September 4, 2024

GD Awarded $491M SDA Ground System Contract (Source: Air and Space Forces)
General Dynamics has received a $491 million Space Development Agency contract to develop ground systems and integration for its Tranche 2 proliferated low-Earth orbit satellite constellation, which consists of more than 250 satellites. This follows a previous $324 million contract for Tranche 1 ground systems in 2022, with General Dynamics set to earn up to $887 million for operations and sustainment through 2029. (9/3)

Quantum Thermodynamics: Black Holes Might Not Be What We Thought (Source; SciTech Daily)
A recent study underscores the dynamic nature of black holes and extends similar thermodynamic characteristics to Extremely Compact Objects, advancing our comprehension of their behavior in quantum gravity scenarios. A paper titled “Universality of the thermodynamics of a quantum-mechanically radiating black hole departing from thermality,” published in Physics Letters B highlights the importance of considering black holes as dynamical systems, where variations in their geometry during radiation emissions are critical to accurately describing their thermodynamic behavior. (9/3)

Space Startups Eye Opportunities in the Orbital Surveillance Market (Source: Space News)
Space startups are vying for a slice of the growing market for enhanced space domain awareness (SDA) in geostationary orbit, with some firms exploring options to retrofit existing satellites with new surveillance capabilities. Atomos Space, an in-space transportation and logistics startup, is planning two missions to GEO where its servicing vehicle will attach SDA payloads developed by Katalyst Space onto commercial telecom satellites. (9/3)

New Glenn Rocket’s Second Stage Rolls to its Florida Launch Pad (Source: Ars Technica)
Blue Origin plans to enter the final phase of its launch preparations for the New Glenn rocket on Monday by rolling the vehicle's second stage to Launch Complex 36 in Florida. Pending weather and other final considerations, a rollout could occur as early as Monday afternoon. This is the flight version of the vehicle, with the exception of a fixed adaptor for weather protection during a test campaign. The launch company is targeting a hot fire test of the upper stage, which is powered by two BE-3U engines, within the next week or so. (9/2)

NGA Plans $700 Million Spend on Applying AI to Satellite Imagery (Source: Space News)
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is planning to spend up to $700 million on a project to apply artificial intelligence to satellite imagery. NGA plans to release a request for proposals for contracts that will focus on annotating raw data such as images and videos to make it comprehensible for machine learning models.

In the context of satellite imagery, this could involve labeling specific objects like buildings, roads or vegetation, and is a crucial step in developing supervised learning models. Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth, director of NGA, said the initiative represents the agency's largest ever contract for data labeling, and aims to bolster NGA's machine learning capabilities for analyzing satellite imagery and other geospatial data.

NGA will also start a project to ensure the reliability and trustworthiness of AI models used by its analysts. The initiative seeks to create guidelines for evaluating the performance and accuracy of computer vision models employed in the analysis of satellite imagery and other geospatial data. The pilot program is still in its early stages, with many specifics yet to be determined, but Whitworth said it aligns with the Department of Defense's guidelines for the ethical use of AI and responds to a recent White House executive order on the subject. (9/4)

Telesat Selling Infosat to Fund Lightspeed (Source: Space News)
Telesat is selling a remote satellite services business to help finance its LightSpeed constellation. Telesat is selling Infosat Communications to Calgary-based Network Innovations for an undisclosed amount. The announcement came weeks after Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg said the operator was considering raising proceeds in the region of 10 million Canadian dollars ($7.4 million) by selling a non-core business. Infosat Communications was created more than 25 years ago with a focus on distributing satellite connectivity to oil and gas, utility and maritime customers in North America, particularly in Canada. (9/4)

Atlas Space Raises $15 Million for Ground Station Business (Source: Space News)
Atlas Space Operations has raised $15 million to grow its ground station services business. The company announced the "pre-Series C" round Wednesday led by NewSpace Capital, bringing the total raised by the company to $50 million. Michigan-based Atlas uses network management software to connect antennas and provide a federated network or more than 50 antennas that enables customers to leverage unused ground station capacity. The company says the funding will provide it with the working capital needed to triple its revenues over the next year. (9/4)

SDA a Business Opportunity in GEO (Source: Space News)
Space startups see new opportunities in providing space domain awareness (SDA) services in geostationary orbit. Atomos Space, an in-space transportation and logistics startup, is planning two missions to GEO where its servicing vehicle will attach SDA payloads developed by Katalyst Space onto commercial telecom satellites. The companies say they are seeing increased interest in demand for SDA payloads along with broader satellite servicing capabilities. Katalyst's CEO argues that the SDA hosted payload market could be worth $1 billion in the next five years. (9/4)

Space Force and NGA to Speed Imagery Delivery (Source: Space News)
The Space Force and NGA are working to improve satellite image delivery. Gen. Michael Guetlein, second in command of the Space Force, said he met last week with the director of the NGA to discuss ways to speed up collecting and delivery of satellite imagery, including placing Space Force operators in a new "joint mission management center" at NGA's headquarters. NGA and the National Reconnaissance Office have faced criticism from the House Armed Services Committee's Strategic Forces subcommittee for inadequately supporting military combatant commands' demand for tactical intelligence. (9/4)

Evolution Space Launches Suborbital Rocket From Spaceport Company Ship Off Mississippi Coast (Source: Space News)
Evolution Space and The Spaceport Company conducted a sounding rocket launch from a ship. The solid-fuel rocket by Evolution Space reached an altitude of nearly 17 kilometers after launch from The Spaceport Company's ship in the Gulf of Mexico Saturday off the coast of Mississippi. The test served to validate The Spaceport Company's sea-based launch equipment and ground support equipment. (9/4)

Vega Launch Scrubbed for Electrical Problem (Source: Arianespace)
An electrical issue scrubbed the final Vega launch Tuesday. Arianespace said electrical problems with "ground links" halted the countdown several hours before the scheduled liftoff from French Guiana. The launch has been rescheduled for Wednesday night at 9:50 p.m. Eastern. The launch, the final one of the original Vega rocket, will place the Sentinel-2C Earth observation satellite into orbit. (9/4)

Benchmark Wins ARFL Contract for Green-Propellant Thrusters (Source: Space News)
Benchmark Space Systems won an Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) contract to develop thrusters using a green propellant. The $4.9 million contract, announced Wednesday, covers development of Benchmark 22-newton to 100-newton propulsion systems using ASCENT, a green monopropellant developed by AFRL. The contract builds upon a previous award that focused on a 22-newton thruster. ASCENT is easier to handle than hydrazine, traditionally used for spacecraft thrusters, and provides better performance. (9/4)

Sierra Space Completes More Dream Chaser Tests at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Space News)
Sierra Space has completed a set of tests for part of its Dream Chaser spacecraft. The company announced Wednesday that the Shooting Star cargo module passed acoustics tests at the Kennedy Space Center, simulating the noise of launch. Shooting Star is attached to Dream Chaser to provide additional cargo capacity as well as solar power and thrusters, and is jettisoned after undocking. Sierra Space has not indicated when Dream Chaser will launch after it was taken off the second Vulcan Centaur mission, which will now launch with a mass simulator. (9/4)

Collimate Seeks to Improve Downlink Confidence (Source: Space News)
Silicon Valley startup Collimate is seeking to make it easier for satellite operators to manage downlinks. The company offers a tool for predicting the success of satellite downlinks, after considering space weather, terrestrial weather and the location and profile of ground-based antennas. That tool uses artificial intelligence to predict the success of downlinks based on past experience. (9/4)

Indian TV Show Contest to Award Blue Origin Suborbital Ride (Source: NDTV)
A proposed reality TV show in India would send the winner on a suborbital flight. Indian TV producer Banijay Asia says it is teaming up with the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA), a venture previously known as the Crypto Space Agency, on a competition where the winner would get a seat on a Blue Origin New Shepard flight. The announcement included few details about what the competition would entail or when the winner would fly. (9/4)

Mowry to Lead AIAA (Source: AIAA)
AIAA has selected Clay Mowry as its new CEO. The aerospace organization announced Tuesday that Mowry will take over as CEO on Oct. 1, succeeding the retiring Dan Dumbacher. Mowry has been an executive at Arianespace, Blue Origin and Voyager Space, and also serves as president of the International Astronautical Federation through next October. (9/4)

Space-Based Experiments to Advance Early Cancer Detection Through Blood Tests (Source: CASIS)
The University of Notre Dame is leading a series of groundbreaking experiments onboard the International Space Station (ISS) to revolutionize early cancer detection. This research, featured in the latest issue of Upward, official magazine of the ISS National Laboratory®, demonstrates how bubbles formed in microgravity can significantly enhance biosensing technology by concentrating microscopic substances more effectively than on Earth.

The just-completed third experiment, which launched to the ISS on Northrop Grumman’s 21st Commercial Resupply Services mission to the orbiting laboratory, contracted by NASA, builds on the team’s earlier ISS National Lab-sponsored research. This most recent investigation successfully introduced laser heating to refine bubble behavior, increasing the concentration of particles collected—an essential step toward detecting early cancer biomarkers and other trace elements in blood. These advancements could dramatically improve the sensitivity of biosensors, opening the door to earlier and more accurate cancer detection. (9/3)

Artificial Intelligence Leader Preligens Joins Safran (Source: Safran)
After an exclusive negotiation process that began in June, Preligens — a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) for aerospace and defense — has joined Safran. The acquisition of Preligens was finalized for an enterprise value of €220 million. With this alliance, Safran Electronics & Defense, a recognized expert in optronics, space communications and inertial navigation, further demonstrates its commitment to AI.

Founded in 2016, Preligens provides field-proven AI analytics solutions for high-resolution imagery, full motion video and acoustic signals. The company develops complex algorithms and software to analyze and automatically detect and identify objects of military interest notably using commercial and government satellite imagery. Its unique AI Factory allows the development, production and integration of state-of-the-art AI algorithms trained on massive amounts of data from multiple sources and sensors with end-to-end security and traceability. (9/2)

Rocket Lab’s Expanding Global Footprint: Neutron Rocket, Reusability, and Venus Life Finder Mission (Source: Space Explored)
Rocket Lab’s expansion isn’t just limited to its technological advancements. The company has strategically grown its physical presence worldwide, with manufacturing and operational facilities spread across several key locations. Its production facility is located in Auckland, New Zealand, where the company was originally founded. This site serves as the heart of Rocket Lab’s launch operations, particularly for the Electron rocket, which has successfully executed numerous missions from the company’s private launch complex on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula.

In the United States, Rocket Lab has significantly expanded its footprint. The company operates a large manufacturing and research facility in Long Beach, California, which serves as the headquarters for its U.S. operations. This facility focuses on the development of advanced rocket technology, including the Neutron rocket, and houses Rocket Lab’s engineering teams, mission control, and spacecraft manufacturing capabilities.

Rocket Lab’s expansion into Virginia marks a significant milestone in its growth. The company selected the state as the site for its Neutron rocket production and launch operations, with construction underway on a new state-of-the-art facility near NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. (8/27)

AST SpaceMobile Reaches $10 Billion Market Cap (Source: Generation Space)
AST SpaceMobile has surged to a $10bn market cap, making it the second highest-valued space company in the world, trailing only SpaceX. AST, a direct competitor to Starlink, launched its prototype BlueWalker 3 'cell tower' satellite in 2022 and successfully tested its 5G direct-to-cell capability last year. In July, AST announced the completion of its first five commercial satellites, which are set to launch in September 2024. This marks the initial phase of its multi-billion dollar, 168-satellite constellation. With strategic partnerships with Verizon and AT&T, AST is positioned for significant revenue growth with strong financial backing. (9/3)