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Companies are looking to the Space Force to provide a "demand signal" for satellite servicing capabilities. In sessions at the Space Mobility conference Tuesday, executives of satellite servicing firms said a clear signal of future demand is needed sooner rather than later, as companies struggle to secure funding based solely on long-term market potential. The Space Force, besides being a customer, can also set interoperability standards that help companies win business from commercial clients. In a conference keynote, Diane Howard, director of commercial space policy for the National Space Council, said the satellite servicing industry needed a "clear demand signal from government users" that include the Space Force, NRO and NASA. [SpaceNews]
A U.S. Space Force initiative aimed at catalyzing the market for on-orbit services is entering a decisive phase. The Orbital Prime program awarded study contracts to more than 100 companies two years ago, later selecting 41 for Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research contracts. SpaceWERX, the Space Force's innovation arm that runs Orbital Prime, is now weighing next steps for the program. A consulting firm supporting SpaceWERX said at Space Mobility that the ultimate winners will be those that can bridge the gap to commercial markets, but added that without government dollars, the future of Orbital Prime projects is highly uncertain. [SpaceNews]
The growth of China's fleet of reconnaissance satellites has caught the attention of the Space Force. Chief Master Sgt. Ron Lerch of the Space Systems Command's intelligence directorate said at Space Mobility Tuesday that China's rapidly advancing military space-based reconnaissance capabilities are worrisome. That includes a series of optical and radar imaging satellites that Chinese officials have stated are intended for civilian purposes but which Lerch said have capabilities that point toward military applications like high-resolution reconnaissance of the Asia Pacific. [SpaceNews]
A Rocket Lab Electron launched four satellites Wednesday in another test of the company's reusability efforts. The Electron lifted off from the company's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 1:34 a.m. Eastern and deployed four satellites for NorthStar Earth and Space into low Earth orbit 52 minutes later. The satellites, built by Spire, will collect space situational awareness data and are the first of a constellation of at least 12 spacecraft. The first stage splashed down and was recovered by a ship. The company has been working on recovering and refurbishing boosters with the goal of reusing them. The launch was the first this year for Rocket Lab, which said 2024 will be its busiest year yet. [SpaceNews]
A Falcon 9 launched a Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station Tuesday. The Falcon 9 lifted off at 12:07 p.m. Eastern from Cape Canaveral and deployed Northrop Grumman's NG-20 Cygnus spacecraft into orbit 15 minutes later. Cygnus, carrying 3,700 kilograms of cargo, will arrive at the ISS early Thursday. The launch was the first of three Falcon 9 launches of Cygnus spacecraft as Northrop works with Firefly Aerospace on a new version of the Antares rocket that had launched most previous Cygnus missions. [SpaceNews]
Quindar, a startup developing software to automate satellite operations, has raised $6 million. The company announced the funding on Tuesday led by venture capital firm Fuse. The funding is an extension of a seed round Quindar raised last year. The company has developed a software tool to make it easier for customers to operate fleets of satellites, automating much of the work. Quindar is working with KSAT, which is using that software to provide satellite operation services to its customers. [SpaceNews]
| | Other News
Conveying the importance of space weather to the public remains challenging. Government officials said at the American Meteorological Society conference Tuesday that while funding of space weather monitoring programs has grown, they are struggling to secure the money needed to provide sufficient warning of major solar events. They argued that the potential impacts of space weather aren't appreciated by the public, in part because such events don't leave damage like terrestrial storms. [SpaceNews]
An upcoming ESA space weather mission will balance operations with science. Vigil, scheduled for launch in 2030, will operate from the sun-Earth L-5 Lagrange point, providing advance notice of solar storms. The spaceraft is designed to provide data about solar activity to support space weather forecasting, but Vigil's project manager said the spacecraft will also produce data for scientific research whenever possible to support development of improved models of solar activity. [SpaceNews]
The commercial arm of India's space agency ISRO will work with Arianespace. New Space India Limited announced Tuesday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Arianespace intended to establish a long-term partnership to meet global commercial satellite launch service market needs. Neither company provided details about how this partnership would work, other than it would involve Arianespace's Ariane 6 and India's LVM3 rockets. [PTI]
Three employees of Chinese launch company LandSpace were injured in a test of a fuel tank. The company said it was conducting a test of a propellant tank, loading it with liquid nitrogen, when it ruptured and that three workers suffered "minor scratches." Residents in a nearby Shanghai neighborhood heard a boom from the test that some compared to an earthquake. The tank is intended for an enhanced version of the Zhuque-2 rocket with an increased payload capacity. [South China Morning Post]
The Orion capsule from the Artemis 1 mission is heading to the Smithsonian. The capsule will be part of a new "At Home in Space" gallery at the National Air and Space Museum set to open in 2026 as part of renovations of the National Mall museum. NASA agreed to loan the capsule to the museum after it completes its use of the capsule for environmental tests. [collectSPACE]
| | Taylor Wouldn't Approve
"We need a big visible event on Super Bowl Sunday that wipes out the satellites. And now that the Ravens aren't in the Super Bowl, bring it on."
– Nicola Fox, NASA associate administrator for science, discussing the challenge of raising public awareness about space weather during a session of the American Meteorological Society conference Tuesday in Baltimore.
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