Top Stories
An engine malfunction caused a Japanese spacecraft to land on the moon on its nose. The Japanese space agency JAXA said Thursday that one of two main thrusters on its Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) failed during the final phase of landing. The spacecraft was designed to tip over to land on its side, but an image taken by a tiny rover ejected from SLIM during its descent showed the spacecraft resting on its nose, the thrusters pointing up. Despite the anomaly, the spacecraft landed within 55 meters of its target, achieving a key mission goal of demonstrating landing precision of 100 meters or better. The spacecraft remains powered down because its solar panels are not facing the sun, but project leaders said there is a possibility sunlight could reach the panels and revive the lander before sundown next week. [SpaceNews]
A study contract brings Blue Origin a step closer to offering its New Glenn rocket to the U.S. Space Force. The Space Force awarded Blue Origin nearly $18 million for "early integration studies" to examine New Glenn's compatibility with national security missions. Blue Origin is seeking a "Lane 2" contract for the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 procurement, which focuses on demanding missions to higher orbits and thus requires certified launch vehicles and full mission assurance. Most of the Lane 2 launches are expected to go to SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, but seven of 58 launches will be reserved for a third provider. [SpaceNews]
European space companies are preparing a final proposal to develop a sovereign broadband constellation. A consortium of companies faces a mid-February deadline to submit their best and final offer to the European Commission for the Infrastructure for Resilience, Interconnectivity and Security by Satellite (IRIS²) constellation. At the European Space Conference this week, executives offered few details about their proposal but noted it will provide services similar to SpaceX's Starlink, but use 5G standards that will offer greater interoperability with other networks. IRIS² is slated to provide global coverage by 2027 and may include the launch of up to 170 LEO satellites, but also incorporate systems in medium and geostationary orbit. [SpaceNews]
The European Commission is preparing to release a draft EU space law proposal by March. Commission officials have been guarded about the contents of the bill, but said at the European Space Conference that the legislation is intended to harmonize the current "fragmented" set of national space laws in Europe and specifically address safety, resilience and sustainability. The law would apply to both European companies as well as non-European companies seeking to do business in the EU, addressing concerns from European companies who say they support the goals of the bill but want a level playing field. [SpaceNews]
ESA says it has seen strong interest in its commercial cargo program. The agency released a call for proposals last month for the first phase of the LEO Cargo Return Service program, which will support development of commercial vehicles that can transport cargo to and from the International Space Station and future private space stations. ESA plans to award up to three study contracts in May with a total value of 75 million euros. The goal of the program is to have commercial vehicles in service by 2028. The companies interested in the program range from ArianeGroup, which is considering offering a version of its SUSIE vehicle announced in 2022, to The Exploration Company, a startup that is already developing commercial cargo return vehicles. [SpaceNews]
| | Other News
Freedom Space Technologies is working on a next-generation ground system for U.S. Space Force missile-warning satellites. The company, a subsidiary of Atlas Space Operations, provides a cloud-based software platform used to manage satellite ground systems. It is partnering with Omni Federal, a defense contractor that is one of four companies that won $9.7 million contracts from the U.S. Space Force to develop competing ground systems for a project known as FORGE C2, or Future Operationally Resilient Ground Evolution Command and Control. The Space Force will assess the designs in 2025 and select one or more to continue further development. [SpaceNews]
The first crewed flight of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner remains on schedule for as soon as the middle of April. NASA said Wednesday that teams have made "significant progress" addressing technical issues with tape used on wiring that turned out to be flammable as well as modifications to the spacecraft's parachutes. That work, the agency said, keeps the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission on track for a launch no earlier than mid-April, sending NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to the ISS for a stay of one to two weeks. Successful completion of the CFT mission would allow NASA to certify Starliner for use in regular crew rotation flights, starting next year. [NASA]
The next NOAA geostationary orbit weather satellite has arrived in Florida for launch preparations. The GOES-U satellite was flown on a C-5M cargo plane from a Lockheed Martin facility in Colorado, where it was assembled, to Cape Canaveral. The satellite, the fourth and final spacecraft in the GOES-R series, is scheduled for launch on a Falcon Heavy in April. [Lockheed Martin]
A Texas state government commission has postponed a proposed land swap involving SpaceX's Starbase facility. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department had planned to vote today on a proposal to give SpaceX 43 acres at Boca Chica State Park, next to Starbase, in exchange for 477 acres near part of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge to the north. Commissioners said they received more than 1,000 public comments opposed to the land swap, nearly four times the comments in favor of it. Officials in Cameron County, which includes Boca Chica State Park and Starbase, were also opposed to the swap. The commission plans to reconsider the proposal in March. [Texas Public Radio]
| | Beating SpaceX
"Beat SpaceX? Easier said than done."
– Timo Pesonen, director general of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space, during a panel discussion at the European Space Conference this week about struggles European companies were facing competing with SpaceX.
| | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment