Daily Archives: August 18, 2021

The biggest rocket ever built may be ready to fly surprisingly soon.

The first full-size prototype of SpaceX's Starship vehicle should be ready to launch on an orbital test flight "in a few weeks," company founder and CEO Elon Musk said via Twitter on Saturday (Aug. 14).

That target seems very soon, given that SpaceX has yet to run the 395-foot-tall (120 meters) rocket through its usual battery of preflight tests. And there's a big logistical hurdle to overcome as well: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is conducting an environmental assessment of SpaceX's South Texas orbital launch site, where Starship will lift off.

Related: SpaceX's Starship becomes the world's tallest rocketPhotos: SpaceX lifts huge Super Heavy rocket onto launch stand

The FAA has not yet released its draft review, and the agency will accept public comments about the report for 30 days after it comes out. So Starship's orbital jaunt cannot feasibly happen just a few weeks from now a reality that Musk acknowledged in his Saturday tweet, which ended with the words "pending regulatory approval."

In fact, Musk's tweet may have been designed to put a little pressure on the FAA to pick up the pace. After all, he has expressed frustration with FAA regulations in the past, stressing that such rules need to be streamlined if humanity is ever going to achieve game-changing launch frequencies.

And SpaceX intends Starship to be a game changer. The vehicle, which consists of a huge first-stage booster known as Super Heavy and a spacecraft called Starship, is designed to take people and cargo to the moon, Mars and other distant destinations.

Related: See the Evolution of SpaceX's Rockets in Pictures

SpaceX has conducted test flights of previous Starship prototypes, sending the spacecraft 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) into the sky from the South Texas site, which is near the Gulf Coast village of Boca Chica. But the upcoming test flight will mark the first time a fully stacked Starship a Super Heavy topped with a Starship spacecraft takes flight, and the first time the system reaches orbit.

If all goes according to plan, Super Heavy will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico shortly after liftoff. Starship, meanwhile, will power its way to orbit, loop around our planet once and come down in the Pacific Ocean, near the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

SpaceX has already taken some steps toward this landmark flight. On Aug. 6, for example, the company stacked the two Starship components a 29-engine Super Heavy called Booster 4 and a six-engine Starship prototype known as SN20 atop the South Texas orbital launch mount for the first time ever. But the duo was de-stacked later that day so technicians could perform some more work on each element.

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.

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SpaceX's Starship could be ready for 1st orbital test flight 'in a few weeks,' Elon Musk says - Space.com

Cullen Desforges

August 17th, 2021

A view of Starship Ship 20 and Booster 4 during their first stacking process in early August. Credit: SpaceX

Starship Ship 20 (also known as SN20, short for Serial Number 20) has been returned to the orbital launch site for additional testing, as the Booster 3 pathfinder begins the process of being scrapped.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the company is expected to attempt a second stacking of Ship 20 and Booster 4, representing the second such exercise of what has become the worlds largest assembled rocket. Given recent road closure announcements, assembly appears scheduled to occur as early as tomorrow evening, August 18. Secondary closures are scheduled for Thursday evening and Friday morning.

A view of Booster 4s business end, as tweeted by Elon Musk during relocation, Aug 4. Credit: Twitter/ElonMusk.

Meanwhile, the first Starship Super Heavy booster to successfully conduct a static fire test, Booster 3, is in the process of being scrapped according to reports and imagery at SpaceXs Boca Chica, Texas, Starbase facility. It was cut into multiple sections over the weekend with the top section being removed. Its expected that the lower section will be removed from its mount soon.

Booster 3 wasnt meant to fly but rather pave the way as a pathfinder in understanding not only how the engines would function, but also perfecting the overall operation of transporting a Starship booster to the launch site.

On Aug. 13, Starship Ship 20 made its way back to the Orbital Launch Tower after undergoing maintenance and inspection during the last week at the companys high bay hangar.

Ship 20 is the first ship to include SpaceXs thermal protection system which includes thousands of heat-resistant tiles. Upon further inspection of the vehicle, it is easy to spot tiles that have been taped with different colors notating the various conditions of each individual tile. If a tile has been cleared through inspection, they are simply marked with the lettering OK.

Cosmic Perspective is onsite and capturing the deconstruction of Starship Booster 3, sharing this image titled Booster 3: rest in pieces. Credit: twitter.com/considercosmos.

Tagged: Booster 3 Booster 4 Lead Stories Ship 20 SpaceX Starbase Starship Super Heavy

Having a life-long interest in crewed space flight, Desforges passion materialized on a family vacation in 1999 when he was able see the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on STS-96. Since then, Desforges has been an enthusiast of space exploration efforts. He lived in Orlando, Florida for a year, during which time he had the opportunity to witness the flights of the historic CRS-4 and EFT-1 missions in person at Cape Canaveral. He earned his Private Pilot Certificate in 2017, holds a degree in Aviation Management, and currently works as an Operations Analyst in the aviation industry in Georgia.

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SpaceX's Starship Ship 20 to be re-stacked as early as tomorrow - SpaceFlight Insider

For the first time in more than two years, SpaceXs next Falcon Heavy launch and dual-booster landing appears to be right around the corner and it comes with a catch.

In February 2018, after years of anticipation, SpaceX successfully launched its triple-booster Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time in a spectacular show of force. Though the center core booster got a little melty on its extremely high-speed reentry and was lost before it could attempt to land, the rockets twin side boosters performed an iconic near-simultaneous landing just a handful of miles away from where they lifted off.

Then Falcon Heavy took a good, long break. Ultimately, it would turn out that the debut vehicle was effectively a one-off and over the course of 14 months, SpaceX fairly quickly designed, built, and qualified an entirely new Falcon Heavy rocket based on Falcon 9s new and improved Block 5 variant. In April 2019, after a few minor delays, that Falcon Heavy Block 5 rocket completed its own launch debut and first mission for a paying customer. This time around, all three boosters two by land and one by sea survived reentry and performed flawless landings on a drone ship and two Landing Zones.

A mere two months later, both of Falcon Heavy Block 5s first two recovered side boosters flew again in support of the US Air Forces STP-2 mission a combined demonstration flight and rideshare mostly designed to push the rocket to its limits and help the military qualify it for high-value payloads. Once more, those side boosters successfully returned for a simultaneous landing at SpaceXs Landing Zones but the missions Block 5 center cores reentry was as SpaceX itself partially expected too hot, burning essential components and resulting in a hard landing in the Atlantic Ocean. Otherwise, the mission was a spectacular success and gave the US military practically all the data it needed to qualify the worlds largest operational rocket to launch its payloads.

Shockingly, however, that June 2019 launch would end up being Falcon Heavys third and latest. In the almost 26 months since, the rocket hasnt flown once. Originally scheduled to launch a fourth time as early as Q4 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately delayed the rockets next two launches (or gave the satellite manufacturer(s) perfect scapegoats for technical delays) into 2021.

Known as USSF-44 and USSF-52 (formerly AFSPC-44/52), both missions are scheduled to launch ethereal US military spy and/or communications satellites. USSF-44 is arguably the most important, as it will mark SpaceXs first direct launch to geostationary orbit (GEO) for any customer let alone one as exacting as the US military. USSF-52 is a much simpler and more traditional launch to an elliptical geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).

About a year ago, for unknown reasons, the two missions swapped positions, with USSF-44 taking the lead. Expected to launch in June 2021 as of early this year, SpaceflightNow first reported that USSF-44 had slipped further still to October and USSF-52 into 2022 this May. Since then, thats where the missions schedule has tentatively lain.

Finally, on August 12th, SpaceX filed an FCC application for rocket communication permissions. While otherwise ordinary, this particular request stated that it was for Falcon Heavy recovery operations and, more specifically, for the simultaneous recovery of two Falcon Heavy boosters at sea. Out of an abundance of caution and conservatism and combined with the generally challenging nature of direct-to-GEO launches, Falcon Heavys first such mission for the US military will require SpaceX to expend the rockets center booster and recover both side boosters at sea with two separate drone ships.

Falcon Heavys USSF-52 GTO launch isnt as demanding and its mission profile is expected to allow SpaceX to recover all three boosters. As such, an FCC filing for a dual-drone-ship Falcon Heavy side booster recoveries practically guarantees that its for USSF-44. Per the application, SpaceX expects the mission to occur no earlier than September 25th. Almost simultaneously, launch photographer Ben Cooper also updated a long-running list of upcoming East Coast launches, confirming that Falcon Heavys fourth launch (USSF-44) remains on track for October 2021.

Ultimately, while delays are possible and likely probable, there now appears to be a strong chance that Falcon Heavy will launch for the first time in 28 months before the end of 2021.

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SpaceXs first Falcon Heavy launch in two years is finally coming together - Teslarati

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon capsule atop is raised to the vertical position on June 2, 2021, at Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in preparation for the companys 22nd Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA to the International Space Station. NASA and SpaceX are targeting Saturday, August 28, at 3:37 a.m. EDT, for launch of the 23rd commercial resupply services mission. Credit: SpaceX

The 23rdSpaceXcargo resupply services mission carrying scientific research and technology demonstrations to the International Space Station is targeted to launch in late August from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Experiments aboard include an investigation into protecting bone health with botanical byproducts, testing a way to monitor crew eye health, demonstrating improved dexterity of robots, exposing construction materials to the harsh environment of space, mitigating stress in plants, and more.

Highlights of the payloads on this resupply mission include:

Shown with their experiment packed for launch, READI FP team members from left to right, Michele Cioffi, program manager; Fabio Peluso, honorary member of MARSCenter scientific committee; Marco Fabio Miceli, system and test engineer; and Pasquale Pellegrino, test engineer from Aerospace Laboratory for Innovative components (ALI) S.C. a r.l. in Italy. Credit: ALI scarl/Marcenter

READI FP evaluates the effects of microgravity and space radiation on growth of bone tissue and tests whether bioactive metabolites, substances such as antioxidants formed when food is broken down, might protect bones during spaceflight. The metabolites tested come from vegetal extracts generated as waste products in wine production.

Protecting the health of crew members from the effects of microgravity is crucial for the success of future long-duration space missions. This study could improve understanding of the physical changes that cause bone loss and identify potential countermeasures. This insight also could contribute to prevention and treatment of bone loss on Earth, particularly in post-menopausal women. Sourcing metabolites from materials that otherwise would become waste is an additional benefit.

Preflight view of the hardware for Retinal Diagnostics, an investigation testing a commercially available ophthalmology lens to capture images of the human retina in space. Credit: DLR/EAC

Retinal Diagnostics tests whether a small, light-based device can capture images of the retinas of astronauts to document progression of vision problems known as Space-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS). The device uses a commercially available lens approved for routine clinical use and is lightweight, mobile, and noninvasive. Videos and images can be downlinked to test and train models for detecting common signs of SANS in astronauts. The investigation is sponsored by ESA (European Space Agency) with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Space Medicine and European Astronaut Centre (EAC).

SANS is present in over two-thirds of astronauts and thought to be associated with long duration (30 days or longer) exposure to microgravity, said principal investigator Juergen Drescher of DLR. Currently, visual problems that may manifest from SANS are mitigated by providing glasses or contact lenses to crew members. Multi-year missions to Mars may worsen these symptoms, and there is a need for a mobile device for retinal image diagnostics. While developed for space, this mobile technology has potential to provide diagnostics in remote and extreme environments on Earth at reduced cost. Mobile biomedical diagnostic devices such as these will likely emerge as both an enabler of human deep space exploration and a sustainable model for health care on Earth.

This image shows the complete configuration of the GITAI S1 robotic arm inside the Bishop mock-up. Credit: GITAI, NRAL

Nanoracks-GITAI Robotic Arm demonstrates the versatility and dexterity in microgravity of a robot designed by GITAI Japan Inc. Results could support development of robotic labor to support crew activities and tasks, as well as servicing, assembly, and manufacturing tasks while in orbit. Robotic support could lower costs and improve crew safety by having robots take on tasks that could expose crew members to hazards. The technology also has applications in extreme and potentially dangerous environments on Earth, including disaster relief, deep-sea excavation, and servicing nuclear power plants. The experiment will be conducted under the pressurized environment inside the Bishop Airlock, the space stations first commercial airlock.

This technology demonstration is to show the world that the capabilities necessary for automation in space are finally available, said company chief technology officer Toyotaka Kozuki. It provides an inexpensive and safer source of labor in space, opening the door to the true commercialization of space.

Photo documentation of the Materials ISS Experiment Flight Facility (MISSE-FF) platform aboard the International Space Station. Credit: NASA

MISSE-15 NASA is one of a series of MISSE investigations testing how the space environment affects the performance and durability of specific materials and components. These tests provide insights that support development of better materials for future spacecraft, spacesuits, planetary structures, and other components needed for space exploration. Testing materials in space has the potential to significantly speed up their development. Materials capable of standing up to space also have potential applications in harsh environments on Earth and for improved radiation protection, better solar cells, and more durable concrete. Alpha Space provides the MISSE-FF lab that hosts these investigations.

MISSE-15 includes tests of concrete, spacecraft materials, fiberglass composites, thin-film solar cells, radiation protection materials, a micro-optical chip, 3D printed polymers, and more, said MISSE project engineer Ian Karcher. In addition, the availability of this platform for commercial technology development contributes to the ongoing commercialization of space and development of new space technologies.

Image of seedlings with different genotypes following 9 days of growth in the VEGGIE chamber under temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide conditions mimicking those recorded on the space station. Taken during verification testing at NASA Kennedy Space Center. Credit: Dr. Shih-Heng Su

Plants grown under microgravity conditions typically display evidence of stress. APEX-08 examines the role of compounds known as polyamines in the response of thale cress to microgravity stress. Because expression of the genes involved in polyamine metabolism remain the same in space as on the ground, plants do not appear to use polyamines to respond to stress in microgravity. APEX-08 attempts to engineer a way for them to do so. Results could help identify key targets for genetic engineering of plants more suited to microgravity.

On Earth, polyamines have been shown to contribute significantly to the mitigation of multiple environmental stresses in plants, said principal investigator Patrick Masson, a professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Altering the metabolism of a polyamine to mitigate the stress of microgravity could have an impact on our ability to use plants as key components of bioregenerative life support systems on long-term space exploration missions. It also may improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that allow plants to respond to general environmental stress on Earth, with impacts on agriculture, horticulture, and forestry.

Easier drug delivery, Girl Scouts send science to space

The Faraday Research Facility is a multipurpose research facility that uses the space stations EXPRESS racks. On this first flight, the facility hosts a Houston Methodist Research Institute experiment and two STEM collaborations, including Making Space for Girls with the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council.

The ProXopS Faraday Research Facility, developed in partnership with L2 Solutions Inc., is designed to operate remotely and provide a controlled environment for power, command and control, telemetry responses, and safety assurance for microgravity experiments, said Chad Brinkley, president of ProXopS LLC and L2 Solution Inc. An added benefit with the facility is that experiments return to the ground for evaluation.

Faraday-NICE tests an implantable, remote-controlled drug delivery system using sealed containers of saline solution as surrogate test subjects. The device could provide an alternative to bulky, cumbersome infusion pumps, a possible game changer for long-term management of chronic conditions on Earth. Potential problems with such pumps include high infection risk, electromechanical failures, and double dosing. NICE is minimally invasive, implantable, has no moving mechanical components, and does not require catheters. Remote-controlled drug delivery could increase patient compliance, especially for children, elderly, and disabled individuals.

Faraday-Girl Scouts places control experiments with a Girl Scout troop and provides students with images of the same experiments in space. The studies include plant growth, ant colonization, and the brine shrimp lifecycle.

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Intriguing Science Experiments Launching on SpaceXs Cargo Resupply Mission to the Space Station - SciTechDaily

CEDAR PARK, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mentions in last sentence of first paragraph and photo caption should read Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) (instead of Vandenberg Airforce Base (VAFB)).

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FIREFLY NAMES FORMER SPACEX AND BLUE ORIGIN VETERAN AS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Lauren Lyons tapped to lead efforts in scaling production and operations as Firefly moves into commercial production

Firefly Aerospace, Inc., a leading provider of economical and dependable launch vehicles, spacecraft, and in-space services, today announced that Lauren Lyons will join the team as Chief Operating Officer (COO), working out of their corporate headquarters in Cedar Park, Texas. This appointment comes on the heels of Fireflys recent component business announcement and preparation for its upcoming launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California.

Lauren will be joining Firefly from Blue Origin where she was a Lead Systems Engineer in Blue Origins Advanced Concepts. Prior to Blue Origin, Lyons spent several years at SpaceX where she held leadership roles on the Dragon, Falcon 9, and Starlink programs, and with responsibilities in Vehicle Engineering, Safety and Mission Assurance, Chief Engineering, Business Development, and Mission Management.

Firefly is entering a pivotal and exciting phase of its growth, said Lauren Lyons, Im thrilled to take on the challenge of leading the efforts in scaling the companys infrastructure to support rapid growth, high execution rate, and deliver exceptional value and service to our customers.

Im incredibly excited to partner with Lauren to take Firefly to new heights, said Tom Markusic, CEO of Firefly. In addition to her strong engineering, project management and mission assurance experience, she is a great communicator. Her ability to build productive relationships with the full spectrum of co-workers, collaborators and customers is perfectly aligned with Fireflys vision of Making Space for Everyone.

As Firefly looks towards its first Alpha launch, and the development of the Blue Ghost lunar lander, Lyons priorities will focus on transitioning Firefly from an R&D environment to a production environment that streamlines delivery to customers on schedule and with high reliability, while maintaining the essential capacity to innovate, execute quickly, and respond rapidly to changing market dynamics.

About Firefly

Firefly is developing a family of launch and in-space vehicles and services that provide industry-leading affordability, convenience, and reliability. Fireflys launch vehicles utilize common technologies, manufacturing infrastructure and launch capabilities, providing LEO launch solutions for up to ten metric tons of payload at the lowest cost per kg in the small-launch class. Combined with Fireflys in-space vehicles, such as the Space Utility Vehicle and Blue Ghost Lunar Lander, Firefly provides the space industry with a single source for missions from LEO to the surface of the Moon or beyond. Firefly is headquartered in Cedar Park, TX.

For more information please see: http://www.firefly.com

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CORRECTING and REPLACING Firefly Names Former SpaceX and Blue Origin Veteran as Chief Operating Officer - Business Wire

Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE) is completing final test flights for its Unity spacecraft and will begin revenue-generating flights soon, opening an entirely new space tourism industry to the world. When Sir Richard Branson took his flight in July, it created a lot of attention for the company, and Virgin Galactic soon said it was raising the price of tickets to $450,000 apiece and up, a possible indication that demand for tickets is high.

But there have been skeptics who don't believe that Virgin Galactic will succeed financially, especially as competitors begin their own service. Despite the press reactions recently, I think this is a space tourism stock that may redefine how we think about space and experiential tourism, and that's why it continues to be one of my favorite growth stocks.

Image source: Virgin Galactic.

As companies like Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and potentially SpaceX start to offer commercial space tourism, I think it's important to think about the experience they're offering from start to finish. Customers are paying $450,000 or more for an experience. It's not just the moments in space, but the full experience, that we should consider as investors, just like a customer would.

Virgin Galactic hired Joe Rohde as its experience architect to plan the three-day experience that will be followed by an early morning flight to space. Rohde spent four decades at Disney Imagineering, serving as the lead designer for Animal Kingdom and working on Pandora-The World of Avatar, among many other projects. He is in charge of the three-day experience leading up to the flight will not only get the crew prepared for the space flight, but also be a vast majority of the experiential and entertainment time that people are paying for. And Rohde has spent decades building great experiences.

The full experience hasn't been outlined yet, but Virgin Galactic describes its three-day training like this:

Pre-flight training will ensure that each astronaut is mentally and physically prepared to savour every second of the spaceflight and fully equipped to fulfil any personal objectives. Our aerospace medical experts will be constantly on hand to offer advice and help, and to check pre-flight fitness.Most of all we aim to make the training and preparation a fun and rewarding experience; a part of the Future Astronaut journey delivered in true Virgin Galactic style.

The company has a custom-built spaceport for these days of training, and it even has a custom Land Rover to transport astronauts to their accommodations nightly.

We also know there's a distinct difference that can be seen in the flight itself. Unlike Blue Origin and SpaceX, Virgin Galactic's mothership takes off horizontally, just like a commercial aircraft. After climbing to about 50,000 feet, the spacecraft is released and the rocket motor is fired, beginning the climb into space. On the return to land, the spacecraft becomes a glider and returns to the spaceport runway just like a commercial aircraft.

The multi-day experience and the familiar take-off and landing could be big selling points for customers looking to drop half a million dollars on a few minutes in space. And it's that full experience that people pay for.

It's hard to quantify the value of the "experience" of going to space or the prestige that comes with it, but we can get an idea of how experiences are valued by looking at other items and services that people pay a premium for.

A Ferrari will get you from point A to point B as well as a Kia, but it can cost 10 times as much. Ferrari found 9,119 buyers last year willing to spend over $200,000 for a vehicle, and it has generated a $1 billion profit in the past year as a result. Ferrari is a small, high-cost market just like Virgin Galactic, and it shows there's a big business in exclusive experiences.

Yachts serve very little practical purpose versus other forms of transportation, other than being an exclusive experience; and according to Grand View Research, the yacht charter market was worth $6.5 billion in 2019. The price to charter a yacht can be more than a flight to space, which could make the space experience compelling.

Understanding that people pay a lot of money for experiences is key with Virgin Galactic. With Joe Rohde leading the way, the company is building a complete experience that will put guests in the exclusive company of fewer than 1,000 people who have visited space for any period of time. That's something I think people will pay for, and if you have the money then a $450,000 price tag may not be too high if the full experience is as good as we should expect from Virgin Galactic.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the official recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. Were motley! Questioning an investing thesis -- even one of our own -- helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

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How Virgin Galactic Plans to Beat Blue Origin and SpaceX in Space Tourism - Motley Fool

The aim of the O3b mPOWER satellite communication system is to improve network coverage and connectivity.

Over the past years, SES in Betzdorf has become one of the largest satellite operators in the world. One of its goals is to offer improved network coverage and faster connectivity to people, countries and institutions. Its O3b mPOWER satellite communication system will contribute to this. In cooperation with Boeing and SpaceX, the company plans to send 3 satellites into orbit by the end of the year, with a further 6 to follow.

With an ever increasing population, satellites are an important aspect of global communication. The new satellite communication system will provide faster Internet connection over a larger network area, which will improve connectivity all over the planet. As SES do not build satellites, they work together with Boeing.

At least six satellites are needed to cover the entire planet. SES will start out with nine, which will be launched by the middle of 2022. The first three will be taken into orbit by a SpaceX rocket at the end of this year. The main attribute of these satellites is its much reduced latency, i.e the time a signal takes to travel from the ground to the satellite and back. The system also offers far more bandwith and extreme flexibility, explains Ferd Kayser, member of the SES board.

Telecom operators, among others, will be able to benefit from the system. Orange is already a customer. The new system will not only be faster, but also cheaper and easier to use. Operators can manage their capacities such as volume and bandwidth according to their needs. Another client of SES is Microsoft, who will use 03b mPOWER to boost their Cloud activities. Cruise ships and planes, too, can use the technology to offer high speed Internet connectivity.

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Cooperation with Boeing and SpaceX: SES planning to send 3 satellites into orbit this year - RTL Today