July 11, 2024

Report: SpaceX Wasn't Transparent About Ambitious Plans in South Texas (Source: Houston Chronicle)
It was hard to foresee that parts of South Texas would become a sacrifice zone for SpaceX's ambitions to send people to Mars. Elon Musk and SpaceX proposed a smaller-scale approach to its operations in Boca Chica, Texas, than what has unfolded, initially saying that the surrounding area would be left untouched and there would still be room for keeping "an excellent wildlife habitat” nearby. But Mark Spier, who served as the top local official for the National Park Service when SpaceX ramped up in the area, indicated that those promises weren't kept.

“They kept saying, ‘No, we are not going to do that, we are not going to do that,’ and then they came back and said, ‘Yes, we are,’” Spier said. An environmental impact study the FAA conducted on the site was premised on Musk’s original proposal to use Falcon rockets, not the much-larger Starship. The FAA said that they planned a new environmental impact assessment for Starship but instead modified the old one. The FAA also decided it could legally consider the environmental impact of the launchpad operations and its control center, but not the rocket factory. Fish and Wildlife officials objected.

Ultimately, the FAA determined SpaceX’s activities were unlikely to jeopardize threatened species and habitats. But SpaceX's larger facilities and the area surrounding it are a major concern for South Texans. Since it began operating on the Texas coast, SpaceX has reportedly kept Boca Chica Beach closed for hundreds of hours a year, trashed the surrounding area with launch materials, and damaged shorebird nests. In early June, a local environmental advocacy group alerted SpaceX of plans to sue under the Clean Water Act, alleging SpaceX discharges industrial wastewater without a permit. Click here. (7/10)

SpaceX's Sexual Harassment Case Could End Worker Protections For All Of Us (Source: Jalopnik)
SpaceX v. National Labor Relations Board is a wildly in-depth case, citing articles of the Constitution in seemingly every sentence, but it’s one that’s geared towards the current Supreme Court. The case focuses plenty of its attention on the President’s inability to easily fire NLRB workers as a constitutional issue, which is targeted right at the Court’s declaration that “the President’s ‘management of the Executive Branch’ requires him to have ‘unrestricted power to remove the most important of his subordinates’—such as the Attorney General—‘in their most important duties’” from the recent Trump v. United States opinion.

SpaceX’s retaliatory strike against its workers may be nuclear, but it’s also very possible the Court will like how it’s written. SpaceX’s culture appears fratty, debaucherous, and altogether unprofessional — not to mention aggressive towards people outside of positions of power. Yet, the lengths the company will go to in order to protect that culture reach the highest court in the land. And, if we’re all unlucky, Musk’s defenses of sexual harassment will end worker protections for all of us. (7/9)

Former SpaceX Worker Describes 'Frat Boy' Culture Where Colleagues Joked About Overseeing Launches While Drunk (Source: Business Insider)
Paige Holland-Thielen, one of a group of former SpaceX employees suing the company over claims of wrongful dismissal, told Bloomberg that employees at Elon Musk's rocket firm used their work email to plan rounds of a drinking game called "nug and chug" in which they would try and consume as many chicken nuggets as possible.

These employees, she said, then joked about drinking heavily before returning to the office to oversee a rocket launch. Holland-Thielen told Bloomberg that working at SpaceX made her feel like a "babysitter for frat boys," with casual sexism rife. She and her co-plaintiffs filed a civil rights lawsuit against SpaceX in June. They alleged that Musk personally ordered their firings after they wrote an open letter to SpaceX's management expressing concern over the billionaire's behavior and what they described as a hostile work environment at the company. (7/10)

Elon Musk Wins Dismissal of Severance Suit Filed by Fired Twitter Workers (Source: Fox Business)
Billionaire Elon Musk won the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by former employees of Twitter who were seeking $500 million in severance payments that Musk allegedly declined to pay following his acquisition of the social media company now known as X. U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson in San Francisco on Tuesday issued a ruling that the ex-Twitter employees' claims weren't covered by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), which governs benefit plans, so she lacked jurisdiction and dismissed their claims under that law. (7/10)

Congress Apparently Feels a Need for “Reaffirmation” of SLS Rocket (Source: Ars Technica)
There is a curious section in the new congressional reauthorization bill for NASA that concerns the agency's large Space Launch System rocket. The section is titled "Reaffirmation of the Space Launch System," and in it Congress asserts its commitment to a flight rate of twice per year for the rocket. The reauthorization legislation, which cleared a House committee on Wednesday, also said NASA should identify other customers for the rocket.

"The Administrator shall assess the demand for the Space Launch System by entities other than NASA and shall break out such demand according to the relevant Federal agency or nongovernment sector," the legislation states. Congress directs NASA to report back, within 180 days of the legislation passing, on several topics. First, the legislators want an update on NASA's progress toward achieving a flight rate of twice per year for the SLS rocket, and the Artemis mission by which this capability will be in place.

Additionally, Congress is asking for NASA to study demand for the SLS rocket and estimate "cost and schedule savings for reduced transit times" for deep space missions due to the "unique capabilities" of the rocket. The space agency also must identify any "barriers or challenges" that could impede use of the rocket by other entities other than NASA, and estimate the cost of overcoming those barriers. (7/10)

Blackstar Seeks Arizona Spaceport License for Spacecraft Landings (Source: Herald Review)
Chris Jannette of Blackstar Orbital explained to the Sky Islands Regional Partnership why his company is keen on putting down roots here. “In 2023, when we started looking at Arizona, the Arizona Commerce Authority suggested Sierra Vista, and (Fort Huachuca) as an area where we could do our projects and applications... What we can do at the (Sierra Vista) Airport, we can’t do elsewhere.”

The earliest a Blackstar Orbital space vehicle — measuring 6 feet long and weighing less than 1,000 kg (approx. 2,200 lbs.) — would land at the 4,000 square-foot hangar would be 2026, by which time the still burgeoning startup industry of space surveillance and transport is expected to be a multi-trillion dollar institution. "We want to be in a partnership with the airport and possibly even the fort, when the time is right.” Jannette said that initially the Sierra Vista Airport would see 1 to 2 landings per year. He assured the noise pollution would be minimal.

“You’ll hear a light sonic boom, which will sound a bit like the crack of a horsewhip, or a gunshot from 300 feet,” Jannette said, adding that the first landings will probably take place on weekends at off-hours. As for economic development, Blackstar Orbital’s investment is valued at $7.1 million, providing approximately 50 locally produced, high-paying jobs. Of course, none of this can come to fruition until the Federal Aviation Administration approves the Sierra Vista Airport as a suitable landing spot. (7/10)

We're So Good At Making Trash We've Started Putting Useless Junk In Space, Too (Source: Jalopnik)
I have become convinced that the truly incredible quantity of junk being launched into space on a regular basis will become one of the world’s greatest problems within our lifetime. According to UN estimates, the quantity of objects put into space by humans between 2019 and today (8,815 objects) exceeds the total number of objects put into space between the start of humanity’s space exploration in 1957 through 2018 (8,448 objects). The number of pieces of space junk launched into orbit has grown exponentially in the last five years and shows no sign of abatement. (7/10)

Earth Observation Satellites Set to Triple Over the Next Decade (Source: NovaSpace)
The global Earth Observation (EO) satellite market will see substantial growth over the coming decade, with the number of EO satellites in orbit expected to almost triple as the manufacturing market grows by 40% and the value of the launch market increases by 55%. Novaspace predicts 5,401 EO satellites will be launched between 2024 and 2033. This is up from 1,864 launched over the previous decade and marking a 190% increase. Market growth is being driven by technology miniaturization enabling a new breed of EO satellites to carry a diverse array of instruments. (7/11)

Maritime Satellite Communication Value Chain Grows as Non-Geostationary Orbit Solutions Come to Fore (Source: NovaSpace)
The maritime satellite communication market grew in 2023, driven by Starlink's disruptive entry into the market. Starlink maritime has boosted the number of VSAT-equipped vessels. The market share of Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) solutions as a primary maritime communications method is expected to surge from 20% in 2023 to 90% by 2033. The total number of vessels using at least one satellite communication service during 2023 reached 40,600, a number which is projected to more than double in 10 years. (7/10)

SpaceX at Boca Chica is Being Investigated for Damaged Bird Nests Cause by Recent Launch (Source: KRGV)
Federal wildlife officials have launched an investigation of the June 6 Starship launch from SpaceX's Boca Chica facility over claims of damaged bird nests. The non-profit, Coastal Bays and Estuaries Program, says they documented damage to bird nests after the launch. They found damaged or missing eggs at nine bird nests nearby after the launch. The species of birds who were impacted are under federal protection. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Office of Law Enforcement is handling the investigation. (7/9)

Another Failed Launch for China's Commercial Rocket Industry (Source: Space News)
A Chinese company has suffered another failure of its small launch vehicle. A Hyperbola-1 rocket by iSpace lifted off at 7:40 p.m. Eastern Wednesday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The rocket, though, failed to reach orbit because of a problem with its fourth stage, the Beijing-based company said. The failure is the fourth in seven flights of the solid-fuel rocket, which in 2019 became the first privately developed Chinese rocket to reach orbit. The loss could add to concerns over China’s commercial launch industry, as it follows Space Pioneer’s recent catastrophic static-fire explosion, which saw a fully-fueled first stage unintentionally launch from its test stand. (7/11)

Starliner Likely to Remain at ISS Through Late July (Source: Space News)
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft is likely to remain at the ISS at least through late July. NASA and Boeing officials said Wednesday that they are continuing tests of the spacecraft's thrusters at White Sands, New Mexico, trying to replicate the problems that caused several thrusters to shut down while approaching the station last month. Those officials again emphasized that the spacecraft is safe for astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to use to return home in an emergency, but they want to complete testing before proceeding with any plans for a nominal return. At a separate media event Wednesday, Wilmore and Williams praised the vehicle despite the problems and said they didn't mind spending some extra time in space. (7/11)

AEI Hunts for More Space Investment Opportunities (Source: Space News)
Private equity firm AE Industrial Partners (AEI) is looking for more space investments after closing a $1.28 billion fund. The aerospace and defense investment firm announced the closure of its third flagship fund this week after exceeding a $1.2 billion target and hitting a hard cap. AEI has already invested some of that money in companies like Firefly Aerospace, Redwire, Sierra Space and York Space Systems. AEI sees soaring demand for new space technologies to meet national security needs. (7/11)

X-Bow Raises $70 Million for Solid Rocket Motor Development (Source: Space News)
X-Bow Systems has raised $70 million to expand development of solid rocket motors. The company announced Wednesday the Series B round led by venture capital firm Razor’s Edge and with participation from Lockheed Martin's and Boeing's venture arms, among others. X-Bow has positioned itself as an emerging player in the solid rocket motor market, using 3D printing technology to produce motors and propellants. The funding will be used to expand its production capabilities and complete a new manufacturing facility in Texas. (7/11)

D-Orbit Plans US Branch for Smallsat Development (Source: Space News)
D-Orbit is establishing a joint venture in the United States to enter the satellite manufacturing market. The European company, best known for its line of orbital transfer vehicles, is working with a group of industry veterans to create D-Orbit USA. The venture will offer a smallsat bus that it believes will be cheaper and faster to build than competing models. D-Orbit USA has not signed up any customers yet but hopes to launch its first satellite as soon as 2025. (7/11)

Sweden Advances Military Space Strategy (Source: Breaking Defense)
Sweden has published its first military space strategy. The strategy, released earlier this month ahead of a NATO summit meeting, says the country will "establish itself as a significant and responsible space actor in the defense and security area." The policy includes four pillars on topics ranging from creating space capabilities to partnering with other countries, and uses language similar to that used by the U.S. Defense Department on topics like space being "increasingly competitive and contested." (7/11)

Virgin Galactic Completes Arizona Production Facility (Source: Virgin Galactic)
Virgin Galactic has completed a new production facility in Arizona. The company said Wednesday it has completed the facility near Phoenix that will be used for final assembly and testing of its Delta-class suborbital spaceplanes. Assembly of the first vehicles will begin early next year with the goal of having them enter service in 2026. The Delta-class vehicles will succeed VSS Unity, which made its final suborbital spaceflight a month ago. (7/11)

Rocket Lab Prepares for Capella Space Mission Launch from New Zealand (Source: Rocket Lab)
Rocket Lab's next launch will carry a Capella radar imaging satellite. Rocket Lab said Wednesday its "A Sky Full Of SARs" mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than July 20 from New Zealand, placing Capella's Acadia-3 satellite into orbit. The launch will be the fifth Electron flight to carry Capella satellites, including a launch failure last September. (7/11)

China's Queqiao-2 Embarks on Scientific Missions for Future Lunar Exploration (Source: Space Daily)
The Queqiao-2 relay satellite, equipped with three scientific instruments, is set to perform a range of scientific missions in orbit, building on its previous role in the Chang'e-6 mission. Launched on March 20 this year by a Long March-8 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province, China, Queqiao-2, also known as Magpie Bridge 2, is tasked with ensuring Earth-moon communications. (7/11)

NASA CubeSat Joins ESA's Ariane 6 Maiden Flight as Rideshare Payload (Source: Space Daily)
NASA has successfully launched the CURIE (CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment) as a rideshare payload on the European Space Agency's (ESA) first Ariane 6 rocket. The launch took place at 4 p.m. GFT on July 9 at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The CURIE mission, designed by a team from the University of California, Berkeley, aims to utilize radio interferometry to investigate the key elements influencing space weather. (7/11)

NextNav Receives DOT Award to Enhance PNT Services as GPS Backup (Source: Space Daily)
NextNav announced receiving a new award from the U.S. Department of Transportation for real-world field tests of NextNav's 3D PNT technologies, designed to provide critical infrastructure with reliable PNT information when GPS is unavailable or compromised due to environmental, unintentional, or intentional disruptions.

NextNav's terrestrial PNT technology offers a comprehensive 3D positioning solution suitable for outdoor, urban, and indoor environments, featuring highly accurate vertical location capabilities. Additionally, NextNav's solution includes a timing source to act as a backup when GPS services are disrupted or unavailable. (7/11)

Spire Global Secures CA 1.41 Million Canadian Government Contract for Ship Tracking (Source: Space Daily)
Spire Global has been awarded a CA $1.41 million contract by the Government of Canada  to provide global automatic identification system (AIS) ship tracking data. The one-year agreement includes options for two additional years, potentially increasing the total value to nearly CA $4.23 million. (7/11)

Fleet Space's ExoSphere Advances Copper Exploration in Pakistan (Source: Space Daily)
Fleet Space Technologies, a leading Australian space exploration company, has announced the deployment of its comprehensive mineral exploration solution, ExoSphere, to support Barrick Gold's copper exploration efforts at the Reko Diq project in Pakistan. Utilizing advanced space technology, AI, and 3D multiphysics, ExoSphere is creating detailed 3D subsurface maps of groundwater systems and copper porphyry complexes across more than 1,150 km2 of the Reko Diq site. (7/11)

Satellites Assist Relief Operations After Dike Breach in Central China (Source: Space Daily)
China has deployed several remote sensing satellites to support rescue and relief efforts after a dike breach on Friday at Dongting Lake in central Hunan Province. The China Centre For Resources Satellite Data and Application (CRESDA) reported that Gaofen-3 02, Gaofen-3 03, Gaofen-1, and Gaofen-4 satellites are providing real-time monitoring of the affected areas. (7/9)