April 15, 2024

The Economics of Falling Satellite Costs and Their Global Impact (Source: Space Daily)
The space industry has witnessed a transformational decline in satellite launch costs over the past few decades. This trend represents a pivotal shift in the accessibility and frequency of space missions, fundamentally altering the economic landscape of the global space economy. Click here. (4/12)

Emerging Markets in the Space Economy: Opportunities Beyond the West (Source: Space Daily)
The space industry, once dominated by Western nations, is witnessing a significant shift as emerging markets invest heavily in developing their space capabilities. This expansion is not only redefining the geopolitical landscape of space exploration but also opening up new avenues for economic and technological growth in these nations. Click here. (4/12)

Private Sector Innovation and Its Impact on the Space Industry (Source: Space Daily)
The private sector's involvement in space exploration has dramatically transformed the landscape of the industry. Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and others have introduced new technologies and business models that have reduced costs, increased accessibility, and accelerated innovation in space travel and infrastructure. Click here. (4/12)

Space Technology's Role in Disaster Management and Climate Monitoring (Source: Space Daily)
Space technology has become an indispensable tool in disaster management and climate monitoring, providing critical data that helps mitigate the effects of natural disasters and environmental changes. As the frequency and intensity of such events increase due to climate change, the role of space-based assets has become more crucial in safeguarding populations and ecosystems. Click here. (4/12)

The Integration of Space and Everyday Technologies (Source: Space Daily)
The integration of space technology into everyday life is transforming how we communicate, navigate, and interact with our environment. Satellite technology, once the domain of specialized applications, is now a foundational component of everyday devices and services, enhancing connectivity and providing critical data across various sectors. Click here. (4/12)

Space Chiefs From 18 Nations Convene at Forum Hosted by Space Force (Source: Space Daily)
On April 11, military space leaders from 18 countries convened at the invitation of U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations, Gen. Chance Saltzman, for the fourth annual Space Chiefs Forum in Colorado Springs. Participants included representatives from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. (4/12)

Intelsat Seeks Government Backing for MEO Constellation (Source: Space News)
Intelsat says the U.S. government could help fund development of a medium Earth orbit constellation. Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras said in an interview that his company expects to select companies by the end of June to build a network of 17 MEO satellites that would augment its existing fleet of GEO satellites. He said there is strong interest in the system from U.S. government agencies, who could help finance the constellation as part of contracts to secure capacity on it. That constellation is intended to enter service in three and a half to four years. Intelsat is also proposing to invest in an unidentified company with technology for direct-to-device services. (4/15)

Space Force Acquisition Command Prioritizing Speed and Commercial Partnerships (Source: Space News)
The new head of the Space Force's Space Systems Command wants to prioritize speed and commercial partnerships. Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant said in an interview that he is focusing on building a skilled workforce, embracing commercial technologies and accelerating the delivery of mission-critical systems. He said the pressure to accelerate is driven by the new realities of the space environment as adversaries develop advanced capabilities. He added that the Space Force's new commercial space strategy will support efforts to make greater use of commercial capabilities, along with a new funding line in the Space Force's budget for buying commercial services. (4/15)

European Space Law On Hold (Source: Space News)
A European space law is on hold, along with a contract for a connectivity constellation. The European Commission had expected to release a draft space law this month after delaying it from March, but at a European Parliament committee meeting last week, commissioner Theirry Breton said that the law will likely be delayed until after European elections in June. He gave little explanation for the delay, and the contents of the bill itself remain under wraps. The award of a contract to an industry consortium for the IRIS² secure connectivity constellation also appears to be on hold, with Breton saying that an independent committee was still evaluating the proposed contract, which had been expected to be finalized last month. (4/15)

Astroscale Inspection Satellite Moving to Next Phase of Mission (Source: Space News)
An Astroscale inspection satellite has entered the next phase of its mission. The company said last week that its ADRAS-J spacecraft, launched in February, had completed the rendezvous phase of its approach to a derelict Japanese upper stage in low Earth orbit and was now moving into the proximity operations phase. In that phase, the spacecraft will rely on its own sensors to maneuver relative to the stage, ultimately approaching within dozens of meters before the mission ends around the end of May. ADRAS-J is a precursor to a second mission backed by the Japanese space agency JAXA that will grapple and deorbit the upper stage. (4/15)

China Launches Commercial Remote Sensing Satellite (Source: Space News)
China launched a commercial remote sensing satellite early Monday. A Long March 2D rocket lifted off at 12:12 a.m. Eastern from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, putting the Gaojing-3 (01), or SuperView-3 (01), satellite into its planned orbit. The satellite will provide commercial imagery for agricultural, urban planning and other applications. The spacecraft is designed to provide imagery with a resolution of 0.5 meters and swath width of 130 kilometers. (4/15)

Lockheed’s Mid-Size Bus Set to Fly This Year (Source: Payload)
Lockheed Martin is preparing to launch its medium-sized LM 400 bus before the end of the year in preparation for a few classified opportunities coming down the pipeline, said Lockheed Space President Robert Lightfoot. The company has a number of tech demos waiting for their time to fly, Lightfoot said. LM 400 is up next to allow the company to test and prove the bus in orbit ahead of at least three classified opportunities for which the bus could be a good fit, he said. (4/10)

Scientists Race to Protect Future Lunar Telescopes (Source: IEEE Spectrum)
Astronomers could, in just the next few years, put radio telescopes on the far side of the moon, where the moon’s mass would block out all that electronic noise. For radio signals, it is probably the quietest place in the inner solar system. That’s in part because the moon is tidally locked, meaning that the far side always faces away from Earth. It’s also because as the universe expands, many distant signals are shifted toward longer wavelengths that are impossible for earthly telescopes to detect.

But this solution has a looming problem—namely, that everyone else interested in space has thought of the moon’s potential as well. Over the next two or three years, there could well be two dozen lunar missions, some landing astronauts or starting mining operations—and all transmitting on many different frequencies. There’s something of a lunar gold rush in progress, and astronomers want to make sure science doesn’t get trampled.

The worry is that things will happen that nobody anticipated. For instance, electrical circuits on spacecraft tend to “leak” unintended signals into space unless they’re adequately shielded. Imagine a satellite in lunar orbit, perhaps sent to observe the near side of the moon, ruining the observations by a radio telescope on the far side when it passes over. (4/8)

NASA Releases Source Selection Documents for Rover Design Competition (Source: Space News)
A NASA document outlines how the agency picked the three companies that are working on lunar rover designs. NASA released the source selection statement last week for the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) competition, which resulted in contracts earlier this month to Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab.

NASA noted it received nine proposals, three of which were deemed unacceptable. Three others, from Astrobotic, Blue Origin and Leidos, also failed to make the cut, although the document does not explain how they fell short. Among the three winners, Astrolab had the highest "mission suitability" score but also the highest price at more than $1.9 billion; Intuitive Machines had the lowest score but also the lowest price at just under $1.7 billion. NASA plans to later select one of the companies for a task order to develop and demonstrate the rover. (4/15)

NASA PACE Data Released (Source: NASA)
NASA has released the first data from a new Earth science mission. NASA said last week it is now distributing "science-quality" data from the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite, launched in early February. The spacecraft has an ocean color instrument to study ocean biology and polarimeters to measure atmospheric aerosols. The initial data confirms that PACE is working as designed. (4/15)

Kendall: Broken Budget Process Threatens US in Space Race (Source: Space Daily)
US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall says US dominance in space is threatened by unpredictable and fluctuating domestic budgets, highlighting significant delays in budget approvals. He pointed out that the delay in approving the current fiscal year's budget, which came six months late, has cost the US valuable modernization lead time, emphasizing the strategic disadvantage posed by continuing resolutions. (4/12)