August 3, 2024

Umbra Ventures Into Custom Satellite Manufacturing (Source: Space News)
Umbra, a space technology company specializing in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging, is expanding into the satellite manufacturing business. The company this week announced a new business segment called Mission Solutions aimed at the U.S. and other governments that seek “components, software, and demonstration of mission capabilities through full SAR constellations,” said Jason Mallare, Umbra’s vice president of global solutions. (8/2)

Rocket Lab Launches Fifth Synspective Satellite (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab launched the fifth radar imaging satellite for Japanese company Synspective Aug. 2, continuing work with its largest commercial customer. An Electron lifted off from Pad B of Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1. The rocket’s kick stage deployed the StriX spacecraft into a planned 543-kilometer orbit inclined at 43 degrees about an hour later. (8/2)

NASA Retaining Plans to Select a Single Artemis Lunar Rover (Source: Space News)
NASA is not reconsidering plans to select only one company to develop an Artemis lunar rover, despite a setback in another program procuring key elements of the lunar exploration effort as a service.

NASA announced in April that it awarded feasibility study contracts to three companies — Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab — for the first phase of its Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) Services contract. The one-year contracts, work on which formally started in May, will allow the companies to mature their designs for rovers that will be used by astronauts on later Artemis missions as well as teleoperated from the ground when astronauts are not present.

The agency said it will then select one of the companies to build and demonstrate its rover on the moon, after which the agency will effectively rent the rover under a services contract. The company will also be able to offer the rover to other customers when not in use by NASA. (8/2)

Canada Concludes Negotiations on Use of US Launch Technology (Source: Reuters)
Canada and the United States have concluded negotiations for an agreement that will allow the use of U.S. space launch technology, expertise and data for space launches in Canada, the Canadian foreign ministry said. "When in force [this agreement] will position our country to be a global leader in commercial space launch," said Foreign Minister Melanie Joly. The U.S. and Canada will now carry out a final review of the negotiated text and seek to obtain necessary domestic authorizations for the signing of the agreement, the foreign ministry said. (8/2)

Test Your Space Debris Catching Skills in New Game Released by Astroscale (Source: Space.com)
Space sustainability company Astroscale has launched a computer game that allows players to test their space debris catching skills in a simulation based on one of the company's real missions.

The Space Protector game comes in different difficulties and can be played on a desktop computer or via a game console. Based on Astroscale's planned COSMIC mission, which will attempt to remove two old, defunct British satellites from orbit later this decade, the game allows players to control a robotic arm to capture an errant piece of space junk. (8/2)

The Moon's Thin Atmosphere is Made by Constant Meteorite Bombardment (Source: Space.com)
It is easy to imagine the moon as an atmosphere-less hunk of rock orbiting Earth. However, while lacking breathable air, our planet's loyal natural satellite companion does have a thin and wispy atmosphere. Scientists have long puzzled over the existence of this tenuous atmosphere or "exosphere" and have searched for the main process that sustains it, but new research indicates that this tenuous lunar atmosphere or "exosphere" owes its existence to renewal and replenishment caused by the violent bombardment of space rocks upon the moon. (8/2)

Water Molecules Found in Lunar Rock Sample for the First Time (Source: New Scientist)
There really is water on the moon. Molecules of H2O have been detected in lunar rocks for the first time in samples picked up by China’s Chang’e 5 spacecraft. These minerals could provide a source of water for a moon base, as well as offer fresh clues about the moon’s history. (8/2)

Celebrating NASA’s Coast Guard Astronauts on Coast Guard Day (Source: NASA)
Each Aug. 4, Coast Guard Day commemorates the founding on Aug. 4, 1790, of the U.S. Coast Guard as the Revenue-Marine by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. Although considered an internal event for active duty and reserve Coast Guard members, we take the opportunity of Coast Guard Day to honor the astronauts who began their careers in the Coast Guard. To date, NASA has selected three astronauts who served in the Coast Guard. (8/2)

NASA Johnson Dedicates Dorothy Vaughan Center to Women of Apollo (Source: NASA)
On the eve of the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston commemorated the unsung heroes who helped make humanity’s first steps on the Moon possible. To celebrate their enduring legacy, Johnson named one of its central buildings the “Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of the Women of Apollo” on July 19, 2024, during a ceremony recognizing the early pioneers who laid the groundwork for the Artemis Generation. (8/2)

Caltech Observatory Atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, a Source of Cultural Tension, is Dismantled (Source: LA Times)
After decades of mounting tension between scientists and Native Hawaiians, Caltech has completed its removal of a telescope from the summit of Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano that is revered by the island’s Indigenous population. The decommissioning of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory in July follows the removal of a University of Hawaii observatory a month earlier, and comes amid a cultural resurgence among Native Hawaiians. (8/2)

Japan Astronaut Takuya Onishi to Visit Space Station in February (Source: Kyodo News)
A team of four astronauts, including Takuya Onishi of Japan, will start staying aboard the International Space Station from February next year at the earliest, NASA said Thursday. With NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, as well as Kirill Peskov of Russia, the 48-year-old Japanese astronaut is expected to remain there for six months to engage in scientific experiments and technology demonstrations.

They will travel to the orbiting laboratory using a SpaceX Dragon space capsule. The upcoming trip marks SpaceX's 10th crew rotation mission since 2020, when it first carried NASA astronauts to the laboratory. (8/2)

Starbase Under Investigation (Source: Port Isabel Press)
SpaceX has filed an application to authorize the discharge of a deluge water system into the wetlands and Rio Grande river systems near Starbase. According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality [TCEQ] SpaceX applied for a Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System [TPDES] Permit to authorize the discharge of deluge system water at an intermittent and flow-variable volume. TCEQ says there is an open compliance investigation related to activities at the Starbase site.

Water deluge systems are a type of fire protection system that uses water to quickly extinguish a fire by releasing large amounts of water simultaneously from open nozzles. Before launches, SpaceX sprays the launch site with fire retardant, containing a variety of chemicals, which gets washed away with the deluge system. DeYoe is concerned with how these chemicals could affect commercial fishing in the area, as well as the health of seagrasses and wildlife. (8/1)

‘The Clock’s Already Started’: NASA Counting Down to Most Powerful Human Spaceflight Ever (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The launch clock isn’t set yet, but the hardware is lined up for what would become the most powerful rocket to ever send humans into space during a moonbound trip the likes of which has not happened in more than 50 years. The biggest piece of the Space Launch System rocket, the 212-foot-long core stage, crept its way into the massive Vehicle Assembly Building on Wednesday where work will begin to prepare it for the Artemis II launch set for no earlier than September 2025.

“The clock’s already started,” NASA SLS program manager John Honeycutt said. “We’ve got a great deal of work to do to get the rocket ready to go fly.” The core stage sports four RS-25 engines converted by Melbourne-based L3Harris’ Aerojet Rocketdyne from the retired stock of the Space Shuttle Program. Two of the engines have previously flown on a combined 20 shuttle missions while the other pair are making their debuts. (8/1)

Astronomers See Decoupling of Dark and Normal Matter in Collision of Two Galaxy Clusters (Source: Sci News)
The two galaxy clusters, known collectivity as MACS J0018.5+1626, each contain thousands of galaxies and are located billions of light-years away from Earth. As they plowed through each other, the dark matter sped ahead of the normal matter. Galaxy cluster mergers are rich sources of information to test cluster astrophysics and cosmology.

However, cluster mergers produce complex projected signals that are difficult to interpret physically from individual observational probes. “Think of a massive collision between multiple dump trucks carrying sand. The dark matter is like the sand and flies ahead,” said Emily Silich. (8/1)

Australian Space Agency Flags More US Space Activity (Source: Space & Defense)
Australia could host up to 100 rocket launches, including SpaceX launches, over the next decade as a result of the US Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) coming into force last month, according to the Australian Space Agency (ASA). The treaty-level agreement required by the US to allow American companies, government organizations and universities to undertake space launch activities in Australia came into force in July following a ratification recommendation from an Australian parliamentary committee.

The technology covered in the agreement includes US launch vehicles (including spacecraft and satellites) and US equipment and data associated with space launch activities. TSA paves the way for US space companies to apply to operate in Australian territory and waters, as well as accessing launch facilities, including Equatorial Launch’s Arnhem Space Centre, Gilmour Space Technology’s Bowen Space Port, and Southern Launch’s facilities at Whalers Bay and Koonibba in South Australia. (8/2)

NASA Artifacts Featured in Auction of Cosmic Collection (Source: Fox 54)
A British man who’s been entranced by space travel from its early days is putting much of his extensive collection of memorabilia on the auction block. Phill Parker has seen rockets blast off, met with astronauts and cosmonauts, and written about the triumphs and tragedies of mankind’s quest to reach the stars. Now, the longtime “spacewriter” is ready to part with a wide range of archived items – from meteorite fragments to NASA systems manuals to rocket remnants. Dozens upon dozens of items will be sold by Richard Winterton Auctioneers on Aug. 19. (8/2)

Funding May be Biggest Struggle for Developer’s Las Vegas Spaceport Dream (Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Las Vegas real estate developer Rob Lauer is convinced the space race should pass through Southern Nevada. After all, Las Vegas already is renowned as a hub for tourism and a place where people dream big and have been known to chase an idea to reality. Lauer, the CEO of the Las Vegas Spaceport and a licensed pilot, recently invited potential investors to Mandalay Bay’s Foundation Room to hear a pitch on how Las Vegas could be a part of the future space tourism economy by starting small and building toward something significant within a decade.

About 35 people jammed into a small meeting room to hear Lauer talk about his expectations for the Spaceport and how small steps that have been taken could ultimately lead to building a place where spaceplanes that are being designed by 38 companies may one day take off from Nevada, achieve orbit and drop off passengers in an orbiting space hotel. (8/2)

Spaceport America to Host Free Open House (Source: KOB4)
If you ever wanted to see Spaceport America and get up close with one of the spacecrafts and the operations there, your chance is coming next month. Spaceport America is hosting an open house Sunday, September 8 for all members of the public to attend. It’ll feature aircraft fly-ins, STEM activities, various guest speakers and space-related vendors and exhibitors. Food trucks will also have snacks, drinks and meals. (8/1)

Senate Appropriators Push Pentagon, Intelligence Community on Commercial Space Acquisition (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Senate Appropriations Committee’s just-revealed fiscal 2025 defense budget bill takes the Defense Department and the Intelligence Community to task for what it sees as shortfalls in promises to take better advantage of commercial space capabilities in a number of key areas.

Perhaps most intriguing is language in the bill that calls into question Pentagon and IC plans to declassify data from classified remote sensing satellites they are partnering to develop and manage, under a newly developed joint architecture called the “High-Capacity, Find, Fix, Track, Target and Engage and Assess Constellation,” or “HCF” for short. (8/1)

NASA’s Lunar Gateway Has a Big Visiting Vehicles Problem (Source: Ars Technica)
Do you remember the Lunar Gateway? You could be forgiven if not, as the program continues to be tossed around by NASA planners, and it is still not entirely clear what purpose the lunar space station is supposed to serve.

The Gateway—a small space station that will fly in a halo orbit around the Moon and spend most of its time far from the lunar surface—was initially supposed to launch in 2022. That obviously did not happen, and now, according to a new report from the US Government Accountability Office, the space agency does not expect the launch of the initial elements of the Gateway until at least December 2027. The baseline cost estimate is $5.3 billion.

NASA's present plans contemplate using the Gateway as part of the Artemis IV mission, presently scheduled for September 2028. Unfortunately, the Gateway's current launch target is already three months later than needed to support Artemis IV, the second mission to land humans on the Moon. But that's OK. There are a lot of other moving parts for this mission, so a launch any time this decade would be a win. (8/1)

Icy Exoplanet Found to be Potentially Habitable (Source: Physics World)
A research team headed up at the University of Montreal has discovered that the temperate exoplanet LHS 1140 b may have an atmosphere, could be covered in ice, and may even have an ocean of liquid water. If confirmed, this would make it only the third known planet in its host star’s habitable zone to have an atmosphere, after Earth and Mars. (8/2)

BAE Systems Raises Guidance After Sales Jump on Defense Demand (Source: Wall Street Journal)
BAE Systems raised its guidance for the year after posting a surge in sales amid high defense spending across all its key markets. The U.K. defense and aerospace prime said Thursday that sales jumped 13% to 13.40 billion pounds, equivalent to $17.23 billion, in the first half of the year. (8/1)

Joe Engle, Trail Blazer as Test Pilot and an Astronaut, Dies at 91 (Source: New York Times)
Joe Engle, the first person to venture to the edge of space and beyond in two different winged aircraft — the hypersonic, rocket-powered X-15 as an Air Force test pilot and the space shuttle as a NASA astronaut — died on July 10 at his home in Houston. He was 91. Mr. Engle was an Air Force captain in 1962 when he was accepted into the Aerospace Research Pilot School, an advanced training ground for astronauts. It was run by Chuck Yeager, the renowned test pilot who had broken the sound barrier in a Bell Aircraft X-1 in 1947. (8/1)

Avoiding Space Explosions (Source: Space News)
The Federal Communications Commission has proposed new rules to manage the risk of debris-generating explosions in space, but whether they go far enough for the new reality in orbit is a source of debate. In May, FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel put forward rules that would force applicants to assess and limit the probability of accidental explosions to less than one in a thousand for each satellite up for approval. (8/1)

Space Force Wants to 'Fly Me to the Moon' (Source: Responsible Statecraft)
The Space Force wants its very own Top Gun. For now, the nascent military branch will have to settle for Fly Me to the Moon. Filmed at the Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, Fly Me to the Moon depicts a budding romance between the Apollo 11 launch director (Channing Tatum) and a public relations specialist (Scarlett Johansson) during the 1960’s space race.

No, there won’t be Space Force Guardians playing volleyball in space. Nor does the film make any references to the Space Force at all, which was created in 2019, long after the space race. Plagued with negative public perception from the outset — most memorably by Netflix’s satirical 2020 show by the same name — the Space Force is leveraging its small role in the Fly Me to the Moon production in an attempt to make inroads with Hollywood. (8/2)

Air Force Awards $14.9 million Contract to Capella Space for Radar Imaging (Source: Space News)
Capella Space, a San Francisco-based satellite imaging company, has secured a $14.9 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to provide synthetic aperture radar (SAR) services, the company announced on Monday. Capella Space specializes in Earth observation using SAR technology, which allows for high-resolution imaging regardless of weather conditions or time of day. Unlike traditional optical satellites, SAR systems can penetrate cloud cover and darkness. (8/2)