Daily Archives: February 16, 2024

HOUSTON, Texas New spaceflight research facilities are coming to Texas following the announcement of an agreement between NASA and the Texas A&M University System to utilize underdeveloped land at the space agency's Johnson Space Center.

NASA and Texas A&M leaders made the announcement on Feb. 15 at the ASCENDxTexas Conference in South Shore Harbour, Texas.

The lease agreement specifies Texas A&M utilizing an underdeveloped, 240-acre parcel of land at NASA Johnson near Saturn Lane in an area known as Exploration Park.

For more than 60 years, NASA Johnson has been the hub of human spaceflight, said NASA Johnson Space Director, Vanessa Wyche.

Leaders at the conference said the agreement will allow new collaborations that will benefit the space economy of the United States.

Exploration Park will be the next spoke in the larger wheel of a robust and durable space economy that will benefit not only exploration of the Moon, Mars and the asteroids, but all of humanity as the benefits of space exploration research roll home to Earth," Wyche said.

NASA said the new infrastructures, planned by the Texas A&M System, will be open to multi-use purposes from academic researchers, aerospace companies, and entrepreneurs.

The Texas A&M University System has a long history of supporting space-related research, and Texas A&M University has been a space grant university since 1989, said Texas A&M Chancellor, John Sharp. This new agreement and planned facility will allow us to build on our space tradition and help us to be a major part of the commercial space economy.

On June 9, 2023, NASA opened up proposals for the use of the underdeveloped land at Exploration Park.

Negotiations were finally completed with Texas A&M's Board of Regents to utilize the land, which is adjacent to NASA Johnson's main campus and controlled access area.

NASA will be leasing the land to Texas A&M for 20 years with additional 20-year options, creating a potential 60 year leasing deal.

Texas A&M President Mark Welsh III said in a statement:

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NASA working with Texas A&M to build new spaceflight research facilities - 25 News KXXV and KRHD

Chinas Rising Ambitions in Space Exploration

The world has witnessed a renewed interest in space exploration, particularly with the Moon becoming a global pursuit. A multitude of countries and commercial companies are now invested in launching missions to orbit or land on the Moon. China, however, stands out as one of the most ambitious nations in this pursuit. With successful orbital missions, lunar landings, and the return of lunar samples to Earth, China is on the fast track to make significant strides in space exploration. The country has set its sights on putting astronauts on the Moon before 2030, and its progress in developing the necessary technology for such a mission is quite substantial.

Chinas Change-3 spacecraft is set to make history with its scheduled landing on the Moon on 14 December. This landing will mark the first since Russias Luna-24 mission in 1976. Offering crucial support for the mission is the European Space Agency (ESA)s network of tracking stations, with stations in Kourou, French Guiana, Cebreros, Spain, and New Norcia, Australia. This international cooperation between ESA and China not only aids the current mission but also sets a precedent for future exploration of planets, moons, and asteroids.

The Change 8 mission, one of Chinas most ambitious space exploration initiatives, is calling for developers to make and assemble moon bricks. This mission will deploy a lander, rover, and robot, delivering 14 scientific instruments to the Moon to study local geology, test technologies for resource utilization, and conduct Earth observations. The mission also has plans for a small-scale terrestrial ecological experimental device to test life-supporting technologies for a long-term human presence on the Moon. Candidate landing sites for the mission include Leibnitz Beta, Amundsen crater, Cabeus crater, and the Shackleton-de Gerlache Ridge. The Change 8 mission, along with all of Chinas planned Change missions, aims to pave the way for Chinese astronauts to land on the Moon before 2030.

Chinas Change 8 lunar mission is a groundbreaking endeavor that plans to build structures on the moon using moon bricks created by melting lunar soil with solar energy. The mission includes robots to assemble the parts on the lunar surface and collect moon rocks for analysis. It will provide a significant opportunity to test life-supporting technologies for a long-term human presence on the Moon. The mission, open to developers worldwide, invites global participation in the creation of moon bricks and other scientific instruments. This innovative approach marks a significant leap in Chinas ambition to become a global leader in space exploration.

China is not resting on its laurels with the Change 8 mission. The country has launched multiple space exploration missions to the Moon, including the Change 4 mission, which successfully landed a rover on the far side of the Moon. China is also planning future missions to explore the lunar surface and potentially establish a research base. With future missions such as Change 6 and Change 7 in the pipeline, China is steadfastly working towards its ultimate goal of landing Chinese astronauts on the moon before 2030.

In conclusion, Chinas ambitious plans and innovative approaches to lunar exploration have positioned it as a significant player in the global space exploration arena. The successful execution of these missions will not only be a testament to Chinas technological capabilities but will also contribute substantially to our understanding of the Moon and potentially pave the way for future human habitation.

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China's Rising Ambitions in Space Exploration: Chang'e Missions and International Cooperation - Medriva

In the past decade, humanity has seen the birth and expansion of a commercial space sector with new, private players, addressing technological challenges - from space launch to communication and satellite imagery of Earth. Last year, the global space industry skyrocketed launching more than 2,660* satellites into orbit, and, into the universe, interplanetary probes, landers, and much more. In the United States, SpaceX was responsible for almost 90% of these launches. In parallel to this progression is the expansion of more than 70 countries** demonstrating space capabilities. It affirms the general consensus and understanding that humanity will continue to rely on space activities to better the human experience. These developments create a novel landscape of both competition and collaboration for scientists, offering both challenges and opportunities.

In an increasingly fragmented world, the scientific community stands as an example of successful international collaboration and diplomacy. Science is based in a long-standing tradition of knowledge exchange that often transcends political boundaries for the benefit of all humanity. Cost-effective, commercial space technologies can enable novel research or reduce the cost of investigations opening new possibilities for the scientific community. At the same time, international partnerships can further broaden engagement, diversity, and collaboration in science and space exploration. While this might seem like a "win-win" scenario, the interest of the scientific community is to openly share data and analysis. Differing principles and ideals present potential areas of conflict. As governments and private entities fund bold, new projects, leaders, academics, and legal experts are contemplating both the larger consequences, as well as potential prospects.

"When every mission is a first for humanity, the stakes are very high," says Thomas Zurbuchen who led 54 missions as NASA's longest serving Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate. "When the clock is ticking, and the world is watching, a leader's most powerful asset is a highly diverse team," he says. Within this context, diversity can emerge from international and commercial partnerships, and can give rise to new missions. In fact, an estimated two-thirds of science missions have international partnerships.

Now, as the Director for ETH Zurich Space, in Switzerland, Zurbuchen reflects on the value of partnerships as a leadership tool. He uses examples from recent international missions, such as Mars InSight, to discuss how diversity creates opportunities for new and different ideas to come forward even if some ideas pose an element of risk. He also addresses some of the challenges arising from partnerships. For example, some companies and countries prefer not to share their science data gathered in space, making reproducibility challenging for scientific analysis.

"Scientific ideas move like space plasmas," says David Malaspina, a space plasma physicist at University of Colorado, Boulder. "When they encounter a border, they find a way across." Malaspina describes international academic collaborations as vital engines of discovery and attributes the language of science for fostering a sense of awe and wonder for the universe that transcends cultures. In science, and in plasmas, the most interesting physics happens at the boundaries.

Malaspina engages in international and generationally diverse research teams, including a team building a sounding rocket to explore the interface between Earth and space. He is also a member of a team that uses data from the Parker Solar Probe mission to explore Venus, seeking to understand the importance of a planetary magnetic field for habitability of Earth-like planets. He discusses how teams that foster inclusion of diverse perspectives create new opportunities for scientific progress.

Unlike ancient footprints, cave drawings, and stone-age tools found here on Earth, the first traces of human activity on the Moon, including Neil Armstrong's bootprint, are not protected under any existing laws or regulations. Michelle Hanlon, space lawyer and Executive Director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law, thinks this is a travesty.

Hanlon explains why protecting historic sites on the Moon and elsewhere in space not only preserves the past, but also provides a vital foundation for the future. Hanlon explores the gaps in space law and, in particular, she asks, "What are the differing obligations space law imposes on scientific and commercial activities, as well as governmental and private actors." Hanlon anticipates that space law, ethics, policy, and treaties will take on an increasingly higher strategic priority as nations seek to avoid potential conflicts.

References

*Edouard Mathieu and Max Roser (2022) - "Space Exploration and Satellites" Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/space-exploration-satellites' [Online Resource]

**Data from: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-with-space-programs [Online Resource]

Special thanks to science journalist, Nadia Drake for moderating ETH Zurich's scientific session, "Advancing Space Exploration Through Diverse Collaborations and Ethical Policies" at AAAS 2024.

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Pressured Space Exploration in Today's Era - Mirage News

Image of Jupiter taken by NASAs Juno spacecraft in February 2022. The dark spot is the shadow of the moon Ganymede. The colorful patterns are formed by clouds at different altitudes and made up mainly of ammonia ice, ammonium hydrosulfide, and water. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS, Image processing by Thomas Thomopoulos CC BY

For the first time, a tool designed to discover planets many light years distant has been employed on an object in the Solar System, in a study on Jupiters winds.

We find ourselves at a time when it has become almost commonplace to discover planets orbiting another star, with more than 5,000 already registered. The first distant worlds to incorporate this list were mainly giant planets, similar to but also very different in many ways from Jupiter and Saturn.

Astrophysicists have already begun to obtain data on the atmospheres of exoplanets, but fundamental questions about the atmosphere of the largest planet in the Solar System are yet to be answered. To understand what happens in Jupiters clouds and air layers, it is necessary to study it over time, in continuous observations. Now, for the first time, an instrument developed to find and analyze worlds light years away, exoplanets, has been pointed at a target in the Solar System, 43 light minutes away from Earth: the planet Jupiter.

ESPRESSO spectrograph control console, during the observation of Jupiter with one of the VLT telescopes, at the Paranal Observatory, in Chile. Credit: Pedro Machado.

Researchers from the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA), at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Portugal) (Cincias ULisboa), used the ESPRESSO spectrograph installed on the VLT telescope at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) to measure wind speeds on Jupiter. The results are now published in the scientific journal Universe.

The method that the team developed is called Doppler velocimetry and is based on the reflection of visible light from the Sun by clouds in the target planets atmosphere. This reflected light is bent in wavelength in proportion to the speed at which the clouds are moving relative to the telescope on Earth. This gives the instantaneous wind speed at the observed point.

Researcher Pedro Machado, from IA and Cincias ULisboa, next to the four telescopes of the VLT (ESO), at the Paranal Observatory, Chile. Credit: Pedro Machado

The method now used with ESPRESSO was developed by the Planetary Systems research group of IA, with other spectrographs, to study the atmosphere of Venus. The researchers have been measuring the winds of this neighboring planet and have been contributing to the modelling of its general atmosphere for several years. Now, the exploratory application of this method with a top of the range instrument such as ESPRESSO has resulted in a success that opens new horizons to the knowledge of our cosmic neighborhood. This work affirms the feasibility of systematically monitoring the most distant atmospheres on gaseous planets.

For five hours, in July 2019, the team pointed the VLT telescope at the equatorial zone of Jupiter, where light clouds are located at a higher altitude, and at the north and south equatorial belts of this planet, which correspond to descending air and which it forms bands of dark, warmer clouds in a deeper layer of the atmosphere.

Image of Jupiter obtained by NASAs Juno probe in May 2019, where storm zones are visible in the planets northern hemisphere. Credit: Enhanced image by Kevin M. Gill (CC-BY) based on images provided courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS.

Jupiters atmosphere, at the level of the clouds visible from Earth, contains ammonia, ammonium hydrosulfide, and water, which form the distinct red and white bands, says Pedro Machado, from IA and Cincias ULisboa, The upper clouds, located in the pressure zone of 0.6 to 0.9 bars, are made of ammonia ice. Water clouds form the densest, lowest layer, and have the strongest influence on the dynamics of the atmosphere, adds the researcher.

With ESPRESSO, the team was able to measure winds on Jupiter from 60 to 428 km/h with an uncertainty of less than 36 km/h. These observations, applied with a high-resolution instrument to a gaseous planet, have their challenges: One of the difficulties centered on navigation over Jupiters disk, that is, knowing exactly which point on the planets disk we were pointing to, due to the enormous resolution of the VLT telescope, explains Pedro Machado.

In the research itself, the difficulty was related to the fact that we were determining winds with an accuracy of a few meters per second when Jupiters rotation is on the order of ten kilometers per second at the equator and, to complicate matters, because it is a gaseous planet, and not a rigid body, it rotates at different speeds depending on the latitude of the point we observe, adds the researcher.

Room at the Paranal Observatory, in Chile, where VLT images and data from the ESPRESSO spectrograph are received. The unprecedented observation of an object in the Solar System Jupiter with this spectrograph, designed to observe planets at least one hundred thousand times further away, attracted the interest of other astrophysicists and technicians present. Credit: Ruben Gonalves

To verify the effectiveness of Doppler velocimetry from telescopes on Earth in measuring winds on Jupiter, the team also gathered measurements obtained in the past in order to compare the results. Most of the existing data was collected by instruments in space and used a different method, which consists of obtaining average values of wind speed by following cloud patterns in images captured at nearby times.

The consistency between this history and the values measured in the study now published confirms the feasibility of implementing Doppler velocimetry in a program for monitoring Jupiters winds from Earth.

The monitoring will allow the research team to collect data on how winds change over time and will be essential for developing a reliable model for the global circulation of Jupiters atmosphere. This computational model should reproduce the differences in winds depending on latitude, as well as Jupiters storms, to help understand the causes of the atmospheric phenomena we observe on this planet. Conversely, the model will help prepare future observations with information about the pressure and altitude of the clouds in telescopes sights.

The team intends to extend observations with ESPRESSO to a greater coverage of planet Jupiters disk, as well as temporally, collecting wind data throughout the planets entire rotation period, which is almost 10 hours. Restricting observations to certain ranges of wavelengths will also make it possible to measure winds at different altitudes, thus obtaining information on the vertical transport of air layers.

Once the technique has been mastered for the largest planet in the Solar System, the team hopes to apply it to the atmospheres of other gaseous planets, with Saturn as the next target. The success of these observations with ESPRESSO proves to be important at a time when its successor, ANDES, is being designed for the future Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), also from ESO and currently under construction in Chile, but also the future JUICE mission, from the European Space Agency, dedicated to Jupiter and which will provide additional data.

Reference: Jupiters Atmosphere Dynamics Based on High-Resolution Spectroscopy with VLT/ESPRESSO by Pedro Machado, Jos E. Silva, Francisco Brasil, Jos Ribeiro, Ruben Gonalves and Miguel Silva, 23 November 2023, Universe. DOI: 10.3390/universe9120491

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Exoplanet Hunter Sets Its Sights on Jupiter: A New Twist in Space Exploration - SciTechDaily

MON-25 cold propellant thrusters used in space, an industry-first

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Frontier Aerospace, a leader in next-generation liquid rocket engines used for commercial space, exploration, and missile defense, reveals its attitude control and axial thrusters were used duringAstrobotic's Peregrine Mission.

Frontier Aerospace provided a complete flight set of Thruster Advancement for Low-Temperature Operations in Space (TALOS) attitude control and axial thrusters for the Peregrine Lunar Lander. Twelve 10-lbf thrusters provided attitude control, and five 150-lbf thrusters were designed to provide entry, descent, and landing control.

"We want to extend our gratitude to our invaluable partners who played instrumental roles in the development and success of our next-generation propulsion technology. Collaborating seamlessly, NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Purdue's Zucrow Labs, and Astrobotic have demonstrated dedication, technical expertise, and shared commitment to our organization as we push the boundaries of innovation," said Jim McKinnon, president of Frontier Aerospace. "Their contributions have accelerated the realization of this technology and strengthened the collaborative spirit that defines space exploration. We sincerely thank these esteemed partners for shaping our journey."

This achievement is pivotal in the company's commitment to advancing cost-effective space propulsion. The mission marked the first time cold propellant engines, using MON-25, were used for an exploration mission. Specifically optimized for high performance with MON-25, the engines provide low propellant freezing points, reducing power and thermal control requirements.

McKinnon continued, "Congratulations to NASA and Astrobotic for their groundbreaking achievements. The data collected will benefit future missions. We remain dedicated to providing propulsion products that will continue playing a pivotal role in supporting future missions, and we look forward to supporting Astroboitc's next NASA CLPS mission, Griffin, with five 700-lbf main engines."

TALOS thrusterswere developed as part of the Game Changing Development Program, administered by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, which aimed to develop next-generation small rocket engines to help reduce the cost of NASA and commercial spacecraft.

About Frontier Aerospace

Frontier was founded to provide innovative space propulsion solutions. Frontier has a proven rapid development approach that produces reliable mission-optimized and extensively tested designs at low cost. The company offers propulsion technologies, from concept through product development and qualification. Engines are used in lunarlanders/deep space applications, space transportation, earth observation satellites, and missile defense. For more information, please visit http://www.frontier.us.

SOURCE Frontier Aerospace Corporation

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Frontier Aerospace TALOS Engines Used For Space Exploration - PR Newswire

Exploring the Potential of Minimoons

Minimoons, small transient satellites in Earths orbit, are attracting the interest of scientists across the globe. Their small size, low gravity, and proximity to Earth make them promising targets for future solar system exploration. These celestial bodies could potentially revolutionize interplanetary travel by serving as stepping stones for missions to Mars and beyond.

Due to their proximity to Earth and low gravity, reaching minimoons requires relatively less fuel compared to other celestial bodies. This makes them an ideal platform for testing new spacecraft technology, engines, and propulsion systems. For instance, NASAs OSIRIS REx mission, which successfully retrieved a sample from asteroid Bennu, has inspired scientists to consider nearby asteroids and minimoons as stepping stones for future Mars missions.

Beyond serving as proving grounds for space missions, minimoons could also play a critical role in resource utilization. The search for water and rocket fuel on near-Earth asteroids, including minimoons, could be crucial for deep space exploration. Mining for water, in particular, is essential for creating additional rocket fuel needed for extended voyages.

The ephemeral nature of minimoons, however, presents challenges. They temporarily orbit Earth before being ejected from its orbit, which could complicate mission planning and execution. Despite this, the potential benefits they offer make the endeavor worthwhile.

The development of new telescopes like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the NEO Surveyor could aid in the detection and exploration of minimoons. These tools are essential for discovering these celestial wanderers and harnessing their potential to advance space travel. Moreover, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) has played a pivotal role in uncovering the presence of water molecules on the surface of asteroids, further underscoring the importance of these small celestial bodies.

As we advance in the new space race, minimoons are emerging as potential solutions to some of space explorations biggest challenges. They offer a unique opportunity to test new technologies, strategies for utilizing space resources, and serve as stepping stones for interplanetary travel. The role of minimoons in humanitys journey toward becoming an interplanetary species is undeniable, and the future holds exciting prospects for these small but significant celestial objects.

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Exploring the Potential of Minimoons - Medriva

The exploration of deep space presents numerous challenges, many of which are health-related. The Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) is at the forefront of tackling these obstacles, partnering with NASA to fund experiments, research, and data collection that are crucial to understanding and overcoming the health challenges of deep space exploration. These challenges include space radiation, mental health, access to healthcare, and food stability. To address these, TRISH is employing innovative solutions such as engineered biology for food, just-in-time medication production, mental health diagnosis and prevention, and the exploration of the potential for human hibernation.

As a NASA-funded organization, TRISH is committed to studying and mitigating the health risks associated with long-duration space travel. It achieves this by focusing on the development of innovative technologies and countermeasures that can support the health of astronauts during space missions. TRISH is also actively involved in international collaborations, furthering the reach and impact of its research.

One of the key initiatives TRISH is involved in is the Axiom Mission 3. As part of this mission, the institute is responsible for collecting biological samples and studying neurovestibular changes, providing key insights into the effects of space travel on the human body.

Space radiation is a significant health risk for astronauts. To tackle this, TRISH is investing in research into balance in microgravity and ways for astronauts to produce their own drugs in space. This approach not only mitigates the risk of radiation but also addresses the challenge of access to healthcare in space.

Mental health is another critical concern. Isolation and the hazardous environment of space can have severe psychological effects. TRISH is addressing this by funding projects that assess mental fortitude in such conditions, and developing methods for mental health diagnosis and prevention.

Food stability is a vital aspect of long-duration space travel. TRISH is addressing this by focusing on engineered biology to produce nutrients and vitamins in space. This involves funding researchers who are using plants and bacteria to generate needed substances, ensuring a stable supply of food for astronauts.

Similarly, the production of medication in space is a significant focus. TRISH is investing in the development of devices that release medication at a slow rate or with bacteria making the medication. This just-in-time medication production can ensure astronauts have access to vital medical supplies when they need them most.

The work of TRISH goes beyond the immediate requirements of space travel. The executive director of TRISH, Dorit Donoviel, highlights that preparing humans to survive in extreme otherworldly environments will breed medical innovations that could be utilized on Earth. As such, the research and innovations pioneered by TRISH have the potential to revolutionize healthcare both off and on our planet.

The excitement over a return to the moon lies not just in the achievement of such a feat, but also in the innovation required to live off-planet, and the potential medical advancements that could benefit Earth. The work of TRISH is at the heart of this excitement, pioneering solutions that will shape the future of space health and terrestrial medicine alike.

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Understanding the Role of TRISH in Space Health and its Future Innovations - Medriva

As we grow reliant on satellites for communication, weather monitoring, navigation, and a host of other vital functions, the need to maintain their operational longevity is becoming increasingly critical. A future with space littered with defunct satellites is not only inefficient but poses a significant risk to other operational satellites. The solution to this problem might lie in the burgeoning industry of satellite refueling and in-orbit servicing.

Orbit Fab, a startup based in Colorado, is taking the lead in this new industry. The company has set its sights on offering a comprehensive satellite refueling service by 2025. This service aims to incorporate a network of fuel depots and a fleet of fuel shuttles, which would enable satellites to be refueled while in orbit, extending their operational life and preventing them from becoming space debris.

Orbit Fab has also released the designs for a universal refueling interface, known as RAFTI (Rapidly Attachable Fuel Transfer Interface), under an open license. By doing so, they aim to establish an international standard for refueling interfaces, facilitating cooperation and interoperability within the space industry. The company believes that this initiative will not only extend the lifespan of satellites but also offer repositioning services, further enhancing their utility and efficiency.

NASA, too, is investing in satellite refueling technology. The space agencys ongoing On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) mission is designed to refuel satellites in space, including those not initially designed for refueling. By demonstrating advanced systems for autonomous docking and refueling, NASA hopes to pioneer a new era in space exploration and satellite maintenance.

The development of spacecraft refueling technology by companies like Orbit Fab is set to have a profound impact on space exploration. By providing in-orbit refueling services, these companies can significantly extend the life of satellites and reduce the amount of space debris. The innovative fuel storage and transfer technology developed by Orbit Fab, along with its partnerships with other space companies, are key factors in this endeavor.

The recent surge in public and private investments in small spacecraft propulsion technologies demonstrates the increasing interest in this field. Despite the abundance of confusing, unverified, and sometimes conflicting technical literature, novel technologies are being developed and existing ones refined. Progress toward Mission Infusion (PMI), a new classification system, serves as an indicator of the efficacy of the manufacturers approach to system maturation and mission infusion.

The UK Space Agency has committed 3.5 million in funding to further the development of technology aimed at extending the life of satellites. The funding will be used for upgrading the In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (IOSM) facility and for conducting feasibility studies focused on refueling satellites in space. Contracts for these studies have been awarded to several companies, including Orbit Fab, which plans to utilize its RAFTI and GRASP (Grappling and Resupply Active Solution for Propellants) offerings to develop the RAFTEA mission.

In conclusion, the development of in-orbit satellite refueling and servicing technology is poised to transform the space industry. By extending the operational lifespan of satellites and reducing space debris, these advancements promise to make space exploration more sustainable and efficient.

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The Future of Satellite Refueling and In-Orbit Servicing - Medriva

On the second H3 launch attempt by Japan's space agency, technical problems meant a destruct command was issued shortly after blast-off (STR)

Japan's space agency will try to launch its new flagship rocket on Saturday, hoping for third time lucky following years of delays and two aborted attempts.

The next-generation H3 rocket has been mooted as a possible competitor to Space X's Falcon 9, and could one day be used to deliver cargo to bases on the Moon.

But that's only if Japan -- which last month landed an unmanned probe on the Moon at a wonky angle -- can get it into orbit.

The first H3 launch a year ago was abandoned after ignition issues left the rocket standing motionless on the ground.

And on the second try in March, technical problems meant a destruct command was issued shortly after blast-off.

Designed for "high flexibility, high reliability, and high cost performance", the H3 will "maintain Japan's autonomous access to space", space agency JAXA says.

The rocket, billed as a flexible and cost-effective new flagship, is scheduled to lift off between 9:22 am and 1:06 pm (0022 and 0406 GMT) from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan.

Co-developed with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and intended for more frequent commercial launches, it is the successor to the country's H-IIA model, which debuted in 2001.

H3 will be "an all-rounder -- able to launch satellites into Earth orbit, serve as a supply vehicle for space stations, and go to the Moon," said associate professor Alice Gorman, a space exploration expert at Flinders University.

But "there's a common saying that 'space is hard', to explain why launch failures are a fact of life," she told AFP, comparing the attempts to "training for a marathon".

A successful launch on Saturday would bolster JAXA's reputation after a string of failures, including of a different rocket, a solid-fuel model called the Epsilon-6.

- 'Greater thrust' -

Last month the country made a historic soft lunar touchdown with its SLIM spacecraft, dubbed the "Moon Sniper" for its precision technology.

Story continues

But the SLIM landed with its solar panels facing the wrong way, meaning it could only be used when the sun's angle changed direction.

Overall, Japan's space programme punches above its weight, said Adrian Michael Cruise, an honorary professor of astrophysics at the University of Birmingham.

The country "has future ambitions for space exploration challenging some of the major players," he said.

"However, space payloads are getting heavier and heavier, and to remain competitive in the missions it can mount, Japan needs access to more powerful launch vehicles, like H3."

The rocket's development could potentially also have "military-related uses", Cruise added.

While the main goal of Saturday's mission is to prove the rocket can get into orbit, it will also carry two small observation satellites.

One is expected to contribute to disaster prevention by taking pictures and video footage. The other, equipped with a sensor to detect infrared rays, is aimed at detecting the operation conditions of factories on the ground.

Unlike the reusable Falcon 9, the H3 is expendable, but scientists say the trial of its world-first technology is significant.

"The H3 rocket has a unique and novel first stage engine that delivers greater thrust compared to state-of-the-art rockets," said Michele Trenti, director of the Melbourne Space Laboratory at the University of Melbourne.

And the H3 "has the potential to be the most cost-effective rocket", making the exploration of the solar system more affordable.

kaf-kh/sn

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Japan makes third attempt to launch next-gen rocket - Yahoo Singapore News

Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Uruguay signed NASA's Artemis Accords on Thursday, making it the 36th signatory to the U.S. pact that defines principles for the safe exploration of space.

The accords were signed by Uruguayan Foreign Minister Omar Paganini at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., with dignitaries, including NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay Heide Fulton and State Department Assistant Secretary Kevin Sullivan, looking on.

"We are honored to have the opportunity to introduce space cooperation as a new chapter in the robust bilateral agenda between Uruguay and the U.S.," Paganini said, according to a NASA statement on the signing.

"We are sure that this signing ceremony is not an end in itself, but the beginning of a new bilateral track based on knowledge-intensive activities and new opportunities for our people."

Founded by NASA in 2020, the Artemis Accords reinforce prior agreements on space exploration, including the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, and is part of NASA's effort to land the first woman, first person of color and its first partner astronaut, on the moon.

"NASA welcomes Uruguay as the newest member of the Artemis Accords family," Nelson said.

"The United States and Uruguay share a commitment to democracy and peace, and now, we expand these principles in the cosmos to commit to the safe and transparent exploration of space."

More nations are expected to join the accords, and Thursday's signing ceremony follows Greece becoming a signatory last week and Belgium joining last month.

The signing ceremony with Uruguay also coincided with the second Annual Bilateral Inter-Ministerial Dialogue between Washington and Montevideo where the State Department said in a statement that the two nations strengthened their partnership.

"Our growing high-tech commercial ties and commitment to democracy are the foundation of our strong relationship," the State Department said.

"Together, we will continue to uphold the principles of the Artemis Accords and work towards a future of cooperation and exploration beyond Earth's bounds."

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Uruguay becomes latest nation to join NASA's Artemis Accords - UPI News