verify communications and remote sensing technologies. (6/9)

Astroscale Defines Satellite Servicing Mission (Source: Space News)
Astroscale has outlined its plans for a satellite servicing mission. The End of Life Services by Astroscale-Multiple mission, or ELSA-M, spacecraft will capture and deorbit a OneWeb communications satellites in what Astroscale calls the first commercial satellite deorbiting mission. ELSA-M, scheduled to launch in 2025, will deorbit the defunct OneWeb spacecraft and other satellites over the course of its life. (6/9)

India's Nelco Invests $122 Million in Piscis (Source: Space News)
Indian satellite communications provider Nelco has invested in a startup to bolster its services. Nelco has invested $122 million in Piscis Networks, a two-year-old manufacturer of routers designed to make communications infrastructure more efficient. Nelco said the 9% stake in Piscis would enable it to provide more integrated services in the country's evolving satellite communications market. (6/9)

Installing a New ISS New Solar Array (Source: NASA)
Two astronauts conducted a spacewalk to install a new solar array on the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Steve Bowen and Woody Hoburg installed one of two IROSA solar arrays delivered to the station earlier this week on a cargo Dragon spacecraft. A spacewalk next week will install the other array. (6/9)

Sunlight Leak Interferes with ISS NICER X-Ray Observations (Source: NASA)
An astrophysics payload on the station is suffering from a "sunlight leak." NASA said Thursday that sunlight appears to be getting into the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) instrument mounted on the station's exterior, interfering with its X-ray observations. Engineers suspect that a thermal shield on NICER has been damaged, allowing sunlight to reach the X-ray collectors inside the instrument. The issue does not affect NICER observations at night. Controllers have made operational changes to NICER to mitigate the effects during daytime and are also considering other measures. (6/9)

Aerospace and Emerging Tech Florida Companies Fueled by $200,000 in Award Dollars, Capital Investment (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida and the Florida Venture Forum announce winners in the 2023 Florida Aerospace+EmergingTech Forum, a competition dedicated to fueling the growth of emerging tech and aerospace companies in the Sunshine State. Anya Freeman of Kind Designs (Miami Beach) is the grand prize award recipient. Rob Sladen of Zulu Pods (Ft. Lauderdale) is first runner up. Zack Ernst of Ainthoven (Cocoa Beach) is second runner up. And Don Gaspar of Gigantor Technologies (Melbourne Beach) is third runner up as the award recipients of the  held at Groundswell Startups in Melbourne, Florida.

A panel of investor judges reviewed each eligible company’s presentation and supporting materials. The four presenting companies were selected from a pool of more than 60 applicants by a committee of active Florida venture capital investors. The grand prize company will receive $40,000. The first runner up company will receive $30,000, the second runner up will receive $20,000, and third runner up will receive $10,000. Additionally, DeepWork Capital will invest $100,000 in Kind Designs. (6/8)