Archive for the ‘Space News’ Category
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October 16th, 2022
Photo credit: AST Space Mobile
According to satellite watchers, the BlueWalker 3 is expected to unfold its giant antenna panel during this second half of this month – which began today. In doing so, that panel will become much brighter – a deployment that is stirring up ground-based astronomers.
There is a light curve of the magnitudes recorded so far of BlueWalker 3.
Chart courtesy: Anthony Mallama via Seesat-lThat spacecraft was lofted on September 10th and, according to AST Space Mobile, is a predecessor to planned commercial satellites called BlueBirds.
BlueWalker 3 is AST SpaceMobile’s prototype satellite and is designed to operate directly with standard, unmodified mobile devices. The spacecraft has a 64-square meter phased array antenna designed for direct-to-cell connectivity.
Credit: Nokia Communications
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Credit: RAND
RAND researchers have issued a new report: “Chinese and Russian Perceptions of and Responses to U.S. Military Activities in the Space Domain.”
Their findings are based on a systematic review of a variety of Chinese and Russian primary sources to gain insights into internal Chinese and Russian perceptions of developments in U.S. military activities related to space and counterspace doctrine, exercises, and organization.
Washington, Beijing, and Moscow appear to be caught in an action-reaction cycle that perpetuates justifications for continued military actions in space based on previous adversary activities, is an output from the report.
One report observation: “As China and Russia increase cooperation in space, such as remote sensing, satellites, a potential joint lunar base, and even missile early warning, will this drive a further convergence of a common perspective of U.S. space activities and greater coordination on the international stage?
To access the full report – “Chinese and Russian Perceptions of and Responses to U.S. Military Activities in the Space Domain” — Go to:
An artist’s view of a Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) as it cuts through the atmosphere of Mars.
Credit: NASA
Touching safely down on Mars is a true, nail biting event. Those terror gripping, heart-stopping moments of entry, descent, and landing (EDL) after months of cruising to the Red Planet are indeed frightening affairs.
The EDL community is busy at work on fresh ideas on how to breach Mars’ atmosphere, put on the speed brakes, and plop down payloads. One big and new assignment is NASA’s Mars Sample Return project and the challenges that initiative faces.
SpaceX Starship enters Mars’ atmosphere and decelerates aerodynamically.
Credit: SpaceX
Getting down, dirty and securely on Mars remains a delicate balance of technical skill, mixed in with hard-earned luck.
Go to my new Space.com story – “Landing on Mars: Keep straight and fly right for Martian touchdown success” – at:
https://www.space.com/landing-on-mars-challenges-entry-descent
Credit: NewSpace Global (NSG)/Multiverse Media Group
A new report, “Cislunar Market Opportunities – In-Space Business within the Earth-Moon System,” provides a well-researched, in-depth analysis of this emerging economy.
As explained in the report, a cislunar economy will involve a much more expansive, interconnected, and sustainable paradigm for space development.
“Instead of disposable satellites operating independently of other spacecraft, there are interactions among spacecraft that can remain active indefinitely,” notes the report. “Instead of satellite businesses that serve only users on Earth, there are spacecraft businesses that provide services that enable other spacecraft to fulfill their purpose.”
One key message of the report is that in most every sector of in-space development, there are companies with significant funding and capabilities.
CisLunar econosphere graphic presented by Tory Bruno, CEO of United Launch Alliance, depicts the various space vehicles, habitats, and other elements involved in creating
a cislunar economy
Credit: NewSpace Global (NSG)/Multiverse Media Group
“Furthermore, most of the companies either have systems in space or have launch dates for their first missions,” the report points out.
Five focus areas
The 161-page report is divided into five sections:
— Chapter 1. An overview of the sector.
— Chapter 2. In-Space Infrastructure in Earth Orbit – satellite servicing and life extension, in-space assembly and manufacturing, propellant depots, orbital platforms, space tugs, transfer vehicles, space debris removal and more.
— Chapter 3. Lunar Markets – commercial robotic missions, resource extraction and utilization, communications and navigation satellites, power systems, science and technology R&D, sponsorships and promotions and data storage.
— Chapter 4. Human Cislunar Activity – Commercial space stations, NASA’s Artemis program and other commercial opportunities.
— Chapter 5. The Decade Ahead – A look at how the cislunar economy will develop in the 2020’s.
Published by NewSpace Global (NSG), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Multiverse Media Group, NSG is a leading market analysis firm specializing in emerging commercial space opportunities since 2011.
For more information about “Cislunar Market Opportunities – In-Space Business within the Earth-Moon System” and acquiring the full study, go to:
Credit: UCF
Back in December 2020, the iconic instrument platform of the 305-meter telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico collapsed.
The unique observatory contributed to scientific discoveries including the demonstration of gravitational waves from a binary pulsar and the first discovery of an extrasolar planet, as well as radar scanning of asteroids. Loosing Arecibo was a loss for the scientific community.
Arecibo radio telescope, pictured here in the spring of 2019.
Credit: UCF
Credit: Michelle Negron, National Science Foundation
Damage to the 305-meter telescope at Arecibo Observatory, after its collapse on Dec. 1, 2020. The remains of the instrument platform are visible on the telescope’s dish.
Credit: Michelle Negron, National Science Foundation
But now a new multidisciplinary, world-class educational center at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is on tap, aiming to serve as a hub for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and outreach.
Science Act of 2022
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a solicitation October 13 for the center, expected to open in 2023. This new educational center is consistent with guidance provided in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.
That act “encourages the National Science Foundation, in consultation with other Federal agencies, to explore opportunities for strengthening and expanding the role of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico through education, outreach, and diversity programs, and future research capabilities and technology at the site.”
Asteroid 2014 HQ124 appears to be an elongated, irregular object that is at least 1,200 feet (370 meters) wide on its long axis.
Image credits:
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Arecibo Observatory
USRA/NSF
Stewarded by NSF since the 1970s, the Arecibo Observatory is operated under cooperative agreement by the University of Central Florida.
Outreach
The new center would expand upon existing education and outreach opportunities currently in place at the Arecibo Observatory site, while also implementing new STEM programs and initiatives.
The NSF solicitation calls for proposals to manage the education, STEM research, and outreach aspects of the center. Resources available on site include: a learning center, the Ángel Ramos Science and Visitor’s center, exhibition space, laboratory space, auditorium, cafeteria, office space, and dormitories.
The solicitation does not include rebuilding the 305-meter telescope or operational support for current scientific infrastructure, such as the 12-meter radio telescope or Lidar facility at the site.
Further information and a link to the solicitation is available at:
Credit: Roscosmos
Russian scientists see an agreement signed soon between Russia and China on the creation of an International Lunar Scientific Station (ILRS).
According to Russia’s TASS news agency, the forthcoming inking of a formal agreement on the ILRS was detailed by Anatoly Petrukovich, head of Russia’s group of ILRS experts. He is also director of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS).
Petrukovich discussed details at the now underway XIII Moscow Symposium on the Study of the Solar System, as also noted by the informative Novosti-Kosmonavtiki news site.
Artist’s view of China/Russia International Lunar Research Station to be completed by 2035. Credit: CNSA/Roscosmos
Full-fledged agreement
“Even last year, a memorandum was signed between Russia and China on cooperation in the development of plans for the creation of the International Scientific Lunar Station,” Petrukovich said. “Cooperation is developing systematically…our joint scientific groups are working, and a full-fledged agreement on the implementation of this program will be signed in the near future.”
Petrukovich said that Chinese and Russian experts have identified nine priority scientific topics for cooperation, such as: lunar topography and geology, internal structure, chemistry, circumlunar space, as well as the possible construction of lunar telescopes and scientific instruments for observing the Earth and outer space, as well as searching for particles of light dark matter.
Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft.
Credit: Lavochkin/Roscosmos
Russia’s Luna program
Identified as a first phase of the ILRS project, China’s Chang’e and Russia’s Luna spacecraft will carry out reconnaissance and collect data necessary for the implementation of the cooperation program.
In particular, as Petrukovich noted, the next three missions under the Luna program will help scientists choose the most optimal place for building a base in terms of resource availability and scientific feasibility.
That said, Russian space specialists in the Luna program have announced significant slips in rekindling the country’s Moon exploration program, with the first in the series, Luna-25, now delayed for launch until next year. Similarly, follow-on probes in the Luna series are likely slipping too.
Anatoly Petrukovich, head of Russia’s group of ILRS experts. He is also director of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS).
Via Novosti-Kosmonavtiki
Joint research
Petrukovich reportedly said that experts have not yet reached a consensus on whether the base will be built at one point or spaced apart, which is optimal from the point of view of astrophysical research.
To scope out answers, Russian and Chinese scientists have prepared 14 proposals for joint research within the framework of the Chang’e and Luna missions, including those related to the search for water reserves on the Moon and the study of the properties of regolith and lunar soil.
A second phase of the ILRS initiative, which is targeted to start in 2026, scientists will work on testing life support systems, as well as developing systems for delivering heavy payloads to the Moon. The construction of the base will be completed in 2035.
Credit: JAXA/NHK
Earth-looking work
The ILRS is also to have an Earth-looking component.
Liu Guang, professor at the Institute of Aerospace Information Research of the Academy of Sciences in Beijing, said the scientific outpost on the Moon will be used to conduct unique studies of the Earth.
As part of this scientific package, observations of the state of glaciers, the level of greenhouse gas emissions, the movement of the global “conveyor of currents” in the world ocean and other global processes affecting the entire planet as a whole, would be addressed, according to Novosti-Kosmonavtiki.
Credit: JPL/Caltech
Starting in May 2022, a new director took the reins of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. The lab is home to milestone making spacecraft that have plumbed the inner and outer worlds of our solar system, but has also suffered missteps too.
Laurie Leshin is the first woman to serve as JPL director, a role that also includes serving as Vice President at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA.
Credit: JPL/Caltech
Now the helmswoman at JPL, Leshin sees opportunities to leverage JPL’s leadership in robotic space exploration and a diversity of other areas. But doing so could be like herding cats. She advocates having the lab branch out beyond traditional collaborators, partners, and colleagues to also embrace today’s non-traditional ecosystem of space players and providers.
Go to my SpaceNews interview with Leshin – “Finding balance within the space ecosystem: Q&A with JPL Director Laurie Leshin” – at:
https://spacenews.com/finding-balance-within-the-space-ecosystem-qa-with-jpl-director-laurie-leshin/
Credit: Amazon Prime Video
As you read this, there are a trio of robots alive and well and purging Mars of its secrets: NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, as well as China’s wheeled Zhurong machinery.
All this get-up-and-go on the Red Planet owes a major thank you to two earlier robotic explorers: NASA’s Spirit and Opportunity that landed on the planet in 2004.
Both had expected lifetimes of about 90 days, a warranty that was greatly surpassed.
Of the two, Spirit was first to expire. After March 22, 2010, mission controllers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) were not able to regain contact with Spirit. NASA officially concluded its recovery efforts May 25, 2011.
The Opportunity Mars rover was declared dead to that world on February 13, 2019 more than eight months after the robot fell mute during an intense dust storm. Final calls to awaken the rover yielded no response.
Good Night Oppy is a film that primarily focuses on the story of Opportunity, a live-long-and-prosper robot that survived for 15 years trekking about on Mars. But the film is far more than a travelogue of technology clunking its way on that distant world.
What has been captured is an emotional link between humans and automatons, the thrill of exploration, and even heartbreak given Opportunity’s last picture show. The robot was a product of years of teamwork, tenacity, and determined will to open up Mars to a new set of scouting eyes. Following its airbag-bouncing landing, Opportunity delivered on every expectation and delivered so much more.
Good Night Oppy premiered at the recent Telluride Film Festival, now moving to theatrical release from Amazon on November 4, followed by its availability on Amazon Prime Video starting November 23.
Ryan White is the film’s director, and co-writer. White and colleagues have produced a truly moving account of the unexpected fifteen-year sojourn of Opportunity and the surprising bond that formed between the robot and the team of scientists and engineers operating the probe, wheeling and dealing with what Mars threw at them.
Featuring photo-real special visual effects and animation by Industrial Light & Magic and the voice of Angela Bassett, Good Night Oppy charts Oppy’s unforgettable journey – and delivers on the promise that Mars still has much to tell us.
Go to this Good Night Oppy Official Trailer at:
Image credit: ILC Dover
Having face time with the Earth from space puts you squarely in the zone of the “Overview Effect” – a cognitive shift that has been experienced by some space travelers.
There are multiple efforts under way to share the experience of the Overview Effect through virtual reality, explains Frank White, President & Board Chair of the Human Space Program. He coined the term for the phenomenon.
Credit: Human Space Program
Meditative journey
Now, Ryan Holmes is “bringing the Overview Effect down to Earth.” His company, Space/VR, has just listed their Overview app on App Lab and they are looking for Oculus Quest users who want to experience this mind-opening occurrence.
Credit: Ryan Holmes/Space/VR
“We have successfully recreated the profound experience of orbiting the Earth using real space footage from NASA for everyone to enjoy in the comfort of your home,” the VR firm explains.
“This is a deeply relaxing, meditative journey through space to a new level of awareness best experienced lying down in a peaceful setting.”
For more information on Space/VR go to:
Also, go to my recent SPACE.com story – “Interview: Frank White on the Iconic ‘Overview Effect’” – at:
https://www.leonarddavid.com/interview-frank-white-on-the-iconic-overview-effect/
Fast paced series of missions will complete China’s space station by year’s end.
Credit: CMSA/CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China is entering the final stage of completing the country’s space station.
A Long March 7 carrier rocket that will be used to send the Tianzhou-5 cargo spaceship into orbit to dock with the Tiangong space station arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province on October 11, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Credit: CNSA/CCTV/CGTN/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The rocket was carried by ships from Tianjin, a northern coastal municipality and home to the rocket’s manufacturing facility, reports China Central Television (CCTV). It will be assembled and then undergo ground tests with the Tianzhou-5 at the launch complex.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Rapid pace
China space program officials note that, as scheduled, four missions are set to rapidly occur – the Mengtian lab mission launch, the Tianzhou-5 resupply mission liftoff, the Shenzhou-15 crewed flight, and the return of the three-person Shenzhou-14 team — will be done before the end of this year to realize the full construction of the space station.
Station complete is set for year’s end.
Credit: CNSA/CCTV Video News Agency/Inside Outer Space screengrab
At the same time, preparations for the Shenzhou-15 crewed mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China are underway, as is readiness training to handle the return of the now-orbiting Shenzhou-14 crew.
For videos showcasing China’s final staging of missions to complete the country’s space station, go to:
