December 16, 2024

New Glenn Awaits FAA Regulatory Approval for Debut Launch (Source: Florida Today)
"It's literally on the pad now, waiting for regulatory approval. It needs its final regulatory approvals to launch. So we're very, very close," Blue Origin's billionaire founder Jeff Bezos said. Blue Origin now employs more than 3,000 workers in Florida, Mitchell said. "We've invested over $3 billion in facilities in Florida. And we've also spent more than $2 billion with around 500 companies in Florida," said Megan Mitchell, vice president of government relations. (12/13)

Physicists Find Particle That Only Has Mass When Moving in One Direction (Source: Science Alert)
Scientists have made a satisfying and intriguing physics discovery some 16 years after it was first predicted to be a possibility: a quasiparticle (a group of particles behaving as one) that only has an effective mass when moving in one direction. Whereas regular quasiparticles have the same mass no matter what their direction of travel, the semi-Dirac fermion (to give it its technical name) being studied here doesn't seem to play by the normal rules. It's a discovery that could make a fundamental difference in fields such as quantum physics and electronic sensors. 12/14)

Smallsat Market Maintains Momentum Despite Starlink and Starshield Disruption (Source: NovaSpace)
The latest edition of Novaspace’s ‘Prospects for the Small Satellite Market’ market intelligence report forecasts robust growth in the small satellite (smallsat) industry, projecting a market value of approximately $113.3 billion over the next decade. This expansion will be fueled by the replenishment of satellite constellations globally and the rising complexity and cost of government-driven single-satellite missions.

Despite these headwinds, the report emphasizes the strategic role of smallsat constellations in capability-building for emerging players in the space sector. Recent geopolitical tensions and conflicts have underscored the critical importance of commercial satellite communication (satcom) and Earth observation constellations. These systems have demonstrated their value in active combat scenarios, while interest grows in new technologies such as direct-to-device (D2D) and low Earth orbit positioning, navigation, and timing (LEO PNT) constellations. (12/12)

Europe Advances Consortium for IRIS Constellation (Source: Space News)
The European Union and ESA have signed contracts with an industrial consortium for a satellite constellation costing 10.6 billion euros ($11.1 billion).  At a ceremony in Brussels Monday morning, ESA and EU officials, along with executives from the SpaceRISE consortium of Eutelsat, Hispasat and SES, formally signed contracts for the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) constellation.

IRIS² will include more than 290 satellites in medium and low Earth orbits, with launches scheduled for 2029 and 2030. The EU will provide 6 billion euros and ESA 550 million euros, with SpaceRISE contributing the rest. IRIS² is designed to provide secure connectivity for European civil government and security needs as well as consumer broadband services. (12/16)

Joint US/Indian NISAR Could Launch in March (Source: Space News)
A joint U.S.-Indian Earth science mission is now expected to launch next March. The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission was scheduled to launch earlier this year, but the agencies postponed the launch to make modifications to a large deployable reflector that could get too warm while in a stowed configuration after launch. That work is now complete and the satellite is in storage waiting for a launch opportunity, a NASA official said at the AGU annual meeting last week. The launch on an Indian GSLV rocket has to wait until after another GSLV launch scheduled for mid-January, followed by six to eight weeks of work to refurbish the launch pad. (12/16)

Musk Lacks Clearance for Classified Projects Underway at SpaceX (Source: Wall Street Journal)
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk lacks the security clearances needed to access information about key classified programs at the company. While Musk has a top-secret clearance, he does not have clearances for "sensitive compartmented information" required for specific programs SpaceX is performing for the U.S. government. That means he cannot enter SpaceX facilities where that classified work is taking place and doesn't have access to information about some spacecraft SpaceX launches.

Musk received a top-secret clearance in 2022 only after several years of effort, which people in SpaceX believed was linked to Musk smoking marijuana in a 2018 Joe Rogan podcast. SpaceX lawyers said they were concerned reports about Musk's drug use and contacts with foreign officials like Vladimir Putin might not only make it difficult to get a higher clearance but could also result in losing his top-secret clearance. That problem may become moot, though, in the incoming Trump administration, given Musk's close ties to the president-elect. (12/16)

Latvia to Ratify Outer Space Treaty (Source: PBL)
Latvia is planning to finally sign the Outer Space Treaty. The country's Cabinet of Ministers has approved a draft law that would see the Baltic nation ratify the 1967 treaty, after the government announced earlier this year that it would sign on to the treaty. Latvia is the only member of the European Union that has not joined the treaty, which 113 countries have ratified. Latvia is also seeking to join the UN's Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. (12/16)

Some Recommendations for New Space Policy (Source: Michael Mealling/LinkedIn)
Michael Mealling offers some policy ideas to address current space program challenges, and for building the US future in space. Click here. (12/16)

China Launches Megaconstellation Satellites (Source: Space News)
China launched the first satellites of a second megaconstellation on Monday. A Long March 5B rocket lifted off from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center at 5 a.m. Eastern carrying the first group of satellites for China's national Guowang ("national net") megaconstellation. Chinese officials declared the launch a success but did not disclose the number of satellites on board or their planned orbits. Guowang is projected to have 13,000 satellites to provide broadband services. It will join Qianfan, or Thousand Sails, another megaconstellation that has already placed 54 satellites in orbit on three launches this year. (12/16)

Congress Approves First-Ever Acknowledgement of Space Launch Noise Impacts on Nearby Communities, Compels Pentagon to Act on Mitigation (Source: Rep. Salud Carbajal)
This week, Congress is advancing for the first time federal legislation that acknowledges the disruption that space launch noise has on nearby communities, as well as outlining steps it believes the Department of Defense should take to mitigate the impact of sonic booms and other disturbances. The language was secured by Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and the federal representative for the communities surrounding the Western Range at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The language was included in the House report accompanying the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, the annual defense policy bill crafted by the Armed Services Committees of both chambers: “The Department [of Defense] already has a Community Noise Mitigation Program for fixed wing aircraft…it could be beneficial to stand up a similar program to make grants to communities impacted by national security space launches for the purpose of installing noise mitigating insulation at nearby facilities.”

Congressman Carbajal intends to build on this language in his next term with additional measures to better address the impact of increased launches, including but not limited to launch noise. (12/12)

UAE Space Agency Hosts UAE-Japan Sector Workshop (Source: Times Aerospace)
The event took place on the sidelines of the 2024 edition of The Abu Dhabi Space Debate. The joint workshop is a collaborative event aimed at bringing together experts, industry leaders, and government officials from the UAE and Japan to strengthen cooperation in the field of space exploration. (12/13)

SES Equips Peruvian Air Force with High-throughput Connectivity via SES-14 Satellite (Source: SES)
The Peruvian Air Force (PAF) is using SES’s high-throughput geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite solution to improve connectivity for its Air Force bases and enhance operations all over the country, SES announced today. Under the agreement, SES is providing a turnkey solution which includes delivery and installation of communications hardware, as well as training and enabling the PAF with SES-14 capacity to explore all the possibilities and improvements that the high-throughput satellite (HTS) can offer.  (12/11)

Direct-to-Device Satellite Services Drive the Next Wave of Global Connectivity (Source: NovaSpace)
Novaspace,  leader in space consulting and market intelligence, has released the 9th edition of its report Prospects for Direct to Handheld and IoT Markets. The study projects the direct-to-device satellite connectivity market to grow from $1.5 billion today to nearly $15 billion by 2033, fueled by rapid advancements in technology and expanding satellite networks. (12/10)

ispace and Magna Petra Agree to Future Resources Exploration on the Moon’s Surface (Source: ispace)
ispace and Magna Petra, the first lunar resources company engaged in the prospecting, extraction and return to earth of helium-3 isotopes from the lunar surface, have agreed to collaborate on future missions to the lunar surface, the two companies announced. Under terms of the memorandum of understanding, the two companies have agreed to collaborate on the development of a lunar economy that provides terrestrial economic value via non-destructive, sustainable harvesting of lunar surface resources. (12/10)

SEOPS Awarded Launch Services Task Order for Upcoming NASA VADR Mission (Source: SEOPS)
SEOPS, a leading provider of responsive space mission services, has been selected to provide launch and integration services for a small satellite mission under a recent task order awarded by NASA under the Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services contract. Under the terms of the award, the Houston-based company will support the Streamlined CubeSat Launch Services (SCLS) R5-S9 Mission by procuring a launch for the 6U CubeSat and providing payload processing and integration services, testing, fit checks, and all necessary hardware including its Equalizer dispenser. The launch is currently slated for 2025. (10/9)