April 20, 2024

Slovenia Signs Artemis Accords, Joins Pursuit of Safer Space (Source: NASA)
NASA and Slovenia affirmed their cooperation in future space endeavors on Friday as Slovenia became the 39th country to sign the Artemis Accords. The signing certified Slovenia’s commitment to pursue safe and sustainable exploration of space for the benefit of humanity and took place during a U.S.-Slovenia strategic dialogue in Ljubljana, Slovenia, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Offices. (4/19)

NASA Leadership to Visit Mexico, Strengthen Cooperation (Source: NASA)
Continuing their significant engagement with key government officials around the world to deepen ties and strengthen space collaboration, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy will visit Mexico City on April 22-23. Nelson and Melroy will meet with senior Mexican government officials, including President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, pending confirmation, and Mexican Space Agency (AEM) leaders, to strengthen bilateral cooperation across a broad range of innovation and research areas, such as Earth science and exploration. Together, the two nations are working to achieve mutual goals of addressing climate change. (4/16)

Vice President Kamala Harris Launches Call to Action to Bring the Benefits of Space to Communities Across America (Source: White House)
Under Vice President Kamala Harris’s leadership of the National Space Council, the U.S. is continuing to steward the responsible and sustainable use of space to protect our national security interests, address the climate crisis, foster a thriving commercial space sector, and more. In 2022, the Vice President announced commitments to inspire, prepare, and employ the space workforce and ensure that the U.S.’ future in space remains strong.

The Vice President issued a call to action for both the private and public sectors to bring the benefits of space to communities across our Nation. As part of this call to action private and public organizations and institutions are announcing commitments to help achieve that aim. To strengthen U.S. space collaboration and increase public engagement, the U.S. Department of Education (ED), Women in Aerospace (WIA), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Club for the Future, and the Space Foundation are collaborating through a Private-Public-Partnership with more than 150 companies to develop Space4All. This is a five-year awareness campaign to raise public understanding of the benefits of space for life on Earth.

In September 2022, Vice President Harris announced a newly formed coalition of space organizations that are working together to meet the rising demand for a skilled technical workforce in the U.S. space industry. The coalition – launched in Florida, the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast, and Southern California – has expanded to include nearly 40 companies, organizations, and academic institutions across the federal, state, regional, and local levels. (4/6)

ULA Plans to Use Vulcan for On-Orbit Services (Source: Defense One)
United Launch Alliance is strategizing to repurpose the upper stages of its Vulcan Centaur rockets to remain in orbit, performing tasks such as satellite towing and defending against Chinese anti-satellite threats, in response to competitors developing reusable heavy-lift rockets. ULA CEO Tory Bruno explained that these stages would be equipped with extra propellant, enabling them to undertake various missions for extended periods. (4/18)

China Launches Space Collaboration Forum with Latin America and the Caribbean (Source: Space Daily)
Next week, Wuhan, Hubei province, will be the site of the first-ever China-Latin America and the Caribbean Space Cooperation Forum, as announced by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). This inaugural two-day event, a collaborative effort among the CNSA, the Foreign Ministry, and the government of Hubei province, is scheduled to begin on April 24, which is celebrated as China's Space Day. (4/18)

FAU Joins NASA for University Nanosatellite Project (Source: Space Daily)
Florida Atlantic University's College of Engineering and Computer Science has been chosen as one of eight U.S. university teams to collaborate with NASA and the U.S. military. This partnership aims to boost innovation and expertise in the small satellite sector through the 2024 Mission Concept Program.

The program, a part of NASA's CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI), involves cooperation with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force to utilize nanosatellites. These are research spacecraft about the size of a 4-inch cube, usually weighing less than 5 pounds, and are instrumental in space research due to their size and cost-effectiveness. (4/18)

Knot Theory Aids in Mapping Efficient Space Routes (Source: Space Daily)
Scientists at the University of Surrey have devised a method to chart the most efficient routes for spacecraft, mirroring the way drivers use sat-nav to navigate on Earth. This new technique harnesses mathematics to outline potential paths from one orbit to another, sidestepping the need for extensive computational resources or trial-and-error approaches.

Danny Owen, from the Surrey Space Center, developed the method. He explains, "Traditionally, plotting a course in space could be haphazard, relying on extensive calculations or educated guesses. Our method systematically identifies all viable spacecraft trajectories between two orbits with a shared energy level, much like a tube map guides commuters through metropolitan transit systems." (4/18)

Momentus and Ascent Solar Technologies Announce New Solar Array Partnership (Source: Space Daily)
Momentus and Ascent Solar Technologies unveiled their partnership aimed at jointly marketing innovative solar arrays that integrate Momentus's low-cost Tape Spring Solar Array (TASSA) technology and Ascent's advanced, flexible photovoltaic modules. This collaboration will deliver a solar solution offering significant benefits including cost-effectiveness, durability under extreme space conditions, and high power output capabilities. (4/18)