November 13, 2024

Rocket Lab Wins $8 Million U.S. Air Force Contract for Engine Development (Source: Space Daily)
Space company Rocket Lab secured an $8 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance digital engineering processes for its Archimedes rocket engine, the company announced Nov. 12  Under the agreement, Rocket Lab will demonstrate digital engineering techniques for Archimedes, the rocket engine that will power Neutron, a new reusable medium-lift launch vehicle projected to launch in 2025.

Rocket Lab said the contract signals the military’s interest in Neutron as a prospective vehicle for government missions in the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. “This project supports smoother integration of Neutron to the NSSL program,” Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck said in a statement. (11/12)

Firefly Raises $175 Million (Source: Space News)
Firefly Aerospace raised $175 million in a new funding round to scale up its launch vehicle and spacecraft programs. The company announced the Series D round Tuesday led by RPM Ventures, a new investor, along with other existing and new investors. The company said the funding will support increased production of its Alpha rocket and "expand market reach" of its Elytra spacecraft. The company has increasingly positioned itself as a provider of responsive space capabilities, demonstrated last year on the Victus Nox mission for the Space Force. (11/13)

JPL Lays Off Workers (Source: Space News)
The Jet Propulsion Lab is laying off 5% of its workforce this week, the second major layoff there this year. JPL Director Laurie Leshin said in a memo Tuesday that the center, operated by Caltech for NASA, would lay off about 325 people this week, citing lower projected budgets for 2025. JPL laid off more than 500 employees in February when the center was grappling with uncertainty about the future of Mars Sample Return. Leshin said the latest layoff would bring JPL's workforce down to about 5,500 employees, a "stable, supportable staffing level moving forward." (11/13)

Sierra Space Missile-Warning Satellites Pass Design Review (Source: Space News)
Sierra Space has cleared an early design review for its missile-warning satellites. The company said Tuesday it received approval from the Space Development Agency (SDA) to proceed with further development following a successful preliminary design review of its proposed missile-warning satellites. Sierra Space won a $740 million contract earlier this year for 18 missile warning satellites for SDA's Tranche 2 Tracking Layer. One change is that Sierra Space no longer plans to use an infrared sensor payload from Geost after failing to finalize negotiations on a contract, and is instead working with a different, undisclosed supplier. (11/13)

Sony Orders Satellites for Laser Comm (Source: Space News)
Sony has ordered two satellites from Astro Digital to test laser communications. The pair of spacecraft will be based on Astro Digital's Corvus satellite platform and should be ready to launch in 2026, the companies announced Tuesday. Each satellite will carry a Lasercom optical terminal from Sony Space Communications Corporation. Sony plans to test high-data-rate optical links between the satellites and the ground as well as between each other. (11/13)

AI Could Soon Enable Autonomous Spacecraft (Source: Space News)
Advances in artificial intelligence could enable spacecraft to become truly autonomous. Industry officials see work on developing "software-defined" satellites, which can be reprogrammed after launch to incorporate changes like different beam patterns, as opening the door for bigger changes, including making changes in coverage areas autonomously to meet demand. AI could also allow satellites to operate with smaller ground control centers as the spacecraft manage their own systems. (11/13)

Trump Transition Could Disrupt NASA (Source: Space News)
The upcoming presidential transition could be particularly disruptive at NASA. Veterans of previous transitions said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is likely to have significant influence on the incoming Trump administration at NASA, scrutinizing policies and programs. That could influence international cooperation and also affect existing programs, such as SLS and Orion. Late Tuesday, Trump announced that Musk will co-chair with Vivek Ramaswamy a "Department of  Government Efficiency," an outside commission that will seek ways to cut government spending and bureaucracy. (11/13)

Industry Awaits Likely Changes with Trump Transition (Source: Space News)
The aerospace and defense industry is monitoring other likely changes with the incoming Trump administration. That includes potential increases in defense spending and rising tensions with China that could boost Space Force programs, as well as the creation of a Space National Guard. Other issues include strains on international cooperation and uncertainty about future support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. (11/13)

India to Open NavSat System for Public Use (Source: The Week)
India is planning to open up its regional satellite navigation system to the public. The Indian space agency ISRO said that it expects to open NavIC, currently used primarily by government agencies, to the general public "in the near future." NavIC currently uses seven satellites to provide navigation services in India and the surrounding region. Part of the plans to open up NavIC to public use include launching additional satellites that will broadcast signals in the L1 navigation band. (11/13)

Space Florida Identifies Infrastructure Projects to Boost Spaceport Operations (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Space Florida has identified a wish list of projects to improve space-related infrastructure in the state. At a recent Space Florida Board of Governors, officials discussed six projects that include a new bridge at Cape Canaveral, upgrades to the electrical grid at the Cape and expansion of wharf space at Port Canaveral. Space Florida estimated that the projects will require annual investment of $100 million over an unspecified period, using a combination of state, federal and private funding. (11/13)

Booker Prize for ISS Novel (Source: BBC)
A novel set on the International Space Station won one of Britain's top literary prizes Tuesday. Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize for best novel for Orbital, which follows a day in the life of a crew on the ISS. Harvey described the book as a "space pastoral - a kind of nature writing about the beauty of space." The prize includes a £50,000 award, which Harvey said she will use in part to buy a bike, "and it's going to be a good bike." (11/13)

US Space Force Seeks Industry Input for COSMOS Support (Source; Via Satellite)
The US Space Force is soliciting industry feedback as it plans the Commercial and Military Satellite Communications Operations Support program, a successor to the Wideband Satellite Communications Operations and Technical Support II contract that ends in 2027. The Space Force aims to continue support for operations, maintenance and cybersecurity across multiple sites, with Boeing and Lockheed Martin as key contractors. (11/11)

SpaceX Alums Find Traction on Earth with Their Mars-Inspired CO2-to-Fuel Tech (Source: Tech Crunch)
A trend has emerged among a small group of climate tech founders who start with their eyes fixed on space and soon realize their technology would do a lot more good here on Earth. Halen Mattison and Luke Neise fit the bill. Mattison spent time at SpaceX, while Neise worked at Vanderbilt Aerospace Design Laboratory and Varda Space Industries.

The pair originally wanted to sell reactors to SpaceX that could turn carbon dioxide into methane for use on Mars. Today they’re building them to replace natural gas that’s pumped from underground. Their company, General Galactic, which emerged from stealth in April, has built a pilot system that can produce 2,000 liters of methane per day. Neise, General Galactic’s CTO, told TechCrunch that he expects that figure to rise as the company replaces off-the-shelf components with versions designed in-house. (11/11)

Texas Cancels Water Permit Hearing for Musk’s SpaceX Launch Site (Source: Politico)
Texas regulators canceled a public hearing this week on a pending wastewater permit for SpaceX’s Starbase launch site, which has sparked controversy over alleged harms to wetlands and the fragile ecosystem nearby. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is considering a request from SpaceX to discharge treated wastewater into Texas’ South Bay, the southernmost bay in the state, from its launch site in Cameron County.

The company released tens of thousands of gallons wastewater, known as “deluge” water, during several rocket launches in 2023 and 2024 without proper authorization, polluting surrounding wetlands, according to an EPA order from this year. The company agreed to pay a civil penalty of $148,378 and applied for the permit under the Clean Water Act in July. The commission did not give a reason for canceling the meeting but said in a notice Friday that it would be rescheduled “for a later date.” It comes as Musk has emerged as an influential figure in President-elect Donald Trump’s orbit. (11/11)

Japan and U.N. Lead Workshop on Space Law in the Philippines (Source: Politiko)
A technical advisory workshop aimed at enhancing the Philippines’ burgeoning space sector was held in Manila last week as part of a United Nations initiative to support emerging space actors. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), in collaboration witb the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) and the Government of Japan, hosted a three-day technical workshop as part of the “Space Law for New Space Actors” project.

The event brought together legal experts, diplomats, and space agency officials to explore critical frameworks and policies essential for managing the Philippines’ emerging space sector. (11/12)

Ispace Signs Lunar Exploration R&D Agreement With Thai Space Agency (Source: Aviation Week)
Ispace has signed a research and development agreement with Thailand’s national space agency and mu Space and Advanced Technology, a Thai satellite manufacturer, to study a potential lunar exploration program. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) is part of Thailand’s national space policy initiative. (11/11)

India to Establish a Lunar Space Station by 2040, Dedicated to Moon Missions (Source: India Today)
In a bold move that solidifies India's commitment to space exploration, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is planning to develop a lunar space station by 2040. This ambitious project is part of the third phase of India's comprehensive crewed lunar mission roadmap, marking a significant leap forward in the nation's space capabilities. The lunar space station initiative comes on the heels of India's successful Chandrayaan-3 mission, which saw the country become the fourth to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. (11/11)

Canadian Lunar Rover and Utility Vehicle on Display (Source: SpaceQ)
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) recently invited media for an early evening viewing of the Canadensys Aerospace lunar rover at the John H. Chapman Space Centre analog site. The Canadensys developed lunar over mission to the moon is planned no earlier than 2026. The lunar rover will be delivered to the south pole of the moon. It is designed to survive lunar nights that can last up to 14 Earth days with temperatures reaching below -200 °C. (11/11)

Expending the Expendables: More Launch Companies are Betting Their Future on Reusability (Source: Space News)
At recent conferences from Milan to Mountain View, leaders of space agencies and companies have made it clear that the future of space access won’t rely on expendable launch vehicles but on those that are at least partially reusable. “I think all of you realize that reusability is mandatory for launchers,” said S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian space agency ISRO, during a head-of-agencies plenary, held the day after the latest Starship flight. He explained that the push for reusability is driven by the need to lower launch costs. “Access to space has to be affordable for us to expand the space program.”

“If you don’t have a reusable launch vehicle, I don’t think you have a future as a launch company,” said Adam Spice, chief financial officer of Rocket Lab, speaking on a panel with other launch executives. “Expendable rockets really don’t have a path.” Rocket Lab has experimented with reusability on its Electron rocket, recovering stages and testing them. While it has yet to refly a full Electron booster, it did reuse an engine. Reusability, however, is central to the company’s larger Neutron rocket, with a first launch projected in 2025.

Others are following similar paths, developing reusable first stages like the Falcon 9. Among them is Blue Origin, with its much larger New Glenn rocket, slated for an inaugural launch by year’s end. The company aims to land the first stage on a ship in the ocean on the first try. (11/11)

What a 2nd Trump Administration Could Mean for NASA and Space Exploration (Source: Space.com)
President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House next January will likely bring big changes to NASA's Artemis program and a renewed sense of urgency to land a crew on the moon, in part to keep up with China's ambitions for a moon landing by 2030. Space policy experts said they also expect Elon Musk, Trump's wealthiest supporter, to soon enjoy a far friendlier regulatory environment that would benefit his six companies, including SpaceX and its Starlink satellite network.

Among other benefits, such a move could position Musk to more directly weigh in on regulatory issues regarding Starship, a transformative reusable rocket that's being developed by SpaceX to transport people and cargo to the moon and Mars. Musk has repeatedly expressed frustration with the regulatory environment that SpaceX and other launch providers must navigate, including that Starship's most recent test flight was grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for weeks for what the rocket company called a "superfluous environmental analysis."

"It's not unreasonable to think that there could be either money or regulatory regime lifted to benefit the pace of Starship development," Casey Dreier, who is the chief of space policy at The Planetary Society, told Space.com. The extent to which regulations surrounding Starship are relaxed as well as the direction of the U.S. space policy will ultimately depend upon "where Elon Musk will fall in terms of his influence within the Trump White House — it's hard to extrapolate that." (11/11)

China Makes Strides in Satellite Internet with Breakthroughs in Reusable Rockets (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese private rocket company LandSpace is showing that the sky is no limit in rocket research and development, as it is playing a pivotal role in advancing China's satellite internet constellation, a key component in the global space-based internet race. China launched the first 18 satellites of the Spacesail Constellation in August from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Shanxi Province, north China; a milestone in the country's efforts to build a global satellite internet network.

As China forges ahead with its ambitious constellation plans, achieving low-cost, high-frequency and high-capacity launch capabilities, along with breakthroughs in satellite communication payload technology, will be crucial to advancing its satellite internet infrastructure. LandSpace's Zhuque-2 and Zhuque-3 reusable rockets are set to boast a combined annual launch capacity of 244 tonnes by 2026, significantly supporting China's satellite internet development. (11/12)

November 12, 2024

Double-Header Launch Day: SpaceX Sends Up 2 Rockets From Space Coast on Monday (Source: WESH)
After scrubbing the launch of a Starlink mission on Sunday because of unfavorable weather conditions, the Space Coast saw a busy Monday with back-to-back launches. Both Sunday's postponed Starlink mission and SpaceX's Koreasat-6A mission took off from Brevard County on Monday afternoon — one a little after noon and the other at 4:28 p.m. (11/11)

Scientists Spot New Fast Radio Burst in Dead Galaxy (Source: Extreme Tech)
The researchers believe it is unlikely FRB 20240209A originates from a magnetar created in a typical core-collapse supernova. The FRB itself is offset 130,000 light-years from the center of the galaxy, which is the largest offset of any known FRB. That, along with its age, could point to an alternative formation mechanism, like a white dwarf that accumulated material from a companion star and collapsed into a neutron star. (11/11)

Sidus Space Selected to Exclusively Build Lonestar Data Holdings Lunar Data Storage Spacecraft Fleet (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space has been selected to design and build the first generation of Data Storage Spacecraft for Lonestar, a provider of premium data storage and Resiliency As A Service (RAAS). This award selects Sidus as Lonestar’s exclusive satellite manufacturing partner for six data storage spacecraft that will orbit the Moon, offering advanced data storage and disaster recovery capabilities for mission-critical information. (11/12)

Lockheed Martin's Next-Gen GPS Satellites are Behind Schedule (Source: Bloomberg)
The first set of new GPS satellites is running nearly a year behind schedule because of production problems. The Space Force says "technical and programmatic challenges" by prime contractor Lockheed Martin have delayed work on the first set of 10 GPS 3F satellites by 8 to 11 months. The GPS 3F satellites feature new capabilities that include resistance to jamming and cyberattacks as well as increased accuracy. Lockheed said it "proactively recognized our challenges" last fall and has been working with Space Systems Command on a production plan to overcome those challenges. (11/12)

China Considers Greater Support for Commercial Space Sector (Source: Space News)
China is looking to provide greater support for its commercial space sector. In a speech Monday at the Zhuhai Commercial Space Development Forum, Li Guoping, chief engineer of the China National Space Administration, discussed potential changes to bolster Chinese space companies. That includes opening large-scale facilities funded by the government to commercial space enterprises and encouraging state-owned enterprises to support commercial space companies within their supply chains. Licensing reforms and the removal of restrictions on the production of satellites weighing more than 500 kilograms are also being considered. (11/12)

Roman Telescope Arrives at Goddard for Integration, Testing (Source: Space News)
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope achieved a milestone last week in its development. The telescope assembly for the spacecraft arrived at the Goddard Space Flight Center after testing by contractor L3Harris, joining the spacecraft bus and instruments for the first time. The delivery keeps work on the multibillion-dollar mission on budget and on schedule for launch by May 2027. (11/12)

SPEREx Spacecraft Needs Repair Before April Launch (Source: Space News)
Another NASA astrophysics mission is still on schedule for launch next year after resolving a problem with a spacecraft component. The SPHEREx mission ran into problems with its reaction wheels this summer that required removing the wheels from the spacecraft and shipping them to their German manufacturer for rework. Those repairs have been completed and the reaction wheels are back on SPHEREx, with the repairs funded by project reserves. The spacecraft, formally known as Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer, is scheduled to launch next April to map the sky at near-infrared wavelengths. (11/12)

Millennium Completes TRACERS Spacecraft for 2025 Launch (Source: Space News)
Millennium Space Systems has completed work on two spacecraft for a NASA space science mission. The company said it has finished the twin Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) spacecraft, slated for launch next year. The TRACERS spacecraft will study the solar wind's interaction with the Earth's magnetosphere. (11/12)

Whitesides Elected to Congress in California (Source: AP)
Former Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides has won a seat in Congress. Whitesides, a Democrat, defeated incumbent Rep. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.) in a district north of Los Angeles, with Garcia formally conceding Monday night even though media outlets like the Associated Press have yet to call the race. Whitesides was CEO of Virgin Galactic for a decade before stepping aside in 2020 for current CEO Michael Colglazier. He was previously chief of staff at NASA early in the Obama administration and executive director of the National Space Society. (11/12)

Voyager 2 Uranus Flyby Timing May Have Skewed Science Findings (Source: Washington Post)
NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft may have visited the planet Uranus at the wrong time. The spacecraft flew by Uranus in January 1986, the only spacecraft to date to approach the planet, and found that the planet's magnetosphere was devoid of plasma, unlike those of Jupiter and Saturn. A new study published Monday found that Voyager 2 flew by Uranus during an intense solar storm that would have stripped the planet's magnetopshere of any plasma. Such conditions are rare, and had the spacecraft arrived just a week earlier would have seen a very different magnetosphere. (11/12)

Longest-Serving Satellite OSCAR-7 Marks 50 Years in Orbit (Source: Space Daily)
Launched on November 15, 1974, OSCAR-7, a microsatellite, continues its mission 50 years after its launch, serving as a vital asset for amateur radio operators globally. It holds the title of the oldest operational satellite, predating the launch of NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 by three years.
OSCAR-7 belongs to a series of amateur radio satellites known as OSCARs (Orbital Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio), built by volunteers from the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). (11/12)

SpaceX Signs Battery Deal with South Korea-Based LG Energy Solution to Power Starship (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceX has reportedly struck a deal with LG Energy Solution Ltd. to supply cylindrical lithium-ion batteries for Elon Musk's Starship rocket, expected to launch early next year, according to industry sources. LG Energy, which is based in South Korea, currently supplies batteries to electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, also owned by Musk. This would be the first long-term battery purchase for SpaceX from a third party. While LG Energy has supplied batteries in one-time deals for SpaceX, the spacecraft manufacturer has relied on self-made batteries.

NASA used LG Energy's lithium-ion batteries for its space exploration suits in 2016 and in 2023. Next year, LG Energy will supply batteries for NASA's lunar electric rover. For SpaceX, the Korean battery-maker will develop batteries for the power supply units and energy storage systems of SpaceX's Starship launch vehicle, which is the world's first reusable rocket. (11/12)

ispace, GISTDA, and mu Space Partner for Thai Lunar Exploration Initiative (Source: Space Daily)
ispace has entered a collaborative agreement with Thailand's national space agency, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), and mu Space and Advanced Technology Co., a Thai satellite and communications firm. This agreement is aimed at evaluating the feasibility of a lunar mission as part of Thailand's "National Space Experiment and Exploration" initiative. This national program outlines the Thai government's approach to space exploration projects. By signing this memorandum of understanding (MoU), the three entities commit to joint research, development, human resource training, and technological knowledge exchange to support a prospective lunar mission. (11/12)

China's CAS Space Achieves Milestone with 15-satellite Launch, Including Oman's First (Source: Space Daily)
Beijing-headquartered CAS Space, an affiliate of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, successfully launched 15 satellites on Monday, including Oman's first satellite, marking a significant achievement for China's commercial space sector in international partnerships.

The Kinetica 1-Y5 rocket took off at 12:03 pm from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, according to CAS Space. This mission represents the fifth launch in the Kinetica 1 series, which began in July 2022. The rocket, 30 meters in height and weighing 135 metric tons, has a maximum payload capacity of 1.5 tons to sun-synchronous orbit approximately 500 kilometers above the Earth.

The notable inclusion in this launch was the IRSS-1 satellite, produced by the China Academy of Space Technology, part of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, for Oman Lens, a company pioneering space technology in Oman. (11/12)

China Achieves Full Real-Time Satellite Data Reception Nationwide (Source: Space Daily)
China now has real-time satellite data reception covering its entire national territory and 70 percent of Asia's land area, following the completion of a high-altitude ground station in Yulong Naxi autonomous county, Lijiang, operational since September. "In other words, when a satellite passes over China, the data it collects is received by the ground station and transmitted in real-time to the Beijing headquarters for distribution to relevant units or research departments, enabling them to access the data promptly," explained Tang Mengyue.

The milestone follows the establishment of China's first ground station in Miyun district, Beijing, in 1986. The network now includes stations in Kashgar (Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region), Sanya (Hainan province), Lijiang (Yunnan province), and Mohe (Heilongjiang province), strategically positioned to cover all key directions. (11/12)

November 11, 2024

Two Ohio Companies Named to $2.5 Billion Space Contract (Source: Dayton Daily News)
Contractors from Beavercreek and Fairborn were named to a lucrative contract from the Space Systems Command in Los Angeles. BTAS Inc., of Beavercreek, and Solutions Through Innovative Technologies, of Fairborn, were among 12 companies awarded a $2.5 billion multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the command’s “Hemisphere” program. (11/11)

Elon Musk Has Squashed Jeff Bezos’ Space Dreams for 20 Years (Source: Daily Beast)
“Every day SpaceX is accelerating further away from Blue Origin,” said Eric Berger, a long-time chronicler of the new space race between Musk and Bezos, and the author of Reentry. “They’re still trying to do things SpaceX did in 2010.” The Musk-Bezos rivalry is one of the longest running in tech. It has been pockmarked with potshots. Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000. Musk followed with SpaceX in 2002.

The pair met in 2004 for a dinner Musk later recalled in withering terms. “We talked about rocket architectures,” he told Washington Post journalist Christian Davenport. Musk thought Bezos was pursuing “the wrong evolutionary path,” he recalled. “I actually did my best to give good advice, which he largely ignored.” “I asked Elon if he thought Bezos was a good engineer a few years ago,” Berger added. “He said no.” (11/11)

Why Has ISRO Delayed Gaganyaan Astronaut Mission To 2026? (Source: Mashable)
India's plan to launch its astronauts to space has been delayed by a year. The timeline for Gaganyaan has been pushed to 2026 as ISRO is working on ensuring that the trips to space are completely safe. During a recent event in New Delhi, ISRO Chairman Dr. S Somanath revealed what the mission team has in mind and what is causing the delay. Chairman Somanath said that the delay is owing to the extreme caution that ISRO is taking to ensure the safety of astronauts. He also said that there are complex systems that need to be developed without any flaws to ensure a safe trip. (11/11)

Economic Ministry Denies SpaceX has Asked Taiwanese Suppliers to Relocate (Source: RTI)
The Economic Ministry released a statement on Monday regarding reports that an unidentified source for news platforms such as Reuters claimed SpaceX has asked its Taiwanese suppliers to relocate production facilities off the island due to geopolitical tensions. After promptly contacting relevant Taiwanese suppliers, the ministry confirmed that no such relocation requests were made by SpaceX. The ministry advised the public against overinterpreting or embellishing unverified reports, emphasizing the importance of sourcing accurate information. (11/11)

Colorado Rep-Elect Promises to ‘Resist Any Attempt’ to Move Space Command to Alabama (Source: AL.com)
A newly elected member of Congress has promised to “resist any attempt” to move U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs to Huntsville following former president Donald J. Trump’s election. “Obviously, I believe that if it’s down to military value, (then) Colorado is the place for it to be,” said U.S. Rep.-elect Jeff Crank, R-Colo., in a report by The Denver Post. (11/10)

Proba-3 to Continuously Monitor Sun's Energy Output (Source: Space Daily)
Proba-3's ambitious mission requires more than one spacecraft to achieve its objectives. To enable the Coronagraph spacecraft to study the Sun's outer atmosphere, the Occulter spacecraft must block the solar disk. This setup places the Occulter in continuous solar alignment, making it an invaluable scientific platform. The Occulter is equipped with the Davos Absolute Radiometer (DARA), a compact instrument developed by the Physical Meteorological Observatory Davos (PMOD) in Switzerland, designed to consistently measure the Sun's total energy output, or total solar irradiance. This variable is crucial for climate research. (11/9)

A Step Forward in Space Export Control Reform (Source: Space Review)
In October, the US Commerce and State Departments published revisions to space export controls, the first major changes in a decade. Jeff Foust reports on the changes and the path ahead. Click here. (11/11)
 
The New Space Race Must Be Run Together (Source: Space Review)
There is a growing sense of competition in spaceflight between the United States and its allies on one side and China on another. Aline Spyrka argues that the US needs to take the lead in creating peaceful precedents for space activities to prevent any race from becoming dangerous. Click here. (11/11)
 
Repurposing Nuclear Reactors Used in Space Propulsion for High-Density Power on the Moon and Mars (Source: Space Review)
NASA and others are exploring the use of nuclear power to provide propulsion, as well as for surface operations. Ajay Kothari discusses how a single system could be able to serve both applications. Click here. (11/11)

Ariane 6 Launch Slips to February (Source: Space News)
The next Ariane 6 launch has slipped to early next year. Arianespace announced Friday that the launch, previously planned for December, is now scheduled for no earlier than mid-February. The company gave no specific reason for the delay but noted the core and upper stages of the rocket have yet to be shipped from Europe to the French Guiana launch site, and that it was working on final preparations to launch facilities at the spaceport. The launch will be the second for the Ariane 6, after a mostly successful inaugural launch in July, and the first operational mission for the rocket, carrying a reconnaissance satellite for the French military. (11/11)

China Launches Radar Imaging Satellites (Source: Space News)
China launched four commercial radar imaging satellites late Friday. A Long March 2C rocket lifted off at 10:39 p.m. Eastern from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and placed into orbit four PIESAT-2 (Hongtu-2) satellites. The satellites are owned by Zhuzhou Space Interstellar Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. and are described as being mainly used for high-resolution SAR imaging. The company, which launched four PIESAT-1 satellites last year, expects to have a 16-satellite constellation in orbit by March. (11/11)

China Launches 15 Satellites on Lijian-1 Rocket (Source: Space News)
Another Chinese launch placed 15 satellites into orbit Sunday night. The Lijian-1 rocket lifted off from Jiuquan. The rocket's payload included three Shiyan-26 satellites, six Yunyao-1 radio occultation satellites and two Jilin-1 imaging satellites, among others, as well as one Chinese-built satellite for Oman. (11/11)

UK's Skynet 1A's Odd Location (Source: BBC)
Britain's oldest satellite is not where it's supposed to be. The Skynet 1A satellite was launched in 1969 and placed into GEO over Africa to relay communications for the British military. When it stopped working several years later, it was thought it might drift to a "gravity well" in GEO over India. However, the spacecraft is instead halfway around the GEO belt over the Americas. It's unclear how Skynet 1A ended up there, but observers speculate that the spacecraft, built and launched by the United States for the U.K., might have been taken over by the U.S. at the end of its mission and moved there, for reasons still unclear. (11/11)

Logos Space Plans 1000 Satellite Constellation (Source: Space News)
A startup led by a former Google executive is planning its own megaconstellation. Logos Space says it has early financial commitments needed to deploy 1,000 satellites for global broadband coverage. The company, which emerged from stealth at the end of October, has the backing of Thomas Tull's U.S. Innovative Technology (USIT) fund but has not disclosed how much it has raised. Milo Medin, founder of Logos Space and a former vice president of access services at Google, said the company will focus on engineering and operations, relying on partnerships with others for distribution of broadband services. The company is targeting 2027 for its first launches, pending an FCC license for the constellation. (11/11)

Maxar Sells Unit to ARKA Group (Source: Space News)
Maxar Intelligence has divested a small part of its business focused on supporting classified U.S. government sensor programs. Maxar sold its Radar and Sensor Technology unit to ARKA Group, a government contractor based in Danbury, Connecticut, for an undisclosed sum. ARKA has deep expertise supporting U.S. government-led synthetic aperture radar (SAR) programs. Maxar said it is not exiting the SAR business with this sale, noting its partnership with SAR satellite imagery company Umbra. (11/11)

NASA Extends ISS Cargo Contracts (Source: Space News)
NASA is extending cargo contracts with three companies for the remaining projected life of the International Space Station. In procurement filings Friday, NASA said it is extending its Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) 2 contracts with Northrop Grumman, Sierra Space and SpaceX, which had been set to expire at the end of 2026, through 2030. NASA extended the contracts after concluding there were no other companies available to provide such services. NASA awarded the CRS-2 contracts in 2016 and has spent a little less than half of the $14 billion ceiling on them, and the agency said it does not expect to need to increase that ceiling with the extension. (11/11)

Fugro Supports Debut of Lunar Terrain Vehicle Prototype (Source: Space Daily)
Earlier this year, Fugro Australia's Space Automation, AI, and Robotics Control Complex (SpAARC) entered into a partnership with U.S. space exploration company Intuitive Machines to aid their phase 1 feasibility contract with NASA for a Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV). On Friday, JSC's Space Centre Houston, hosted the unveiling of the first prototype, named Moon RACER.

Fugro, known for its expertise in advanced robotics in challenging environments, is contributing to the LTV's development as part of NASA's Artemis program. This initiative focuses on lunar exploration for scientific advancement, technological progress, and the preparation for future human missions to Mars. Fugro's involvement includes designing software architecture, developing mission planning tools, and handling mission operations. The SpAARC facility is set to act as a Mission Control hub in the Southern Hemisphere. (11/9)

GMV Completes FASTNAV Project Advancing Lunar Rover Capabilities (Source: Space Daily)
GMV, a multinational technology company, has concluded the FASTNAV (Multi-range Navigation for Fast Moon Rovers) project, showcasing a navigation system that enables rovers to reach speeds of 1 m/s-unprecedented for autonomous vehicles on planetary surfaces. Funded by ESA under its General Support Technology Program (GSTP) and supported by the UK Space Agency (UKSA), this development marks a significant milestone for future lunar exploration.

Amidst renewed global interest in lunar exploration, equipping rovers and other vehicles with technology capable of handling challenging terrains at higher speeds has become essential. The ability for a rover to traverse distances exceeding 20 km within a single lunar day (about 14 Earth days) is considered vital. FASTNAV has achieved this through a continuous driving paradigm, allowing for constant movement without the need for frequent stops, thereby increasing the average speed from the standard 0.13 m/s to 1 m/s. (11/9)

November 10, 2024

SpaceX Aims for Sunday-Monday-Tuesday Rocket Launch Tripleheader From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Florida Today)
Three SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch windows are scheduled to open back-to-back-to-back on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday from Florida's Space Coast, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory indicates. SpaceX has yet to officially announce this trio of missions — which would become the unparalleled 77th, 78th and 79th orbital rocket launches during a single calendar year from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center. (11/8)

A 30-Megawatt Space Solar Power Plant Is Scheduled For 2030 (Source: Clean Technica)
It wasn’t supposed to happen this fast, but here we are. The field of space solar power has leaped from the pages of science fiction to march right through the status of technological feasibility and enter the realm of economic attractiveness, with the aim of beaming many gigawatts’ worth of zero emission electricity to Earth on a 24/7 basis, regardless of the weather.

The aptly named firm Space Solar is among the stakeholders racing to stake out a spot for their orbiting solar power plants. “Space Solar has developed a cutting-edge solar power system that will orbit Earth, harnessing solar energy and transmitting it wirelessly via safe high frequency radio waves to ground-based stations,” the company explains. (11/9)

European Space Agency and Arianespace at a Crossroads (Source: NSF)
The European Space Agency (ESA) faces a crossroads as it works to prepare flights of the Vega-C and Ariane 6 as early as this December. While technicians in Europe and French Guiana are preparing these rockets and their payloads for flight, ESA and Arianespace are grappling with major changes in the space launch industry over the last decade.

The multinational agency was created in 1975 by France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other European countries who realized that they could not explore space by themselves on the scale of the United States and the Soviet Union. Over the decades, ESA has grown into an agency counting 22 nations as members and others as associate or cooperating states, and has achieved many notable successes and firsts. (11/9)

Groundbreaking Moon Dust Collection Tech Brings Us Closer to Lunar Resource Mining (Source: SciTech Daily)
A new simulation technology developed by the University of Bristol enables effective remote control of lunar robots for moon dust collection, supporting astronaut training and potentially reducing the cost and complexity of lunar missions. Teleoperated robots for collecting moon dust are one step closer to reality, thanks to new research from scientists at the University of Bristol.

The scientists successfully completed a sample collection task by controlling a virtual simulation, which then sent commands to a physical robot to replicate the simulation’s actions. Remarkably, they accomplished this while only monitoring the simulation, without needing physical camera streams. This system, detailed in a new paper presented at the IROS 2024 (IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems), could be especially beneficial for delayed teleoperation on the Moon. (11/9)

Israel soars with senior position in the International Astronautical Federation (Source: YNet News)
Dr. Shimrit Maman, a senior researcher at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, has recently been appointed to a senior position at the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). During the federation’s annual international conference held this month in Milan, Italy, Dr. Maman was selected as Vice Chair of the Earth Observation Committee. (11/8)

UAH Awarded $150,000 NASA FINESST Grant to Research 3D-Printed Lunar Concrete (Source: UAH)
Ledia Shehu, a doctoral student at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), has been selected to receive a NASA Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) grant for her proposal, “Physics-Based Multiscale Constitutive Model for ISRU-Based 3D-Printed Lunar Concrete.” The project seeks to develop a multiscale model for 3D-printed concrete using lunar materials by simulating lunar conditions. The project is set to begin on Dec. 1, 2024, and will run for three years. (11/6)

UP Aerospace and Los Alamos National Laboratory Complete Suborbital Research Mission at Spaceport America (Source: Spaceport America)
For the second time this year, longtime Spaceport America tenant UP Aerospace launched a successful suborbital research mission from the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport. The launch of UP Aerospace’s SpaceLoft-20 rocket Friday (Nov. 8) morning signified the success of a payload and research mission the Colorado-based aerospace company completed for Los Alamos National Laboratory. (11/8)

SpaceX Launches 20 Starlink Satellites From California (Source: UPI)
SpaceX launched 20 Starlink satellites into orbit late Friday from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The first-stage booster landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship positioned in the Pacific Ocean after making its 11th flight. (11/9)

Israel to Mars: Investments, Innovators, Alliances (Source: Times of Israel)
Israel’s involvement in Mars exploration and colonization is influenced by strategic alliances, technological capabilities, and ongoing involvement in space initiatives, particularly through NASA’s Artemis program. In January 2022, Israel joined the program to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustainable presence there.

Israel’s aerospace industry, known for advanced satellite technology and unmanned aerial vehicles, can be leveraged in Mars exploration, particularly in developing autonomous systems and robotics. Israel’s future role in Mars colonization could involve contributing to scientific research and technology development, building partnerships with other nations, and aligning with larger blocs or coalitions. (11/10)

$200 Million Texas Space Center Will Support Moon, Mars Exploration (Source: Newsweek)
Amajor Texas university is set to receive a "one-of-a-kind" research facility to assist in missions to the moon and Mars. On Thursday, Texas A&M University's board of regents approved $200 million for the university system to construct the University Space Institute. This building will be constructed on 32 acres at the entrance to the Johnson Space Center in Houston and will include landscapes that mimic the surfaces of the moon and Mars. Each landscape is set to be the size of Texas' Kyle Field college football stadium, which is the fourth-largest in the U.S. (11/9)

I’m With Olivia Rodrigo: a Man Who Dreams of Space Travel is a Major Red Flag (Source:  Independent)
There is finally something concrete that those wanting to explore the cosmos can cling on to: Olivia Rodrigo will never date you. The ‘Vampire’ singer recently revealed she doesn’t date men who want to fly to outer space. With stargazing billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos setting a low bar for romance, Olivia Petter explains why this will now be first thing she asks her next date. (11/9)

New Microsatellite to Deliver Maritime Surveillance Services to Norway (Source: Konsberg)
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the realization of one satellite for the precursors mission of the Arctic Ocean Surveillance (AOS) project that will deliver space-based maritime surveillance services for the Norwegian Government. (11/7)

Fire Department Makes Equipment Donation to Spaceport America (Source: KTSM)
The Sunland Park Fire Department made a donation of equipment that is designed to help provide increased fire prevention in Southern New Mexico. Sunland Park Fire said it donated eight self-contained breathing apparatus on Friday Nov. 8 to the Spaceport America Fire Department. Sunland Park Fire said it received a state grant of $300,000 for the new SCBA’s. The state fire marshal approved the donation of equipment since they are also an firefighting agency in New Mexico. (11/9)

Portuguese Island to be Landing Site of Inaugural Space Rider Flight (Source: ESA)
The Portuguese Space Agency announced 8 November that the island of Santa Maria has been chosen as the landing site for the inaugural flight of Space Rider. Space Rider is an eight-meter reusable orbital vehicle designed to serve as a robotic laboratory in orbit, enabling scientific research and technology demonstrations. The vehicle is capable of remaining in orbit for two months at a time before returning its cargo back to Earth. The inaugural flight of Space Rider is expected to be launched in 2027 aboard a Vega C rocket equipped with its new P160 first stage. (11/9)

NASA Engages Commercial Food Industry in Advancing Space Nutrition (Source: Space Daily)
NASA recently hosted over 50 companies from the commercial food and space sectors to explore innovations in space food systems that support human spaceflight. The gathering at Johnson Space Center in Houston focused on the unique challenges of space nutrition, from designing menus to ensuring food safety, all vital for sustainable human presence in space. This event brought together leaders from private industry, NASA astronauts, and NASA's space food specialists to discuss solutions for feeding both governmental and private astronauts on future commercial space platforms. (11/8)

Get Involved with NASA Research Opportunities (Source: Space Daily)
NASA is opening doors for individuals interested in contributing to its scientific research and space missions. From students and educators to citizen scientists, numerous opportunities are available to those eager to participate in NASA's work and make a difference in fields like climate science, human health research, and space exploration.

For science enthusiasts, NASA's citizen science initiatives allow global participation. Programs like GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) enable participants to gather and analyze environmental data, directly contributing to research efforts from any location. For innovative thinkers, NASA welcomes proposals on topics like human health research on the planned Gateway lunar station. Additionally, the Prizes, Challenges, and Crowdsourcing program invites the public to solve critical issues in space exploration. (11/8)

Off-the-Shelf Thermoelectric Generators Could Enable CO2 Conversion on Mars (Source: Space Daily)
Readily accessible thermoelectric generators (TEGs), operating with modest temperature differences, can drive CO2 conversion, according to new proof-of-concept research by chemists at the University of British Columbia (UBC). This development suggests that temperature differentials across a variety of environments - from geothermal sites on Earth to Mars's cold terrain - could support the conversion of CO2 into useful fuels and chemicals. (11/8)

China Launches Alliance for Aerospace and Satellite Internet (Source: Space Daily)
China has officially inaugurated the Aerospace Information and Satellite Internet Innovation Alliance in Xiong'an New Area, Hebei Province, marking a major step to enhance its aerospace information technology and satellite internet sectors. This alliance aims to unify efforts from state-owned companies, academic institutions, private businesses, and research centers to drive technological innovation and foster global partnerships.

The alliance is spearheaded by major state-owned enterprises, notably the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC). By aligning telecommunications firms, prestigious universities, specialized research bodies, and private companies, the initiative seeks to advance satellite internet services, aerospace data solutions, and interconnected communication networks, creating a robust innovation ecosystem. (11/8)

Horizon Technology Finance Approves $10M Loan for Ursa Space Systems Expansion (Source: Space Daily)
Horizon Technology Finance Corp. has extended a $10 million venture loan facility to Ursa Space Systems to support the satellite intelligence company's growth and operational funding needs. Specializing in advanced satellite intelligence, Ursa Space serves a diverse client base of government and commercial entities. The company's cutting-edge platform integrates Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Electro-Optical, and Radio Frequency data with AI-driven processing to provide immediate and automated change detection capabilities. (11/8)

November 9, 2024

NASA Astronauts on Readjusting to Life on Earth: ‘It’s Hard to Sit’ (Source: CNN)
Three of the astronauts who were unexpectedly hospitalized after returning from the International Space Station in late October discussed the SpaceX Crew-8 mission during a NASA news conference on Friday. The trio revealed some anecdotes about the trials of readjusting to life on Earth after spending more than 230 days in space.

The astronauts remained tight-lipped about the nature of the medical issue that had left an as-yet-undisclosed crew member hospitalized overnight. But they did discuss some of the symptoms they have experienced during the readjustment to life under the effects of gravity. “I’m a first-time flyer, and fascinated by the readaptation,” said NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, who served as mission commander. “The big things you expect — being disoriented, being dizzy. But the little things like just sitting in a hard chair … My backside has not really sat in a hard thing for (235) days.” (11/8)

Blue Origin Prepares for Milestone Test for New Rocket (Source: WFTV)
WFTV looks at preparations now underway for the upcoming New Glenn launch by Blue Origin at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Click here. (11/9)

ESA Breaks its Silence on Themis (Source: Ars Technica)
The European Space Agency has provided a rare update on the progress of its Themis reusable booster demonstrator project, European Spaceflight reports. ESA is developing the Themis test vehicle for atmospheric flights to fine-tune technologies for a future European reusable rocket capable of vertical takeoffs and vertical landings. Themis started out as a project led by CNES, the French space agency, in 2018. ESA member states signed up to help fund the project in 2019, and the agency awarded ArianeGroup a contract to move forward with Themis in 2020. At the time, the first low-altitude hop test was expected to take place in 2022.

Some slow progress ... Now, the first low-altitude hop is scheduled for 2025 from Esrange Space Centre in Sweden, a three-year delay. This week, ESA said engineers have completed testing of the Themis vehicle's main systems, and assembly of the demonstrator is underway in France. A single methane-fueled Prometheus engine, also developed by ArianeGroup, has been installed on the rocket.

Teams are currently adding avionics, computers, electrical systems, and cable harnesses. Themis' stainless steel propellant tanks have been manufactured, tested, and cleaned and are now ready to be installed on the Themis demonstrator. Then, the rocket will travel by road from France to the test site in Sweden for its initial low-altitude hops. After those flights are complete, officials plan to add two more Prometheus engines to the rocket and ship it to French Guiana for high-altitude test flights. (11/8)

SpaceX Decommissions Tripod Test Stand at McGregor TX (Source: Ars Technica)
The large three-legged vertical test stand at SpaceX's engine test site in McGregor, Texas, is being decommissioned, NASA Spaceflight reports. Cranes have started removing propellant tanks from the test stand, nicknamed the tripod, towering above the Central Texas prairie. McGregor is home to SpaceX's propulsion test team and has 16 test cells to support firings of Merlin, Raptor, and Draco engines multiple times per day for the Falcon 9 rocket, Starship, and Dragon spacecraft.

Some history … The tripod might have been one of SpaceX's most important assets in the company's early years. It was built by Beal Aerospace for liquid-fueled rocket engine tests in the late 1990s. Beal Aerospace folded, and SpaceX took over the site in 2003. (11/8)

SpaceX Reports 270K+ Mobile Phones Connected to Starlink Cellular (Source: Teslarati)
SpaceX recently reported that 270,000 mobile phones connected to Starlink Direct-to-Cellular on the first day service was available in states impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. SpaceX recently replied to ISED (Innovation, Science, and Economic Development) Canada’s consultation inquiry. Canada is researching the potential benefits or drawbacks of supplemental mobile coverage by satellite (SMCS). SpaceX replied to Canada ISED’s inquiries about SMCS by providing evidence from Starlink Direct-to-Cellular’s (aka Starlink Cellular) temporary emergency authorization during Hurricanes Helene and Milton. (11/6)

SpaceX Announces Starship Flight 6 Launch and Landing Catch Date, FAA Approval Obtained (Source: Tesla Oracle)
SpaceX has announced the sixth Starship launch and landing catch test (IFT-6)date. According to Elon Musk’s spaceflight company, Starship Flight 6 test will commence on Monday 18th November with backup launch windows. Interestingly, this time, SpaceX did not mention the delays in regulatory approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In our last Starship update, we reported that the leaked Elon Musk SpaceX meeting audio suggest that Flight 6 is not FAA license constrained.

Since the license is already granted to conduct the Starship IFT-6 — SpaceX announced the date for the launch and landing test. SpaceX announced the date on X and with a blog post on its official website explaining the objectives and possible outcomes of the Starship Flight 6 test. (11/7)

SpaceX Dragon Fires Thrusters to Boost ISS Orbit for the 1st Time (Source: Space.com)
The ISS is going a just tiny bit faster today, after receiving an orbital boost from SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX's 31st commercial resupply mission lifted off Nov. 4 and docked to the station's forward-facing port the next day. Today (Nov. 8), for the first time, Dragon performed an orbit-raising maneuver to stabilize the ISS's trajectory in low-Earth orbit. (11/8)

Mysterious 'Interstellar Tunnel' Found in Our Local Pocket of Space (Source: Science Alert)
The Solar System's little pocket of the Milky Way is, interestingly enough, exactly that. Our star resides in an unusually hot, low-density compartment in the galaxy's skirts, known as the Local Hot Bubble (LHB). Why it's not called the Local Hot Pocket is anyone's guess; but, because it's an anomaly, scientists want to know why the region exists.

Now a team of astronomers has mapped the bubble, revealing not just a strange asymmetry in the pocket's shape and temperature gradient, but the presence of a mysterious tunnel pointing towards the constellation Centaurus. The new data about the shape and heat of the bubble supports a previous interpretation that the LHB was excavated by exploding supernovae that expanded and heated the structure, while the tunnel suggests that it may be connected to another low-density bubble nearby. (11/8)

Billionaires Musk and Bezos Celebrate Trump Victory with Eyes on SpaceX, Blue Origin’s Future (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Donald Trump’s presidential win on Tuesday could mean an easier path forward for the dreams of billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos as they ramp up their space race with SpaceX and Blue Origin. Musk has been in Trump’s corner for months, and hinted at how his second presidency will benefit the likes of commercial space interests, pinning the statement, “America is a nation of builders Soon, you will be free to build,” to his account on X.

Bezos, whose Blue Origin rocket company is aiming for the first launch of its New Glenn rocket potentially before the end of the month, also chimed in his approval of Trump’s victory. “Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love,” he said.

While the Space Launch System rocket did its job, the cost to develop it from prime contractor Boeing, has had its constant critics, with NASA’s Office of the Inspector General in 2023 raising the specter than NASA should consider using Blue Origin, SpaceX or other commercial providers to achieve what SLS is designed for. It suggested flexible contracts for future SLS acquisitions “that will allow NASA to pivot to other commercial alternatives.” (11/6)

November 8, 2024

Virgin Galactic Falls on Lower Revenue, Share Issuance (Source: Bloomberg)
Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. declined after it reported third-quarter revenue short of expectations and a share issuance of as much as $300 million to pay for a new space tourism vehicle. The company reported revenue for the period ending Sep. 30 of $0.4 million, slightly below the $0.53 million consensus of analysts. That’s about a 77% plunge from the $1.7 million in the same period a year ago. Virgin also announced an at-the market equity program in which it would occasionally sell shares worth as much as $300 million. (11/7)

Space Florida Announces Launch of Florida University Space Research Consortium (Source: UCF)
Space Florida’s Board of Directors designated the Florida University Space Research Consortium, as the state’s official space research entity, which will facilitate the awarding of NASA research grants in partnership with Kennedy Space Center. The University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, formally requested that the board designate the consortium as the official research entity. Editor's Note: The Florida Institute of Technology and other universities are expected to be added. (11/7)

Thailand Hosts Southeast Asia's Largest Space Technology Event (Source: The Nation)
Thailand Space Week 2024, the region’s premier international space technology event, kicked off on Thursday at the Impact Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi province. The three-day event, organized by the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, aims to bolster Thailand’s position as a regional space technology hub. (11/8)

Private Space Exploration May Be About to Get a Serious Boost (Source: Semafor)
Among the industries set to gain most from the reelection of Donald Trump as US president, commercial space may be on the cusp of a new era of innovation. In his first term, Trump made “pretty dramatic” space policy moves: He created the US Armed Forces’ Space Force; he reestablished Space Command to take charge of military operations in space; and he helped kickstart NASA’s program to return humans to the Moon.

His second term could go further: One of Trump’s biggest donors and supporters this cycle has been Elon Musk — his rocket company SpaceX already has multibillion-dollar contracts with NASA and other federal agencies, and could feasibly win far more over the next four years. And, if Trump’s pledge to let Musk cut costs out of the government comes to pass, Musk could erode some of the regulatory procedures that he argues are holding up SpaceX’s development of a rocket to take humans and cargo to Mars. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, one of SpaceX’s top rivals for NASA contracts, could also stand to gain. (11/7)

Boeing Finishing Expansion of NASA SLS Core Stage Production Facilities at KSC (Source: NSF)
NASA and Space Launch System core stage prime contractor Boeing are working to finish activating new production facilities at the Kennedy Space Center, to complete and deliver the next two units by the end of 2026. After summertime engine section hardware deliveries, the two SLS processing cells in the Space Systems Processing Facility are filled for the first time, and Boeing is preparing to check out new tooling in the Vehicle Assembly Building for the final assembly of the third and fourth stages.

While the Artemis II schedule is on hold due to decisions about what to do with the Orion spacecraft’s existing base heatshield, the mission’s SLS core stage will be installed in the new vertical platforms and tooling in VAB High Bay 2. The plan for next year is to begin the final assembly on the Artemis III unit; for now, the new VAB facility will allow Boeing to finish traveled work on the Artemis II stage while waiting to hear when stacking that vehicle might begin. (11/7)

Bridenstine Kicks Off Phase Four Investment Round (Source: Payload)
Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine is making his first investment in a space company, backing the satellite propulsion company Phase Four’s latest fundraising round. Phase Four plans to raise at least $10M in a Series C round which is expected to close in the coming weeks; a special purpose vehicle organized by Bridenstine’s Artemis Group will contribute $2M to the deal. (11/8)

Bind Russia to a New Arms Control Treaty to Ban Nuclear Weapons in Space (Source: Space News)
The Space Force may not have been created to weaponize space, but it certainly sends a powerful signal to the rest of the world that the U.S. could. Russia is afraid of that outcome and of being left out. So let’s bind Russia to another treaty. Let’s set the precedent of behavior. By leading with diplomacy and stability, the U.S. can forge the end it desires. We can find a way to equalize the risk/reward ratio so that the taboo of nuclear space continues far into the future. (11/7)

China Advances Commercial Cargo Spacecraft to Cut Space Station Supply Costs (Source: Xinhua)
China has taken a significant step in space logistics and commercial space advancement with the introduction of low-cost cargo spacecraft, including a space cargo shuttle, tailored to meet the frequent supply needs of its space station. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) revealed on Oct. 29 the winners of its solicitation for overall schemes aimed at the low-cost cargo transportation system, a crucial component of the space station's operations.

After two rounds of selection, schemes respectively from the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IAMCAS) and from the Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) finally won the contracts for the flight verification phase, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA. (11/7)

Nvidia Adds Ex-NASA Space Center Director Ellen Ochoa to Board (Source: Bloomberg)
Nvidia Corp., the world’s most valuable company, named NASA veteran Ellen Ochoa as a director, expanding the size of its board to 13 members. Ochoa, 66, previously ran the space agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston and was the first Latina astronaut in space, Nvidia said in a statement Thursday. (11/7)

A Star Winked Out of Sight. Could it be a ‘Failed Supernova’? (Source: Science News)
Some massive stars may go out with a fizzle, not a bang. A star that winked out of view could be a “failed supernova,” a stellar explosion that petered out instead of fully detonating, a new study reports. If real, the failed supernova would mark the birth of a black hole. Visible light from the star, a supergiant spotted in the neighboring Andromeda galaxy, faded dramatically beginning in 2016, fully vanishing by 2023. (11/7)

SpaceX Launches Starlink Mission From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Spaceflight Now)
SpaceX launched a set of Starlink satellites Thursday after several days of delays. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 3:19 p.m. Eastern and deployed 23 Starlink satellites. A problem with ground equipment supplying helium to the rocket's first stage scrubbed a launch attempt Sunday and the company postponed a launch attempt Wednesday. (11/8)

Sierra Space Plans NET May 2025 Dream Chaser Debut Flight (Source: Space News)
Sierra Space is targeting no earlier than next May for the first flight of its Dream Chaser spaceplane. The vehicle was scheduled to launch this year on the second flight of ULA's Vulcan Centaur, but delays in development and testing of the first Dream Chaser vehicle, Tenacity, meant it would not be ready in time for a launch by this fall as required by ULA. Sierra Space is working on a second Dream Chaser, Reverence, which the company estimated will be ready 18 months after the team supporting Tenacity testing at the Kennedy Space Center returns to the company's Colorado factory. (11/8)

Vast Signs Czech Republic for Space Station Use (Source: Space News)
Commercial space station developer Vast Space has signed an agreement with the government of the Czech Republic. The memorandum of understanding, announced Friday, will allow Vast to work with the Czech Ministry of Transport on potential partnerships that could involve flying a Czech astronaut on either a Vast-led private astronaut mission to the International Space Station or to Vast's Haven-1 commercial station. The agreement also covers support for the emerging Czech space industry. (11/8)

Intuitive Machines Unveils RACER Lunar Rover Prototype (Source: CollectSpace)
Intuitive Machines showed off a prototype of the lunar rover it is offering to NASA. The company unveiled the Moon RACER rover Thursday in Houston, driving it in the parking lot of Space Center Houston. Moon RACER, or Reusable Autonomous Crewed Exploration Rover, is one of three rover concepts being supported by NASA in the first phase of its Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services program to develop a lunar rover for use on future Artemis missions. NASA will use the rover on a services basis, and the company that provides the rover will be able to use it for other customers when not needed by NASA. The Moon RACER team, led by Intuitive Machines, includes several aerospace and automotive companies, from Boeing and Northrop Grumman to Michelin and Roush. (11/8)

Williams is Not Sick on ISS (Source: Space.com)
No, NASA astronaut Suni Williams is not sick on the International Space Station. NASA issued a statement Thursday announcing that Williams, on the station since June, is in "good health" and that the agency was not "tracking any concerns" with her health or those of other astronauts on the station. Several tabloids in recent days claimed that Williams appeared ill, based on a single doctor's assessment of one image of Williams where the doctor claimed she looked "gaunt"; those claims were later amplified by Indian media. (11/8)

Viasat May Purchase Lightspeed Constellation Capacity (Source: Space News)
Viasat is in negotiations with Telesat to purchase capacity on Telesat's future Lightspeed constellation. Viasat disclosed the talks in an earnings call this week after previously announcing a deal to use capacity from Eutelsat's OneWeb LEO constellation to provide low-latency broadband through its NexusWave multi-orbit service for the maritime market. Viasat faces mounting competition from SpaceX's Starlink network throughout its satellite communications business. In the call, Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg said the company is searching for financial and capital structure alternatives to help realize the value of assets that he argued are underappreciated on the stock market. (11/8)

BlackSky Takes Full Ownership of LeoStella (Source: Space News)
BlackSky has taken full ownership of the LeoStella satellite manufacturing joint venture. BlackSky announced in an earnings call Thursday that it acquired the 50% of LeoStella it did not already own from Thales Alenia Space. The companies did not disclose financial terms of the deal. BlackSky and Thales Alenia created LeoStella in 2018 to build satellites for both BlackSky and other customers. BlackSky, though, has remained the largest customer for LeoStella's smallsats, and BlackSky said taking full ownership of LeoStella will give it greater control over the production of its new Gen-3 imaging satellites. The first Gen-3 satellite is in final testing ahead of a launch on an Electron rocket, but BlackSky did not disclose a specific launch date for the spacecraft. (11/8)

Export Reforms to Continue in Next Administration (Source: Space News)
Government officials said space export control reforms will proceed through the upcoming presidential transition. At a public meeting this week to discuss export control rule changes announced last month, officials said that there is bipartisan support for the changes to improve the competitiveness of U.S. companies, and thus they don't believe there will be any significant changes to them. The Commerce and State Departments are currently soliciting comments on proposed rules to move some space technologies from the U.S. Munitions List to the less restrictive Commerce Control list, a process that will continue until Nov. 22. (11/8)

NASA Defends Controversial Astrophysics Selections (Source: Space News)
NASA defended the selection of two proposals for an astrophysics mission for further study despite concerns from the scientific community the two are not on an equal footing. NASA announced last month it awarded study contracts with $5 million each to teams that proposed an X-ray observatory called AXIS and far-infrared telescope called PRIMA, allowing them to refine their designs ahead of a NASA decision in 2026 to select one of them for development as the first probe-class mission, with a projected cost of $1 billion.

At a meeting Thursday of the Astrophysics Advisory Committee, NASA defended the selection of the two concepts amid questions from the committee and broader astrophysics community about whether those missions were the highest ranked ones in the evaluation process, with specific concerns about the technical maturity of AXIS. Mark Clampin, director of NASA's astrophysics division, said AXIS and PRIMA "were the best science investigations, so that's why they were picked." (11/8)

Musk Lobby's Trump to Appoint SpaceX Executives Within DoD (Source: New York Times)
Elon Musk is lobbying the incoming Trump administration to hire SpaceX executives at the Defense Department. Even before this week's election, Musk asked Trump to consider two SpaceX executives for unspecified positions at the Pentagon. The Trump transition team and SpaceX did not comment on the claims. Musk's support for Trump in the campaign is widely expected to translate into benefits for SpaceX and Musk's other companies. (11/8)

November 7, 2024

SpaceX Plans November Starship Test Flight (Source: Space News)
SpaceX plans to perform the next Starship test flight as soon as mid-November. The company announced Wednesday that the sixth integrated test flight of Starship/Super Heavy is scheduled for the afternoon of Nov. 18 from the Starbase launch site at Boca Chica, Texas. The upcoming flight will feature incremental changes from the previous flight in October, including doing an in-flight relight of a Raptor engine on Starship and testing changes to the vehicle's thermal protection system. The afternoon launch, rather than a morning liftoff of previous flights, will enable a splashdown in the Indian Ocean during daylight hours. SpaceX also plans to catch the Super Heavy booster back at the launch tower on this flight. (11/7)

Space Command Adds Five to Intelligence Sharing Effort (Source: Space News)
U.S. Space Command has added five companies to its commercial intelligence-sharing initiative. The Commercial Integration Cell (CIC), established in 2015, will now include Earth observation company BlackSky, space intelligence contractor Kratos, space tracking firm LeoLabs, radar satellite operator Iceye and satellite communications provider Telesat, Space Command announced Wednesday. Radio-frequency satellite data provider HawkEye 360 and space tracking specialist ExoAnalytic Solutions are also expected to join in the coming weeks. The CIC helps coordinate responses to space threats and satellite anomalies, ensuring that military and private sector partners are aware of threats as they unfold. (11/7)

Lynk Global Hires Potarazu (Source: Space News)
Lynk Global, the company developing a satellite constellation for direct-to-device services, has hired a former Intelsat executive as its new CEO. Lynk announced Thursday that Ramu Potarazu had joined the company as CEO, succeeding Dan Dooley, who will return to his earlier post as chief commercial officer. Potarazu held various positions at Intelsat between 1991 and 2006, including president and chief operating officer, and was most recently CEO of media management software company EditShare. Lynk also hired Steven Fay as chief financial officer as the company prepares to go public through a SPAC merger with Slam Corp. Lynk said the appointments coincide with new capital investments from shareholders but declined to disclose details. (11/7)

Virgin Galactic Plans to Raise $300 Million for Fleet Expansion (Source: Space News)
Virgin Galactic is proposing to raise $300 million to accelerate the expansion of its suborbital spaceplane fleet. The company, which says it has enough cash on hand to complete development of its Delta-class vehicles and produce the first two, said in an earnings call Wednesday that the $300 million would allow it to more quickly build a second pair of spaceplanes as well as a second mothership aircraft that takes the spaceplanes aloft. Virgin says raising the growth capital would allow those additional vehicles to enter service in 2028, at least two years earlier than if the company relied on cash from operations of the first two vehicles to finance the new ones. The company said it still expects to begin commercial service with the first Delta-class spaceplane, using the existing VMS Eve aircraft, in 2026. (11/7)

NASA MSR Recommendations by Year's End (Source: Space News)
NASA says it still expects to get a recommendation on a new plan for its Mars Sample Return (MSR) program by the end of the year despite a change in the committee reviewing various concepts. NASA established the MSR Strategy Review Team in mid-October, led by former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, to review a dozen industry and NASA studies on alternatives and recommend a "go-forward" architecture. At a meeting of a Mars exploration committee Wednesday, though, NASA said that Bridenstine was no longer on the committee, which is now chaired by planetary scientist Maria Zuber. NASA said that Bridenstine had informed the agency that he was unable to devote the time needed to serve on the committee. NASA still expects that review team to make a recommendation in December to NASA leadership on a new MSR architecture. (11/7)

Geopolitical: SpaceX Removes Starlink Work From Taiwan (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX has asked suppliers who manufacture components in Taiwan to move that work off the island. Companies that provide components, principally for Starlink terminals and related products, said SpaceX had asked them to move that production outside of Taiwan, with one company relocating the work to Vietnam. One company said it was told to move manufacturing "mostly due to geopolitical considerations," but did not elaborate, and SpaceX also declined to comment. (11/7)

Cartwright Loses House Seat (Source: Allentown Morning Call)
The top Democrat on the House appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA has lost his bid for another term. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Penn.) formally conceded Wednesday after losing a close race to political newcomer Rob Bresnahan Jr. to represent a district in northeastern Pennsylvania. Cartwright had been the ranking member of the commerce, justice and science subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, which funds NASA, NOAA and NSF, among other agencies. (11/7)

ISS National Lab-Sponsored Research to Test Cold Welding for Spacecraft Repairs (Source: CASIS)
Imagine a spacecraft hurtling through deep space when suddenly, it's struck by a rogue piece of space debris. In the harsh vacuum of space, traditional repair methods falter. Enter ASTROBEAT, an innovative experiment sponsored by the ISS National Laboratory, poised to advance spacecraft repairs using cold welding—a technique akin to patching a tire while soaring through space. This experiment, which arrived at the space station via SpaceX’s 31st Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA, is spearheaded by Leonardo Barilaro, a senior lecturer in aerospace engineering at the Malta College of Arts, Sciences, and Technology (MCAST). (11/7)

Trump Likely to Reverse Several Pentagon Policies (Source: Politico)
President-elect Donald Trump is expected to reverse several Pentagon policies enacted during President Joe Biden's administration, including those related to transgender service members and abortion access for troops. Trump might also revisit the location of the US Space Command headquarters and the color scheme of Air Force One. Concerns have been raised about Trump's potential use of the military for political purposes, particularly domestically. (11/6)

Space Forge and Voyager Space Unite to Revolutionize Commercial In-Space Manufacturing (Source: Space Forge)
Space Forge, the leader of the first clean-industry revolution through the in-space research, development, and manufacturing of hyper-efficient space materials, is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Voyager Space, a global leader in space exploration, to explore new possibilities in space-based research and manufacturing. The collaboration will explore integrating ForgeStar’s flexible returnable spacecraft with Voyager’s orbital capabilities to create next-level solutions for industries that rely on high-performance materials, from biomedical sectors to cloud computing. (10/29)

Boeing's Military Space Plane Just Slammed on the Brakes in Orbit (Source: Futurism)
The US military's top secret X-37B space plane, which has been orbiting the Earth since December 2023 on its current mission, has slammed on the brakes. The plane has started "performing advanced aerobraking maneuvers," which are designed to lower its currently "highly elliptical orbit." The goal is to "safely dispose of the service module components in accordance with recognized standards for space debris mitigation" — without having to burn copious amounts of fuel to change orbit. (11/6)

MAVEN Advances Science on Mars Magnetic Field (Source: Ecoticias)
Earth’s core is made up of molten iron which generates a magnetic field that surrounds the whole planet. Such a process is not present in the case of Mars. It is the solar wind particles that induce electric currents in the Martian atmosphere which creates a magnetic field surrounding the planet. These currents aren’t only hypothetical; they have been found in the measurements obtained by the sensitive magnetometer of the MAVEN spacecraft, enabling scientists to build a three-dimensional magnetic field map of Mars and track the pathways of these currents.

As noted by Robin Ramstad, a researcher at the University of Colorado, these currents are like the electric circuit found in the atmosphere of Mars, where intense currents sit about 75 to 125 miles from the surface of the planet. This understanding of the induced magnetosphere plays an important role in understanding how atmospheric particles are accelerated and eventually escape to space, causing change on Mars.

The results obtained from MAVEN’s investigations show that Mars’ atmospheric and magnetic fields are significantly influenced by various solar forces. By tracing the electric currents responsible for atmospheric escape, scientists elucidate how Mars has evolved from a warmer and more hydrated world. This research contributes not only to the knowledge of Mars, but also to the planning of other missions and studies of planetary atmospheres within and outside the solar system. (11/5)

NRO Chief: “You Can’t Hide” From Our New Swarm of SpaceX-Built Spy Satellites (Source: Ars Technica)
The director of the National Reconnaissance Office has a message for US adversaries around the world. "You can’t hide, because we’re constantly looking," said Chris Scolese, a longtime NASA engineer who took the helm of the US government's spy satellite agency in 2019.

The NRO is taking advantage of SpaceX's Starlink satellite assembly line to build a network of at least 100 satellites, and perhaps many more, to monitor adversaries around the world. So far, more than 80 of these SpaceX-made spacecraft, each a little less than a ton in mass, have launched on four Falcon 9 rockets. There are more to come. (11/5)

Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck Talks Scaling the Space Industry (Source: Yahoo! Finance)
At TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, Rocket Lab's founder and CEO Peter Beck sat down with senior editor Devin Coldewey to discuss the space industry. Together the two delve into Rocket Lab's strategic mission of scaling the space industry and its approach to spacecraft manufacturing and supply chain management. Beck also shared updates on the company's current space missions and future initiatives. Click here. (11/3) https://finance.yahoo.com/video/rocket-lab-ceo-peter-beck-140017847.html

Astronomers Find Signs Of Distant Objects At The Edge Of Our Solar System (Source: Twisted Sifter)
When you get out past the planets of our solar system and keep going, you will eventually enter the Kuiper belt, which has long been seen as the outer edge of the solar system. After observing this area with the Subaru Telescope, located in Hawaii, for over a decade, however, scientists believe that there may be additional objects out there orbiting our sun.

“If this is confirmed, it would be a major discovery. The primordial solar nebula was much larger than previously thought, and this may have implications for studying the planet formation process in our Solar System.” This new area of space is approximately 70 to 90 astronomical units away from the sun (an astronomical unit being the distance between the sun and the Earth). The researchers found 11 objects in this area of space. They are traveling in a heliocentric orbit, indicating that they are indeed part of our solar system and not just objects that are passing by and happened to be seen by the scientists. (11/5)

Ghana Launches Space Policy (Source: Modern Ghana)
Ghana's government has launched a space policy to harness the power of space science and technology to enhance the country's socio-economic transformation. The policy will guide the use and development of space science and technology to achieve sustainable development through research and commerce. (11/5)

Korea Launches Project to Develop Rover for Space Exploration (Source: Korea Times)
Korea's industry ministry said Wednesday it has launched a project to develop homegrown space rovers amid the growing global competition for lunar exploration. The government has reached an agreement with 13 institutions and companies, including Hyundai Motor, to develop around 10 key rover components with a combined budget of 23 billion won ($16.54 million), according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

Through the project, Korea aims to develop motors, robotic arms and other essential rover parts capable of operating under extreme conditions, such as low temperatures and high radiation. (11/5)

Japan Space Agency Hacking Reveals Cyber Espionage Risk (Source: Nikkei)
A cyberattack against Japan's space agency is an example of the growing threat of cyber espionage targeting executives with access to critical data, a tactic that analysts say is commonly used by Chinese hacker groups. JAXA has been hit by multiple cyberattacks, in which staff accounts were hacked through the Microsoft 365 cloud service. (11/6)

Engineers Ignored Warning Signs in Arecibo Telescope Collapse (Source: Space Policy Online)
A new report from the National Academies concludes that the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico collapsed in 2020 due to failures of cable sockets that supported the platform above the dish because of accelerated zinc creep. Structural engineers who inspected the cables and sockets missed warning signs, especially after winds from Hurricane Maria placed extra stress on the cables. The authors also speculate that the electromagnetic environment may have been a contributing factor.

The report from the Academies’ Board on Infrastructure and the Constructed Environment cited a number of technical and managerial factors that led to the collapse of Arecibo’s 913-ton instrument platform on December 1, 2020, but fundamentally it was the failure of engineers to recognize the warning signs. Arecibo was owned by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and managed by the University of Central Florida. No one was injured. (11/5)

Iran's Private Sector Joins Space Race (Source: Tehran Times)
In a landmark achievement for Iran's space industry on Tuesday, the country successfully launched its first privately-developed satellites, Kowsar and Hodhod, into orbit aboard a Russian Soyuz launcher. This marked the inaugural foray of the private sector into Iran's space exploration endeavors. The CEO of the knowledge-based company behind the design and development of the satellites says it took his team 15 years of dedicated work to finally witness Hodhod and Kowsar successfully launched into orbit. “This is only the beginning for us, we are only going forward from here,” Faghih Imani said after personally assessing the launch of the two satellites in Russia. (11/5)

November 6, 2024

Oxford Space Lab Sends First Human Tissue Samples to ISS for Ageing Study (Source: Space Daily)
The first human tissue samples from Oxford's Space Innovation Lab (SIL) are now en route to the International Space Station (ISS) to support a study examining how space microgravity influences human ageing. "Our project seeks to uncover how ageing progresses under microgravity conditions, and to test if these conditions could speed up the study of ageing processes that take much longer to observe on Earth." (11/5)

Trump Win Gives Musk Greater Influence (Source: Washington Post)
Donald Trump will return to the White House, potentially giving SpaceX CEO Elon Musk greater influence. Most media outlets declared Trump the winner early Wednesday after he won enough swing states to secure a majority in the Electoral College. Musk threw his support behind Trump in July and both contributed and campaigned extensively for the Republican nominee. Trump said little about space during the campaign but did, on several occasions, appear to endorse a SpaceX-led accelerated human Mars program.

Trump mentioned Musk during a victory speech in the early morning hours, describing watching the recent Starship Super Heavy landing and claiming he asked Musk to offer free Starlink services in areas of North Carolina hit by Hurricane Helene. Republicans also secured a majority in the Senate, but control of the House remains up for grabs. (11/6)

Japan and Poland to Join DoD's WGS Network (Source: Space News)
Japan and Poland will join a U.S. military communications satellite system. The two countries are set to join the Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellite network used by the U.S. military and those of several allies. WGS provides high-capacity communication services for military operations. With 10 satellites in geostationary Earth orbit, WGS has been the backbone of U.S. military communications. WGS allows participating nations to share the costs of satellite development and upkeep, alleviating the financial burden for the United States. (11/6)

Anuvo Plans HEO Satellite Constellation (Source: Space News)
Anuvu is proposing to develop a constellation of satellites in highly elliptical orbit (HEO) to offer broadband services to aircraft. Anuvu announced a partnership with D-Orbit USA, a newly founded subsidiary of Italian space logistics company D-Orbit, to study the design of a HEO network using 16 satellites. Anuvu has been working on a system of eight GEO satellites, but the first two, scheduled to launch last year, have been delayed by manufacturer Astranis. Anuvu said that using satellites in HEO will provide higher data rates because the spacecraft will be at lower altitudes when in service and can also handle polar routes out of the reach of GEO satellites. (11/6)

China Plans Lunar Crew Rocket (Long March 10A) Debut in 2026 (Source: Space News)
China is planning a first launch in 2026 of a rocket it plans to use in its human lunar exploration program. A model of the Long March 10A, a single-core rocket for launching crew, is set to be unveiled at the Zhuhai Airshow in southern China later this month. The rocket is set to have its debut launch in 2026, according to a report Tuesday in Science and Technology Daily, an official Chinese ministry newspaper.

Long March 10A will be used to launch a new generation crew spacecraft to the Tiangong space station in low Earth orbit, while a three-core version of the rocket will be used to launch a crewed lunar spacecraft and, separately, a lunar lander. Also on display at the Zhuhai Airshow will be a new model of the Long March 9 heavy-lift rocket that now more closely resembles SpaceX's Starship with reusable upper and lower stages. (11/6)

Franch Launcher Latitude Hires New CEO (Source: Space News)
French launch vehicle startup Latitude has hired a new CEO. The company announced Tuesday that it hired Aurélie Bressollette as CEO, succeeding co-founder Stanislas Maximin, who now takes the role of executive chairman. Bressollette previously worked at Rivada Space Networks, Redwire, OHB and Airbus. Maximin said he will focus on strategic issues at the company, including fundraising, while Bressollette handles day-to-day operations. Latitude is working on a small launch vehicle called Zephyr, with a first launch projected towards the end of next year. (11/6)

SSTL to Develop Imaging Satellite for UK Military (Source: SSTL)
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) has won a contract to build an imaging satellite for the U.K. military. The Juno satellite will provide imagery for British forces, building upon the capabilities demonstrated on the Tyche satellite launched in August. Juno, with an estimated cost of £40 million ($51 million), is scheduled to launch in 2027. (11/6)

South Korea to Develop Lunar Rovers (Source: Yonhap)
The South Korean government plans to support the development of lunar rovers. The country's industry ministry announced Wednesday partnerships with 13 companies and institutions, including automaker Hyundai, to develop key components for future lunar rovers. The ministry said it is spending about $16.5 million on the effort. (11/6)

MAGA Goes to Mars (Source: The Atlantic)
If NASA’s current schedule sticks, the next American president will oversee the first moon landing since the Apollo era and preside over the agency’s plans for sending astronauts deeper into the solar system. Elon Musk, the CEO of the world’s most successful private-spaceflight company, has made clear who he thinks that president should be. This fall, he declared that Kamala Harris would doom humankind to an earthbound existence, whereas Donald Trump would fulfill SpaceX’s founding dream of putting people on Mars. Trump seems equally enthusiastic about Musk’s space plans. “Elon, get those rocket ships going, because we want to reach Mars before the end of my term,” he said on the campaign trail. (11/5)

Russian Rocket Takes Iranian Satellites Into Orbit as Ties Grow Closer (Source: Al Jazeera)
A Russian rocket carrying a payload of satellites into orbit – including two from Iran – blasted off successfully, Russia’s Roscosmos space agency said, in a move seen as reflecting the growing cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. The two Iranian satellites were identified as the Kowsar, a high-resolution imaging satellite, and Hodhod, a small communications satellite. A Russian-Chinese student satellite, Druzhba ATURK, was also placed into orbit. (11/5)

When Was Mars Habitable? Much More Recently than We Thought (Source: Earth.com)
Researchers are particularly interested in understanding whether Mars was habitable, and if so, during what period. A research team at Harvard’s Paleomagnetics Lab has been at the forefront of exploring this timeline. Their strongest evidence yet is that Mars‘ life-protecting magnetic field, or “dynamo,” could have lasted until about 3.9 billion years ago. This contrasts with older estimates that placed its demise around 4.1 billion years ago, suggesting the dynamo persisted for hundreds of millions of years longer than previously thought. (11/4)

China Reveals a New Heavy Lift Rocket That is a Clone of SpaceX’s Starship (Source: Ars Technica)
When Chinese space officials unveiled the design for the country's first super heavy lift rocket nearly a decade ago, it looked like a fairly conventional booster. The rocket was fully expendable, with three stages and solid motors strapped onto its sides. Since then, the Asian country has been revising the design of this rocket, named Long March 9, in response to the development of reusable rockets by SpaceX. As of two years ago, China had recalibrated the design to have a reusable first stage.

Now, based on information released at a major airshow in Zhuhai, China, the design has morphed again. And this time, the plan for the Long March 9 rocket looks almost exactly like a clone of SpaceX's Starship rocket. Based on its latest specifications, the Long March 9 rocket will have a fully reusable first stage powered by 30 YF-215 engines, which are full-flow staged combustion engines fueled by methane and liquid oxygen, each with a thrust of approximately 200 tons. By way of comparison, Starship's first stage is powered by 33 Raptor engines, also fueled with methane and liquid oxygen, each with a thrust of about 280 tons. (11/4)