December 20, 2024

Pentagon Directed to Advance Cislunar Monitoring Capabilities (Source: Breaking Defense)
The White House has released a plan for cislunar science and technology, directing the Defense Department to develop capabilities for monitoring space between Earth and the Moon. This includes enhancing sensors and evaluating commercial and international efforts. The plan aims to ensure safe and sustainable exploration in line with the Outer Space Treaty. (12/19)

Losing the ‘Acting’ on a High Ranking Title at NASA (Source: FNN)
A satisfying thing it is when that ‘acting’ moniker is removed from your title, like with the associate administrator of the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA, Clayton Turner. Click here. (12/19)

Anthropologists Urge Preservation of Human Artifacts on Mars (Source: Daily)
Are the spacecraft, rovers, and debris from human exploration of Mars merely trash cluttering the Red Planet, or are they invaluable artifacts chronicling humanity's steps into interplanetary exploration? University of Kansas anthropologist Justin Holcomb contends these items deserve preservation and cataloging to document this significant phase of human history. (12/17)

New Study Questions the Potential for Liquid Brines on Mars (Source: Space Daily)
More than a century after astronomer Percival Lowell speculated about water canals on Mars, researchers continue to grapple with the question of liquid water on the red planet. Liquid water is essential for habitability, but Mars' low temperatures, minimal atmospheric pressure, and limited water vapor make its presence unlikely under current conditions.

Dark surface features called recurring slope lineae (RSL), polygonal formations in Martian permafrost, and the possibility of liquid brines have all fueled discussions about liquid water. However, a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences challenges these ideas, suggesting liquid water on Mars is far less likely than hoped. (12/17)

NASA Head Bill Nelson Offers Advice for Successor in Farewell Interview (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
With just a month left to go before stepping down as head of NASA, Bill Nelson warns his stance on conflicts of interest might not be the same as his likely successor, billionaire Jared Isaacman. “If I had a whiff of a conflict, I had to — under the rules set out by the Biden administration — I had to extinguish whatever investment that might be,” Nelson said during a farewell interview among reporters at the KSC Press Site. “Whether or not those rules of the Biden administration are going to change in the Trump administration, where they allow potential conflicts, I don’t know.” Click here. (12/20)

DARPA Seeks Industry Input on Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (Source: Military & Aerospace Electronics)
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is seeking industry information for the Nuclear Thermal Rocket Propulsion project. The technology, which could double the efficiency of chemical rockets, is expected to reduce travel time to Mars by 25% and enhance military space maneuverability.  (12/18)

Maxar Secures $35 Million in Asian Contracts for Imagery and Analytics (Source: Space News)
Maxar Intelligence has secured contracts worth $35 million to provide satellite imagery and analytics to two Asia-Pacific governments. The deals, announced Thursday, will give these undisclosed governments access to Maxar's newly deployed WorldView Legion satellites, which provide high-resolution Earth observation imagery, as well as synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from partner company Umbra. The contracts are part of Maxar's "direct access program," which enables customers to directly control satellite tasking through their own ground stations, with the ability to request image captures just 15 minutes before an imaging event and receive data in real-time. (12/20)

K2 Space Wins $30 Million From Space Force for Satellite (Source: Space News)
K2 Space won a $30 million Space Force contract for the first launch of its Mega Class satellite. The deal is part of the Strategic Financing Initiative (STRATFI) program, which matches government funds with private investment to bolster cutting-edge space technologies. With contributions from the Space Force's SpaceWERX organization, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Pentagon's Space Test Program, the total value of the agreement is $60 million. The contract covers the launch of a Mega Class satellite on a mission called "Gravitas" in February 2026, carrying multiple experimental payloads from the Space Test Program. The satellite will launch to low Earth orbit and later use electric propulsion to move to medium Earth orbit. (12/20)

FAA Updates Starship Launch License (Source: Space News)
The FAA has updated the launch license for SpaceX's Starship/Super Heavy vehicle well ahead of its next flight. The FAA announced this week that it issued a license modification for Flight 7, the next launch of the vehicle. SpaceX has not announced a launch date for Flight 7 but it is expected to be in the first half of January. The early license is a contrast to a Starship launch in October where the updated license was issued less than 24 hours before the scheduled liftoff. Flight 7 will follow a similar profile as recent flights, with an attempt to catch the Super Heavy booster back at the launch tower, while Starship splashes down in the Indian Ocean. (12/20)

China Breaks Launch Record (Source: Space News)
China is about to eclipse a launch record for the country set just last year. A launch of a Ceres-1 rocket Thursday, deploying four Internet-of-Things satellites, was the 66th launch of the year. China launched 67 times in 2023, and several more launches are planned through the rest of this year. Those launches have carried more than 260 satellites, exceeding the 221 launched in 2023. (12/20)

Rideshare Companies Join Forces for GTO Missions (Source: Space News)
Three rideshare launch services companies are joining forces for flying spacecraft to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). Innovative Solutions in Space (ISISPACE), Maverick Space Systems and SEOPS announced Thursday a partnership to support missions to GTO. SEOPS announced in November that it acquired a dedicated Falcon 9 launch in 2028 for a GTO rideshare mission, and it will work with the other two companies on that mission. The three companies will continue to work on their own for other rideshare launch opportunities. (12/20)

Cosmonauts Install X-Ray Spectrometer on ISS (Source: Space.com)
Two Russian cosmonauts conducted a spacewalk outside the International Space Station Thursday. Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner spent 7 hours and 17 minutes outside the station, installing an X-ray spectrometer instrument on the exterior of the Zvezda module. They also replaced electrical connectors on the hull of Zvezda and collected experiments that had been exposed to the space environment. (12/20)

Roscosmos Head Expects Russian ISS Presence Through 2030 (Source: Ars Technica)
The head of Roscosmos says he expects Russia to stay on the ISS to 2030. In an interview with Russian television, Yuri Borisov said Roscosmos would work with NASA to deorbit the station "around the beginning of 2030." Those comments suggest that Roscosmos will continue to be part of the ISS partnership until that time, after previously stating it would leave the station in 2028 to focus on a new Russian space station. Borisov noted that the aging station is more difficult to maintain, with cosmonauts now spending more time on repairs and less on experiments. (12/20)

Germany to Provide ~$100 Million to Three Launch Companies (Source: European Spaceflight)
The German government plans to provide nearly $100 million in additional funding to three launch companies. The government announced Thursday that it would provide 95 million euros ($98.7 million) to HyImpulse, Isar Aerospace and Rocket Factory Augsburg, three German companies working on small launch vehicles. The funding will help the companies as they approach first flights of the vehicles in the next year or so. The government said that budget reallocations and higher subscriptions to ESA programs enabled the funding. (12/20)