July 7, 2024

Florida Launch Pad Decisions Could Shuffle Users (Source: SPACErePORT)
SpaceX is building a Starship/Super Heavy launch pad at LC-39A, only meters from its existing Falcon-9/Falcon Heavy launch pad. A second Florida pad is also being considered, at an undeveloped site to either the north or south of LC-39A. Given the explosive potential of a fully fueled Starship/Super Heavy rocket, any Starship pad would have substantial impacts on nearby launchers, especially ULA's Atlas/Vulcan operations on LC-41 and NASA's SLS operations on LC-39B.

Environmental issues aside, the site with the least operational impact on non-SpaceX launches would be the northernmost one, known as LC-49, as it is about seven miles from ULA's LC-41. The southern option (LC-48) would be less than two miles from LC-41. (NASA's SLS operations would be impacted by any Starship pad, but SLS is not expected to fly very often.)

Meanwhile, about 11 miles south of LC-39A is LC-20, a pad recently assigned to Firefly Aerospace. With that company's recent decision to launch from Virginia's spaceport, LC-20 may be available for other users. (Firefly says they will 'maintain their relationship' with the Cape Canaveral Spaceport.) A bit further south at LC-13, Phantom Space and Vaya Space are currently supposed to share the complex alongside SpaceX's Falcon-9 landing operations. Maybe LC-20 could become an alternative for them. (7/7) 

New Zealand’s Commercial Rocket Industry Taking Off (Source: Bizz Buzz)
News of a potential new rocket launch site in Canterbury has largely been enthusiastically received. Boosts to the regional and national economies, and to New Zealand's competitiveness in a crowded sector, have been welcomed. But it also shines a light on the rapidly growing military-industrial use of space, and the pressing need for both national and international law to keep up. The establishment of a National Space Agency in 2016 and appointment of the first minister for space (Judith Collins) last year are a start.

But the challenges are significant in such a fast-moving area. If and when the new launch site is operational, it will join Rocket Lab's ‘spaceport’ on the Mahia Peninsula in the North Island, which opened in 2016. (7/6)

Low-Intensity Explosion Caused Russian Satellite to Spew Debris (Source: Space News)
A Russian satellite likely suffered a “low-intensity explosion” that created hundreds of pieces of debris in low Earth orbit, according to one company’s analysis. Both U.S. Space Command and private space situational awareness providers reported that Resurs P1, a defunct Russian remote sensing satellite, suffered a breakup event on June 26. That event created more than 100 pieces of debris that could be tracked by ground-based sensors. (7/6)

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Space Trash! (Source: Rolling Stone)
Turns out humans leave trash everywhere we go — and just like when we throw garbage out a car window, there are long-term impacts of leaving behind rubbish in the high-traffic lanes of the atmosphere. Just one errant rocket’s tragic crash in a populated area would derail the space industry for years. Or a rocket body colliding with other orbiting objects, creating gazillions more pieces of hazardous space junk, could disable many other satellites, and suddenly many of our smartphone apps would be rendered useless.

Federal agencies are finally paying attention, taking steps to limit how much dangerous space trash companies generate. Last September, the FAA proposed a new rule: U.S. space companies have to properly dispose of their upper-stage rockets, either by bringing them down safely or boosting them up into a so-called “graveyard orbit,” where there’s more space and not much stuff to crash into.

The new FAA rule applies only to U.S.-based companies, but they’re not the only ones producing the outer-space litter. Chinese rockets, especially the 20-ton Long March 5B, have drawn attention because of their size and mass. In general, the bigger the rocket, the bigger the pieces that come hurtling back down to the ground. “The problem must be considered at the global level, as an integral of all the reentries occurring day after day, accumulating risk over time.” (7/6)

Tracing the Hidden Hand of Magnetism in the Galaxy (Source: Quanta)
Amid the roilings of the Milky Way, immense pockets of gas coalesce into clouds where stars are born. In this process, there is a hidden hand at play: magnetism. Exactly how this fundamental force helps sculpt our galaxy has long eluded scientists, largely because measuring the galactic magnetic field is a considerable challenge. Unable to detect it directly, astronomers tease out clues by studying dust that has been aligned by the magnetic field and the light that passes through this dust.

The gas in the galaxy spans a mind-bending range of physical states. You have these very dense, cold molecular clouds. And then you have, at the other extreme end, very hot plasma. And you have a range of states in between, and we know that the story of star formation and the evolution of galaxies in general involves gas flowing between these different physical states.

One thing we’ve discovered in recent years is that as you move to denser structures in the interstellar medium, the filamentary molecular clouds actually prefer to orient orthogonally with respect to the local magnetic field. This is very tantalizing for the idea that the structure of the magnetic field might be important for where and how you sculpt these long filamentary knots of molecular material that are eventually the things that fragment and form stars. (7/6)

Wildlife Protections Take a Back Seat to SpaceX’s Ambitions (Source: New York Times)
On at least 19 occasions since 2019, SpaceX operations have caused fires, leaks, explosions or other problems associated with the rapid growth of Mr. Musk’s complex in Boca Chica. These incidents have caused environmental damage and reflect a broader debate over how to balance technological and economic progress against protections of delicate ecosystems and local communities.

Conservationists are concerned with the environmental impact space operations have on the area. A New York Times investigation found that Elon Musk exploited federal agencies’ competing missions to achieve his goals for space travel. (7/7)

VR is Being Used to Visit Worlds We Can Never Reach (Source: Space.com)
I'm standing so close to JAXA's Hayabusa2 asteroid lander that I could reach out and touch it. Instead, I jump on top of it. Then I strike a pose. When I leap off, I float for a moment in the low gravity before touching down gently on the surface of Ryugu, a craggy, gray world devoid of life and color. The "I" in this situation is my avatar, a digital approximation of myself.

The Hayabusa2 spacecraft I stood on, and the asteroid beneath, are digital avatars too, recreated in virtual reality. The VR experience I was in forms part of the 2024 Astronomical Society of Australia's Annual Scientific Meeting, where the country's astronomers come together to present new research, share results and mingle. This year's meeting, in June, was almost entirely online, making use of the platform Spatial to provide attendees access to the conference in VR. (7/7)

SpaceX Rivals Raise Concerns About Starship-Super Heavy Coming to Florida (Source: Florida Today)
ULA cited the April 2023 Starship explosion at SpaceX’s private launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, that sent debris flying across a six-mile radius. At the Cape, ULA officials noted that their launch pad is only three miles away from pad 39A, and other companies are located nearby. “If a similar accident occurs again, that debris would reach ULA’s operations and could hurt people or damage property. And with the increased liftoff thrust planned for Starship, the debris from a similar launch failure could reach larger, populated areas surrounding KSC,” the ULA letter said.

And ULA urged the government to consider an alternative to allowing SpaceX to bring Starship to KSC: Keep the giant rocket in Boca Chica, where it is now. Regarding a similar suggestion from Blue Origin to cap the number of Florida Starship launches, UCF's Phil Metzger said: “This would be the least creative and least helpful solution for potential problems at the Cape... Space is becoming far more important to the world, to national security, and to economic prosperity, and the US needs to scale up the launch rate — from all providers — not create caps that will in the end hurt every company and the nation as a whole,” he said.

Environmental concerns are also raised: quality of the stormwater management system to protect the ecologically imperiled Indian River Lagoon;
impacts of artificial lighting on nesting sea turtles, migratory and nesting birds, and nocturnal wildlife; and cumulative effects on air quality, stratospheric ozone layer damages, habitat destruction, ability to practice conservation management techniques such as controlled burns, and carbon emissions, factoring in Blue Origin’s upcoming New Glenn rockets. (7/7)

Startups Selected for Italian Aerospace Accelerator (Source: StartupItalia)
Eight companies will receive an initial investment of up to 150 thousand euros and will have access to a 5-month acceleration program. From the virtual reality aerospace simulator to the 2-thruster attitude and orbit control system, these are some of the solutions selected for the third edition of  Takeoff, the acceleration program of the CDP Venture Capital National Accelerator Network. Click here. (7/4)

Pensacola State College Gets $4.4 Million for Aviation Maintenance Training Facility (Source: Pensacola News Journal)
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $4.4 million in grant funding for the Pensacola State College's planned Aviation Maintenance Training Academy to be constructed at the Pensacola International Airport.

The $4.4 million covers about a third of the $15 million facility, with other funding sources including Triumph Gulf Coast and Public Education Capital Outlay funding from the Florida legislature. The program will be open to the general public, but will include a focus on engaging veterans and dual-enrollment high school students. “We owe a debt of gratitude to all three of our funding sources, and because of Space Florida we were able to capitalize on the opportunity for the governor’s Job Growth Grant. (7/1)

China Upgrading BeiDou Positioning Constellation (Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences)
The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) is undergoing a significant upgrade to meet the burgeoning needs for high-precision positioning across various sectors. The new services aim to provide decimeter-level accuracy within minutes, a substantial improvement over the current capabilities. This advancement is crucial for emerging technologies such as autonomous driving, robotic navigation, and smart city infrastructures, which rely on reliable and precise location data for effective operation.

"The advancements in BeiDou's high-precision services are pivotal for meeting the escalating demands of modern navigation applications. The integration of LEO satellites is particularly promising, as it significantly enhances coverage and reduces convergence time, bringing us closer to achieving real-time, centimeter-level positioning accuracy on a global scale." (7/4)

New Zealand Space Agency Not Aware of Any US Interest in Canterbury Rocket Launches (Source: RNZ)
The National Space Agency says it is not aware of any interest from the United States Space Force in conducting rocket launches from Canterbury's Kaitorete Spit. That is despite the US saying it needs access to launchpads in the Southern Hemisphere. The Crown-iwi joint venture at the spit, the Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre, is talking to international companies to gauge demand for launches.

It previously said it might work with "appropriate partners" on building multiple launch pads at the spit, south of Christchurch. A business case on how this stacks up is due by the end of the year. But the National Space Agency said it had not engaged in any way with the US Space Force regarding Kaitorete. (7/6)

Here’s Why SpaceX’s Competitors Are Crying Foul Over Starship Launch Plans (Source: Ars Technica)
United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin are worried about SpaceX's plans to launch its enormous Starship rocket from Florida. In documents submitted to the FAA last month, ULA and Blue Origin raised concerns about the impact of Starship launch operations on their own activities on Florida's Space Coast. Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' space company, urged the federal government to consider capping the number of Starship launches and landings, test-firings, and other operations, and limiting SpaceX's activities to particular times.

At SpaceX's privately owned Texas site the evacuation zone is set at 1.5 miles when Starship and Super Heavy are fully fueled. During an actual launch, the checkpoint is farther back at more than 3 miles from the pad. "The total launch capacity of the Cape will go down if other providers are forced to evacuate their facilities whenever a vehicle is fueled," ULA's Tory Bruno wrote. Blue Origin wrote that the impact of Starship activities in Florida "may be even greater than at Starbase," presumably due to the larger rocket SpaceX plans to launch from Cape Canaveral.

If this is the case, neighboring launch pads would need to be evacuated during Starship operations. Purely based on the geography of Cape Canaveral, ULA seems to have the bigger worry. Its launch pad for the Vulcan and Atlas V rocket is located less than 2.2 miles from LC-39A. SpaceX's proposal for up to 44 launches from LC-39A "will result in significant airspace and ground closures, result in acoustic impacts felt at nearby operations, and potentially produce debris, particulates, and property damage," ULA said. (7/6)

Launcher Startup Aspire Space Registers in Luxembourg (Source: Delano)
Last Sunday, Aspire Space, which has been registered in Luxembourg since February, submitted its application to the ESA. Stan Rudenko ended up saying that in total, between the design and the launches, he would have to raise €650m. “So far, we’ve been self-financing because we started by working on the design, so we didn’t need a big team or spend a lot of money."  Now, to finish the design and move on to construction, we’ll need a very different envelope.”

“In the world of startups, it’s the same. Take Isar, a German company that started from scratch, has raised a lot of money--around €400m--but still has neither a launcher nor a spacecraft. Rocket Factory Augsburg, which uses many parts produced by OHB, one of Europe’s biggest space companies, has raised around a hundred million. It already has a launcher on a launch pad. Our approach is more like the second. The people in my team were top execs on the Antares, Zenit and other projects. They built some of the most interesting models this side of the Atlantic.”

“We are thinking of using both Kazakhstan and Kourou (in French Guiana) to have flexibility,  he said. “I love Luxembourg. I think it’s the most open from a global point of view in Europe and France or Germany would be more bureaucratic and more closed to someone who isn’t local... What we want to do is a European business. We have to have a head office in Europe, and not just anywhere in Europe: we couldn’t go to the UK. With my highly experienced team, we can radically change the landscape in Europe. (7/5)

Starbase Pad B Starts to Rise As Booster 12 Static Fire Nears (Source: NSF)
SpaceX preparations for flight 5 of Starship continue to focus on replacing Ship 30’s heat shield as teams prepare for Booster 12 to roll out for a static fire this upcoming week. Meanwhile, long-term planning centers around Pad B construction at the launch site. SpaceX is also taking a different approach with this tower regarding how the base is designed and stacked compared to the original tower next door. SpaceX built an all-concrete and rebar base with the first tower before adding steel plating after Flight 2.

Pad B will be a hollow steel structure filled with concrete, giving it the strength needed and protection from exhaust during launches. Another change is that teams added the commodities lines and cryogenic propellant lines inside the modules at Sanchez before the modules were rolled and stacked at the Launch Site. (7/5)

Saudi Arabia: From Oil to Space (Source: Space News)
Supported by one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, Saudi Arabia is stepping up efforts to become a major force in space as commercial activity in the industry rises across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced the creation of Neo Space Group (NSG) May 27 to specifically invest in local and international commercial satellite opportunities.

The plan is to bring various capabilities in-house to build out an operating entity with expertise in satellite communications, Earth observation and navigation. NSG would also have a satellite and space-focused venture capital fund for early-stage investments. Spokespeople for the sovereign wealth fund said NSG would initially focus more on downstream space capabilities — and not areas such as rocket launches — although it’s unclear whether the company would seek to build its own satellites as the strategy is still being refined. (7/6)

The Space Relayers: NASA’s Latest Bet on the Private Sector is Starting to Take Shape (Source: Space News)
NASA is just months away from closing off its data relay satellite fleet to new users in preparation for switching over to commercial alternatives. Following success in leveraging the private sector to send people and cargo to the International Space Station, the agency’s program for fostering a commercial data relay market for spacecraft users is on the home stretch toward services next decade.

Advances in spacecraft design and cheaper launch costs have led to a proliferation of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), opening up new businesses for broadband, Earth observation and other commercial space markets. Satellites in LEO can transfer data with Earth much quicker than those farther away in higher orbits. Being closer to the ground also has its advantages for remote sensing instruments. (7/5)

EU Weather Satellite Agency’s SpaceX Launch Decision Needs Urgent Review, Lead Space MEP Says (Source: Euractive)
The European Union’s weather satellite agency should review its decision to use US launchers over the European option Ariane-6, MEP Christophe Grudler wrote in a letter sent to the organization’s board on Thursday (4 July). He argues it goes against the principle of giving preference to Europe, something the organization denies.

“I am writing to urgently request that you reconsider the recent decision to allocate the MTG-S1 satellite launch to a non-EU launch provider, and instead await the results of the inaugural launch of Ariane-6, which was your first choice for this satellite,” the Liberal member of Parliament wrote in a letter to the board." (7/5)

Authority Pivots From Space Launches to Aerospace R&D at Cecil Spaceport (Source: Jacksonville Business Journal)
For more than a decade, spaceflight launches at Cecil Air and Spaceport has been a goal of the Jacksonville Aviation Authority, with plans of capitalizing on the facility’s 12,503-foot-long runway and room for industrial buildings. But those plans never came to fruition — and the airport has now pivoted, with the authority’s focus now on finding ways to develop aerospace research and development facilities on Cecil east side.

And companies are taking interest. In June, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority confirmed that Hermeus, a hypersonic aircraft company, is exploring an expansion to Jacksonville. As Boeing’s facility for maintenance repair and overhaul for the  U.S. Navy’s P-8 multi-mission, maritime patrol aircraft opened earlier this year, JAA continues to court companies with the abundance of space they have. (7/5)

What Would Happen if Russia Detonated a Nuclear Bomb in Space? (Source: Washington Post)
In February 2022, Russia launched a satellite known as Cosmos 2553, its purpose the subject of anxious speculation amid a period of intensifying global tension. U.S. officials revealed their concern that the satellite is conducting tests that could lead to a nuclear weapon orbiting in space. So what would a nuclear explosion in space look like — and what would the effect be?

Back in 1962, the United States exploded a 1.4-megaton nuclear weapon in space in a test known as Starfish Prime. The bomb blast created a powerful electromagnetic pulse and unleashed a belt of radiation that lingered for months circling the Earth. It crippled one-third of the 24 satellites in orbit at that time, knocking out streetlights in Hawaii and damaging the electric grid. A Defense Department report noted its “intense” burst phenomena illuminated “a very large area of the Pacific.” (7/6)

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Starship? (Source: Space News)
SpaceX’s Starship launch vehicle elicits strong opinions. Take, for example, Toni Tolker-Nielsen, ESA’s director of space transportation. Asked about how Starship might affect Europe’s Ariane 6, he was dismissive. “Honestly, I don’t think Starship will be a game-changer or a real competitor,” he said, concluding that Starship was oversized for the types of satellites that would fly on Ariane 6. “Starship will not eradicate Ariane 6 at all.”

The response on social media to those comments was one of ridicule and derision. The most charitable responses suggested that Europe was making the same mistake it did a decade ago when it ignored the Falcon 9 — now the world’s leading launch vehicle. Another argument is that Starship is optimized for missions to low Earth orbit, with refueling likely required to send large payloads to higher orbits. “Starship is really good to get a large mass to LEO,” said ULA's Clint Hunt.

Starship is a “hyper-example” of a rocket optimized for LEO, he continued. “We’re competing now with that differentiation and with our flexibility. That’s how we won the largest commercial space contract in history with Amazon.” Those are fair points, but only go so far. Even ULA acknowledges that demand for those high-energy missions comes primarily from a handful of government customers, while interest in LEO continues to grow as megaconstellations overshadow GEO satellites. Click here. (7/5)

A New Set of Studies Offers the Most Comprehensive Look at Spaceflight Health Since NASA’s Twins Study (Source: The Conversation)
I am a radiation cancer biologist in Colorado State University’s Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences. I’ve spent the past few years continuing to build on that earlier research in a series of papers recently published across the portfolio of Nature journals.

These papers are part of the Space Omics and Medical Atlas package of manuscripts, data, protocols and repositories that represent the largest collection ever assembled for aerospace medicine and space biology. Over 100 institutions from 25 countries contributed to the coordinated release of a wide range of spaceflight data. Click here. (7/3)

JWST Captures Quasar-Galaxy Merger (Source: INAF)
An international research group used the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) on board the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to witness the dramatic interaction between a quasar inside the PJ308–21 system and two massive satellite galaxies in the distant universe. The observations unveiled unprecedented and awe-inspiring details, providing new insights into the growth of galaxies in the early universe. (7/5)