A Weekly Chronicle of Developments in the Space Industry

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Space Council Adds Moon to NASA's Plans (Source: Space News)

At the first meeting of the reconstituted National Space Council Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence instructed NASA to include the moon in its human spaceflight plans. Pence told NASA to submit a plan within 45 days for fulfilling a policy that now calls for human missions to the moon as a "stepping-stone" for later human missions to Mars. That plan could incorporate the Deep Space Gateway, a concept for an outpost in cislunar space that NASA introduced earlier this year. At the Council meeting, Pence also requested a "full review" of commercial space regulations to identify areas that can be streamlined, and completion of a "space strategic framework" by the National Security Council. (10/5)



Pence: America Will Return to the Moon—-and Go Beyond (Source: Wall Street Journal)

Sixty years ago this week, the Soviet Union launched the world’s first satellite into orbit, changing the course of history. The race for space was on, and the Soviets had taken an early lead. But the sight of Sputnik blinking across the October sky spurred Americans to action. Twelve years later, with “one giant leap for mankind,” the U.S. claimed its rightful place as the undisputed leader in the exploration of the heavens. That pre-eminence in outer space is now under threat—and once again, America must act. (10/4)



Trump’s New Space Council Vows America ‘Will Hold the High Ground Again’ (Source: Washington Times)

The White House is making a leap toward the final frontier, and they are doing it right. Thursday marks the inaugural meeting of the National Space Council, and as far as power and policy goes, this is a star-studded, innovative event with potential. President Trump’s critics would be wise not to squawk about it; the public remains fascinated, receptive and even patriotic toward space exploration, and this effort emphasizes a trio of unapologetically noble themes: “We will lead again, we will inspire again, we will hold the high ground again.”



Vice President Mike Pence, who is council chairman, will captain the big doings. Also present: Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson; Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross; Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao; Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke; Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney; National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster; Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats; Acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot; Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan; Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the U.S. Michael Kratsios; and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Paul J. Selva.



Editor's Note: VP Pence opened the NSC meeting with the same rhetoric used during the campaign: that the US has lost its leadership position in space. Few of the NSC members or speakers seemed to agree. The U.S. is far and away the global leader in space, with civil, military and commercial programs that are the envy of other nations. (10/4)



The Mission to Mars is One Stupid Leap for Mankind (Source: Washington Post)

Juvenal, that biting pundit of the Roman Empire, complained of weak leaders distracting the people with “panem et circenses” — bread and circuses. In our day, it’s moon bases and missions to Mars. Europe is splintering. North Korea has gone full “Dr. Strangelove.” Disaster in Puerto Rico. Massacre in Las Vegas. Crickets chirping on Capitol Hill, where Republican promises go to die.



Though Pence’s commission is unlikely to tell you, there are very good reasons Americans, and other humans, abruptly stopped going deep into space. It’s deadly. It’s unnecessary. And to borrow from Gertrude Stein, there’s no there there.



Doubtless, Americans could return to the moon, and even stay there for a while. It would cost vast sums, but we have good credit and high tolerance for debt. The question is why. The moon is still the same dead, dusty desert we left in 1972. Ice-covered Antarctica and the Sarahan sands are both far more hospitable to human life than the moon. (10/7) Trump's NASA Pivot - Moon Now a Destination, Not Just a Pit Stop on the Way to Mars (Source: The Atlantic)

Rumors that the Trump administration was more interested in the moon than Mars began circulating days after the inauguration. Leaked memos published in February revealed the president’s advisers wanted NASA to send astronauts there by 2020, one part in a bigger plan to focus on activities near Earth rather than missions deeper in the solar system. Vice President Mike Pence spoke vaguely of a return to the moon in a speech in July.



In September, the administration nominated a NASA chief who extolled the construction of lunar outposts. All signs pointed to a significant shift in the country’s Mars-focused space agenda of the last seven years. This week, the Trump administration made it official. “We will return NASA astronauts to the moon—not only to leave behind footprints and flags, but to build the foundation we need to send Americans to Mars and beyond,” Pence said. (10/6)



Florida Scientists Urge Senate to Oppose Donald Trump’s NASA Pick (Source: Florida Politics)

Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson have already lobbed objections to Jim Bridenstine, President Donald Trump‘s pick to head NASA. Now, more than 30 Florida scientists signed a letter to the state’s U.S. senators, urging them to outright reject Bridenstine when he comes up for confirmation. Among the criticisms that scientists around the nation have voiced about Bridenstine is that he has said that he doesn’t believe humans are causing climate change. (10/6)



Is America Facing Another Sputnik Moment? (Source: The New Yorker)

The direction of the American space program could well be decided by Donald Trump’s nominee to lead NASA, Jim Bridenstine. A former Navy pilot and current congressman from Oklahoma, Bridenstine has been a vocal supporter of human spaceflight over basic research—more landings on Mars, fewer probes to Pluto. In his proposed American Space Renaissance Act, he calls for NASA to retrench from its scientific mission and devote its resources to building the infrastructure for a future (and still largely speculative) space economy. But Bridenstine’s plan seems to ignore the existing space economy, with its launch systems and communications satellites around the planet, a more than three-hundred-billion-dollar industry.



It also elides the fact that, at a time of increasing automation here on Earth, the rush to send human colonists to space seems quaint, if not misguided. This was, and remains, the main drawback of America’s historical Sputnik moment. In the depths of the Cold War, it framed space exploration as a race for national grandeur and technological domination, another frontier to be conquered. For some, neither the moment nor the war ever really ended. It is as if, sixty years after the Soviets first put a satellite into orbit, the Americans still haven’t gotten there. (10/4)



The World Needs a Terrestrial Sputnik Moment (Source: The Atlantic)

Sputnik itself was just a small metal sphere filled with nitrogen, with a radio transmitter, power supply, fan, and antennae. All it did was beep, at two frequencies that could be detected by radio receivers, including ham-radio operators, around the world. That’s it.



On the surface, it would seem it was not much to write home about, and in fact the Soviet government initially didn’t write much about it. The official Communist newspaper Pravda printed only a few paragraphs about Sputnik 1 on launch day. But given the geopolitical situation at the time, outside the Soviet Union, in particular in the United States, the whole landscape of international power and prestige changed.



As we face the 21st-century challenges of climate change and nuclear proliferation and much else, it’s worth asking whether we need a terrestrial Sputnik moment to catalyze public and government action to realistically face these challenges. With any luck, the galvanizing act will be as harmless as the small metal sphere the Soviets launched, and not something much more traumatic. (10/4)



60 Years After Sputnik, Russia is Lost in Space (Source: Space News)

Just over 30 years after the Soviet Union launched the world’s first satellite, Sputnik 1, the nation that opened the space race stood on the precipice of a second golden age of space exploration. A major program, the Energia heavy booster rocket and the Buran space shuttle, was nearing completion — making its maiden flight in November 1988.



Another three decades later, on the 60th anniversary of Sputnik 1, the Russian space program is a shadow of its Soviet predecessor. The Energia-Buran project, its last major accomplishment, flew just once before the fall of communism gutted Moscow’s space program. For nearly three decades now, the Russian space industry has been in a state of triage, teetering on collapse.



But the Russian space program has consistently defied the dire predictions of those foretelling an imminent end to the program. Today, amid a major effort to reform and reorganize the Russian space industry under the new Roscosmos state corporation, there are signs that the bleeding has been slowed. But major questions about Russia’s future in space linger. (10/4)



‘Bold Space Agenda’ Needed Swiftly, California Execs Tell Conference (Source: Daily Breeze)

Commercial space pioneers led by Hawthorne-based SpaceX, during the first National Space Council meeting, pressed the federal government to overhaul the way it regulates and finances space exploration, insisting bureaucratic barriers that stifle innovation and speed must be removed. U.S. astronauts can be delivered to the Moon within five years, said companies represented at the gathering.



But only with a more competitive, level playing field that allows businesses with the best, most affordable systems to prevail rather than promising taxpayer funds to select companies. To keep its fast-paced growth, Shotwell told the council that SpaceX also needs to be able to move more quickly through the government’s licensing process.



“Regulations written decades ago must be updated to keep pace with the new technology and the high cadence of launch from the U.S. if we want a strong space-launch industry here at home,” Shotwell said. “Now is the time for swift and bold action. A permanent presence on the Moon and American boots on the surface of Mars are not impossible and they are not long-term goals." (10/7)



One Amazing Week in Our New Golden Age of Space Exploration (Source: Herald Scotland)

If there was ever any doubt that we are living in a new golden age of space discovery, then this week should dispel all misgivings. The world is currently engaged in a spate of frenetic exploration the like of which has not been seen since the era of the Apollo Missions during the late 1960s and early 70s. From advanced satellite launches and space walks, to plans for a mission to Mars and the study of asteroids heading near Earth, the sky above our planet haver never been so full of human activity. Click here. (10/8)



Lockheed Martin and NASA Team to Send Humans to Mars in 10 Years (Source: Business Insider)

The race to Mars is on. Lockheed Martin and NASA have teamed up. Together, the 2 companies aim to build Mars Base Camp, the first Mars space station.



It's scheduled to send a 6-person crew to orbit Mars by 2028 and scout a site for the first human landing by the early 2030s. From orbit, it'll be easier to control robots on Mars. Astronauts may also leave the base to explore Mars' two moons firsthand.



Eventually, the base could be a haven for future landing missions. Astronauts could take a lander from the base to the surface and back. Surface missions could last 2 weeks and safely abort at any time. NASA and Lockheed plan to start building the base in 2021. The SLS rocket will launch pieces of the base into Earth's orbit, where it will be fully assembled before launching to Mars. (10/3)



Musk Has Yet to Explain How People Will Survive on Mars (Source: Business Insider)

Musk's latest BFR design is about 50 feet shorter, and its spaceship is supposed to carry about half the payload. SpaceX has already built and tested key pieces of hardware in hopes of launching its first mission to Mars in 2022. "I feel fairly confident that we can complete the ship and be ready or launch in about five years. Five years seems like a long time to me."



Musk hopes to fly four additional ships to Mars in 2024, including two cargo missions and two ships carrying the first Martian explorers. From there, an increasing number of missions could establish and grow a colony. Two uncrewed missions would pave the way for future human exploration of Mars. The first would locate sources of water in the soil, and the second would set up a chemical factory to turn that water, plus carbon dioxide in the thin Martian air, into oxygen and methane rocket fuel. After the first people land on Mars, regular cargo launches would resupply them with food and other essentials. Click here. (10/4)



Mars Mission Sequels (Source: Space Review)

On the same day last week at the International Astronautical Congress in Australia, SpaceX and Lockheed Martin offered updates to Mars mission architectures unveiled last year. Jeff Foust reports on the changes, and the distinct differences between the two approaches. Click here. (10/3)



Musk's Dazzling Mars Plan Overlooks Some Big Nontechnical Hurdles (Source: The Conversation)

Between here and success, Musk and SpaceX will need to traverse an unbelievably complex risk landscape. Many will be technical. The rocket that’s going to take Musk’s colonizers to Mars hasn’t even been built yet. No one knows what hidden hurdles will emerge as testing begins. Musk does have a habit of successfully solving complex engineering problems though; and despite the mountainous technical challenges SpaceX faces, there’s a fair chance they’ll succeed.



As a scholar of risk innovation, what I’m not sure about is how SpaceX will handle some of the less obvious social and political hurdles they face. To give Elon Musk a bit of a head start, here are some of the obstacles I think he should have on his mission-to-Mars checklist. Click here. (10/2)



Scott Kelly on the Devastating Effects of a Year in Space (Source: The Age)

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly spent a year in space. His recollections of this unprecedented test of human endurance, and the physical toll it took, raise questions about the likelihood of future travel to Mars. "Every part of my body hurts. All my joints and all of my muscles are protesting the crushing pressure of gravity. I'm also nauseated, though I haven't thrown up..." Click here. (10/7)



Secret NASA Report 'Recommended All-Female Mars Missions' After Studying Astronauts' Sexual Dynamics (Source: Independent)

NASA secretly considered all-female missions to Mars in a report examining sexual dynamics among astronauts, it has been claimed. The paper showed the space agency had considered enforcing a strict gender divide on potential long-haul missions, according to astronaut Helen Sharman. Britain’s first person in space said the rumored document, filed “some years ago”, was designed to address the “impure thoughts” mixed spacefaring crews might suffer.



The document’s age could explain its apparent lack of consideration of same-sex attraction. “It found that the crew should be the same gender – all men or all women.” All-female crews would have been better than all-male, the report is said to have concluded, due to women's superior cooperation skills. (9/29)



These Microbes May Hitch a Ride with Humans to Mars: Why That Matters (Source: Space.com)

When humans finally journey to Mars, they won't be the only living things on board the spacecraft; millions upon millions of microbes that live on and in these pioneering astronauts' bodies will also be along for the ride. Understanding how these microbes can grow, spread and adapt in the spacecraft's confined conditions is important for ensuring the health of the astronauts who participate in such future long-term space missions.



And a new study offers insight into how these bacteria might behave in such an environment. Six men who lived as "Marsonauts" for more than a year inside a mock spacecraft in Moscow have revealed how the multitude of microbes that live on astronauts' bodies can adapt and spread throughout a confined environment, according to the study. (10/4)



Where's NASA? Why Private Companies are Taking us to Space Instead (Source: CNBC)

"NASA is the best brand the United States has," said Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society. "People have mixed feelings about the United States, putting it carefully. But, however they feel about the U.S. they respect NASA." Yet NASA's presence was less evident at IAC event. The biggest conference standouts included corporations like Boeing, Airbus and Lockheed Martin and national space agencies from France, Germany, Korea and the U.A.E.



While the privatization of the space sector excites science expert Nye, he emphasized that space research is very different than space travel. "Nobody's going to make money mapping Saturn," he said. But when it comes to off-Earth travel, things may be different: "People think there's a business case that you would sell tickets to Mars. That's an extraordinary idea." (10/6)



Against Mars-a-Lago: Why SpaceX’s Mars Colonization Plan Should Terrify You (Source: Salon)

One wonders if these luminaries know their history. There has be no instance in which a private corporation became a colonizing power that did not end badly for everyone besides the shareholders. The East India Company is perhaps the finest portent of Musk’s Martian ambitions. In 1765, the East India Company forced the Mughal emperor to sign a legal agreement that would essentially permit their company to become the de facto rulers of Bengal.



The East India Company then collected taxes and used its private army, which was over 200,000 strong by the early 19th century, to repress those who got in the way of its profit margins. “It was not the British government that seized India at the end of the 18th century, but a dangerously unregulated private company headquartered in one small office, five windows wide, in London, and managed in India by an unstable sociopath,” writes William Dalrymple.



As with all such corporations, then as now, the [East India Company] was answerable only to its shareholders. With no stake in the just governance of the region, or its long-term wellbeing, the company’s rule quickly turned into the straightforward pillage of Bengal, and the rapid transfer westwards of its wealth. (10/8)



Growth of Private Flight Can Shield Taxpayers From NASA Waste (Source: The Hill)

Another expensive boondoggle by NASA shows that the government needs to reevaluate its celestial spending. The latest gaffe is that NASA was forced to delay the launch of the $8 billion James Webb Space Telescope another year, just the latest in a decadal saga of overruns and “restructuring.” Along with an inappropriately quiet announcement of the delay, Congressional rumblings have been kept to a minimum.



The lack of outrage is hardly surprising, when criticism of NASA inevitably caves to the cult religion of space exploration. When scientific endeavors of any kind receive federal funding, merits are hard to judge objectively because of the far-flung, esoteric goals promised by scientists and policy makers. While NASA's unique mission should be taken into account when evaluating the administration, Congress needs to hold NASA accountable and nix needless spending. NASA missions regularly experience cost overruns north of 20 percent,



Faced with a growing pile of delays and cost overruns, lawmakers face limited options in reigning in NASA. One option is incentivizing a greater reliance of private providers for future undertakings in space. NASA has already taken some steps in the right direction, relying on companies like SpaceX and the United Launch Alliance (ULA) for payload deliveries to space stations. (10/8)



Congressman: Military Space Needs More Attention (Source: Space News)

The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said Thursday that military space needs more attention, even if it is not through the creation of a Space Corps. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) said that "space is not going well" and that there is a need for space operations to be separated to at least some degree from the rest of the Air Force. The House version of a defense authorization bill would require the formation of a Space Corps within the Air Force, a provision missing in the Senate's version of the bill. Thornberry said a compromise might involve reforms for space operations that fall short of creating the Space Corps. (10/5)



Experts Call for More Diplomacy, Less Militarization of Space (Source: Space News)

As Congress debates a contentious proposal to create a military “space corps,” some of Washington’s top experts say the U.S. government should promote more civility and less bellicosity in the cosmos. Shifting the management of military space programs from the Air Force to a separate space corps is an idea that has long been talked about but never acted upon until this year, when the House Armed Services Committee inserted language in the House version of the 2018 defense policy bill.



There is no question that the United States has to protect its access to space, Neufeld said. “We can’t take it for granted, but it can go away if you don’t deal with this properly.” A 1967 treaty bans the deployment of weapons in space. Neufeld nevertheless sees fundamental threats to U.S. access to space — particularly low Earth orbit — that the nation should be able to address without overly militarizing what has been largely a peaceful domain. (10/4)



SecAF Wilson Touts ‘Offensive’ Space Weapons; McMaster Details ‘Framework’ (Source: Breaking Defense)

Yesterday was what we’ll call Space Day for the Trump Administration, with perhaps the most national attention ever paid to military and intelligence space in public by the senior officials of a White House and the military. Here’s a summary of the news from the meeting of the reborn Space Council and a later speech by Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson. (10/6)



Understanding the Threat Posed by Hypersonic Weapons (Source: The Diplomat)

A new RAND study has detailed the threat posed by the development and diffusion of hypersonic weapons, and has proposed a solution: multilateral arms control. The report, authored by Richard Speier, George Nacouzi, Carrie A. Lee, and Richard M. Moore, sets out the technical challenges and implications provided by hypersonics, and from these develops strategic implications regarding the most appropriate international response.



Hypersonics pose a threat to states that rely upon a robust, integrated defense against ballistic missiles. Against states without these defenses, they pose a threat no more significant than that of conventional cruise or ballistic missiles. Given that with the current capabilities of fielded missile defense systems, no state enjoys a robust, integrated defense against ballistic missiles, the threat posed by hypersonics is necessarily future oriented. Essentially, hypersonics restore the threat that anti-ballistic missile systems were intended to alleviate. (10/6)



SR-72 Hypersonic Drone Might Have Already Been Tested by Skunk Works (Source: IBT)

Lockheed Martin's SR-72 might have already reached the testing phase and could be arriving a lot sooner than expected. There has been a lot of talk about the US developing hypersonic drones and weapons by 2040, but reports suggest that flights and tests have already begun.



Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division is developing the plane, which is touted to bring in the "hypersonic revolution". It will replace the iconic SR-71 Blackbird, which was retired by the US Air Force in 1998. The SR-72 is likely to serve as a reconnaissance and strike aircraft that can reach speeds of up to Mach 6 – six times the speed of sound, or approximately 7,409 mph. According to the report, a small demonstrator aircraft was spotted landing at Skunk Works' grounds in California, which is believed to be closely associated with the SR-72 project. (10/1)



Groundbreaking Work in UK on Hypersonic Flight (Source: Money Week)

Groundbreaking work in hypersonic flight is now going on in Britain, years after we quit the first space race. (Hypersonic flight is considered to start at Mach 5 – that’s five times the speed of sound. For comparison, the F-35B Lightning II fighter jets ordered for the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers – one of the most technologically advanced aircraft in the world – will have a top speed of around Mach 1.6.)



Oxfordshire-based Reaction Engines has spent years perfecting the technology to one day take its Skylon spaceplane to the International Space Station and back. And it’s the revolutionary Sabre (which stands for Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine) propelling the Skylon that has got investors excited.



One of the key problems with travelling at hypersonic speeds is the extremely high temperature at which the air enters the engines. At Mach 5, this air is heated to around 1,000º. But thanks to thousands of thin-walled coolant-filled tubes within Sabre, the air is cooled to –150º in 1/100th of a second. Click here. (10/5)



Lockheed Martin Submits NASA Supersonic X-Plane Proposal (Source: Aviation Week)

Amid a last round of preparatory wind-tunnel tests, Lockheed Martin has submitted its final bid to NASA for development of the agency’s Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) low-boom flight demonstrator. The company’s proposal for NASA’s first purpose-built, manned, supersonic X-plane since the thrust-vectoring X-31 in 1990 is based on the slender-aircraft concept already developed under a 17-month preliminary design contract awarded in 2016. (10/3)



U.S. Missile Defense Gets $400 Million After North Korea Threats (Source: Bloomberg)

Congressional defense committees have approved shifting more than $400 million from other accounts into missile defense programs to clear the way for more ground-based interceptors, sensors and upgrades to Navy anti-missile vessels in the face of threats led by North Korea.



Boeing Co., Raytheon Co. and Orbital ATK Inc. are likely to be the top beneficiaries. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis disclosed the approval Tuesday during a Senate hearing on Afghanistan. He said he requested approval to shift, or “reprogram,” unspent funds for fiscal 2017 totaling $440 million from accounts such as Army wartime operations and maintenance. A formal six-page request listed $416 million of the total.



The shift of funds reflects a growing determination at the Pentagon and in Congress to bolster missile defenses as North Korea vows to perfect nuclear missiles that can hit the U.S. mainland as well as allies in Asia. It may be the opening round in moves to seek more than the $9.9 billion requested by the Pentagon for the fiscal 2018 year that began on Oct. 1. (10/3)



Lockheed Martin Secures Big Contract Mod for Continued Trident Work, Including at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Zacks)

Lockheed Martin secured a modification contract for new procurement of Trident II (D5) missile production, D5 life extension production and D5 deployed systems support. Work related to this deal is expected to be over by Sep 30, 2022. Valued at $418.7 million, the contract includes base items and all option items, which if exercised, will enhance the total value of the modification to $1.1 billion. The majority of the work will be executed in Sunnyvale, CA and Cape Canaveral, FL. (10/3)



Air Force Seeks Next-Gen Launch Vehicles for Space Missions (Source: DOD Buzz)

The Air Force has released a request for proposal for its next iteration of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle, known as EELV, to be used on space lift such as the Atlas V, Delta IV, and Falcon 9 rocket systems. The service said Thursday it plans to award “at least three agreements” for prototype development as part of its Launch Services Agreement strategy.



The news comes amid the Air Force’s attempt to move away from its use of Russian-made RD-180 engines. Through public-private partnership with industry, the “goal of the EELV acquisition strategy is to leverage commercial launch solutions in order to have at least two domestic, commercial launch service providers that also meet [National Security Space] requirements,” the RFP states. The awards will be announced no later than 2020 in time for launches in 2022, the RFP added. (10/6)



Blue Origin Seeks Approval for Launching Government Payloads on New Glenn Rocket (Source: Space News)

The new CEO of Blue Origin said the company is in talks about certifying its New Glenn rocket for government missions. Bob Smith, speaking at the National Space Council meeting Thursday, said Blue Origin was in "early discussions" with NASA and the national security community on how to certify the rocket. Blue Origin has been focused on the commercial market for the large rocket, and company officials previously stated that it was not interested in pursuing national security missions. Doing so could put the company in competition with United Launch Alliance, which is considering using Blue Origin's BE-4 engine in its Vulcan rocket. (10/5)



Blue Origin CEO: We're Taking Tourists to Space Within 18 Months (Source: CNN)

Bob Smith, the CEO of the space outfit founded by Amazon mastermind Jeff Bezos, mentioned the new timeline during the first meeting of the newly revamped National Space Council on Thursday. That's a later date than Blue Origin had touted in the past. Just a year ago, the company's president, Rob Meyerson, said the first launch with passengers would be sometime in 2018. In an emailed statement on Thursday, Blue Origin insisted its "internal dates have not shifted," but added, "we will fly humans when we're ready, and not a moment sooner." (10/5)



Blue Origin Gets CEO (Source: GeekWire)

Blue Origin has hired its first chief executive officer. The company quietly hired Bob Smith last month as CEO, and he will make a first public appearance in that role later this week at a meeting of the National Space Council. Smith previously was an executive with Honeywell, and also was executive director of United Space Alliance. (10/3)



Blue Origin and Virgin Orbit on the Launch Range (Source: Space Review)

SpaceX is not the only company pursuing reusable launch vehicles. Antoine Meunier discusses updates Blue Origin and Virgin Orbit offered at a recent conference about their partially reusable, but very different, launch systems under development. Click here. (10/3)



Major Core-Stage Hardware Completed for First SLS Flight (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)

NASA has completed major work for all five parts of the core stage for the first flight of the massive Space Launch System (SLS). Additionally, manufacturing has been completed for all four core stage test articles with evaluation underway on the engine section structural test article at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. (10/3)



Three Billionaires Will Make Your Space Travel a Reality Soon (Source: Entrepreneur India)

Traveling to space is a dream dreamt by youngsters for ages, but none could have the opportunity to live the ‘dream-come-true’ moment. With time man has been able to mold technology as per his needs and has strived to travel to the space, riding on technology. Now, entrepreneurs have started cashing in on people’s fascination with space travel and are trying to build sustainable business model in sector.



Billionaires like Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos are leading the race to space with their specially designed programs, which promise to make the voyage affordable for commoners. Technology has actually helped a lot in bringing down the prices. Entrepreneur India has listed three billionaires, who are making space exploration less expensive. Click here. (10/4)



Small-Satellite Owners Face Much Higher Prices for New Crop of Dedicated Rockets (Source: Space Intel Report)

The many new launch vehicles being developed to attract the small-satellite market look to be twice as expensive as the larger vehicles that are doing a mediocre job of serving that business now, according to a British government-ordered survey.



The survey further concludes that Britain, whose government wants to encourage, but not subsidize, a domestic launch capability, would be best served by importing a small Chinese rocket if it really wants to help create a long-term made-in-UK launch service. The findings presented to the 68th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) here the week of Sept. 24 are not good news for small-satellite builders and system operators hoping to break free from the second-class-citizen limits of their current status. (10/3)



Los Alamos Lab Engineer Looks for Partners for Cheap Spaceflight (Source: LAMonitor)

After he assembles his investors and has a board, Archer wants to start a project that will show the public their idea is feasible, and can be done at minimal cost. The project will involve launching a one-ton payload into space within a year of the company’s formation. He estimates he could do it for an amount between $200,000-$600,000.



“As a group of retired professional and technical types, there is little doubt that we can accomplish such a modest objective,” he said in his statement. Archer said all people have to do is send him email to find out more to get started. In exchange for a non-disclosure agreement, Archer will send an overview of his plans and the curious can go from there. (10/2)



Technical Issue Causes Third Scrub of ULA Atlas NROL-52 Mission (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)

Just when it looked like the angry gods of weather had acquiesced, an issue with a telemetry transmitter on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 421 rocket caused a third delay. The rocket and its payload, a satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office, will be rolled back to the Vertical Integration Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41. (10/7)



SpaceX Rocket to Launch 10 Satellites Into Orbit Monday From California (Source: Space.com)

The private spaceflight company SpaceX is scheduled to launch 10 communications satellites into low-Earth orbit early Monday (Oct. 9). A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to blast off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 8:37 a.m. EDT, carrying 10 satellites for Iridium Communications. (10/8)



SpaceX Launch Rescheduled to Wednesday at Cape Canaveral (Source: SpaceFlight Now)

SpaceX has rescheduled a launch previously planned for Saturday evening. The company said Thursday the SES-11 launch on a Falcon 9 from the Kennedy Space Center was now scheduled for next Wednesday in order to give the company more time to complete launch preparations while also avoiding poor weather forecast for the weekend. The delay does not affect Monday's Falcon 9 launch of 10 Iridium satellites from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, which remains on schedule after completing a static fire test early Thursday. (10/5)



Two Florida Launches on the Same Day? Not This Week (Source: Orlando Sentinel)

Hopes of launching two rockets into space on the same day from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport have been dashed, at least this time. On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson shared on social media that Air Force Brig. Gen. Wayne Montieth was confident the Eastern Range could accommodate multiple missions. “Good news for Florida’s Space Coast,” Nelson posted on Twitter. “Just spoke w/ Air Force Gen. Monteith - he confirmed the Cape is ready to handle two launches in a day.”



But SpaceX’s planned launch Saturday will now not take place any earlier than Wednesday, which all but eliminates its chances of launching the same day as a United Launch Alliance mission. Earlier, the possibility of two launches on the same day arose after ULA scrubbed a launch before dawn this morning and faced potentially inclement weather for a reschedule on Friday’s rescheduled launch date. Thursday’s mission to send a spy satellite into space was delayed because of high winds.



Space Florida’s chief of strategic alliances Dale Ketcham praised the U.S. Air Force’s efforts on the coast. “Kudos to the Air Force for getting us to this point,” he said. “The commercial world can’t help but be impressed and that’s good for the Cape and Florida.” (10/5)



Has NASA asked SpaceX to Not Launch Falcon Heavy From LC-39A? (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)

A recent post on Reddit has suggested that SpaceX had been asked by NASA to not launch its Falcon Heavy rocket from the historic Launch Complex 39A at the space agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. As is so often the case on the Internet, unconfirmed rumors can often spread misinformation that is then taken as fact. Is there any credibility to this rumor?



SpaceFlight Insider reached out to both SpaceX and NASA about the veracity of this statement and received responses from both of these organizations suggesting that this rumor does not appear to be based on fact. NASA directed us to SpaceX as they are the manufacturer of the Falcon Heavy and SpaceX provided SpaceFlight Insider with the following: We are targeting no earlier than the end of 2017 for Falcon Heavy’s inaugural flight from Launch Complex 39A in Florida.



Other sources, who requested anonymity, have told SpaceFlight Insider that SpaceX is planning to use LC-39A as a site to launch the Falcon Heavy from, with Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 handling some launches of their highly successful Falcon 9 – all this, apparently, refutes the above statement. SpaceX also has launch facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and is having a launch site developed in Boca Chica, Texas. (10/2)



SpaceX Seeks Streamlined FAA Launch Licensing (Source: SPACErePORT)

During the National Space Council meeting, SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell remarked on the challenges SpaceX is having with the FAA's launch licensing process at the company's two Cape Canaveral launch pads. She was referring to the regulatory difficulty when SpaceX seeks to relocate an already-licensed mission from LC-39A to LC-40, launch pads that are adjacent to each other at the spaceport. (10/8)



SpaceX Prepares to Eat its Young (Source: Space Review)

One of the key messages from Elon Musk’s talk at the International Astronautical Congress was his plan to focus exclusively on his BFR rocket in the future. Dick Eagleson ponders some of the implications of that decision for NASA and other companies. Click here. (10/3)



SpaceX's Next Rocket Could See Florida's Space Coast Add Activity (Source: Orlando Sentinel)

A component of SpaceX’s plan to establish spaceflight to Mars gained a critical component recently when he announced how he intends to pay for it — and part of the plan involves more frequent flights that can use smaller rockets. By developing a smaller vehicle, with a booster and ship that could replace the company’s Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Dragon spacecraft, SpaceX could more frequently launch into low-earth orbit, increasing revenue opportunities.



That money could then be poured into the development of the BFR. Musk’s plans could bring more work to Central Florida and the Space Coast, a state official said Tuesday. “This location remains the spot in the U.S. that makes the most sense to do any serious deep-space exploration from,” said Dale Ketcham, Space Florida’s chief of strategic alliances. (10/4)



What Central Florida Can Gain from SpaceX's Satellite Mega-Constellation (Source: Orlando Business Journal)

SpaceX wants to launch nearly 12,000 satellites — 4,425 in low Earth orbit and 7,500 satellites operating even closer to Earth — starting in 2019. And if the company will launch its own satellites, that’s big for Brevard County — a prime spot for rocket activity. SpaceX already launches its Falcon 9 rocket about three times a month from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. And there may be more if the company plans to begin sending its own satellites to space, said Dale Ketcham of Space Florida.



“Our share of that growth [would be] a significant increase in launch activity here at the cape,” Ketcham said. More Space Coast launches mean more manufacturing and software development jobs to support the continued repair of the rockets and other services. Right now, SpaceX has 23 Cape Canaveral job positions advertised on its website, including IT, launch engineering, manufacturing and production, and supply chain management positions. (9/27)



Satellite Manufacturer OneWeb is Hiring, Building at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Orlando Sentinel)

Construction on a new factory for OneWeb Satellites on Florida’s Space Coast is shaping up, even while the fledgling space company builds its first few satellites in France. OneWeb has joined with European jet manufacturer Airbus in a billion-dollar effort to launch upwards of 1,000 satellites to form a new communication network for the planet.



“We are going to launch every 21 days over two years across multiple sites,” Greg Wyler said. The company is hiring at Cape Canaveral now, advertising for and antenna engineer, a radio frequency design engineer, and multiple manufacturing associates. The website says the manufacturing jobs only require a high school diploma, or GED equivalent, and three years of experience in manufacturing environment, among other things. (10/5)



ULA, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin Contracts Bring More Jobs to Central Florida (Source: Orlando Business Journal)

Defense work continues to ramp up in Central Florida with three big firms landing nearly $900 million in combined contract value. And even though all of the work is not taking place locally, it still will have a big impact. ULA won an $832.4M contract to continue to perform its launch services for the U.S. military, including mission assurance, program management, system engineering and integration of space vehicle with launch vehicle, launch site and range operations, and launch infrastructure maintenance and sustainment.



ULA launches on average once a month from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. ULA's increased rocket launch activity can impact Central Florida directly by needing more launch technicians and manufacturers — all high-paying jobs. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman won two contracts totaling $28.7 million with a chunk of the work happening in Melbourne — an area where the defense contractor is building a 500,000-square-foot business complex that will lead to nearly 2,000 new jobs.



Further, Lockheed Martin Corp. won a $24.3 million contract from the U.S. Navy to perform services on the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System — a shipborne missile canister that provides rapid fire launch against threats. Work mostly will be done in Indiana, but a small part will be in Orlando where Lockheed Martin has more than 7,000 employees. (9/28)



New Mexicans Consider Including Spaceport in Plan to Lure Amazon Headquarters (Source: KOB-TV)

While the state grapples with the question of whether to throw more money at the Spaceport, ordinary citizens in southern New Mexico believe they have an out-of-this-world idea that could revive the struggling space travel hub. And it involves luring another, already-booming company to the Land of Enchantment.



“We recently had this light bulb go off saying let’s work with Amazon and Mr. [Jeff] Bezos, who runs Amazon, and talk about the Spaceport as an enticement to bring him here to take over the Spaceport payments. Because it’s very costly for the taxpayers of New Mexico,” said Sophia Peron of Truth or Consequences. (10/7)



Colorado's Spaceport Application Headed to FAA in December (Source: Commerce City Sentinel)

Front Range Airport officials are preparing for a Spaceport Colorado launch. If approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, Spaceport Colorado could some day send people to the outer edges of Earth and into orbital space. Officials plan to submit a license application to the FAA in December to get spaceport approval for the 3,100-acre airport about six miles southeast of Denver International Airport.



An environmental proposal is expected to go out for review at the same time as the license application. Airport authorities plan to hold a public meeting so residents can have input during a 30-day public review period, said Dave Ruppel, Front Range Airport director. (10/4)



World View Launches Balloon From Arizona (Source: Arizona Daily Star)

World View has launched its first high-altitude balloon from "Spaceport Tucson" in Arizona. The launch of the experimental "stratollite" took place from a pad built next to World View's new headquarters adjacent to the Tucson airport. The pad is a key part of the company's plans to develop and fly the stratospheric balloons which can carry out some of the same missions as satellites, including imaging and communications. (10/2)



World View Balloon Flight From Tucson Successful After Five Days (Source: Arizona Daily Star)

Tucson-based World View Enterprises says its first stratospheric balloon mission from Tucson ended successfully Friday, with a controlled landing near the Grand Canyon. The five-day flight was the longest yet and met all customer requirements and technical objectives after launching Oct. 1 from Spaceport Tucson, south of Tucson International Airport, the company said.



Among other things, the company’s remotely controlled, unmanned “Stratollite” carried a communications payload for the U.S. Southern Command, a multi-branch military agency that is exploring the use of the balloon vehicle to help combat human and drug trafficking and maritime piracy, World View said. (10/6)



ASPIRE Successfully Launches from NASA Wallops (Source: Parabolic Arc)

A NASA Black Brant IX sounding rocket was successfully launched on Oct. 4 at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. The 58-foot tall rocket carried the Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment (ASPIRE) from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The mission is to evaluate the performance of the ASPIRE payload, which is designed to test parachute systems in a low-density, supersonic environment. (10/8)



Alaska Antenna to Improve NASA's Space Communications System (Source: Space Daily)

NASA unveiled a new space communications antenna at the Alaska Satellite Facility in Fairbanks this week. The new antenna, AS-2, which sits atop the Elvey building at University of Alaska Fairbanks, will retrieve data from NASA's spacecraft. NASA operates three space communications networks, the Deep Space Network, Space Network and Near Earth Network. AS-2 will boost the capacity of the Near Earth Network, which supports space satellites orbiting within 1.2 million miles from Earth. (10/4)



ISS Partners Want Clarity on Lab's Future (Source: Space News)

International Space Station partners are hoping to get clarity on the long-term future of the station sooner rather than later. During a panel session at last week's International Astronautical Congress in Australia, NASA's Bll Gerstenmaier said he hoped that the partnership would reach a decision on what to do with the ISS post-2024 within the next two years, so that investors considering commercial partnerships involving the station have time to earn a return on their investment. That view was shared by some other representatives of ISS partners on the panel. Gerstenmaier rejected setting a firm date for the end of the station, seeking instead to develop criteria for transitioning from the ISS to other platforms. (10/3)



NASA Plans to Extend Use of Bigelow's BEAM Module on ISS (Source: Space Policy Online)

NASA issued a notice today that it plans to award a sole source contract to Bigelow Aerospace to continue use of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) that is attached to the International Space Station (ISS). BEAM has been used only as a technology demonstration so far. NASA now wants to use it for on-orbit storage and will allow Bigelow to use it for its own technology demonstrations. (10/2)



Astronauts Fix ISS Robotic Arm Grappler During Spacewalk (Source: CBS)

Two astronauts gave the space station's robotic arm a new hand during a spacewalk Thursday. Randy Bresnik and Mark Vande Hei replaced one of two grappling fixtures, known as latching end effectors, on the Canadarm2 robotic arm during the nearly seven-hour spacewalk. That fixture suffered a malfunction in August, prompting its replacement using an onboard spare. The astronauts, performing the first of three spacewalks scheduled for this month, replaced the fixture ahead of schedule and were able to do some additional "get-ahead" tasks before completing the spacewalk. (10/5)



Canada Considers Robot Arms for Deep Space Gateway (Source: Canadian Press)

Canada is studying developing robotic arms to support the proposed Deep Space Gateway. The Canadian Space Agency awarded a contract to MDA to study concepts for robotic arms for use on that cislunar outpost, building upon the country's expertise with the shuttle and station robotic arms. The Deep Space Gateway remains just a concept being studied by NASA, with potential opportunities for international cooperation. (10/2)



Sierra Nevada Signs MOU with Canadian Space Agency (Source: SNC)

Sierra Nevada Corp. signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to explore possibilities of using the Dream Chaser spacecraft for future CSA missions and to facilitate the exchange of information between SNC and Canada. The agreement is a significant step toward greater collaboration to develop Dream Chaser technologies and applications that are mutually beneficial for SNC, the Canadian space industry and academia. (10/3)



Canadians Concerned With Russian Rocket's Contamination of Arctic Waters (Source: National Post)

Canadians are concerned that an upcoming Russian rocket launch could contaminate arctic waters. The second stage of a Rockot rocket launching from Plesetsk, Russia, will splash down in waters between Greenland and the Canadian Arctic, carrying up to eight tons of excess UDMH fuel. That fuel is highly toxic, although any residual fuel would likely be quickly diluted by seawater. The Inuit Circumpolar Council, a group of Inuit leaders in Canada and Greenland, issued a statement Thursday asking that a Rockot launch later this month of a European Earth science satellite be postponed. (10/5)



Roscosmos Envisions Russian Rockets Launching International Missions to Moon, Mars (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)

Russia has high expectations for its future super-heavy-lift launch vehicle. Roscosmos chief Igor Komarov has recently laid out his hopes for the new rocket, underlining that he is longing to see interplanetary missions being launched by this heavy booster. “I would like to see the liftoff of a future international space mission to the Moon or Mars from Vostochny on a Russian super heavy-duty launch vehicle,” Komarov said.



Komarov’s vision could come true around 2030 as the super-heavy-lift rocket named Energiya-5 is still in its preliminary development phase. Roscosmos estimates that development of the rocket and construction of the necessary infrastructure will consume about 1.5 trillion rubles ($25 billion). This level of funding should secure the launch date of Energiya-5’s maiden flight that is currently set for 2028. (10/7)



Roscosmos: Int'l Space Exploration to Continue Despite Geopolitical Situation (Source: Sputnik)

A Complicated geopolitical situation is unlikely to have a negative impact on the development of the international cooperation in space exploration, Russia's Roscosmos state space corporation Deputy Director General for International Cooperation Sergey Savelyev said Wednesday.



Savelyev stressed that space industry was not affected by anti-Russian sanctions. "And there is no coincidence, because large-scale projects, such as the Deep Space Gateway, could be implemented only if all countries work together," Savelyev pointed out. (10/5)



Russia to Decide on Super-Heavy Space Rocket Soon (Source: Tass)

Russia may shortly make a decision on developing a super-heavy carrier rocket, Chief Designer of Energiya Rocket and Space Corporation Yevgeny Mikrin said. "Now a decision on a medium-range rocket has been made and we hope that soon a decision on a super-heavy carrier will be passed," the chief designer said. Russia’s Moon exploration program envisages creating a near-Moon station. The Federatsiya new piloted spacecraft is planned to be launched to the Moon. The new super-heavy carrier rocket is needed for the full-fledged implementation of the lunar program, he noted. As the chief designer said, "a new module weighing up to seven tonnes can be launched [to the Moon] with the help of an Angara or Proton carrier," he said. (10/2)



Ariane 5 Launches Satellites After Recent Last-Second Scrub (Source: Space News)

An Ariane 5 successfully launched two communications satellites Friday, three weeks after a last-second scrub. The Ariane 5 lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana at 5:56 p.m. Eastern and placed the Intelsat-37e and Bsat-4a satellites into their planned geostationary transfer orbit. The launch was previously scheduled for Sept. 6, but a problem with one of the rocket's two solid-fuel boosters aborted the launch. Boeing-built Intelsat-37e is the latest in Intelsat's Epic fleet of high-throughput satellites, while SSL-built Bsat-4a will provide direct-to-home television services for Japanese operator BSAT. (10/2)



Ariane 6 Could Use Reusable Prometheus Engine (Source: Space News)

Europe’s upcoming Ariane 6 rocket, though designed to be expendable, could one day sport a reusable engine, according to Patrick Bonguet, head of the Ariane 6 program at ArianeGroup. Whether or not the rocket would ever use that engine, called Prometheus, depends on whether Ariane 6 manufacturer ArianeGroup, formerly Airbus Safran Launchers, finds enough benefit for the European launch sector.



So far, the merits of reusable rockets to ArianeGroup are unclear at best, Bonguet said, but the company is researching the technology to be ready for implementation should it prove worthwhile. “We could replace Vulcain 2.1 by Prometheus,” Bonguet told SpaceNews. “Or Prometheus can be the first break to build the next generation. We will see where we are in 2025 or 2030, and then decide on the right time whether to go one way or the other.” (10/5)



Japan Delays Next Epsilon Rocket Launch (Source: JAXA)

Japan has postponed the launch next month of a small launch vehicle. The agency said that the Epsilon launch of the Advanced Small-size Radar Satellite, or ASNARO-2, that was scheduled for Nov. 12 would be postponed because of an incompatibility found in the electrical system of the rocket. A new launch date has not been announced. The launch will be the third for the Epsilon, designed for small payloads. (10/2)



Is India Looking Towards Space-Based Resources? (Source: Space Review)

The United States, Luxembourg, and other nations are interested in developing space-based resources. Peter Garretson and Namrata Goswami examine whether India has similar interests and a willingness to back that interest with policy and law. Click here. (10/3)



Indian Google Lunar Prize Team Still Raising Funds (Source: IANS)

With less than six months to go in the competition, a Google Lunar X Prize team is still looking to raise significant funding for its mission. Team Indus said this week that it has raised, and spent, more than half of the estimated $70 million cost of the mission, but that it was still "trying to accumulate the rest through sponsors and others interested in this mission," according to the mission's leader, Rahul Narayan, adding he was in talks with several people who could provide the remaining funds. The competition's current rules require teams to complete their missions, which involves landing a spacecraft on the moon and traveling at least 500 meters there, by the end of March 2018. (10/6)



UAE Plans Human Spaceflight Program (Source: Space News)

The United Arab Emirates plans to establish its own human spaceflight program. Officials with the UAE Space Agency said at the International Astronautical Congress last week that they will soon start the process of selecting four to six people for a national astronaut corps. The first UAE astronaut is expected to fly by 2021. The country plans to partner with other countries for flights into space, which officials said will be part of a broader scientific program. (10/2)



UAE Plans for "Mars Science City" (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)

A new project to build a Mars Science City in the United Arab Emirates was unveiled during annual government meetings on Sept. 26, 2017, in Abu Dhabi. The ambitious $136 million (AED 500 million) project was launched by Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The goal is to inspire youth to pursue careers in science and engineering as the UAE continues to position itself as an emerging player in space exploration. (10/1)



Copenhagen Suborbitals Chief Held for Gruesome Murder of Journalist (Source: Ars Technica)

Copenhagen prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen announced in a court hearing today that "images" of the torture, decapitation, and burning of a woman were found on a computer hard drive at RML Spacelab, the organization devoted to building a manned suborbital rocket led by Peter Madsen. Madsen claimed the video was not his, but other evidence presented in this latest hearing on his case has prompted the judge overseeing the case to order he be held in custody.



Madsen is suspected of killing journalist Kim Wall, who was writing an article about Madsen's privately built submarine. She was last seen alive with him aboard the vessel. Her mutilated body was found after the submarine sank. Madsen initially said he had dropped Wall off after a cruise, but later changed his story to say a hatch had fallen on her head, killing her. (10/4)



UK Scientist Wins Reality TV Astronaut Nod (Source: BBC)

A British scientist now has an unusual endorsement in her bid to become an astronaut: winning a reality TV show. Suzie Imber, a professor of planetary science at the University of Leicester, won a BBC Two show Sunday titled "Astronauts: Do you have what it takes?" On the show, she and 11 other contestants went through a series of challenges overseen by former Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. By winning the show, Imber gets a "recommendation" to join ESA's astronaut corps, but with no guarantee of a future selection. (10/3)



China to Launch Remote Sensing Satellite for Venezuela Next Week (Source: GB Times)

China is set to launch a remote sensing satellite for Venezuela on October 9, marking the third satellite collaboration between the Asian and Latin American countries. The one tonne Venezuelan Remote Sensing Satellite-2 (VRSS-2) will be sent into a Sun synchronous orbit by a Long March 2D rocket, launching from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. (10/3)



China Builds Space-Ground Integrated Quantum Communication Network (Source: Space Daily)

The first quantum-safe video conference was held between President Chunli Bai of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and President Anton Zeilinger of the Austria Academy of Sciences in Vienna, as the first real-world demonstration of intercontinental quantum communication on September 29.



Private and secure communications are fundamental human needs. In particular, with the exponential growth of Internet use and e-commerce, it is of paramount importance to establish a secure network with global protection of data. Traditional public key cryptography usually relies on the perceived computational intractability of certain mathematical functions. In contrast, quantum key distribution (QKD) uses individual light quanta (single photon) in quantum superposition states to guarantee unconditional security between distant parties. (10/24)



Welcome Mat for Aliens Unveiled in Australia (Source: Guardian)

The planet’s first cosmic welcome mat – here to welcome extraterrestrial life to the Adelaide Convention Center and the 68th International Astronautical Conference – seems comically small and slightly askew. It’s not that the mat itself is small: it’s standard doormat size, perhaps a bit larger. But conference venue entrances are built to compensate for masses of foot traffic, and it’s here that the mat finds itself: between the oversized doors and the oversized floor sticker covered in sponsor branding, welcoming delegates to the conference.



But then again: who is to say how big the aliens who could be joining us in Adelaide are? Perhaps they will be tiny. This welcome mat could be huge. The mat is an art project from experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats and space archeologist Alice Gorman, and in the context of the IAC it’s hard to know what to make of it. Most people seem to make nothing of it at all, walking determinedly through the doors towards the exhibition hall. (10/2)



Would Aliens Look Like Us? (Source: NPR)

Convergent evolution is the phenomenon of species independently evolving to be similar. Usually it results from the species adapting to similar situations, natural selection favoring the same solution to the same problem posed by the environment. Convergent evolution was known to Charles Darwin but, until relatively recently, we thought it was uncommon, a great example of the power of natural selection, but not commonplace. We now know, however, that convergence is far from rare; rather, it is pervasive, occurring all around us.



Think, for example, of fast-swimming marine predators: dolphins, sharks, tuna and ichthyosaurs (extinct marine reptiles from the Age of the Dinosaurs) all evolved a very stream-lined body shape and powerful tails for rapid and efficient locomotion. Or consider Euphorbia plants from dry parts of Africa. Tough-skinned, often green, with spines instead of leaves, they look like cacti, but they're not, having independently evolved the same traits to cope with water loss and herbivores in arid regions.



The pervasiveness of convergence has led some evolutionary biologists to proclaim evolution deterministic, the outcome downright inevitable. If the environment repeatedly poses the same challenges, and if natural selection repeatedly produces the optimal solutions, then evolution is repeatable. The Homo sapiens species is supremely adapted to life on Earth, the adaptations we forged as we emerged on the savannahs of Africa proving a brilliant stepping-stone to global dominance. Consequently, if evolution is so deterministic, the expectation for life on planets like our own is clear: Humanoid life forms should evolve and dominate, just like here. Hollywood has it right. (10/4)



If Space Aliens Are Looking Our Way, Here's What They Might See (Source: NBC)

We see them — but can they see us? Robert Wells, a doctoral student in mathematics and physics at Queens University in Ireland, couldn’t get that question out of his mind.



In recent years, astronomers have discovered more than 2,500 planets orbiting other stars by observing the subtle dimming of light as these exoplanets pass in front of their host stars. Wells wondered if alien scientists on some distant world might be doing exactly same thing but in the opposite direction: pointing a telescope our way and noting the flickering of starlight caused by our very own Earth as it “transits” the sun.



Wells sifted through astronomical catalogs and identified nine known exoplanets in one of the celestial sweet spots from which an Earth transit would be visible. (10/2)



"Tabby's Star" Could be Surrounded by Dust, Not Alien Megastructures (Source: Space.com)

A star with an unusual pattern of brightness changes likely is surrounded by dust, not alien "megastructures." The star, KIC 8462852 or "Tabby's star," attracted attention because of unusual drops in brightness that some suggested could be caused if the star was partially surrounded by giant structures made by some alien civilization. However, astronomers found that the dimming was stronger at ultraviolet wavelengths than in the infrared, which indicates that a cloud of dust orbiting the star is the more likely cause of the brightness fluctuations. (10/4)



Overlooked Ocean Worlds Fill the Outer Solar System (Source: Scientific American)

Our solar system is filled with oceans. But only a few of those have captivated our attention. During its 1979 Jupiter flyby, NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft found the surface of the moon Europa to be a cracked-up jumble of water ice, as if composed of icebergs floating atop some hidden sea. As the craft moved on to Saturn, it took measurements of that planet’s massive moon, Titan, and revealed the frigid world bore a thick atmosphere that could sustain lakes or seas of liquid hydrocarbons on the veiled, cryogenic surface below. Ganymede’s ocean is even bigger than Europa’s and might be the largest in the entire solar system. Click here. (10/4)



Planet 9 Might Be an Immigrant (Source: (Air & Space)

n a new paper, Caltech researchers Michael Brown and Konstantin Batygin put some constraints on the possible existence of Planet 9, which they believe is a Super-Earth planet orbiting in the far reaches of the outer solar system. Planet 9, if it is confirmed to exist, would nicely explain the unconventional motions of distant objects in the Kuiper Belt and beyond, and would address the long-standing question of why the planets of our solar system orbit in a plane tilted six degrees from the Sun’s equatorial plane.



Brown and Batygin used extensive computer simulations to constrain the mass and orbit of Planet 9, and found that only a narrow range of orbits can explain their observations. They now believe the planet has a mass somewhere between 5 and 20 Earth masses, and that it orbits between 150 and 350 AU from the Sun (1 AU is the average distance between the Sun and Earth). They also conclude that the planet is likely to be inclined to the plane of Earth’s orbit by about 30 degrees. What’s more, they think it should be detectable, especially when the Sun, Earth, and Planet Nine are lined up with each other. (10/6)



The Mysterious Bright Spots on Ceres May Have a Common Origin (Source: New Scientist)

The bright spots of Ceres, a dwarf planet in the main asteroid belt, have provoked curiosity and speculation ever since NASA’s Dawn spacecraft spotted them in 2015. Now it seems they might all have formed the same way, even though they are made of different materials. Ceres is speckled with hundreds of bright splotches. An international team led by Ernesto Palomba at the National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome is analyzing the light reflected by them – as observed by Dawn, presently in orbit around Ceres – to identify any differences between them.



“The bright spots are only bright relative to Ceres’ already-dark surface,” says Nathanial Stein, a collaborator at the California Institute of Technology. “If you saw those spots on Earth or even on [the asteroid] Vesta you would consider them to be dark spots.” While the biggest and brightest spots are in Occator crater, more exist elsewhere on the dwarf planet. “Almost all of them are associated with impact craters,” says Stein. The team found 90 per cent of the bright spots are in craters or are debris ejected from a crater.



Researchers theorize that the spots are the result of the heat of an impact melting subsurface materials, which then well up to the surface to create the bright spots. Most of the spots are made from the same basic material as the rest of Ceres’s surface: calcium or magnesium carbonates mixed with ammonia-rich clays. But a handful of the spots in the youngest craters – including the exceptionally bright spots in Occator crater – are made of sodium carbonates without nearly as much ammonium clay. (10/2)



New NASA Study Shows Moon Once Had an Atmosphere (Source: USRA)

A new study shows that an atmosphere was produced around the ancient Moon, 3 to 4 billion years ago when intense volcanic eruptions spewed gases above the surface faster than they could escape to space. “The total amount of H2O released during the emplacement of the mare basalts is nearly twice the volume of water in Lake Tahoe. Although much of this vapor would have been lost to space, a significant fraction may have made its way to the lunar poles. This means some of the lunar polar volatiles we see at the lunar poles may have originated inside the Moon.” (10/5)



Meteors Splashing Into Warm Ponds Sparked Life on Earth (Source: Space Daily)

How did life on Earth begin? A study out Monday backs the theory that meteorites splashing into warm ponds leached essential elements that gave rise to the building blocks of life billions of years ago.



The report is based on "exhaustive research and calculations" in astrophysics, geology, chemistry and biology, according a summary provided by McMaster University. The life-giving potential of these so-called "warm little ponds" was raised by the famed biologist Charles Darwin, who developed the theory of evolution, in a letter to a friend in 1871. (10/2)



Methane Bursts Could Have Allowed Martian Lakes (Source: New Scientist)

Bursts of methane could have allowed Mars to keep liquid water on its surface. A new study suggests that "explosive burps" of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, from ice deposits could have warmed the planet enough for brief periods to allow liquid water to exist on its surface. The methane would have worked in concert with carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere to provide the extra warming, but some studies suggest the early Martian atmosphere had less carbon dioxide than previously thought. (10/3)



Freon Not a Reliable Indicator of Life Out There (Source: Cosmos)

Freon may not be the tracer of life beyond the solar system that some scientists originally thought. A new study found evidence of the compound in a newly formed star system that is too young for life to exist. Scientists had previously speculated that Freon might be a good tracer of biological activity, since it is made through biological and industrial processes, but its discovery in a new star system means that the discovery of that compound alone is not evidence of life. (10/3)



Why is NASA Checking Out This Asteroid? (Source: KQED)

On September 22, a spaceship visited Earth—NASA can confirm that it wasn’t alien property. It was NASA’s own OSIRIS-REx probe, swinging by Earth in a gravitational “slingshot” maneuver designed to fling it toward a 2018 rendezvous with an asteroid named Bennu. The spacecraft will become NASA’s first mission ever to visit an asteroid, collect samples of its ancient materials, and return them to Earth for laboratory analysis. Click here. (9/29)



Did Dark Matter Cause Early Supermassive Black Holes? (Source: Cosmos)

The earliest gigantic black holes in the universe were seeded by dark matter. Ancient supermassive black holes that existed less than a billion years after the Big Bang have long presented a puzzle: how did they get so big so fast? A solution may be at hand. How fast a black hole can grow depends on how big it already is. This poses a problem: if it should take more than a billion years to grow a black hole with 10 billion times the mass of the Sun, how come we see such black holes when the universe itself was less than a billion years old?



Some proposals have suggested that they formed from the remnants of the earliest stars, or directly from the collapse of large clouds of gas, or even from the collisions of smaller black holes. These proposals have difficulty achieving the required black hole mass, or require very particular conditions. Another idea is that such massive black holes must have grown from seed black holes that were themselves extremely large. But this only kicks the question further down the road. Where did the large seed black holes come from?



According to Hirano’s team, fast relative motion between gas and dark matter may have prevented the formation of stars in some places in the early universe. In these places, dark matter would clump together until it was large enough for its gravity to draw in streams of supersonic gas created by the Big Bang, forming a dense cloud of turbulent gas. (10/2)



Ice in Space Might Flow Like Honey and Bubble Like Champagne (Source: Science News)

Ice in space may break out the bubbly. Zapping simulated space ice with imitation starlight makes the ice bubble like champagne. If this happens in space, this liquidlike behavior could help organic molecules form at the edges of infant planetary systems. The experiment provides a peek into the possible origins of life.



Shogo Tachibana and colleagues combined water, methanol and ammonia, all found in comets and interstellar clouds where stars form, at a temperature between ‒263° Celsius and ‒258° C. The team then exposed this newly formed ice to ultraviolet radiation to mimic the light of a young star. As the ice warmed to ‒213° C, it cracked like a brittle solid. But at just five degrees warmer, bubbles started appearing in the ice, and continued to bubble and pop until the ice reached ‒123° C. At that point, the ice returned to a solid state and formed crystals. (9/29)



Water Can Be Corrosive To Life, So What About Alternative Solvents? (Source: Space.com)

Life on early Earth seems to have begun with a paradox: while life needs water as a solvent, the essential chemical backbones of early life-forming molecules fall apart in water. Our universal solvent, it turns out, can be extremely corrosive.



Some have pointed to this paradox as a sign that life, or the precursor of life, originated elsewhere and was delivered here via comets or meteorites. Others have looked for solvents that could have the necessary qualities of water without that bond-breaking corrosiveness.



In recent years the solvent often put forward as the eligible alternative to water is formamide, a clear and moderately irritating liquid consisting of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. Unlike water, it does not break down the long-chain molecules needed to form the nucleic acids and proteins that make up life's key initial instruction manual, RNA. Meanwhile it also converts via other useful reactions into key compounds needed to make nucleic acids in the first place. (10/3)



LIGO Scientists Win Nobel Physics Prize (Source: New York Times)

Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in Physics this morning for their discovery of gravitational waves. The prize will be shared by Rainer Weiss of MIT and Kip Thorne and Barry Barish, both of Caltech, for their work leading the development of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO). Scientists using LIGO announced last year the discovery of the first gravitational wave, a spacetime phenomenon predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity and created by two colliding back holes. LIGO has detected several more gravitational waves since. A fourth person involved in the development of LIGO, Ron Drever, passed away earlier this year. (10/3)



NASA Wants to Know Cost of Space Solar Power (Source: Discover)

Harnessing the sun’s energy with orbital space power stations and beaming the power to Earth has been a science fiction dream ever since Isaac Asimov wrote a 1941 short story called “Reason.” But the idea has never quite gotten off the ground despite decades of intermittent interest and research for the United States and other countries. NASA hopes to keep the idea going by funding a one-year study of how much it would cost to make commercially viable space-based solar power into a reality.



The new space solar power study by the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado is one of five research projects chosen by NASA to examine new opportunities for commercial development in space. In this case, the research will consider the government regulations and private investments needed to establish space solar power stations that could beam power to Earth-based collecting stations. But it will also examine how space solar power could support robotic mining operations on the moon or asteroids–a stepping stone toward enabling long-term human space exploration and possible colonization of the solar system beyond Earth. (9/30)



Spaceflight Wins NASA Secondary Payloads Contract (Source: Geekwire)

Spaceflight has won a NASA contract to provide secondary payload services. The three-year contract, with a maximum value of $5.48 million, covers the integration of 24 "U-class" payloads in 2018 with options for a similar number in both 2019 and 2020. Such payloads are typically university-built cubesats that NASA has arranged to fly on its own missions. (10/3)



Senators Ask FCC to Lead Debris Mitigation Policy Prior to Mega Constellations (Source: Space Intel Report)

Two members of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Oct. 2 asked the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take formal steps to mitigate the proliferation of space debris as the FCC considers licensing mega-constellations of thousands of satellites. (10/3)



Sputnik Launch 60 Years Ago Was Slow to Resonate With Americans (Source: Seeker)

A Smithsonian Institution curator will argue at an event this week that when the Sputnik satellite launched 60 years ago on Oct. 4, it was "hyperbolic" to argue that the public immediately panicked about Soviet Union technological superiority.



Sputnik was the first space satellite and viewed as the beginning of the space race, when the Soviets and the United States used Earth orbit as an arena to test out space equipment and astronaut capabilities. The race culminated with the US putting astronauts on the moon beginning in 1969. While the Soviets targeted the moon as well, after several rocket failures they chose instead to focus on constructing space stations. (10/2)



Declassified Documents Say US Knew Sputnik Was Soon to Orbit (Source: Defense News)

News bulletin in 1957: Sputnik stuns the world. CIA in 2017: Not really. The CIA released newly declassified documents on Wednesday revealing that while the American public was surprised when the Soviet Union launched the world’s first artificial satellite 60 years ago, intelligence agencies weren’t caught off-guard.



President Eisenhower had advance knowledge about the Soviets’ work on Sputnik, which was launched by a rocket on Oct. 4, 1957. He had been worrying for several years about the Kremlin’s long-range missile capability and how rockets armed with nuclear warheads could threaten America. The documents indicate that U.S. intelligence and military officials and members of the Eisenhower administration not only knew that the Soviet Union was planning to launch Sputnik, but knew it could be put into orbit by the end of 1957. (10/4)



Vanguard-1, the First US Scientific Satellite, is Still in Orbit (Source: BBC)

Object 1958-002B, also known as Vanguard 1, was l launched in March 1958. This grapefruit-sized shiny metal sphere was boosted into a high elliptical orbit and it’s still there, passing between 650 and 3,800km (406 to 2,375 miles) from the Earth. “The earlier satellites, such as Sputnik, have all re-entered the atmosphere,” says Tim Flohrer. “But I estimate that Vanguard 1 will remain in orbit for several hundred, if not a thousand years.” (10/6)



Cleveland-Marshall College of Law launches Space Law Center (Source: National Jurist)

The demand for space lawyers is rocketing, and Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law wants to make sure its students are ready for lift off. The law school recently announced the launch of its new Global Space Law Center to expand its space policy initiatives. It is the first law school research center in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to the study of the law of outer space. (10/3)



Space Club Sponsors "Space Week" Events on Space Coast in November and December (Source: NSCFL)

The National Space Club's Florida Committee annual Space Week program now includes two major components. The first includes the school visits to KSC, which this year will take place on November 16, 17, 20, 21, 28, 30 and December 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12. The second features former KSC Director Jim Kennedy visiting area classrooms, an activity sponsored by Delaware North/KSCVC.



Brevard Space Week has proven to motivate our school administrators and teachers to increase emphasis on teaching math and science, as well as stimulating student interest in those subjects. Our classroom visits also will provide students with leadership and inspirational tools that will tie everything together.



On behalf of the NSCFL, we are requesting our community’s financial help once again. All contributions to the NSCFL (a 501c3 entity) will go directly to Brevard Space Week. Contributions can be made online at www.nscfl.org. This year we are also requesting volunteers to share their knowledge with the students. If you or your company wants to volunteer, please contact Deanna Maynard at DMaynard@delawarenorth.com. (10/4)



Fourth "Indie Galactic Space Jam" Links Gamer Talent to Space Workforce in Florida (Source: IGSJ)

Sep. 28 - Oct. 1 marked the 4th ever Indie Galactic Space Jam in Orlando. This year provided additional fun challenges, better resources and greater opportunity for talent exposure and an amazing crop of speakers from both the Space and Video Game industry. The event allowed gamer/coders to to build something extraordinary with talented peers from all over Central Florida.



Everyone was welcome to participate throughout the 48-hour Jam, including artists, programmers, game designers, UI & UX designers, sound designers, writers, poets, interpretive dancers, people excited about games, people excited about space, and people who like to eat pizza. Click here. (10/2)



Orbital ATK: The Bullet Blunder Turned Rocket Ship (Source: Seeking Alpha)

Aerospace and defense contractor Northrop Grumman is set to acquire Orbital ATK, offering $134.50 per share. The total buyout cost is estimated at around $9 billion. OA stock prices soared following the announcement, closing at $132.25 on Sep. 18 - a significant jump from Sep. 15's close at $110.04. The burning question - is this acquisition good for either company? Click here. (10/2)



Globalstar to Make Stock Offer for $125 Million (Source: Space News)

Mobile satellite services provider Globalstar announced after Wednesday’s closing bell a proposed public offering of $125 million in shares of voting common stock. Shares of the company’s stock closed Tuesday at $1.81 a share. Globalstar said Thermo Capital Partners LLC — which is led by Globalstar chairman and chief executive Jay Monroe — intends to buy up to $20 million in shares during the public offering. Thermo Capital is Globalstar’s controlling shareholder. (10/4)



OneWeb Hardware Finally Coming Together (Source: Space News)

After years of raising funds and preparing, OneWeb finally can show the hardware it will rely on to bridge the global digital divide by 2027, said Greg Wyler, OneWeb founder and executive chairman.



At the Satellite Innovation Symposium here, Wyler showed images of satellite components being built in the OneWeb factory in Toulouse, France, and rockets lined up in French Guyana to begin launching the first OneWeb satellites in 2019. “We are going to launch every 21 days over two years across multiple sites,” Wyler said. “There is an enormous amount of work going on in the background to make that happen.” (10/3)



Wyler: 1 Billion OneWeb Consumer Subscribers by 2025 (Source: Space Intel Report)

OneWeb Executive Chairman Greg Wyler on Oct. 3 said his mega-constellation of 150-kilogram satellites was on schedule to launch its first 10 prototypes next year and that the Russian Soyuz rocket that will perform the task had already arrived at the European spaceport in French Guiana. He said the constellation could have one billion subscribers by 2025. (10/4)



MDA Completes DigitalGlobe Acquisition (Source: Space News)

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) has completed its acquisition of DigitalGlobe, and is renaming the combined company. MDA said with the $2.4 billion acquisition of DigitalGlobe now closed, the combined company will now be known as Maxar Technologies, and its stock will be traded on both the New York and Toronto stock exchanges. As part of the deal, DigitalGlobe CEO Jeffrey Tarr is stepping down, and will hold an advisory role at Maxar through the end of the year. (10/5)



Companies Propose Sharing of C-Band Spectrum for Satellite and Terrestrial Broadband (Source: Space News)

Intel and Intelsat are proposing a way for satellite and terrestrial broadband companies to share C-band spectrum. The two companies submitted a proposal to the FCC this week on a process to allow terrestrial 5G companies access to a section of C-band spectrum between 3.7 and 4.2 gigahertz through agreements with satellite operators.



Satellite operators would identify geographical regions of the country, such as metropolitan areas, where it can clear its use of C-band spectrum in that range, allowing terrestrial broadband providers to use it without interference. Wireless operators have shown growing interest in C-band spectrum originally allocated to satellites in order to set up 5G broadband networks. (10/4)



Donate to SPACErePORT (Source: SPACErePORT)

The SPACErePORT is a free weekly e-newsletter distributed to over 1500 subscribers. It is supplemented by a daily-updated blog (here); a Twitter feed (here) with over 1800 followers; a spaceports-focused LinkedIn Group (here) with over 200 members; and the FastForward supersonic transport LinkedIn Group (here). If you enjoy receiving this stuff, donations are encouraged using the Tip Jar link here. Thanks! (10/8) Florida Aerospace Calendar

Click HERE to suggest new items and corrections.

Oct. 11 – Falcon-9 launch, SES 11/EchoStar 105 satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: 6:53 p.m. -



Oct. TBD – Atlas-5, NROL-52 satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD -



Oct. 21 – National Space Club Celebrate Space Event, KSC Visitor Complex, 8:00 a.m. -



Oct. 24 – KSC Business Opportunities Expo, Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal #5 -



Oct. 30 – Falcon-9 launch, KoreaSat 5A satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: 3:34 p.m. -



Nov. TBD – Falcon-9 launch, Hispasat satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD -



Nov. TBD – Falcon Heavy launch demonstration, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD -



Nov. 14 – National Space Club luncheon, featuring Harry Kolcum News and Communications Awards, Radisson Resort at Port Canaveral, 11:30 a.m. -



Nov. 15-16 - Florida Aerospace & Defense Workforce Summit, Harris Corp. Technology Center, Palm Bay -



Nov. 16-30 - NSCFL Space Week, Central Florida school visits to KSC Visitor Complex -



Dec. 13 – National Space Club networking/social event at Fish Lips at Port Canaveral, 4:30 p.m. -



Dec. TBD – Falcon-9 launch, CRS 13 cargo delivery to ISS, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD -



Dec. TBD – Falcon-9 launch, Bangabandhu satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD -



Dec. TBD – Falcon-9 launch, SES 16 / GovSat 1 satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD -



Jan. 8-12 – AIAA Sci-Tech Forum, Gaylord Palms Resort, Kissimmee -



Jan. TBD – Falcon-9 launch, CRS 14 cargo delivery to ISS, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD -



Jan. 15-19 – Space Traffic Management Conference, at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach campus -



Jan. 18 – Atlas-5 launch, SBIRS GEO satellite deployment - Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD -



Jan/Feb. TBD – Falcon Heavy launch, Arabsat 6A satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD -



Feb. TBD - Falcon-9 launch, Crew Dragon Demo 1, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD -



Mar. 1 – Atlas-5, GOES-S satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: 5:01 a.m. - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html



Mar. 20 - Falcon-9 launch, NASA TESS satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html



Apr. 18 – Atlas-5 launch, AFSPC 11 satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD -



Apr. 30 – Falcon Heavy launch, STP-2, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD -



Jun. TBD – Atlas-5 launch, AEHF 4 satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html



Jul. 31 – Delta-4 Heavy launch, Parker Solar Probe deployment for NASA, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD -



Aug. TBD - Delta-4 launch, GPS 3-01 satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD - – Falcon-9 launch, SES 11/EchoStar 105 satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: 6:53 p.m. - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – Atlas-5, NROL-52 satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – National Space Club Celebrate Space Event, KSC Visitor Complex, 8:00 a.m. - http://www.nscfl.org/events – KSC Business Opportunities Expo, Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal #5 - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nasa-kennedy-space-center-business-opportunities-expo-2017-tickets-36271999527?ref=enivtefor001 – Falcon-9 launch, KoreaSat 5A satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: 3:34 p.m. - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – Falcon-9 launch, Hispasat satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – Falcon Heavy launch demonstration, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – National Space Club luncheon, featuring Harry Kolcum News and Communications Awards, Radisson Resort at Port Canaveral, 11:30 a.m. - http://www.nscfl.org/events - Florida Aerospace & Defense Workforce Summit, Harris Corp. Technology Center, Palm Bay - https://custom.cvent.com/4C80D85AB23743F1BAA282CE8217D28B/files/90f8589a78ab4259bb3e42ede2803842.pdf - NSCFL Space Week, Central Florida school visits to KSC Visitor Complex - https://www.nscfl.org/spaceweek – National Space Club networking/social event at Fish Lips at Port Canaveral, 4:30 p.m. - http://www.nscfl.org/events – Falcon-9 launch, CRS 13 cargo delivery to ISS, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – Falcon-9 launch, Bangabandhu satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – Falcon-9 launch, SES 16 / GovSat 1 satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – AIAA Sci-Tech Forum, Gaylord Palms Resort, Kissimmee - http://scitech.aiaa.org/Program/ – Falcon-9 launch, CRS 14 cargo delivery to ISS, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – Space Traffic Management Conference, at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach campus - http://commons.erau.edu/stm/ – Atlas-5 launch, SBIRS GEO satellite deployment - Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – Falcon Heavy launch, Arabsat 6A satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html - Falcon-9 launch, Crew Dragon Demo 1, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – Atlas-5, GOES-S satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: 5:01 a.m.- Falcon-9 launch, NASA TESS satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD– Atlas-5 launch, AFSPC 11 satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – Falcon Heavy launch, STP-2, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time: TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html – Atlas-5 launch, AEHF 4 satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD -– Delta-4 Heavy launch, Parker Solar Probe deployment for NASA, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html - Delta-4 launch, GPS 3-01 satellite deployment, Cape Canaveral Spaceport, Time TBD - http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html Forward Share Tweet Share SPACErePORT news and editorial summaries are distilled and organized by me and don’t necessarily reflect my opinions or anyone else's.