DoD space agency funds development of laser terminal that connects to multiple satellites at once
Thursday, 10 March 2022 13:58
The Space Development Agency awarded BridgeComm and Space Micro a $1.7 million contract to demonstrate point-to-multipoint communications
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Backbone of Hera asteroid mission for planetary defense
Thursday, 10 March 2022 13:50
In a Swiss cleanroom, this historic object has been taking shape. Made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer, this is the central core of ESA's Hera asteroid mission for planetary defense.
NASA's DART spacecraft is currently on its way to the Didymos asteroid pair in deep space, to test the kinetic impact technique of asteroid deflection on the smaller of the two bodies on 26 September this year.
Hera will fly to the same asteroid system in the aftermath of the impact to perform a close-up "crime scene investigation," including close-up mapping of DART's crater and assessing the asteroid's make-up and internal structure.
The stiff, strong core serves as a backbone to the spacecraft, built for ESA by a team from RUAG Space in Switzerland and OHB in the Czech Republic. Once current "static load" testing confirms its performance, the core will be shipped to OHB in Germany to assemble the spacecraft's primary structure around it.
It will then be passed on to Avio in Italy to integrate its propulsion module. The bottom aluminum cone includes the Launcher Interface Ring, providing all necessary connections with the launcher.
Ukraine war: How it could play out in space, with potentially dangerous consequences
Thursday, 10 March 2022 13:30
Nearly three decades of close collaboration in space between Russia and the western world seems to be coming to an end. With increasing tensions over Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Russia has arguably threatened to crash the International Space Station and refuse to launch satellites for western countries. A few months ago, Russia blew up one of its own defunct satellites, creating space junk that threatened the safety of astronauts at the ISS.
So how is the war likely to impact on operations in space going forward, and what are the consequences?
Aggression in space could directly affect boots on the grounds. Imagery from space has become a regular feature in coverage of the invasion of Ukraine, showing long columns of armor moving inexorably towards Kyiv or Kharkiv.
While chilling in its content, it has offered a boost to the embattled Ukrainian resistance by helping it work out where the enemy is, where it is coming from and how it is configured.
Chinese official calls for protection of space assets, international coordination mechanisms
Thursday, 10 March 2022 13:03
China needs to accelerate the development of space asset protection policies and related international coordination mechanisms, according to a space industry official.
What would a sustainable space environment look like?
Thursday, 10 March 2022 12:30
October 4, 2022, will be an auspicious day as humanity celebrates the 65th anniversary of the beginning of the Space Age. It all began in 1957 with the launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik-1, the first artificial satellite ever sent to orbit. Since that time, about 8,900 satellites have been launched from more than 40 countries worldwide. This has led to growing concerns about space debris and the hazard it represents to future constellations, spacecraft, and even habitats in low Earth orbit (LEO).
This has led to many proposed solutions for cleaning up "space junk," as well as satellite designs that would allow them to deorbit and burn up. Alas, there are still questions about whether a planet surrounded by mega-constellations is sustainable over the long term. A recent study by James A. Blake, a research fellow with the University of Warwick, examined the evolution of the debris environment in LEO and assessed if future space operations can be conducted sustainably.
For his Ph.D. project, Blake focused on the imaging and tracking of space debris in geosynchronous Earth orbits (GEOs) around 36,000 km (22,370 mi) above the equator.
Slingshot Aerospace closes $25 million fundraising round
Thursday, 10 March 2022 12:00
Slingshot Aerospace, a company that develops technologies for space situational awareness, announced March 10 it has raised $25 million in Series A-1 funds.
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IMPERIAL: 3D printing’s new dimension
Thursday, 10 March 2022 12:00
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ESA’s new IMPERIAL 3D printer can print parts much larger than itself, overcoming one of the main constraints of the process – limited build volume.
What is also known as ‘Additive manufacturing’ is an essential enabling technology for deep space crewed missions. Accordingly this printer has been specially designed with ‘out-of-Earth’ manufacturing in mind, enabling future space explorers to produce structures, tools and spare parts as needed. Built to operate in weightlessness – meaning it can work upside down on Earth – the printer is capable of printing high performance polymer parts of unlimited dimensions along a single direction.
Omnibus bill cuts funding for future weather satellites
Thursday, 10 March 2022 11:46
Appropriators cut funding for a new generation of weather satellites while increasing funding for the Office of Space Commerce for fiscal year 2022.
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Voters block agreement for planned Georgia spaceport
Thursday, 10 March 2022 10:17
Voters in a Georgia county have dealt a potentially fatal blow to a proposed spaceport, a move that may provide lessons for other prospective spaceports.
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Backbone of Hera asteroid mission
Thursday, 10 March 2022 08:03
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Backbone of Hera asteroid mission Motiv Space Systems and Blue Origin announce ModuLink
Thursday, 10 March 2022 06:59
Motiv Space Systems reports it has been awarded a contract under the Defense Innovation Unit's (DIU's) Modularity for Space Systems Program (M4SS) together with sub-contractor Blue Origin. The contract leverages Motiv's advanced space robotics technology to enable a new age of space utilization in which deployed spacecraft can be repaired, augmented, or modified to make them more resilient and m Satellogic and Astraea enable direct collection access for emergency response in Ukraine
Thursday, 10 March 2022 06:59
Satellogic Inc. (NASDAQ:SATL), a leader in sub-meter resolution satellite imagery collection, announced a collaboration with Astraea, a geospatial and AI analysis software company, to distribute critical Earth Observation ("EO") data directly to the Ukrainian government, allied governments, and humanitarian organizations on the ground.
Satellogic is providing its Daily Collection Access se Saudi, Lockheed Martin in missile defence deal
Thursday, 10 March 2022 06:59
Saudi Arabia announced a deal Monday with US firm Lockheed Martin to manufacture elements of the missile defences of the Gulf state, the target of frequent cross-border attacks by rebels in Yemen.
Its military industries authority, cited by state news agency SPA, approved two projects to produce launchers and other equipment used in the THAAD anti-missile defence system.
The announcement MDA to provide satellite imagery for international efforts in UKRAINE
Thursday, 10 March 2022 06:59
MDA Ltd. issued the following statement regarding the ongoing situation in Ukraine: "As organizations around the globe come together in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration to support efforts to restore peace, MDA has secured special authorization from the Government of Canada to collect Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery over restricted areas in Ukraine.
Images captured Expedition to highest active volcano unearths clues about life on other worlds
Thursday, 10 March 2022 06:59
A harsh sun shines down through a cloudless sky, across a vast and unforgiving landscape. It's covered in gray rock, giant ice sculptures and expansive fields of spiky, yellow and orange bushes. In the distance, intimidating mountain peaks dominate the desolate scene, many miles from the nearest town. Yet alpacas roam freely and flamingos seek out scarce water, both unexpected sights in this wil