June 18, 2024

Does SpaceX Have a Monopoly, and Will It Be Broken? (Source: Launchpad)
Regarding mass-to-orbit, SpaceX launches just shy of 90% of it. Regarding total launch cadence, SpaceX alone controls 45% of it. Accessibility to the ISS? Currently the only operating domestic provider outside of test flights. Total number of satellites? Over 6000 out of 14,450 launched. Ever. With numbers like these, it’s easy to understand why people point to SpaceX as a modern monopoly. Easy to understand why SpaceX isn’t going anywhere, with an intrinsic connection to US national security and space power (to be a superpower in the 21st century and beyond, you need a top-of-field space program).

Little has been levied against SpaceX for monopolistic practices, because SpaceX hasn’t explicitly taken anticompetitive measures. Being good at launching rockets does not equate to market manipulation, no matter how much pressure it puts on the underdog. So despite some scrutiny online and atop Capitol Hill alike, SpaceX isn’t in any danger of being anti-trust regulated, far less broken up, anytime soon. Especially in a country like America that values affordable and rapid space accessibility over its geopolitical competition. (6/18)

NASA Enter Into Agreement with Amazon Web Services to Host and Store Space Agency Data (Source: Launchpad)
Amazon Web Services and NASA have entered into a Space Act Agreement to explore best practices around discovery, access, and use of high-value NASA science datasets. Making analytics-optimized data stores available to the science community will minimize the need for data wrangling and preprocessing within the community, leading to a faster time to insight and quicker innovation. (6/18)

Government Space Program Spending of the Leading Countries in the World 2022-2023 (Source: Statista)
In 2023, global government expenditure for space programs hit a record of approximately $117 billion. The United States Government spent around $73.2 billion on its space programs in 2023, making it the country with the highest space expenditure in the world. The U.S. was followed by China, with government expenditure on space programs of over $14 billion. (6/16)

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Spies China’s Chang’e 6 Spacecraft on Far Side of the Moon (Source: SciTech Daily)
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed China’s Chang’e 6 on the Moon, revealing its location on a crater within the geologically rich Apollo basin, characterized by ancient basaltic flows. NASA’s LRO imaged China’s Chang’e 6 sample return spacecraft on the far side of the Moon on June 7. Chang’e 6 landed on June 1, and when LRO passed over the landing site almost a week later, it acquired an image showing the lander on the rim of an eroded, 55-yard-diameter crater. (6/18)

Space Force Taps Four Firms for Laser Network Project (Source: Space News)
The Space Systems Command (SSC) announced it has awarded contracts to four companies to develop prototypes for laser communication terminals, kicking off the first phase of a $100 million program dubbed Enterprise Space Terminal. Blue Origin, CACI International, General Atomics, and Viasat will compete to design and prototype optical communications terminals for use in space. These terminals essentially function like high-powered modems, using lasers to transmit and receive data over vast distances at the speed of light. (6/17)

Warp Drives Could Generate Gravitational Waves (Source: Phys.org)
Warp drives have their roots in one of the most popular science fiction franchises ever, but they do have a scientific basis. A new paper examines the science behind them and asks if a warp drive containment failure would emit detectable gravitational waves. The paper simulated the breakdown of a warp bubble. They found that the collapse generated gravitational waves with characteristics different from those generated by mergers. "The signal comes as a burst, initially having no gravitational wave content, followed by an oscillatory period with a characteristic frequency of order 1/[R]," they write. (6/17)

GAO Eyes Problems With Space Force Programs (Source: Space News)
A new GAO report identified several problems with Space Force programs. A report issued Monday by the GAO examined 70 major weapons systems across the Defense Department and raised issues with several managed by the Space Force. They include the Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX) for GPS, which has suffered long-running problems, as well as new GPS user equipment. It also noted potential problems with an optical communications terminal standard established by the Space Development Agency. Overall, the report paints a troubling picture of the Pentagon's ability to rapidly field cutting-edge tech. (6/18)

Rocket Lab Wins 10-Launch Contract From Japan's Synspective (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab has won its largest launch contract yet, courtesy of a Japanese company. Synspective has signed a contract for 10 launches of its radar imaging satellites on Electron from 2025 to 2027. Rocket Lab has launched all four of Synspective's satellites to date and will launch two more later this year under an earlier contract. Synspective is launching its satellites individually on Electron rockets to have more control over orbits and schedules. (6/18)

Gilat to Acquire Stellar Blu (Source: Space News)
Gilat Satellite Networks announced Monday it will acquire Stellar Blu, an aircraft equipment integration specialist, for up to $245 million. The acquisition will allow Gilat to pursue the in-flight connectivity market by incorporating Stellar Blu's terminal platform, which incorporates electronically steered array technology to provide Ku-band services. Gilat plans to pay Stellar Blu $98 million after closing the transaction before the end of this year, and up to $147 million more over two years if the combined group achieves business and financial objectives. (6/18)

Northrop Grumman Expands in Virginia (Source: WHSV)
Northrop Grumman has officially begun construction on a new manufacturing plant in Waynesboro that will bring nearly 300 jobs to the area. The company anticipates construction of the Waynesboro plant to finish in 2025 and for production to begin in 2026. The city of Waynesboro hopes to see an increase in high-salary jobs over the next few years as a direct result of the plant’s opening. The company is also expected to offer training for its employees through a partnership with various programs at Blue Ridge Community College. (6/17)

Spain's Ienai Space Raises $4.2 Million for Smallsat Thrusters (Source: Space News)
A Spanish startup has secured new funding for developing smallsat propulsion systems. Ienai Space has raised 3.9 million euros ($4.2 million) to start demonstrating electrospray thrusters in low Earth orbit around the end of this year. The company said the funding came after passing an ESA preliminary design review for the propulsion system, which included firing the thruster for nearly 400 hours. The first spacecraft to test the propulsion system, called ATHENA, are scheduled to launch late this year and early next year. (6/18)

US and India Discuss ISRO Astronaut Trip to ISS (Source: Space News)
The United States and India are a step closer to flying an Indian astronaut to the ISS. The two governments held a meeting of the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology Monday in New Delhi, where they announced they had secured "a carrier for the first-ever joint effort between NASA and ISRO astronauts at the International Space Station."

The announcement did not disclose the carrier or when the mission would fly. Such a joint mission was announced last June but with no formal updates from either agency since then. The two countries also said Monday they had a completed a strategic framework document for human spaceflight cooperation and would study potential roles for India on the lunar Gateway. (6/18)

Space Forge Gains Investment From NATO Fund (Source: Reuters)
A space startup is among the first recipients of investment from a fund affiliated with NATO. Space Forge, a space manufacturing startup based in the United Kingdom, is one of four companies selected for investment by the NATO Innovation Fund. That fund, with one billion euros of assets, is backed by 24 NATO member states to support key technologies needed for defense. The fund did not disclose how much it invested in Space Forge. (6/18)

Investor Facing Lawsuit Over Virgin Orbit Claims (Source: Bloomberg)
A self-proclaimed venture capitalist who proposed investing $200 million in Virgin Orbit before its bankruptcy is now facing a lawsuit. The Securities and Exchange Commission announced Monday it was suing Matthew Brown for false claims he made to Virgin Orbit and others about his proposal in March 2023 to invest $200 million in the launch company. Brown reportedly sent Virgin Orbit a doctored screenshot of his bank account showing he had $182 million; the account, in fact, had a balance of less than $1. Brown never responded to due-diligence requests from Virgin Orbit and the offer soon fell through. Virgin Orbit filed for bankruptcy in April 2023 and was later liquidated. (6/18)

Sidus Space Demonstrates AI Enhanced Firefighting Software Solution (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced the successful demonstration of an advanced software solution supported by its FeatherEdge technology aboard its LizzieSat satellite, which launched in March 2024 on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission. This innovation, achieved in collaboration with Xiomas Technologies, represents a significant milestone in the NASA-funded initiative to develop advanced thermal sensors, setting a new standard in space-based thermal sensing systems. (6/18)

CASIS Offers $750K for ISS R&D Projects (Source: CASIS)
The ISS National Lab recently released a new funding opportunity for technology development concepts proposing to utilize the orbiting laboratory to develop, test, or mature products and processes. They are offering $750,000 in total funding for projects that have a clear line of sight to commercial applications and demonstrate the potential to produce a positive direct or indirect economic impact in the near term. (6/18)

Kyocera Installs Fine Cordierite Ceramic Mirror on ISS for Optical Communications (Source: Space Daily)
Kyocera Corporation announced that its "Fine Cordierite" ceramic mirror has been chosen for use in experimental equipment to conduct optical communication between the ISS nd a mobile optical station on Earth. This is the first time*1 that cordierite has been adopted for such a purpose. (6/18)

LIST Launches Nanosatellite to Demonstrate Energy Harvesting in Space (Source: Space Daily)
The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) has launched its CubeSat project, LIST-SAT-01, marking the first Luxembourgish nanosatellite initiative with an in-house scientific experiment. This project aims to test and advance technologies developed at LIST, increasing their Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and achieving flight heritage for on-board technologies. (6/18)

New Research Supports Modified Gravity Theory Over Dark Matter (Source: Space Daily)
Scientists at Case Western Reserve University have found new evidence that could change our understanding of the cosmos. Tobias Mistele, a post-doctoral scholar at the Department of Astronomy, used gravitational lensing to investigate dark matter. He discovered that the rotation curves of galaxies remain flat for millions of light years.

Previously, it was believed that these curves must decline over distance. According to Newtonian gravity, stars at the outer edges of galaxies should move slower due to weaker gravitational pull. This discrepancy led to the dark matter theory, but even dark matter halos should end eventually. Mistele's analysis shows that this is not the case, suggesting that the influence of dark matter extends far beyond previous estimates. (6/18)

Kayhan Space Launches Comprehensive Spaceflight Intelligence Platform (Source: Space Daily)
Kayhan Space has launched Satcat.com, a spaceflight intelligence exchange that aggregates historical and real-time data for objects and events in Earth's orbit. Satcat is designed for a wide range of users, from space enthusiasts to industry experts, offering a single platform for researching, analyzing, and referencing space-related data.

While many resources provide essential information about orbital assets, there has been no single platform that combines data such as active and decayed satellite count, real-time and historical TLE data, and space weather forecasts. Satcat addresses this gap by unifying this information, allowing users to easily search, reference, and analyze information related to objects and activities in Earth's orbit. (6/17)

Why is This Year’s Budget Request Cutting the Space Force? (Source: The Hill)
The Defense Department’s $825 billion request was a top-line increase of 1 percent over 2024 and the top line of every military branch increased, except for one. The Air Force budget and intelligence pass-through both grew 2 percent; the Navy, Marine Corps and Defense Wide Agency budgets grew 1 percent, while the Army saw minimal 0.2 percent growth.

But the request for the Space Force was a 2 percent decrease. Is this year’s dip in the Space Force budget a brief pause before the department begins the next phase of space investment necessary to fight and win in the future? Or is it a signal that we are incapable of prioritizing investments vital to the nation’s defense? (6/17)

Mars Water Ice Possible Near Equator (Source: Polytechnique.edu )
Although Mars today is an arid desert, large quantities of water ice are buried underground near the poles, equivalent to the terrestrial permafrost found at high latitudes. From a scientific point of view, this ice could hold the secrets of Mars’ past climates and is therefore of great interest in a potential sample return. From another point of view, this ice could serve as a resource for future human missions to the Red Planet. However, this ice is confined to high latitudes, inaccessible to future Martian landings.

The presence of water ice near the equator is a key issue for future human exploration of Mars. In the current climate, this ice cannot exist near the equator but could be stable at accessible depths below pole-facing slopes down to latitudes of 25°, that is, close enough to the equator for a crewed mission. (6/17)

SpaceX Begins Building Second Starbase Launch Tower (Source: Valley Central)
A week after its fourth Starship launch, SpaceX is building its second Starbase launch tower at Boca Chica. On June 7, SpaceX began to clean up the area from the fourth Starship launch, which took place on June 6, to begin preparations to build the second launch tower. (6/16)

'Korea's Space X' Innospace to Go Public in July (Source: Korea Herald)
Innospace, a South Korean startup specializing in developing hybrid space rockets, said Monday that it will go public on the country’s tech-heavy bourse Kosdaq next month, spearheading the private sector’s space shuttle era. The Korean space launch vehicle developer succeeded in the test launch that blasted off from the Alcantara Space Center in Brazil on March 19, opening up a new chapter for the country’s space sector. It also marked the world’s first successful launch of a hybrid rocket using an electric pump. (6/17)

Rocket Lab Steps In to Help Students Hit by Space Camp Company Collapse (Source: Stuff)
Space company Rocket Lab has stepped in with an offer to school students whose dreams of visiting Nasa have been dashed after the company that organised the trips went into liquidation. It’s estimated about 100 families were affected in this country after Actura New Zealand’s parent company in Australia collapsed. The company organised study trips for high school students to Nasa and the Great Barrier Reef.

Eva Niehorster, whose daughter was due to travel to Nasa in the US in December, said her family has lost over $10,000. After hearing the news, Rocket Lab approached the affected families with an offer to show the students around the company’s Auckland facility. (6/16)

NASA’s ‘Artificial Star’ in Earth Orbit to Help with Telescope Calibration (Source: Interesting Engineering)
NASA aims to put an “artificial star” in orbit around the Earth by 2029 to calibrate ground-based telescopes properly. Named Landolt, this artificial star is a small satellite that will be equipped with eight lasers. This shoebox-sized satellite will orbit Earth at 22,236 miles, mimicking a real star for telescopes.

During its first year in orbit, Landolt will appear to be hovering in a fixed position above the United States. Due to its low brightness, this tiny satellite object will not be visible to the human eye. However, astronomers using personal telescopes may be able to spot it.  The space agency has approved a $19.5 million Landolt NASA Space Mission to create this tiny satellite. (6/17)

Webb Identifies Surprising Carbon-Rich Ingredients Around Young Star (Source: NSF)
Using the joint NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) James Webb Space Telescope, a team of international scientists studied a disk of cosmic material surrounding an extremely low-mass star. The results from the investigation show the richest hydrocarbon chemistry ever observed within a protoplanetary disk, which is a disk of gas, dust, ice, and other material that surrounds a newly formed star wherein planets can form.

The new Webb observations were made as part of the MIRI Mid-Infrared Disk Survey (MINDS), which aims to understand the relation between the chemical inventory of protoplanetary disks and the properties of exoplanets. The results are not only providing the scientists with insight into the environment surrounding extremely young stars, but are also contributing to our understanding of the diversity of exoplanets, stars, and planetary systems. (6/17)

Things That Almost Go Boom (Source: Space Review)
In early 1959, crews were preparing for what was to be the first orbital launch attempt from Vandenberg Air Force Base when things went wrong, with nearly tragic results. Dwayne Day examines the near-explosion on the pad and how it shaped the Air Force’s space engineering processes. Click here. (6/17)
 
Artemis Accords Lift Off (Source: Space Review)
Ten countries have signed the Artemis Accords so far this year, as many as signed all of last year. Jeff Foust reports on what is driving the growing interest in the document outlining best practices for responsible space exploration. Click here. (6/17)
 
The Rush to Return Humans to the Moon and Build Lunar Bases Could Threaten Opportunities for Astronomy (Source: Space Review)
A new surge of government and commercial space activity is opening up the Moon for exploration and development. But, Martin Elvis warns, that activity would interfere with aspects of the Moon that make it an ideal outpost for astronomy. Click here. (6/17)

ISRO Chief: Satellite Launch Market Grim, Need to Create Internal Demand (Source: Economic Times)
The satellite launch market the world over is grim, ISRO chairman S Somanath has said, while highlighting that there are rockets available and are waiting for demand. "They think if they build low-cost rockets, people will come. But the market was depressed, and that was the truth, the eminent space scientist, who is heading the ISRO since January 2022," has said. This year, India will be launching four satellites from other countries. “But we could get only this much, but our launch capabilities are three times the demand. We are not able to use our capacity because satellites are not there.” (6/16)