Plus: Tank issue delays first RFA launch
By Jeff Foust
In today's edition: FCC Space Bureau chief steps down, Northrop and Canada repurpose their Gateway contributions, tank issue delays first RFA launch, and more.
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Top Stories
The head of the FCC's Space Bureau is leaving the agency. The FCC announced Friday that Jay Schwarz would step down as chief of the bureau later this month. The FCC did not disclose why he was departing. He will be replaced on an interim basis by Jennifer Gilsenan, deputy chief of the bureau. Schwarz, named chief of the Space Bureau early last year, has spearheaded licensing and spectrum reforms for space systems at the commission. [SpaceNews]
The Senate confirmed nominations for two top national security space officials Friday. The Senate confirmed Erich Hernandez-Baquero as assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration and Roger Mason as director of the National Reconnaissance Office. Both were confirmed as part of a large group of civilian nominees on a 51-47 vote, which came a day after the Senate confirmed Gen. Douglas Schiess to be the next commanding general of the Space Force. Together, the confirmations install new leaders at three organizations responsible for defining military space requirements, acquiring Space Force systems and operating the nation's intelligence satellites. [SpaceNews]
Northrop Grumman and the Canadian Space Agency are working to repurpose their contributions to the lunar Gateway to support NASA's new lunar base plans. Northrop said last week it would fly power and avionics systems it developed for the HALO module for three lander missions, called Lunar Infrastructure Demos. Those payloads will be flown on commercial landers through NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, with the first slated to fly in Phase One of NASA's Moon Base program that runs through 2029. NASA said it is working with Northrop to finalize contractual details of the new missions. CSA also announced last week that it would adapt technologies for the Gateway's Canadarm3 robotic arm for lunar surface operations. The agency said little about how those technologies might be reused, but MDA Space, prime contractor for Canadarm3, said in an earnings call Friday it welcomed the announcement and is working with CSA on details about those plans. [SpaceNews]
Katalyst Space Technologies is making progress on restoring control of the spacecraft it launched to reboost a NASA observatory. The company said last week that it had slowed the spin rate of its Link spacecraft from 9 to 1.47 degrees per second using one of its electric thrusters. The company is working on a flight software update to restore full control of the spacecraft and allow it to continue its mission. Link launched in early July to grapple NASA's Swift gamma-ray observatory and raise its orbit, but Link suffered problems in late July that put the spacecraft into a multi-axis spin. Katalyst now expects Link to rendezvous with Swift late this month. [SpaceNews]
Lithuanian space laser communications company Astrolight has signed an agreement with Atmos Space Cargo to test its technologies in space. The companies announced a memorandum of understanding to demonstrate in-flight optical communications link between an Atmos reentry spacecraft and an orbiting satellite in 2027. Astrolight's ATLAS-X laser communication terminals would fly onboard Atmos's Phoenix reentry vehicle and an unidentified spacecraft, testing data links at speeds of up to 2.5 gigabits per second. [SpaceNews]
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Other News
SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites Saturday. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 12:35 p.m. Eastern, putting 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch was the 50th this year by SpaceX from Vandenberg as the company emphasizes launches there over its Florida launch pads. [Spaceflight Now]
The majority owner of German small launch vehicle company Rocket Factory Augsburg still expects a first launch this year despite a testing setback. RFA was planning to launch its RFA ONE rocket from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Islands as soon as this week, but the company said in late July it needed to destack the rocket on the pad because of an issue with the rocket. During an earnings call last week, OHB, the German aerospace company that owns 65% of RFA, said the issue was with tanks on the rocket but did not disclose additional details. OHB said it expects the problem to be resolved soon, allowing for a launch attempt later this year. OHB also used the earnings call to endorse efforts to increase the Ariane 6 launch rate, noting that it is both a supplier for the rocket as well as a customer. [SpaceNews]
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is doubtful the company can recover its Starship vehicle in the Indian Ocean. The company has been working since the Flight 13 mission July 24 to tow the Starship upper stage to land after the vehicle unexpectedly survived splashdown and remained intact. That has involved several vessels trying to tow the vehicle to Australia. SpaceX said Friday the recovery team was facing "challenging conditions and increasingly rough seas" trying to get the vehicle to port. "Unfortunately, ship recovery is not looking good right now," Musk later said, but noted the recovery efforts have provided data on the state of the ship's thermal protection system and engines. [Space.com]
NASA is delaying an International Space Station spacewalk to study a problem with a spacesuit. NASA said Friday that a carbon dioxide sensor in the suit worn on Thursday's spacewalk by Anil Menon provided an "unexpected data reading" near the end of the spacewalk. The agency is reviewing the data to see if the suit needs to be replaced. To accommodate that work, NASA has delayed the second in a series of three spacewalks from Aug. 13 to Aug. 18. The third and final spacewalk in the sequence remains scheduled for Aug. 25. [NASA]
A "big bang" has squeezed more life out of a decaying power source on Voyager 2. NASA said last week it completed a sequence it called the "big bang" that turned off some heaters and equipment while turning on others that consume less power. That effort went "remarkably smoothly," project leaders said, reducing the spacecraft's power consumption while still keeping critical components warm. That will allow the spacecraft to continue operations for at least another year despite reduced power from its radioisotope thermoelectric generator. The project is now planning a similar "big bang" for Voyager 1. [Scientific American]
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