December 30, 2024

Is Planet Nine a Black Hole? (Source: El Diario)
According to recent models, if Planet Nine exists, it would orbit the Sun 20 times further than Neptune and have 5–10 times the mass of Earth. Its existence explains odd tilts in the axis of the solar system in addition to the Kuiper Belt anomalies. The nature of this item is still unknown because no direct observation has been made despite growing evidence. Scientists from Harvard have now put out a method to definitively ascertain whether Planet Nine is a black hole.

The new approach would specifically search the outer solar system for signs of the distinctive flares that are released when a black hole eats a comet or other far-off object. They claim that the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which is set to start a 10-year scan of the southern sky in the coming years, should be able to identify such flares.

An even more disturbing theory put out by some scientists is that Planet Nine may be a primordial black hole rather than a planet. Primordial black holes, which are thought to have formed during the Big Bang, are considerably smaller than conventional black holes made from collapsing stars. They may be as small as a bowling ball, but they contain enormous mass. (12/28)

Lynk SPAC Deal Gets Extension (Source: Space News)
Lynk won another extension of a deal to merge with a SPAC, but at a cost. The company, which is developing a constellation of satellites for direct-to-device services, said last week it secured a three-month extension of the deadline to close a merger with Slam Corp., a SPAC founded by former baseball player Alex Rodriguez. However, shareholders in Slam redeemed $81 million in shares as part of the extension, leaving the SPAC with just $23 million in proceeds after raising $575 million in 2021. Lynk said in February it planned to raise at least $110 million from the deal to fund expansion of its fleet of five satellites providing messaging services. (12/30)

Astranis Satellites to Serve New Markets (Source: Space News)
Astranis successfully launched four small GEO satellites. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 12 a.m. Eastern Sunday and deployed the four satellites into geostationary transfer orbits. Two of the satellites, named NuView Alpha and NuView Bravo, will provide services for inflight connectivity provider Anuvu. A third, Agila, will be used by Orbits Corp,. part of Philippine internet service provider HTechCorp, while the fourth, UtilitySat, will initially serve Mexican customers for Apco Networks. The four Block 2 satellites feature upgrades from the first Astranis satellite, Arcturus, launched in April 2023; it suffered a solar array drive failure that kept it from providing broadband services in Alaska. (12/30)

New Leadership for China's Space Agency (Source: Space News)
China's space agency will likely be getting a new leader. Zhang Kejian is expected to step down as head of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) after being replaced as Party Secretary of the State Administration for National Defense Science, Technology, and Industry (SASTIND) last week. The leader of SASTIND typically also heads CNSA. Zhang had been the head of CNSA since 2018, and the announcement did not explain why the 63-year-old was being replaced at SASTIND. The new leader of SASTIND is Shan Zhongde, who earlier this year was promoted to one of the vice ministers of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology after serving as president of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. (12/30)

Starlink Deal to Bring Direct-to-Device to Ukraine (Source: Bloomberg)
Starlink signed a deal to provide direct-to-device services in Ukraine. Kyivstar, the largest Ukrainian mobile operator, said it will work with SpaceX to provide direct-to-device services in the country starting in the fourth quarter of 2025, allowing text messaging services for smartphones out of the reach of terrestrial networks. Kyivstar is one of several mobile operators around the world partnering with SpaceX on direct-to-device services, including T-Mobile in the United States. (12/30)

Another Crew Flight Barter Agreement Between NASA and Roscosmos (Source: TASS)
Roscosmos says it is preparing to sign another crew barter agreement with NASA. Roscosmos announced Saturday it will sign next year an extension of an existing agreement with NASA that allows NASA astronauts to fly on Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station in exchange for Roscosmos cosmonauts flying on commercial crew spacecraft like Crew Dragon. The agreement ensures that there will be at least one American and one Russian on the ISS should either Soyuz or commercial crew vehicles be unavailable for an extended period. One change in the upcoming extension is that Roscosmos, which launches Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS every six months, plans to extend those missions to as long as nine months as a cost-cutting measure. (12/30)

AIA Supports Additional Funding for FAA (Source: Simple Flying)
The Aerospace Industries Association and other aviation groups are urging President-elect Donald Trump to reconsider Federal Aviation Administration funding, emphasizing the need to use the Airport and Airway Trust Fund to modernize air traffic control and facilities. The groups highlight concerns about past funds being diverted for nonaviation purposes and advocate for multiyear budgeting and strategic asset management. (12/29)