July 4, 2024

Boeing Would Like Everyone to Please Stop Saying the Starliner ISS Test Is a Bust (Source: Gizmodo)
Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has been docked to the International Space Station (ISS) for nearly a month, with NASA and its commercial partner repeatedly delaying the departure of the crew on board the capsule. Despite indefinitely postponing Starliner’s return flight, NASA and Boeing insist that the spacecraft is fully operational, capable of returning to Earth at any point, and that the two astronauts aboard are not stranded in space. (7/2)

Starlink Direct-to-Cell Satellite Total Now at 103 (Source; Space Daily)
SpaceX early Wednesday launched 20 Starlink satellites, including 13 that have Direct-to-Cell capability, intended to "serve customers with ubiquitous connectivity directly to their phones," a SpaceX company official said previously, bringing the total of those in orbit to 103. (7/3)

Firefly Aerospace Successfully Launches Eight CubeSat Satellites (Source: Space Daily)
Firefly Aerospace successfully launched its Alpha rocket carrying eight CubeSat satellites into space on Tuesday night from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base. This mission marks a significant achievement following a previous scrub due to ground systems issues. The CubeSats were launched under NASA's Launch Services Program Venture, providing satellite developers at U.S. universities and nonprofits with low-cost access to conduct scientific research and technology demonstrations in space. (7/4)

China's First Commercial Spacecraft Launch Site Ready (Source: Space Daily)
China's first commercial spacecraft launch site is ready for operations in South China's Hainan province as of Sunday, having completed a rocket launch simulation rehearsal using its two launch pads. According to the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co Ltd (HICAL), which built and operates the launch site, the exercises performed using the launch pads included water spraying and deluge system cooling, as well as a rocket lifting arm erection test. Following assessments, HICAL confirmed that the site is operational for launch missions. (7/2)

NASA Seeks Feedback on Requirements for New Commercial Space Stations (Source: Space Daily)
NASA is asking American companies to provide input on the agency's requirements for end-to-end services as part of the Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Development Program.

Through a request for information (RFI), NASA is seeking feedback from industry as the agency refines its anticipated requirements for new commercial space destinations. The requirements will help industry understand NASA's human-rating standards that will be used by the agency to certify that the new systems meet NASA expectations for low Earth orbit operations and transportation. An industry briefing day is scheduled to take place Thursday Oct. 12, with responses to the RFI due Friday, Nov. 17. (7/3)

Blue Origin, Stoke Space Join Space Force Rapid Launch Initiative (Sources: Aviation Week, Breaking Defense)
The U.S. Space Force has awarded contracts to Blue Origin and Stoke Space under the Orbital Services Program (OSP)-4 effort, allowing the two providers to compete for task orders meant to put capabilities on orbit within two years. Blue Origin and Stoke Space would join 10 other companies authorized under the Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP).

RSLP “allows for the rapid acquisition of launch services to meet mission requirements for payloads 400 pounds or greater, enabling launch within 12-24 months from task order award. Task orders under the contract can be tailored to meet more demanding timelines for Tactically Responsive Space missions or other needs,” the SSC announcement explains. (7/3)

Virgin Galactic Grows in Irvine California (Source: Irvine Standard)
Virgin Galactic doubled its employees in 2022 when it moved its headquarters near Irvine. Its new facility, in the Hubble Industrial Park, will test components of the Delta spaceships scheduled to replace the VSS Unity model that made its final flight in June. Final assembly of the Delta craft will take place in Phoenix.

“The Irvine area is very fertile ground for recruiting,” said Steve Justice, Virgin Galactic’s vice president of spaceline programs and engineering, who said the company is seeking to develop a steady pipeline of workers, from graduate students with technical degrees to mid-career engineers. “It also helps retain talent with its spectacular weather and great ambiance for professionals, be they single or with families,” he said. (7/3)

China Launches Communications Satellite on 30th Mission of the Year (Source: Space.com)
China just boosted its geostationary communications satellite fleet. A Long March 7A rocket lifted off from the coastal Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan island on June 29. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the country's main space contractor, declared the mission a complete success. (7/3)

Increasingly Feasible, On-Orbit Servicing (OOS) and Debris Removal Have a Challenging Road to Market (Source: Space News)
On-orbit servicing (OOS) progress is largely due to advancements in automation, robotics and navigation technologies that enabled intentional maneuvers to bring a satellite close to another object in orbit for docking or conducting nearby operations. These developments, combined with the miniaturization of components and reduced launch costs, have made OOS more feasible than ever before. Click here. (7/3)

Machine Learning Could Tackle Long-Standing Astrophysics Questions (Source: PPPL)
Physicists at the U.S. Department of Energy(Link is external)’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory(Link opens in new window) (PPPL) have developed a computer program incorporating machine learning(Link is external) that could help identify blobs of plasma(Link is external) in outer space known as plasmoids. In a novel twist, the program has been trained using simulated data.

The program will sift through reams of data gathered by spacecraft in the magnetosphere, the region of outer space strongly affected by Earth’s magnetic field, and flag telltale signs of the elusive blobs. Using this technique, scientists hope to learn more about the processes governing magnetic reconnection, a process that occurs in the magnetosphere and throughout the universe that can damage communications satellites and the electrical grid. (7/2)

To Guard Against Cyberattacks in Space, Researchers Ask 'What If?' (Source: The Conversation)
Because space is so remote and hard to access, if someone wanted to attack a space system, they would likely need to do it through a cyberattack. Space systems are particularly attractive targets because their hardware cannot be easily upgraded once launched, and this insecurity worsens over time. As complex systems, they can have long supply chains, and more links in the chain increase the chance of vulnerabilities.

At least in nonclassified forums, only a couple of under-specified scenarios are typically considered: something vague about satellite hacking and something vague about signals jamming or spoofing. But failure to imagine a full range of possibilities can be devastating for security planning, especially against hackers who are a diverse set of entities with diverse motivations and targets. These variables are vital to nail down because they reveal clues about which strategies and levers defenders may find most effective in a response.

For instance, an attack by a state-sponsored hacker may require a different approach than, say, one by a criminal hacker after money or by a chaos agent. Here are three of the 42 scenarios we included in the report. Click here. (7/3)

Mars Tested Tech Invented in Utah Has 'World Saving' Aspirations (Source: KUTV)
A group of Utah scientists created Moxie, a device that NASA sent as part of the Perseverance Rover to the surface of Mars. The device has achieved a world first, but not on this world. Reportedly, this tech that NASA needs for Mars should be an even bigger deal on Earth. A stack of solid oxide electrolysis cells inside a golden box took carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere and cracked it into oxygen.

Those who created it said it wasn't exactly exciting to see their device blast off into space to be tested 140 million miles away. They say this rare achievement, and the acclaim of being named one of Time Magazine's best innovations of 2023, is underselling the importance of what their tech can do. "We believe it is far more significant, and we feel that the commercial applications for sustainability are even more significant than the space applications," Joseph Hartvigsen said. (7/3)

Russia Used Exclave of Kaliningrad to Disrupt EU Satellites (Source: Bloomberg)
Russia has been using Kaliningrad, its exclave that borders Poland and Lithuania, as one of its bases to disrupt European Union satellite systems, according to a United Nations agency that oversees communications technology. Russia should “immediately cease any deliberate action to cause harmful interference to frequency assignments of other administrations,” the International Telecommunications Union’s Radio Regulations Board said Monday in a summary of its meeting last week. (7/2)

SpaceX Developing Tools To Remove Heat Shield Tiles On Starship Rather Than Manually Breaking Them Away (Source: Benzinga)
SpaceX is working on making it easier to remove the heat shield tiles on its ambitious Starship launch vehicle. “We're working on simple tooling to make this fast and repeatable,” Musk said in response to a user who expressed surprise that the removal of the tile still requires workers to manually exert pressure, thereby breaking it. (7/3)

Can “AltPNT” Really Replace GPS? (Source: Space News)
We are now beginning to see a proliferation of technologies that focus on non-GPS navigation. It is important that we be clear about what really constitutes AltPNT, so as not to confuse it with augmentative “AugPNT.” To begin with, the technology must be truly independent of the GPS constellation and must not require periodic GPS updates in order to avoid drift. It must also be comparable to GPS in accuracy, speed and global coverage. And it should not be susceptible to the same problems that could degrade or deny GPS signals. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Private companies like Xona and TrustPoint are building new commercial PNT services using low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations. Researchers have also discovered that SpaceX’s Starlink satellites could be used to deliver PNT services from LEO. But LEO PNT satellite constellations are not without drawbacks — and risks. Because of their LEO orbits, these services will require larger constellations to achieve global coverage. They also have a lower lifespan than medium Earth orbit (MEO). (7/2)

Virgin Galactic Signs LOI with Spaceport Authority, New Hangar Planned (Source: Business Journals)
Virgin Galactic has plans to build at New Mexico's Spaceport America as the space travel company aims for a lot more spaceflight activity starting in 2026. Virgin Galactic signed a letter of intent with the New Mexico Spaceport Authority in June for a future lease at the 18,000-acre Spaceport America.

That lease, if executed, would include approximately 85.5 acres just south of Virgin Galactic's "Gateway to Space" building at Spaceport America, which currently acts as the company's hangar facility and as a hospitality site for guests during spaceflight events. Virgin plans to build a second, new hangar at the Spaceport on that 85.5-acre parcel. At around 30,000 square feet, the new hangar would house a Virgin Galactic "mothership" — which the company uses to carry its spaceships up to about 45,000 feet before the spaceship rockets into space — and facilities for "mate and preflight activities prior to spaceflight." (7/1)

Chinese Satellite Manufacturer MinoSpace Raises $137 Million (Source: Space News)
Chinese commercial satellite maker MinoSpace has secured more than $137 million to further its design and production aspirations. MinoSpace, also known as Beijing Weina Star Technology Co., Ltd., announced the funding June 24, now describing itself as a commercial space unicorn enterprise, having secured 1 billion yuan ($137 million). (7/3)

FAA Clears Takeoff for Las Vegas' Desert Airport, Space Tourism Hub to Launch Soon (Source: KSNV)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is giving the green light for the Las Vegas executive airport in the desert outskirts. The 240-acre site will be located near Pahrump, with construction permits unanimously approvedlast month by Clark County commissioners. The airport is expected to be the cornerstone of the ambitious spaceport which would serve as a hub for both commercial and private space tourism. (7/2)

Report Details Minutes Leading Up to Plane Crash That Killed NASA Astronaut Bill Anders (Source: KING)
Anders boarded the Beech A45 plane around 10:50 a.m. and sent a text to a family friend about 10 minutes later, stating he would soon be flying past her house around 11:40 a.m., the report said. On the western shore of Orcas Island, the friend heard Anders' plane — a familiar sound from previous flyovers — and watched at 11:37 a.m. as he flew north along the shoreline.

She later told investigators Anders would usually do two flybys and while he sometimes rocks the airplane’s wings, “he never performed any kind of aerobatic maneuvers,” the report said. The NTSB said the airplane’s fuselage was located about 1,700 feet west of the last radar in about 30 feet of water. Most of the plane’s wreckage was recovered from the area during the following week. The NTSB said it is under further investigation. (7/2)

India Seeks Role in Asteroid Mission (Source: Times of India)
Isro chairman S Somanath while stressing that no one country can individually develop a planetary protection system against asteroids, on Wednesday said India also wishes to, and is qualified to be, part of larger global missions that study asteroids. (7/3)

Two of the German Military’s New Spy Satellites Appear to Have Failed in Orbit (Source: Ars Technica)
On the day before Christmas last year, a Falcon 9 rocket launched from California and put two spy satellites into low-Earth orbit for the armed forces of Germany, which are collectively called the Bundeswehr. Initially, the mission appeared successful. The German satellite manufacturer, OHB, declared that the two satellites were "safely in orbit." The addition of the two SARah satellites completed a next-generation constellation of three reconnaissance satellites, the company said.

However, six months later, the two satellites have yet to become operational. According to the German publication Der Spiegel, the antennas on the satellites cannot be unfolded. Engineers with OHB have tried to resolve the issue by resetting the flight software, performing maneuvers to vibrate or shake the antennas loose, and more to no avail. As a result, last week, German lawmakers were informed that the two new satellites will probably not go into operation as planned. (7/2)

Even Virgin Galactic Loyalists Are Starting to Lose Faith (Source: Bloomberg)
After braving years of ups and downs for Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc., even its most loyal investors are losing faith. The final straw for many was a 1-for-20 reverse stock split last month intended to get the shares back above $1 to comply with New York Stock Exchange listing requirements. The stock has already lost much of that artificially created value, leaving investors with fewer shares that are worth far less. (7/3)