A sampling of recent articles, press releases, etc. related to student and amateur CubeSat / SmallSat projects and programs (find previous smallsat roundups here):
A pair of microsatellites were deployed into Earth orbit today outside Japan’s Kibo laboratory module. The Deformable Mirror CubeSat will demonstrate the performance of a tiny but powerful exo-planet telescope. The TechEdSat-10 CubeSat will test returning small payloads safely into Earth’s atmosphere.
The CubeSats were launched to the ISS on a Northrop-Grumman Antares rocket in a Cygnus cargo vehicle on February 15th of this year.
TechEdSat-10 is the latest CubeSat sponsored by the NASA Ames Technology Education Satellite (TechEdSat) program. This spacecraft was developed in collaboration with student teams at San Jose State University and the University of Idaho. The primary goal of the mission is to test technologies for low cost return of small payloads from orbit. The CubeSat will deploy a Exo-Brake, which is
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.
An Exo-Brake is a parachute-like apparatus deployed from a spacecraft to increase drag in the very thin atmosphere of low earth orbit. The increased drag will hasten the satellite’s reentry. This photo shows an Exo-Brake being packed into TechEdSat-5. Credits: ASA Ames/Dominic Hart
The TecEdSat-10 mission will
… further develop the tension-based drag device (an ‘Exo-Brake’) and demonstrate frequent uplink/downlink control capability. In addition, the Exo-Brake is modulated in order to change the drag profile and then permit, for the first time, a targeting experiment. TechEdSat-10 is sized at a scale of 3 m, which permits re-entry within 4 weeks at a ßof ~5 kg/m2. Understanding the thermophysics of such a device permits it to be scaled for larger payloads and re-entry within 1.5 days.
Targeting would allow the brake to return a payload to a specific area for ease of recovery.
The Deformable Mirror CubeSat (DeMi) project is an MIT project sponsored by DARPA. Deformable mirrors are used in ground-based telescopes to cancel out distortions in stellar images caused by variations in atmospheric density, temperature, etc. For observatories in orbit, there is no atmosphere to deal with but there are various structural and optical flaws, small strains from temperature changes, etc. The goal for this mission is to demonstrate that such imperfections can be compensated for with a deformable mirror in a space telescope.
In order to image an Earth-like planet, an exoplanet direct imaging system needs to achieve a contrast ratio of 1 × 10E−10. Even with adaptive optics on a large ground-based telescope, it is currently not possible to overcome the effects from atmospheric turbulence to achieve the high contrast needed to obtain high-resolution spectra of an Earth-like exoplanet. While a space telescope does not have to overcome the effects of atmospheric turbulence, achieving a clear image usually comes at the expense of smaller aperture size (e.g., due to launch cost and launch vehicle limitations). The performance of a space telescope will still suffer from optical imperfections, thermal distortions, and diffraction that will corrupt the wavefront, create speckles, and ruin the contrast. High actuator-count deformable mirrors have the authority to correct high spatial frequency aberrations that would otherwise degrade the contrast in these conditions.
Deformable Mirror CubeSat (DeMi) serves as an on-orbit testbed for a MEMS deformable mirror. The baseline deformable mirror payload architecture incorporates a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor for mirror characterization as well as a focal plane sensor for correcting an image of an external object. DeMi characterizes the on-orbit performance of a 140 actuator MEMS deformable mirror with 5.5 μm maximum stroke. The goal is to measure individual actuator wavefront displacement contributions to a precision of 12 nm. …
The ultimate goal is to enable space telescopes to image exoplanets directly:
Current space telescopes have limited ability to detect and distinguish small, dim objects such as exoplanets that are next to large, bright objects such as stars. MEMS deformable mirror technology can improve the imaging capabilities of future space telescopes.
Aurora Flight Sciences is managing the project and Blue Canyon Technologies built the spacecraft.
AMSAT-DL Proposes LunART – Luna Amateur Radio Transponder
Buffalo Soldiers Special Event on the Satellites
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Upcoming ARISS Contacts
Satellite Shorts from All Over
** AMSAT arose from the HAM radio community and many educational and science related smallsats use amateur radio bands for communications. This article doesn’t include anything on AMSAT or amateur radio via satellites but it does give a good overview of the state of amateur radio globally: The Uncertain Future of Ham Radio – IEEE Spectrum.
** Building a CubeSat for less than $1000 — Part 3 — Avionics Schematic – Third episode in a series from RG SAT on how to build a low cost CubeSat.
Today I cover the schematic I created for the Avionics board of the Cubesat. The Avionics board essentially serves as the main computer for the Cubesat, including control of the Attitude Control System, and radio communications.
A World CanSat/Rocketry Championship (hereinafter: WCRC) is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations (as university student Teams or as independent student Teams), and winning this event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in this field. The WCRC was formulated and negotiated among the Organizations from 6 countries: Serbia, India, Italy, Tunisia, Canada, and Peru (hereinafter: Founders) from October.
CubeSats are miniature satellites typically deployed into low earth orbit. A standard 1U CubeSat is a cube ten centimeters on a side. Here, I tracked three different CubeSats on the night of 6/17 at our dark site observatory. Tracking is performed blind, meaning there is no optical assist to help the telescope point to the target. These videos are shot using a Celestron RASA 11 telescope and the ZWO ASI 6200 mono camera, operated in 8 bit video mode, quarter frame size, 100ms exposure. That video is further cropped here to make it easier to find the satellite.
** Dove Satellite – Observing Earth With A Cubesat –
I paid a visit to Planet, they’re one of my ‘neighbours’ in San Francisco’s SOMA district. Their business is planetary imaging and they’ve launched over 100 Dove Cubesats which are built around the largest possible camera you can fit in a cubesat.
The challenge: Build and launch a pair of cube satellites on a tight budget and even tighter timeline. Here is how Aerospace engineers designed the Aerospace Rogue Alpha/Beta CubeSats as pathfinders for studying rapid reconstitution.
A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here):
** Northrup Grumman Minotaur IV launches 4 NRO classified satellites from Virginia spaceport Wednesday morning. The modified Peacekeeper missile used four solid-fueled stages to put the satellites into low earth orbit.
** Launch of the UAE Hope Mars mission on a Japanese H-2A rocket was scrubbed on Tuesday due to bad weather at the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. The new target liftoff time is Thursday, July 16, 2020 at 8:43 pm GMT (4:43 pm EDT).
The satellite is part of a multi-beam high-throughput broadband satellite communication system based on the Ku and Ka frequency bands that will form a space-wide Internet communication network covering the whole world, build an integrated, autonomous, controllable, efficient and safe satellite broadband communication network and service platform that provide the ability to match global communications needs to provide high-quality, efficient, and low-cost satellite broadband communications services for mobile communications, including maritime communications, aviation airborne communications, land vehicle communications and fixed satellite broadband Internet access.
The mission was China’s 19th launch of 2020, following the successful launch of the APSTAR-6D communications satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit Thursday.
China has suffered three failures this year. These were the debut launch of the Long March 7A in March, a new launcher which may replace the aging, hypergolic Long March 3B. The latter launcher failed in April resulting in the loss of the Indonesian Palapa-N1 communications satellite.
** More about the recent Israeli Shavit rocket launch from Scott Manley:
The Shavit first launched in 1988 carrying Israeli designed and built surveillance satellites, since then it’s launched more than 10 time, with the latest being the first weekend of July 2020 carrying the Ofeq 16 satellite. Shavit is unique among launch vehicles in that it’s designed to launch retrograde to avoid dropping spend stages on Israels neighbours.
Skyrora has established an engine test complex in Scotland, where it already has successfully tested its 3.5kN engine and three-tonne engine for its sub-orbital and orbital rockets. Skyrora expects the newly established Engine Test Complex to help the company create over 170 new jobs in the area by 2030.
Skyrora’s engine test complex layout is fairly minimal, mainly consisting of a fuel and oxidiser loading system to put fuel into both tanks and a pressure supply system to feed the fuel to the engine in the test stand. Skyrora also built the actual test stand, the road to access the test site and the concrete slab for the test site to sit on. It took the team only a few weeks to build it, at a fraction of the estimated time and cost while making sure all measures followed health and safety guidelines.
Skyrora’s vision is to test all three engines used on its rocket suite in the one location: the seven-tonne engine for the first and second stage of the orbital Skyrora XL launch vehicle, the 3.5Kn engine for the third stage, and the three-tonne engine for the sub-orbital Skylark L launch vehicle.
The test site is estimated to help Skyrora create over 170 mainly technical jobs in manufacturing and operations ranging from mechanical engineering to electronics for avionics systems.
Skyrora are excited to announce that we have established a rocket engine test facility in Scotland, with the aim of supporting 170 jobs by 2030. This engine test complex has already seen the successful testing of two of our engines!
** Taiwanese TiSpace develops mobile launch system for Hapath V rocket:
花2個月打造出來的機動式發射系統，已經完成全系統功能測試及發射模擬驗證。
It took us 2 months to build a mobile launch system that had completed the system testing with launch operation sequence simulation verified. pic.twitter.com/pDP4AAGVID
On July 7, 2020 iRocket announced that the company signed a Phase II RAPID Other Transaction Agreement contract with the U.S. Air Force. The award was created just three months after the phase I contract when iRocket partnered with Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) in Albuquerque, N.M., and Air Force Research Lab at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
iRocket is a privately funded New York startup building autonomous small reusable rockets to cargo micro, nano, cube, and constellations to LEO on its Shockwave launch vehicle. The company develops cost-effective small launch vehicles that can support 300kg and 1500 kg payloads for space research and exploration. After the recent successful launch of two American astronauts into orbit by the SpaceX/NASA partnership, there has been tremendous media interest in private companies innovating, reducing costs, and increasing access to space exploration – all of which are iRocket’s specialties. iRocket plans to disrupt the small satellite market and will offer on-orbit satellite servicing capabilities by 2025.
…
iRocket’s Shockwave will be a fully autonomous launch vehicle and the only fully reusable small launcher in the market. It will consist of two stages to orbit, the first and second stage landing back on the launch site. iRocket will prove inland launch capabilities to the Department of Defense and be mission capable of launching within 24 hrs. iRocket plans to launch its rockets from Launch Complex 48 at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fl.
Rendering of an iRocket Shockwave rocket lifting off.
** Vert Aerospace aims to develop a smallsat launch system with a low carbon footprint. The fully reusable vehicle will accomplish this by
using additive manufacturing, Vert Aerospace will drastically REDUCE part count and material needs.
and
The Gaia Launch Vehicle (GLV) will be fueled using recycled RP-1. Vert Aerospace will use a proprietary CO2 conversion process powered by solar.
The microlauncher competition of the DLR Space Administration started on May 15, 2020. The competition supports German start-ups with a total amount of 25 million euros, which Mikrolauncher wants to develop and operate commercially. A maximum of five companies can participate, of which two winners will be selected by an expert jury during the two-year term….
… The Mikrolauncher competition is divided into three phases: In the preliminary round (2020), the maximum of five participating start-ups are selected, each receiving 500,000 euros in funding. In the course of the main round (2021) the winner of the competition will be determined, who will receive funding of eleven million euros. In the third phase (2022), the second place is awarded, which is also endowed with eleven million euros.
Funding is provided through the European Space Agency’s C-STS program . Technical, economic and operational evaluation criteria are decisive for the selection of the teams in all three competition phases.
The core task of the competition was a proposal for transport services from earth to orbit (“Earth to Orbit”) based on a micro launcher developed by the company itself. A prerequisite was also the willingness to allow free flight of selected non-commercial payloads from universities or research institutions with a maximum total mass of 150 kilograms each on the qualification flights. In the last two rounds of the competition, the winners receive funding for the final qualification phase of their carrier system, including the implementation of two demonstration flights in the period 2022-2023. After the preliminary round has now ended, the first winner of the competition will be determined in the course of the main round (2021), who will receive funding of eleven million euros. In the third phase (2022), the second prize is awarded, which is also endowed with eleven million euros.
The microlaunchers are loosely defined as those launchers that can take a payload of a few hundred kilograms to low earth orbit.
“Spaceflight’s Sherpa-FX is the first innovative orbital transfer vehicle to debut in the company’s Sherpa-NG (next generation) program. The vehicle is capable of executing multiple deployments, providing independent and detailed deployment telemetry, and flexible interface, all at a low cost. Graphic represents the SXRS-3 mission, carrying customer spacecraft and hosted payloads.” Credits: Spaceflight
Some hosted payloads will remain attached to the transfer vehicle:
In addition to the customer spacecraft, Sherpa-FX will transport multiple hosted payloads including one for Celestis Inc., as well as several that will demonstrate technologies designed to identify and track spacecraft once deployed. By demonstrating these tracking systems on orbit, Spaceflight customers will have access to flight-proven technologies that can mitigate space congestion and provide the foundation of effective and responsible space traffic management. Technologies onboard Sherpa-FX include payloads by NearSpace Launch, Keplerian Technologies and their hardware partner Tiger Innovations, and Space Domain Awareness Inc. These innovative payloads will provide spacecraft developers an independent capability to identify and track their spacecraft without drawing on the host spacecraft resources.
** First Launch of Europe’s next-gen Ariane 6 rocket slips till late 2021. The all expendable vehicle is intended to replace the Ariane 5 and to offer launch prices competitive with SpaceX Falcon 9. ESA confirms Ariane 6 delay to 2021 – SpaceNews
Europe’s Ariane 6 rocket won’t launch until the second half of 2021 at the earliest, a delay of at least six months, the European Space Agency confirmed July 9.
“While we know that the maiden flight will not take place before the second semester of 2021, we cannot at this moment precisely quantify the delay, and we cannot provide an exact launch date,” Daniel Neuenschwander, ESA’s director of space transportation, said according to an ESA translation of remarks at a July 9 press event provided to SpaceNews. The French Association of Professional Journalists in Aeronautics, organized the event at ArianeGroup’s headquarters in Paris.
** Two SpaceX Falcons struggling to fly. The third go at launching the Starlink 9 payload with 57 Starlink satellites and 2 BlackSky satellites on Saturday July 11th was scrubbed due to unspecified technical problems. This followed two previous attempts to lift off since late June. A launch of another Falcon 9 set for Tuesday July 14th of the South Korean Anasis 2 military communications satellite was postponed due to an issue with the upper stage. The first stage booster had been successfully test fired last Saturday. The Anasis launch is now set for Sunday, July 19th at 5 pm EDT (2100 GMT).
From the sea to the highway. Incredible how SpaceX has shortened the Port processing time. With the new Octagrabber, they are able to load directly from JRTI to the transporter. Pushing for that 24hr turnaround. All in 4K.
Starship SN5 is finally set to begin Raptor engine testing this weekend after a successful cryogenic proof test on July 1. If the static fire test is successful, it will clear the way for a 150-meter hop test as early as next week. The 150-meter hop will be the first test flight of a full-scale Starship tank section.
Ahead of the static fire test, the hydraulic thrust simulator – used for the proof testing – was removed to make way for a Raptor engine. Raptor SN27 is the engine chosen for use on SN5.
….
Whatever the case, SpaceX teams are understood to be eager to get Starship SN8 completed. The vehicle will feature major upgrades over previous Starship prototypes. SN8 will be built out of 304L stainless steel versus 301, receive a fairing, aerosurfaces, and three Raptor engines to allow for a higher altitude test flight.
SpaceX Boca Chica continues to grow as a spaceport with the impressive High Bay continuing assembly while extra land is cleared for further expansion. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Brady Kenniston (@TheFavoritist)
****** July 12: SpaceX Boca Chica – Gearing up for Starship SN5’s Static Fire testing – NASASpaceflight – YouTube
While there is activity all across SpaceX Boca Chica, the focus of attention will be on Starship SN5 this coming week ahead of her Static Fire test campaign. Footage includes Production Facility section preps and the drive past of the facilities that have new additions each week. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer).
****** July 14: SpaceX Boca Chica – Nosecone Ready To Stack – Work On New Lot – NASASpaceflight – YouTube
In today’s Boca Chica update, Nosecone stacking appears imminent (but doesn’t happen), another new nosecone (yes another one) is spotted in the fabrication tents, Earth work begins at a new lot that SpaceX has apparently purchased, future starship parts line up and SN5 test campaign preparations continue. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer)
****** July 15: SpaceX Boca Chica – A New Nosecone Is Born – New Lots Readied For Expansion – NASASpaceflight – YouTube
In this Starship update; a new Nosecone is born in Boca Chica, a scrap ring stack is moved out of the fabrication area, earth work on both sides of the build site continued, and work at the launch site and on SN5 continued ahead of engine testing. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer)
****** Webcast Starship reports:
**** SpaceX Starship news as SN5 heads towards 150m flight, OneWeb, RocketLab & Starliner updates – Marcus House
****** What’s Missing In SpaceX’s Boca Chica? – What about it!?
****** Will the Starship Facility Survive Hurricanes? – What about it!?
NSF’s first weekly update video showing the highlights of work ongoing at SpaceX Boca Chica. Featuring videos and photos from Mary (@bocachicagal) for NSF. Edited and hosted by Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer).
2020 Lunar Development Conference is a two day all-virtual event sponsored by The Moon Society on July 19 – 20, 2020. It will feature prominent speakers, panels, and networking between attendees using a new virtual platform.
1. Monday, July 13, 2020; 7 pm PDT (9 pm CDT, 10 pm EDT: No special programming.
2. Tuesday, July 14, 2020; 7 pm PDT (9 pm CDT, 10 pm EDT): We welcome back Dr. James Schwartz to discuss his new book, The Value of Science in Space Exploration [Amazon commission link], plus his ongoing essay series on space development.
3. Wednesday, July 15, 2020: Hotel Mars TBA pre-recorded. See upcoming show menu on the home page for program details.
4. Thursday, July 16, 2020; 7-8:30 pm PDT (9-10:30 pm CDT, 10-11:30 pm EDT): No special program today.
5. Friday, July 17, 2020; 9:30-11 am PDT (11:30 am-1 pm CDT, 12:30-2 pm EDT): We welcome back John Strickland on multiple topics and plans for space settlement and more.
6. Sunday, July 19, 2020; 12-1:30 pm PDT (3-4:30 pm EDT, 2-3:30 pm CDT): OPEN LINES. Come one com all. We want to hear from you.
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):
Dr. Bhavya Lal joins the show to discuss the size of the space economy, where it’s going, and how the term itself can mean many different things to many different people. In a world filled with breathless claims about trillion-dollar economies, we dive down into the fundamental assumptions about space commerce, its potential for growth, and the pitfalls of motivated thinking in the hyper-optimistic space community.
Luc Riesbeck is a space policy research analyst at Astroscale U.S., and wants to make our orbits a safer place.
Riesbeck started their career with an undergraduate degree in international relations, then interned at NASA, and quickly realized their interest in space policy. Now with a masters degree and a space policy internship under their belt, Riesbeck is eager to work alongside other industries to put space on the map for the “green” environmental movement.
In this episode, Riesbeck talks about the importance of space sustainability, keeping our orbits clean, and what space policy could look like in the years to come.
Night Sky Network members enjoyed a webinar on June 16, 2020 hosted by Bruce Pittman from NASA’s Space Portal Office, who shared the present, and future of commercial ventures in space. A quiet revolution has been taking place in the development of space over the last 20 years. Sparked by the space ambitions of men such as Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, these efforts will come into full display over the next 42 months starting with the launch of the NASA Commercial Crew Demo 2 mission by SpaceX now scheduled for May 27th and hopefully ending with Americans returning to the lunar surface for the first time in 50 years by December 2024. But this story is about more than just getting to space. We will also talk about the start of a space manufacturing revolution that is now beginning on the International Space Station. It has been said that the first trillionaire will be made in space, it may be one of the people that we will talk about.
About Bruce Pittman Bruce Pittman is the Director of Commercial Space Development at OffWorld Inc. and is currently working as a contractor in the Space Portal Office at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley where he works as the Chief System Engineer. Bruce is a co-founder and Chief Space Officer for the not for profit Future Frontiers Institute. He is also the Senior Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of another non profit, the National Space Society.
Space law expert Ranjana Kaul and space entrepreneur Narayan Prasad discuss space reforms and the recent Indian IN-SPACe announcement with host Pavan Srinath on Episode 144 of The Pragati Podcast.
[Amazon commission link], plus his ongoing essay series on space development.
