SpaceX performs Starship static-fire test
Original Publication Date: 2023-02-09 22:11
SpaceX fires nearly all of the engines in the booster of its Starship launch vehicle. The test is one of the last technical milestones before the vehicle’s first orbital launch attempt. Company officials had previously said a full 33-engine static-fire test was the final major test.
Kelly: As rivals challenge U.S. in space, commercial industry needs to ‘step up’
Original Publication Date: 2023-02-09 22:05
Sen. Mark Kelly: U.S. Is being challenged in space by rival powers. He says commercial space industry has a key role to play in ensuring U.S. Can compete. Kelly, a former NASA astronaut, chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on emerging threats.
Military agency praised for leading the way on laser communications
Original Publication Date: 2023-02-09 20:50
U.S. Space Development Agency is building a mesh network of satellites in low Earth orbit. Each satellite will have anywhere from three to five laser links. Laser terminals use optical technologies to route data traffic. They provide much higher transmission data rates than traditional radio-frequency links.
Boeing and Millennium cite benefits of partnership
Original Publication Date: 2023-02-09 19:57
Boeing and Millennium Space Systems executives are convinced that the whole is better than the sum of its parts. Millennium combines the best of commercial and traditional aerospace to deliver high performance small satellites faster and more affordably. Since the acquisition, Millennium has shared with Boeing its expertise in rapid prototyping.
Artificial intelligence aiding the space business across the board
Original Publication Date: 2023-02-09 16:55
Space companies are finding new ways to exploit artificial intelligence for commercial and national security applications. AI and machine learning technologies allow operators of remote-sensing constellations to plan satellite operations. A key challenge in AI applications is to develop a “robust data analytics architecture,” expert says.
NanoAvionics expands production capacity for constellation transformation
Original Publication Date: 2023-02-09 16:06
Lithuanian-based NanoAvionics says it has doubled its small satellite production space. A new 1,200-square meter manufacturing, assembly, integration, and testing facility is fully operational. NanoAvionics can now build up to a few hundred identical satellites simultaneously.
Small launch industry warns of “bloodletting”
Original Publication Date: 2023-02-08 16:37
Executives with several launch companies said they are seeing strong demand for launch services. But they are struggling to make money as competition, particularly from SpaceX, drives down prices. SpaceX currently charges $275,000 to launch a 50-kilogram smallsat to sun-synchronous orbit.
Russian Progress resupply ship launches on flight to space station – Spaceflight Now
Original Publication Date: 2023-02-09 00:00
Soyuz-2.1a rocket lifts off at 1:15:36 a.m. EST (0615:36 GMT) Thursday. Progress MS-22 cargo ship carries 5,586 pounds (2,534 kilograms) of supplies and fuel. Another cargo ship, Progress MS-20, undocked from the Zvezda module Feb. 6 (U.S. Time)
SpaceX ready for 33-engine test of Starship’s Super Heavy booster – Spaceflight Now
Original Publication Date: 2023-02-08 00:00
The long-awaited static fire test will occur at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas at Boca Chica Beach. Thirty-three methane-fueled Raptor engines will ignite while the Starship’s booster rocket, called the Super Heavy, remains firmly on its launching stand. If everything looks good, the command will be given to light the 33 Raptor engines mounted in a circular configuration on the bottom of the booster.
NASASpaceFlight.com
India launches a new ocean monitoring satellite on Saturday morning. The EOS-06 spacecraft was placed into a low Earth orbit. The mission, PSLV C54, lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 11:56 local time (06:26 UTC)
Commercial Archives
SpaceX has launched the Amazonas Nexus satellite for Hispasat on a Falcon 9 rocket from SLC-40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Amazonas Nexus will provide communications for all of the Americas — including Greenland as well as maritime shipping corridors. This is the first time an Amazonas satellite was launched on a Falcon 9, with previous missions flying on either Ariane 5 or Proton-M.
International Archives
Roscosmos has launched its next Progress resupply craft to the International Space Station (ISS) Liftoff of the Progress MS-22 mission occurred at 06:15 UTC on Feb. 9 from Site 31/6 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It will spend two days performing maneuvers until it docks with the ISS on Feb. 11.
News – Spaceflight101
Europe’s Copernicus satellite fleet is gearing up for the arrival of its next addition on Wednesday. A Russian Rockot booster set to blast off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 17:57 UTC with the Sentinel-3B multi-function satellite.
ISS Updates – Spaceflight101 – International Space Station
A veteran NASA spacewalker and an EVA rookie from Japan ended their week with nearly six hours of work outside the International Space Station. The restoration of the Station’s Mobile Servicing System started last year and continued in January to provide Canadarm2 with a new pair of grappling hands.
Featured – Spaceflight101
SpaceX Falcon 9 takes to the skies over Florida’s Cape Canaveral Monday afternoon. The Falcon 9 is lifting a flight-proven Dragon spacecraft into orbit for a critical delivery of science gear, supplies and maintenance hardware. This is the first of at least six cargo ships inbound to the U.S. Segment of ISS this year.
Re-Entry: Long March 11 Rocket Body – Spaceflight101
The CZ-11 fourth stage used leftover propellant for a partial de-orbit maneuver, lowering its perigee to 120 Kilometers to significantly accelerate its orbital decay. It is reportedly built around a YF-50 main engine and conducts the orbital circularization after the three CZ-11 stages finish their job.
NASA’s NuSTAR Telescope Reveals Hidden Light Shows on the Sun
High-energy X-rays appear at only a few locations in the Sun’s atmosphere. By contrast, Hinode’s XRT detects low-energy X-ray, and SDO’s AIA detects ultraviolet light. NuSTAR’s relatively small field of view means it can’t see the entire Sun from its position in Earth orbit.
NASA’s Curiosity Finds Surprise Clues to Mars’ Watery Past
Scientists will be looking for softer rock in the week ahead. Wind carved the valley, but a channel running through it that starts higher up on Mount Sharp is thought to have been eroded by a small river. Scientists suspect wet landslides also occurred here, sending car-size boulders and debris to the bottom of the valley.
Webb Detects Extremely Small Main Belt Asteroid
In the course of the analysis of the MIRI data, the team found the smaller interloper in the same field of view. The team’s results suggest the object measures 100-200 meters, occupies a very low-inclination orbit, and was located in the inner main-belt region at the time of the Webb observations. Future dedicated Webb observations will allow astronomers to study asteroids smaller than 1 kilometer in size.
University High Reclaims Victory at JPL-Hosted Science Bowl
University High School in Irvine, California, won the regional competition of the National Science Bowl. The school won four years straight until its streak was disrupted in a narrow loss at last year’s tournament. More than 100 Southern California high schoolers competed in the tense, fast-paced academic challenge.
NASA-ISRO Earth Science Instruments Get Send-Off Before Moving to India
Somanath, Indian Ambassador and Deputy Chief of Mission Sripriya Ranganathan, and NASA officials toured the High Bay 2 clean room. They saw engineers and technicians putting the science instrument payload through final electrical testing. The tradition, common in India, often marks auspicious occasions and signifies hope for a smooth road ahead.
Scientists Track Tropical Landslide Creeping Below an African City
Researchers looked at week-to-week landslide motion over the past 4 1/2 years. They found that rainfall, tectonic activity, and urban development all played roles in landslide behavior. But the most important factor was water runoff. Water weakens rock by infiltrating its pores. Rerouting water flow weakens the slope, which in turn damages plumbing infrastructure.
NASA Scientists & Historian Named AAAS 2022 Fellows
Four individuals with NASA affiliations have been named 2022 fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) The 2022 Fellows class includes 508 scientists, engineers, and innovators spanning 24 scientific disciplines. Rita Sambruna from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, was recognized in the AAAS Section on Astronomy. Jennifer Wiseman, also from Goddard, was honored in the AAAS section on Physics. Erik Conway of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California was honored for distinguished contributions and public outreach to the history of science.