November 16, 2024

NASA KSC Applied Chemistry Lab Achieves Agency First (Source: NASA)
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida has a long record of achievements in sustainability and recently added another to the list when the spaceport’s Applied Chemistry Lab became the first in the agency to be certified for its environmentally conscious practices. The My Green Lab Certification recognizes sustainability best practices in research facilities around the world. The certification program run by My Green Lab, a non-profit dedicated to creating a culture of sustainability through science, is considered a key measure of progress towards a zero-carbon future by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign. (11/8)

Mexican Ambassador, ISRO Chairman Discuss Space Collaboration (Source: The Hindu)
Mexican Ambassador to India Federico Salas recently met Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman S. Somanath in Bengaluru and lauded the country’s achievements in space, especially the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander on the lunar’s south pole, which had garnered global acknowledgement. Mr. Salas emphasised the need for exploring additional opportunities for space cooperation, as India and Mexico will enter into the 75th year of diplomatic relations in 2025. He has expressed interest in expanding the ongoing successful ISRO-AEM cooperation with the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency. (11/15)

SpaceX to Launch India’s GSAT-20 Satellite (Source: Hindustan Times)
SpaceX has reportedly secured a major deal with India’s space agency, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), to launch the GSAT-20 communications satellite. The launch will use SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. This marks the first of many commercial collaborations between ISRO and SpaceX and also the maiden deal under the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump, whose ‘First Buddy’ is Elon Musk. (11/16)

Two Senate Space Leaders Call for Investigation into Musk-Putin Relationship (Source: Space Policy Online)
Two Democratic Senators with considerable influence over space program policy and spending are urging an investigation into reports that Elon Musk is in contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin despite U.S. sanctions against Putin.  They also are concerned about DOD’s “overreliance” on SpaceX for national security space activities. (11/15)

SpaceX Eyes Hundreds of Starship Launches During Trump Presidency (Source: Wall Street Journal)
The executive who has long steered operations at SpaceX wants to sharply increase the number of flights of its huge, new rocket during President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. Gwynne Shotwell, president at SpaceX and Elon Musk’s longtime second-in-command, said Friday at an investor event she wouldn’t be surprised if the company conducted 400 launches of Starship, as the vehicle is called, over the next four years. (11/15)

Is There a Business Case for the Moon? (Source: Space News)
Enough commercial activity is heading to the moon in the next few months to create a traffic jam. Firefly Aerospace, ispace and Intuitive Machines are all launching commercial lunar lander missions by early 2025, all on Falcon 9 rockets. That surge of missions makes it uncertain who exactly will be launching when. Firefly’s Joseph Marlin declined to offer a more specific launch date for its Blue Ghost 1 lander than some time in the fourth quarter of this year. “SpaceX is still sorting out its schedule,” he said.

At first glance, that surge in activity would appear to be a sign of an expanding market for commercial activities at the moon. But both Blue Ghost 1 and Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 missions have NASA as its largest customer by far, accounting for most of the payload and most of the revenue for them through the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The ispace lander for its M2 mission does not have NASA as a customer, but its manifest of payloads is relatively modest, ranging from the company’s own rover to “Moonhouse,” a small model house by a Swedish artist.

“There is no indication of a lunar gold rush because there are no strong revenue-generating businesses centered around cislunar activities anchored by commercial customers,” the report stated. The activity seen today, it noted, has government agencies, like NASA, as primary customers. “Truly commercial uses of the moon remain a chimera, with no obvious sign this could change in the next several years,” the report concluded.  (11/15)

Shotwell Predicts Starship to be Most Valuable Part of SpaceX (Source: Space News)
While the Starlink constellation is becoming a moneymaker for SpaceX, the company’s president believes that the Starship launch system will have a bigger long-term impact. Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer at SpaceX, said that Starship will “take us over the top” to become one of the most valuable companies in the world. (11/15)

FAA Moves Forward with Committee to Review Launch Licensing Regulations (Source: Space News)
The FAA is moving ahead with a long-awaited committee to evaluate ways to improve launch licensing regulations as one executive calls for far greater changes. The FAA announced Nov. 14 the establishment of an aerospace rulemaking committee, also known as a SpARC, that would examine potential changes to the FAA’s Part 450 rule for licensing launches and reentries. The SpARC is expected to hold its first meeting in early December. (11/15)

Humanoid Robot May Fly on China's Chang'e 8 Moon Mission in 2028 (Source: Space.com)
A Chinese mission to test resource technologies at the moon's south pole is taking shape — and may even include a humanoid form. Wang Qiong, chief designer of the Chang'e 8 lunar mission, recently presented an update on the project. The mission is scheduled to launch in 2028 and will aim to land near the moon's south pole. A rover with four wheels and a humanoid-shaped top was included in Wang's presentation. It is unclear what the purpose of the rover is, or the importance of its intriguing appearance. (11/15)

To Lead the Next Wave of Space-Based Radar, U.S. Must Learn From GPS Success (Source: Space News)
As the U.S. government considers new export regulations under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) for commercial SAR technology, we have an opportunity to learn from the GPS experience. The proposed rules would restrict U.S. companies to exporting SAR systems with a maximum bandwidth of 500 MHz — well below the 1,200 MHz that has emerged as the global commercial standard. Artificially limiting U.S. exports to 500 MHz would mean trying to sell yesterday’s technology in tomorrow’s market. (11/15)

A Lot of People are Mistaking Starlink Satellites for UAPs (Source: Ars Technica)
SpaceX's Starlink Internet satellites are responsible for more and more public reports of unexplained anomalous phenomena (UAPs), but most recent cases remain unsolved, according to a US government report released Thursday. Starlinks often move across the sky in "trains" that appear like gleaming gems in the blackness of space. They are particularly visible to the naked eye shortly after each Starlink launch. (11/15)

As ABL Space Departs Launch, the 1-Ton Rocket wars Have a Clear Winner (Source: Ars Technica)
Over the last half decade or so, three US companies have credibly vied to develop rockets in the 1-ton class in terms of lift capacity. ABL has been competing alongside Relativity Space and Firefly to bring its rockets to market. ABL never took off. In March 2023, Relativity reached space with the Terran 1 rocket, but, due to second-stage issues, failed to reach orbit. Within weeks, Relativity announced it was shifting its focus to a medium-lift rocket, Terran R. Since then, the California-based launch company has moved along, but there are persistent rumors that it faces a cash crunch.

Of the three, only Firefly has enjoyed success. The company's Alpha rocket has reached orbit on multiple occasions, and just this week Firefly announced that it completed a $175 million Series D fundraising round, resulting in a valuation of more than $2 billion. The 1-ton rocket wars are over: Firefly has won. Editor's Note: Don't forget Virgin Orbit and Vector Space! (11/15)

Putin, Roscosmos Chief Outline Vision for Russia’s Space Program (Source: TASS)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and chief executive of the Roscosmos state corporation Yury Borisov have discussed the country’s space ambitions, including a national project in said sphere . "We held a meeting at the end of last year where we decided to move forward with a project to develop our space activities," Putin said. Borisov provided a brief report about what the National Project consisted of, its main objectives, tasks and expected outcomes. (11/15)

Japan Reboots Supersonic Boom Mitigation (Source: Aviation Week)
As NASA and Lockheed Martin work on getting the X-59 Quest quiet supersonic testbed airborne after long delays, Japan has launched a project to demonstrate robust low-boom design technology in flight. Formally kicked off by JAXA in October, the Robust En-route Sonic Boom Mitigation Technology Demonstration (Re-Boot) program is a follow-on to the D-Send project, which culminated in a 2015 drop test of a low-boom concept model. (11/11)

NASA Foresees Workforce Challenge (Source: Aviation Week)
Among NASA's highest priorities is making sure it will have a skilled workforce to accomplish its mission. "Most of the time, the biggest challenge is having the talent and capability in the pipeline. That's been a concern for industry, and for us as well," said Casey Swails. NASA is looking to build employees' technical chops through public-private talent exchanges and other programs. (11/11)

Global Partnerships Could Ensure Space Access for NATO (Source: Aviation Week)
The Starlift initiatives, which 14 countries (including the US) have expressed interest in pursuing, aims to build a preapproved group of allies that could help one another launch assets on short notice in times of crisis. (11/11)

Space SPACs Are Coming Down to Earth (Source: Aviation Week)
Momentus is one of about a dozen plucky space startups that listed on either the Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange via a Special-Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) instead of an initial public offering (IPO) in 2021-22. Since they require less due-diligence than traditional IPOs, SPACs can allow startups to go public faster. "There was a monumental amount of capital thrown at this particular investment vehicle," said Quilty. It was symptomatic of excessive liquidity in the market.

Companies that did a SPAC merger early and raised enough cash have fared better. "If you were in the latter phase but you raised less than you planned or needed, those transactions were almost the kiss of death," Quilty says. (11/11)

ABL Pivots From Launching Satellites to Missile Defense (Source: ABL)
After developing multiple small launchers and conducting test campaigns at Alaska's spaceport, ABL announces it is departing the commercial launch sector to instead focus on missile defense. "We have made the decision to focus our efforts on national defense, and specifically on missile defense technologies. We’ll have more to share soon on our roadmap and traction in this area. For now, suffice to say we see considerable opportunity to leverage RS1, GS0, the E2 engine, and the rest of the technology we’ve developed to date to enable a new type of research effort around missile defense technologies." (11/15)

The Future with Hypersonics (Source: Space News)
The US can no longer approach hypersonics as “business as usual.” To stay competitive, NASA must bring the private sector into its hypersonic development plans, expanding on successful public-private partnerships like those DoD has fostered with companies such as Stratolaunch. These government partnerships with our innovative private industry can accelerate technological breakthroughs and produce cutting-edge capabilities, simultaneously advancing scientific research and strengthening American national security goals.

Now, a similar approach to hypersonics must be taken within NASA to complement the DoD’s work with the industry, creating a whole-of-government strategy that leverages NASA’s research and exploration goals alongside DoD’s priorities. That is why I introduced authorization for the Making Advancements in Commercial Hypersonics (MACH) program in an amendment to the bipartisan NASA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House of Representatives on September 23.

If it becomes law, this bill could build a bridge to connect NASA and the booming commercial hypersonics industry, unlocking this bold vision for the future. NASA, through the MACH program, must capitalize on existing government infrastructure to amplify an existing, robust private sector that is already fostering rapid advancements in hypersonic technology. (11/13)

The Far Side of the Moon Once Had Erupting Volcanoes Too (Source: ABC)
Volcanoes were erupting on the mysterious far side of the moon billions of years ago just like on the side that we can see, new research confirms. Researchers analyzed lunar soil brought back by China's Chang'e-6, the first spacecraft to return with a haul of rocks and dirt from the little-explored far side. Two separate teams found fragments of volcanic rock that were about 2.8 billion years old. One piece was even more ancient, dating back to 4.2 billion years. (11/15)

SpaceX Hopes to Drastically Reduce Travel Times with Starship (Source: Daily Galaxy)
Starship, currently the most powerful rocket ever built, isn’t just a vehicle for space missions. SpaceX’s ambitions go far beyond the stars, with Musk envisioning a world where long-haul flights are a thing of the past. By utilizing Starship for Earth-to-Earth travel, SpaceX aims to make it possible to reach any location on the planet in less than an hour. This would be a monumental shift in how we think about international travel. (11/15)