July 24, 2024

Safran Generator Selected for NASA X-66 Project (Source: AIN Online)
Boeing has selected Safran Electrical & Power to provide the power system for the X-66 flight demonstrator unders NASA's Sustainable Flight Demonstrator project. Safran will supply a variable frequency generator and control unit to integrate with Pratt & Whitney's Geared Turbofan engines. (7/23)

Northrop Helps Air Force Lab Expand Military Satcoms (Source: Military & Aerospace Electronics Online)
Northrop Grumman has received a $79.3 million order from the Air Force Research Laboratory for the Defense Experimentation Using the Commercial Space Internet program. The initiative aims to enhance military communications by enabling seamless, high-bandwidth data sharing across various fixed and mobile locations via commercial space internet constellations, using standardized user terminals and hardware. (7/23)

Tim Peake Set to Lead All-Brit Axiom Mission to International Space Station (Source: Daily Mail)
Tim Peake is set to command the first ever all-British space flight to the ISS 18 months after announcing his retirement. The 52-year-old was last on the ISS in 2016 and was a European Space Agency astronaut from 2009 until last year. Axiom Space, with whom the UK Space Agency (UKSA) joined forces last year to fly a completely British crew to the ISS, announced that Major Peake has joined its astronaut corps and would be a strategic advisor for the mission, which could happen as soon as next year. (7/23)

ULA Eyes More Vulcan Launches After Expansion of Alabama Rocket Factory (Source: Made in Alabama)
United Launch Alliance is preparing for a busy schedule of rocket launches after completing of a $300 million-plus expansion project that made its Alabama rocket factory the largest facility of its kind in the world. The growth in Decatur will allow ULA to nearly double it launch rate. In February, ULA cut the ribbon on a new warehouse facility and expansion at the Decatur rocket facility. The growth project is playing a key role in North Alabama’s growing economy by creating 200 additional jobs at the facility. (7/23)

Environmental Organizations Reach Out to FAA Regarding SpaceX’s Impact on Wildlife (Source: Valley Central)
Save RGV and other organizations have sent a letter to the FAA claiming SpaceX has unlawfully destroyed migratory birds. The letter was also sent on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity, the American Bird Conservancy, the Surfrider Foundation, and the Carrizo Comecrudo Nation of Texas, Inc. It focuses on the June 6 test launch of SpaceX’s Starship. The document states the launch resulted in the documented unlawful destruction of migratory bird nests that are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. (7/23)

SpaceX’s Constitutional Challenge to NLRB Gets Judicial Support (Source: Bloomberg)
The safeguards preventing the president from firing National Labor Relations Board members and the agency’s in-house judges are probably unconstitutional, a federal judge said in an order explaining his earlier directive blocking an administrative case against SpaceX. SpaceX, the Elon Musk-owned aerospace firm, is likely to win its lawsuit challenging the removal protections for NLRB members and administrative law judges, US District Judge Alan Albright held Tuesday. Albright, a Trump appointee to the US District Court for the Western District of Texas, granted the company’s request for a preliminary injunction July 11. (7/23)

French Aerospace Company Sees Surge in U.S. Applicants After SpaceX Relocation News: ‘Come to Europe and We’ll Help You’ (Source: CNBC)
Latitude, a French aerospace company based an hour outside Paris, is getting a surge of applications from American engineers after Elon Musk said he would relocate SpaceX headquarters from California to Texas. Within the last week, a spokesperson for Latitude says it received the equivalent of one month of applications to its hiring systems, and that 89% of those are coming from U.S.-based candidates. Those job seekers work at SpaceX, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Tesla and other companies related to the aerospace industry, the spokesperson said. (7/23)

Musk’s Messy Divorce with California Leaves Ugly Grievances All Around (Source: LA Times)
In recent years, Musk’s California dreaming has been clouded with his dark view of a state that he accuses of “overregulation, overlitigation, overtaxation.” But critics said they saw inconsistency in Musk’s pronouncement — contending that the billionaire was finding fault with the state after years of benefiting from its blessings, including abundant government support, a green mindset and a highly educated workforce.

“California, through tax credits, [electric vehicle] subsidies and training grants made Elon successful,” Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, president of the California Labor Federation, said via text. That amounts to “hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars, for him to continually spit in the face of California’s workers & taxpayers.”

After the announcement, the governor shared a screenshot of a 2022 post by former President Trump, who claimed that Musk so craved federal subsidies for Tesla and SpaceX that “I could have said, ‘drop to your knees and beg,’ and he would have done it.” Newsom republished the comment on X, adding: : “You bent the knee.” Musk fired back: “You never get off your knees.” In another X post, the SpaceX boss added: “Gavin’s career is over.” (7/23)

What Nigeria Stands To Gain From Space Tourism (Source; Daily Trust)
SERA founders, Sam Hutchison and Joshua Skurla stated, “The Nigerian that will be picked to visit the Space will be based on a public voting process. The individual has to be healthy and can speak basic English language. Any individual is allowed to vote for themselves and will canvass votes from the public to increase their chances. “The votes will be verified using a blockchain system to ensure a fair selection process.”

Space experts said the initiative might stimulate interest and investment in scientific research, technology development, and education on space programs, potentially leading to advancements in space technology within Nigeria. Also, they added, it will enable Nigeria to achieve the major objective of the nation’s Space Program which is sending humans to space. (7/24)

India’s South Pole Lunar Landing Wins Prestigious World Space Award (Source: Organizer)
India’s Chandrayaan 3 has won the prestigious World Space Award for its historic landing near the lunar South Pole, marking a significant achievement in space exploration. The award, presented by the International Astronautical Federation, recognizes India’s advancement in space technology and innovation. (7/23)

NASA Enhancing Space Comms For Human Lunar Exploration (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA is proceeding with plans to set up a new global Lunar Exploration Ground Sites (LEGS) communications network to support continuous communications with upcoming Artemis astronaut and robotic missions intended to establish a sustained human presence at the Moon. (7/23)

Tripadvisor Publishes First Off-Earth Travel Review (Source: CollectSpace)
fter helping billions of people plan their trips around the world, Tripadvisor is ready to do the same for those looking to travel beyond the planet. "Destination Space," presented with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), is a new subsection of Tripadvisor that is focused on space tourism and exploration. "Everyone deserves to experience the marvels of space, with or without a rocketship," reads the Tripadvisor website. "So, we're making it our mission to help curious travelers from all corners of the Earth explore this lesser-known part of our universe." (7/22)

The Lost Decades of Government-Run Space Travel (Source: Washington Examiner)
America’s space shuttle program burned through almost $200 billion over the course of three decades from 1981 to 2011, but it failed to live up to expectations. A new examination has arrived at a sobering conclusion: “By every measure, the shuttle had fallen short of even the modest hopes that had surrounded it. And the shuttle remained flying only because every effort to replace it with a better-winged, reusable craft also failed.”

The costs were much higher than expected: Each flight cost an estimated $500 million, which was similar to the cost of Apollo-era launches. Carrying a one-pound payload proved to be about 10 times more expensive than the optimistic forecasts had predicted and certainly not less than the costs associated with traditional, nonreusable rockets. (7/23)

The 'Exciting' £11m Boost for Space Rocket Launch Plans on a Scottish Island (Source: The Scotsman)
It will represent the first site to ever carry out vertical rocket launches in the UK - and now a ground-breaking project on one small Scottish island has received a major funding boost. The SaxaVord spaceport based on Unst, at the northern-most point of the Shetland Islands, will benefit from an overall £10.9 million boost to space projects across Scotland. The facility will start orbital launches later this year. (7/22)

Outer Space Changes You, Literally. Here's What it Does to the Human Body (Source: NPR)
Lower gravity. Higher radiation. No ER access. These are just a few of the challenges that humans face in outer space. Emily and Regina talk to a NASA astronaut (and astronaut scientist) about the impact of spaceflight on the human body. Plus, we learn about telomeres (hint: They change in space)! Click here. (7/23)

The Best (and Least Accurate) NASA Movies (Source: Movie Web)
We spoke with real-life astronaut Nicole Stott following the release of Space Cadet, Emma Roberts' new NASA comedy film on which Stott served as a consultant. Stott has seen a fair share of other outer space-centered films that Hollywood has churned out, and she shared her thoughts with us on some of the films she truly loves — despite some glaring inaccuracies. Click here. (7/23)

SpaceX Stomped the Competition for a New Contract—That’s Not Great (Source: Ars Technica)
There is an emerging truth about NASA's push toward commercial contracts that is increasingly difficult to escape: Companies not named SpaceX are struggling with NASA's approach of awarding firm, fixed-price contracts for space services. The ISS Deorbit Vehicle offered an interesting test case for how NASA would approach commercial contracts. This mission required a spacecraft capable of docking with the ISS, remaining attached for about a year, and then powering the large station down through the Earth's atmosphere.

While there were myriad potential solutions, it seemed clear that SpaceX, with Dragon, and Northrop Grumman, having acquired Orbital Sciences and the Cygnus spacecraft, were the clear favorites. What happened next is telling. Essentially, Northrop told NASA it would not bid for a firm, fixed-priced contract. And conversely, SpaceX said it would not bid under a cost-plus contracting mechanism, which would require the company to add a new layer of bureaucracy to process such contracts.

Sticking to the original contracting mechanism would likely have meant that NASA had just a sole bidder, Northrop, for the deorbit mission. The result of the change is that Northrop made a bid under a hybrid cost-plus approach and SpaceX under a firm-fixed price contract. The expectation was that a deorbit mission would cost less than $1 billion. NASA ask the Office of Management and Budget for $1.5 billion for the program. SpaceX's bid price was $680 million. The source selection statement did not reveal a price for Northrop's bid other than saying it was "significantly higher." (7/23)

Artemis II Booster Arrives at KSC (Source: Fox 35)
NASA's Artemis II SLS rocket booster arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday. Next year, the booster will help propel astronauts on a trip around the moon. Shipped from a NASA manufacturing facility in New Orleans last Tuesday, it arrived in Central Florida Monday. (7/23)

Orlando FL Congressman Sponsors Bill to Protect Satellites From Hackers (Source: The Conversation)
In a bold move to counter the escalating threat of these attacks, US congressmen Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL) and Don Beyer (D-VA) have proposed the Spacecraft Cybersecurity Act. If passed, the legislation would mandate the US space agency NASA to overhaul the way it procures and builds its spacecraft. It would have to incorporate rigorous cybersecurity measures from the very start of the design and development process in an effort to protect them against attack. (7/23)

Expiring Medications Could Pose Challenge on Long Space Missions (Source: Duke Health)
Medications used by astronauts on the International Space Station might not be good enough for a three-year journey to Mars. A new study led by Duke Health shows that over half of the medicines stocked in space -- staples such as pain relievers, antibiotics, allergy medicines, and sleep aids -- would expire before astronauts could return to Earth. Astronauts could end up relying on ineffective or even harmful drugs, according to the study. (7/22)

Army Moves to Expand ‘Space Control’ Planning, ‘Interdiction’ Capabilities (Source: Breaking Defense)
Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) is moving out to implement its new(ish) space “vision,” expanding both the number of personnel for planning and operations as well as their scope of deployment, according to SMDC Commander Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey. A key focus right now for SMDC’s 1st Space Brigade, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., is on planning for how space capabilities can support multi-domain operations. (7/23)

Over £600,000 for University of Leicester to Shrink AI Algorithms for Smarter Spacecraft (Source: University of Leicester)
University of Leicester scientists are developing a method to shrink artificial intelligence algorithms, enabling smarter spacecraft. It is one of more than 20 national space projects to be announced by DSIT Secretary of State Peter Kyle on the opening day of the Farnborough International Airshow. The projects, worth £33 million, come from the UK Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Program – designed to invest in high-potential technologies, drive innovation and unlock growth across the UK. (7/23)

Primordial Black Holes Contain Very Little Dark Matter, Say Astronomers (Source: Physics World)
When the gravitational wave detectors LIGO and VIRGO observed signals from merging black holes with masses much higher than those of black holes that form from the collapse of stars, scientists were intrigued. Had these unusually massive black holes formed when the universe was very young? And might they contain large amounts of dark matter?

According to new analyses of 20 years of data from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) survey, the answer to the second question is a firm “no”. At most, members of the survey say that these cosmological structures contain only few percent of the universe’s dark matter. (7/23)

Burned-Up Satellites are Polluting the Atmosphere (Source: Science)
With commercial plans to put many tens of thousands of satellites into orbit in vast megaconstellations, researchers are starting to wonder about the atmospheric consequences when those spacecraft are retired in large numbers. Recent studies highlight growing concerns over the rising concentrations of metal particles and gases from satellites that can linger in the stratosphere for years, potentially catalyzing the destruction of ozone. (7/23)

Chandra Needs More Money (Source: Space News)
A review chartered by NASA concluded that it is not possible to operate the Chandra X-Ray Observatory at the funding levels proposed by NASA. The Operations Paradigm Change Review, conducted by a team of scientists this spring and presented Tuesday, found that the proposed sharp cuts in NASA's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal ruled out any options for continued operations of Chandra.

The committee did find approaches that would allow a cut of about a third in Chandra's budget, but with significant reductions in its scientific productivity. The same committee looked at several options to handle smaller proposed cuts in the Hubble Space Telescope budget that include reducing instrument modes and operations. NASA plans to announce its decision on how to reduce the budgets of the two space telescopes in mid-September. (7/24)

Raytheon and Avio Collaborate on Solid Rocket Motors for Military (Source: Space News)
Raytheon and Avio are joining forces to produce solid rocket motors for military applications. The companies announced Tuesday a strategic partnership that will leverage Avio's existing manufacturing and engineering capabilities in Italy to produce motors for military needs, addressing shortages in the U.S. defense industrial base. The partnership with Avio follows Raytheon's recently announced collaboration with Nammo to establish new solid rocket motor manufacturing lines in the U.S. (7/24)

ESA Expands in UK (Source: Space News)
The European Space Agency is growing its presence in the United Kingdom for research and workforce development. ESA and the U.K. government announced Tuesday that ESA will expand its European Center for Space Applications and Telecommunications, exploring the potential for a space quantum technologies laboratory in the country and collaboration in in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing capabilities. The U.K. also announced 2.1 million pounds ($2.7 million) of funding for programs tackling space industry skills gaps. (7/24)

Orbital Insight Wins NGA Contract for Maritime Tracking (Source: Space News)
Orbital Insight won a National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) contract for geospatial information services. The company, recently acquired by Privateer, received a $2 million contract to provide services for tracking illicit maritime activity in the Indo-Pacific region. NGA said 82 bids were received for the award, and 12 finalist teams were selected by a panel of analysts and collection managers from various agencies. The award is the first for NGA's new "Commercial Solutions Opening" program. (7/24)

UK Spaceport Aims for Fall Launch (Source: Space News)
The U.K.'s SaxaVord Spaceport expects to be ready to host its first orbital launch this fall. A spaceport executive said Tuesday at the Farnborough International Airshow that it expects to get the final license it needs for hosting orbital launches by September. The spaceport's first launch will be the inaugural flight of Rocket Factory Augsburg's RFA ONE rocket, which is scheduled to go through a series of static-fire tests there in the near future ahead of the launch. The spaceport is also slated to host the "U.K. Pathfinder" flight by Lockheed Martin using ABL Space System's RS1 rocket, but the spaceport acknowledged that schedule is uncertain after the recent RS1 test mishap. (7/24)

SmallSat Alliance Gets New Leader (Source: Space News)
The SmallSat Alliance industry group has a new executive director. The organization announced Tuesday that Steve Nixon had stepped down and will be replaced by Angel Smith, a former Marine pilot and congressional staffer who most recently was a Microsoft executive. The SmallSat Alliance is a coalition of more than 50 companies in the small satellite ecosystem that lobbies for government investments in relevant technologies to maintain U.S. leadership in the field. (7/24)

Thales and Airbus Space Losses Spur Potential Merger (Source: Reuters)
Thales says that its space business is not performing as well as other sectors. The company said Tuesday that its space business would have a negative operating profit margin due to falling demand for commercial communications satellites and costs of restructuring weighing down the company's stock despite better performance in other markets. Airbus has also suffered losses on its space business, leading to reports that the two companies might combine their space activities in some way. Thales CEO Patrice Caine called those reports rumors that have emerged from time to time, and that the company's focus was on "Plan A," or restructuring the business over the next three years. (7/24)

VIPER Tests Continue (Source: Space Policy Online)
Initial environmental tests of NASA's VIPER rover, which the agency said last week it would cancel, are underway. The mission's project scientist said that VIPER has completed vibration and acoustic tests without any problems, and was optimistic that other tests would not turn up any issues with the robotic lunar rover that would further delay its launch or increase its cost. NASA officials defended the decision to cancel VIPER, noting that the Griffin lander that will carry it to the moon could also face delays. Scientists at the meeting criticized the cancellation decision, noting the rover is nearly complete and will perform studies of lunar ice not possible by other missions planned for the foreseeable future. (7/24)

India's Space Budget to Rise (Source: CNBC)
The budget for India's space agency ISRO is going back up after recent declines. A new budget released by the Indian government Tuesday would allocate 130.4 billion rupees ($1.55 billion) for the space agency in 2025, a 4% increase from 2024. ISRO's budget had fallen the previous two years after a peak of 139.5 billion rupees in 2022. The government is also allocating 10 billion rupees for a venture capital fund to support Indian space startups. (7/24)

NASA Picks Universities to Receive Space Sustainability Research Grants (Source: NASA)
NASA announced new awards to fund space sustainability research. NASA said Tuesday it is providing $550,000 for five projects led by university researchers to examine aspects of space sustainability. Three of the projects are related to the policy and economics of orbital debris and two will examine issues regarding space sustainability on the moon. The research supports NASA's broader Space Sustainability Strategy that the agency released in April. (7/24)

Blue Origin Announces Crew for New Shepard’s 26th Mission, Including UF Researcher (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin revealed the six-person crew flying on its NS-26 mission. The crew includes: Nicolina Elrick, Rob Ferl, Eugene Grin, Dr. Eiman Jahangir, Karsen Kitchen, and Ephraim Rabin. Karsen will become the youngest woman ever to cross the Kármán line. Ferl will be the first NASA-funded researcher to conduct an experiment as part of a commercial suborbital space crew. The experiment is designed to help scientists understand how plant genes react to the transition to and from microgravity. (7/24)

UK Space Agency Selects Finalists for Lunar Water Purification Technologies (Source: Space Daily)
Ten teams of engineers and scientists have been chosen as finalists in the Aqualunar Challenge, aimed at developing technologies to provide sustainable water supplies for a permanent Moon base. The Aqualunar Challenge is part of a Pounds 1.2m prize funded by the UK Space Agency's International Bilateral Fund and managed by Challenge Works. In collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and Impact Canada, the challenge offers UK-led teams Pounds 30,000 each to advance their technologies, with the final winner and runners-up to be announced in Spring 2025. (7/24)

Chinese Lunar Probe Finds Water in Moon Samples (Source: Space Daily)
A Chinese lunar probe found traces of water in samples of the Moon's soil, scientists have said, as the country pushes its ambitious space programme into high gear. The Chang'e-5 rover completed its mission in 2020, returning to Earth with rock and soil samples from the Moon. The lunar samples "revealed the presence of trace water", the group of scientists from Chinese universities wrote in the Nature Astronomy journal published Monday.

A NASA infrared detector already confirmed in 2020 the existence of water on the Moon, while scientists found traces of water in recent analyses of samples dating from the 1960s and 1970s. (7/23)

New Magnetic Criteria Suggest Only Two Exoplanets Potentially Habitable (Source: Space Daily)
Interest in Earth-like planets within the habitable zone of their stars has surged, driven by the quest to find life beyond our solar system. However, the potential habitability of such planets, known as exoplanets, depends on more than just their distance from the star. A new study broadens the definition of a habitable zone to include the impact of the host star's magnetic field. The research reveals that the star's magnetic field significantly influences a planet's ability to support life. (7/23)

Deep-Ocean Minerals Generate Oxygen at 13,000 Feet Below Surface (Source: Space Daily)
An international team of researchers has discovered that metallic minerals on the deep-ocean floor can produce oxygen at depths of 13,000 feet. This finding challenges the traditional belief that only photosynthetic organisms, such as plants and algae, generate Earth's oxygen. The discovery suggests oxygen can also be produced at the seafloor, supporting aerobic sea life in complete darkness. (7/23)

NASA Picks Crew for Another Simulated Mars Mission (Source: Space Daily)
The third volunteer research team to participate in NASA's simulated mission to Mars has been picked as the United States aims to better understand how humans will react during a deep-space mission, the space agency said Monday. Erin Anderson, Sergii Iakymov, Brandon Kent and Sarah Elizabeth McCandless are to begin their simulated trek to Mars within NASA's Human Exploration Research Analog -- or HERA -- at Johnson Space Center in Houston on Aug. 9. The volunteer crew of four will stay inside the 650-square-foot habitat for 45 days and exit Sep. 23 after a simulated return to Earth. Jason Staggs and Anderson Wilder will serve as "alternate" crew members. (7/22)