IM-1's "Unqualified Success" - SpaceNews This Week

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View this email in your browser A weekly roundup of the top SpaceNews stories from this week, every Friday This week, both NASA and Intuitive Machines celebrate the "unqualified success" of the IM-1 lunar lander mission, which was able to return scientific data despite a harder-than-expected landing that broke one of its legs and resulted in the lander toppling over. Also this week, China launched a high orbit internet satellite, the FAA brought SpaceX one step closer to a third Starship flight when it closed its investigation into the second flight, and the ISRO announced three uncrewed test flights of its Gaganyaan spacecraft before it launches a crew to orbit next year. Our Top Story Intuitive Machines and NASA call IM-1 lunar lander a success as mission winds down Jeff Foust, Feb. 28, 2024 WASHINGTON — NASA and Intuitive Machines declared the IM-1 mission, in its final hours, an "unqualified success" despite a hard landing that left the spacecraft askew. At a press conference Feb. 28, agency and company officials said they had received data from nearly all the payloads on the Nova-C lander, named Odysseus, that landed six days earlier near Malapert A crater in the south polar regions of the moon. "We had some very high level mission objectives to touch down softly on the surface of the moon — softly and safely — and return scientific data to our customers," said Steve Altemus, chief executive of Intuitive Machines. "Both of those objectives are met, so in our minds this is an unqualified success." Other News From the Week LAUNCH China launches first high orbit internet satellite China launched the first of a new "high orbit" internet satellite series Thursday, apparently to provide internet services to China and surrounding areas. A Long March 3B/G rocket lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China at 8:03 a.m. Eastern (1303 UTC) Feb. 29. FAA closes investigation into second Starship test flight The Federal Aviation Administration has closed its investigation into the second Starship/Super Heavy launch in November, bringing SpaceX a step closer to launching its third test flight as soon as mid-March. The FAA announced Feb. 26 that it closed the investigation into the Nov. 18 launch, designated Orbital Flight Test (OFT) 2, by accepting the root causes into the failure identified by SpaceX. That includes 7 corrective actions for the Super Heavy booster and 10 for the Starship upper stage. Crew-8 set for March 1 launch to space station NASA and SpaceX are proceeding with a commercial crew mission to the International Space Station later this week, part of a busy schedule of missions to the station this year. CIVIL India targets uncrewed Gaganyaan orbital test mission in July, crewed flight in 2025 India plans to conduct a first uncrewed orbital test flight for its Gaganyaan human spaceflight program in July this year. India will conduct three uncrewed test flights before a full crewed mission next year, S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told Asianet News Feb. 28. Legislation would make spaceports eligible for tax-exempt bonds Legislation introduced in Congress Feb. 28 would give spaceports the same ability as airports and seaports to issue tax-exempt bonds. The Secure U.S. Leadership in Space Act of 2024, introduced simultaneously in the House and Senate, would amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow spaceports to issue tax-exempt municipal revenue bonds to fund infrastructure improvements. That authority already exists for airports and seaports. MSR problems illustrative of challenges for NASA flagship missions, audit concludes As decision loom about its funding and architecture, a NASA review about the Mars Sample Return (MSR) program concluded its problems illustrate ongoing challenges the agency has managing large missions. MILITARY Viasat links up with Northrop Grumman for Air Force communications experiment Global communications company Viasat announced Feb. 29 it has signed an agreement with defense prime contractor Northrop Grumman to support an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) experiment using broadband satellite internet to connect military vehicles and aircraft. Northrop Grumman warns space sector employees of potential layoffs Northrop Grumman on Feb. 26 warned its California-based employees who work on space programs of potential layoffs, sources told SpaceNews. A company spokesperson on Feb. 27 confirmed that the company has filed a WARN notice with the California Employment Development Department, "and shared information with our employees about potential workforce reductions." Space Force general warns of 'window of vulnerability' in satellite defense In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, warned that the U.S. faces a "window of vulnerability" over the next few years to defend critical space assets from potential aggression. Upcoming SpaceNews Events Webinar - Wednesday, March 6, 11AM Eastern One-on-One with SDA Director Derek Tournear - Register Today Join us on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, for an exclusive online event with Derek Tournear, Director of the Space Development Agency (SDA), as we take a look back at SDA's remarkable journey over the past five years. Moderator Sandra Erwin, SpaceNews senior staff writer Sponsored By Copyright (C) 2024 Multiverse Media Inc.. All rights reserved. You signed up to receive this newsletter on Spacenews.com. At times you may receive marketing material. Our mailing address is: Multiverse Media Inc. 100 Fillmore St. 5th Floor Denver, CO 80206 USA Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe