July 18, 2024

Royal Aeronautical Society Calls on New UK Government to Support Space (Source: RAeS)
The new government has a vital role in keeping the UK globally connected, and secure by maximizing the value of UK aerospace and driving sustainability, air power and space, innovation, and upskilling, says the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) in publishing its position paper today. Aerospace and aviation connect people, business, and countries, whilst generating value for the nation, creating high-value jobs, and contributing to the protection and security of its citizens.

The position paper calls on the government to: 1)  Modernize Our Aviation Infrastructure with Safe and Secure, Sustainable, and Innovative Technologies; 2) Increase Air Power and Space Capability; 3) Accelerate Regulatory Frameworks for Future Flight Technology; 4) Maximize Economic Benefits; and 5) Develop Future and Existing Talent. Click here. (7/17)

Planet Labs Secures Pilot Contract for AI-Enhanced Satellite Data (Source: Space Daily)
Planet Labs announced a seven-figure pilot contract with an international defense ministry for its PlanetScope data, now enhanced with SynMax's AI-based Theia solution. Together with SynMax, a Houston-based satellite analytics and intelligence company, Planet is offering an advanced maritime domain awareness (MDA) solution for vessel detection and monitoring. The customer has also expanded their SkySat contract for high-resolution satellite data. (7/16)

TeraNet Enhances Space-to-Earth Data Transfer with Laser Comms (Source: Space Daily)
The University of Western Australia's TeraNet, a network of optical ground stations focused on high-speed space communications, has successfully captured laser signals from a German satellite in low Earth orbit. This achievement signals a potential 1,000-fold increase in communication bandwidth between space and Earth. (7/17)

SwRI and UTD Collaborate on Space Sensor Testing (Source: Space Daily)
Researchers from Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) are working together to test an advanced sensor aimed at measuring neutral gas velocities in the Earth's upper atmosphere. The project is funded by the new SwRI/UTD Seed Projects for Research, Innovation, and Technology (SPRINT) Program. Another SPRINT initiative is investigating domestic lithium independence by examining tectonic influences on emerging lithium deposits. (7/17)

Redwire to Supply Additional Roll-Out Solar Arrays for Thales Alenia Space Satellites (Source: Space Daily)
Redwire announced a new order to provide more Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) wings for Thales Alenia Space's Space Inspire satellites. These satellites are part of Thales Alenia Space's latest geostationary telecommunications satellite line. Thales Alenia Space is a key manufacturer offering solutions for telecommunications, Earth observation, exploration, and navigation. This new order enhances the number of shipsets Redwire will deliver under its current agreement with Thales Alenia Space. (7/17)

NASA Spurs Commercial Development of New Fuel Cell Technologies (Source: Space Daily)
NASA's involvement with fuel cell technology began in the 1960s, a time when fossil fuels dominated energy production. Fuel cells create electricity and heat through the combination of hydrogen and oxygen via an electrolyte, producing only water as a by-product, making them an environmentally friendly power source.

NASA's interest in fuel cells arose from the need to power Moon missions. Engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston turned to fuel cells because they offered more energy per pound compared to batteries over long missions. At that time, fuel cells were a theoretical concept, not yet practically applied. (7/16)

Astrobotic's VOLT Rover Passes Key Lunar Surface Tests (Source: Space Daily)
Astrobotic has advanced its efforts to create a lunar power grid by beginning a summer-long test campaign for its VSAT Optimized for Lunar Traverse (VOLT). The VOLT rover, designed to traverse the Moon's surface, features a vertical solar array to harness solar energy for charging various lunar assets such as habitats, rovers, and scientific instruments, particularly at the lunar south pole.

The VOLT engineering model's mobile base underwent rigorous testing at NASA's Glenn Research Center's Simulated Lunar Operations Laboratory (SLOPE) in Cleveland. These tests assessed the rover's stability, gimbal functionality, and sun tracking on a simulated lunar regolith slope. Although designed for 15-degree inclines, the rover exceeded expectations by maintaining stability on a 20-degree slope without slippage. (7/17)

Florida Tech, KSC Visitor Complex Launch Astronomy Partnership Featuring Portable Telescope (Source: Florida Today)
Astronomy events and scientific talks will be offered to thousands of future visitors at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, courtesy of a new partnership featuring faculty and students from the Florida Institute of Technology. Florida Tech's Ortega Observatory personnel will gain use of the KSC Visitor Complex's portable telescope to track asteroids.

The building at the tourist attraction that houses "Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex" was constructed with an elevated platform to house the telescope. Researchers with Florida Tech and the Orlando-based Florida Space Institute will use the telescope, which can fit inside an enclosed trailer for transport. (7/16)

Food Aromas Study Sheds Light on Taste Issues in Space (Source: Space Daily)
Scientists from RMIT University have conducted a pioneering study on food aromas, potentially explaining why astronauts often find their meals tasteless in space, leading to inadequate nutritional intake. The study, published in the International Journal of Food Science and Technology, also has significant implications for improving the diets of isolated individuals, such as nursing home residents, by customizing aromas to enhance food flavor. (7/18)

Lunar Navigation Enhanced with GNSS for Earth-Moon Spacecraft (Source: Space Daily)
A new study has advanced the navigation of spacecraft between Earth and the Moon using the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). By utilizing an adaptive Kalman filter, the research addresses issues such as weak signals and poor observation conditions near the Moon, significantly enhancing the accuracy and reliability of future space missions. (7/18)

AI Enhancements Drive Mars Rover Discoveries (Source: Space Daily)
Artificial intelligence is transforming how scientists analyze rock samples collected by the Perseverance rover on Mars. For nearly three years, Perseverance has been utilizing AI to autonomously identify minerals in Martian rocks. This innovative use of AI on Mars marks a significant step toward creating "smart" spacecraft capable of independent scientific exploration.

The AI technology enhances the capabilities of PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry), an advanced spectrometer developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. By mapping the chemical composition of rock surfaces, PIXL helps scientists evaluate whether ancient Martian rocks could have supported microbial life. (7/17)

Melting Ice is Slowing Earth's Spin (Source: NBC)
Climate change is altering the Earth to its literal core, new research suggests. As polar and glacial ice melts because of global warming, water that was once concentrated at the top and the bottom of the globe is getting redistributed toward the equator. The extra mass around Earth’s middle slows its rotation, which in turn has a lengthening effect on our days.

A new study offers more evidence of that dynamic and further suggests that changes to the planet’s ice have been profound enough to affect the Earth’s axis — the invisible line at its center around which it rotates. Together, those shifts are causing feedback beneath the surface, affecting the fluids that move around in Earth’s molten core. (7/16)

Musk Says He’s Moving SpaceX and X Out of California (Source: CNN)
Elon Musk says he’s moving his companies out of California. In two posts on X Tuesday, the billionaire said he will move SpaceX’s HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas, a company town being built in the southern part of the state. Social media platform X will move from San Francisco to Austin, Texas, he then said.

Musk said that the SAFETY Act, a law California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed that would prohibit school districts from requiring teachers to inform parents if a child wants to be identified by a different gender, was “the final straw.” (7/16)

Supermassive Black Holes Have Masses of More Than a Million Suns – But Their Growth Has Slowed as the Universe Has Aged (Source: The Conversation)
Back in the early days, the universe contained more gas for supermassive black holes to consume, and supermassive black holes kept emerging. As the universe aged, the gas was gradually depleted, and supermassive black hole growth slowed. About 8 billion years ago, the number of supermassive black holes stabilized. It hasn’t increased substantially since then. (7/12)

NASA Cancels VIPER Lunar Mission (Source: Space News)
NASA has canceled a half-billion-dollar robotic lunar rover because of cost and schedule problems. The agency announced Wednesday it was canceling the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) mission after its projected costs grew by more than 30% to nearly $610 million. The rover was to go to the moon on an Astrobotic lunar lander through NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to look for water ice at the south polar region of the moon.

NASA will keep the CLPS task order for Astrobotic's Griffin lunar lander, flying it instead as a technology demonstration mission with a mass simulator or commercial payload arranged by Astrobotic. NASA said it will take instruments and other components off the rover, but only after reviewing any proposals from industry or international partners to take over the rover at no cost to NASA. (7/18)

Space Command Anticipates Quick Return of Falcon 9 Flights (Source: Space News)
The head of U.S. Space Command expects the Falcon 9 to resume flights soon. Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum Wednesday, Gen. Stephen Whiting revealed that he visited SpaceX's Starlink satellite factory in Seattle the day after a July 11 incident that led to the grounding of the Falcon 9 fleet. He said he had "full confidence" in SpaceX and was "sure they'll figure this out quickly" and resume launches soon. (7/18)

Space Force Relies on International Partnerships (Source: Space News)
The head of the Space Force says that international partnerships are critical. Gen. Chance Saltzman described a policy of "integrated by design" that acknowledges the Space Force's reliance on partnerships.  He emphasized that this approach extends beyond military alliances to include collaborations with commercial industry, academia, and nonprofits. The speech comes shortly after he appointed the former head of U.K. Space Command, Air Marshal Paul Godfrey, as an assistant chief of space operations. (7/18)

China Readies for Inaugural Flight of Long March 12 (Source: Space News)
China is gearing up for the first flight of the Long March 12. A ceremony for the rocket was held Wednesday, according to a press release from the state-owned Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), the rocket's developer. The announcement did not disclose a launch date, but it could be as soon as August from the commercial space launch center at Wenchang, Hainan island. The two-stage rocket is designed to place up to 12,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit, and will increase options for China to deploy satellite constellations. (7/18)

Firefly CEO Steps Down (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace CEO Bill Weber has left the company. Firefly said Wednesday that Weber is no longer CEO, but did not disclose a reason for his departure and whether he resigned or was fired. A report earlier this week said the company was investigating allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with an employee. Weber had been the company's CEO for nearly two years. (7/18)

LeoLabs to Support Space Tracking for UK Military Satellite (Source: Space News)
LeoLabs will provide space tracking, monitoring and collision-avoidance services for a U.K. Space Command satellite. The space situational awareness company will provide those services for Project Tyche, a small satellite built by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. scheduled to launch later this summer and part of a $1 billion program aimed at establishing a constellation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites in low-Earth orbit.  LeoLabs called the contract a first step towards providing broader services for the U.K. Ministry of Defence. (7/18)

OneNav Devises Solution for GPS Jamming (Source: Space News)
A navigation startup is proposing to address GPS interference by doubling down on the system's newest civilian signal, L5. The company, oneNav, developed an "L5 direct" receiver for commercial use in smartphones and internet-of-things (IoT) devices. Tests of the device in areas with jamming of GPS signals found that the device was immune to interference compared to those that used older L1 signals. Despite its potential, the GPS L5 signal is not yet widely used as it's only being broadcast by 17 out of 31 GPS satellites in orbit, with full operational capability not expected until 2027. (7/18)

Rosotics Offers 3D Printer for Large Aerospace Structures (Source: Space News)
Rosotics says it has developed a metal 3D printer for large aerospace structures. The printer can be used for producing tanks as well as engines and other aerospace structures, the company says. The first customer for the printer is small launch vehicle company Phantom Space. (7/18)

Space Policy Vacancies in the Pentagon (Source: Breaking Defense)
There are more vacancies in the Pentagon office that handles space policy. John Plumb stepped down as assistant secretary for space policy in May, and his interim replacement, Vipin Narang, is expected to leave by September to return to academia. Travis Langster, principal director of space policy who had been handling issues such as the transfer of civil space traffic coordination responsibilities to the Office of Space Commerce, is now working for Bill LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition. (7/18)

ESA's Gaia Suffers Problems in Orbit (Source: ESA)
ESA's Gaia spacecraft is suffering from a pair of problems. ESA said Wednesday that the spacecraft was hit by a high-speed micrometeoroid in April, damaging a protecting cover and allowing a tiny amount of sunlight in, which interferes with some observations. Electronics for one of the 106 CCDs in the spacecraft's main camera failed in May, the first to do so since the spacecraft was launched in 2013. ESA said engineers have made adjustments to spacecraft software to address both issues. (7/18)

Multiple Balloon Space Tourism Ventures Vie for Dominance (Source: Jalopnik)
Several companies are reportedly racing to get into the space balloon game — Zephalto in France, Space Perspective in Florida and World View in Arizona — and they all appear to have the same general plan, although Zephalto is the only one that has already conducted a crewed test flight. While Zephalto’s test didn’t reach its planned altitude, it eventually hopes to conduct flights up to 15 miles above the earth’s surface, while others hope to get as high as 19 miles.

That’s still not the 50 miles generally considered to be where space starts, but the balloons will still be treated like spacecraft by regulators. “There is no universal definition of space,” Space Perspective CEO Jane Poynter told CNBC. “We are regulated as a spaceship. If we go over 98,000 feet, we are a spaceship. Outside the capsule, it’s essentially a vacuum. We’re above 99% of Earth’s atmosphere, which is why the sky is so deep black.” (7/17)

Russia’s Space-Based Nuclear Weapon Threatens ‘Entire Modern Way of Life’ (Source: Washington Examiner)
Russia’s development of a space-based nuclear weapons system poses a threat to “the entire modern way of life,” according to a top U.S. general. “It’s a completely indiscriminate weapon,” said Gen. Stephen Whiting. “It would affect the United States satellites, Chinese satellites, Russian satellites, European satellites, Indian satellites, Japanese satellites. And so, it’s really holding at risk the entire modern way of life. And it’s just an incredibly reckless decision.”

The anxiety over a potential Russian deployment of a nuclear weapon into space has percolated in public discussions of nuclear arms and national security since February, when the Biden administration briefed Congress on the emerging Russian weapon. And while a White House official at the time said that such a weapon could not “cause physical destruction here on Earth,” another senior officer emphasized the far-reaching ramifications of such a weapon. (7/18)

Space Perspective's New Balloon Recovery Ship Heads to Florida (Source: Riviera)
Space tourism company Space Perspective reported its floating spaceport, Voyager, is on its way to Port Canaveral, Florida, following its conversion in southern Louisiana. A former platform supply vessel (PSV), Voyager will serve as a floating launch and recovery vessel for Spaceship Neptune, a capsule that will accommodate eight passengers and a captain for a space flight to the edge of space.

The pressurized capsule will use a giant, hydrogen-filled SpaceBalloon to gently transport passengers—who pay US$125,000 each—on a six-hour roundtrip. Voyager will be based in Florida near the Kennedy Space Center, and used to transport the capsule to an offshore launch site. There, the capsule’s SpaceBalloon will be filled for the spaceflight, which will consist of two hours of ascent, two hours at the flight’s apex and two hours of descent. (7/17)

Experts Discuss Economic Impact of SpaceX's Relocation Plans to Cameron County (Source: KRGV)
UTRGV economics professor Salvador Contreras says if the move happens, the economic impact could be large. Contreras says he is questioning if the Rio Grande Valley is ready for the boom in tourism. “Do we have the hotel infrastructure, do we have the restaurants, do we even have the roads or bridges so we have the necessary infrastructure,” Contreras asked.

Contreras says it's likely cities will have to pitch in to cover the cost of upgrading local infrastructure, but a plus with the move is an increase in job opportunities. “Employment for our graduates, for example, engineers, scientists and even an auxiliary type industry, will help the company maintain its presence here,” Contreras said. Local broker and realtor Daniel Galvan says with all the new jobs, a higher demand for housing will come.
According to Galvan, that means people's property values may see a spike. (7/17)

SpaceX’s Vehicle to Deorbit the International Space Station is a Dragon on Steroids (Source: Tech Crunch)
The $843 million spacecraft SpaceX is designing to bring down the International Space Station at the end of the decade will be a super-powered version of its Dragon capsule that’s used to transport astronauts and cargo to orbit today, the company revealed. NASA awarded SpaceX the massive contract to develop the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle (USDV) last month. It won the award — over the only other bidder, Northrop Grumman — in part because the design leverages so much flight-proven hardware.

NASA was looking for proposals that maximized the use of flight heritage because reliability will be key, Dana Weigel, NASA’s ISS program manager, said during a Wednesday press conference. But even with the significant incorporation of the Dragon architecture, around half of the USDV will be entirely new, and 100% of the deorbit functionality will be new to this spacecraft, she said. (7/17)

Vaya Space Receives Pathfinding Liquid Oxygen Tank Shell for its Dauntless Rocket (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
A delivery from California to Florida on Monday marked a new milestone for aerospace company, Vaya Space. It received its first, full-sized liquid oxygen tank shell for its two-stage Dauntless rocket. The company, based in Cocoa, Florida, about 13 miles from the gates of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is working towards its first orbital launch in 2026.

“We’ve been working on the design of the Dauntless vehicle for almost two years now, ever since we did our flight tests out in Mohave to prove out the last questions we had on the basic engine technology,” said Robert Fabian, Vaya Space’s Chief Operating Officer. “And so, what we’re seeing now is our dream, this, come to life. It’s an amazing moment for the company.” (7/17)

Another NSF Flyover Spaceport Update (Source: NSF)
Join us as we dive into the latest developments at the Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX's Falcon 9 faces a temporary halt after a recent launch failure, while Blue Origin gears up for New Glenn's first integration. We'll also explore Stoke Space's launchpad progress for their fully reusable rocket, and much more. Don't miss out on this comprehensive update! Click here. (7/17)

Blue Origin Preps for First Flight, Recovery Ships Under Construction (Source: NSF)
Two transporter rigs have been seen at Exploration Park, and it is thought that one of them will be used to transport New Glenn’s second stage to LC-36 before its preflight tests. New Glenn’s first stage is expected to be on the move soon as well and may be having its seven BE-4 engines installed.

Blue Origin has also been preparing at sea for upcoming New Glenn flights. New Glenn’s first stage is designed to be recovered and reused, and a landing attempt could occur as soon as its first flight. The ship Harvey Stone will serve as the company’s recovery and support vessel, while the 115 m long and 45 m wide Landing Platform Vessel 1 barge will be where the New Glenn first stage lands. Both vessels are currently in France but are expected to return to Florida in the near future. (7/17)