Rockets, Space transport roundup

Space transport roundup – Aug.15.2020

A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here):

** Ariane V set to launch today following  two week delay. The window for the launch from the Guiana Space Center is 5:33pm – 6:20 pm EDT (21:33 – 22:20 UTC). The rocket will carry Intelsat’s Galaxy 30 communications satellite, the Northrop Grumman Mission Extension Vehicle-2 (MEV-2),  and the BSAT-4b for MAXAR and Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT). The MEV-2 will attached itself to the nozzle of Intelsat 10-02, which is running out of station keeping fuel. MEV-2 will keep the comm-sat operating in GEO for some number of years before undocking and going on to assist another satellite.

Loaded with three commercial satellites, a European Ariane 5 rocket returned to its launch pad in French Guiana Thursday after a two-week launch delay to resolve a technical issue that forced an abort to a countdown July 31. Arianespace says the mission has been rescheduled for launch Saturday due to unfavorable upper level winds in the forecast for Friday.

The 179-foot-tall (54.8-meter) rocket rolled out of its final assembly building at the Guiana Space Center Thursday for the trip to the ELA-3 launch zone. Riding a mobile launch platform, the rocket was tugged by a diesel-powered Titan tug for the 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) journey.

Arianespace, the French company responsible for selling and launching Ariane 5 rockets, planned to send the launch vehicle into orbit July 31 with three U.S.-made satellites. But a suspect reading from a sensor on the Ariane 5’s first stage liquid hydrogen tank stopped the countdown around two minutes prior to liftoff.

** Some other upcoming launches:

** Blue Origin reportedly will fly New Shepard in September: Source: Blue Origin targeting September for 1st New Shepard sub-orbital flight of 2020 – Space Explored

Blue Origin last launched New Shepard in December 2019 with educational and NASA-sponsored research payloads. The successful launch and landing was the sixth mission to use the same New Shepard 3 rocket. Hardware reusability is a challenging goal being met by the likes of Blue Origin (and on a larger scale, SpaceX) in the interest of reducing total spaceflight cost.

The upcoming NS-13 mission will mark Blue Origin’s 10th commercial flight using New Shepard. The company celebrated its 100th payload customer to date during New Shepard’s previous mission.

** Firefly planning first launch of Alpha rocket in fall: Firefly aims to debut its Alpha rocket for small satellites this fall | Space.com

Firefly Aerospace’s advanced rocket for small satellites should be ready to launch for the first time this fall, company representatives said.

The two-stage rocket, known as Alpha, was originally scheduled to debut in early 2020. But the coronavirus pandemic intervened and delayed things at Firefly, as well as at other space companies around the world. Some suppliers had to delay shipments, and work slowed due to necessary physical distancing measures.

The impacts at Firefly extended beyond the Firefly project. The company is also working on a larger rocket, called Beta, and a robotic moon lander in support of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Still, Firefly continued to grow amid the pandemic, expanding from 250 employees in January to 310 employees today, largely via funding from company co-founder Max Polyakov.

Here is a preview of a film doc about Firefly: Upcoming Documentary on Firefly Aerospace | A behind the scenes preview

From setbacks to success, get a sneak peek into the upcoming documentary that follows Firefly’s incredible journey to possibly become one of the next big names in private space exploration. A film by Merit Entertainment in association with Edwards Media. Follow the film @untitled_firefly_movie

**** Skyroot Aerospace of India tests cryogenic LOC/LNG upper stage engine: Skyroot Aerospace first [Indian] private company to test upper stage rocket engine | Business Standard News

Spacetech startup Skyroot Aerospace has successfully test fired an upper stage rocket engine, becoming the first Indian private company to demonstrate the capability to build a homegrown rocket engine.

Meanwhile, the company is planning to raise around Rs 90 crore.

Founded by Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, both former scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), Skyroot plans to build a family of rockets.

The first rocket, which can hurl satellites of 250-700 kgs into a lower earth orbit, is expected to be launched by end-2021. This is a major milestone for us in a path towards our first launch targeted for December 2021, said Daka, Co-Founder & COO, Skyroot Aerospace.

** Rocket Lab ready to recover a first-stage booster via parachute: Rocket Lab ready to attempt Electron booster recovery – SpaceNews

The second launch pad at their New Zealand facility appears to be nearly completed:

** Briefs:

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** SpaceX:

*** First operational Crew Dragon mission now set for no earlier than Oct. 23rd: NASA, SpaceX Targeting October for Next Astronaut Launch – Commercial Crew Program/NASA

NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than Oct. 23 for the first operational flight with astronauts of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as a part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission will be the first of regular rotational missions to the space station following completion of NASA certification.

The mission will carry Crew Dragon commander Michael Hopkins, pilot Victor Glover, and mission specialist Shannon Walker, all of NASA, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission specialist Soichi Noguchi for a six-month science mission aboard the orbiting laboratory following launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Crew-1 will launch in late October to accommodate spacecraft traffic for the upcoming Soyuz crew rotation and best meet the needs of the International Space Station…

*** Crew Dragon Endeavour starts refurbishment for another flight next year: Back at Cape Canaveral, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule preps for next mission – Spaceflight Now

Fresh off a 64-day test flight to the International Space Station with astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, SpaceX’s first human-rated Crew Dragon spaceship is back at Cape Canaveral for inspections, refurbishment and upgrades before flying to the station again with a four-person crew next spring.

The crew capsule — named “Endeavour” by Hurley and Behnken — arrived at Port Canaveral on Aug. 7 aboard SpaceX’s “Go Navigator” recovery ship after sailing from the Gulf of Mexico, where the Dragon spacecraft splashed down under parachutes Aug. 2 south of Pensacola, Florida.

The splashdown punctuated a successful demonstration flight to the International Space Station. The test flight, designated Demo-2, was the first Crew Dragon mission with astronauts on-board. NASA plans to review data from the Demo-2 mission before formally certifying the Crew Dragon for regular crew rotation flights to the space station beginning later this year.

*** Falcon 9 booster from Starlink 9 mission returned to Port Canaveral: SpaceX returns five-flight Falcon 9 booster to port as next reuse milestone nears – Teslarati

*** Starship

Following its recent test hop, the Starship SN5 prototype was moved back to the Mid-Bay hangar in the assembly area and then SN6 was moved to the launch site. After installing systems on the launch mount structure needed for pressure testing, SN6 was lifted onto the mount. In the next few days, the vehicle will go through a series of pressure tests. If those go well, then a Raptor engine (perhaps three) will be installed and then test fired.

Before a test hop, a dummy payload mass may be set on top of SN6 as was done for SN5. This is needed to prevent the high thrust of the Raptor from accelerating the vehicle beyond the level needed for the short low altitude flight. However, it’s possible that the propellant tanks will be completely filled rather than partially as was believed done for the SN5 hop. This might provide sufficient weight to keep the Raptor from sending the SN6 skyward in a hurry.

The first SN6 flight will likely be a repeat of the SN5 hop in terms of altitude. Elon Musk said following the SN5 test that there will be “several short hops to smooth out launch process”. Once the launch prep procedures are well practiced, they will start flights to “high altitude with body flaps“. The SN8 prototype is expected to be the first to get the flaps and presumably a nosecone payload section as well.

There appears to be a SN7.1 structure with a scaled down propellant tank section like SN7 in construction. Pressurizing SN7.1 would test new improved techniques for wielding the iron components together.

Lots of construction activities underway including the building of the High Bay hangar where the Super Heavy booster will be assembled. A launch pad section for the Super Heavy is also under construction. See the videos below for views of the many activities happening in parallel at the Boca Chica site.

[ Update: A new prototype is emerging:

]

** A comparison of fairing size and payload mass for several types of rockets:

Elon Musk responded:

Starship fairing will actually have more height than shown here. Dome will be flatter & more of tip is accessible. Usable volume ~1000 cubic meters.

And when asked if there will be a header tank (a small propellant tank used to help with adjusting the center of mass of the ship on reentry) in the top of the nose, he responded:

Yes, integrated with the tip of the nose

**** SpaceX disagrees with the USAF on Starship development time: Space Business: Space Force Majeure — Space Business — Quartz

And perhaps most intriguing, the Air Force didn’t agree with SpaceX’s estimate that it would be ready to fly a next generation vehicle (now known as Starship and then as “BFR,” for Big Falcon Rocket) within five years. The service and SpaceX also disagreed about whether the Space Shuttle was a good analogy to the new vehicle.

**** SpaceX plans for resort facilities at Boca Chica for visitors and eventually for space tourists : SpaceX reveals plans for a Texas spaceport resort in new job ad – TechCrunch

The job posting seeks a manger to “oversee the development of SpaceX’s first resort from inception to completion,” with the ultimate aim of turning Boca Chica into a “21st century Spaceport.” That would include overseeing the entire design and construction process, as well as getting all necessary work permits and regulatory approvals, and completing the ultimate build of the facility.

**** Aug. 8: SpaceX Boca Chica – The first ever Starship Post Flight Processing Flow – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

A full video showing how the SpaceX teams took care of Starship SN5 following her hop on to the landing pad. This is the first time – for Starship – that there’s been a post-flight processing flow. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer).

**** Aug. 9: SpaceX Boca Chica – Full Spaceport Overview – Drive Past, Cranes and Starships – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

A lengthy video covering all elements of the SpaceX Boca Chica spaceport, from the Production Facility to the launch site, including drive pasts and focused areas. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer).

**** Aug. 10: SpaceX Boca Chica – TPS X on show as Starships position themselves for test series – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

While Starships SN5 and SN6 prepare for a potential hop tag team test campaign, a sign of the future was seen in the form of TPS installation, suitably provided in the pattern of an X. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edit: Theo Ripper (@theoripper).

**** Aug.11: SN5 Transported Back To Shipyard – LabPadre – YouTube

08.11.2020 This morning SpaceX moved Starship SN5 back to the Boca Chica Shipyard for assessment and possible future flights.

**** Aug.11: SN6 Prep & Rollout Time Lapse – LabPadre – YouTube

08.11.2020 Time lapse: 9am- 12am SpaceX Boca Chica preps SN6 and the launch stand for upcoming testing. Things are really starting to pick up.

**** Aug.12: SN6 Prepped for Action – StarshipBocaChica/Maria Pointer – YouTube

SN6 is being readied for thrust pressure testing to make sure the structure can withstand one (or maybe three) Raptor engine(s) pushing up from the bottom of the thrust puck with at least 440,000 lbs of force. After one of the most active days ever witnessed at Boca Chica, SN5 is back at the production facility and SN6 rolled to the launch site all within 12 hours. SpaceX will load liquid nitrogen into the tanks to pressurize them and stiffen the entire structure then hydraulic rams will push upwards and test the strength of the engine mounts. If all goes well, the thrust simulator will be removed and Raptor engines will be installed. Then it gets real interesting with Wet Dress Rehearsals (WDR) and static fire testing before launch. SN6 is expected to perform one or more hops as SpaceX refines their power and balancing algorithms. At 14:14 you’ll see the SoilMec SR-45 piling drill. More info here https://www.soilmec.com/en/products/p…

**** Aug.13: SpaceX Boca Chica – The Full Starship Mounting Processing Flow – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

A long video that shows the entire process of installing a Starship (SN6) on to the launch mount. Includes fascinating highlights such as landing leg retraction. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer).

**** Aug.14: SpaceX Boca Chica Build Site Flyover 08/14 – RGV Aerial Photography

**** Aug. 14: SpaceX Boca Chica Launch Site Flyover 08/14 – RGV Aerial Photography

**** Aug.14:  SpaceX Boca Chica – High Bay Level 4 and Super Heavy Pad Work – NASASpaceflight – YouTube

Level 4 of the High Bay begins to go up and the work on the Orbital Launch Pad picks up speed. SpaceX is laying the foundations for its future in Boca Chica and that future is all about Super Heavy. Deliveries of huge pipes to the launch site foreshadow the scale of the coming construction, while SN6 is prepared for cryo proofing. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Theo Ripper (@TheoRipper).

**** Other Starship reports:

***** Aug. 15 – SpaceX Starship SN6, SN7.1 & SN8 updates, Crew 1/2 update & US launch service contracts awarded – Marcus House

Even though we’ve had the flight of the prototype starship Serial Number 5 just over a week ago, the progress at Boca Chica Texas has not stopped, we’ll talk about SpaceX Starship SN6, SN7.1 & SN8 updates, Crew 1/2 update & US launch service contracts awarded to SpaceX. Serial Number 6 which has since rolled to the launch pad gets ready for a pressure test and the vision for Serial Number 8 which is really coming together. We have some interesting information on the recently awarded launch service contracts for SpaceX and United Launch Alliance. Very exciting to see SpaceX being involved in future launch capability for the US military there. Now that the dust has settled with Crew Dragons Demo 2 with Doug and Bob’s mission, we can focus now on the amazing Crew 1 and Crew 2 missions. Crew 1, of course, coming up faster than you may think with a possibility there launching at the end of October.

***** Aug. 14: SpaceX Starship Updates – Starship Flight Phase Explained – What about it!?

Welcome to Episode 112 of What about it!? Today I will tell you what’s next for Boca Chica and the SpaceX Starship program. What’s coming in the next few days and weeks and what kind of milestones can we expect next? I’ll also show you, what kind of effect the lately aquired NSSF contracts will have on the launch industry and SpaceX.

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In Space Infrastructure, Living in Space, Space Systems

Videos: “Space to Ground” ISS report – Aug.14.2020

Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:

** A Bridge Above: 20 Years of the International Space Station – NASA

“What if we built a bridge, between and above all nations, to jointly discover the galaxy’s great unknowns?” Join us this fall as we prepare to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the International Space Station. As a global endeavor, 240 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory, which has hosted more than 2,800 research investigations from scientists in over 100 nations.

** NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy Answers Recorded Questions from Girl Scouts of the USA – NASA

** Additive Manufacturing In Space Workshop 7/28/2020 – ISS National Lab

The 2020 International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory Additive Manufacturing in Space Workshop was an online, half-day event hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), manager of the ISS National Lab. The workshop discussed how rapid developments in additive manufacturing create new opportunities for advanced materials research and development (R&D) that could drive manufacturing innovation for applications both on Earth and in space.

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Education, Space books, Space Music

“Dark Was the Night” – New book about Blind Willie Johnson and his music on Voyager I

An announcement from Gary Golio:

Black Blues Legend Blind WiIlie Johnson Blasts into Outer Space
in New Picture Book about His Soul-Stirring Song

 Ask Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Lucinda Williams and Jack White to name the slide-guitar player they most admire, and they’ll all say Blind Willie Johnson. What those musicians may not know is that one of his songs found its way to the depths of outer space. In Dark Was the Night – Blind Willie Johnson’s Journey to the Stars, NY Times-bestselling author Gary Golio and Caldecott Honoree E. B. Lewis weave a magical tale of how the healing power of music can turn darkness into light.

Born in 1897, young Willie shone as he sang and played a cigar box guitar made by his father. But his bright childhood fell dark when he lost both his mother and his sight. Fortunately, his love of music led him back into the light. He began singing in churches and later brought his unique blend of gospel-blues to street corners all over Texas. Willie’s powerful voice, joined to the wail of his slide guitar, moved even more people when he cut some records and his songs were played on the radio. Yet by the time he died, he and his music were largely forgotten.

Then, in 1977, Willie’s haunting song, “Dark Was the Night“, was launched into space on the Voyager I space probe’s famous Golden Record. There, along with the many sounds and sights of planet Earth, is the soul-stirring song of a blind man, telling us not to be afraid of the dark, and reminding us that we are never really alone.

“An ode to a too-little-discussed musician and an excellent introduction to his amazing musical talent.”
Kirkus, *starred review*

“An inspiring story of one man’s commitment to lifting up himself and those around him with his music.
An American treasure who shouldn’t go unsung.”
Booklist

“Lewis’s expressive watercolors depict the subject’s humble country beginnings as well as the joy that he felt when he sang and played”
“A beautiful, timely tribute to a little-known musician and space venture.”
School Library Journal, *starred review*

Gary Golio is the author of the NY Times bestseller JIMI: Sounds Like a Rainbow – A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix, winner of a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award; Bird & Diz and Strange Fruit – Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song, both ALA Notables; and other books about legendary artists. A writer and musician, Golio has been featured on NPR’s “Weekend Edition”, CBS-TV’s “Sunday Morning News,” and on radio stations nationwide. He lives in the Hudson Valley with his wife, children’s book author Susanna Reich.

E.B. Lewis is a fine artist and the acclaimed illustrator of over 70 books, among them Coming On Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson (Caldecott Honor Award), Talkin’ About Bessie by Nikki Grimes (Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award), and The Secret World of Walter Anderson by Hester Bass (Orbis Pictus Award). He is also the recipient of the NY Times Best Illustrated Book Award, Kirkus’ Best Illustrated Book Award, and four additional Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards. Lewis teaches at the University of Arts in Philadelphia, and lives in Folsom, New Jersey.

Dark Was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson’s Journey to the Stars[Amazon commission link]
Written by Gary Golio
Illustrated by E.B. Lewis
Published by Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books
August 2020 • Ages 5-8 • 32 pages • $17.99 hardcover/$10.99 Ebook • ISBN: 978-1524738884

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Here is a short video about Johnson and his music on the Voyager spacecraft: Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground, and brilliant is that song drifting through space | Aeon Videos

Johnson’s recording of Dark was the Night, Cold was the Ground:

Here is a nicely played cover of Dark was the Night (hat tip Behind the Black):

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Astronomy, Education

ESO: Very early galaxy looks surprisingly like our Milky Way

A new report from the European Southern Observatory (ESO):

ALMA sees most distant Milky Way look-alike

Astronomers using ALMA, in which the ESO is a partner, have revealed an extremely distant galaxy that looks surprisingly like our Milky Way. The galaxy, SPT0418-47, is gravitationally lensed by a nearby galaxy, appearing in the sky as a near-perfect ring of light. The research team reconstructed the distant galaxy’s true shape, shown here, and the motion of its gas from the ALMA data using a new computer modelling technique.

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), in which the European Southern Observatory (ESO) is a partner, have revealed an extremely distant and therefore very young galaxy that looks surprisingly like our Milky Way. The galaxy is so far away its light has taken more than 12 billion years to reach us: we see it as it was when the Universe was just 1.4 billion years old. It is also surprisingly unchaotic, contradicting theories that all galaxies in the early Universe were turbulent and unstable. This unexpected discovery challenges our understanding of how galaxies form, giving new insights into the past of our Universe.

“This result represents a breakthrough in the field of galaxy formation, showing that the structures that we observe in nearby spiral galaxies and in our Milky Way were already in place 12 billion years ago,”

says Francesca Rizzo, PhD student from the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany, who led the research published today in Nature. While the galaxy the astronomers studied, called SPT0418-47, doesn’t appear to have spiral arms, it has at least two features typical of our Milky Way: a rotating disc and a bulge, the large group of stars packed tightly around the galactic centre.

This is the first time a bulge has been seen this early in the history of the Universe, making SPT0418-47 the most distant Milky Way look-alike.

“The big surprise was to find that this galaxy is actually quite similar to nearby galaxies, contrary to all expectations from the models and previous, less detailed, observations,”

says co-author Filippo Fraternali, from the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen in the Netherlands. In the early Universe, young galaxies were still in the process of forming, so researchers expected them to be chaotic and lacking the distinct structures typical of more mature galaxies like the Milky Way.

Studying distant galaxies like SPT0418-47 is fundamental to our understanding of how galaxies formed and evolved. This galaxy is so far away we see it when the Universe was just 10% of its current age because its light took 12 billion years to reach Earth. By studying it, we are going back to a time when these baby galaxies were just beginning to develop.

Because these galaxies are so far away, detailed observations with even the most powerful telescopes are almost impossible as the galaxies appear small and faint. The team overcame this obstacle by using a nearby galaxy as a powerful magnifying glass — an effect known as gravitational lensing — allowing ALMA to see into the distant past in unprecedented detail. In this effect, the gravitational pull from the nearby galaxy distorts and bends the light from the distant galaxy, causing it to appear misshapen and magnified.

The gravitationally lensed, distant galaxy appears as a near-perfect ring of light around the nearby galaxy, thanks to their almost exact alignment. The research team reconstructed the distant galaxy’s true shape and the motion of its gas from the ALMA data using a new computer modelling technique. “When I first saw the reconstructed image of SPT0418-47 I could not believe it: a treasure chest was opening,” says Rizzo.

“What we found was quite puzzling; despite forming stars at a high rate, and therefore being the site of highly energetic processes, SPT0418-47 is the most well-ordered galaxy disc ever observed in the early Universe,”

stated co-author Simona Vegetti, also from the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics.

“This result is quite unexpected and has important implications for how we think galaxies evolve.”

The astronomers note, however, that even though SPT0418-47 has a disc and other features similar to those of spiral galaxies we see today, they expect it to evolve into a galaxy very different from the Milky Way, and join the class of elliptical galaxies, another type of galaxies that, alongside the spirals, inhabit the Universe today.

Astronomers using ALMA, in which the ESO is a partner, have revealed an extremely distant galaxy that looks surprisingly like our Milky Way. The galaxy, SPT0418-47, is gravitationally lensed by a nearby galaxy, appearing in the sky as a near-perfect ring of light.

This unexpected discovery suggests the early Universe may not be as chaotic as once believed and raises many questions on how a well-ordered galaxy could have formed so soon after the Big Bang. This ALMA finding follows the earlier discovery announced in May of a massive rotating disc seen at a similar distance. SPT0418-47 is seen in finer detail, thanks to the lensing effect, and has a bulge in addition to a disc, making it even more similar to our present-day Milky Way than the one studied previously.

Astronomers using ALMA, in which the ESO is a partner, have revealed an extremely distant galaxy that looks surprisingly like our Milky Way. The galaxy, SPT0418-47, is gravitationally lensed by a nearby galaxy, appearing in the sky as a near-perfect ring of light (left). The research team reconstructed the distant galaxy’s true shape and the motion of its gas (right) from the ALMA data using a new computer modelling technique. The observations indicate that SPT0418-47 is a disc galaxy with a central bulge and the material in it rotates around the centre. Gas moving away from us is shown in red, while gas moving in the direction of the observer is shown in blue.

Future studies, including with ESO’s Extremely Large Telescope, will seek to uncover how typical these ‘baby’ disc galaxies really are and whether they are commonly less chaotic than predicted, opening up new avenues for astronomers to discover how galaxies evolved.

Links

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Amateur/Student Satellite, Education, Space Systems

Student and amateur CubeSat news roundup – Aug.11.2020

A sampling of recent articles, press releases, etc. related to student and amateur CubeSat / SmallSat projects and programs (find previous smallsat roundups here):

** Univ. Southern California students to build CubeSats in partnership with Lockheed Martin and Momentus. For the La Jument project, students in  USC’s SERC (Space Engineering Research Center) nanosatellite program will assemble four spacecraft using payloads with the LM’s  SmartSat technology.  This technology uses a

software-defined satellite architecture on both their payload and bus. SmartSat lets satellite operators quickly change missions while in orbit with the simplicity of starting, stopping or uploading new applications.

The system is powered by the NVIDIA® Jetson™ platform built on the CUDA-X™ capable software stack and supported by the NVIDIA JetPack™ software development kit (SDK), delivering powerful AI at the edge computing capabilities to unlock advanced image and digital signal processing.

The spacecraft will launch over the next two years:

The first of the four La Jument nanosatellites is a student-designed and built 1.5U CubeSat that will be launched with a SmartSat payload to test the complete system from ground to space, including ground station communications links and commanding SmartSat infrastructure while in-orbit. The second is a 3U nanosat, the size of three small milk cartons stacked on top of each other, with optical payloads connected to SmartSat that will allow AI/ML in-orbit testing. Finally, two 6U CubeSats are being designed jointly with USC that will be launched mid-2022. The pair will launch together and incorporate future research from USC and Lockheed Martin, including new SmartSat apps, sensors and bus technologies.

Momentus has arranged for the first CubeSat to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission scheduled for Feb. 2021. A Momentus space tug will take it to a 550 km high sun synchronous orbit.

More about the project:

La Jument nanosatellite rendering. Courtesy: University of Southern California & LM

** TechEdSat-10 deployed “exo-brake” de-orbit sail: TechEdSat-10 Deploys from the Space Station | NASA. Discussed here earlier, the TechEdSat-10 cubesat was developed by NASA Ames in collaboration with student teams at San Jose State University and the University of Idaho. The 10th in a series of technology demo spacecraft, the 6U CubeSat tested several devices including the Exo-Brake,

a tension-based, flexible braking device resembling a cross-parachute that deploys from the rear of a satellite to increase the drag. It is a de-orbit device that replaces the more complicated rocket-based systems that would normally be employed during the de-orbit phase of re-entry.

Here are four photos showing the deployment of the chute:

“TechEdSat-10’s exo-brake precision de-orbit technology demonstration deploying in orbit around Earth.” Credits: NASA

** Successful demonstration of HARP earth imaging on a CubeSat. Cubesat demonstrates Earth science instrument – SpaceNews.  The HyperAngular Rainbow Polarimeter (HARP) device,  discussed here last year, was developed by Utah State and Univ. Maryland at Baltimore County teams. The goal was to measure the microphysical properties of cloud water and ice particles. Since its deployment from the ISS last February, the HARP has proven this capability.

The three-unit cubesat is managed by the Space Dynamics Lab (SDL) of Utah State University, which built the spacecraft, while the payload was developed and is operated by the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). The payload achieved “first light” in April and took its first images in May.

Tim Neilsen, program manager for HARP at SDL, said the spacecraft demonstrates that cubesats can provide useful data in the Earth sciences. “The application of space-based Earth observation technology has historically been the domain of large satellites,” he said in a statement. “HARP helps to confirm that miniaturized sensors on small satellites can provide a high degree of fidelity at a fraction of the cost and time it takes to build larger satellites.”

The instrument’s utility comes from its ability to measure the size distribution of cloud droplets, which can provide information on the properties of ice and water clouds. That can, in turn, improve modeling of aerosol processes and help reduce uncertainties in climate modeling.

A larger system called HARP2 is to be mounted on NASA’s Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystems (PACE) spacecraft to launch in 2022.

** AMSAT news on student and amateur CubeSat/smallsat projects: ANS-222 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin

  • German Satellite Demonstrates Orbit Control on 1U CubeSat
  • AMSAT CubeSat Simulator Now Transmits SSTV
  • AMSAT-UK OSCAR Satellite QSO Party Ongoing
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Satellite Shorts from All Over

See also: Radio Amateur Takes Part in Successful Commercial Spaceflight to ISS – ARRL

General CubeSat/SmallSat info:

** Launch industry panel + SmallSat preview – Space News

SpaceNews Senior Staff Writer Jeff Foust talks with executives of several launch companies about the state of the smallsat launch sector. Panelists include:

Peter Beck, CEO of Rocket Lab
Brad Schneider, chief revenue officer of Firefly Aerospace
Dan Hart, CEO of Virgin Orbit

The webinar begins with a brief interview with SmallSat conference organizer Marianne Sidwell about how to get the most out of this year’s virtual Small Satellite Conference.

The session concludes with a SpaceNews reporter roundtable about what to expect in the week ahead.

** SN @ SmallSat: Smallsat builders panel + show wrap-up – Space News

SpaceNews Staff Writer Caleb Henry and Silicon Valley correspondent Debra Werner lead a panel discussion with a cross section of smallsat builders. Panelists include:

– Marco Villa, Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems COO
– Brian Rider, LeoStella CTO
– F. Brent Abbott, NanoAvionics US CEO
– Craig Clark, AAC Clyde Space founder and chief strategy officer
– Tim Lynch, L3Harris Technologies Space and Airborne Systems Multi-Domain Architecture Group executive director
– Chester Gillmore, Planet vice president of spacecraft development and manufacturing

The webinar concludes with a 15-minute SpaceNews reporters roundtable on key takeaways from this year’s Small Satellite Conference.

** Preparing CySat 1: A Look at Iowa State University’s First CubeSat

** A Methodology for Successful University Graduate CubeSat Programs

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