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):
Jim Bridenstine on Twitter: “The cost-saving success of @Commercial_Crew is based on @NASA establishing high-level requirements and letting private companies innovate. For the Artemis Moon base, NASA will establish a cost per ton delivered and once again let private companies innovate.” https://t.co/KFhlI9KzHU” / Twitter
Episode 004 features special guest Roxy Guellmeister, Associate at Foster + Partners in London. Roxy sees our society in a state of massive change and expects numerous fundamental shifts to our familiar lives. She also sees the nascent race for space as a gigantic opportunity for many of our earthly challenges.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine joins Jake and Anthony for the first episode of Off-Nominal Origins. We talk about how he got interested in space and aviation, his time at Rice University, his years as a Navy pilot, his continuing fascination with the Rocket Racing League, and a whole lot more.
Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:
** Expedition 63 InFlight Event with ABC and NBC – June 8, 2020
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 63 Flight Engineers Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken of NASA discussed their groundbreaking flight to the orbital outpost on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft during a pair of interviews June 8 with ABC News and NBC News. Hurley and Behnken launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket May 30 to the orbital outpost, arriving the next day to join station commander Chris Cassidy of NASA and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner. It was the first launch of American astronauts on a U.S. rocket from U.S. soil since the retirement of the space shuttle in July 2011.
** SpaceX CRS-20 Research Overview: Delta Faucet Company – ISS National Lab
SpaceX CRS-20 will support a variety of research investigations, including a water droplet formation payload of Delta Faucet’s current H2Okinetic® shower head technology versus the industry-standard use of jet nozzles. H2Okinetic® technology allows better control of droplet size and increases the speed of the drops (fewer water drops are used, but the droplets are larger and are moving faster), which creates a feeling of increased pressure for the end user. The study will evaluate how best to control the output of water droplets to create a better performing shower device that provides an improved experience for the end user while also conserving water and energy. This research overview highlights the future investigation.
** SpaceX CRS-20 Research Overview: adidas Boost in Space – ISS National Lab
On SpaceX CRS-20, adidas, the global apparel company will launch its proprietary Boost shoe technology to investigate the flow of nonuniform foam particles to study the mixing and packing behavior in the absence of gravity. Results will help inform the manufacturing process of adidas Boost shoe soles, which contain polymer particles fused together. This overview video provides background on the investigation.
A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here):
** SpaceX to launch another batch of Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket this week, the second such launch in June. Liftoff at Cape Canaveral is set for 5:42 am EDT (0942 GMT). Here is a video from SpaceX showing the fairings separating from the Falcon 9 on the recent Starlink launch:
As we count down to our next launch, work is progressing on our 3rd pad, Launch Complex 1 Pad B.
By operating 2 pads within our private launch complex, we eliminate pad recycle time between launches, enabling back-to-back launches within hours – not days, weeks or months! pic.twitter.com/4OHctNsYTl
We’re gearing up for the “Don’t Stop Me Now” mission w/ our partners @RocketLab. Launch window opens June 11 at 04:43.00 UTC/00:43:00 EDT. We’ll have plenty of coffee, but 🚀 launches are worth staying up for! Live stream starts 15-20 mins prior at https://t.co/6hyprdXAtnpic.twitter.com/9N1wZJg6TJ
United Launch Alliance has announced their Vulcan rocket is progressing towards its maiden launch as soon as early-2021. While an exact launch target isn’t known yet, the mission will use a newly-built Launch Umbilical Tower while sharing Atlas V’s Vertical Integration Facility and SLC-41 launch pad in Florida.
ESA’s Prometheus is the precursor of ultra-low-cost rocket propulsion that is flexible enough to fit a fleet of new launch vehicles for any mission and will be potentially reusable.
At the Space19+ Council meeting in Seville, Spain last November, ESA received full funding to bring the current Prometheus engine design to a technical maturity suitable for industry. Developed by ArianeGroup, Prometheus is now seen as key in the effort to prepare competitive future European access to space.
By applying a design-to-cost approach to manufacturing Prometheus, ESA aims to lower the cost of production by a factor of ten of the current main stage Ariane 5 Vulcain 2 engine.
Rendering of the reusable methane fueled Promethus engine.
Now, we’re installing the final fasteners into the landing gear mounts! These mounts are critical to the landing operations of the Dream Chaser® spaceplane. They attach the landing gear to Dream Chaser, helping it to deploy & pivot when approaching the runway. pic.twitter.com/JdW0Fg2yQu
— Sierra Nevada Corporation (@SierraNevCorp) June 3, 2020
Both of the wings for our Dream Chaser® spaceplane have arrived! Unlike airplane wings, these wings aren’t fixed. During launch, they’re stowed in the fairing & deploy on-orbit. Once they deploy, they’ll stay that way until after Dream Chaser lands, so their fit is paramount! pic.twitter.com/8Tg8okmd5j
— Sierra Nevada Corporation (@SierraNevCorp) June 3, 2020
Finally- a group shot of the team responsible for physically building SNC’s Dream Chaser® spaceplane! Thanks for following along with us today as we build Dream Chaser while social distancing! pic.twitter.com/N3KePkc3xP
— Sierra Nevada Corporation (@SierraNevCorp) June 3, 2020
**** A Falcon 9 booster landed after a 5th flight following the Spacelink 8 launch on June 3rd. A previous booster flew five times but its 5th landing failed due to a mistake during refurbishment. The boosters for the Falcon 9 Block 5 vehicles, considered the final major variant of the F9 system, were designed to fly 10 times before undergoing either major refurbishment or retirement. So this booster will no doubt be used for a 6th flight. Turn around times were predicted by Elon Musk to go as low as 24 hours but so far have not been less than a couple of months. With the pressure on to launch Spacelink satellites as quickly as possible, it will be interesting to see if the turnaround times decrease substantially.
**** Booster from June 3rd Starlink launch has already gone horizontal at Port Canaveral. Leg retractions now happen quite soon after the boosters are lifted from the landing platforms onto the dock.
Crane crews attach forward & rear ring clamp segments to B1049.5 – with interior views of 1st stage open on top this morning after lowering from vertical to horizontal earlier AM @PortCanaveral – 1st 5x launched/landed #SpaceX#Falcon9. From 8th #Starlink launch Jun 3 pic.twitter.com/fZ6DBDI6IR
The technology used for the display screens on the Crew Dragon also provided the basis for the user interface on the first two prototype Starlink satellites, launched in 2018. “It’s grown a ton since then, but it was awesome to see Bob and Doug using something that somehow felt familiar to us too,” Monson wrote.
SpaceX relies on the Linux operating system in its satellites as well as its rockets. “Each launch of 60 satellites contains more than 4,000 Linux computers,” Monson said. “The constellation has more than 30,000 Linux nodes (and more than 6,000 microcontrollers) in space right now. And because we share a lot of our Linux platform infrastructure with Falcon and Dragon, they get the benefit of our more than 180 vehicle-years of on-orbit test time.”
**** NASA agrees to allow crew missions to fly with previously flown Dragon spacecraft and first stage boosters. This is similar to what happened with cargo missions. After initial flights with all new systems are performed successfully, NASA will allow to the utilization of previously flown Dragon 2 vehicles and F9 boosters. There will be certification procedures to insure the systems are as ready for flights as new unused systems would be.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will likely return to Earth in August to wrap up a test flight to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, a senior space agency official said Tuesday.
The exact schedule for Hurley and Behnken’s return to Earth will hinge on several factors, such as the performance of their Crew Dragon spaceship, the progress of their work on the space station, and weather conditions in the capsule’s landing zones in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, according to Ken Bowersox, the acting associate administrator for NASA’s human exploration and operations mission directorate.
Bowersox said Tuesday that the Crew Dragon’s Demo-2 mission — the first SpaceX mission to carry astronauts — is proceeding as planned, and the crew capsule is performing well since its launch on a Falcon 9 rocket May 30 from the Kennedy Space Center and docking with the space station one day later.
The first operational crew mission with four astronauts aboard a Dragon is expected to lift off in late August or early September:
NASA astronauts Mike Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi are training for the Crew-1 mission. The Crew-1 flight will only launch after the return of the Demo-2 mission, and a subsequent review of data from the Crew Dragon test flight.
While the spacecraft for the Demo-2 mission came with a four-month certified mission lifetime, the Dragon for the Crew-1 flight will be certified for a full-duration 210-day mission, according to NASA.
Stich said there are several modifications to the capsule SpaceX is building for the Crew-1 mission, although major components such as the capsule’s life support system and guidance, navigation and control systems are largely unchanged.
“The Crew-1 vehicle can land in a little bit higher wind state,” Stich said. SpaceX has changed some of the outer composite panels to make that a little stronger.”
“It also has the capability not only dock to the forward port of the space station, but it can go to the zenith (space-facing) port as well, so it has that capability, and it has a couple other features,” Stich said.
Musk hated to substantially delay the mission. With this first launch of the Cargo Dragon spacecraft, he knew full well SpaceX stood to make history. No private company had ever launched a spacecraft into orbit before and then safely retrieved it. So he took out his phone and rang up Marty Anderson, one of the company’s ace technicians.
“Hey Marty, do you think you can just go and climb in the interstage and cut the bottom six inches off the skirt?” Musk asked.
No joke—Musk wanted Anderson to go into the rocket with a pair of metal shears and trim the bottom of the skirt. This was the solution to a tear in an engine nozzle.
Anderson was game. Hours later, he flew on Musk’s private jet from the company’s factory in California to Florida, got into a lift, and rode a crane up to the interstage. This happened with the rocket standing upright, out on the launch pad. Soon, Anderson had snipped away the skirt at the bottom of the engine.
**** Starship
****** The cleanup following the SN4 explosion proceeded rapidly and another launch platform will be ready soon. According to road closure schedules and FAA notices, the SN5 prototype is expected to roll out to the launch site this week and engine tests restarted soon thereafter.
** Elon makes Starship the primary focus for SpaceX. With the successful launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the ISS with two astronauts on board, the development of the Falcon vehicle Crew systems is essentially complete. The company will need to insure that Crew and Cargo operations are carried out efficiently and safely, but the hardware development segments of the company can now move on to other projects. These will now be centered on development of the Starship and its Super Heavy Booster systems: Elon Musk email to SpaceX employees: Starship is the top priority – CNBC
SpaceX launched astronauts for the first time barely a week ago but CEO Elon Musk does not want the company resting on its laurels.
Instead, Musk urged SpaceX employees to accelerate progress on its next-generation Starship rocket “dramatically and immediately,” writing Saturday in a company-wide email seen by CNBC.
“Please consider the top SpaceX priority (apart from anything that could reduce Dragon return risk) to be Starship,” Musk wrote in the email.
****** SpaceX drops plans to restart Starship activities at a facility at Port of L.A. While some design and component manufacture will be carried out at the Hawthorne, California headquarters, it appears that Texas will be the primary site for most all Starship development, assembly, and testing activities.
SpaceX gave notice on March 27 that it would terminate its lease for a Starship rocket facility in the Port of L.A.
**** Selections of videos showing activity at Boca Chica during the past week:
****** June 5: SpaceX Boca Chica – Starship SN7 taking shape as launch site is prepared for SN5 – NASASpaceflight – YouTube
With Starship SN5 days from rolling to the launch site Starship SN7 sections (inc. “mystery dome”) are being prepared for stacking next to Starship SN6 in the High Bay! Video and Photos from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer)
While preparations continue at the launch site for the arrival of Starship SN5, future Starships are lining up for their turn. Another new nosecone was spotted peeking out of one of the big tents. Video and Photos from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer)
****** June 8: SpaceX Boca Chica – Launch Pad prepares to receive Starship SN5 – NASASpaceflight – YouTube
Lots of work on the newly installed launch mount at the Boca Chica launch site was ongoing on Sunday as Starship SN5 prepares for this coming week’s rollout for testing. Video and Photos from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer)
****** June 8: SpaceX Boca Chica – SN6 prepares as launch site work continues – NASASpaceflight – YouTube
While work continues at the SpaceX Boca Chica launch site ahead of Starship SN5’s arrival later this week, Starship SN6 is almost ready to become a complete stack via work on the thrust section. Video and Pictures from Mary (@bocachicagal)
Three Starships in work at SpaceX Boca Chica, highlighted by a flip of a SN7 dome, that is either a common or top dome, but is certainly looks different to previous domes. Video and Photos from Mary (@bocachicagal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer).
** Webcast rocket reports:
**** SpaceX Starship News with SN5, SN6 and SN7, Crew Dragon to be reused for Crew flights, Starlink – Marcus House
**** Scott Manley reviews rocket designs that SpaceX proposed but later dropped:
A sampling of recent articles, press releases, etc. related to student and amateur CubeSat / SmallSat projects and programs (find previous smallsat roundups here):
Scientists from the University of New Hampshire’s Space Science Center will use a $4.6 million grant from NASA to create a project that will offer a diverse group of college students from across the country hands-on research experience designing and building small satellites that will be launched into outer space and collect data for one of NASA’s space missions.
The Student Collaboration Project, led by Noé Lugaz, a research associate professor of physics, aims to work in conjunction with NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission and build off of the collected data to provide firsthand research experience for undergraduate and graduate students and help to diversify the field of space science.
“We’re missing out on so much potential with great people out there,” said Lugaz. “Most science projects are publicly funded, and we want to expand access to college students who are qualified and have a passion for science to get involved, no matter what their major. We are hoping to inspire them, even if it’s just for one year. We think we can really start to make a difference.”
Project coordinators will recruit the first group of students from three universities–UNH, Howard University in Washington, D.C. and Sonoma State University in California. During the five-year project, students from each university will design and build a CubeSat–a small satellite the size of a half-gallon of milk–that will have an instrument that can quantify the concentration of oxygen in the Earth’s upper atmosphere and provide scientists with clues about the effects of the solar wind. This is the region where many satellites are located and knowing more about the atmosphere’s density could help determine their orbit and lifetime.
…
The student built CubeSats will launch in 2024 separately from the main IMAP mission but at the same time in order to collect complementary data. The CubeSats will be in space for about four months and will be located much closer to the Earth than the other IMAP instruments.
** Technical Univ. of Budapest SMOG/P/ATL-1 picosats measure spectra usage globally.
Its 6 months since the launch of Alba Cluster 2, and the first data from the SMOG-P/ATL-1 mission has been published. The PQs flew tiny spectrum analyzers to build up a global map of spectrum usage. The team have created a dynamic map you can explore https://t.co/Mg1fhXCWWopic.twitter.com/HN48NEwFgm
The small cube satellite built by Robertsville Middle School students with help from teachers, mentors, and NASA is scheduled to launch on a resupply rocket to the International Space Station in September, and it could be deployed into orbit a few hundred miles above Earth in October.
Testing of the satellite and its components, including a battery test and vibration tests, was scheduled to start this week.
** AMSAT news on student and amateur CubeSat/smallsat projects:
RainCube: “(a) The integrated radar payload and flight avionics in the 6-U bus chassis. (b) The fully integrated RainCube satellite including the solar panels and the deployed radar antenna.” Credits: SPIE, RainCube
Coast Guard Auxiliary Supports Research Efforts – MarineLink – “As part of the DHS Science & Technology Polar Scout CubeSat project, the RDC constructed a satellite ground station in Fairbanks, Alaska. This labor-intensive effort required the construction of an 18-foot radome structure. The successful completion on this ground station provided a valuable resource for the Coast Guard and DHS while testing CubeSat technology in support of Arctic search and rescue.“
** Smallsat built at UNSW Canberra at the Australian Defence Force Academy to fly on next Rocket Lab Electron launch:
The next mission from #UNSWCBR Space, M2 Pathfinder, is launching on @RocketLab‘s Mission 12 “Don’t Stop Me Now” on June 11.
M2PF is a significant next step in flight heritage for our program of developing intelligent space systems and the development of Australian capability. pic.twitter.com/dseWRUzhzP
“NASA STEM Stars” is a web-chat series that connects students with subject matter experts to learn about STEM careers and ask questions about STEM topics. This week, “NASA STEM Stars” is joined by aerospace engineer Allison Evans, who specializes in CubeSats. Learn about her path to NASA and how she ended up building and testing spacecraft the size of a loaf of bread.
** Hiber smallsat constellation will provide IoT services for a diversity applications such as assisting beekeepers:
** 1st “Make Space Boring” virtual conference – Jason Kanigan – Lowering the 40%+ Smallsat Failure Rate – Cold Star Technologies – YouTube
Jason Kanigan of Cold Star Tech speaks at the first “Make Space Boring” virtual conference. His topic is lowering the awful 40%+ partial plus full mission failure rate of small satellites.
** Building small satellite/cubesat missions in Indian universities
What goes into building a cubesat program at a university? What are the difference between university teams trying to build satellites in India against US? How can we improve the overall ecosystems in academia to build more student missions in India? Here are some great insights from Sharan. NewSpace India Episode 25 June 5, 2020
1. Monday, June 8, 2020; 7 pm PDT (9 pm CDT, 10 pm EDT: No special programming.
2. Tuesday, June 9, 2020; 7 pm PDT (9 pm CDT, 10 pm EDT): We welcome back Dr. Eligar Sadeh, to report on a special Astropolitics Institute Workshop.
3. Wednesday, June 10, 2020: Hotel Mars TBA pre-recorded. See upcoming show menu on the home page for program details.
4. Thursday, June 11, 2020; 7-8:30 pm PDT (9-10:30 pm CDT, 10-11:30 pm EDT): We welcome back Dr. Namrata Goswami on national security space, SpaceX, China, space policy, The Space Force and more.
** Tuesday – June 2, 2020 – Dr. Dana Andrews discussed “his new book, Chasing The Dream, aerospace history, technology with X planes, the shuttle, aluminum versus titanium, management decision making at NASA, initial shuttle performance specs, claims and dreams plus more with Musk, SpaceX and the new commercial space industry”.
