August 17, 2024

Scientists Say They've Come up With a "Time Zone" For the Moon (Source: Futurism)
A new study published in the journal The Astronomical Journey details a system for reconciling lunar time with Earth time, which its authors say could be instrumental in not just exploring the Moon, but eventually, the cosmos. The researchers' proposed solution involves a lot of complicated math, but the gist of it is that their method relies on using the center of mass between the Earth and the Moon as a reference frame.

Clocks placed in orbit at Lagrange points, or points in space where a small object under the gravitational pull of two larger ones can stay in the same position relative to them, would serve as "time transfer links" between the Earth and the Moon, because these orbital sweet spots "provide a low acceleration noise environment" that allow for scientists to easily correct for relativity, the researchers wrote in the study. (8/16)

International Astronomy Group Joins Calls for a Lunar Clock to Keep Time on the Moon (Source: Phys.org)
Time moves a tad faster on the moon. Now an international group of astronomers has joined calls to give the moon its own clock so that future space missions can keep track of minutes on the celestial body. The International Astronomical Union voted Thursday encouraging space organizations across the globe to collaborate on a timekeeping standard for the moon, where one day lasts 29.5 Earth days. Astronomers are still in the early days of determining exactly how lunar time will tick. (8/15)

SNC Scaling Up its Fleet of Radio-Frequency Monitoring Satellites (Source: Space News)
Aerospace and defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is set to expand its radio frequency (RF) satellite constellation, aiming to capture a larger share of the market for electronic emissions data. The company launched its first four RF sensing cubesats last year, built by Spire, marking its entry into this increasingly competitive field. SNC is now gearing up for a significant expansion, with plans to deploy a network of 20 satellites over the next five years. (8/16)

Space Photographer Captures Photo of Secret Chinese Space Plane (Source: BGR)
An amateur space photographer has managed to do the unthinkable—Felix Schöfbänker has captured a photo of the Chinese space plane in orbit. The plane is very similar to the United State’s own space plane. Schöfbänker captured the elusive photo using a 14-inch telescope setup and image rendering software. (8/16)

SpaceX Launches California Transporter Rideshare Mission With 116 Payloads (Source: Space News)
SpaceX launched the latest in its series of dedicated rideshare missions Aug. 16, putting more than 100 satellites for commercial and government customers into orbit. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The rocket’s booster, on its 12th flight, landed back at the launch site seven and a half minutes after liftoff.

Transporter-11 carried 116 payloads for a wide range of government and commercial customers, primarily manifested by aggregators such as Exolaunch, ISISpace, Maverick Space Systems and SEOPS. Those payloads were deployed starting about 54 minutes after liftoff, continuing for more than 90 minutes. The largest single customer, in terms of number of payloads, was Planet, which had 36 of its Dove imaging cubesats on the launch along with Tanager-1, its first hyperspectral imaging satellite. (8/16)

US Air Force Avoids Contaminated Water Cleanup, Citing Supreme Court’s Chevron Ruling (Source: The Guardian)
The US Air Force is refusing to comply with an order to clean drinking water it polluted in Tucson, Arizona, claiming federal regulators lack authority after the conservative-dominated US supreme court overturned the “Chevron doctrine”. Air force bases contaminated the water with toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” and other dangerous compounds.

Though former US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials and legal experts who reviewed the Air Force’s claim say the Chevron doctrine ruling probably would not apply to the order, the military’s claim that it would represents an early indication of how polluters will wield the controversial court decision to evade responsibility. (8/12)

How a Quantum Sensor on the ISS Could Revolutionize Space Exploration (Source: Space.com)
Scientists at NASA's Cold Atom Lab (CAL) onboard the ISS have announced that, for the first time, they have successfully made high-precision measurements using a quantum sensor based on ultra-cold atoms of the element Rubidium.This is a significant achievement with wide-ranging applications, as these sensors could surpass traditional ones in sensitivity and accuracy, enabling advancements in fields like GPS technology and telecommunications.

Additionally, working versions of these sensors would offer new opportunities for scientific discoveries through the study of quantum phenomena, testing the limits of fundamental physics — and maybe even pushing beyond theories such as general relativity and the Standard Model of particle physics. If so, that would undoubtedly lead to a revolution in  — space exploration as well. (8/16)

LUNARSABER: Statue of Liberty-Sized Streetlights Form Moon Power Grid (Source: New Atlas)
Companies like Nokia are helping set up 4G networks for communication, and Northrop Grumman is developing a lunar railway concept for transporting astronauts, materials and equipment. The latter is part of the 10-Year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) Capability Study, and Honeybee Robotics has been selected as part of that same initiative to develop a new infrastructure technology it calls LUNARSABER. It is a network of Statue of Liberty-sized towers containing solar panels and batteries that provide power and communications, and even act as streetlights.

Of course, this is a classically clumsy acronym, apparently standing for “Lunar Utility Navigation with Advanced Remote Sensing and Autonomous Beaming for Energy Redistribution.” Each LUNARSABER would be a deployable package that unfolds into a 100-m (328-ft) tall tower, by way of another terrible acronym – Deployable Interlocking Actuated Bands for Linear Operations, or DIABLO. (8/15)

Boeing, Lockheed Martin in Talks to Sell ULA to Sierra Space (Source: Reuters)
Boeing and Lockheed Martin are in talks to sell their rocket-launching joint venture United Launch Alliance to Sierra Space, two people familiar with the discussions said. A deal could value ULA at around $2 billion to $3 billion, the sources said. A deal to sell ULA, a major provider of launch services to the U.S. government and a top rival to SpaceX, would mark a significant shift in the U.S. space launch industry as ULA separates from two of the largest defense contractors to a smaller, privately held firm.

A potential deal would be an ambitious move for Sierra Space, spun off from Sierra Nevada Corp in 2021 to focus on bringing to market its long-delayed Dream Chaser spaceplane and building a private space station habitat with Blue Origin. Sierra Space has weighed a public offering. A potential deal could accelerate deployment of its crewed spaceflight business, analysts said. (8/16)

A Huge Event In Its Past Made Uranus Tilt Sideways (Source: IFL Science)
"Uranus is the only planet whose equator is nearly at a right angle to its orbit, with a tilt of 97.77 degrees. This may be the result of a collision with an Earth-sized object long ago," NASA explains. "This unique tilt causes Uranus to have the most extreme seasons in the solar system. For nearly a quarter of each Uranian year, the Sun shines directly over each pole, plunging the other half of the planet into a 21-year-long, dark winter." Though the leading hypothesis is that Uranus took a colossal pounding from an object roughly twice the size of Earth. (8/16)

European Space Agency Sends Rover Into Lake On Mars (Source: Giant Freaking Robot)
ESA has sent the Mars Express into the red planet’s massive ancient lake. It’s an important part of the international effort to explore our closest celestial neighbor. The lakebed is unlike anything else on the planet and its scale dwarfs any lake on Earth. The Mars Express has entered the former lake and is now sending high-definition images back to Earth for scientists to study.

This could help scientists understand the planet’s ecology, an important factor to understand before we send humans to the desolate planet. It could also illuminate the history of the planet’s water loss. (8/15)

Terran Orbital, York Space Win U.S. Military Satellite Contracts (Source: Space News)
The Space Development Agency awarded contracts to Terran Orbital and York Space Systems to build and operate 10 satellites each for the military’s low Earth orbit communications network, the agency announced Aug. 16. The contracts, valued at $254 million for Terran Orbital and $170 million for York Space, are for the final 20 satellites of SDA’s Tranche 2 Transport Layer Gamma program. Delivery is expected in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2027. (8/16)

Eagle Mountain Mining Deploys Space Exploration Technology at Arizona Copper Project (Source: Mining.com)
Australian space exploration company Fleet Space Technologies announced Thursday it has deployed its end-to-end mineral exploration solution, ExoSphere, to support Eagle Mountain Mining’s data-driven exploration at their Silver Mountain greenfield copper project in Arizona. Leveraging ExoSphere’s real-time 3D subsurface mapping capabilities, powered by space technology and AI, Eagle Mountain uncovered new insights that underscore the potential for large mineralized systems and identified multiple unknown targets at Silver Mountain, the company said. (8/15)

US Space Industry Struggles with ‘Constitutional Crisis’ in Quest to Bring Shipments Back to Earth (Source: The Hill)
Western Air Force bases could become ports of entry for pharmaceuticals manufactured in space if Congress approves this year’s massive defense omnibus. Under the House’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Western missile ranges could someday enable a steady stream of new cargo returning to Earth: parachute-borne orbital labs carrying lucrative and highly potent forms of existing drugs.

Those labs are the creation of Varda Space Industries, the first company to successfully carry out commercial space manufacturing — and to date the only commercial space company to bring cargo back to U.S. soil. The still open-ended nature of space manufacturing’s development is why the House, Senate and White House are in a historic fight over who should control the passage to orbit — and who takes responsibility if a launch or reentry ultimately ends in disaster.

At the core of those questions is a consideration of both the potential benefits of private-industry spaceflight in an age of governmental retreat from the sector, in which deliveries to the International Space Station come from private companies SpaceX and Northrop Grumman, and its very real risks. Editor's Note: Why only Western ranges? Florida recently established Tyndall AFB and Homestead ARB as spaceport territories so they could support reentry/recovery operations off the Florida coast. (8/15)

Kennedy Under the Stars - After Hours Event at KSC Visitor Complex on Aug. 31 (Source: KSCVC)
Kennedy Under the Stars returns August 31, 2024! This exclusive after-hours event combines your favorite visitor complex attractions with a galactic glow party! Click here. (8/15)

Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Systems Like Starlink Cause Environmental Harm Regulators Didn’t Prepare For (Source: Tech Dirt)
Last June scientists warned that low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites constantly burning up in orbit could release chemicals that could undermine the progress we’ve made repairing the ozone layer. Researchers at USC noted that at peak, 1,005 U.S. tons of aluminum will fall to Earth, releasing 397 U.S. tons of aluminum oxides per year to the atmosphere, an increase of 646% over natural levels.

Numerous companies, most notably Elon Musk’s Starlink and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, are working on launching tens of thousands of small LEO satellites in the coming years. A new report by U.S. PIRG adds to concerns that these launches haven’t been thought through environmentally, noting that the disposable nature of such satellites means 29 tons of satellites will re-enter our atmosphere every day at peak. (8/16)

Extreme Tourism Company Takes You To The Edge Of Space (Source: Giant Freaking Robot)
The days of exploring the depths of space being reserved exclusively for NASA seem to be coming to an end. In recent years, celebrities like Jeff Bezos and William Shatner have experienced what it is like to venture beyond our planet. And now, courtesy of Space Perspective, everyday people will be able to ascend to the edges of space via a space balloon. Click here. (8/14)

NASA and Rocket Lab Aim to Prove We Can Go to Mars for 1/10 the Price (Source: Tech Crunch)
A pair of Rocket Lab-made spacecraft are about to embark on a two-step journey. The first step is the 55-hour, 2,500-mile stretch from California to the launch site at Cape Canaveral. The second step? Just 11 months and 230 million miles to Mars. The objective of the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission is to study the interaction between solar winds and the Martian atmosphere. The mission is currently set to launch no earlier than October on the first launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, according to NASA.

The satellite bus — the actual platform that will travel through space and host the science payloads in an orbit around Mars — is built by Rocket Lab. While the company is best known for its Electron rocket, which is second only to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 in terms of launch numbers, the majority of its revenue actually comes from building and selling spacecraft and spacecraft components. With ESCAPADE, Rocket Lab is looking to show both the space agency and the world that it can produce extremely high-performance spacecraft that are capable of journeying throughout the solar system. (8/16)

NASA Selects 5 New Roman Technology Fellows in Astrophysics (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellowships (RTF) to five early-career researchers in astrophysics for the class of 2023.  The program will support the advancement of their ideas for new technologies to further the exploration of the universe. This annual fellowship gives researchers the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to become principal investigators of future astrophysics missions, and fosters new talent by putting early-career instrument builders on track towards long-term positions. (8/16)

AT&T and Verizon Ask FCC To Throw a Wrench Into Starlink's Mobile Plan (Source: Slashdot)
AT&T and Verizon are urging the FCC to reject SpaceX's plan to offer cellular service with T-Mobile, arguing that it would cause harmful interference to terrestrial mobile networks. SpaceX and T-Mobile told FCC staff that their plan will not harm other wireless operations and predicted that competitors will make misleading claims. SpaceX also argued that the FCC's emissions limit is too strict and should be changed. (8/16)