Scout Space eyes military customers for space domain awareness sensor
Original Publication Date: 2024-04-04 09:00
Scout Space is developing a space domain awareness sensor aimed at the military market. The company on April 4 announced it won a $1.8 million Small Business Innovation Research contract. Scout’s chief executive Philip Hover-Smoot said the company is using a portion of the funding.
China launches first of a new series of Yaogan reconnaissance satellites
Original Publication Date: 2024-04-03 11:40
China launches Yaogan-42 satellite, adding to country's military satellite reconnaissance capabilities. Long March 2D rocket lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 6:56 p.m. Eastern (2256 UTC) April 2. Satellite was tracked by the U.S. Space Force’s 18th Space Defense Squadron in a roughly 500-kilometer-altitude orbit inclined by 35 degrees.
Pentagon unveils strategy to harness commercial space tech for national security
Original Publication Date: 2024-04-02 20:23
Pentagon unveils strategy to integrate commercial space technologies into national security architecture. Move signals Pentagon's intent to take advantage of private space sector investments. DoD historically has favored bespoke, custom-designed government systems over commercial off-the-shelf technologies. Report identifies 13 mission areas for national security space.
Russia, China catching up to U.S. in space weaponry, new report finds
Original Publication Date: 2024-04-02 14:30
The Secure World Foundation released its annual report on April 2. It sheds light on the growing space arms race between the United States, Russia and China. The report details the counterspace capabilities being developed by a dozen countries. It finds that Russia and China are rapidly catching up to the United States.
Lockheed Martin Ventures invests in Helicity Space
Original Publication Date: 2024-04-02 13:00
Helicity Space, a California startup developing fusion engines for spaceflight. Lockheed Martin Ventures announced an investment April 2 in Helicity. Helicity is developing technology to propel spacecraft with short bursts of fusion. Lockheed Martin Ventures usually invests between $1 million and $5 million.
Fingers crossed for Tuesday’s ULA grand finale launch of Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-70 mission – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-04-03 00:00
The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy carrying the NROL-70 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office is now planned for Tuesday, April 9 at 12:53 p.m. EDT, pending range approval. Earlier on Thursday afternoon, the launch was scrubbed due to an issue with a liquid pump failure on the gaseous nitrogen pipeline which provides pneumatic pressure to the launch vehicle systems. The team continues to troubleshoot the pipeline and more time is needed to instill confidence in the system. This is the 16th and final launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket.
AFVENTURES Phase II SBIR contract – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-04-04 00:00
Solstar Space (Solstar) has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase II contract in the amount of $1,248,735. The contract supports development of Solstar’s Continuous Spacecraft System Communications Wideband (CSSC-WB) unit, known as the Slayton Space Communicator (Slayton)
UK-Autonomous + Connected Earth Network launches to unite communities through space technology – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-04-04 00:00
UK Autonomous and Connected Earth (UK-ACE) CCN will advance the reach and impact of satellite data and space technology across the UK. The purpose of this CCN is to amplify the Catapult’s mission: Innovate for better world, empowered by space.
Scientists use NASA data to predict solar corona before Eclipse – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-04-03 00:00
Scientists use data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory to predict what our Sun’s crown may look like on April 8, 2024. Their model uses the computational efforts of NASA’s Pleiades Supercomputer to update its predictions in near real-time.
SpaceX Starlink Group 6-47 Thursday launch – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2024-04-03 00:00
This will be SpaceX’s 333rd mission overall (not counting Starship’s three integrated test flights), and 33rd this year. A Shortfall of Gravitas, the newest ASDS, has sailed from Port Canaveral to take up position downrange in support of this mission. According to weather officials, there’s a 90% chance of favorable weather conditions at the time of the launch.
Glenn Impact on the Apollo Program
Glenn originated during World War II as a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics research laboratory dedicated to aircraft engines. In 1949, chief of research, Abe Silverstein, expanded the rocket research. Lewis researchers began increasing the size of their experimental engines and in late 1954 successfully fired a 5,000-pound thrust liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen engine. Pratt & Whitney was asked to design a new engine specifically to handle liquid hydrogen.
Rock Sampled by NASA’s Perseverance Embodies Why Rover Came to Mars
Rock core taken by the Perseverance Mars rover was awash in water for an extended period of time in the distant past. The presence of these specific minerals is considered promising for preserving a rich record of an ancient habitable environment on Mars. The rock can even tell us about Mars climate conditions that were present when it was formed.
NASA’s Webb Probes an Extreme Starburst Galaxy
The red filaments as seen by Webb are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission, which traces the shape of the galactic wind. The small box at the galaxy’s core corresponds to the area captured so far by the NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
How NASA Spotted El Niño Changing the Saltiness of Coastal Waters
NASA used satellite observations to track the dissolved salt content, or salinity, of the global ocean surface for a decade. Salinity patterns can tell us a lot about how freshwater falls, flows, and evaporates between the land, ocean, and atmosphere. The JPL team showed that year-to-year-variations in salinity near coastlines strongly correlate with El Niño.
NASA Receives 13 Nominations for the 28th Annual Webby Awards
NASA’s broad reach across digital platforms has been recognized by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Voting for the Webby People’s Voice Awards — chosen by the public — is open now through Thursday, April 18. Voting links for each category are listed below.