July 8, 2024

Boosting Australian Space Sector Would Also Boost Economy, Defense (Source: ASPI Strategist)
No country is better positioned to capitalize on the growing push into the final frontier of space than Australia. Becoming the premier destination for commercial space launch would not only provide ample economic growth but would bolster national security resilience. The government should leverage its geography as well as the burgeoning fields of additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence to encourage commercial space operations and develop strategic depth.

In discussions with Australian space industry leaders, a line is often heard: ‘We can offer more than just dirt [launch sites] if there’s policy support.’ Nonetheless, Australia’s prime geographic position is key to jumpstarting the industry. There are already several space launch sites within the country that have the potential to become space industry hubs, with surrounding business complexes that would facilitate launches. A launch to orbit is expected later this year.

Adding to their attractiveness is the existing import-export infrastructure within Australia, which would connect the launch sites to global shipping networks. One challenge in expanding Australia’s space industry is hardware maintenance. Given Australia’s relatively small manufacturing sector, it will need to source repair parts internationally, which will complicate maintenance logistics even with a robust import infrastructure. A way to mitigate this is to lean into additive manufacturing, which can create just-in-time repair parts and assemblies with unique geometries. (7/8)

JAXA Hacking Risks Not Just Japan But Its Security Partners (Source: Japan-Forward)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) recently revealed it has suffered repeated cyberattacks since 2023. In the process, the cyber criminals gained access to confidential information.  The large number of illegally accessed document files has raised concerns that confidential information was leaked concerning related companies, external research institutes, the Ministry of Defense, and other organizations. Chinese hackers appear to have been responsible for these cyberattacks.

The number of space development projects in which Japan is cooperating with foreign countries is growing. For example, at the April Japan-United States Summit, our two nations agreed to collaborate closely on space. Obviously, the fallout from the unauthorized divulgence of JAXA data will not be confined to Japan alone. What is more, if an authoritarian government like China gets its hands on such information, it could threaten the security of our ally and other friendly nations. (7/8)

The Mission for Europe’s New Rocket: Challenge SpaceX (Source: Wall Street Journal)
A new European rocket is poised to blast into space with a mission officials here say is vitally important: reducing the region’s reliance on Elon Musk and SpaceX. Europe’s satellites and military intelligence have come to depend on the U.S. company after delays and malfunctions left the continent unable to get to orbit with its own rockets. Officials fear that dependence could extend to the battlefield. (7/8)

Chinese Scientists Identify Super Moss Able to 'Survive' in Mars (Source: Reuters)
Scientists have identified a super resilient desert moss species in China's western region of Xinjiang that could help sustain possible colonies on Mars, a study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences showed. When subjected to conditions that simulate the environment on Mars, the moss - Syntrichia Caninervis - was found to be able to withstand extreme dryness, ultra-low temperatures and radiation, the academy said in a research paper published in The Innovation journal last week. (7/8)

Ovzon Satellite Ready for Operations After GEO Placement and Testing (Source: Space News)
Ovzon's newest satellite is ready to begin commercial service. The Swedish operator said Friday that Ozvon 3 had reached its final position in GEO and completed tests. The first full-service customer for the satellite will be the French elite police unit GIGN, which plans to use the satellite for connectivity as the country prepares to host the Summer Olympics. The satellite launched in January and entered service just ahead of a July 4 "bring into use" deadline by the ITU. (7/8)

China Launches Imaging Satellites (Source: Xinhua)
China launched a set of imaging satellites Friday. A Long March 6 rocket lifted off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center at 6:49 p.m. Eastern and placed the Tianhui 5-02 satellite group into orbit. The satellites will be used for mapping and land resource surveys, Chinese media reported. (7/8)

Polaris Dawn Mission Ready for NET July 31 Launch (Source: Space.com)
A private astronaut mission is now scheduled to launch at the end of this month. The Polaris program, led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, announced last week that its Polaris Dawn mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than July 31, rather than mid-July as previously stated. Isaacman and three others will fly on Polaris Dawn, using a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to test a new spacewalking suit. Polaris Dawn was originally projected to launch in late 2022. (7/8)

Forrester to Retire From Astronaut Corps (Source: NASA)
NASA astronaut Pat Forrester has retired from the agency. Forrester retired June 29, NASA announced last week, after joining the agency as an aerospace engineer in 1993 and being selected as an astronaut in 1996. He spent 40 days in space on three shuttle missions devoted to assembling the International Space Station, conducting four spacewalks. He later served as chief astronaut from 2017 to 2020. (7/8)

Private Companies Key Players in China's Space Development (Source: Space Daily)
The trial of Tianlong 3 a two-stage kerosene-liquid oxygen rocket developed by Beijing Tianbing Technology failed in Gongyi, Henan province, on Sunday. The company apologized on Tuesday for the accident. Most private space enterprises were founded after November 2014, when the State Council started encouraging private capital to participate in space infrastructure construction for civil use and later stressed official support for commercial satellites. That's 13 years after Musk founded SpaceX.

Private capital has also caught up with the small satellite launching subsector since then. The OS-X6B suborbital rocket as a test rocket was successfully launched in February 2021, Hyperbola 1 sent a satellite into orbit in December 2023, while Tianlong 2, the model before the failed Tianlong 3, had sent a satellite into the 500-kilometer high sun synchronous orbit in April 2023. (7/3)

Search for Extraterrestrial Life Focuses on Detecting Exoplanet Atmospheres (Source: Space Daily)
Examining atmospheres around planets beyond our solar system is a crucial step in the search for extraterrestrial life. Astronomist Sebastian Zieba, using data from the James Webb Space Telescope, has been studying small rocky exoplanets. Although no signs of life have been detected yet, his research remains significant for future studies. Zieba graduated cum laude on 25 June.

Enhanced telescopes could enable more in-depth research into exoplanet atmospheres. "It would be awesome to launch ten JWSTs and then glue them together," Zieba joked. He anticipates continuing his work with JWST and looks forward to projects like the Extremely Large Telescope in Chile, the Habitable Worlds Observatory, and the LIFE space mission. (7/1)

NASA Shares Use Requirements With Commercial Destination Partners (Source: Space Daily)
NASA hosted a meeting to share knowledge with companies developing future commercial destinations at the agencys Johnson Space Center in Houston. The discussion could aid in developing safe, reliable, innovative, and cost-effective space stations. Industry representatives from more than 20 companies attended.

The feedback has helped develop and refine a utilization requirements strategy, including a concept of operations, basic laboratory capabilities, and common payload standards for heritage hardware. the space agency will continue to refine its future requirements and incorporate future low Earth orbit needs of other U.S. government agencies and international partners. (7/3)

Leaf Space Enables Sateliot to Scale Without Significant Investment in the Ground Segment (Source: Space Daily)
Sateliot, the first company to operate a low-Earth orbit (LEO) nanosatellite constellation with 5G IoT standards and that extends coverage of Mobile Telecom Operators to any place in the planet, has successfully integrated its satellite communication stack with Leaf Space's Ground Segment as a Service (GSaaS) Network. This milestone is crucial for the upcoming Transporter-11 mission by SpaceX, during which Sateliot will launch four new 6U satellites to further global 5G IoT connectivity. (7/2)

Indonesia Aims to Build Cutting-Edge Spaceport but Faces Obstacles (Source: Space Daily)
Indonesia aims to launch 19 satellites into low-Earth orbit next year, part of an ambitious plan to move the country into the forefront of the world's growing space industry and reduce its reliance on other countries for its satellite data. The broader program, known as the 2045 space map, is set to begin next year. Officials hope to boost Indonesia's economy and drive foreign direct investment by leveraging its unique geography as a near-equatorial, fuel-efficient launch point.

But according to officials at BRIN, Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency, there's still no confirmation of which company or government agencies would be responsible for the spate of launches planned for 2025. "The main constraint was the government's financial planning and budget cuts. We also couldn't clinch foreign investment partners to join in developing the spaceport because it is high technology and high cost," said BRIN researcher Thomas Djamalludin. (7/2)