| By Jeff Foust
In today's edition: NASA changes course on commercial space stations, Space Command's top general endorses satellite refueling, Eutelsat plays up LEO growth and more.
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| | | | | | Top Stories
NASA is changing course on its plans to support development of commercial space stations. In a memo signed by NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy last week, but not yet publicly released, the agency said it would change its plans for the next phase of the Commercial LEO Development program that supports commercial successors to the ISS. Instead of awarding a fixed-price contract for certification of stations and initial services, NASA will instead award funded "Space Act Agreements" to companies for continued development, including crewed flight demonstrations involving non-NASA astronauts. The move is intended, the memo states, to keep the program on schedule and address a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall. However, NASA said it will no longer require a "Full Operational Capability" that involved a permanent presence of NASA astronauts on those stations, opting instead to a minimum capability of four-person crews spending a month on those stations. NASA said it no longer considers binding the LEO Microgravity Strategy it published last December that called for a continuous human presence in LEO. [SpaceNews]
The head of U.S. Space Command is endorsing the use of in-space refueling of satellites. Speaking Tuesday at the Space & Missile Defense Symposium, Gen. Stephen Whiting endorsed a vision for space operations that moves beyond the traditional "one-and-done" approach to satellite deployment. He said space needs to adopt the same comprehensive logistics frameworks used in other domains so that spacecraft can "maneuver for advantage to achieve space superiority." His remarks come at a critical juncture, as the U.S. Space Force grapples with whether to invest in orbital infrastructure or continue treating satellites as expendable assets and as China demonstrates its own satellite refueling capabilities. [SpaceNews]
Northrop Grumman says investments in increased solid rocket motor production will help it win contracts for the Golden Dome missile defense program. Company officials said at the Space & Missile Defense Symposium that they are in a strong position to capitalize on the demand likely to be generated by Golden Dome. The company is now producing large solid rocket motors in Utah and West Virginia, and smaller tactical motors in Maryland. Northrop said $1 billion in investments made in those facilities after acquiring Orbital ATK in 2018 will allow the company to meet projected demand from Golden Dome. [SpaceNews]
Eutelsat is playing up a bright future in LEO while demand for its GEO communication satellite services wanes. The company reported Tuesday 187 million euros ($216 million) in revenues from its OneWeb LEO broadband constellation for the 12 months ending June 30, about 15% of overall sales and an 84% increase over the previous 12 months. However, connectivity revenues from Eutelsat's fleet in geostationary orbit (GEO) fell more than 7% to 431 million euros over the period, while GEO video revenues dropped 6.5% to 608 million euros. Eutelsat expects LEO revenues to grow another 50% in the year ahead as connectivity and OneWeb become an increasingly central part of its business following their 2023 merger, but the company warned that growth won't be enough to offset the decline in its GEO business. [SpaceNews]
NASA has selected a shuttle orbiter to transfer to Houston under a provision of the budget reconciliation bill. That bill included $85 million for a "space vehicle transfer" to a facility affiliated with a NASA center, directing the NASA administrator to identify the vehicle within 30 days of the bill's July 4 enactment. NASA said late Tuesday that Acting Administrator Sean Duffy made that identification, but did not disclose the vehicle or its destination. However, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said late Tuesday that NASA selected a shuttle orbiter to be moved to Space Center Houston, next to the Johnson Space Center. The statement didn't identify the vehicle but noted "congressional intent" of the bill was for Discovery to go from the National Air and Space Museum to Houston. Such a move, though, faces various legal, logistical and fiscal challenges. [SpaceNews]
| | | | | | Other News
Interlune, a startup with plans to harvest helium-3 from the moon, will fly an instrument on an upcoming lunar rover mission. Interlune said Tuesday it reached an agreement with Astrolab to carry a multispectral camera on Astrolab's FLIP rover, which is scheduled to go to the moon on Astrobotic's Griffin-1 lander mission as soon as late this year. The camera will look for ilmenite, a titanium-rich mineral that serves as a proxy for helium-3 deposits, allowing Interlune to compare those observations with data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. FLIP will carry payloads from other customers and also test technologies for Astrolab's larger FLEX rover, a version of which it is offering to NASA for use by astronauts on later Artemis missions. [SpaceNews]
NASA is still studying a problem with a new space science satellite. NASA said Tuesday that one of two satellites on the TRACERS mission launched last month is having problems with its power system, limiting the time it can operate to when it gets "adequate power" from its solar panels. The next opportunity to try to recover the satellite will be later this month when the spacecraft's orientation will allow more sunlight onto the solar arrays. NASA separately said Tuesday it has yet to hear from another satellite on the same launch, Athena EPIC. The satellite, built by NovaWurks, is intended to demonstrate a modular satellite design and test an Earth science sensor. [NASA]
A California agency is preparing for another fight with SpaceX over launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The California Coastal Commission will take up next week a proposal to allow SpaceX to increase the number of launches at Vandenberg from 50 to 95 per year. The commission's staff recommended that it reject the proposal because the launches are primarily commercial. The commission last October voted against a proposal to increase launches from 35 to 50 per year, with some commissioners citing SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's politics in the process. That resulted in a lawsuit from SpaceX. The earlier vote had no effect on launches, with the Space Force citing national security considerations for allowing an increased launch rate. [Politico]
The Space Force expects to launch satellites in the next year capable of tracking moving targets on the ground. At a Mitchell Institute event Monday, Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt said the service will launch ground moving target indicator (GMTI) satellites in the coming months to allow improved space-based tracking of threats on the ground, which today is primarily done by aircraft. The Space Force is building out the command and control systems needed for GMTI satellites, standing up a new squadron to lead that work. [Defense News]
NASA awarded study contracts to six companies regarding orbital transfer vehicles. The agency said Tuesday it awarded a total of nine contracts with a maximum value of $1.4 million to Arrow Science and Technology, Blue Origin, Firefly Aerospace, Impulse Space, Rocket Lab and United Launch Alliance for concepts to enable "multi-spacecraft and multi-orbit delivery" to different orbits. The companies are exploring concepts that range from dedicated space tugs to modified upper stages. The studies are due by mid-September and will inform NASA planning for future missions though its Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare Launch Services contract. [NASA]
| | | | | | Important Distinction
| "I carried the proteins back and forth so many times they started calling me the 'Protein Ferry.' That's F-E-R-R-Y, not F-A-I-R-Y."
| | – Ken Bowersox, NASA associate administrator for space operations and a former astronaut, recalling his work on a shuttle mission assisting a protein crystal growth experiment during a Capitol Hill event Tuesday by Redwire on in-space pharmaceutical research.
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