Space @ interstellar news

Landspace closes in on orbital launch with liquid methane rocket Landspace closes in on orbital launch with liquid methane rocket China is meanwhile constructing a new launch complex to support new methalox launch capabilities. HELSINKI — Chinese private firm Landspace is working towards a potential first orbital launch attempt with a methane-fueled launch vehicle later this year. Landspace completed assembly of the four Tianque-12 liquid methane-liquid oxygen engines which power the first stage of the Zhuque-2 rocket in early February. This was preceded by a payload fairing separation test and a series of 400-second hotfire tests of the 80-metric-ton thrust engines in late January. The 49.5-meter-tall, two-stage Zhuque-2 could be the first methane-fueled rocket to launch for orbit. Blue Origin’s New Glenn and ULA’s Vulcan—both powered by the former’s BE-4 staged-combustion methalox engin

Perseverance landing wins broad political praise Perseverance landing wins broad political praise WASHINGTON — When the White House called to congratulate NASA on the successful landing of the Mars rover Perseverance, acting administrator Steve Jurczyk new immediately it was the real deal. “About an hour after landing, I got a phone call from the president of the United States, and his first words were, ‘Congratulations, man,’” Jurczyk recalled during a Feb. 18 press conference at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “I knew it was him. I wasn’t getting punked.” Jurczyk said that President Biden said he was proud of the landing “and wanted me to send my regards to Percy.” He added that the president wanted to congratulate the team personally in some way. “We’re looking forward to having the president of the United States congratulate the team this week.” Biden also tweeted out his congratulations to the agency for th

NASA delays launch of planetary defense mission NASA delays launch of planetary defense mission WASHINGTON — NASA will delay the launch of a mission designed to test one technique for deflecting a potentially hazardous asteroid, although that delay won’t affect the spacecraft’s arrival at its target. NASA announced Feb. 17 that it will postpone the launch of its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission from its primary launch window of July 21 to Aug. 24 of this year to a backup window that opens Nov. 24 and runs to Feb. 15, 2022. The spacecraft will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. In a statement, the agency said issues with two major components of the spacecraft led it to postpone the launch. One involves its main instrument, the Didymos Reconnaissance and Asteroid Camera for Optical-navigation (DRACO), which needs to be reinforced to withstand the launch environment. The other is its

Raytheon to challenge Lockheed Martin’s acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne Raytheon to challenge Lockheed Martin’s acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne Raytheon CEO Gregory Hayes: “We obviously have some concerns." WASHINGTON — Raytheon Technologies plans to formally oppose Lockheed Martin’s proposed $4.4 billion acquisition of rocket engine manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne, Raytheon’s CEO Gregory Hayes said Feb. 17. Aerojet Rocketdyne’s engines are used by both Raytheon and Lockheed Martin in tactical and strategic missiles the companies make for the U.S. Defense Department. “We obviously have some concerns” about Aerojet being acquired by a competitor, Hayes said at the Barclays Industrial Select Conference. “They are a huge supplier to us,” Hayes said of Aerojet. If Lockheed Martin is allowed to buy the company, “you don’t have an independent supplier on the solid rocke

Scientists look ahead to the search for past Martian life with Perseverance Scientists look ahead to the search for past Martian life with Perseverance WASHINGTON — On the eve of the landing of the rover Perseverance on Mars, scientists are looking ahead to the work it will do searching for evidence of past life on the planet and collecting samples for return to Earth. At a Feb. 17 briefing a little more than 24 hours before Mars 2020 arrives at Mars, project officials confirmed that the spacecraft is operating well and on course for a landing at 3:55 p.m. Feb. 18 at Jezero Crater. “Perseverance could land itself already without any more help from us on the ground,” Matt Wallace, deputy project manager, said at the briefing, based on its current status and the procedures on board to perform the various steps of entry, descent and landing (EDL). “So, the spacecraft is ready and, I think, the team is also ready.”

SpaceX launches Starlink satellites, but booster landing fails SpaceX launches Starlink satellites, but booster landing fails WASHINGTON — SpaceX launched another set of Falcon 9 satellites Feb. 15, but suffered a rare failed landing of the rocket’s first stage during the mission. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:59 p.m. Eastern, after unfavorable weather conditions caused a one-day delay. The rocket released its payload of 60 Starlink satellites in orbit 65 minutes after liftoff. The rocket’s first stage, however, did not land on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean as planned. Video from the droneship around the time of landing showed a glow in the distance, suggesting a problem with the booster that either caused it to go off-course or to deliberately divert from the landing attempt. SpaceX did not immediately disclose what took place during the failed la

Intelsat reveals plan to reorganize and trim debt Intelsat reveals plan to reorganize and trim debt SAN FRANCISCO – Intelsat SA announced a reorganization plan Feb. 12 to reduce the Luxembourg-based communications satellite fleet operator’s debt from nearly $15 billion to $7 billion. Creditors responsible for approximately $3.8 billion of Intelsat’s debt have approved Intelsat’s plan and the company is seeking approval from additional creditors, according to a Plan of Reorganization filed Feb. 12 with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Under the plan, Intelsat would issue new stock with 95% of the shares going to unsecured creditors of subsidiary Intelsat Jackson. Intelsat has requested a March 17, 2021 Bankruptcy Court hearing on the proposal. If approved, the company could emerge from Chapter 11 in the second half of 2021, according to an Intelsat news release. Intelsa

Industry questions U.S. government support for commercial remote sensing Industry questions U.S. government support for commercial remote sensing HawkEye 360 CEO John Serafini: Government contracts help startups raise private funds needed to pay for the space and ground infrastructure. WASHINGTON — About 270 of the 620 remote sensing satellites in orbit are privately owned with about 200 of these belong to U.S. companies, according to the Aerospace Corp. Only about 50 are owned by the U.S. military or intelligence agencies. These numbers show the rapid commercialization of a previously tightly held government national security technology, Josef Koller, systems director at the Aerospace Corp. said Feb. 11 at the SmallSat Symposium. Koller noted that companies are collecting increasingly sophisticated geospatial intelligence from satellites and are using artificial intelligence to analyze im

Despite its small size, Space Force plans to have its voice heard in the Pentagon Despite its small size, Space Force plans to have its voice heard in the Pentagon “We’ve been doing space operations for years under the Air Force. But as a service we now have to advocate for new resources,” said Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman. WASHINGTON — The Space Force is by far the smallest branch of the U.S. military and will have to “punch above its weight” to get its share of military funding and other resources, said Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, deputy chief of space operations. The Space Force was carved out of the former Air Force Space Command so it has people with lots of experience operating satellites and launching rockets. But as an independent military service, it now has to become proficient in the bureaucratic processes that all the services have to navigate in order to get funding and suppo

Report recommends NASA accelerate space nuclear propulsion development Report recommends NASA accelerate space nuclear propulsion development WASHINGTON — NASA needs to pursue “aggressive” development of space nuclear propulsion technologies if the agency wants to use them for human missions to Mars in the next two decades, a report by a National Academies committee concluded. A Feb. 12 study by the National Academies, sponsored by NASA, said both nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) and nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) approaches must overcome significant hurdles for their use in a notional 2039 human mission to Mars. Such systems could reduce the travel time of expeditions to Mars. “Space nuclear propulsion technology shows great potential to facilitate the human exploration of Mars,” said Bobby Braun, director for planetary science at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and co-chair of the committee that wrote the report, in a

DoD space agency launching experiments in preparation for 2022 satellite deployments DoD space agency launching experiments in preparation for 2022 satellite deployments Demonstrating optical crosslinks is a top priority for SDA and DARPA as any future military network has to be able to move huge amounts of data. WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s space agency this year will launch a series of experiments — including satellites with laser links and missile-tracking sensors — as is prepares to begin deploying a network of satellites in low-Earth orbit in 2022. One of those experiments is Mandrake 2 — a pair of small spacecraft equipped with optical crosslinks that was scheduled to launch Jan. 24 on SpaceX’s massive rideshare Transporter-1. The satellites were accidentally damaged during payload processing and didn’t make the launch. They are now being repaired and will fly to orbit this summer

Lynk to soon begin tests of cellular connectivity using first satellite Lynk to soon begin tests of cellular connectivity using first satellite WASHINGTON — Lynk will start testing cellular connectivity services with its first small satellite in the near future as it plans to begin commercial service early next year. During a panel discussion at the SmallSat Symposium Feb. 11, Margo Deckard, co-founder and chief operating officer of Lynk, said tests it performed last year demonstrated its ability to transmit text messages from spacecraft in low Earth orbit to unmodified cellphones on the ground, a capability it says can bridge a gap in connectivity. ‘We’re showing in a very stepwise fashion as we test out our technology that cellular band usage from space can play with terrestrial usage of these cellular bands and provide customers with connectivity when they move out of terrestrial cell tower range,” she said.

HPE Spaceborne Computer-2 linked to Azure cloud for the Space Station HPE Spaceborne Computer-2 linked to Azure cloud for the Space Station SAN FRANCISCO — Hewlett Packard Enterprise is preparing to send a second-generation Spaceborne Computer to the International Space Station later this month. The Spaceborne Computer-2 will be linked to Microsoft’s Azure cloud through NASA and HPE ground stations, meaning the space station will have far more data processing power and better connections with Earth than ever before, HPE and Microsoft announced Feb. 11. “Astronauts and space explorers deserve access to the best cloud computing technologies and advanced processing at the ultimate edge,” according to the news release. “Sometimes analysis needs to be done immediately at the edge where every passing moment counts, and other times the analysis is so massively complex that it can only be performed with the power of the hyper

NASA to use commercial launch vehicle for Europa Clipper NASA to use commercial launch vehicle for Europa Clipper WASHINGTON — NASA is no longer considering launching the Europa Clipper mission on the Space Launch System, deciding instead to launch the spacecraft on a commercial rocket it will procure in the next year. During a Feb. 10 presentation at a meeting of NASA’s Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG), leaders of the Europa Clipper project said the agency recently decided to consider only commercial launch vehicles for the mission, and no longer support a launch of the spacecraft on the SLS. “We now have clarity on the launch vehicle path and launch date,” Robert Pappalardo, project scientist for Europa Clipper at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said. That clarity came in the form of a Jan. 25 memo from NASA’s Planetary Missions Program Office to “immediately cease efforts to maintain SLS compatibility” and move forwa

Cloud computing services changing the calculus for space startups Cloud computing services changing the calculus for space startups “The cloud services that are now available to startups are phenomenal,” said Spencer Ziegler, CEO of Orbital Wave. WASHINGTON — The cloud computing industry is developing new products and services aimed at space companies that want to monetize data without having to invest in infrastructure, executives said Feb. 8 at the SmallSat Symposium. Steve Terry, business development manager at Microsoft Azure Space, said the company is eyeing new customers in the space sector offering them data processing services and tools that previously were only accessible to large corporations. To make its services more attractive to space startups, Microsoft partnered with KSAT, a company that operates a network of more than 200 satellite antennas, The idea is to make it easier and cheaper

Space industry investment continues to grow Space industry investment continues to grow WASHINGTON — Nearly a year after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic raised fears of a slowdown in commercial space investment, experts say the industry is, in fact, doing better than ever. During a panel discussion at the 2021 SmallSat Symposium Feb. 8, analysts, investors and executives said that after a “lot of fear” in the spring of 2020, funding in the space industry, including smallsat constellation companies and small launch vehicle developers, surged in the latter half of the year. “This year was just a terrific year for many for many of the larger companies in the space sector,” said Mike Collett, founder and managing partner of Promus Ventures. “We are all surprised where we stand with the amount of capital and space sector funding.” He and other worried last spring there would be a retrenchment as the market

Xenesis adopts revenue-sharing model for optical communications Xenesis adopts revenue-sharing model for optical communications SAN FRANCISCO – Xenesis is adopting an usual business model in its campaign to establish an optical communications constellation. The Illinois startup is signing revenue-sharing agreements with key suppliers, including satellite component manufacturer Space Micro, Geost, a firm focused on sensors and electro-optics, and optical system specialist PlaneWave Instruments. “We wanted to develop a partnership with our suppliers that would invest them in our success,” said Mark LaPenna, Xenesis founder and CEO, told SpaceNews. The revenue-sharing model is aimed at reducing the cost of Xenesis’ initial on-orbit demonstration. “We are able to buy 100% of our technology at true manufactured cost,” LaPenna said. Xenesis is scheduled to begin demonstrating the performance of its op

Isotropic Systems raises $42 million Isotropic Systems raises $42 million WASHINGTON — Isotropic Systems raised $42 million to continue development of broadband terminals for use by a wide range of satellite systems in a round led by satellite operator SES. Isotropic announced Feb. 8 the new round, including equity investment as well as grant funding from the British government. Besides SES, other investors include Orbital Ventures as well as existing investors Boeing HorizonX Global Ventures, Space Angels and Firmament Ventures. The company has now raised about $70 million to date. The company will use the funding to continue development of flat-panel antenna systems capable of working with multiple satellite systems, with the goal of having its first commercial system ready next year. The company is opening a new technology and testing facility near its headquarters in Reading, England, and plans to grow its wo

Lockheed Martin selects ABL Space Systems for UK launch Lockheed Martin selects ABL Space Systems for UK launch WASHINGTON — ABL Space Systems will conduct a launch for Lockheed Martin from a new spaceport in the Shetland Islands, fulfilling an agreement with the British government announced in 2018. Lockheed said Feb. 7 that ABL will perform a launch of its RS1 rocket from the Shetland Space Centre, a spaceport to be developed on the island of Unst in the Shetlands, in 2022. The rocket, on a mission called the UK Pathfinder launch, will place into orbit a tug developed by Moog in the UK that will then deploy six 6U cubesats. The launch will fulfill an award made by the British government in 2018 to support development of a domestic launch capability. The $31 million contract to Lockheed Martin covered a launch, then planned for a spaceport at Sutherland in northern Scotland, as well as Moog’s orbital maneuvering vehi

NOAA taps L3Harris for space weather command and control\ NOAA taps L3Harris for space weather command and control SAN FRANCISCO – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a $43.8 million space weather contract to L3 Harris Technologies. Under the five-year, cost-plus contract, Melbourne, Florida-based L3Harris will develop, deploy and operate a command and control system for NOAA’s Space Weather Follow On-Lagrange 1 observatory, scheduled to launch in 2025 on NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe. L3Harris also will provide operations support for the space weather observatory for up to two years. The new command and control system will be an extension of the existing Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) – R Series Core Ground System, according to a Feb. 5 NOAA news release. L3Harris is the prime contractor for the GOES-R Series ground segment. The

White House to realign responsibilities for space policy oversight White House to realign responsibilities for space policy oversight The White House said the National Security Council from now on will issue “national security memorandums” to replace the former administration’s space policy directives. WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is giving the White House National Security Council oversight responsibilities for space policy, giving credence to speculation that the National Space Council will be discontinued. The White House in a Feb. 4 memo said the National Security Council from now on will issue “national security memorandums” to replace the former administration’s space policy directives as “instruments for communicating presidential decisions about national security policies of the United States.” Under the Trump administration, an interagency National Space Council coordinated p

NASA and international partners to study Mars Ice Mapper mission NASA and international partners to study Mars Ice Mapper mission WASHINGTON — NASA and three international partners have signed an agreement to cooperate on a proposed mission to search for ice deposits under the surface of Mars, a precursor for human missions there. In a Feb. 3 statement, NASA said it signed a “statement of intent” with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Italian space agency ASI regarding the International Mars Ice Mapper. Under that agreement, the agencies will study concepts for the mission and potential roles and responsibilities. NASA introduced the mission concept in its fiscal year 2021 budget proposal a year ago. The spacecraft would launch as soon as 2026 and go into orbit around Mars, using a radar to search for deposits of ice below the Martian surface that could be studied by future m

Hope prepares to enter orbit around Mars Hope prepares to enter orbit around Mars WASHINGTON — As the United Arab Emirates’ Hope spacecraft arrives at Mars, those involved with the mission have a mix of confidence and concern about the chances of successfully entering orbit. The Emirates Mars Mission, or Hope, spacecraft will arrive at Mars Feb. 9, entering orbit at about 10:41 a.m. Eastern. The spacecraft will fire its main thrusters for 27 minutes to slow it down enough for the planet’s gravity to capture the spacecraft into orbit. The maneuver is one of the most critical phases of the mission after its launch in July 2020. Failure to perform the maneuver as planned could prevent the spacecraft from entering orbit or even cause it to collide with the planet, as happened with NASA’s Mars Climate Orbiter mission in 1999. “This is a heavily rehearsed, designed, tested maneuver,” said Sarah Al Amiri, UAE mi