Plus: Space Force wants to make launch easier for new entrants
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
| | | A SpaceNews daily newsletter | | 04/17/2025 | | | | | The U.S. Space Force has released a new document on its plans to defend American satellites and target enemy space systems. The document, titled "Space Warfighting: A Framework for Planners" and released Thursday, outlines how U.S. forces might assert control of the orbital high ground through a range of offensive and defensive operations, reflecting an evolution in how the military thinks about warfare beyond Earth. U.S. defense planners now view space as an active battleground, one that underpins nearly every modern military function, from missile warning systems to precision navigation. A Space Force general said the release of the warfighting manual reflects the "normalization" of the service as a military branch that plans and conducts warfare alongside the other services. [SpaceNews]
For the first time in more than a decade, a Minotaur 4 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday. The solid-fuel rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 8 at Vandenberg at 3:33 p.m. Eastern on the NROL-174 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket placed multiple classified payloads into orbit, but the NRO did not disclose details on the mission. The launch was the first for the Minotaur 4, a rocket derived from the Peacekeeper ICBM, from Vandenberg since 2011, and the first for the rocket from any location since a July 2020 launch from Wallops Island, Virginia. [SpaceNews]
The Space Force is changing how it evaluates risk for launches, a move that could make it easier for new entrants. Under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 procurement strategy, the Space Force has adopted a tiered approach to mission assurance. For Lane 1 of NSSL, for missions that do not require the same stringent oversight as more complex Lane 2 launches, the Space Force has set up a system that goes from Tier 0, which require no government oversight, up to Tier 3, which involves some assurance protocols for missions that, while not critical, still carry meaningful risks. The service says that approach opens up the market to vehicles not yet formally certified but which have performed successful commercial missions. [SpaceNews]
Five companies received $26 million in awards from the Texas Space Commission Wednesday. The commission provided grants ranging from less than $700,000 to $10 million to Aegis Aerospace, ICON Technology, Interlune, KULR Technology Group and Venus Aerospace Corporation. The awards will support projects in Texas ranging from work on lunar simulants to rocket engine test facilities and an in-space advanced manufacturing platform. The commission has allocated nearly two-thirds of the $150 million set aside by the Texas Legislature in 2023 for awards to support the state's space industry, and officials are hoping the legislature will allocate additional funds in its ongoing session. [SpaceNews]
A Chinese team has provided new details on how it salvaged a pair of lunar satellites last year. The DRO-A and DRO-B spacecraft were stranded in the wrong orbit last March after an upper stage malfunction. The team involved with the mission had to first stabilize the spacecraft and correct problems with their solar arrays, then perform a series of maneuvers within days. Over four months, the two spacecraft were able to reach their planned distant retrograde orbit around the moon, where they established a three-satellite communications network with the DRO-L satellite in Earth orbit. [SpaceNews]
| | | | | Boeing has completed a ground model of a satellite intended to test quantum communications technologies. Boeing said Wednesday the ground twin of the Q4S satellite is now complete and undergoing environmental tests. Q4S, scheduled for launch next year, will test quantum entanglement technologies with applications such as ultra-secure communications. [SpaceNews]
The Polish government is funding development of a set of Earth observation satellites. The European Space Agency, acting on behalf of the Polish Ministry of Development and Technology, awarded a contract worth 52 million euros ($59 million) to Creotech Instruments for the development of three satellites for the Country Awareness Mission in Land Analysis, or CAMILA, system. One satellite will have a high-resolution camera, another a lower-resolution camera and the third a radar imager. The contract includes options for a fourth satellite and potential on-orbit servicing. [European Spaceflight]
Japan's Hayabusa2 spacecraft is in safe mode after an onboard glitch. The spacecraft went into a safe mode last month because of an undisclosed issue but continues to communicate with ground controllers. It was unclear how long the spacecraft will remain in that protective state, or any impacts it might have on its extended mission. After delivering a sample canister from the asteroid Ryugu to Earth in 2020, the main Hayabusa2 spacecraft began an extended mission to go to the asteroid 1998 KY26, with arrival scheduled for 2031. [Space.com]
Scientists claim to have found a potential sign of life on an extrasolar planet. In a paper published Wednesday, astronomers said observations of the exoplanet K2-18b, 124 light-years away, by the James Webb Space Telescope revealed the spectral signature of dimethyl sulfide (DMS). On Earth, DMS is created by the decay of phytoplankton and other microbes, and the researchers involved in the study consider it a "biosignature," or evidence of possible life there. However, other scientists note that there are ways to produce DMS without life, meaning its detection is not necessarily evidence of life on that exoplanet. [Washington Post]
| Maybe Her Next Album
| |
"The New Shepard 31 mission this week with Katy Perry et al., there's a good debate going on in social media about space and whether that was worthwhile. It's interesting to see both sides of that particular argument. It would be great if they started talking about debris or congestion."
โ Air Marshal Paul Godfrey, discussing the difficulties making the public aware of key space issues during a talk at a Royal Aeronautical Society event in Washington on Wednesday.
| | | | | | | | | What's New With SpaceNews? |  | | Announcing the SpaceNews Job Exchange: A launchpad to career success in the space industry. Designed for job seekers, employers, and industry leaders alike.
| | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment