Amateur/Student Satellite, Education, Space Radio

Student and amateur CubeSat news roundup – Dec.9.2020

December 9, 2020 TopSpacer

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

** Two Brigham Young University student Cubesats set to go to orbit on Virgin Orbit LauncherOne flight this month: How BYU’s work with NASA will allow satellites to take selfies in space – Deseret News

For the last five years, students at the BYU College of Engineering have been dreaming up, designing and building two tiny satellites. And after a two-year delay in the launch of NASA’s ELaNa 20 mission, the cube-like modules are finally ready to head to space.

The “CubeSats” have cameras attached to each of their six sides and are designed to take photos of other satellites, giving NASA a cheap method of visually examining the exteriors of spacecraft.

“The idea is you carry up one of these sort of selfie cameras,” said David Long, an engineering professor at BYU, “and when you needed to get a picture of your spacecraft — it is very inexpensive; it’s disposable — you kind of toss it out the window, conceptually, you know, you just deploy it, and it takes pictures of your main spacecraft. And then it just drifts off into space.”

BYU Passive Inspection CubeSat. Credits: BYU PICS

DreamUp sent 35 student experiments to the ISS via Cargo Dragon

December 8, 2020 TopSpacer

An announcement in my email from the DreamUp education program:

Thirty-Five DreamUp Student Experiments Launch on SpaceX-21

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida – December 6, 2020 – DreamUp, the leader in space-based educational offerings, is proud to announce the launch of thirty-five student-designed experiments to the International Space Station on today’s SpaceX Falcon 9 CRS-21 rocket launch. These educational payloads, built by students from middle school to university around the world, represent their unprecedented perseverance as they continued to prepare their experiments for flight in unusually challenging circumstances due to COVID-19.

The student payloads launched in SpaceX’s Cargo Dragon alongside thousands of pounds of NASA cargo, supplies, more than 250 science and research investigations, as well as the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock, the first permanent, commercial addition to the International Space Station infrastructure. The Cargo Dragon is scheduled to dock to the Space Station tomorrow, Monday, December 7, 2020.

Specifically, the investigations on board are designed and built by a diverse range of students hailing from several countries and participating in programs led by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE), Orbital Space, The Ramon Foundation, and the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance (TRSA).

Notably, “E. Coli Consuming Carbon Dioxide to Combat Climate Change (E. coli C⁵)” will be the first payload launched to the International Space Station from Kuwait. Designed by a team of students from the American School of Kuwait who won Orbital Space’s “Experiments in Space” competition, this Mixstix experiment will investigate how a genetically modified strain of E. Coli bacteria that uses atmospheric carbon dioxide as a food source will behave in the microgravity environment of the Space Station.

The Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, supported by Flight Night, solicited Mixstix experiment proposals from students throughout Oklahoma in honor of the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. After participating in a two-phased selection process, six students from three teams were selected as winners. The three teams come from Jenks Southeast Elementary and Summit Christian Academy.

Twenty-eight Mixstix experiments from NCESSE’s Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Mission 14 and three Mixstix from the Ramon Foundation’s Spacelab program represent long-enduring partnerships that reach students in a broad range of schools across Brazil, Canada, Israel, and the United States and inspire countless more.

“It is fitting that this notable launch for commercial space will be carrying such a large and diverse array of student investigations, and I am particularly excited to for the launch of the very first Kuwaiti experiment on the International Space Station!” said Allen Herbert, Interim CEO of DreamUp. “Student-designed microgravity research has the power to excite and engage not only young learners, but their parents, schools, and broader communities, and to equip them to pursue the challenges that humanity will face in the future. DreamUp is proud to support students as they pursue cutting-edge research on the most advanced commercial space platforms, and we congratulate them all on their persistence and tenacity in a challenging time.”

These launch opportunities were made possible via our partnership with Nanoracks and its Space Act Agreement with NASA.

For additional media inquiries, please email us at info@dreamup.org, and for continued updates, be sure to follow @DreamUp_Space on Twitter and Instagram.

About DreamUp: Based in Washington, DC, DreamUp is the first company bringing space into the classroom and the classroom into space. Uniquely positioned to inspire kids globally and engage them through scientific discoveries in space, DreamUp aims to foster an educational community where space-based research and projects will be available to all learners of all ages. DreamUp has a proven track record with more than 400 student research payloads from around the world launched on SpaceX and Northrop Grumman rockets to the International Space Station via a partnership with Nanoracks and its Space Act Agreement with NASA. For more information, visit https://www.dreamup.org/.

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Activism, Roundup

Space policy roundup – Dec.7.2020

December 7, 2020 TopSpacer

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):

International space

Webcasts:

** Dongfang Hour China Aerospace News Roundup 30 Nov – 6 Dec 2020 – SpaceWatch.Global –

Topics discussed:

1. Chang’e-5 Lunar Return Mission
2. Charming Globe Completes a Massive RMB 2.4 Billion Pre-IPO Round of Funding
3. Recommended article on Yaogan

** Episode 27 Salvage in Outer Space, Part II – Michael Listner/Space Law & Policy Solutions – Space Thoughts – YouTube (Part I)

** Space Law, the Artemis Accords and When Things Go South – Constellations Podcast

This episode marks a departure from our normal content, which typically includes topics such as the impact of SDN on ground systems, space exploration, rocket launches and so much more. Instead we will discuss space law and its impact on such issues as orbital debris, geospatial analytics and space tourism among others. To guide us through this discussion our guest today is Randy Segal, a partner in Hogan Lovells. We talk about the nuances of the Outer Space Act, a 50-year-old agreement recently updated with the Artemis Accords and Randy explains the impact of Space Law on public-private space partnerships as well as its impact on the weaponization of space. Randy concludes with a consensus on procedures and platforms for everything space; situational awareness, traffic management, debris mitigation, space sustainability.

** International Space Station 20th Anniversary Panel Expanding the Market in Low Earth Orbit – NASA

NASA is committed to stimulating the low-Earth orbit economy as the next step in humanity’s exploration and expansion into the solar system. Low-Earth orbit provides an ideal environment for crew training, fundamental and applied research, and advanced systems development, as well as other activities. In recognition of the 20th anniversary of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station, listen as NASA Public Affairs Officer Gary Jordan sits down with some of the most influential people leading these commercialization efforts and learn how the space station will play a critical role in NASA’s goal to develop a robust commercial economy in low-Earth orbit. Joining the conversation are Mike Read – International Space Station Business and Economic Development Manager at NASA, John Mulholland – Vice President and Manager for the International Space Station Program at Boeing, Christine Kretz – Vice President of Programs and Partnerships for the International Space Station U.S. National Lab, Jeffrey Manber – Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at Nanoracks, Rich Boling – Vice President of Corporate Advancement at Techshot, Phil McAlister – Director of Commercial Spaceflight at NASA, Benji Reed – Senior Director of Human Spaceflight at SpaceX, and Ven Feng – Deputy Manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

** E43 – The Modern Missile Threat (with Sam Wilson and Steve Dunham) – Aerospace Corp – Center for Space Policy & Strategy (CSPS)

** Space Café WebTalk BLACKOPS#1 by Ralph Thiele – 12. November 2020 – spacewatch. global – News Room – YouTube

In this special Space Cafè “Black Ops by Ralph Thiele #1”, Colonel (Ret`d) Ralph Thiele, Chairman of the Berlin based Political-Military Society, President of Euro Défense-Germany, and Managing Director of StratByrd Consulting, Germany talked with his guests about the Implication for Security & Defence coming with the the LEO & MEO wave.

His guests in this session were:

John Munoz Atkinson – Director, Business Development, Global Governments at SES Networks
Alexandra Stickings – Research Fellow for Space Policy and Security at RUSI

** Tim Anderson – How Could The Success Of SpaceX Starship Change The Space Industry? – Cold Star Technologies – YouTube

Commander Tim Anderson is not only a US Naval Reserve officer with responsibilities in war planning, but is also in a defense contractor role managing ship repairs and modernization. In this interview hosted by Jason Kanigan of the Cold Star Project, Commander Anderson discusses how government and Department of Defense makes up its mind on spending, and how you can make use of that process. We also dig deep into the potentially great impact of SpaceX Starship on the space industry: payload variants, areas of operation, effect on industry players and more. Why? The dramatic rise in cargo capacity offered and drop in launch and transportation costs promised–even if the numbers are nowhere near as rosy as predicted.

** Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 – Dr. Michael Gleason discussed “national security with our space forces”.

** The Space Show – Tuesday, Dec.1.2020 – Derek Webber discussed lunar commercial development as laid out in his Space Review article of Nov. 15, 2020, ,Lunar commerce: a question of semantics?

** December 2, 2020 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast

** December 3, 2020 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast

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Activism, Space Policy, SpaceCasts

The Space Show this week – Dec.7.2020

December 7, 2020 TopSpacer

The Space Show Requests Your Support – Thank you | The Space Show

The guests and topics of discussion on The Space Show this week:

1. Monday, Dec. 7, 2020; 7 pm PDT (9 pm CDT, 10 pm EDT: No special programming.

2. Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020; 7 pm PDT (9 pm CDT, 10 pm EDT): As we approach the end of 2020, Dr. Haym Benaroya suggested a light hearted and fun program around a book written years ago by a then NASA engineer, Josef F. Blumrich, titled The Spaceships of Ezekiel [pdf]. Dr. Benaroya is co-hosting this program with our featured guest, Dr. William Belfer who brought the book to the attention of Dr. Benaroya who told me about it.

3. Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020: Hotel Mars TBA pre-recorded. No Hotel Mars scheduled for this week.

4. Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020; 7-8:30 pm PDT (9-10:30 pm CDT, 10-11:30 pm EDT): No program today.

5. Friday, Dec. 11, 2020; 9:30-11 am PDT (11:30 am-1 pm CDT, 12:30-2 pm EDT): We welcome back space attorney Laura Montgomery for a review of space law activity in 2020 and a look ahead to 2021.

6. Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020; 12-1:30 pm PDT (3-4:30 pm EDT, 2-3:30 pm CDT): We welcome back OPEN LINES. Call in, tell what is on your mind with space. We want to hear from you. All callers welcome.

Some recent shows:

** Sunday, Dec. 6, 2020 – Dr. Michael Gleason discussed “national security with our space forces”.

** Friday, Dec.4, 2020 – Doug Stewart and Ron Miller talked about the famous space artist Chesley Bonestell and Doug’s film, Chesley Bonestell: A Brush With The Future.

** Hotel Mars (Joint John Bachelor Show/Space Show program) – Wed. Dec.2.2020 – Douglas Messier spoke with John Batchelor and Dr. David Livingston about “the upcoming SpaceX Starship hop test to 15KM. In addition, [they] talked about the new public information regarding longer duration human spaceflight and mitochondrial changes in the cells that are shown to cause problems with humans in space.”

Audio file not yet posted.

** Tuesday, Dec.1.2020 – Derek Webber discussed lunar commercial development as laid out in his Space Review article of Nov. 15, 2020, , Lunar commerce: a question of semantics?

The Space Show is a project of the One Giant Leap Foundation.

The Space Show - David Livingston — The Space Show – Dr. David Livingston

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Videos: “Space to Ground” + Other ISS reports – Dec.4.2020

December 4, 2020 TopSpacer

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

** Radishes Growing in Space: 27 Days in 10 Seconds – NASA

Researchers are growing radishes aboard the International Space Station as a part of the Plant Habitat-02 experiment. The experiment tests radishes growing in different types of light and soils as part of ongoing efforts to produce food in space. Radishes are used because they are nutritious, grow quickly and are genetically similar to Arabidopsis, a plant studied frequently in microgravity. Check out one month of space station radish growth for the study in 10 seconds!

** International Space Station 20th Anniversary Panel Expanding the Market in Low Earth Orbit – NASA

** ISS National Lab Overview Video: SpaceX CRS-21 – ISS National Lab:

SpaceX’s 21st commercial resupply mission (CRS-21) to the International Space Station (ISS) is slated for launch no earlier than December 5 at 11:39 a.m. ET from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The ISS U.S. National Laboratory is sponsoring more than 15 payloads on this mission that will bring value to our nation and further enable a sustainable market in low Earth orbit. Many investigations included in this launch are in the areas of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and results could provide insights that may lead to therapeutics capable of improving patient care on Earth and beyond. Additionally, this launch will feature multiple student experiments that will engage and excite the next generation of researchers and explorers.