Plus, concerns over Starship sonic booms; senators push Pentagon to probe Musk-Putin call allegations.
| | | A SpaceNews daily newsletter | | 11/19/2024 | | | | | President-elect Donald Trump may attend this afternoon's scheduled launch of SpaceX's Starship vehicle. Airspace restrictions in South Texas for a VIP visit Tuesday afternoon align with the scheduled launch of Starship, while restrictions over Trump's Florida home are lifted at the same time. Such a visit would be another sign of the ties between Trump and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The Starship test flight is scheduled for liftoff in a half-hour window that opens at 5 p.m. Eastern. [Reuters]
Those Starship test flights may produce louder sonic booms than anticipated. Equipment from university researchers placed at several locations in the vicinity of the Starbase launch site for last month's launch recorded sonic booms from the Super Heavy booster's return that far exceeded projections and run the risk of property damage. That sonic boom was as loud as a gunshot at close range in the vicinity of Port Isabel, a town about 10 kilometers from Starbase. Researchers plan to conduct similar measurements for Tuesday's launch. [New York Times]
Two Democratic senators are asking the Pentagon and Justice Department to investigate allegations Musk had phone calls with Russian president Vladimir Putin. In letters late last week, Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said there were valid national security reasons to investigate the reports from October about the Musk-Putin calls, which could lead the Defense Department to reconsider whether Musk himself should be involved in SpaceX contracts with the Pentagon. In a separate letter to the Secretary of the Air Force, the senators requested more information on efforts "to increase competition among commercial space capability providers." [SpaceNews]
ESA is providing more funding to four European launch startups. ESA announced Tuesday it was adding $46.7 million through its "Boost!" program to existing contracts with HyImpulse, Isar Aerospace, Orbex and Rocket Factory Augsburg. The funding will help the companies with integrated testing activities for the small launch vehicles they are developing. [SpaceNews]
The Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) is expanding to Australia. The organization, which monitors threats to space systems, said a new "watch center" in Australia will enhance real-time threat intelligence gathering and defense against cyber attacks on space assets. The move reflects growing international concern about the security of space-based assets, which are increasingly critical to global communications, navigation and defense systems. [SpaceNews]
| | | | | SpaceX launched an Indian communications satellite Monday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 1:31 p.m. Eastern and successfully placed the GSAT-N2 satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The spacecraft, also known as GSAT-20, will provide broadband services, including inflight connectivity, in India and the surrounding region. The 4,700-kilogram satellite launched on a Falcon 9 because it is too heavy for the largest current Indian launcher, the LVM3. [Spaceflight Now]
The acting head of space technology at NASA will take the job permanently. NASA announced Monday that Clayton Turner will serve as the new associate administrator for space technology effective immediately. Turner had held the position on an acting basis since July, after the sudden departure of Kurt Vogel. Turner was previously director of the Langley Research Center and has been at the agency for more than 30 years. [NASA]
A judge is allowing a lawsuit by Ligado against the federal government to proceed. A federal judge Monday allowed the suit to proceed after issuing rulings both in favor and against the company. Ligado is suing the Departments of Commerce and Defense for $39 billion for what it calls "unlawful actions" to seize its L-band spectrum. That spectrum was originally assigned for satellite communications, but Ligado is seeking to use it for a terrestrial network that the government argues would interfere with GPS signals. [Breaking Defense]
Intuitive Machines plans to cut about three dozen jobs under a NASA contract at the Goddard Space Flight Center. The company confirmed it is planning to lay off about 35 employees who have been working there under a contract called OMES III run by Intuitive Machines and KBR, citing NASA's decision to end the OSAM-1 satellite servicing mission that had been part of the contract. NASA confirmed plans this summer to terminate OSAM-1, blaming cost and schedule overruns and changes in topics of interest in satellite servicing technology. [Washington Business Journal]
A student group has broken the record for the highest amateur launch. The student-run USC Rocket Propulsion Lab launched its Aftershock II rocket last month from the Nevada desert, reaching a peak altitude of about 143 kilometers. That broke a record set in 2004 by the Civilian Space Exploration Team, an amateur group that launched a rocket to about 116 kilometers. The Aftershock II rocket came back to Earth under parachutes "largely intact," the leader of the USC team said, after flying at speeds as high as Mach 5.5. [USC]
| | | | | | Space Cowboys II
"Now, that fellow right there, the former senator from Florida — very close friend of mine — every time my wife thinks I'm getting out of hand, she says, 'I'm going to call him and have him send you to space.' And I'm a little concerned he may want to send me to space because we got to get some folks back home."
– President Joe Biden, referring to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson during remarks Friday in a meeting with the president of Peru.
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