July 12, 2024

Why Military Contracts are Crucial for Space Companies (Source: CNBC)
Space has been what the Pentagon calls a “warfighting domain” from the very start. The first orbital rockets, satellites, and even the Apollo architecture were born of the military and its aerospace contractors. The U.S. Space Force, which has been around for less than five years, already has a bigger annual budget than NASA, even though the latter is old enough to be the Space Force’s grandfather and holds a coveted position as one of the most beloved federal agencies.

Even among the NASA corps, you’re as likely to find “combat flight hours logged” among the astronauts’ resumes as anything else. Historically, the biggest defense contractors have long been the winners of the largest space contracts – and that’s still true today. SpaceX has earned a coveted spot in that role for the military, whether it’s launching rockets for Space Force or building satellites for the NRO. The top pure-play space companies get a significant, if not majority, amount of revenue from military work under contracts from the U.S. and its allies.

And the importance of military contracts is also going further upstream, as venture capital looks more explicitly toward startups that are winning and delivering on early military deals. (7/3)

Mid-Year Roundup: World on Record Pace for 250 Launches (Source: Douglas Messier)
With the first half of 2024 in the books, the world remains on a pace for a new record of more than 250 launches in a calendar year. There were 126 launches with 122 successes, two failures and two partial failures through the end of June. This is 28 more attempts than during the same period last year. There were 223 launches with 211 successes, 11 failures and one partial failure in 2023. Click here. (7/1)

It's Too Early to Be Fighting a Space Race With China (Source: Bloomberg)
In late June, China’s space program brought back the first rock and soil samples from the mysterious far side of the moon. It was a major triumph. Scientists worldwide are eager to use these samples to learn more about the origin of the moon and Earth. At the same time, others are worried that China is on the way to winning a new space race for the first permanent base on the moon. China’s mission makes it clear that the country sees the moon as a strategic asset, they say, rather than a site for purely scientific exploration. Click here. (7/11)

CubeSat to Give South Australian Farmers and Environment Managers Heads Up on Vegetation Changes (Source: Cosmos)
A new research project will employ South Australia’s own satellite, Kanyini – which is due to be launched any day now – to map and monitor native vegetation and crop health across the state. The data could be used to help provide vital insights to farmers by pre-emptively detecting impacts on crop health, as well as informing ecosystem recovery following climatic events, such as bushfires. (7/12)

Alpine Space Ventures Closes First Fund to Grow the Space Economy on Both Sides of the Pond (Source: Tech Crunch)
When early SpaceX engineer Bulent Altan and long-time investor Joram Voelklein surveyed the European space sector at the end of the 2010s, they were surprised: It looked a whole lot like the beginnings of American NewSpace in the early 2000s, when SpaceX and other companies were just setting up shop.

The pair decided to go in early on a personal investment in German launch startup Isar Aerospace, but they also considered making a bigger play to more fully grasp the huge opportunity to help grow the space sector in both the U.S. and Europe. To do that, they established Alpine Space Ventures in Munich, Germany in 2020. Four years later, and after two years of fundraising, they closed their first $184 million (€170 million) fund — the largest first-time VC fund dedicated to space globally.  (7/11)

A New, Deadly Era of Space Junk Is Dawning, and No One Is Ready (Source: Scientific American)
The treaties mandate that signatory governments have absolute liability for any damage or death caused by anything launched into orbit from their respective countries. In other words, anytime SpaceX launches a rocket, the U.S. government is responsible for any damage it causes in other countries.

So far, these treaties have only been fully tested once. In 1978 a Soviet satellite with a nuclear reactor on board crashed into northern Canada, spraying radioactive waste across a Florida-sized swath of land that Indigenous people have relied on for thousands of years. The U.S.S.R. paid Canada a small token compensation for the cursory cleanup effort that ensued, but the effects of that disaster linger to this day. (7/11)

SpaceX Wins Court Order Blocking Unfair Labor Practice Case (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX won a temporary reprieve from a National Labor Relations Board administrative case against it, notching an early win in its constitutional challenge to the agency. Judge Alan Albright, a Trump appointee to the US District Court for the Western District of Texas, granted the company’s request for a preliminary injunction via a docket notice Wednesday. SpaceX got a boost from the US Supreme Court’s ruling last month in SEC v. Jarkesy. (7/12)

SpaceX Space Junk Crashed Onto Saskatchewan Farmland, Highlighting a Potential Impending Disaster (Source: The Conversation)
The FAA, charged with approving commercial spaceflight launches in the United States, has claimed that such items typically “burn up” during their re-entry. This is clearly incorrect. Similar fragments, likely from the trunk of a different Crew Dragon mission, were found in North Carolina in May, including a smaller piece that landed on the roof of a house.

Trunk fragments were even found from the first operational crewed Dragon mission (Crew-1), with those pieces strewn over fields in New South Wales, Australia. It is becoming evident that deadly debris falls to the ground every time a Crew Dragon trunk re-enters, with pieces being found whenever this occurs over an accessible area. These are not small pieces, with some approaching the size of ping pong tables and weighing 100 pounds. They could easily cause a fatality or substantial damage.

In June, SpaceX sent two employees in a rented U-Haul truck to pick up the pieces, reportedly paying farmers for the fragments. Had there been a death, or damage to million-dollar farm equipment, the outcome would have been much more complicated. (7/11)

ScarJo, Channing, Gosling, Affleck: All filmed movies at Kennedy Space Center (Source: Florida Today)
NASA's Kennedy Space Center has had many roles over the years. In addition to its historical significance for launching people to the moon, it's been the setting for many a film. Here is a roundup of movies that were filmed at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (7/11)

India Limits Services From Foreign Satellite Service Providers (Source: ETV Bharat)
In May, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) issued Norms, Guidelines and Procedures (NGP) for the implementation of the Indian Space Policy-2023 which states that only IN-SPACe authorized non-Indian satellites/constellations in any of the frequency bands shall be permitted to enable provisioning of their capacity in India. (7/11)

MBRSC And Dubai Health Sign Agreement To Elevate Astronaut Health And Space Healthcare Innovation (Source: Government of Dubai)
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) today announced the signing of an agreement with Dubai Health to cooperate in the provision of an optimum environment to ensure the health and safety of astronauts, in addition to enhancing innovation in health sciences. The agreement was signed by H.E. Salem Humaid AlMarri, Director General, MBRSC, and H.E. Dr. Amer Sharif, CEO, Dubai Health, at the Centre’s headquarters recently. (7/11)

3 EU Citizens Detained at Russian Spaceport (Source: Moscow Times)
Three EU citizens were detained this week for illegally entering the Russian-controlled Baikonur Cosmodrome in central Kazakhstan. The secretive space launch facility has become a magnet for daredevil tourists, many of whom attempt to break into the hangars housing old Soviet-era spacecraft. The three foreigners, two Dutch citizens and a Belgian, were removed from the city after spending 24 hours in police custody. (7/11)

Innovative Method for Producing Lunar Construction Materials Using Microwaves (Source: Space Daily)
The high cost of transporting construction materials from Earth, at about 1.2 million USD per kilogram, makes the lunar construction task challenging. The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT), led by President Kim Byung-Suk, has developed technology to produce construction materials using the Moon's in-situ resources.

Lunar regolith can be sintered through heat to form solid blocks, though energy efficiency is crucial in space environments. Microwaves offer an energy-efficient solution for this process. A research team from KICT's Future and Smart Construction Research Division has used microwave sintering to produce blocks from lunar regolith simulant. This process involves heating and compacting the material. (7/12)

International Law Crucial in Preventing Space Militarization (Source: Space Daily)
A recent study emphasizes the urgent need for countries and international organizations to leverage existing international law to address rising concerns about the militarization of outer space. The militarization of space is escalating, with the potential to become a battleground. Nations are testing anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons, and satellites could become significant targets during conflicts.

Dr. Chris O'Meara from the University of Exeter Law School has conducted a study examining how the jus ad bellum, a body of law regulating the lawful use of force by states, applies to ASAT weapons and the rights of states to use them in space. The study suggests that jus ad bellum regulation of ASAT technologies can address state concerns about protecting satellites and other space assets and avoiding conflict in space. It argues that a clearer understanding of this law will assist decision-makers and military planners in ensuring lawful acts of self-defense are not mischaracterized as unlawful. (7/11)

Hera's Propulsion System Passes Critical Leak Test (Source: Space Daily)
ESA's Hera asteroid mission, designed for planetary defense, has successfully undergone a crucial phase in its test campaign by being placed back in its transport container. The spacecraft will remain at the ESTEC Test Centre in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, until the end of August. During this period, Hera's container was used for a global leak test to confirm the integrity of its propulsion system after a 10-month environmental test campaign. (7/11)

Thermonuclear Blasts and New Species: Inside Elon Musk’s Plan to Colonize Mars (Source: New York Times)
For more than two decades, Elon Musk has focused SpaceX, his rocket company, on his lifelong goal of reaching Mars. Over the last year, he has also ramped up work on what will happen if he gets there. Mr. Musk, 53, has directed SpaceX employees to drill into the design and details of a Martian city. One team is drawing up plans for small dome habitats, including the materials that could be used to build them. Another is working on spacesuits to combat Mars’s hostile environment.

A medical team is researching whether humans can have children there. Mr. Musk has volunteered his sperm to help seed a colony, two people familiar with his comments said. The initiatives, which are in their infancy, are a shift toward more concrete planning for life on Mars as Mr. Musk’s timeline has hastened. While he said in 2016 that it would take 40 to 100 years to have a self-sustaining civilization on the planet, Mr. Musk told SpaceX employees in April that he now expects one million people to be living there in about 20 years. (7/11)

A Rare Falcon 9 Failure for California Starlink Launch (Source: Space News)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 suffered an engine malfunction on a Starlink launch Thursday night. The rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 10:35 p.m. Eastern with 20 Starlink satellites on board. The initial phases of the launch appeared to go well, but observers noted an unusual buildup of ice on the rocket's second stage engine. Two hours after launch, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the engine suffered a "RUD" or explosion when it attempted to reignite for a second burn.

The stage was able to deploy its satellites, but in a low orbit that may not be salvageable. The incident is the first in-flight failure of a Falcon 9 in more than nine years, with more than 300 successful Falcon 9 launches since then. Any grounding of the Falcon 9, even for a matter of weeks, could have major implications for companies and space agencies who have come to rely on the vehicle for launching satellites and astronauts. (7/12)

Microsoft Invests in Starlink Data Center Startup (Source: Space News)
Microsoft is leading a funding round for a mobile data center startup that uses Starlink. The Microsoft-led round provided $40 million in fresh capital for Armada, a company that emerged from stealth six months ago with $100 million. Armada is first focusing on deploying artificial intelligence computing tools designed to empower remotely connected devices. Ultimately, Armada aims to offer ruggedized data centers the size of shipping containers for its cloud computing ecosystem called Galleons, which would enable customers to process data faster and more efficiently on-site. Those data centers would be connected to the internet through Starlink. (7/12)

Booz Allen Invests in Quindar (Source: Space News)
The venture arm of Booz Allen Hamilton is investing in satellite operations startup Quindar. Booz Allen Ventures made an undisclosed strategic investment in Quindar, which raised $6 million earlier this year. The investment aims to support Quindar's platform for automating satellite operations. Satellite owners use Quindar's app to analyze, test and operate their constellation with minimal human intervention. (7/12)

General Atomics Wins Space Force Weather Satellite Contract (Source: Space News)
General Atomics has won a Space Force contract for a second weather satellite. Under a Space Systems Command contract modification announced Thursday, General Atomics will provide three years of operational services for two Electro-Optical Weather System, or EWS, satellites. General Atomics previously won a contract for one EWS satellite, part of a Space Force initiative to replace the aging Defense Meteorological Satellite Program satellites. (7/12)

Lunar Orbit Traffic Jams Raise Concerns (Source: Space News)
Spacecraft in lunar orbit have to deal with dozens of potential collisions. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) advised there had been about 40 "red alarms," or warnings of potential conjunctions, over 18 months involving spacecraft in low lunar orbit, including its Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and India's Chandrayaan-2. In three cases, KPLO performed collision avoidance maneuvers. The situation shows the need for improved mechanisms for coordinating spacecraft around the moon and determining who performs maneuvers. (7/12)

Dawn Aerospace Gains Approval for Supersonic Test Flights (Source: Space News)
Dawn Aerospace has obtained the regulatory approvals needed for supersonic test flights of its spaceplane. The company said Thursday it received a certificate from New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority and a license from the New Zealand Space Agency for flights of its uncrewed Mark 2 Aurora spaceplane to altitudes of up to 70,000 feet and speeds of Mach 1.1. The company plans to conduct a campaign of eight test flights from July to September. The company eventually expects to fly the vehicle to altitudes of 100 kilometers for use in microgravity research or other applications. (7/12)

NASA Concerned About Europa Clipper Computer Chips (Source: New York Times)
NASA is investigating a potential problem with computer chips on the Europa Clipper spacecraft. The agency said Thursday tests show that some of the components on the spacecraft may be less resistant to radiation damage than expected. That could affect the performance of the spacecraft, which will be subject to energized particles during its planned flybys of Jupiter's icy moon Europa. NASA says it will continue work to prepare Europa Clipper for its October launch while studying potential ways to deal with the problem. (7/12)

Leidos Wins NASA Contract for Cargo Integration (Source: Leidos)
Leidos has won a contract to continue space station and exploration cargo work from NASA. The contract, valued at up to $476 million, extends work the company had been doing on cargo mission engineering  and integration services. The company has been performing such work for NASA for two decades. (7/12)

Lunar 'Stillsuit' Developed at Cornell (Source: Science News)
Scientists have developed a version of Dune's "stillsuit" for use on lunar missions. Researchers at Cornell University say they have developed a prototype spacesuit that includes systems to recycle urine into drinking water. That would allow for longer spacewalks without including additional water that can be difficult to accommodate within a suit's confines. (7/12)

Apollo Astronaut Engle Passes at 91 (Source: CollectSpace)
Joe Engle, an Apollo-era astronaut who flew both the X-15 and the space shuttle, has died. Engle passed away Wednesday at the age of 91, his family announced. He was an Air Force pilot who flew the X-15 rocketplane in the mid-1960s, flying above the 50-mile mark that gave him Air Force astronaut wings. He joined NASA's astronaut corps in 1966 and was originally slated to be the lunar module pilot for Apollo 17, but was replaced by Harrison Schmitt in response to requests that a scientist be included on the final Apollo landing mission. (7/12)

Hubble Space Telescope Finds Closest Massive Black Hole to Earth (Source: Space.com)
Using the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered the closest massive black hole to Earth ever seen, a cosmic titan "frozen in time." As an example of an elusive "intermediate-mass black hole," the object could serve as a missing link in understanding the connection between stellar mass and supermassive black holes. The black hole appears to have a mass of around 8,200 suns, which makes it considerably more massive than stellar-mass black holes. (7/11)

‘Wild Wild Space’ Doc Captures the Risks and Rivalries of the New Space Race (Source: TechCrunch)
Astra CEO Chris Kemp is already pulling out of a parking spot when he warns the person in the passenger seat that he doesn’t have a valid driver’s license. “And the car’s not registered, and they canceled my insurance,” he says. “This is a little risky.”

So opens “Wild Wild Space,” a new HBO documentary directed by Ross Kauffman that premiers on July 17. Like its source material, journalist Ashlee Vance’s 2023 book, “When the Heavens Went on Sale,” the film seeks to chronicle the early days of the new space race by focusing on three of its most colorful companies: rocket makers Rocket Lab and Astra and Earth observation company Planet Labs. (7/11)

NASA Invests in Rocket That May Shorten a Mars Round Trip to 2 Months (Source: Business Insider)
NASA has invested $725,000 in a new rocket system that could solve one of the major obstacles standing in our way of sending humans to Mars: travel time. With current technology, a round-trip to the red planet would take almost two years.

The PPR is a propulsion system that uses pulses of superheated plasma to generate a lot of thrust very efficiently. It's currently in phase two of development, funded by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program. This phase two study is scheduled to begin this month, and is focused on optimizing the engine design, performing proof-of-concept experiments, and designing a PPR-powered, shielded spaceship for human missions to Mars. (7/11)

GE Aerospace Successfully Develops and Tests New Hypersonic Dual-Mode Ramjet (Source: GE)
GE Aerospace has demonstrated a new, cutting-edge hypersonic dual-mode ramjet. This achievement – which could enable high-speed flight and longer range across numerous multi-mission aircraft – represents the most recent milestone in a diverse portfolio of hypersonic programs.

The dual-mode ramjet began testing in March of this year in the clean air, continuous flow, high-speed propulsion testing facility in Evendale, OH, just 11 months after the launch of the design effort. The testing delivered promising results, exceeding performance expectations and demonstrating robust operation of a dual-mode ramjet with a threefold (3X) increase in airflow compared to previously flight-tested hypersonic technology demonstrators. (7/10)

Engineering for Lunar Landing & Launch Pads (Source: AECOM)
Building landing and launch pads on the Moon for larger landers involves addressing various challenges such as surface stability, dust control, and structural integrity under lunar conditions. Here are some innovative concepts for constructing these critical infrastructure elements (6/28)

China Officially Declares ‘a New Space Race has BEGUN’ & Fires Starting Pistol on Battle with the US to Master the Moon (Source: The Sun)
China's space agency has officially declared that the US is a competitor on the moon for the very first time. The China National Space Administration's shock decision comes after they fiercely stated they'd never compete with the US. The CNSA said: "It is foreseeable that in the next 20 to 30 years, China’s International Lunar Research Station and the US Artemis program will compete."

Their new lunar plan read: "[We] will compete in terms of technology and operational efficiency on the same historical stage and at the same geographical location (the south pole of the moon)." The decision marks China's shift from a secretive to more open space policy - but Washington has always seen the CNSA as a rival. (7/10)

Approaching Dawn (Source: Michael Sheetz)
This week I caught up with Jared Isaacman for a thorough chat about the plan for him and his three Polaris Dawn crewmates — including, of particular note, the first-ever SpaceX spacewalk. The launch is currently scheduled for July 31, with a 5-hour window opening early in the morning, with Isaacman feeling confident that "it just comes down to weather" now that the rocket, spacecraft, spacesuits and crew are ready to launch. Click here. (7/11)