January 13, 2025

Research Blasts Off Toward Future Space Factory Development (Source: ADS Advance)
Researchers at a Scottish university have taken one small step towards a future where orbital factories can 3D print future tech on demand in space. Dr. Gilles Bailet has been awarded a patent for a new system which overcomes the challenges of 3D printing in zero-gravity. His technology has recently been rigorously tested during a series of trips on a research aircraft. That equipment could include solar reflectors to generate zero-carbon power for transmission back to Earth, improved communication antennae, or drug research stations that can create purer, more effective pharmaceuticals. (1/13)

ArianeGroup Already Working to Secure IRIS2 Launch Contract (Source: European Spaceflight)
ArianeGroup CEO Martin Sion stated on 10 January that discussions regarding a launch contract for the European Union’s IRIS2 secure communications megaconstellation must begin in 2025, emphasizing the need for an agreement to be reached quickly.

In December 2024, the European Union signed a €10.6 billion contract with the SpaceRIDE consortium to develop and launch around 290 satellites for the IRIS2 constellation. The satellites will be deployed into various orbits around Earth with the goal of establishing a sovereign, secure, and resilient communication capability for EU member state governments. The first IRIS2 satellites are expected to be launched in 2029. Any launch contracts awarded as part of the IRIS2 program will have a European preference. (1/13)

Call for Proposals for International Teams in the Space & Earth Sciences (Source; ISSI)
Eligible research projects must involve the interdisciplinary analysis and evaluation of space mission data. They may also draw on complementary ground-based data and/or theoretical modelling where this adds scientific value. This call is open to all scientists, regardless of nationality or institutional affiliation, who are actively involved in any of the following research fields:

Space Sciences: Astrobiology, Astrophysics and Cosmology, Fundamental Physics in Space, Magnetospheric and Space Plasma Physics, Planetary Sciences, Solar and Heliospheric Physics, and Solar-Terrestrial Sciences.

Earth Sciences using space data. This includes understanding and modelling Earth system processes, as well as climate change projections. Click here. (1/13) https://www.issibern.ch/call-for-proposals-2025-for-international-teams-in-space-and-earth-sciences/

Former NASA Official, Astronaut Bob Cabana Receives Top Civilian Award (Source: NASA)
Robert Cabana, who served as a NASA associate administrator, astronaut, and a colonel in the United States Marine Corps, received the President’s Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service, recognizing his exceptional achievements and public service to the nation. The award, signed by President Biden, is the highest honor the federal government can grant to a federal civilian employee.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy presented Cabana with the award during a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington on Jan. 10. Cabana most recently served as NASA’s associate administrator, which is the agency’s highest ranking civil servant, from 2021 until he retired from the agency at the end of 2023. (1/13)

Humans Will Soon be Able to Mine on the Moon. But Should We? (Source: Space.com)
By the end of this decade, nations and private companies may well be mining the surface of the moon. But as space becomes accessible to more nations and corporations, we need to stop and ask ourselves what commercial activities we want to allow, including on the moon. Now is the time to create the rules and regulations that will protect humanity’s shared future in space and ensure the moon remains a symbol and inspiration for generations to come. Click here. (1/13)

An Education Ecosystem is Being Built in Elon Musk’s Image. It Starts in Rural Texas (Source: Houston Public Media)
But behind its walls, the nondescript farmhouse represents a key step in what may be the next big venture for the world's richest man. This is Ad Astra, a private school for kids ages 3-6. It's opened right around the corner from Elon Musk's massive corporate compound in Bastrop County, which already houses offices for SpaceX, the Boring Company and, soon, X (formerly Twitter). Records show an entire system of education — from pre-K to college — is being created in Musk's image. And it starts right here in rural Central Texas.

The initial curriculum, which The Texas Newsroom obtained from the state through a public records request, pulls heavily from a Montessori-inspired playbook of "individualized exploration" and the school's website promises students a course of study delivered in a "progressive learning environment" focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

Musk's name isn't on the school's application or its website. It isn't even on the paperwork of a nonprofit that reported total assets of more than $200 million at the end of 2022. But his foundation provided the seed money, his top advisers are leading the venture and Musk's influence is everywhere. This isn't the first time Musk has waded into the education world. He started programs for his and his employees' kids in the past. But what starts here with Ad Astra promises to be Musk's biggest foray into education to date and, if successful, will add to his already massive footprint in Central Texas. (1/13)

Rocket Subsystem Issue Scrubs New Glenn Debut (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin scrubbed its first launch attempt for its New Glenn rocket overnight. The company called off the launch shortly after 3 a.m. Eastern Monday, citing problems with an unspecified vehicle subsystem that could not be fixed before the day's launch window closed at 4 a.m. Eastern.  Blue Origin did not elaborate on the cause for the scrub or announce a new launch date. The scrub is the latest delay for the long-awaited first flight of the rocket. The launch, called NG-1 by the company, will carry a technology demonstration payload for its Blue Ring orbital transfer vehicle that will remain attached to the upper stage. (1/13)

Astranis Satellites Pass Initial Tests In Orbit (Source: Space News)
Astranis announced Friday that four small GEO communications satellites it launched last month have passed initial tests. The four Block 2 satellites completed initial commissioning and have started to use their electric propulsion systems to move from their initial transfer orbits to GEO. The company, which is operating the spacecraft on behalf of customers that have leased their broadband capacity, expects to bring Block 2 services online by the middle of the year. (1/13)

Churn at NASA Science Divisions (Source: Space News)
Retirements and reassignments have led to new leadership at some of NASA's science divisions. Mark Clampin, director of NASA's astrophysics division, announced Sunday he was stepping in as acting deputy associate administrator for the agency's Science Mission Directorate for the next year after the retirement of Sandra Connelly. The astrophysics division will be led by Shawn Domagal-Goldman, deputy director of the science and exploration directorate at Goddard. That news came days after NASA announced it was hiring Louise Prockter as acting planetary science division director for the next year. Lori Glaze, the longtime planetary science division director, took a position in NASA's exploration systems directorate last year. (1/13)

Wildfire Response at JPL Turns to Employee Relief Effort (Source: Space News)
As the fire threat recedes for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, relief efforts are stepping up for affected employees. The Eaton Fire that burned more than 14,000 acres in the Los Angeles area near JPL is no longer an immediate threat to the lab. While the fire caused no damage to JPL itself, it's estimated that several hundred JPL employees are among those who had their homes damaged or destroyed by the fire. Relief effort for them and others are underway, including one fund specifically for JPL and other Caltech employees. (1/13)

China Launches 10 Smallsats From Sea-Based Barge (Source: Space News)
China launched a sea-based rocket Sunday night. A Jielong-3 rocket lifted off at 10 p.m. Eastern from a barge in coastal waters offshore from the city of Haiyang. It placed into orbit a group of 10 Microcentispace-01 smallsats for Chinese company Future Navigation designed to augment navigation services. The satellites are part of a constellation that will ultimately number 190 satellites in low Earth orbit. This was the fifth launch of the Jielong-3, a solid-propellant rocket designed to place up to 1,600 kilograms into orbit. (1/13)

Pakistan Courts OneWeb, Starlink, and Shanghai SpaceCom for Broadband Services (Source: The News)
Pakistan is considering allowing three broadband megaconstellations to provide services in the country. The Pakistan Space Activities Regulatory Board is weighing requests from OneWeb, Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology and SpaceX's Starlink to operate in the country, but the board has yet to formally approve any of the companies. SpaceX reportedly plans to invest millions of dollars to help build out a local network in Pakistan if approved. (1/13)

Indian Satellites Approach Each Other in Docking Test (Source: PTI)
Two Indian satellites approached within three meters of each other Saturday in a trial run before a docking attempt. The Space Docking Experiment, or SpaDeX, spacecraft made a close approach to one another before withdrawing to allow engineers to analyze data. The Indian space agency ISRO did not state when it expected to attempt a docking of the two spacecraft, testing technology needed for future robotic and crewed missions. (1/13)

NASA Picks Phase-1 NIAC Study Projects (Source: NASA)
NASA has picked 15 early-stage technologies for initial studies. The agency announced Friday the selection of the concepts for Phase 1 studies as part of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) with a combined value of about $2.6 million. The technologies include concepts for a fusion propulsion system for spacecraft and lunar habitats made of glass produced from local materials. One winner was Nobel laureate John Mather, who received a NIAC award to study an inflatable starshade that could be used with a space telescope to observe Earth-sized exoplanets. (1/13)