Category Archives: Space Exploration

Clement Manyathela speaks to South African National Space Agency Acting CEO, Raoul Hodges about the participation of South Africa in the exploration of space.

Many might not know about South Africas involvement with space and the space exploration despite its rich history spanning since 1958.

However, there has been a growing debate on the necessity for space exploration to begin with and whether or not so much of our annual budget should be going to something that seems so abstract in nature.

Is really any need to invest in the great beyond? Or should we just sleeping dogs float (on the moon)?

Well, according to Raoul Hodges, the Acting CEO for the South African National Space Agency, yes.

Speaking to host Clement Manyathela on The Clement Manyathela Show, the tantamount necessity for investing in space exploration is not to get a couple people floating into oblivion every now and then, but for the continued development of technology.

Space exploration helps us gather data from satellites.

Space tech helps with agriculture through helping the efficiency of farming.

It could also help monitor natural disasters such as the KZN floods that happened earlier this month through efficiency with helping those on the ground that are rescuing people.

It has the potential to help with city planning by highlighting areas which are safe or unsafe to build upon.

It helps us monitor the sun and the potential dangers it can possess.

It helps track and predict the weather.

In essence: it helps us be more efficient and so much more.

Listen to the full interview below to find out more about the country's space exploration and why it matters.

Technology drives effectiveness and efficiency at the end of the day. If you want your public service, if you want your public domain, if you want your public companies to thrive, if you want to get effective an efficient service, so use space technology for many of those attributes.

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South Africa's space exploration: an imperative tool or waste of tax money? - 702

April 28, 2022

The Psyche mission a four-year journey to a metal-rich asteroid expected to launch in August and that could provide clues into the formation of planets is Arizona State Universitys first deep-space NASA mission.

But from the moment thePsyche mission was awarded to her team in 2017, Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton knew she wanted to make Psyche mission accessible to students throughout the country.

Space exploration, she said, is for everyone.

Not all colleges and universities are involved in space missions, said Elkins-Tanton, a Regents Professor in ASUs School of Earth and Space Exploration and vice president of the Interplanetary Initiative. So, of course we want to share the excitement and inspiration.

That vision has led to this moment: a Psyche Student Collaborations program providing multiple entry points for undergraduate students and lifelong learners to get involved.

Psyche Student Collaborations comprises four efforts: Psyche Capstone Projects, Psyche Inspired artworks, Psyche science outreach interns and docents, and the Innovation Toolkit free online courses. To date, more than 1,200 students from around the country have participated in the undergraduate student programs, along with more than 3,000 lifelong learners who have enrolled in the Innovation Toolkit online courses.

Its like a nationwide collaborative effort, which is really cool, said Aws Al-Shalash, senior design coordinator in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Tyler.

Ive never seen anything like it, said Dean Lewis, assistant teaching professor and mechanical engineering academic coordinator at Penn State Erie, the Behrend College. I can tell you, some of our students have been pretty psyched.

Forgive the pun. Its the work that counts.

The execution of Elkins-Tantons idea was left to Cassie Bowman, a Psyche mission co-investigator and an associate research professor in ASUs School of Earth and Space Exploration.

To kick off a year of pilot programs, in summer 2017 Bowman began digging into relevant published research and cold-calling ASU faculty to see if they had courses and students who wanted to work with Psyche.

Thats what I love about ASU, Bowman said. Everyone was like, Sure, why not? Lets try it.

By fall 2017, the ASU-only pilot efforts were in place for all four programs, involving 75 undergraduates in capstone-style projects, 13 Psyche Inspired creative interns and six outreach docents and interns as well as efforts underway with EdPlus at ASU on developing the first of the Innovation Toolkit online course.

In Psyche Inspired, 13 ASU undergraduates from 13 different majors were selected to participate in the inaugural class. They submitted unique artistic interpretations of the emotions surrounding the Psyche mission.

Caralie Cedarleaf, then a senior majoring in sculpture, created a cast-iron sculpture called Metal World in the foundry at the School of Art.

It was so cool I decided I wanted to do it, Cedarleaf said.

"Metal World" by Caralie Cedarleaf

Isaac Wisdom, then a freshman double-majoring in music and electrical engineering (I just knew I wanted to study both.) composed three instrumental pieces, each of which reflected a different moment in Psyches stories. The pieces were entitled, Ideas, Construction and Journey.

Each part of the mission will have its own feeling associated with it, Wisdom said. Ultimately, I think music is emotionally based.

Getting ASU students involved, however, was just the first step. As Elkins-Tanton said, she wanted other universities to be involved in the mission.

For Psyche Inspired a program to create artworks inspired by the mission to go national, the team amassed a local and national email list of groups engaged with undergraduates, blasting out the application to as many eligible students and institutions as possible. NASA newsletter and social media accounts helped as well, yielding a class of 15 interns from nine institutions and a mix of majors in STEM and the arts and humanities. The annual process continues today, and selected interns meet with Psyche Inspired staff and guest speakers for an hour each week to learn about the mission and plan their four creative works for the year.

For Psyche Capstone, the largest of the student collaborations programs, the push toward national participation began in June 2018 when Bowman went to the Capstone Design Conference in Rochester, New York, and told as many university representatives as she could that ASU wanted to work with students nationally on Psyche-related capstone projects.

Word of mouth, Bowman said, which has led to the participation of more than 1,000 undergraduates from 16 universities so far.

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A space mission that welcomes students onboard - ASU News Now

Animation of Astrobees on the space station. Credit: NASA

Three years ago, a pair of robots were launched to the International Space Station (ISS) to help pave the way for the future of robotics and autonomous systems in space. Those pioneers were Honey and Bumble, who were soon joined by a third companion called Queen, and together they make up the Astrobee free-flying robotic system. Robots like the Astrobees are essential components of NASAs Artemis mission to deliver humans back to the Moon, before traveling to Mars and beyond.

Theres a reason so many science fiction stories have a beloved robot alongside the human heroes we know we cant explore space alone, said Jose Benavides, the Astrobee Facilities Project Manager at NASAs Ames Research Center in Californias Silicon Valley. Were showing that humans and robotic systems can collaborate and support powerful science and engineering beyond Earth.

NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough poses aboard the International Space Station with all three Astrobee robotic free-flyers. Credit: NASA/Shane Kimbrough

Since launch, the Astrobee program run out of NASA Ames has operated over 750 hours on the space station, completing over 100 activities, from tech demonstrations to assisting in experiments. The robots have proven capable of feats previously in the realm of science fiction, such as detecting an anomaly during a simulation on station (see video below) and connecting autonomously with station subsystems. Honey, Bumble, and Queen have been busy bees, and they show no signs of slowing down.

NASAs Integrated System for Autonomous and Adaptive Caretaking, or ISAAC, is advancing new technology for robots to take care of spacecraft. Researchers recently demonstrated the tech aboard the International Space Station using Astrobee, NASAs free-flying robotic assistants. Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center

The Astrobees are a next-generation technology, building upon three orb-shaped robots of the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient, Experimental Satellite (SPHERES) project. Astrobees evolved from that initial concept as researchers developed new tools and capabilities.

Video from April 1, 2018, explaining how the Astrobee project is developing a set of three free-flying robots that will operate inside the International Space Station (ISS) alongside astronauts. Credit: NASA

They fly through microgravity using electric fans, they see using cameras and sensors, and they have arms to hold objects or keep steady for tasks requiring stability. Researchers have also tested an adhesive technology, inspired by gecko feet, to allow the Astrobees to grab onto a variety of surfaces without applying force to adhere and then detach on demand. The Astrobee teams envision a robotic system thats smart and versatile enough to handle simpler maintenance and monitoring chores to leave astronauts free to tackle more complex work.

Video from 2019, before the Astrobees were launched to the ISS. Astrobee is a free-flying robot system for the International Space Station. Designed and built at NASAs Ames Research Center in Californias Silicon Valley, the system will be used to help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies for use in zero-gravity. These robots are designed to assist astronauts in Earths orbit and support sustained human exploration to the Moon, Mars, or other deep-space destinations. Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center

But the Astrobee platform isnt just for astronauts. Through the annual Kibo Robot Programming Challenge, operated alongside the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and now in its third year, students from across the world can write code for the Astrobees. The winning teams get to see their programs run on the robots in space. Inspiring the next generation of programmers and engineers is vital as NASA prepares for a future where robotics will play a central role in humanitys exploration beyond our planet.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy poses with two Astrobee robotic assistants during visual and navigation tests inside the Kibo laboratory module from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Credit: Chris Cassidy / NASA

NASA astronaut and Expedition 65 Flight Engineer Megan McArthur observes Astrobee robot Honey during an experiment testing its ability to listen to station components to help detect anomalies in spacecraft systems that may need servicing. Credit: NASA

Unlike the space station, future deep space outposts may not be crewed year-round, and will need autonomous systems to remain operational. That includes Gateway, which will orbit the Moon and serve as a launching-point for missions to Mars.

The Integrated System for Autonomous and Adaptive Caretaking project (ISAAC) aims to test how robotic systems can complete tasks like repairs, maintenance, and even experiments independently.

By giving Honey and Bumble challenges to solve on their own like removing a sock blocking an air vent ISAAC is building capabilities needed for robots to take care of spacecraft when astronauts arent aboard. But a major component of autonomously operating in a complex environment is being able to have a detailed map and know where you are.

ISAACs two most recent demonstrations used Astrobees to create 3D maps of the space stations interior. Bumble flew out of its home module and mapped out a new environment on its own. The ability to explore and map independently is essential to the future of autonomous robotics.

Three years ago, we wanted to test out how robotics could support human space exploration, not just for this decade, but for the next several decades, said ISAAC deputy project manager Maria Bualat at Ames. Were starting to see what thatll look like.

Astrobee and ISAAC were funded by NASAs Game Changing Development Program, part of the Space Technology Mission Directorate.

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NASA Celebrates 3 Years of Astrobee Robotic Free-Flyers Buzzing on Space Station - SciTechDaily

The space industry has rapidly evolved over the past few decades, with the domination of economic giants proposing relations with NASA. The evolution of the industry proposes concerns for the environment given the current issues with global warming and climate change.

Since the 1990s, the control of the space exploration industry has gradually been transferred to private companies. This is also known as the privatization of the space industry.

With new plans and missions for the future of exploration, determination combined with competition is high as more and more new private companies fight for domination over the industry. The questionable incentives of notable private companies like Space-X and Blue Origin in entering the space field are being questioned by the general public after correlations have been formed between their projects and environmental concerns.

The context of privatization in the space industry is connected and founded through NASAs history.

Up until the 1960s, NASA was fully funded by the government, with space flight and internal relations remaining in conjunction with the U.S Government. Suddenly, during the 1970s, NASAs budget was contracted by the government as a result of NASA pouring resources into projects that the government didnt regard as important as reaching the moon (which was the current goal of the U.S. Government). Congress and the American public alike were no longer captivated by NASAs discoveries, and after losing popularity, their overall public funding was reduced.

While public expeditions lost funding, the private sector was slowly expanding. After the Columbia rocket disaster in 2003, NASAs budget was limited to only 0.68% of the governments total investments, around $20 billion. At the peak of NASA funding, during the Apollo Space Program in the early 1960s, the government spent $49.4 billion on the project, a far greater amount than the government is spending today.

In 2004, President George W. Bush passed the U.S. Space Exploration Policy, the U.S. governments agreement to fund NASA in terms of rocket-building out of fear of heavily relying on Russia for transportation. This law was never put into full effect, and even today NASA still partially remains in partnership with Russia, using their Soyuz rocket as a means of transportation.

Blue Origin and SpaceX are the two most prominent companies in the space industry today, and needless to say, the most influential in the development of space exploration as a whole.

Space X was founded in 2002 by Tesla CEO and billionaire, Elon Musk. Musks first order of business in the industry was to build a large spacecraft specifically designed to transport passengers to and from Mars and the International Space Station (ISS).

With the success of Musks first rocket launch in 2008, he began to privately sell rockets to the U.S. government with a flat rate of $2.6 billion applied to six rocket launches. The price was relatively low for launching rockets, and this new number intrigued NASA. This deal secured Space-X the domination of 60% of the global commercial rocket market and a six-year contract with NASA putting Space-X ahead of other private companies.

NASAs acceptance of this deal proclaimed their support for entering the new privatized space sector.

In a speech at the Kennedy Center in Florida, NASAs recently retired administrator, Steve Jurczyk, said: Were going to do the research and the technology development and be the enablers for continuing to support the commercial space sector.

Blue Origin, founded in 2000 by Jeff Bezos, was the first to secure a $500 million contract with the U.S. Air Force, supplying rockets for the army. Aside from a partnership with the air force, Bezos is working to alleviate some of the pollutants that are currently harming Earths environment.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine and Space X creator, Elon Musk stand together at the Space X headquarters.

We need to take all heavy industry, all polluting industry, and move it into space. And keep Earth as this beautiful gem of a planet that it is, Bezos claimed in aninterview with NBC News.

Like many, Bezos sees climate change as a significant issue and believes that his straightforward solution to reducing the effects of climate change would be beneficial.

President Biden agreed with Bezos, as the administration looks into teaming up with NASA and Bezos together through a separate contract.

According to The Hill, developing a space industrial infrastructure will be the work of some decades. NASAs commercial partners will compete to create a transportation network that will send people and tools into space.

Industrial factories and mining sites are two of the most prolific polluting industries in the world, and therefore Biden and Bezos believe that removing them from Earth would positively impact global warming to some extent.

Aside from this plan, Blue Origin is directed towards pursuing interests in space travel, using large capsules to transport people to and from space. However, unlike Space-X, these capsules are specifically dedicated and designed for commercial purposes.

While these entrepreneurs [Bezos] are starting to take private citizens [to space], the passengers so far have been, by and large, extremely wealthy. Thats raised questions about who is ultimately benefiting, said Christian Davenport, author of The Space Barons and a reporter for The Washington Post.

By using a quick-fix approach to dealing with climate change, that being moving heavy industry to space, the wound is still open, and Earth is still left in distress.

The carbon footprint of launching into space with [Bezoss rockets] is incredibly high, close to about 100 times higher than if you took a long-haul flight. Its incredibly problematic if we want to be environmentally conscious and consider our carbon footprint.

Eloise Marais

The carbon footprint of launching into space with [Bezoss rockets] is incredibly high, close to about 100 times higher than if you took a long-haul flight. Its incredibly problematic if we want to be environmentally conscious and consider our carbon footprint, said Eloise Marais, a physical geography professor at the University College London, n an interview with Vox Magazine.

Bezos has claimed that liquid hydrogen and oxygen, two possible greenhouse gases, fuel Blue Origin rockets and are supposedly less damaging to the environment.

According to Aeroqual: a common air pollutant is nitrogen dioxide [a combination of nitrogen and oxygen].

Nitrogen and oxygen make up liquid hydrogen, meaning that Blue Origin is in fact contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.While most people know about climate change and the general causes of it, the effect the space industry has on global emissions is largely unexplored.

As the space industry monetizes, resources that would be dedicated to solving issues on Earth are instead being utilized for space exploration as greater emphasis is placed on the industry without the spread of knowledge describing how such can be detrimental to the environment.

Amazon, Bezoss original company that sells products either through retailers or their own branding, produces over 456 million pounds of plastic each year.

According to the Plastic Pollution Coalition, 91% of that [plastic] is likely to end up polluting nature, in landfills, or incinerate, with much of it having been sent away from North America and Europe to countries in the Global South.

Not only is Amazon contributing to land pollution, but sea pollution as well.

A report by Oceana showed that Amazon was responsible for adding more than 22 million pounds of plastic pollution to the worlds oceans.

Musk announced his plans in January of this year to openly drill close to a Texas launchpad in search of natural gases used to power up SpaceXs rockets, and in particular, its Starship model. According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, methane emissions happen throughout the drilling production.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science said that [methane emissions happen throughout] drilling production.

As methane is used as a source of energy for rockets, it can combine with liquid oxygen releasing high amounts of carbon dioxide into the surrounding atmosphere. With carbon emissions proposing a serious threat to the environment, Musks rocket would contribute to the issue.

The specific Space-X site in Texas, near the Boca Chica, located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, is home to numerous wildlife including shorebirds and sea turtles.

State legislators of the U.S. Government passed a bill in 2013 allowing Space-X to use Boca Chica as their testing site, and close down Texas Highway 4 when necessary. Debris from the rocket tests has been harming the wildlife ever since, and without proper protection in place, could permanently damage the environment.

As the industry continues to expand, Bezos is attempting to make amends with the environment.

According to CNBC, in a speech at the United Nations, Bezos said that humanity needs to stand together to protect our world.

He explains the 11 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions currently being absorbed by forests and the dangers that it proposes to the green environment. He also pledges $10 billion to fight climate change, $1 billion going to conservation efforts already.

From an average persons perspective, it seems like Bezos is finally standing up for climate change, however, his work in the space industry begs to differ.

Student voices demonstrate differing opinions on the climate change issue in correspondence with the privatization of the space industry.

I feel like it will get to a point where the ultra-rich have to give something to fix the planet, and theyll feel a responsibility, said Prithvi Dixit, a sophomore at Carlmont.

However, Kaitlin Chow, a freshman, and climate activist has a differing opinion.

If [Bezos] cares about his integrity and the planet, he should be making many efforts to pollute less, especially with him having such a large sum of wealth. As climate change becomes worse, the issue seems to be handed to each generation; I believe that the plans for space will make resolving climate change much more difficult and prolonged, as all of that money should go into fixing climate change instead of space, Chow said. We should focus on helping our planet before exploring others.

If [Bezos] cares about his integrity and the planet, he should be making many efforts to pollute less, especially with him having such a large sum of wealth. As climate change becomes worse, the issue seems to be handed to each generation; I believe that the plans for space will make resolving climate change much more difficult and prolonged, as all of that money should go into fixing climate change instead of space. We should focus on helping our planet before exploring others.

Kaitlin Chow

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The privatization of the space industry is negatively affecting the environment - Scot Scoop News

Jeff Bezos speaks about Blue Origins first human spaceflight in Van Horn, Texas on July 20, 2021. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) asked lawmakers last Wednesday to cut $10 billion in funding for a new NASA lunar landing contract that would likely go to Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. An outspoken critic of Bezos and billionaires in general, Sanders alleged Bezos and SpaceX founder Elon Musk were using NASA as little more than an ATM machine to fund their new space race.

Blue Origin spent almost $2 million on lobbying last year. The company has steadily increased its presence in Washington since 2013, with lobbying spending skyrocketing as Bezos and Musk vie for dominance in the space economy.

Blue Origin spent $560,000 on lobbying in the first quarter of 2022. Lobbying disclosures filed on April 20 show lobbyists homed in on issues related to NASA for several bills. Two lobbyists on the Blue Origin team are returning to the halls of Congress they once worked in.

Blue Origins Vice President of Government Affairs Megan Mitchell previously served as a fellow and senior adviser on space and aeronautic policy for Rep. Steve Palazzo (R-Miss.) from 2012 until she left to work for Blue Origin in 2015. Palazzo sits on the House Appropriations Committee and the subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, where Mitchell leads lobbying efforts on space transportation and NASA issues in the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2022.

Mitchell also previously worked for the Federal Aviation Administration, an agency she lobbies on behalf of Blue Origin today.

Another lobbyist on the Blue Origin team, Jason Suslavich, spent more than 15 years working on national security and military policy on Capitol Hill before he joined Blue Origin as the director of national security space policy in 2021. Suslavich worked in both the House and the Senate during his tenure, although lobbying disclosures specifically note Suslavich does not lobby in the Senate given his recent position as the director of national security policy and senior adviser to Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Ark.). But he did lobby on behalf of Blue Origin in the House, where he worked from 2006 to 2015, on bills including the National Defense Authorization Act, Build Back Better and the appropriations bill alongside Mitchell.

Suslavich was also a former military legislative assistant to Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who passed away last month as dean of the House and the longest-serving member of Congress.

Blue Origin lost a $2.9 billion lunar landing contract to SpaceX this fall. The dispute over the contract was a messy ordeal that exemplifies the bad blood between Bezos and Musk in their government-funded ventures into outer space.

As OpenSecrets reported last week, SpaceX spent $700,000 on lobbying during the first quarter of 2022. SpaceX spent a record $2.4 million on lobbying in 2021, exceeding their previous record spending in 2019.

One SpaceX lobbyist joined the Blue Origin team after almost a decade of working in Congress. Joseph Petrzelka most recently served as a legislative assistant for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) from 2017 to 2021. She serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Petrzelka lobbied on numerous appropriations bills before the committee last quarter, including the Department of Defense and NASA appropriations bills.

SpaceX PAC has given nearly $400,000 to federal candidates and committees so far this cycle.

The Blue Origin PAC has given more than $200,000 to federal candidates and committees ahead of the 2022 midterms, including contributions to politicians on committees the company seeks to lobby. This cycle, Blue Origins PAC contributed $10,000 to House Armed Services Committee Chair Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.). The corporate PAC gave another $6,000 to Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), chair of the House Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee, and $6,000 to Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.), who serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Committee on Space, Science and Technology. The PAC has contributed evenly to Democrats and Republicans this cycle.

The Bezos family has also made several donations to the With Honor Fund, a super PAC that aims to elect military veterans to Congress. Bezos mother, Jacklyn Bezos, donated more than $2 million to the super PAC, and his father, Miguel Bezos, also donated more than $2 million to the super PAC in the leadup to the 2022 midterm elections. The Bezos donations account for most of the $5.5 million the super PAC has raised so far this cycle.

Bezos himself gave $10 million to the With Honor Fund in 2018.

Blue Origin and SpaceX are vying for dominance in the space economy amid an anticipated influx of federal spending on space security. Top Pentagon contractors including Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are also hopping into the race. Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden told shareholders during first-quarter earnings calls that space continues to be one of the fastest-growing defense budget areas with a 30%-plus year-over-year increase.

But federal contracts are not the only potential boon for space entrepreneurs. When Sanders called out both billionaires for seeking to use federal funds to finance their space ventures in an op-ed in The Guardian, he also warned that the companies stand to profit mightily from government-funded space exploration, as the 2015 Space Launch Competitiveness Act allows private companies to own any resources they find in space.

Sanders wrote, The reality is that the space economy which today mostly consists of private companies utilizing NASA facilities and technology essentially free of charge to launch satellites into orbit is already very profitable and has the potential to become exponentially more profitable in the future.

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Blue Origin and SpaceX lobby for dominance and government contracts in billionaire space race OpenSecrets - Center for Responsive Politics

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Astronaut Dave Williams performs a spacewalk during Shuttle Mission STS-118 (Credits: Nasa)

Canadian astronauts wont be able to get away with any space-based illegality following a new law the country has passed.

We dont imagine theres too much lawlessness in the deep, dark void of space as it is, but the Canadians are making doubly sure.

As part of the 433-page document for the federal budget, Canadian law now stipulates:

A Canadian crew member who, during a space flight, commits an act or omission Canada that if committed in Canada would constitute an indictable offence is deemed to have committed that act or omission in Canada.

So, any Canadian astronaut thinking theyll take the helm of the ISS after a few too many beers or getting into a scrap with a Russian cosmonaut may find an arrest warrant and a pair of handcuffs waiting for them when they return to Earth.

Which presumably means that, up until now, Canadian astronauts could do whatever they liked up there without fear of repercussion or punishment.

The new law comes as Canada looks to participate in an ongoing Nasa mission to build a Lunar Gateway in space.

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield saluting during the Canadian national anthem while flying over Newfoundland during Canadas first spacewalk, April 22, 2001. (Credit: Nasa)

There is actually a series of treaties that comprise law in outer space.

Overseen by the United Nations, they deal with a variety of issues.

This could include things like arms control, the freedom of exploration, liability for damage caused by space objects, the safety and rescue of spacecraft and astronauts, the prevention of harmful interference with space activities and the environment, the notification and registration of space activities, scientific investigation and the exploitation of natural resources in outer space and the settlement of disputes.

Here are the underlying principles for space exploration:

This would be a permanent space station in lunar orbit around the moon.

When fully assembled, the Gateway will include modules for scientific research and living quarters for crews of four astronauts, explains the Canadian Space Agency.

They will be able to live and work on the Gateway for up to three months at a time, occasionally travelling to the lunar surface to conduct science and test new technologies. Eventually, these missions could last longer in order to prepare for the deeper-space missions of the future.

MORE : Space bricks made using astronaut urine could lead to Martian colony

MORE : Nasas Mars Helicopter snaps pictures of space debris on the Red Planet

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Canadians cant get away with committing crimes in space any more - Metro.co.uk

The only thing better than a cool superhero is a superhero that is an animal. Especially a good puppy, like Cosmo the Spacedog. You may have seen him in the MCUs Guardians of the Galaxy. When the Guardians visited Knowhere, the severed head of a Celestial turned mining colony, the Collector had Cosmo locked in one of his collection cages.

An adorable Labrador, Cosmo makes himself even cuter by wearing a little space suit with a matching helmet. But Cosmo is so much more than a good doggo. He deserves to be more than a background Easter egg for comic book fans. Give Cosmo his own franchise, you cowards!

Cosmo first appeared in Nova #8 (2007). Created by Andy Lanning, Dan Abnett, and Wellington Alves, Cosmo hails from planet Earth. Based on a real Russian dog named Laika, Cosmo was a Soviet dog sent out to test space exploration equipment during the 1960s. Through some twist of fate, he ended up very far from Earth at the colony of Knowhere.

Through his extensive resume of being a space dog, Cosmo landed a job as head of security on Knowhere. There, he met Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy, forming a friendship with the other heroes.

During his long journey from his home planet, cosmic rays somehow gave him superhero powers (besides his basic dog powers). Using his telekinesis, he moves huge objects with ease. He speaks to others telepathically, while maintaining his native Russian accent. But his powers arent limited to communication. He uses his telepathy for cloaking, shielding, illusions, mental paralysis of others, and mind control. He detects others nearby just from their thoughts. And he shoots extremely powerful psionic blasts.

Dont let those big eyes and wet nose fool you. Oddly enough, Cosmo may be one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. Once Cosmo defeated the powerful Adam Warlock (who will be in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) by himself. However, the MCU has yet to show Cosmo talking or using any of his powers.

Cosmo appeared in several Guardians titles, including both MCU films and a video game. I also highly recommend checking out the Guardians of the Galaxy animated series because Cosmo is wonderful in it. In the Disney+ What If? series, Cosmo joined the alternate version of the Guardians after TChalla rescued him from the Collector.

With Adam Warlock and Nova joining the MCU, two characters Cosmo is linked to, his reappearance seems more than likely. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (premiering later this year) finished filming this week. Director James Gunn posted a photo of his Marvel wrap gifta set of 8 Christmas ornaments. The ornaments feature all the members of the Guardians and Cosmo. Leading fans to speculate, Cosmo may be back.

I sure hope so. Cosmo is the hero we need right now and I am more than ready to see my favorite space dog kick some butt in the MCU.

(feature image: Marvel/Disney)

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Since Everything Is the Worst, Let's Think About Adorable Cosmo the Spacedog - The Mary Sue

"I see Earth! It is so beautiful!"

With those words, spoken by Yuri Gagarin, a new age for humanity was ushered in: the Space Age.

On April 12, 1961, 27-year-old Gagarin, a Russian pilot, became the first person to escape the bonds of Earth and orbit our planet.

Those words were a sharp blow to the United States who, three years earlier, had been beaten by the Soviet Union in its attempt to get a satellite into orbit.

But the Soviet Union wasn't done yet.

While the U.S. followed Gagarin's flight with two of its own Alan Shepard would become the first American in a suborbital flight on May 5, 1961, and John Glenn would follow as the first American to orbit Earth the following February the Soviets would continue to dominate the space race right up until the Americans landed on the moon.

"The Soviet space program was quite significant," said Asif Siddiqi, a professor and space historian at Fordham University in New York. "They had a whole slew of firsts early on in the space race: the first satellite, first human being in space, first woman in space, the first probe to the moon, the first spacewalk, I mean, you can just go on. It's endless."

Today, Russia's space program is but a whisper of its former self. And its invasion of Ukraine which has resulted in threats and barbs lofted towardthe U.S. from the Russian space agency's head, Dmitry Rogozin may have relegated its spacelegacy tothe history booksas it alienates past scientific partners and focuses its research on warfare.

Rogozin's warnings have come in the form of tweets. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he's told Americans that they'd have to use broomsticks to get to the International Space Station (ISS) after Russia stopped the sale of some rocket engines to the country.

While NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei was on the space station awaiting a ride home on a Russian capsule, Rogozin suggested Russia would leave him stranded. (The astronaut returned safely on March 30.)

Rogozin even shared a strange video showing a Russian segment of the station detaching, leaving Americans behind, suggesting that Russia would opt out of participating with the 15 countries involved in the space station.

"He's such a corrosive personality, tweeting all sorts of crazy stuff," Siddiqui said. "A good manager would have just kept their mouth shut and kept doing whatever, because their goal right now is: how does the [space] program survive?"

"A good manager would have just started to say that, you know, space is above politics; we're trying to keep the program going. This is about peaceful exploration, science but he didn't."

While Russia has continued to maintain a presence on the ISS, alongside other countries, including Canada, it is the American space program led by NASA that has been a stalwart in space exploration. (The Americans did, however, rely on Russian Soyuz rockets to get to the space station between 2011 and 2020 after NASA mothballed its space shuttle program.)

Russia, meanwhile, appears to have stepped away from a focus on human spaceflight and exploration to one that is more geared toward military applications, Siddiqui said.

"Space is not a priority and has never been a priority for the Putin government," the space historian said. "But to the extent that space is a priority, they put money into military stuff like anti-satellite systems and all sorts of weapons and things like that."

And that hasn't been too well received.

On Nov. 15, 2021, Russia fired a missile and destroyed one of its own satellites as part of an anti-satellite test. The fallout was more than 1,500 pieces of trackable debris that not only posed a danger to other satellites but also required astronauts aboard the ISS including two Russians to take shelter for fear of debris damaging the station. Countries and agencies condemned the action far and wide.

But Russia made no apologies. And now with the invasion of Ukraine has isolated the country more than ever.

The European Space Agency (ESA) had several missions that they were working on with Roscosmos, including three lunar landers as part of the Luna mission. But the agency has since halted operations with Roscosmos.

"The Russian aggression against Ukraine and the resulting sanctions put in place represent a fundamental change of circumstances and make it impossible for ESA to implement the planned lunar cooperation," the agency said in a statement released April 13.

Roscosmos also pulled its team out of launch facilities in Kourou, French Guiana, which is considered the European space port.

These recent developments have left Russia alone in a space economy that is now booming.

The Russian space program has faced many challenges since the collapse of the Soviet Union but never more so since President Vladimir Putin gained power.

"Their space program has had a lot of rough sledding in recent years. The economic problems have affected the space program. People are aging," said Chris Gainor, a spaceflight historian and past president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. "And then the sanctions that have been striking Russia's economy since the first go-round with Ukraine in 2014 have also been striking the Russian space program."

There have been issues with corruption around the construction of a new launch port in Siberia. Putin's biggest critic, Alexei Navalny also went on the attack criticizing Roscosmos' spending.

For a space agency that was once the best in the world, it's now facing a host of problems.

"Post 1991, the Russian space program has been a shadow of its former self," Siddiqui said. But, he noted, "It's still a major player."

And it's now looking to partner with China.

While the U.S., Canada, Europe and several other countries have signed on to the Lunar Gateway project that will see a space station built in lunar orbit to serve as a jumping-off point to the moon and eventually the hope is Mars, Russia has opted instead to work with China on a moon base to be built at the moon's south pole.

China is also launching an asteroid sample mission in 2024 that will be using some Russian instruments.

These efforts, however, have been pushed by China as it seeks partners, not the other way around.

The crumbling space relationship between the East and the West was not entirely unexpected, according to Siddiqui.

"The writing was on the wall that this relationship would come to an end, mostly because of the Russians," he said. "Already in the 2010s, because of our goals, and because of Putin, I think there was a sense that they're very hard to deal with. And so I think already, before the invasion, people were talking about detangling from the Russians."

Still, its legacy has played a significant role in ongoing space exploration even if it may fade.

"China's doing some amazing things, and they've also been encouraging their private sector, which I think is important," Gainor said. "Russia could well be left behind in the dust [and] unfortunately, the important part of Russia's contribution to space is going to be kind of left up to space historians like me."

Original post:

Russia's space legacy is 'a shadow of its former self' and Ukraine invasion isn't helping - CBC News

Zinger brief:

Terran Orbital ($LLAP), a manufacturer of small satellites primarily serving the United States aerospace and defense industry, went public via a SPAC IPO on March 28, 2022.

Following the companys debut in the public markets, Terran Orbitals Chairman and CEO, Marc Bell, answered questions from retail investors via Public.com. Heres an exclusive recap of the Town Hall event for Benzinga readers.

How do you envision the future of the space industry?

Marc Bell: As satellites have become easier and less expensive to launch, and demand for space-based data continues to exponentially increase, our corner of the space market sits at a turning point, with analysts expecting that over 50,000 satellites will be launched over the next decade. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites will provide the backbone of the short- and medium-term space infrastructure for commercial and government users across the world.

What are some use-cases for small satellites within the space economy?

MB: The data provided by small satellites can be applied to a number of use cases weather prediction, agriculture (like remote monitoring of crops health or droughts), monitoring air and shipping lanes, securing imagery of terrestrial events (like the explosion in the port of Beirut, troop buildup on Russian border), among a number of other use cases with commercial, civil, and government applications.

What is Terran Orbitals 5-year vision now that youve become a publicly-traded company?

MB: We're thrilled to have gone public with our stock listed on NYSE under the symbol $LLAP (an abbreviation for the Star Trek salute, Live Long and Prosper). In the near term, our core objectives which we believe will continue to elevate us and enable us to further define the small satellite industry remain to execute on two previously announced projects: to build one of the world's largest, most advanced persistent earth observation constellations, and to build one of the world's largest vertically integrated satellite manufacturing facilities. We expect to leverage these pioneering projects to continue to deliver best-in-class satellite solutions to our military, commercial and civil customers.

What are some of the biggest challenges players in the space industry face, and how is Terran Orbital addressing these challenges?

MB: The space economy is really at an inflection point as demand for space-based data exponentially increases, and we're seeing an increased focus on national defense space capabilities. Our government partners have faced an ongoing challenge they require data extremely quickly and at an extremely high resolution, and they need to be confident this information will be delivered reliably. Terran Orbitals vertically integrated, end-to-end satellite solutions business delivers both the immediate data and the certainty of mission success we have already built a strong manufacturing footprint and legacy of mission success, and we are planning to build one of the world's largest advanced earth observation constellation to provide that real-time, high-definition, tactically relevant data.

There is a lot of talk about too much space junk. Any viable solutions on the horizon?

MB: The space debris issue is an issue that has been known for years. We call it a latent issue meaning that although it might not affect you currently, it is only going to get worse unless the entire community decides to take some action. We believe in self-regulation and self-preservation principles because we all understand the problem is just going to expand unless every member of the community works to solve it. Terran Orbital has been coordinating within the community and has even built satellites capable of detecting and tracking debris in orbit.

Would you be interested in partnering with SpaceX to further advance the technology that you are currently using?

MB: Terran Orbital has built strong partnerships with many of the private launch vehicle providers which also include private space travel companies. Terran Orbital is one of SpaceX's first Rideshare customers and is continuing to maintain a special relationship thanks to the complementarity and mutual respect between the two companies.

With Russian conflicts ongoing, will there be more collaboration among US-based aerospace and defense industry companies to achieve the common goal of space exploration?

MB: On the one hand, as we saw when NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei [recently] returned to Earth with two cosmonauts on a Russian Soyuz MS-19 spacecraft, the USA and Russia continue to cooperate on space mission operations despite conflict on Earth. However, US-based aerospace and defense companies are among the most innovative in the industry, and public-private partnerships between US-based space companies and US government institutions have been increasing for several years now in an effort to both advance human space exploration and support our national defense space capabilities. Terran is proud to partner with US-based industry leaders as well as government institutions like NASA and the Space Development Agency to continue advancing the entire US space industry.

Public.com members can view the full Q&A in the app. Open To The Public Investing is a member of FINRA and SIPC. This content is not investment advice. Investing involves risk of loss.

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EXCLUSIVE: Terran Orbital CEO On The Future Of The Space Economy And Emerging Satellite Use Cases - Benzi - Benzinga

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World Deep Space Exploration Market 2022-2030 Scope And Forecast: Airbus, Astrobotic, Axiom Space, Bradford, Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin ...