A sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government (US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest (find previous space policy roundups here):

• Schedule:
  • What’s Happening in Space Policy May 30-June 5, 2021 – SpacePolicyOnline.com
  • Reducing Space Threats: A Resolution, Volume 2, Tue, Jun 1, 2021 at 11:00 am EDT – Space Court Foundation
  • NSS Space Forum – Gerard K. O’Neill and the Future that Calls Us – Zoom Webinar – Jun 3, 2021, 09:00 pm EDT (06:00 pm PDT)
• NASA lunar programs:
  • Who will race SpaceX to the moon? – SpaceNews
  • Op-ed | Artemis 2026: Celebrating America’s 250th with the next humans on the moon – SpaceNews
  • South Korea signs Artemis Accords; Brazil, New Zealand likely next – SpaceNews
  • Companies and government agencies announce plans for lunar rover projects – SpaceNews
  • Lockheed Martin, General Motors Team Up to Develop Next-Generation Lunar Rover for NASA Artemis Astronauts to Explore the Moon – GM
  • Lockheed Martin and General Motors partner for NASA lunar rover – CNBC
  • Artemis human landing system selection:
    • Bernie Sanders wants to stop NASA funding for Blue Origin | Ars Technica
    • Bezos’ Blue Origin may get second shot at NASA dollars via ‘bailout’ amendment | Fox Business
    • Hawley, Sanders decry $10B ‘bailout’ to Jeff Bezos tucked into bill to rebuff China | Fox Business
• Biden space:
  • NASA’s Bill Nelson shows how sausage making will take America back to the moon | TheHill
  • Necessary but not sufficient: Presidents and space policy 60 years after Kennedy – The Space Review
• NASA budget:
  • NASA Administrator Statement on President’s FY 2022 Funding Request | NASA
  • Budget Documents, Strategic Plans and Performance Reports | NASA
  • NASA budget goes all-in on science, stays the course on Moon lander | Ars Technica
  • NASA administrator unveils $24.8 billion 2022 budget request – Spaceflight Now
  • Biden Budget Retains Goal of Putting Astronauts Back on Moon by 2024 – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• NASA programs:
  • Cost and schedule overruns continue to grow for NASA programs – SpaceNews
  • NASA: Assessments of Major Projects – GAO
  • GAO Skeptical of “Ambitious” Artemis Schedule – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• US and China in space:
  • Nelson: “Watch the Chinese” – SpacePolicyOnline.com
  • Red planet scare – The Space Review
  • Kendall Says Countering China is Why He’s Coming Back to Pentagon – Air Force Magazine
  • ‘Our pacing threat is the Chinese,’ US Space Command leader says in Tokyo – Stripes.com
  • Managing the Military Problem of Space: The Case of China, Part 1 – The Diplomat
  • Managing the Military Problem of Space: The Case of China, Part 2 – The Diplomat
• Congressional space:
  • Congress asks GAO to investigate NASA cybersecurity – SpaceNews
  • Bernie Sanders wants to stop NASA funding for Blue Origin | Ars Technica
• Space technology:
  • Op-ed | America’s future in space is nuclear – SpaceNews
• SLS/Orion:
  • NASA evaluating schedule, launch date forecasts for Artemis 2 – NASASpaceFlight.com
• Commercial space:
  • The spaceflight revolution is launching more types of flights than ever – Axios
  • Human spaceflight:
    • Axiom announces Ax-2 mission commander and pilot — Axiom Space
    • Record-setting astronaut Peggy Whitson will command private space mission – UniverseToday.com
    • The arrival of routine flights of commercial space passengers to orbit now makes the meaning of the word “astronaut” very unclear – Behind the Black
  • Constellations
    • Lynk files FCC license application for initial direct-to-cellphone satellite system – SpaceNews
• Space apps:
  • GPS satellites can provide faster alerts when big earthquakes strike, scientists say | Space.com
• Regulation – spectrum, export control, launch, etc:
  • SpaceX:
    • Viasat asks FCC to halt Starlink launches while it seeks court ruling – SpaceNews
  • Telesat unlikely to get a C-band windfall for Lightspeed network – SpaceNews
  • Satellite operators near June 1 C-band clearing milestone – SpaceNews
• Space law:
  • Space Café Recap:“Law Breakfast with Steven Freeland” #03 – SpaceWatch.Global (incl. video)
  • Why the US should ban kinetic anti-satellite weapons – The Space Review
  • Move Over Artemis Accords! Behold the Lunar Governance Report and EAGLE Manifesto! – Universe Today
• Space traffic & environment issues:
  • Space debris endangers GPS – GPS World
  • Asteroid Close Calls | The Planetary Society
  • Opinion: Space Traffic Management: Trends 2020/2021 and Beyond – SpaceWatch.Global
  • Opinion: The Dreams of New Space – Sharing of Profit and Damage in Outer-Space Activities? – SpaceWatch.Global
  • Webinar Series on Norms, Rules and Principles of Responsible Behaviour in Outer Space – UNODA Meetings Place (incl. videos)
• US states space:
  • Newly announced Houston Spaceport project to include a startup incubator – InnovationMap
  • Rubel: Spaceport Business Plan Has Changed Since 2005 | KRWG (New Mexico)
  • New Tucson exhibit spotlights Arizona’s place in space exploration – KTAR.com
  • Backers of Georgia spaceport in Camden County hope for a decision soon – AJC.com
  • Editorial: Flight puts Virgin, NM in space race – Albuquerque Journal
• Weather & remote sensing satellites:
  • Connecting the Dots | The growing market for weather bets – SpaceNews
  • NASA brands future Earth science missions as Earth System Observatory – SpaceNews
  • NOAA adopts portfolio approach to Earth-observation mission – SpaceNews
  • A race against time to replace aging military weather satellites – SpaceNews
  • Space Café WebTalk with Will Marshall Recap: No longer flying blind: Earth imagery, the environmental sentinel – SpaceWatch.Global
• US Defense space:
  • Air Force nominee vows support for Space Force, will review current plans – SpaceNews
  • Pentagon nominees won’t second guess Space Command move to Huntsville – al.com
  • Space-Based Capabilities Are Critical to U.S. National Security, DOD Officials Say- Defense Department News
  • Biden and military space:
    • Biden seeks $2 billion funding boost for U.S. Space Force – SpaceNews
    • Space Force Gets $2 Billion Boost in FY2022 Request – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • Most Air Force manning remains flat while Space Force spikes in $174 billion budget request – Air Force Times
    • Space Force asks for extra $2 billion in 2022 budget – Air Force Magazine
    • Space Force Prioritizes R&D Replacing Vulnerable Systems – National Defense Magazine
  • Cybersecurity:
    • Pentagon working with space industry to counter Chinese espionage – SpaceNews
  • Launch:
    • NRO taking advantage of commercial launch options for lower-risk space missions – SpaceNews
    • Space Force: Only 6 More Launches With Russian Rocket Engines – Defense One
  • Orbital traffic:
    • As Space Junk Multiplies, Pentagon Is Stuck Tracking It for Civilians – Defense One
    • Senator Mark Kelly Shocked by Space Debris Communication – Air Force Magazine
    • Space Force looking to build new radar sites to track objects in high orbits – SpaceNews
  • Technology:
    • CesiumAstro unveils plan to test active phased array in orbit – SpaceNews
    • SES Government Solutions Provides Medium Earth Orbit Satellite Services for Combatant Command | SES
  • Acquisition:
    • Space Force warned to avoid past mistakes as it pursues new satellite acquisitions – SpaceNews
• General space policy topics, perspectives, etc:
  • Op-ed | Honor Our Fallen Space Pioneers This Memorial Day – SpaceNews
  • Earth’s Natural Harbor | Transterrestrial Musings
  • Reading Recommends For Strategic Space Policy – Greg Autry/Forbes.com
  • Op-ed | Artemis 2026: Celebrating America’s 250th with the next humans on the moon – SpaceNews

International space

• Africa:
  • African space firms poised for lift-off in satellite scramble – African Business
• Canada:
  • Nova Scotia companies chosen to help build Canada’s first commercial spaceport | ThePeterboroughExaminer.com
  • Maritime Launch Services selects N.S. firms to design and construct Canso rocket facility | SaltWire
  • Canada further invests in lunar exploration – SpaceWatch.Global
  • Telesat unlikely to get a C-band windfall for Lightspeed network – SpaceNews
• China:
  • China’s space programme: how Beijing is banking on youth to drive its celestial ambitions | South China Morning Post
  • China Focus: New advances inspire China’s deep space exploration – Xinhua
  • Space station:
    • China to send 3 male astronauts to its space station in June – ABC News
    • China Ready for Astronaut Send-off to Space Station Construction Site – Leonard David
    • China Space Station: What has Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft delivered? – CGTN
    • China’s cargo craft successfully docks with space station module – Xinhua
    • Tianzhou-2 docks with China’s space station module – SpaceNews
  • China/Russia co-op:
    • Russia, China hope to secure partners for moon base project – SpaceNews
    • China, Russia’s space programs to share space flight components – ABS-CBN News
    • Russia, China send invitations to partners to joint lunar research station project – TASS
  • Science missions:
    • 8 Chinese names approved for features on moon, making 35 in total – CGTN
  • Constellations:
    • China establishes company to build satellite broadband megaconstellation – SpaceNews
• Europe
  • ESA signs contract for new generation of Galileo – ESA
  • ESA inks €1.47 billion Galileo contracts with Airbus and Thales – SpaceWatch.Global
  • ExoMars parachutes ready for high altitude tests – SpaceWatch.Global
  • Breton sees no role for Eutelsat in EU constellation – SpaceWatch.Global
  • EU sees conflict of interest with Eutelsat’s investment in OneWeb – SpaceNews
• India:
  • Spacetech startup Bellatrix Aerospace successfully tests India’s first privately built Hall Thruster – YourStory.com
  • 2nd wave hits Isro, but aims for December launch of uncrewed mission – Times of India
  • [NASA] joins hands with Isro to develop Earth Observatory to mitigate climate change, better disaster management – India Today
  • Covid-19 throws New Delhi’s space programme off schedule, South Asia News & Top Stories – The Straits Times
• Japan:
  • Companies and government agencies announce plans for lunar rover projects – SpaceNews
• Russia:
  • Space Force: Only 6 More Launches With Russian Rocket Engines – Defense One
  • Roscosmos Chief Invites NASA Counterpart to Visit Russia to Discuss Space Cooperation – Sputnik International
  • Program of human flights to Moon with Angara rockets to cost over $5 bln, says Roscosmos – TASS
  • China co-op:
    • Russia, China hope to secure partners for moon base project – SpaceNews
    • China, Russia’s space programs to share space flight components – ABS-CBN News
  • ISS:
    • NASA chief hopes Russia-US cooperation on ISS to continue – TASS
    • NASA’s 2022 budget envisages no purchases of Soyuz seats — official – TASS
    • ISS Nauka module passes trials, permission for launch granted — Roscosmos – TASS
• Scotland:
  • Sutherland space hub boss predicts space tourism from Scotland ‘in our lifetime’ | The National
  • Unst distillery launces space-themed gin – PressAndJournal.co.uk
• Serbia:
  • Space Café Balkan Recap: Raycho Rachev, CEO of Endurosat – SpaceWatch.Global (incl. video)
• South Korea:
  • South Korea signs Artemis Accords; Brazil, New Zealand likely next – SpaceNews
  • With Artemis Accords on the table, South Korea, U.S. to widen cooperation in space exploration, security – SpaceNews
• Spain:
  • Space Café Spain by Izan Peris Recap: Carlos Entrena, CEO of Plus Ultra Space Outposts – SpaceWatch.Global (Incl. video)
• Thailand:
  • Vessel Monitoring System Helps Tackle Fisheries Management in Thailand | ORBCOMM Blog
• UAE
  • Next steps for Hope probe’s mission to Mars | The National
  • UAE’s Hope Probe captures stunning photos of Mars – Khaleej Times
  • UAE’s Emirates Hope Probe is ready to gather data from Mars – Arabianbusiness
  • UAE pushes for global co-operation in space and potential Mars colony | The National
• UK:
  • The UK really wants commercial spaceports. Will they see rockets fly in 2022? | Space
  • Mystery firm eye Prestwick spaceport launch as plans gather pace – Daily Record
  • Judicial review into Sutherland spaceport to be heard next month – Business Insider
  • OneWeb to lead beam-hopping satellite project funded by UK – SatellitePro ME
  • Government shares spaceport plans to bring Cornwall one step closer to space travel in 2022 – ITV News
  • Civil engineers invited to join the space race as UK Spaceport plans outlined | New Civil Engineer
  • Sutherland spaceport: Specialist survey work to begin at £17m site – PressAndJournal.co.uk
  • UK funds beam-hopping satellite for OneWeb-led consortium in 2022 – SpaceNews
  • British spaceflight to become reality as government provides launchpad for spaceports – GOV.UK

Webcasts:

** Episode 37 Viasat, FCC, NEPA and Starlink – Space Thoughts (YouTube) – Space Law & Policy SolutionsMichael Listner

Link to the story in Space News: https://spacenews.com/viasat-asks-fcc…

** China Launches Tianzhou-2 Cargo Spacecraft to Space Station, Zhurong Rover’s Deployment Prep – Ep 35  – Dongfang Hour – YouTube

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Dongfang Hour China Aero/Space News Roundup! Without further ado, the news update from the week of 24 – 30 May:

1) Launch of Tianzhou-2 Cargo Mission
2) China’s Efforts to ensure a successful deployment of Zhurong on the Martian ground
3) Euroconsult Webinar Takeaways

Do remember to check out also our weekly newsletter which does a broader coverage, going over pieces of news that we don’t have time to discuss in the weekly podcast (https://www.dongfanghour.com/).

See also the program summary: Dongfang Hour China Aerospace News Roundup 24 May – 30 May 2021 – SpaceWatch.Global.

**E61: New START Treaty Extension – What’s Next? – Aerospace Corp Space Policy (Vimeo) – Center for Space Policy & Strategy (CSPS)

** Space Café WebTalk – Moriba’s Vox Populi – 8. April 2021 – spacewatch. global – News Room – YouTube

In this session of Space Cafè “Moriba’s Vox Populi #04” Dr. Moriba Jah talked about security concerns in near-earth space (mostly) and ideas on how we can develop operational protocols and practices to minimize misinterpretations that could lead to undesirable escalatory behaviours with

Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Schrogl, seconded from the European Space Agency to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy,
Dr. Laura Grego, Senior Scientist in the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists,
Artem Mokhnatkin, Junior Research Fellow for the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences
Dr Jinyuan Su, Institute of International Law, Wuhan University, China
Moriba’s Vox Populi is a disruptor in the current growing ocean of webcasts!

** Space Café WebTalk – Alexandre Vallet – 16. April 2021 – spacewatch. global – News Room – YouTube

During this week’s Space Café episode, SpaceWatch.Global publisher, Torsten Kriening brought his focus back to Switzerland, interviewing Alexandre Vallet, who is the Chief of the Space Services Department, which is part of the Radio Communications Bureau at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Based in Geneva, the ITU is one of the United Nations’ specialised agencies, facilitating the exchange of information and strengthening communications networks between countries. Their aim is to bring modern communication technologies to all people, everywhere in an efficient, safe, easy and affordable manner.

In his role at the UN and as a trained radio-frequency engineer with a career spanning two decades, Alexandre’s motto is that outer space knows no borders. His team works to ensure that satellite operators can use radio frequencies to deliver their services, providing emergency telecommunications in times of emergency and crisis, as well as advising countries and companies on regulation and policy.

** Space Café WebTalk – SUMMIT 02 – 15. April 2021 – spacewatch. global – News Room – YouTube

Can regulation match innovation in a space race? 3 experts discuss

The space race never ended. In fact, it just got a whole lot faster

Space engineering has always been a fundamentally future thinking activity, but in recent years mass investment in the industry coupled with technological development has been like a shot in the arm. The stakes couldn’t be higher and, as a result, discussions around the industry’s future success, safety and viability are now more important than ever.

Underscoring all of these discussions is regulation, and the question of whether it can keep up.

During this week’s Space Cafe Summit, Occupy Space: Where are we going?, Markus Payer , SpaceWatch.Globals Editor-in-Chief had the chance to discuss the future of space with three space experts who are each leader in their field, Professor Pascale Ehrenfreund, Dr. Peter Martinez and Kenneth Hodgkins.

Watch it here to learn about regulation, safety, traffic management, settlements on Moon and Mars sectors, possible space wars, and both the optimism and scepticism that are defining the future of space.

** Lockheed Martin, General Motors Team Up to Develop Next-Generation Lunar Rover for NASA Artemis Astronauts to Explore the Moon – GM

A new generation of lunar rovers under development by Lockheed Martin and GM could be used by Artemis astronauts to extend and enhance the exploration of the surface of the moon.

** Hotel Mars at The John Bachelor Show/The Space Show – Wed.May.26.2021 – Marcia S. Smith spoke with John Batchelor and Dr. David Livingston about “the upcoming Russian ISS tourist flights plus two upcoming Crew Dragon flights, one to the ISS and one which will be a private flight to orbit Earth for three days“.

** The Space Show – Tuesday, May.26.2021 – Lisa La Bonte discussed “space in the Middle East, the Emirates, UAE, STEM programs and her NGO, plus lots more. This was a very informative program which included the Hope Mission now orbiting Mars and sending pictures back home.”

** May 26, 2021 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast

** SpaceX CRS-22: Research Overview – ISS National Lab

On SpaceX CRS-22, more than a dozen payloads sponsored by the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory will launch to the orbiting laboratory. Payloads on this mission include fundamental and applied research from recognizable private-sector companies and leading academic institutions as well as research funded by other government organizations. To learn about all ISS National Lab-sponsored research on SpaceX CRS-22, please visit our mission overview page at www.issnationallab.org/launches/spacex-crs-22/

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A sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government (US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest (find previous space policy roundups here):

• Schedule:
  • What’s Happening in Space Policy May 23-29, 2021 – SpacePolicyOnline.com
  • IAF moves forward with in-person conference in Dubai – SpaceNews
• NASA lunar programs:
  • SpaceX Dragon XL could double as a crew cabin for lunar space station – Teslarati
  • South Korea to join NASA’s Artemis project: reports – SpaceNews
  • 3 Students Named Winners of Artemis Moon Pod Essay Contest | NASA
  • Artemis human landing system selection:
    • SpaceX HLS Contract Gets Protection in Revised Senate Bill – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • Redundancy now, or redundancy never? – The Space Review
    • Op-ed | Multiple Providers Limit Risk in Returning to the Moon – SpaceNews
• Biden space:
  • Nelson cites China’s growing space prowess, calls for sustained NASA funding – Spaceflight Now
  • Nelson Sees Jobs Bill as Solution to HLS and Other Funding Needs – SpacePolicyOnline.com
  • NASA chief Bill Nelson talks rockets, Moon plans, and partnerships – The Verge
  • NASA seeking more than $10 billion in infrastructure bill – SpaceNews
  • Nelson uses Chinese Mars landing as a warning to Congress – SpaceNews
  • Bill Nelson pledges action on Artemis, Mars and China in 1st hearing as NASA chief | Space.com
  • New NASA administrator, citing China missions, calls for sustained support in Congress – CBS News
  • Appointments:
    • Melroy, Spinrad Sail Through Confirmation Hearing – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • Melroy wins strong support at hearing to be NASA deputy administrator – SpaceNews
    • Senate panel advances Biden pick as WH science adviser – ABC News
• NASA programs:
  • Cost and schedule overruns continue to grow for NASA programs – SpaceNews
• Commercial Cargo & Crew:
  • NASA, SpaceX Announce Target Launch Time for Next Resupply Services Mission – SpaceX/NASA Blogs –
    “NASA and SpaceX are targeting 1:29 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 3, for the company’s 22nd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, topped by the uncrewed Cargo Dragon spacecraft, is scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.“
• US and China in space:
  • NASA Statement on China’s Zhurong Mars Rover Photos | NASA
  • Op-ed | Beijing’s Troubling Space Ambitions – SpaceNews
  • Why China Could Vanquish the U.S. in New Space Race | RealClearPolitics
  • China space station’s giant robotic arm sparks concerns in US | South China Morning Post
• NASA science programs:
  • NASA to delay next New Frontiers competition – SpaceNews
• Congressional space:
  • Lucas and Babin Urge NASA not to Diminish Planetary Exploration | Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
• Space technology:
  • NASA 3D-Printed Engine Hardware Passes Cold Spray, Hot Fire Tests | NASA
• Human spaceflight:
  • NASA adds astronaut to commercial crew mission – SpaceNews
• ISS & other space stations:
  • Redwire Successfully Delivers First Pair of iROSA Solar Arrays to Augment International Space Station Power Supply | Redwire
• Commercial space:
  • Space & America’s Future: Private Sector Drives Progress | National Review
  • Build back better – The Space Review
  • Commercial LEO:
    • Sierra Space Signs In-Space Manufacturing Agreement – Sierra Space
  • Human spaceflight:
    • Discovery adventure TV show to launch winning contestant to space station
    • Discovery channel to launch contest to fly winner to space – Behind the Black
• Regulation – spectrum, export control, launch, etc:
  • SpaceX:
    • The FCC’s big bet on Elon Musk and his SpaceX Starlink satellite internet service – Vox
  • FAA Milestone: 400 Licensed Commercial Space Launches and Counting – FAA
• Space traffic & environment issues:
  • UBC researchers publish paper on risks of mega-constellations – SpaceQ
  • Satellite mega-constellations create risks in Low Earth Orbit, the atmosphere and on Earth | Nature
  • Orbital debris removal:
    • Astroscale drives space debris program with further Sunrise funding – SpaceWatch.Global
• US states space:
  • Gov. Lujan Grisham attends successful Virgin Galactic launch in Southern New Mexico | Office of the Governor
  • Raphael Warnock asks FAA to slow review of spaceport in Camden County – SavannahNow.com
  • Warnock Urges FAA Not To ‘Cut Corners’ On Spaceport Review | 90.1 FM WABE
• Weather & remote sensing satellites:
  • Private sector seeks bigger role in NASA Earth science programs – SpaceNews
  • World’s first, satellite-based monitoring system goes global to help save coral reefs | EurekAlert
• Space weather:
  • How space weather could wreck NASA’s return to the moon | MIT Technology Review
• US Defense space:
  • Launch:
    • United States Space Force partnering with VOX Space for first DoD launch – Los Angeles Air Force Base – VOX Space is the Virgin Orbit subsidiary dealing with military payloads.
    • Falcon Heavy’s first national security launch slips to October – Spaceflight Now
    • With ULA’s new rocket Vulcan behind schedule, Space Force agrees to let Atlas 5 fill in – SpaceNews
    • A Starcruiser for Space Force: Thinking Through the Imminent Transformation of Spacepower – War on the Rocks
  • Weather satellites:
    • A race against time to replace aging military weather satellites – SpaceNews
    • Op-ed | Arming warfighters with advanced weather systems: What must happen next – SpaceNews
  •  Technology:
    • Space Force looking to build new radar sites to track objects in high orbits – SpaceNews

International space

• Australia:
  • Opinion: SpaceX’s reusable rocket technology will have implications for Australia by Malcolm Davis – SpaceWatch.Global
  • Australian military to set up space division with $7bn budget – The Guardian
• China:
  • Space station:
    • China’s core space station module Tianhe completes in-orbit tests – Xinhua
  • Tianwen-1 lander and Zhurong rover landing on Mars:
    • NASA Statement on China’s Zhurong Mars Rover Photos | NASA
    • China’s New Mars Rover Could Accelerate a Growing Space Race | Discover Magazine
    • China’s Mars Rover: On a Roll – Leonard David
    • Why the China Mars rover’s landing site has geologists excited – Nature
    • On its first try, China’s Zhurong rover hit a Mars milestone that took NASA decades – The Conversation
    • Red China Reaches Red Planet as Beijing Joins Mars Club | The Heritage Foundation
    • Interview: China’s Mars mission paves way for more capable missions, says Australian space scientist – Xinhua
  • China/Russia lunar co-op:
    • Why the China-Russia space alliance will speed up human exploration of Mars – The Space Review
  • Science missions:
    • China successfully launches new ocean observation satellite – Xinhua
• Europe
  • Astroscale drives space debris program with further Sunrise funding – SpaceWatch.Global
  • ESA creates new job of Director of Commercialisation – SpaceWatch.Global
  • FROM ORBIT TO SOIL: How Earth Observation Can Help Achieve the European Green Deal – SpaceWatch.Global
  • Space Venture Europe 2020: Historic year for European New Space start-ups – SpaceWatch.Global
  • European space: Balancing cooperation with competition – London Business News
  • Deep space communication and navigation – ESA
  • Europe making progress on sovereign LEO constellation as OneWeb and Starlink race ahead – SpaceNews
  • Space Café WebTalk with Katherine Courtney Recap: Are we sleepwalking into the next catastrophe? – SpaceWatch.Global (incl. video)
  • Cool test of Proba-V companion – ESA
  • Moonlight lunar communications and navigation system:
    • ESA awards study contracts for lunar communications and navigation systems – SpaceNews
    • SSTL to lead consortium for ESA Moonlight – SSTL
    • Moonlight: bringing connectivity to the Moon – ESA
    • ESA to unveil its plans for lunar satellites – ESA
    • Europe pushes Moonlight, a lunar satellite constellation – SpaceWatch.Global
• Germany:
  • NewSpace Industry Report 2020 Germany – SpaceWatch.Global
• India:
  • Guess what’s keeping Indian space startups busy during lockdown – CanIndia News
  • Op-ed | India at the Inflection Point: A New Era in the Space Ecosystem – SpaceNews
• Japan:
  • Russian, Japanese satellites to come within 200 meters of each other on May 19 – TASS
• Nigeria:
  • Viasat secures full suite of operating licenses in Nigeria – SatellitePro ME
• Russia:
  • First mission of Russia’s nuclear-powered space tug to take 50 months – Science & Space – TASS
  • Russia continues to work with other states in space despite sanctions — Glavkosmos company – TASS
  • Russia to be glad to see Musk at Global Space Exploration Conference in St. Petersburg – TASS
  • Russia has plans for space launches from Kourou in coming years — space official – TASS
  • Russian, Japanese satellites to come within 200 meters of each other on May 19 – TASS
  • Tourism:
    • Russia has no intention to cede space tourism market to US — Glavkosmos company – TASS
  • Lunar missions:
    • Russia’s space corporation to submit its updated lunar program to government in June – TASS
    • Russia’s Return to the Moon: Luna-25 – Leonard David
  • China co-op:
    • Why the China-Russia space alliance will speed up human exploration of Mars – The Space Review
• South Korea:
  • South Korea to join NASA’s Artemis project: reports – SpaceNews
• Sweden:
  • In Sweden’s Far North, a Space Complex Takes Shape – The New York Times
• Tunisia:
  • #SpaceWatchGL Opinion: Building Blocks in the Space sector, Tunisia Case – SpaceWatch.Global
• UK:
  • UK funds beam-hopping satellite for OneWeb-led consortium in 2022 – SpaceNews
  • More than 3,000 jobs created as space sector grows across the UK – GOV.UK
  • New government funding helps UK companies lead the way for future Moon missions – GOV.UK
  • The State of UK Space – SpaceWatch.Global – “the neuco team of Laurie Scott, Andrew Ball and Ewan Lawrenson spoke with UK space leader, Ian Jones, about the past, present and future of UK Space“.

Webcasts:

** NASA chief cites China’s Mars landing & moon plans in budget hearing – VideoFromSpace

NASA’s new administrator Bill Nelson cites the advancements that China is making with a Mars landing and potential landings on the moon’s south pole in a House Appropriations Committee hearing for the space agency’s 2022 budget. See photos from China’s Mars rover: https://www.space.com/china-mars-rove…

** Zhurong Sends Back 1st Images of Mars, Tianhe Module Tests, SASTIND Smallsat Regulations – Ep 34 – Dongfang Hour – YouTube

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Dongfang Hour China Aero/Space News Roundup! Without further ado, please find below the news update from the week of 17 – 23 May:

1) Another Fruitful Week for China’s Space Exploration Program
2) Completion of first batch of tests for the Tianhe Module
3) SASTIND Publishes New Regulations on Smallsat Manufacturing
4) Opinion Piece by Galaxy Space’s Xu Ming on China SatNet

Do remember to check out also our weekly newsletter which does a broader coverage, going over pieces of news that we don’t have time to discuss in the weekly podcast (https://www.dongfanghour.com/).

See also Dongfang Hour China Aerospace News Roundup 17 May – 23 May 2021 – SpaceWatch.Global

** Moonlight: bringing connectivity to the Moon – ESA

As international teams across the world forge plans to revisit the Moon, ESA is elaborating how best to facilitate this exploration. As part of its Moonlight initiative, the agency is encouraging European space companies to put a constellation of telecommunications and navigation satellites around the Moon. To succeed, the proposed lunar missions will require reliable navigation and telecommunication capabilities. Building these independently would be costly, complex and inefficient. If this work were outsourced to a consortium of space companies, each individual mission would become more cost-efficient. Having one system dedicated to lunar telecommunications and navigation could reduce design complexity, liberating missions to concentrate on their core activities. Because missions could rely on this dedicated telecommunications and navigation service, they would be lighter. This would make space for more scientific instruments or other cargo.

** The Space Show – Friday, May.21.2021 – Dr. Namrata Goswami discussed “space policy, Artemis, the Biden Space Policy, China and space plus more“.

** The Space Show – Tuesday, May.19.2021– Chris Carberry of Explore Mars Inc. talked about their upcoming Mars Innovation Forum (May 25-27, 2021, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm EDT Daily) and about the Space Drink Association.

** E60: Challenges of the US Space Industrial Base – Aerospace Corp Space Policy (Vimeo) – Center for Space Policy & Strategy (CSPS)

** 102 – Industrial IoT, Cubesat Constellations, and Getting VSATs to Work With LEO – Constellations Podcast

** Space Café WebTalk – Aarti Holla-Maini – 30. March 2021 – spacewatch. global – News Room – YouTube

In this week’s Space Café Webtalk “33 minutes with…”, SpaceWatch.Global publisher, Torsten Kriening, had the chance to speak with Aarti Holla-Maini, who, since 2004, has been the Secretary-General of the EMEA Satellite Operators Association (ESOA). ESOA is a CEO-driven satellite association, with 22 satellite operators from across multiple orbits as members.

Aarti is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on space technology, the Global 5G Coalition Network, and the Essential Digital Infrastructure & Services Network.

Starting her career at Airbus, Aarti has over 22 years’ experience in the aerospace industry. This week, she shared her insights into how an improved understanding of satellite communications by society and government can create a better, more inclusive, and secure global society.

** May 21, 2021 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast

** May 19, 2021 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast

** Launching: The Space Bar Show – A Retrospective – Space Court Foundation – YouTube

Signal Detected: (0:12) Intro: (0:54) Two space lawyers walk into a space bar: (1:03) Fletcher’s Used Satellite Emporium Commercial: (5:18) JG Relay Commercial: (6:20) In walks Scorpio…(“Space Junk Killed That Dude!”): (7:14) Power of Lox, by Dave and the Daves: (12:00) Don’t Land So Close To Me, by Dave and the Daves: (15:57) The History of Space Law (intro): (18:42) The Long Lost von Braun Zoom Call: (19:12) Interview with Jim Dunstan: (24:22) Safety Zone, by Dave and the Daves: (29:52) Last Yuri’s Night, by Dave and the Daves: (32:38) Happy Birthday von Karman!: (36:22) Stellar Decisis Trailer: (37:24) We should leave…: (39:17) Credits: (39:48)

** Welcome to Destination Station! – ISS National Lab

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A sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government (US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest (find previous space policy roundups here):

• Schedule:
  • What’s Happening in Space Policy May 16-22, 2021 – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• NASA lunar programs:
  • Congress fires warning shot at NASA after SpaceX Moon lander award – Ars Technica
  • Senate bill would direct NASA to select a second HLS company – SpaceNews
  • Maria Cantwell legislation could help Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin win a piece of NASA moon contract – The Washington Post
• Biden space:
  • With Bill Nelson, NASA stays course on commercial growth and Artemis
• NASA science programs:
  • Ariane 5 issue could delay JWST – SpaceNews
• Congressional space:
  • Senate Commerce Committee Again Approves SPACE Act – SpacePolicyOnline.com
  • Senate Committee Approves 2021 NASA Authorization, Requires Second HLS System – SpacePolicyOnline.com
• ISS & other space stations:
  • Russia’s Science Module for ISS Undergoes Final Checkouts – Leonard David
  • NASA says demand for private ISS missions exceeds flight opportunities – SpaceNews
  • NASA: Commercial demand exceeds supply at ISS – Behind the Black
• Commercial space:
  • The Profound Potential of Elon Musk’s New Rocket – Issue 100: Outsiders – Robert Zubrin/Nautilus\
  • Musk’s SpaceX has a competitive advantage over Bezos’ Blue Origin | TheHill
  • Human spaceflight:
    • Space Tourism Hitting Its Stride – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • Space Café WebTalk with Laura Seward Forczyk Recap: Civilian space flight is coming (for real this time) – SpaceWatch.Global
    • Russian actress, Japanese entrepreneur cleared for space station visits – Spaceflight Now
    • Russian film crew passes medical checks for October launch to space station – Space.com
    • Actress and moon-bound billionaire to film on space station missions – collectSPACE
• Science missions:
  • A Telescope on the Moon Could Illuminate the Dark Ages of the Universe | Discover Magazine
• Regulation – spectrum, export control, launch, etc:
  • FAA rejects payload review for Momentus – SpaceNews
  • Telesat ready to move fast on selling spectrum to fund Lightspeed constellation – SpaceNews
• Space traffic  & environment issues:
  • If a satellite falls on your house, space law protects you – but there are no legal penalties for leaving junk in orbit – The Conversation
• US states space:
  • Decision time approaching on Spaceport Camden | Local News | northwestgeorgianews.com
  • Long Beach benefits from surge in rocket industry – Spectrum News
  • Elon Musk is Turning Boca Chica Into a Space-Travel Hub. Not Everyone is Starstruck – Texas Monthly
  • As SpaceX Ramps Up Activity In The Rio Grande Valley, Local Concerns Grow | TPR
  • Immortal Data: Aiming for the Stars but Grounded in Las Cruces | KRWG
  • Vandenberg Space Force Base a Major Economic Boon in Two Counties, Study Shows – Noozhawk.com
• US Defense space:
  • Space Force Aims to Take on an Air Force Surveillance Mission – Defense One
  • New name for Vandenberg – Santa Barbara News-Press
  • Launch:
    • Space Force seeks bids for rocket engine testing and space transportation technologies – SpaceNews
  • Technology:
    • Space Force to spend years and billions of dollars to convert data into knowledge – SpaceNews
    • Space Force looking to deploy radar satellites to track moving targets on the ground – SpaceNews
  • Acquisition:
    • Modernization Investments Needed to Protect Space Domain, Space Force Chief Says – Defense Department News
• General space policy topics, perspectives, etc:
  • SWF May 2021 Newsletter

International space

• Australia:
  • What is Australia’s space division, and why is it in the military? – ABC News
  • Will there be wars in space? – Cosmos Magazine
• Canada:
  • Telesat ready to move fast on selling spectrum to fund Lightspeed constellation – SpaceNews
  • Canso spaceport secures $10.5M, aims for first launch next year | CBC News
• China:
  • U.S. senator: China landing on Mars a reminder ‘we don’t own space anymore’ – SpaceNews
  • Tianwen-1 lander and Zhurong rover landing on Mars:
    • China has landed its Zhurong rover on Mars | MIT Technology Review
    • China Mars Mission: Data Relay from Utopia Planitia – Leonard David
    • Experts, media worldwide applaud successful landing of China’s spacecraft on Mars – Xinhua
    • Hi Mars! China’s probe lands on Red Planet – CGTN
    • China lifts national pride with space program’s achievements – Chinadaily.com.cn
    • China succeeds in first Mars landing – Xinhua | English.news.cn
    • Xinhua Commentary: Spirit of self-reliance boosts China’s expedition to Mars and beyond – Xinhua
    • China Lands Rover on Mars – SpacePolicyOnline.com
    • China lands rover on Mars, making history on Tianwen-1 mission | collectSPACE
    • China’s Landing on Mars: Step by Step Success – Leonard David
    • In major milestone, China successfully lands Zhurong rover on Mars – CBS News
  • Space station:
    • China prepares to launch Tianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft – Chinadaily.com.cn
    • China Space Station: Cargo Craft Rolled Out – Leonard David
  • China/Russia lunar co-op:
    • Harmony of the Heavens: Augur of a new space era? | China Dialogues
    • China’s moon-sampling Chang’e 5 probe beams home eerie images from deep space | Space.com
  • Science missions:
    • China’s Yutu 2 rover about to ‘wake up’ on the far side of the moon | Space.com
  • BDS navigation system & technology:
    • BDS-3 system facilitates public transportation in east China’s Nanchang – Xinhua
    • China’s small-satellite smart manufacturing facility starts operations – Xinhua
  • Commercial space:
    • Chinese Space Sector Continues World-Leading Post-Covid Rebound: Euroconsult Quarterly Report released – SpaceWatch.Global
  • Military space:
    • China sends more classified Yaogan satellites to orbit | Space.com
• Europe
  • ESA partners with startup to launch first debris removal mission in 2025 | Space
  • Ariane 5 issue could delay JWST – SpaceNews
  • EU Space on a new trajectory with launch of EUSPA – EUSPA.Europa.eu
• Finland:
  • Opinion: Finland, A Small Nation Aiming High In Space – SpaceWatch.Global
• India:
  • India faces calls to shake up its space capabilities – Digital Battlespace/Shephard Media
• Indonesia:
  • Proposed base for Elon Musk’s SpaceX project threatens lands and livelihoods in Biak, Papua – The Conversation
• Japan:
  • OneWeb agrees [to] SoftBank alliance to get Japanese regulatory approvals – SpaceNews
• Nigeria:
  • Elon Musk seeks NCC’s approval to operate SpaceX Starlink satellite broadband in Nigeria – Vanguard News
• Russia:
  • ISS:
    • Russian-US group to discuss likely causes of air leak aboard orbital outpost – TASS
    • Russia’s Science Module for ISS Undergoes Final Checkouts – Leonard David
    • Russian system registers over 200 space junk near-misses with orbital outpost in 2020 – TASS
    • Russian actress, Japanese entrepreneur cleared for space station visits – Spaceflight Now
    • Russian film crew passes medical checks for October launch to space station | Space.com
    • Actress and moon-bound billionaire to film on space station missions | collectSPACE
• Singapore:
  • Japanese astronaut gives shout-out to S’pore from the International Space Station – Mothership.SG

Webcasts:

** China’s Zhurong Rover Lands on Mars, Galactic Energy Goes International, iSpace’s Tank Test – Ep 33 – Dongfang Hour – YouTube

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Dongfang Hour China Aero/Space News Roundup! Without further ado, the news update from the week of 10 – 16 May:

1) Chinese Tianwen-1 Mars Missions attempts Atmospheric Entry and Landing of the Zhurong Rover
2) Chinese Launch Company Galactic Energy signs Collaboration Agreement with China Huateng Group to Develop International Launch Opportunities
3) iSpace Completes a Test of its Single-Layer Common Bulkhead Fuel Tank
4) CGWIC to open an office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to promote BeiDou Adoption

See also the program summary at Dongfang Hour China Aerospace News Roundup 10 May – 16 May 2021 – SpaceWatch.Global.

** Douglas Loverro – Can We Solve Geopolitical Problems In Space? – Cold Star Project S02E79 – Cold Star Technologies – YouTube

Past Past Associate Administrator, Human Exploration and Operations at NASA and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Douglas Loverro is on the Cold Star Project. We’re discussing geopolitics, national security, and the space industry.

** E59: Digital Engineering & US Air Force – Aerospace Corp Space Policy (Vimeo) – Center for Space Policy & Strategy (CSPS)

** Space Café WebTalk YOUNG GLOBAL TALENTS – Prof. Michelle Hanlon – 25. March 2021 – spacewatch. global – News Room – YouTube

This Space Café Young Global Talents featured Prof Michelle Hanlon, Space Lawyer, Co-founder For All Moonkind, Co-Director Air and Space Law at UMiss, USA, in conversation with Markus Payer, Editor-in-Chief of SpaceWatch.Global and Frederik Wissner, representative of ELSA Frankfurt am Main, Germany. ELSA is the renowned European Law Students Association.

“Law in Space – What for?” – is the theme of our first session. Very basic. Very relevant for SpaceWatchers and those who want to become it.

** Competing for Space Superiority? | SCFVideo9 –Space Court Foundation – YouTube

Outer space is often described as the “ultimate high-ground”, as the prize at the end of a cosmic race. The winner will be granted the limitless advantages provided by “space-superiority”. Is that really true? Is that the way everyone sees political dynamics playing out in space? Is that the way it needs to be? Join us for an in-depth discussion, led by Dr Bleddyn Bowen, on the realities behind the rhetoric of arms racing, rivalries and other types of hype in space.

Moderator: Dr Bleddyn Bowen, University of Leicester

Panellists:

• Associate Professor Alice Gorman, Flinders University
• Dr Cameron Hunter, University of Leicester
• Lauren Napier, PhD Researcher, University of Northumbria
• Professor Chris Newman, University of Northumbria
• Anuradha Damale, Assistant Researcher, VERTIC

** T+189: Stephen Forbes, DARPA Blackjack Program Manager – Main Engine Cut Off

Stephen Forbes, the Program Manager for DARPA’s Blackjack project, joins me to talk about DARPA and its interaction with the rest of the Department of Defense, how they approach space initiatives, where Blackjack came from, where it’s going, what they hope to accomplish with it, and how it fits into the near-future of the industry.

** T+188: Starship SN15, and the HLS Protests – Main Engine Cut Off

SpaceX successfully flew and landed Starship SN15 last week, amid protests of their NASA HLS award by Blue Origin and Dynetics.

** Britain’s First Astronaut | Podcasts | Naked Scientists

In a podcast exclusive Britain’s first astronaut, Helen Sharman, joins the Space Boffins 30 years after her 1991 Juno mission. She talks about the extraordinary selection process, training in the Soviet Union and the way she was treated on her return. Richard Hollingham and Sue Nelson are also joined by author of the Martian, Andy Weir, to chat about his latest book and why we should all be more optimistic about the future. Plus the sounds of Mars with Jason Achilles Mezilis, the musician behind the Mars microphone… and commemorating the death of Apollo 11 legend Mike Collins. It’s another epic podcast… how do we do it?

** The Space Show – Sunday, May.16.2021 – Open Lines program covered “a wide range of topics including the latest Tic Tac video, gravity issues, pipeline hacking, electric cars, space mining and more”.

** The Space Show – Friday, May.14.2021 – John Jossy discussed various “hot” topics in the NewSpace and related worlds.

** The Space Show – Thursday, May.13.2021 – Frank White talked about “in detail the Fourth edition of his classic book, The Overview Effect [Amazon commission link]. New interviews, new information, a great discussion.”

** Hotel Mars (John Batchelor Show/The Space Show) – Dr. Jonathan McDowell spoke with John Batchelor and Dr. David Livingston about “the Chinese Long March 5B rocket design and the uncontrolled reentry which took place near the Maldives Islands“.

** The Space Show – Thursday, April.29.2021 – Rod Pyle and Aggie Kobrin or the National Space Society (NSS) discussed Ad Astra magazine’s Living In Space Special Issue which focuses on space settlement. The second part of our discussion addressed the all-virtual, free ISDC 2021 event scheduled for June 24-27, 2021

** Special advisor Ronald van der Breggen on LEO-satellites and KebNis piece of the satellite market  – Opinion: Counting backwards in LEO – SpaceWatch.Global

00:10 Who is Ronald van der Breggen
02:33 GEO vs. LEO Satellites
04:30 Practical applications for LEO Satellites
09:38 Which geographical region is the leader in the industry
11:11 Kebni’s piece of the satellite market

** May 14, 2021 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast

** May 12, 2021 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast

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