December 24, 2024

NORAD's Santa Tracker Becomes Global Holiday Fixture (Source: AP)
NORAD's Santa Tracker, originating in 1955 due to a misdialed call, has grown into a global holiday tradition. The North American Aerospace Defense Command uses advanced radars and satellites to track Santa's journey, with millions of children engaging online or via phone each Christmas Eve. Click here. (12/21)

NASA Selects Firefly Aerospace to Deliver UCF’s Lunar-VISE Payload to the Moon (Source: UCF)
NASA has selected Firefly Aerospace as the lander and rover provider to deliver UCF’s Lunar Vulkan Imaging and Spectroscopy Explorer (Lunar-VISE) payload to the Moon’s Gruithuisen Domes to investigate how these mysterious silica-rich volcanic features formed. Over a 10-Earth-day period, the multi-instrument payload built by BAE Systems and Arizona State University (ASU) will gather data on the lunar regolith to understand how it may be used as a resource in future exploration of the lunar surface. (12/23)

Japan’s Rocket Development Up in the Air After Repeated Failures (Source: Asahi Shimbun)
Japan’s burgeoning private space sector has suffered another blow with the recent failed launch of a commercial satellite. The national space program is also experiencing headwinds, with the development of its small-scale Epsilon rocket facing significant delays. Despite a global surging demand for launch services, the path to profitability for rocket companies remains fraught with obstacles.

Initially, there was a goal to achieve 20 launches per year by the mid-2020s, but substantial delays now seem unavoidable. Identifying and dealing with the cause of these failures quickly so that the next attempt can be made without a prolonged delay will be crucial for the future of the project. The Kairos rocket was developed by Tokyo-based startup Space One Co. The Kairos 2, which was launched on Dec. 18, deviated from its planned flight path and an automatic detonation was executed about three minutes after liftoff.

Space One has received support from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. A new launch site for the rocket has been built in Kushimoto, a Pacific costal town in Wakayama Prefecture. The project is attracting attention for its potential to revitalize the area and serve as a tourist resource. The Epsilon rocket, jointly developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and IHI Aerospace, also lacks a clear operational outlook. (12/24)

Space Operations Command Preps for New Shared Domain Awareness Tool (Source: Defense News)
The leader of U.S. Space Operations Command is hopeful the Space Force can meet its goal of delivering a command-and-control platform that allows operators to see a common picture of the domain by the end of next year. The software for that baseline capability, known as the Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System, or ATLAS, is being developed by L3Harris and is in the final stages of testing.

Lt. Gen. David Miller, who leads Space Operations Command, told reporters that while he knows delivering that system is a “big lift,” having a single platform that units can use to train, plan and fight from is at the top of his must-have list. ATLAS will provide the foundational software for a broader modernization program known as Space Command and Control. (12/23)

How Might NASA Change Under Trump? Here’s What is Being Discussed (Source: Ars Technica)
Although the details remain in flux, the transition team reviewing NASA and its activities has begun to draft potential executive orders for changes to space policy under the Trump Administration.

Sources familiar with the five people on the team, who have spent the last six weeks assessing the space agency and its exploration plans, were careful to note that such teams are advisory in nature. They do not formally set policy nor is their work always indicative of the direction an incoming presidential administration will move toward.

Nevertheless, in trying to set clear goals for NASA and civil space policy, the ideas under consideration reflect the Trump administration's desire for "big changes" at NASA, both in terms of increasing the effectiveness and velocity of its programs. Click here. (12/23)

Space Station Keeps Dodging Debris From China’s 2007 Satellite Weapon Test (Source: Washington Post)
The International Space Station had to fire thrusters from a docked spacecraft last month to avoid a piece of debris that has been circling the globe for the nearly 18 years since the Chinese government blasted apart one of its own satellites in a weapons test. The evasive maneuver was the second in just six days for the space station, which has four NASA astronauts and three Russian cosmonauts aboard. That is the shortest interval ever between such actions, illustrating the slowly worsening problem of space junk in orbit.

Debris is an increasingly vexing issue not only for NASA, but also for companies such as SpaceX and OneWeb seeking to protect the thousands of small satellites they send into space to provide high-speed internet. Analysts say the most worrisome debris cloud stems from Fengyun 1C, a weather satellite that the Chinese government intentionally destroyed with a missile in 2007. The high-altitude explosion created an estimated 3,500 pieces of debris. (12/23)

Beyond Gravity Delivers Key Elements of ESA’s Space Rider Vehicle (Source: European Spaceflight)
Switzerland’s Beyond Gravity has delivered the ALEK structure for the European Space Agency’s reusable Space Rider spacecraft to the Service Module prime contractor Avio. Space Rider is an unmanned, reusable spacecraft being developed for in-orbit experimentation and technology demonstration. It can remain in orbit for up to three months before returning to Earth, completing a precision landing under a parasail for recovery and reuse. (12/23)

India to Launch 24 Experiments to Space with PSLV SpaDex Mission (Source: India Today)
The Indian Space Research Organization is all set for a groundbreaking mission to deploy as many as 24 scientific experiments into space aboard the PSLV Orbital Experiment Module-4 (POEM-4) under the SpaDeX mission.

These payloads include a mix of projects from ISRO's own research facilities, as well as contributions from private entities and academia, showcasing India's growing collaborative prowess in space technology. The mission will carry 14 payloads developed by ISRO/Department of Space (DOS) centers, alongside 10 contributions from non-government entities (NGEs), including academic institutions and start-ups facilitated through the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). (12/22)

ISRO to Conduct Experiments on Growing Plants in Space (Source: The Tribune)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will carry out experiments with plants such as spinach and cowpeas (lobia) when it sends the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-4 (POEM-4) into space later this month. Three of the 24 payloads set to be flown in the mission are for carrying out biological experiments to see how living organisms survive in the near-vacuum environment of space. Biological material from plants as well as gut bacteria will be flown as part of the three experiments. (12/23)

The Space Rapid Capabilities Office: Unlocking the Power of Collaboration for National Defense (Source: Space News)
The United States Space Force is a critical component of our nation’s defense. As the newest branch of the U.S. military, the Space Force is responsible for protecting and defending our nation’s interests in space. This includes everything from satellite communications and navigation to missile warning and defense. The Space Force is also working to develop new capabilities, such as agile protect-and-defend systems, which enable us to stay ahead of emerging threats, hold adversary space systems at risk and be prepared if deterrence fails.

As the director of the U.S. Space Force’s Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Space RCO), I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the incredible potential of collaboration between the government and the space industry. Established in 2018, Space RCO is a direct reporting unit of the Space Force, responsible for acquiring space and ground systems that protect and defend against threats. Our mission is to rapidly develop and field space capabilities that meet the evolving needs of our nation’s defense. (12/22)

South Korea Successfully Launches 3rd Spy Satellite Into Orbit on SpaceX Mission (Source: Yonhap)
South Korea successfully placed into orbit its third homegrown spy satellite launched from a U.S. space center Saturday, the defense ministry said, as the country seeks to bolster its independent surveillance capabilities on North Korea. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellite normally lifted off at 8:34 p.m. (Korean time) from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as planned and sent the reconnaissance satellite into orbit at 9:24 p.m., according to the ministry. (12/21)

Why Do People Think NASA Has Discovered a 'Parallel Universe'? (Source: Newsweek)
Let's set the record straight: NASA has not found a parallel universe. The claims making the rounds on social media are not based on new scientific findings but are instead a distorted interpretation of older research. The origins of this controversy date back to 2020, when researchers working with the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment detected unusual behavior in neutrinos—tiny, nearly massless particles that rarely interact with matter.

The ANITA findings were indeed perplexing and prompted scientists to theorize potential explanations. One such hypothesis, published in a paper in response to the findings, suggested the possibility of a "CPT symmetric universe," where time might flow in the opposite direction to ours. (12/23)

Five Ways to Explore NASA's Portfolio of Technologies with TechPort 4.0 (Source: Space Daily)
Have you ever wanted to find all your favorite NASA technology in one place? NASA stakeholders did, too! We listened to your feedback, brainstormed user-focused features, and created the most robust technology system to date.

NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate is excited to announce the release of TechPort version 4.0 - your gateway into our technology community. NASA tuned into feedback from the public, industry, academia, and our internal audiences to make significant updates to the TechPort system. From improvements in usability, customizability, and analysis views, users will now be able to search and explore NASA's vast portfolio of technologies more easily than ever before. Click here. (12/20)

Australia's Lunar Rover Advances with Swinburne Technology at the Core (Source: Space Daily)
Swinburne University of Technology has been chosen to provide essential technology for a groundbreaking national mission: Australia's first lunar rover. As part of the $42 million Australian Space Agency project, the ELO2 Consortium will design, build, and operate the Australian-made rover, "Roo-ver," on the Moon's surface. Swinburne's Space Technology and Industry Institute (STII) will play a critical role by developing space radiation resistance and lunar dust mitigation technologies - both essential for the mission's success in the extreme lunar environment. (12/)

Watch NASA’s Moon Capsule Violently Break Apart During Abort Test (Source: Gizmodo)
NASA recently completed an 11-month test campaign of the crew module to ensure Orion is ready for the Artemis 2 mission, which will send a crew of four astronauts around the Moon and back. A team of engineers subjected the Orion Environmental Test Article (ETA) to a grueling series of tests at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio, simulating emergency scenarios during launch. Orion is designed to separate from the SLS rocket and safely splash down in the ocean during a launch abort scenario with astronauts on board. Click here. (12/23)

Bezos Prepares to Close the Gap in His Space Race with Elon Musk (Source: Deccan Herald)
Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/world/jeff-bezos-prepares-to-close-the-gap-in-his-space-race-with-elon-musk-2-3328951
Together, New Glenn and Project Kuiper are perhaps the most ambitious attempt in years to take on SpaceX's tight grip on the commercial space market. The new rocket and satellites also represent a new chapter in the longtime rivalry between the billionaires Bezos and Musk. Click here. (12/22)