November 13, 2024

Rocket Lab Wins $8 Million U.S. Air Force Contract for Engine Development (Source: Space Daily)
Space company Rocket Lab secured an $8 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance digital engineering processes for its Archimedes rocket engine, the company announced Nov. 12  Under the agreement, Rocket Lab will demonstrate digital engineering techniques for Archimedes, the rocket engine that will power Neutron, a new reusable medium-lift launch vehicle projected to launch in 2025.

Rocket Lab said the contract signals the military’s interest in Neutron as a prospective vehicle for government missions in the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. “This project supports smoother integration of Neutron to the NSSL program,” Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said in a statement. (11/12)

Firefly Raises $175 Million (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace raised $175 million in a new funding round to scale up its launch vehicle and spacecraft programs. The company announced the Series D round Tuesday led by RPM Ventures, a new investor, along with other existing and new investors. The company said the funding will support increased production of its Alpha rocket and "expand market reach" of its Elytra spacecraft. The company has increasingly positioned itself as a provider of responsive space capabilities, demonstrated last year on the Victus Nox mission for the Space Force. (11/13)

JPL Lays Off Workers (Source: Space News)
The Jet Propulsion Lab is laying off 5% of its workforce this week, the second major layoff there this year. JPL Director Laurie Leshin said in a memo Tuesday that the center, operated by Caltech for NASA, would lay off about 325 people this week, citing lower projected budgets for 2025. JPL laid off more than 500 employees in February when the center was grappling with uncertainty about the future of Mars Sample Return. Leshin said the latest layoff would bring JPL's workforce down to about 5,500 employees, a "stable, supportable staffing level moving forward." (11/13)

Sierra Space Missile-Warning Satellites Pass Design Review (Source: Space News)
Sierra Space has cleared an early design review for its missile-warning satellites. The company said Tuesday it received approval from the Space Development Agency (SDA) to proceed with further development following a successful preliminary design review of its proposed missile-warning satellites. Sierra Space won a $740 million contract earlier this year for 18 missile warning satellites for SDA's Tranche 2 Tracking Layer. One change is that Sierra Space no longer plans to use an infrared sensor payload from Geost after failing to finalize negotiations on a contract, and is instead working with a different, undisclosed supplier. (11/13)

Sony Orders Satellites for Laser Comm (Source: Space News)
Sony has ordered two satellites from Astro Digital to test laser communications. The pair of spacecraft will be based on Astro Digital's Corvus satellite platform and should be ready to launch in 2026, the companies announced Tuesday. Each satellite will carry a Lasercom optical terminal from Sony Space Communications Corporation. Sony plans to test high-data-rate optical links between the satellites and the ground as well as between each other. (11/13)

AI Could Soon Enable Autonomous Spacecraft (Source: Space News)
Advances in artificial intelligence could enable spacecraft to become truly autonomous. Industry officials see work on developing "software-defined" satellites, which can be reprogrammed after launch to incorporate changes like different beam patterns, as opening the door for bigger changes, including making changes in coverage areas autonomously to meet demand. AI could also allow satellites to operate with smaller ground control centers as the spacecraft manage their own systems. (11/13)

Trump Transition Could Disrupt NASA (Source: Space News)
The upcoming presidential transition could be particularly disruptive at NASA. Veterans of previous transitions said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is likely to have significant influence on the incoming Trump administration at NASA, scrutinizing policies and programs. That could influence international cooperation and also affect existing programs, such as SLS and Orion. Late Tuesday, Trump announced that Musk will co-chair with Vivek Ramaswamy a "Department of  Government Efficiency," an outside commission that will seek ways to cut government spending and bureaucracy. (11/13)

Industry Awaits Likely Changes with Trump Transition (Source: Space News)
The aerospace and defense industry is monitoring other likely changes with the incoming Trump administration. That includes potential increases in defense spending and rising tensions with China that could boost Space Force programs, as well as the creation of a Space National Guard. Other issues include strains on international cooperation and uncertainty about future support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. (11/13)

India to Open NavSat System for Public Use (Source: The Week)
India is planning to open up its regional satellite navigation system to the public. The Indian space agency ISRO said that it expects to open NavIC, currently used primarily by government agencies, to the general public "in the near future." NavIC currently uses seven satellites to provide navigation services in India and the surrounding region. Part of the plans to open up NavIC to public use include launching additional satellites that will broadcast signals in the L1 navigation band. (11/13)

Space Florida Identifies Infrastructure Projects to Boost Spaceport Operations (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Space Florida has identified a wish list of projects to improve space-related infrastructure in the state. At a recent Space Florida Board of Governors, officials discussed six projects that include a new bridge at Cape Canaveral, upgrades to the electrical grid at the Cape and expansion of wharf space at Port Canaveral. Space Florida estimated that the projects will require annual investment of $100 million over an unspecified period, using a combination of state, federal and private funding. (11/13)

Booker Prize for ISS Novel (Source: BBC)
A novel set on the International Space Station won one of Britain's top literary prizes Tuesday. Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize for best novel for Orbital, which follows a day in the life of a crew on the ISS. Harvey described the book as a "space pastoral - a kind of nature writing about the beauty of space." The prize includes a £50,000 award, which Harvey said she will use in part to buy a bike, "and it's going to be a good bike." (11/13)

US Space Force Seeks Industry Input for COSMOS Support (Source; Via Satellite)
The US Space Force is soliciting industry feedback as it plans the Commercial and Military Satellite Communications Operations Support program, a successor to the Wideband Satellite Communications Operations and Technical Support II contract that ends in 2027. The Space Force aims to continue support for operations, maintenance and cybersecurity across multiple sites, with Boeing and Lockheed Martin as key contractors. (11/11)

SpaceX Alums Find Traction on Earth with Their Mars-Inspired CO2-to-Fuel Tech (Source: Tech Crunch)
A trend has emerged among a small group of climate tech founders who start with their eyes fixed on space and soon realize their technology would do a lot more good here on Earth. Halen Mattison and Luke Neise fit the bill. Mattison spent time at SpaceX, while Neise worked at Vanderbilt Aerospace Design Laboratory and Varda Space Industries.

The pair originally wanted to sell reactors to SpaceX that could turn carbon dioxide into methane for use on Mars. Today they’re building them to replace natural gas that’s pumped from underground. Their company, General Galactic, which emerged from stealth in April, has built a pilot system that can produce 2,000 liters of methane per day. Neise, General Galactic’s CTO, told TechCrunch that he expects that figure to rise as the company replaces off-the-shelf components with versions designed in-house. (11/11)

Texas Cancels Water Permit Hearing for Musk’s SpaceX Launch Site (Source: Politico)
Texas regulators canceled a public hearing this week on a pending wastewater permit for SpaceX’s Starbase launch site, which has sparked controversy over alleged harms to wetlands and the fragile ecosystem nearby. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is considering a request from SpaceX to discharge treated wastewater into Texas’ South Bay, the southernmost bay in the state, from its launch site in Cameron County.

The company released tens of thousands of gallons wastewater, known as “deluge” water, during several rocket launches in 2023 and 2024 without proper authorization, polluting surrounding wetlands, according to an EPA order from this year. The company agreed to pay a civil penalty of $148,378 and applied for the permit under the Clean Water Act in July. The commission did not give a reason for canceling the meeting but said in a notice Friday that it would be rescheduled “for a later date.” It comes as Musk has emerged as an influential figure in President-elect Donald Trump’s orbit. (11/11)

Japan and U.N. Lead Workshop on Space Law in the Philippines (Source: Politiko)
A technical advisory workshop aimed at enhancing the Philippines’ burgeoning space sector was held in Manila last week as part of a United Nations initiative to support emerging space actors. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), in collaboration witb the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and the Government of Japan, hosted a three-day technical workshop as part of the “Space Law for New Space Actors” project.

The event brought together legal experts, diplomats, and space agency officials to explore critical frameworks and policies essential for managing the Philippines’ emerging space sector. (11/12)

Ispace Signs Lunar Exploration R&D Agreement With Thai Space Agency (Source: Aviation Week)
Ispace has signed a research and development agreement with Thailand’s national space agency and mu Space and Advanced Technology, a Thai satellite manufacturer, to study a potential lunar exploration program. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) is part of Thailand’s national space policy initiative. (11/11)

India to Establish a Lunar Space Station by 2040, Dedicated to Moon Missions (Source: India Today)
In a bold move that solidifies India's commitment to space exploration, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is planning to develop a lunar space station by 2040. This ambitious project is part of the third phase of India's comprehensive crewed lunar mission roadmap, marking a significant leap forward in the nation's space capabilities. The lunar space station initiative comes on the heels of India's successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, which saw the country become the fourth to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. (11/11)

Canadian Lunar Rover and Utility Vehicle on Display (Source: SpaceQ)
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) recently invited media for an early evening viewing of the Canadensys Aerospace lunar rover at the John H. Chapman Space Centre analog site. The Canadensys developed lunar over mission to the moon is planned no earlier than 2026. The lunar rover will be delivered to the south pole of the moon. It is designed to survive lunar nights that can last up to 14 Earth days with temperatures reaching below -200 °C. (11/11)

Expending the Expendables: More Launch Companies are Betting Their Future on Reusability (Source: Space News)
At recent conferences from Milan to Mountain View, leaders of space agencies and companies have made it clear that the future of space access won’t rely on expendable launch vehicles but on those that are at least partially reusable. “I think all of you realize that reusability is mandatory for launchers,” said S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian space agency ISRO, during a head-of-agencies plenary, held the day after the latest Starship flight. He explained that the push for reusability is driven by the need to lower launch costs. “Access to space has to be affordable for us to expand the space program.”

“If you don’t have a reusable launch vehicle, I don’t think you have a future as a launch company,” said Adam Spice, chief financial officer of Rocket Lab, speaking on a panel with other launch executives. “Expendable rockets really don’t have a path.” Rocket Lab has experimented with reusability on its Electron rocket, recovering stages and testing them. While it has yet to refly a full Electron booster, it did reuse an engine. Reusability, however, is central to the company’s larger Neutron rocket, with a first launch projected in 2025.

Others are following similar paths, developing reusable first stages like the Falcon 9. Among them is Blue Origin, with its much larger New Glenn rocket, slated for an inaugural launch by year’s end. The company aims to land the first stage on a ship in the ocean on the first try. (11/11)

What a 2nd Trump Administration Could Mean for NASA and Space Exploration (Source: Space.com)
President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House next January will likely bring big changes to NASA's Artemis program and a renewed sense of urgency to land a crew on the moon, in part to keep up with China's ambitions for a moon landing by 2030. Space policy experts said they also expect Elon Musk, Trump's wealthiest supporter, to soon enjoy a far friendlier regulatory environment that would benefit his six companies, including SpaceX and its Starlink satellite network.

Among other benefits, such a move could position Musk to more directly weigh in on regulatory issues regarding Starship, a transformative reusable rocket that's being developed by SpaceX to transport people and cargo to the moon and Mars. Musk has repeatedly expressed frustration with the regulatory environment that SpaceX and other launch providers must navigate, including that Starship's most recent test flight was grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for weeks for what the rocket company called a "superfluous environmental analysis."

"It's not unreasonable to think that there could be either money or regulatory regime lifted to benefit the pace of Starship development," Casey Dreier, who is the chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, told Space.com. The extent to which regulations surrounding Starship are relaxed as well as the direction of the U.S. space policy will ultimately depend upon "where Elon Musk will fall in terms of his influence within the Trump White House — it's hard to extrapolate that." (11/11)

China Makes Strides in Satellite Internet with Breakthroughs in Reusable Rockets (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese private rocket company LandSpace is showing that the sky is no limit in rocket research and development, as it is playing a pivotal role in advancing China's satellite internet constellation, a key component in the global space-based internet race. China launched the first 18 satellites of the Spacesail Constellation in August from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province, north China; a milestone in the country's efforts to build a global satellite internet network.

As China forges ahead with its ambitious constellation plans, achieving low-cost, high-frequency and high-capacity launch capabilities, along with breakthroughs in satellite communication payload technology, will be crucial to advancing its satellite internet infrastructure. LandSpace's Zhuque-2 and Zhuque-3 reusable rockets are set to boast a combined annual launch capacity of 244 tonnes by 2026, significantly supporting China's satellite internet development. (11/12)