Last week, NASA announced it would study two different ways to pick up the samples the Perseverance rover is collecting on Mars and return them to Earth. Jeff Foust reports on the two approaches as well as interest by at least one company in an alternative. Click here. (1/14)
Returning Humans to the Moon Without SLS and NRHO (Source: Space Review)
There is speculation the Trump Administration may attempt to cancel the Space Launch System. Ajay Kothari offers an alternative architecture that could get humans back to the Moon without either SLS or Starship. Click here. (1/14)
The Civilization Survival Scale: A Biological Argument for Space Settlement (Source: Space Review)
Some space advocates have argued that space settlement is vital to ensure the survival of humanity. Thomas Matula describes a scale for measuring the abilities of civilizations to survive that could be useful for space advocacy and for astrobiology. Click here. (1/14)
NASA and Italian Space Agency Test Future Lunar Navigation Technology (Source: Space Daily)
As the Artemis campaign leads humanity to the Moon and eventually Mars, NASA is refining its state-of-the-art navigation and positioning technologies to guide a new era of lunar exploration. A technology demonstration helping pave the way for these developments is the Lunar GNSS Receiver Experiment (LuGRE) payload, a joint effort between NASA and the Italian Space Agency to demonstrate the viability of using existing GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals for positioning, navigation, and timing on the Moon. (1/13)
Nokia's Cellular Network to Enable Lunar Mission Connectivity as Intuitive Machines Completes Integration (Source: Space Daily)
Intuitive Machines and Nokia have completed the final integration of Nokia's Lunar Surface Communication System ("LSCS") into the Athena lunar lander for the IM-2 mission. This mission aims to establish the first cellular network on the Moon, focusing on the lunar south pole region. Collaborating engineers performed rigorous testing and installation of the LSCS "network in a box" on Athena's carbon-composite upper panel. The installation incorporates thermal isolation and integration with Athena's Thermal Protection System to safeguard the system during its 239,000-mile journey and operation on the Moon. (1/13)
Neutron Star Deformations May Create Space-Time Ripples (Source: Space Daily)
Collapsed stars, known as neutron stars, possess extraordinary density - a trillion times that of lead. Despite their significance, the surface features of neutron stars remain largely uncharted. Recent investigations by nuclear theorists have drawn parallels between mountain formation mechanisms on planetary bodies in our solar system and those on neutron stars. These findings suggest that neutron stars could host immense mountains, whose gravity could induce oscillations in the space-time continuum. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) is actively searching for these subtle ripples, known as gravitational waves. (1/13)
Samples From Mars to Reveal Planet's Evolutionary Secrets (Source: Space Daily)
Mars exhibits a unique blend of geological features reminiscent of both the moon and Earth, making it a fascinating subject of study for scientists.
Current insights into the Red Planet's evolution stem largely from spacecraft observations and meteorite analysis. These meteorites, primarily found in deserts and Antarctica, were once part of Mars before being ejected into space and eventually landing on Earth. They fall into two distinct categories: shergottites and nakhlites, each offering contrasting views of Mars' geological past.
A recent study published in the *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences* highlights the potential for sample return missions to clarify these conflicting narratives. Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) emphasize the importance of analyzing samples collected directly from known locations on Mars. (1/13)
How to Get Involved in Space Research as a Student (Source: Space Daily)
The global space economy depends on the advancement in satellite technology, space tourism, and lunar exploration missions. Young researchers and students are an important part of that growth. NASA and ESA drive most of the activity, but the surge isn't limited to them. SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Rocket Lab also offer programs for young researchers. Thanks to this evolving environment, a young student's childhood dream can come true. But how do you get involved in space research? When you have access to enough information, it can actually be easy! Click here. (1/13)
Qantas Flights Delayed by Falling SpaceX Rocket Debris (Source: The Guardian)
Qantas says it has been forced to delay several of its flights to South Africa at the last minute due to warnings of falling debris from Elon Musk’s SpaceX rockets re-entering Earth. Ben Holland, the head of Qantas’s operations centre, said there was often little advance notice of where the rockets would fall over the southern Indian Ocean – the re-entry zone chosen by the space company due to its remoteness – causing the airline to delay flights on its Sydney-Johannesburg route. (1/13)
Alabama Lawmakers' Resolutions Support Space Command HQ Basing at Huntsville (Source: Rocket City Now)
Alabama lawmakers introduced bicameral resolutions Monday marking the fourth anniversary of Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville being named the preferred location for U.S. Space Command headquarters, while criticizing the Biden administration's subsequent decision to base the command in Colorado. Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL) led the House resolution alongside fellow Alabama Representatives Barry Moore, Robert Aderholt, and Gary Palmer. In the Senate, Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt introduced a companion measure. (1/13)
Trump NASA Pick Faces GOP Scrutiny Over Donations to Democrats and DEI Ties (Source: Washington Examiner)
Conservatives are sounding the alarm over how President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead NASA donated over $300,000 to Democrats while his companies promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Jared Isaacman, a billionaire astronaut and businessman, was tapped in late December of last year to be NASA’s next administrator. However, to some conservatives and GOP Senate staffers, Isaacman’s reliable backing of Democrats and DEI ties should be investigated by Republican lawmakers set to review his appointment.
“All of the incoming administration’s appointees should get the benefit of the doubt, as President Trump is the preeminent constitutionally elected officer exercising judgment about staffing,” said Ryan Williams, the president of the conservative Claremont Institute think tank. “But Mr. Isaacman’s contributions to Democratic candidates and his endorsement of DEI initiatives at his companies should rightly be front-and-center at his Senate confirmation hearing. (1/13)
SpaceX Tests Lower Satellite Orbits to Stop Starlink From Ruining Telescope Images (Source: Gizmodo)
SpaceX is working to make its satellites less of a nuisance to astronomers by testing out ways to stop Starlink from showing up in images of the cosmos. The company recently lowered the altitude of a batch of its internet satellites to mitigate their brightness as viewed from Earth. SpaceX revealed that it began operating 300 of its satellites at a lower orbital altitude as part of the company’s efforts to reduce the impact of Starlink on optical astronomy. The company claims that the new method has been a success, resulting in a nearly 60% reduction of Sun-illuminated satellites showing up in images captured by the Vera Rubin Observatory, a telescope in Chile. (1/10)
Leadership Change at Telesat (Source: SpaceQ)
Telesat Chief Technology Officer David Wendling is retiring at the end of February and the company is adding a Chief Network and Information Officer to its leadership team. Replacing Wendling as Chief Technology Officer is Michel Forest who most recently served as Vice President of LEO System Engineering at the company. (1/13)
An Icy Vent Line May Have Caused Blue Origin to Scrub Debut Launch of New Glenn (Source: Ars Technica)
With 45 minutes left in a three-hour launch window, Blue Origin scrubbed its first attempt to launch the massive New Glenn rocket early on Monday morning. Throughout the window, which opened at 1 am ET (06:00 UTC), the company continued to reset the countdown clock as launch engineers worked out technical issues with the rocket.
Officially, both on its live webcast as well as on social media following the scrub, Blue Origin was vague about the cause of the delayed launch attempt. According to Blue Origin, the primary problem was likely ice clogging one of the vent lines that carry pressurized gas away from the vehicle. Several attempts were made to melt the ice, but these efforts were not successful, necessitating the scrub. (1/13)
New Glenn to Make Another Launch Attempt Early Thursday (Source: Ars Technica)
Blue Origin announced late on Monday afternoon that it planned to make a second attempt to launch the New Glenn rocket at 1 am ET (06:00 UTC) on Tuesday. But then, a couple of hours later, the company said it would move the launch to Thursday. Although the company provided no information about why it was slipping the launch two more days, it likely involved both technical work after an initial launch scrub on Monday morning and concerns about weather early on Tuesday. (1/13)
Trump Administration Should Leverage Private Space Stations to Counter China (Source: Space News)
A commercial platform will continue to support the nation’s needs at a much lower cost than the ISS while stimulating a new generation of technologies that will revolutionize our economy and preserve the national asset that is our LEO workforce. Hard-working Americans in this microgravity industry are the lifeblood of what makes America great and will ensure the Chinese never surpass us in space technology.
NASA’s current strategy for the Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) program, while well-intentioned, lacks the urgency necessary to maintain human presence in LEO by the 2030 deadline. It’s particularly lax when it comes to the acquisition of commercial services from private space stations for the post-ISS era, and it dilutes limited resources across too many companies, threatening the viability of the entire industry. This dispersed approach is stifling the growth of the commercial space market, U.S. entrepreneurship and American innovation.
It also threatens to create a gap in LEO — a gap that will only benefit China and its ambitions to be the leader in space technology. The new administration can ensure NASA’s CLD initiative is prioritized and adequately supported. Decisive action will demonstrate to our allies and China that the U.S. will not cede this leadership, or domain, and will rally other countries to join us. (1/13)
Air Force Chief’s Parting Warning: U.S. Must Transform Space Force to Counter China (Source: Space News)
Outgoing Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall delivered a stark warning to Congress in his final weeks in office: The United States risks falling behind China in the military space race unless it fundamentally transforms its space capabilities. Kendall outlined an ambitious vision for both the Air Force and Space Force, emphasizing the need for dramatic expansion in space-based capabilities between now and 2050 to counter growing threats from China and Russia.
“We’re going to need a much bigger, much more powerful Space Force,” Kendall said, adding that the military branch needs to evolve “from the equivalent of a merchant marine to a navy.” The Space Force — currently comprising about 10,000 personnel — will need to grow substantially while investing heavily in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and modernized networks of space-based sensors. (1/13)
NOAA Sees New Applications for Commercial Weather Data (Source: Space News)
In addition to purchasing global datasets, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) plans to pay a premium for observations of oil spills or other events. For oil spills, the spot-market approach “is inevitable, but not yet practical,” Steve Volz, assistant administrator for NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service, told SpaceNews at the American Meteorological Society annual meeting here.
To date, NOAA has purchased radio occultation soundings primarily through contracts that give the government free and open access. As a result, NOAA can integrate the commercial observations with government data and share the results widely. Going forward, NOAA will continue to acquire global datasets and respond to events by purchasing data on the spot market. (1/13)
China Plans to Plant a Waving Flag on the Moon in 2026 (Source: Space.com)
Research work on building China's Chang'e 7 lunar exploration mission includes sending a flag that can flutter in the moon's thin and tenuous atmosphere. "We know that the moon is vacuum with no air, so it is difficult to make a flag flutter by wind like on Earth," said Zhang Tianzhu, deputy head of the institute of future technology at the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory. Engineers will "make the flag flutter through the interaction of electromagnetic fields." (1/13)
SpaceX Launches 21 Starlink Satellites From Cape Canaveral Monday (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
SpaceX kicked off a busy launch week that features flights from all four of its launch pads between California, Florida and Texas. Assuming no launch slips, it will launch three Falcon 9 rockets and the seventh flight test of its Starship-Super Heavy rocket. First up was the Starlink 12-4 mission, which launched from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (1/13)
X-Ray Flashes From a Nearby Supermassive Black Hole Accelerate Mysteriously (Source: MIT News)
One supermassive black hole has kept astronomers glued to their scopes for the last several years. First came a surprise disappearance, and now, a precarious spinning act. The black hole in question is 1ES 1927+654, which is about as massive as a million suns and sits in a galaxy that is 270 million light-years away. In 2018, astronomers at MIT and elsewhere observed that the black hole’s corona — a cloud of whirling, white-hot plasma — suddenly disappeared, before reassembling months later.
The brief though dramatic shut-off was a first in black hole astronomy. Members of the MIT team have now caught the same black hole exhibiting more unprecedented behavior. The astronomers have detected flashes of X-rays coming from the black hole at a steadily increasing clip. Over a period of two years, the flashes, at millihertz frequencies, increased from every 18 minutes to every seven minutes. This dramatic speed-up in X-rays has not been seen from a black hole until now. (1/13)
The New Age of Infrastructure Maintenance Using Data From Space (Source: NRCST)
The concentration of the population in cities is accelerating, and difficulties in maintaining various infrastructures are arising due to extreme weather. Extensive infrastructures like waste landfill facilities face significant challenges due to the difficulty for managers to stay on-site or access them. These maintenance issues are resulting in various problems, including environmental pollution.
To solve these issues, Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT, President Sun Kyu, Park) has developed a cost-effective and high-efficiency maintenance technology using satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. The team utilized satellite SAR data to study the impact of underground structures, including roads and subways. The research analyzed the effects of excavation, such as subsidence on the surface caused by blasting, and verified the applicability of the technology under various structural conditions in urban areas. (1/13)
Missile Export Policy Change Could Support Launch Vehicle Exports (Source: Breaking Defense)
A change in missile export policy could help companies export launch vehicles. The Biden administration released last week an update to its interpretation of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) intended to provide what it called "increased flexibility for case-by-case review" of proposed exports of such technologies. Previously, the U.S. had banned the export of launch vehicles to all but a handful of countries, even those that had signed on to the MTCR, but the new policy would allow exports to MTCR signatories. (1/14)
Bezos Says Space Industry Has Room for ‘Multiple Winners’ (Source: Bloomberg)
Amazon-founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos said the space industry has room for “multiple winners,” including his own firm Blue Origin LLC and the company it most hopes to challenge, Elon Musk’s SpaceX. “There is going to be new uses for space that’s going to drive demand for large capacity up,” Bezos said in an interview with Bloomberg on the eve of his company’s first orbital rocket launch attempt.
“SpaceX is going to be very successful. They’re going to continue to be very successful. Blue Origin is going to be successful. And there’s some company that hasn’t even been founded yet, hasn’t even been thought of yet — they’re going to be successful, too.” Speaking at the company’s rocket factory in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Bezos and Blue Origin Chief Executive Officer Dave Limp said they have high expectations that the New Glenn rocket will successfully achieve orbit. It’s slated to launch as early as Monday at 1 a.m. local time from Florida.
But if there is a failure during the flight, they plan to move on quickly. “We have more vehicles in build right here,” Bezos said, adding, “we’ll be ready to fly again in the spring.” (1/12)
FAA Public Meeting Draws Ire From Texas Residents at SpaceX Plans for Twice-Monthly Super-Heavy Launch Operations (Source: SPACErePORT)
Residents criticized the Government's apparent lax oversight of SpaceX's rapidly expanding operations at Boca Chica, saying the current approvals SpaceX enjoys were made based on what originally was a more-limited environmental assessment for fewer launches of SpaceX's much-smaller Falcon 9 rockets.
Most commenters said the massive
changes to SpaceX's original plans for Starbase (including not just more and larger launches,
but also a major rocket manufacturing operation) justify a full-blown
Environmental Impact Study (EIS), suggesting if SpaceX had originally proposed
it's current plan, an EIS would surely have been required. Complaints focused on severe damage to local wildlife habitats, public
beach closures, progressive damage to buildings from sonic booms
and launch-initiated 'earthquake' conditions far from the site, and
extensive SpaceX water use during an ongoing drought.
My own comment,
submitted in writing, focused on impacts and potential blowback from
Mexico. The US-established launch hazard zone for Starship/Super-Heavy
launch operations extends into Mexico and Mexican territorial waters.
Do the governments of Mexico or the Mexican state of Tamaulipas have
any recourse to address the hazards to its property or people? Can
Mexico halt launch operations at Boca Chica? (1/13)
No comments:
Post a Comment