GAO completes investigation of the decision to relocate U.S. Space Command
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 21:12
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Colorado lawmakers announced April 12 that they have been briefed by the Government Accountability Office on the agency’s investigation of the January 2021 decision to relocate U.S. Space Command headquarters from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama.
Astranis adds extra year of life to small GEO satellite design
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 20:35 Write a comment
Improvements Astranis has made to the propulsion systems of four small satellites slated to launch in 2023 will add at least another year to their operational lives, according to CEO John Gedmark.
Defense Intelligence Agency calls attention to China’s and Russia’s growing presence in space
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 19:48 Write a comment
A new report by the Defense Intelligence Agency notes that the space fleets of China and Russia grew more than 70% in just over two years.
Finland's first science satellite, Foresail-1, is ready for space
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 16:05 Write a comment
Foresail-1, the first satellite from the Finnish Center of Excellence in Research of Sustainable Space, is ready for space.
"With the help of long-term funding from the Academy of Finland, we have created the first scientific space program in Finland, which aims to develop more sustainable space technology," says Professor Minna Palmroth from the University of Helsinki, the director of the Center of Excellence.
The satellite's journey from Otaniemi in Espoo will begin within a few days. The first stop will be Berlin, Germany, where the satellite will be integrated into the launch adapter. Foresail-1 will be delivered to its designated rocket by the German launch service provider EXOLaunch.
Hubble confirms largest comet nucleus ever seen
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 13:58 Write a comment
Image:
Hubble confirms largest comet nucleus ever seen US, India agree to cooperate on space situational awareness
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 13:32 Write a comment
The United States and India have agreed to cooperate on space situational awareness, a deal that the U.S. Department of Defense said would “lay the groundwork for more advanced cooperation in space.”
The post US, India agree to cooperate on space situational awareness appeared first on SpaceNews.
New home for Earth’s protectors
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 13:30 Write a comment
ESA’s new Space Safety Centre is a hub for activities protecting our planet from a raging star, risky asteroids and defunct satellites.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher inaugurated the Centre today at the Agency’s ESOC mission control centre, in Darmstadt, Germany.
Space balloon company offers first look at luxury cabins
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 12:47 Write a comment
A new entrant in the space tourism market promises customers views of the Earth's curvature from the comfort of a luxury cabin, lifted to the upper atmosphere with a giant balloon.
Space Perspective on Tuesday revealed illustrations of its swish cabins, which it hopes to start launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida from late 2024. More than 600 tickets have so far been sold, at $125,000 each.
With five-feet (1.5 meter) high windows, deep seats, dark, purple tones and subdued lighting, the atmosphere contrasts with the white and sanitized capsules of its competitors.
Wifi connectivity and a drinks bar round out the "Space Lounge" inside the company's Neptune capsule.
The impact of long-term spaceflight on cerebrospinal fluid and perivascular spaces in astronauts and cosmonauts
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 12:19 Write a comment
An international team of researchers has conducted an extensive study of the impact of long-term space flight on the eyes and brains of astronauts. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their study of MRI scans of both astronauts and cosmonauts before and after venturing into space and the differences they found between the two groups.
When humans venture into space, their bodies undergo changes due to freefall. Prior research has shown that a person's height can be impacted, for example, due to less downward pressure on the spinal column. More recently, as flight times have expanded, researchers have found that the great reduction in gravity also impacts vison and the brain. In this new effort, the researchers took a close look at such changes by studying MRIs made of 24 astronauts and 13 cosmonauts before they went into space and then again within two weeks of their return to Earth. All those studied had spent a minimum of six months in space. The researchers also looked at MRIs of astronauts that had been in space for just two weeks as part of NASA shuttle missions, and also at a few astronauts with the European Space Agency.
Astra wins order for electric thrusters from LeoStella
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 12:14 Write a comment
Astra Space announced April 12 an order of electric thrusters by LeoStella, part of the company’s efforts to move beyond launch.
The post Astra wins order for electric thrusters from LeoStella appeared first on SpaceNews.
NASA defends decision to proceed with modified SLS countdown test
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 10:01 Write a comment
NASA officials defended their decision to proceed with a modified version of a countdown rehearsal for the Space Launch System that does not involve fueling the rocket’s upper stage, saying they’ll wait until after the test to determine the next steps toward launch.
Op-ed | Guarding against greenwashing in space
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 10:00 Write a comment
Are these commitments resulting in meaningful performance? Or are they “greenwashing” — mere marketing pledges or virtue signaling with little actual impact on sustainability?
The post Op-ed | Guarding against greenwashing in space appeared first on SpaceNews.
How sherpas guide startups through government contracting terrain
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 08:00 Write a comment
U.S. defense and intelligence agencies are eager to tap into commercial innovation, and many startup founders are eager to win government funding. The problem is the two groups often have trouble communicating.
The post How sherpas guide startups through government contracting terrain appeared first on SpaceNews.
An astronaut awakes | Cosmic Kiss
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 07:30 Write a comment
Video:
00:01:35
ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer gives a glimpse into his morning routine aboard the International Space Station during his Cosmic Kiss mission.
Matthias’s crew quarters, known as CASA (short for Crew Alternate Sleep Accommodation), is located within the European Columbus science laboratory module. The glowing pink light of this module comes from NASA’s Veggie facility, where astronauts help researchers study plant growth in microgravity.
Each astronaut aboard the Space Station has their own crew quarter. No larger than a changing room, this is their bedroom in space where they can store personal items, use a laptop to contact friends and
Submissions open for Copernicus Masters 2022
Tuesday, 12 April 2022 06:43 Write a comment
Submissions open for Copernicus Masters 2022