The US Space Force has granted SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, permission to lease an additional rocket launch pad at a military base in Southern California, marking the space company’s fifth launch site in the US. Under the lease agreement, SpaceX’s reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle Falcon 9 will be launched from Space Launch Complex-6 (SLC-6) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, situated just north of Los Angeles, to transport cargo into orbit. In addition to this new location, SpaceX has two other launch sites in Florida and a private Starbase complex in south Texas.
Continue reading… “The Final Frontier Beckons: SpaceX Secures Fifth Launch Site from Space Force”The Gas Station in Space: Orbit Fab’s Ambitious Plan to Extend the Life of Satellites
Orbit Fab, an American company founded in 2018, is hoping to revolutionize the satellite industry by producing in-orbit “gas stations” that can refuel satellites, making them more sustainable and profitable. Satellites currently rely on limited fuel supplies to stay in position, but with the ability to refuel in orbit, they could be used for longer periods of time, reducing the cost of manufacturing and launching them.
Orbit Fab’s plan involves sending large tanks containing several tonnes of fuel into orbit and using smaller vessels to shuttle fuel between the tanks and satellites. Although the risks associated with operating such a system are high, the company has conducted numerous tests and is confident it will be safe.
Continue reading… “The Gas Station in Space: Orbit Fab’s Ambitious Plan to Extend the Life of Satellites”Super-thin ‘mirror membranes’ could lead the way to bigger space telescopes
Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed super-thin mirror membranes that could pave the way for larger space telescopes. The new technology could enable telescopes that are up to 100 times larger than current ones, allowing scientists to explore deeper into the universe than ever before.
The mirror membranes are made from silicon nitride, a strong and lightweight material that is just 100 nanometers thick, which is about 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. The membranes are coated with a layer of gold, which makes them highly reflective.
According to CU Boulder Professor Mihail Bora, the new technology has several advantages over current mirror systems. “The thinner the mirror, the less mass it has, which makes it easier to launch into space,” he said. “And because it’s so thin, it can be deformed using less force, which means we can control the shape of the mirror more precisely.”
Continue reading… “Super-thin ‘mirror membranes’ could lead the way to bigger space telescopes”Inside Nokia plot to launch 4G internet on the Moon this year as Nasa prepares base – but there’s a huge problem
Nokia has revealed it’s working with Nasa to deploy the first 4G communications network on the Moon
Nokia is partnering with NASA to put a 4G network on the moon. The Finnish company has been chosen by the space agency to build a lunar communications system. The $14.1 million deal will see Nokia deploy an “ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened” wireless 4G network on the moon’s surface by 2022. The network will provide voice and video communication capabilities, as well as telemetry and biometric data exchange. Nokia says the network will help astronauts control lunar rovers, navigate lunar geography in real-time, and stream videos of their explorations.
According to Marcus Weldon, CTO of Nokia and Nokia Bell Labs President, this technology could also have “important research implications” as it can “support sustainable human presence on the lunar surface”. He added, “With NASA funding, we will develop and deploy the first wireless broadband communication system on the moon, using 4G LTE technology.”
Continue reading… “Inside Nokia plot to launch 4G internet on the Moon this year as Nasa prepares base – but there’s a huge problem”Scientists use rocket to create artificial Northern Lights to better understand space weather
The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon but can cause damage to space infrastructure.
Scientists have used a rocket to create artificial northern lights, also known as auroras, in order to better understand space weather. The experiment was carried out by researchers from the University of Oslo, in collaboration with the Andøya Space Center in Norway.
“We wanted to simulate the conditions that create auroras and observe the resulting artificial aurora to gather data on the underlying physics of the natural phenomenon,” said Dr. Anne Hansen, a space physicist at the University of Oslo.
The rocket was launched from the Andøya Space Center and released a cloud of vapor into the atmosphere. The vapor, which was composed of barium and strontium, was used to simulate the conditions that create auroras.
Continue reading… “Scientists use rocket to create artificial Northern Lights to better understand space weather”‘StarCrete’: Future Homes on Mars Could Be Built Using Potato-based Concrete
Scientists have developed a new material called “starcrete,” a type of concrete made using potato starch, that could be used to build future homes on Mars. This innovative material was developed by a team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and was presented at the American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring 2023 National Meeting and Exposition.
According to the team, the potato-based concrete could be a viable solution to the challenges of constructing buildings on Mars. Due to the planet’s extreme environment, traditional building materials such as steel and concrete would be difficult to produce and transport. However, potatoes are a crop that can be easily grown in Martian soil and provide the necessary ingredients for making the new material.
“We need to find a way to build structures on Mars that are resilient to the planet’s extreme temperature changes and strong radiation,” said Yu Qiao, a professor of structural engineering at UCSD and the leader of the research team. “Our potato-based concrete offers a feasible solution to this problem.”
Continue reading… “‘StarCrete’: Future Homes on Mars Could Be Built Using Potato-based Concrete”China’s space station experiments pave the way for new space technology
China’s Tiangong space station has conducted a series of experiments aimed at advancing space technology, laying the foundation for future missions to the moon and Mars.
“The experiments conducted on the Tiangong space station will not only benefit China’s manned space program but will also contribute to the development of the world’s space industry,” said Yu Dengyun, a researcher with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Among the experiments carried out on the space station were tests on space medicine, space agriculture, space material science, space life science, and space astronomy.
The space medicine experiments focused on the effects of microgravity on the human body, with the goal of developing countermeasures to mitigate the negative impacts of extended stays in space. Researchers also studied the effects of different levels of radiation on biological organisms, which will help improve space radiation protection technology.
Continue reading… “China’s space station experiments pave the way for new space technology”Blue Origin made solar cells by smelting simulated Moon dust
Lunar bases might not need resources from Earth.
Blue Origin, the space exploration company founded by Jeff Bezos, has announced plans to use solar cells made from Moon soil to power future lunar missions. The company says that the solar cells, which can be made using materials found on the Moon, will provide a sustainable and cost-effective source of energy for long-term missions.
The announcement comes as Blue Origin prepares to launch its first lunar lander, called Blue Moon, in the coming years. The company says that the lander will be capable of carrying scientific instruments, rovers, and eventually humans to the Moon.
“We believe that the future of space exploration depends on sustainable, long-term solutions,” said Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin. “By using resources found on the Moon, we can reduce the cost and environmental impact of our missions, while also enabling new capabilities and discoveries.”
Continue reading… “Blue Origin made solar cells by smelting simulated Moon dust”Asteroid-Mining Startup Plans First Private Mission to Deep Space
The OrbAstro ORB-50 satellite platform will host a variety of instruments needed to evaluate the target asteroid from a distance.
SCHEDULED FOR LAUNCH IN OCTOBER, ASTROFORGE’S PROSPECTOR SPACECRAFT WILL SEEK TO INSPECT AN ASTEROID LOCATED 22 MILLION MILES FROM EARTH.
AstroForge has announced an ambitious commercial mission to observe a distant asteroid—an important step for the California startup as it strives to become the world’s first deep space mining company.
AstroForge seeks to capitalize on the rapidly evolving state of the spaceflight industry and become the first firm to mine for metals in deep space. The California startup raised $13 million in seed funding last year—its first year of existence—and has now formally announced two mining-related missions that are scheduled to launch within the calendar year. The company is partnering with several others to make it happen, including OrbAstro, Dawn Aerospace, and Intuitive Machines.
Space is the place, as Sun Ra famously said, and it most certainly has plenty to offer, including rare-earth metals like platinum, gold, iridium, palladium, and osmium, among other minerals. Materials on a single asteroid could fetch trillions of dollars, making asteroid mining a tantalizing prospect. This idea has been around for decades, but the excessive costs associated with the endeavor have largely made it impossible. That’s changing, however, as it’s never been more affordable to launch rockets and manufacture satellites and spacecraft.
Continue reading… “Asteroid-Mining Startup Plans First Private Mission to Deep Space”The food systems that will feed Mars could transform food on Earth
Growing food in space will rely on innovative agricultural technologies. Credit: NASA
By Lenore Newman and Evan Fraser
Could we feed a city on Mars? This question is central to the future of space exploration and has serious repercussions on Earth too. To date, a lot of thought has gone into how astronauts eat; however, we are only beginning to produce food in space.
Space launches are quite expensive. And with the growing desire to establish a human presence in space, we are going to have to consider food production in space. But the challenges are vast, requiring research into how plants respond to a variety of changes including to gravity and radiation.
As food and agriculture researchers, we explored this question in our latest book, Dinner on Mars. We believe that a sustainable Martian food system is possible—and that in building it, we’ll change food systems on Earth. However, this will take some out-of-the-box thinking.
Continue reading… “The food systems that will feed Mars could transform food on Earth”Africa will get a new $1 billion spaceport in Djibouti
The spaceport, expected to include seven satellite launch pads and three rocket testing pads, will be the first orbital spaceport on the continent.
Africa could soon get a new spaceport after Djibouti signed a partnership deal with Hong Kong Aerospace Technology to build a facility to launch satellites and rockets in the northern Obock region.
According to the preliminary deal, the Djibouti government will “provide the necessary land (minimum 10 sq km and with a term of not less than 35 years) and all the necessary assistance to build and operate the Djiboutian Spaceport.”ADVERTISEMENT
The $1 billion spaceport project will also involve the construction of a port facility, a power grid and a highway to ensure the reliable transportation of aerospace materials.
The deal’s signing was presided over by the president of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, and the project is set to be completed in the next five years.
The spaceport is a massive milestone for Africa, making it the first orbital spaceport on African soil.
Continue reading… “Africa will get a new $1 billion spaceport in Djibouti”Lynk launches world’s 2nd and 3rd commercial Cell-Towers-in-Space
Lynk Global, Inc. (Lynk), the world’s leading satellite-direct-to-standard-phone telecoms company, has reported the successful launch and deployment of two more satellites in the company’s commercial cell-towers-in-space constellation. These satellites are covered by the world’s first and only commercial satellite-direct-to-standard-phone license that Lynk received from the FCC in September 2022.
A unique capability that Lynk demonstrated during this launch is a new deployer system that supports the launch of multiple satellites at one time on the same ESPA-ring port, which enables the affordable launch of many more satellites.
Charles Miller, CEO of Lynk, said, “This launch extends Lynk’s leadership in the satellite-direct-to-standard-phone category. While others have just figured out that satellite-direct-to-phone is a big deal, we invented and patented the technology in 2017, started testing the technology in space in 2019, and now have three commercial satellite-cell-towers-in-space. We are years ahead of everybody else.”
Continue reading… “Lynk launches world’s 2nd and 3rd commercial Cell-Towers-in-Space“