November 12, 2024

Double-Header Launch Day: SpaceX Sends Up 2 Rockets From Space Coast on Monday (Source: WESH)
After scrubbing the launch of a Starlink mission on Sunday because of unfavorable weather conditions, the Space Coast saw a busy Monday with back-to-back launches. Both Sunday's postponed Starlink mission and SpaceX's Koreasat-6A mission took off from Brevard County on Monday afternoon — one a little after noon and the other at 4:28 p.m. (11/11)

Scientists Spot New Fast Radio Burst in Dead Galaxy (Source: Extreme Tech)
The researchers believe it is unlikely FRB 20240209A originates from a magnetar created in a typical core-collapse supernova. The FRB itself is offset 130,000 light-years from the center of the galaxy, which is the largest offset of any known FRB. That, along with its age, could point to an alternative formation mechanism, like a white dwarf that accumulated material from a companion star and collapsed into a neutron star. (11/11)

Sidus Space Selected to Exclusively Build Lonestar Data Holdings Lunar Data Storage Spacecraft Fleet (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space has been selected to design and build the first generation of Data Storage Spacecraft for Lonestar, a provider of premium data storage and Resiliency As A Service (RAAS). This award selects Sidus as Lonestar’s exclusive satellite manufacturing partner for six data storage spacecraft that will orbit the Moon, offering advanced data storage and disaster recovery capabilities for mission-critical information. (11/12)

Lockheed Martin's Next-Gen GPS Satellites are Behind Schedule (Source: Bloomberg)
The first set of new GPS satellites is running nearly a year behind schedule because of production problems. The Space Force says "technical and programmatic challenges" by prime contractor Lockheed Martin have delayed work on the first set of 10 GPS 3F satellites by 8 to 11 months. The GPS 3F satellites feature new capabilities that include resistance to jamming and cyberattacks as well as increased accuracy. Lockheed said it "proactively recognized our challenges" last fall and has been working with Space Systems Command on a production plan to overcome those challenges. (11/12)

China Considers Greater Support for Commercial Space Sector (Source: Space News)
China is looking to provide greater support for its commercial space sector. In a speech Monday at the Zhuhai Commercial Space Development Forum, Li Guoping, chief engineer of the China National Space Administration, discussed potential changes to bolster Chinese space companies. That includes opening large-scale facilities funded by the government to commercial space enterprises and encouraging state-owned enterprises to support commercial space companies within their supply chains. Licensing reforms and the removal of restrictions on the production of satellites weighing more than 500 kilograms are also being considered. (11/12)

Roman Telescope Arrives at Goddard for Integration, Testing (Source: Space News)
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope achieved a milestone last week in its development. The telescope assembly for the spacecraft arrived at the Goddard Space Flight Center after testing by contractor L3Harris, joining the spacecraft bus and instruments for the first time. The delivery keeps work on the multibillion-dollar mission on budget and on schedule for launch by May 2027. (11/12)

SPEREx Spacecraft Needs Repair Before April Launch (Source: Space News)
Another NASA astrophysics mission is still on schedule for launch next year after resolving a problem with a spacecraft component. The SPHEREx mission ran into problems with its reaction wheels this summer that required removing the wheels from the spacecraft and shipping them to their German manufacturer for rework. Those repairs have been completed and the reaction wheels are back on SPHEREx, with the repairs funded by project reserves. The spacecraft, formally known as Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer, is scheduled to launch next April to map the sky at near-infrared wavelengths. (11/12)

Millennium Completes TRACERS Spacecraft for 2025 Launch (Source: Space News)
Millennium Space Systems has completed work on two spacecraft for a NASA space science mission. The company said it has finished the twin Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) spacecraft, slated for launch next year. The TRACERS spacecraft will study the solar wind's interaction with the Earth's magnetosphere. (11/12)

Whitesides Elected to Congress in California (Source: AP)
Former Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides has won a seat in Congress. Whitesides, a Democrat, defeated incumbent Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.) in a district north of Los Angeles, with Garcia formally conceding Monday night even though media outlets like the Associated Press have yet to call the race. Whitesides was CEO of Virgin Galactic for a decade before stepping aside in 2020 for current CEO Michael Colglazier. He was previously chief of staff at NASA early in the Obama administration and executive director of the National Space Society. (11/12)

Voyager 2 Uranus Flyby Timing May Have Skewed Science Findings (Source: Washington Post)
NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft may have visited the planet Uranus at the wrong time. The spacecraft flew by Uranus in January 1986, the only spacecraft to date to approach the planet, and found that the planet's magnetosphere was devoid of plasma, unlike those of Jupiter and Saturn. A new study published Monday found that Voyager 2 flew by Uranus during an intense solar storm that would have stripped the planet's magnetopshere of any plasma. Such conditions are rare, and had the spacecraft arrived just a week earlier would have seen a very different magnetosphere. (11/12)

Longest-Serving Satellite OSCAR-7 Marks 50 Years in Orbit (Source: Space Daily)
Launched on November 15, 1974, OSCAR-7, a microsatellite, continues its mission 50 years after its launch, serving as a vital asset for amateur radio operators globally. It holds the title of the oldest operational satellite, predating the launch of NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 by three years.
OSCAR-7 belongs to a series of amateur radio satellites known as OSCARs (Orbital Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio), built by volunteers from the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). (11/12)

SpaceX Signs Battery Deal with South Korea-Based LG Energy Solution to Power Starship (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceX has reportedly struck a deal with LG Energy Solution Ltd. to supply cylindrical lithium-ion batteries for Elon Musk's Starship rocket, expected to launch early next year, according to industry sources. LG Energy, which is based in South Korea, currently supplies batteries to electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, also owned by Musk. This would be the first long-term battery purchase for SpaceX from a third party. While LG Energy has supplied batteries in one-time deals for SpaceX, the spacecraft manufacturer has relied on self-made batteries.

NASA used LG Energy's lithium-ion batteries for its space exploration suits in 2016 and in 2023. Next year, LG Energy will supply batteries for NASA's lunar electric rover. For SpaceX, the Korean battery-maker will develop batteries for the power supply units and energy storage systems of SpaceX's Starship launch vehicle, which is the world's first reusable rocket. (11/12)

ispace, GISTDA, and mu Space Partner for Thai Lunar Exploration Initiative (Source: Space Daily)
ispace has entered a collaborative agreement with Thailand's national space agency, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), and mu Space and Advanced Technology Co., a Thai satellite and communications firm. This agreement is aimed at evaluating the feasibility of a lunar mission as part of Thailand's "National Space Experiment and Exploration" initiative. This national program outlines the Thai government's approach to space exploration projects. By signing this memorandum of understanding (MoU), the three entities commit to joint research, development, human resource training, and technological knowledge exchange to support a prospective lunar mission. (11/12)

China's CAS Space Achieves Milestone with 15-satellite Launch, Including Oman's First (Source: Space Daily)
Beijing-headquartered CAS Space, an affiliate of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, successfully launched 15 satellites on Monday, including Oman's first satellite, marking a significant achievement for China's commercial space sector in international partnerships.

The Kinetica 1-Y5 rocket took off at 12:03 pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, according to CAS Space. This mission represents the fifth launch in the Kinetica 1 series, which began in July 2022. The rocket, 30 meters in height and weighing 135 metric tons, has a maximum payload capacity of 1.5 tons to sun-synchronous orbit approximately 500 kilometers above the Earth.

The notable inclusion in this launch was the IRSS-1 satellite, produced by the China Academy of Space Technology, part of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, for Oman Lens, a company pioneering space technology in Oman. (11/12)

China Achieves Full Real-Time Satellite Data Reception Nationwide (Source: Space Daily)
China now has real-time satellite data reception covering its entire national territory and 70 percent of Asia's land area, following the completion of a high-altitude ground station in Yulong Naxi autonomous county, Lijiang, operational since September. "In other words, when a satellite passes over China, the data it collects is received by the ground station and transmitted in real-time to the Beijing headquarters for distribution to relevant units or research departments, enabling them to access the data promptly," explained Tang Mengyue.

The milestone follows the establishment of China's first ground station in Miyun district, Beijing, in 1986. The network now includes stations in Kashgar (Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region), Sanya (Hainan province), Lijiang (Yunnan province), and Mohe (Heilongjiang province), strategically positioned to cover all key directions. (11/12)