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Editor: Published by the British Interplanetary Society David Baker, PhD, BSc, FBIS, FRHS Sub-editor: Volume 59 No. 8 August 2017 Ann Page Production Assistant: 292-293 The Global Space Industry Ben Jones In response to questions about the cost of space programmes and the Spaceflight Promotion: benefits that accrue, Spaceflight introduces a new periodic feature called Gillian Norman FACTCHECKER, which will address a specific issue in contention and Spaceflight attempt to find out the truth behind the headlines. Arthur C. Clarke House, 27/29 South Lambeth Road, 294-295 China’s First Space Station Plans London, SW8 1SZ, England. Renowned analyst of Russian and Chinese space missions, trajectories Tel: +44 (0)20 7735 3160 and projections, Philip Clark examines the build-up to China’s first major Fax: +44 (0)20 7582 7167 space station complex and explains the various elements which will go Email: [email protected] into its assembly. www.bis-space.com ADVERTISING 299 Women first? Tel: +44 (0)1424 883401 Recent studies of physiological reactions to long duration space Email: [email protected] flight reveals that women are better equipped to survive the trip than DISTRIBUTION men. Why is this so and what are the implications for protection from Spaceflight may be received worldwide by prohibitively high levels of radiation? mail through membership of the British Interplanetary Society. Details including Library 300-302 Stations in LEO – and beyond subscriptions are available from the above In the second part of a two-part examination of future plans for human address. space flight goals in the next decade or so, we examine the options for * * * maintaining stations in Earth orbit and for placing new facilities around Spaceflight is obtainable from UK newsagents the Moon. and other retail outlets in many countries. In the event of difficulty contact: Warners 303-304 Genetic gifts and a Mars mission Group Distribution, The Maltings, Manor Lane, Bourne, Lincolnshire PE10 9PH, England. William Rowe MD looks at challenges faced by humans on flights to Tel: +44 (0)1778 391 000 Mars and asks whether we have learned anything at all from the Moon Fax: +44 (0)1778 393 668 missions of the Apollo era.

* * * 305-307 Talking to Icarus Spaceflight is a publication which promotes the Peter Milne takes time from his work on the Icarus interstellar study to mission of The British Interplanetary Society. Opinions in signed articles are those of the report on challenges to communicating with space probes at our nearest contributors and do not necessarily reflect the stellar neighbours. views of the Editor or the Council of the British Interplanetary Society. * * * Back issues of Spaceflight are available from the Society. For details of issues and prices go Regular Features to www.bis-space.com or send an sae to the address at top. 284-286 News Analysis – More Phantom than Express? – The Future’s Bright * * * Published monthly by the British Interplanetary 286 A Letter from the Editor Society. Registered Company No: 402498. Registered Charity No: 250556. Printed in the 287 Briefing notes – news shorts from around the world UK by Latimer Trend & Company Ltd. * * * 288-290 ISS Report – 9 May - 8 June 2017 Copyright © British Interplanetary Society 2017 ISSN 0038-6340. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced 308 Flashback – A regular feature looking back 50 years ago this month or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo- copying or recording by any information storage 309-311 Satellite Digest – 534 May 2017 or retrieval system without written permission from the Publishers. Photocopying permitted 313 Shelf – Space Shuttle 1972-2013 by license only.

* * * 314-317 Society News – Sir Arthur Clarke Awards – Sino-Russian Technical Forum – The British Interplanetary Society is a company limited by guarantee. IAC Student Paper Competition

Mission 318 What’s On The British Interplanetary Society promotes the exploration and use of space for the benefit of humanity, by connecting people to create, educate and inspire, and advance knowledge in Cover image: An artist’s depiction of the Boeing Phantom Express, a rapid-response solution to all aspects of astronautics. replacing medium class satellites in Earth orbit with a reusable first stage (see pages 284-285). Boeing

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Boeing’s Phantom Express could be flying by 2020 demonstrating a piggy-back ride for an expendable upper stage delivering small satellites to orbit. Boeing

Winged spaceplanes are back – as spacecraft capable of sustained in- AR-22, the reusable cryogenic engines will orbit flight for long duration missions, such as the X-37B, or as a new have to meet a tougher requirement, flying 10 generation of winged rocket stages defined under the US Experimental missions in 10 days during the demonstration Spaceplane-1 (XS-1) programme. phase. Currently, DARPA have contracted for two AR-22 engines. anaged by the Defense Advanced the way. While several of these were based on The specification for XS-1 is daunting and Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the concept of Single-Stage-To-Orbit (SSTO), requires a system capable of turnaround within XS-1 originated in 2013 when the in the last decade emphasis has switched to 24 hours, a consecutive operational sequence Mescalating cost of launching vital satellites and recoverable first stages lifting expendable of one flight for 10 successive days, as with spacecraft crucial to the national interest was a upper stages with their costly payloads. the demonstration run, and at a launch cost restraint on capabilities and applications – there Now there is the XS-1 programme, initially of $5 million per flight for delivering a 1,800 was just too much money going into getting off with three teams vying for a credible solution kg satellite to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The the ground and up into orbit. The search for a and government contracts to build and fly: recoverable, winged first stage must have solution began long ago, originating with paper Boeing teamed with Blue Origin; Masten Space autonomous fly-back capability (similar to the studies by von Braun during the 1960s into the Systems teamed with XCOR Aerospace; and X-37B, although there are some differences recovery of Saturn rocket stages employing Northrop Grumman with Virgin Galactic. Unlike there). parachutes and paragliders. Fast forward a other DARPA work, the object here was not to Named Phantom Express by Boeing, overall decade and NASA began building a reusable hand off the project to a US Air Force team but the winged spaceplane will have a total length Shuttle, ostensibly to lower the cost of getting to retain it as an industry/agency partnership, of 30.5 m, a wing span of 19 m, a height of 7.3 payloads into orbit. saving costs and gaining maximum m and a body diameter of 4.1 m, incorporating After it was recognised that the Space Shuttle amortisation from the seed investment. integral cryogenic tanks for its liquid hydrogen/ was more costly (per kg lifted) than expendable Phase 1 morphed into Phase 1B and liquid oxygen propellants. There are distinct rockets, several options were tried, only to be earlier this year DARPA selected Boeing to similarities to the Boeing X-37B and the consigned to the dustbin of failed ideas: the build the XS-1, but with propulsion provided double-delta wing planform shares the same X-30 National Aerospace Plane of the 1980s, by reworked early-phase Space Shuttle Main cross-sections but with significant upswept Delta Clipper and the X-33 Venture Star of the Engines (SSMEs) assembled from parts outer panels, or winglets. Winglets are helpful 1990s, and several intermediate projects along provided by Aerojet Rocketdyne. Designated in preventing air spilling over from the top of

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the wing to the undersurface and causing instability at slow speed. They also inhibit vortexes forming and lessen the induced drag.

Challenges The XS-1 will employ advanced materials technology, tested on the X-37B, as well as third-generation thermal protection which has been evaluated after long duration flights in orbit. Other DARPA induced technologies include Autonomous Flight Termination, an Automated Launch Coordination Tool and the Rapid Mission Planning Tool, elements of each are being incorporated into the spaceplane which is, itself, a research tool as well and one which could lead to an evolution. Scaled up for supporting a fly-back, upper stage payload delivery system, the potential for growth is built in. The key operating advantage of the Phantom Express is that it will cut the time-to- launch as well as the cost, putting defence and The main aim of DARPA’s XS-1 programme is to lower launch costs per kilogramme by an order of reinforcement of national security assets as the magnitude and if that can be achieved it will prove a game-changer. DARPA priority. This is so that replacement satellites and replenishment of applied services can be achieved with minimum delay, which is to establish reconstitution of small satellite complementing the evolving medium to heavy- impossible to achieve with today’s launch constellations, which are seen as the antidote lift capabilities of SpaceX and Blue Origin. fleet. Resilience is at the heart of the new-look to ever-spiralling cost and price escalation. The Critical Design Review is scheduled defence and national security strategy across There is a determined drive on the part of for early 2018, followed by a start on the flight many platforms from manned aircraft to space- the US Department of Defense to downsize test phase in 2020. The programme is going based assets. spacecraft to below 4.5 tonnes, a category in a hurry. But we have been here before, and These ambitious capabilities demand a which mission model projections show will there are other cost-cutting ways to deliver hidden side to the project but one as equally grow from 500 in 2017 to 1,150-2,000 from small satellites to orbit. And what of the wider as important as the design – the smooth 2021 onwards. implications, the fact that, combined, the new operability from hangar-based facilities, rapid It is the split between government and generation of European launchers such as deployment and launch and, potentially, the commercial opportunities which has driven Vega and Ariane 6 will then be too expensive to ability to operate from land, from barges or interest from XS-1 contenders, and now compete against a spectrum of launchers with from mobile units, although the latter may Boeing specifically as the prime contractor. the new spaceplane at one end and the Falcon be too ambitious. From the outset, the XS-1 This will not be a system owned by the Air series at the other? programme stipulated a minimum launch Force for government payloads but a capability DARPA and the Air Force have chosen an control centre, perhaps a vehicle with only shared with the private and commercial sector. express route in search of low cost, small a handful of personnel, with automated In focusing on the small satellite market, which satellite lift capability but it may yet turn out to propellant and fluid loading and countdown is where the military have chosen to look for be a passing phantom in the night – so many capability. easily replaceable systems, the Phantom similar ideas in the past have evaporated in the A major programme driver is the ability Express could find great commercial potential, cool light of day. THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT! ow that the British government This optimistic message proclaimed by Tim The next ESA astronaut to fly to the ISS, has firmly accepted the merit of Peake at the UK Space Conference, held in Paolo Nespoli will begin a six-month sojourn contributing to the European Space Manchester for three days from 30 May, was aboard the station following launch aboard NAgency’s human space flight programmes, endorsed by Dr David Parker, ESA’s Director Soyuz MS-05 on 28 July for Expedition 52/53. many additional opportunities exist for the of Human Spaceflight and Robotic Exploration, He will be followed in 2018 by Alexander UK’s sole ESA astronaut on flights extending who outlined plans for utilisation of the Gerst, a fellow inductee of Tim Peake, making out into the next decade. And much of that International Space Station at least through to his second flight and presently assigned to will contribute to an increasing use of Tim the middle of the next decade. In August Tim become ISS commander. Luca Parmitano is Peake to promote STEM subjects, who will Peake will leave the Johnson Space Center, scheduled to follow Gerst on the ESA flight continue to serve as an ambassador for British Houston, for the European Astronaut Centre in roster and Tim Peake may follow on in 2019. aerospace capabilities in science, technology Cologne, Germany, where he will take up a new By this date there is a chance that flights to and engineering. position as head of Crew Operations Support. the ISS will be conducted from US soil utilising

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the SpaceX Dragon crew capsule and the continuing involvement with the International Boeing CST-100 Starliner, which will mix crew Space Station, ExoMars, commercial science flights with the Soyuz spacecraft. Sustained activity in low-Earth orbit and on to NASA’s UK participation in the European Life and Deep Space Gateway (see Spaceflight Vol 59, Physical Science in Space (ELIPS) programme No 7, pp 252-259). will ensure a second expeditionary visit for In his presentation, David Parker reminded Peake and further added value for stimulating his audience that ESA is heavily committed interest in STEM subjects as well as a general to international projects, not least of which is motivation for children and young students. the European Service Module for the Orion This would be good news for the UK Space spacecraft, an outstanding example of just Agency (UKSA) and for sustained enthusiasm how far European aerospace technology in the UK; Peake’s Expedition 46/47 mission and engineering has come. For the first time attracted higher followings on social media than in 60 years, the significant component of an any other ESA astronaut and his popularity in American manned spacecraft is being built the country at large is unprecedented for a outside the United States. Of course, this is a European astronaut. In addition, the UKSA barter agreement in which ESA gets access to mobilised 30 educational projects involving the ISS and its astronauts get to participate in more than 10,000 schools involving 1.6 million expeditions to the orbiting laboratory. young people committed to following his Future prospects depend on whether, when mission. the ISS is finally decommissioned, ESA and However, there are reasons why Tim Peake NASA continue the international agreement should not be too keen on getting back into Hang in there Tim! Opportunities are knocking at on to the deep-space programmes that both space, issues concerning his exposure to the door. ESA would like to engage upon, subject to political radiation being a limiting factor in how much approval and financial expediency. These his body can take and still remain relatively but he may be running out of his radiation could include future human space flight healthy (see page 299 this issue). And that is ceiling defined by the total dosage absorbed programmes and, perhaps, the provision of predicated on the assumption that he may have and this personal physiological response map. essential elements in the long-term aspirations the opportunity to fly deep-space missions on These are critical issues but the opportunities for scientific research stations on the Moon and NASA’s Orion spacecraft in the early to mid- are not limited to Tim Peake alone. Beginning human flights to Mars. If ESA hardware can be 2020s. this year, ESA is operating the European traded for time in space, Tim Peake may yet Not only will Tim Peake be in his 50s when Exploration Envelope Programme, a six-phase get to the Moon, if not perhaps to Mars. these opportunities arise (the first manned effort stretching from 2017 through to the next Thanks to Nick Spall for conversations which flight of Orion is not expected before 2022), decade and which embraces existing and provided background to this analysis.

he space world is changing fast and a through retro-propulsion and parachutes, China and only a single Act of Congress new generation of launch vehicles is the little guy in the mix will launch like an stands in the way of the United States promising a revolution in pricing, costs expendable rocket and fly back to land on a participating too. With a draconian lock- Tand frequency of flight. In this issue we look runway - automatically. Phantom Express is out, NASA is prevented from doing any at the outstanding possibilities afforded by addressing a market which is expected to grow cooperative deals with China at a more the Phantom Express, a reusable first-stage exponentially over the next two decades as the comprehensive level than was ever invoked for placing small satellites in orbit. With the cost of launching small satellites crosses the against the former Soviet Union. potential to grow to a fully reusable two-stage financial threshold of big, long-life platforms There is no need for this and it has to configuration, are we back to the Integral expensive to launch and costly to replace. stop. America needs to be involved – it has Launch and Re-entry Vehicle (ILRV) studies The global space market too is seeing much to offer and should not be restrained of the late 1960s? And we all know that this phenomenal growth and the UK is well placed by the single prejudice of a lone campaigning led to the Space Shuttle, compromised by the to take an expanding percentage of the gross Congressman in 2011, Representative Frank need to redesign it down to the fiscal limits value in contracts, manufacturing and sales Wolff. Fearing possible theft of intellectual imposed by Congress. of existing bus lines. We look at that growth property and applied technologies which But whereas the Shuttle ended up adapting in this issue of Spaceflight and find out where could be used for military purposes, Wolff to changing operating requirements, evolving the big tickets are found, as government space drew together a consensus based on even after orbital flights began from a quasi- expenditure declines and revenue-earning suspicion and distrust. At a stroke, NASA is commercial satellite-lifter to a conveyor of streams make it more profitable to invest in forbidden from doing deals with China, even exclusively government payloads after the expanding sectors. though former Administrator Charlie Bolden, Challenger disaster, the new generation of But, of those government programmes, with hands tied went to talk to the Chinese to reusable lifters is driven by the market. And steady progress achieved by China portends keep the potential for cooperation alive. that makes a lot of sense. a shift in low-Earth orbit human space flight We will never get to face the real challenges Whether Falcon or New Shepard, and the research opportunities it will provide offered by space if we continue to operate in reusability is here to stay and while the heavy for international players. Europe and Asian a vacuum created by bitterness and division, lifters like these may rely on returning stages countries are warming to cooperation with an approach even our astronauts detest.

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the back-shell release time, but because of undetected by dedicated anti-ballistic Briefing notes the earlier assumption that the vehicle was missile radars, which are designed to inverted it ordered immediate back-shell capture and track re-entry vehicles lofted • The European Space Agency has and parachute separation. That occurred to high altitude by ICBMs before plunging completed its analysis of what caused the at 14:46:49 with the thrusters switched on through the atmosphere to their targets. loss of the ExoMars 2016 Schiaparelli at 14:46:51 but these were commanded off But Russia’s Voronezh system, which is lander on 19 October 2016 when it three seconds later. capable of acquiring targets at a range of plummeted to the surface of Mars instead The rationale for that was the estimation 4,000 km with centimetre and decimetre of conducting a soft landing as planned. that the energy management, the combined radar and is currently deployed all around The complex sequence of events began values of altitude and vertical velocity, were the Russian border, will probably detect when the lander separated from the lower than the pre-set threshold. Because the AHW, which will hug the atmosphere Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) at an Earth time the estimation of altitude was very big and at 160 km altitude before spearing toward (UTC) of 14:42:00 three days prior to the negative, the negative potential energy its target. This technology has been looked scheduled landing. It was awakened from was considerably higher than the positive at for the airborne launch of upper stages hibernation at 13:29:48 on 19 October kinetic energy (the square of the velocity) carrying satellites to low Earth orbit. and began decelerating in the Martian and this forced the thrusters to shut down. atmosphere at 14:42:22. From an altitude of 3.7 km Schiaparelli Triggered by the accelerometers, • The development of hypersonic was in free-fall to the surface with impact parachute deployment occurred at vehicles is taking on a momentum at 14:47:28, 37 seconds short of the 14:45:23 at an included angle-of-attack fuelled by political competition between expected soft landing time, at a velocity of of 6.5º and a lateral angular rate of less major powers. Just days after Russia 150 m/sec. than 3º/sec. as predicted. The time from carried out a significant test in April 2016, In responding to the failure report, parachute deploy to peak deceleration China followed with a demonstration of recommendations for action in regard was less than one second, as predicted, its own, demonstrating the DZ-ZF, which to ExoMars 2020 include enhanced but this triggered some oscillations at 2.5 previously had been known as the WU- modelling of oscillating forces at parachute Hz with oscillations exceeding expected 14. Theoretically, the DZ-ZF can reach deployment and several changes to values beginning 0.2 sec after the mortars speeds of up to more than 12,500 km/ accommodate out-of-tolerance parameters fired to release the parachutes. These hr and first flew in 2014. Vehicles such for software options, but also to involve rates triggered a saturation flag and the as these can be launched to hypersonic NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory guidance software integrated an angular speeds by the DF-21 or DF-31 ballistic in checking and cross-validating the entire rate which was assumed to be equal to the missiles, while Russia is developing its entry, descent and landing process for saturation threshold rate. Yu-70 and the more advanced Yu-71 and what will be a vital mission for ESA’s future Believing it to have compensated, the Yu-74, all of which are capable of being Mars exploration programmes. lander was still oscillating and this led the launched by the UR-100N or the RS-28. guidance system to display an incorrect, In both Russia and China there is growing • With a potential influence on propulsion but assumed, attitude of about 165º in concern over America’s prompt global systems which may find application in the which the entry vehicle was inverted. After strike programme which is threatening space programme, the DARPA Falcon full parachute inflation the oscillations to destabilise the strategic and tactical Project is gearing up for the final stage damped to less than 3º/sec around pitch balance. Watch for highly significant of development toward an operational and yaw axes. The front shield was developments with hypersonic propulsion, Advanced Hypersonic Weapon system jettisoned at 14:46:03 UTC and the Radar which is about to take a leap forward and (AHW). Launched by a conventional Doppler Altimeter (RDA) was switched on embrace some unlikely technologies (see rocket to near-Earth space, the AHW 16 seconds later providing coherent slant Spaceflight Vol 59, No 7, pp244-246), would accelerate to 21,600 km/hr, flying a ranges with no indications of an anomaly. and have a surprising impact on space flat trajectory just outside the atmosphere Consistency checks displayed delta vehicles. velocity and delta attitude, with altitude The Schiaparelli lander as it should have extrapolated from the guidance platform • In news that has shocked entrenched “Old appeared slowly descending to the surface of projecting slant range. Space” diehards, SpaceX has secured a Mars in October last year. ESA Because of the earlier erroneous contract to launch the X-37B spaceplane determination that the entire package later this year (probably August) for the US was inverted, an assumption which did Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office run by not impede parachute retardation, the its director Randy Walden. The X-37B has guidance system locked out calculations been successfully launched four times by of altitude. And because the consistency the Atlas V, which to date has a string of checks could not verify the altitude, after 61 successful launches, but the launcher five seconds of attempting this, at 14:46:46 of choice now shifts to the Falcon 9. The the RDA was prematurely forced into the significant item here is that it takes two loop based on the logic that a landing years to build a Falcon 9 and the decision could not be achieved without it. to change providers must have been made The guidance system immediately entered mid-2015, as each is uniquely tailored the terminal descent programme, where in several minor respects for specific the altitude was diagnosed to determine missions.

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By George Spiteri

Orbital ATK’s Cygnus module attached to the ISS. Orbital ATK

n 9 May, Whitson and Fischer airlock over an hour late at 13:08 UTC on 12 the arrival of commercial crew vehicles at the continued to prepare for their May after they were forced to share a Service ISS in the future. The EVA lasted 4hrs 13mins spacewalk by donning EMU suits and and Cooling Umbilical (SCU) when a small and was the 200th spacewalk dedicated to ISS Oconducting a full dress rehearsal, also working water leak was detected in a second SCU assembly and maintenance. with NASA’s OsteoOmics experiment, which connected to Fischer’s suit. The SCU is an The crew had a light-duty weekend 13/14 compares how bones adapt to space, and airlock component which provides electricity, May, conducting housekeeping chores, talking stowed leaves in the Minus Eighty-Degree cooling and communications to the crew when to family and friends and stowing their EVA Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI) harvested performing pre-breathe exercises inside the gear. On 15 May, Whitson resumed work with for NASA’s Veg-03 botany study. airlock. This resulted in additional draw in the OsteoOmics experiment, whilst Fischer, Whitson continued to work with the battery power from the suits forcing ground Novitskiy and Yurchikhin performed the joint OsteoOmics experiment on 10 May, whilst controllers to shorten the duration of the EVA. NASA-Russian Fluid Shifts study, which Pesquet joined Yurchikhin for a muscle study The astronauts removed and replaced a investigates the causes of lasting physical using electrodes attached to their legs while 91 kg Express Pallet Controller Assembly changes to crewmember’s vision and eye exercising for (ExPCA) avionics damage. ESA’s Sarcolab ‘…a small water leak was box, located on investigation. detected in a second SCU the S3 truss with CubeSats deploy Fischer took time connected to Fischer’s suit.’ one which was The start of a veritable feast of CubeSats out to answer questions from students at delivered by the latest Orbital ATK Cygnus delivered by Cygnus were deployed from Kibo his alma mater, the Massachusetts Institute OA-7 vehicle (Spaceflight Vol 59 No.7 pp starting with the first three at 08:24 UTC on 16 of Technology (MIT), which included an 248-9). ExPCA supplies electricity and data May. Over three hours later three more US built unexpected chat with Apollo 11 veteran Mike connections to external science experiments CubeSats were launched. Pesquet, Novitskiy Collins who praised his “work up there”. and hardware. Despite the abbreviated and Yurchikhin conducted more Fluid Shifts Whitson and Fischer conducted final spacewalk, Whitson and Fischer managed eye tests, whilst Whitson did further research preparations for their spacewalk on 11 May, to complete several other tasks, including with the OsteoOmics experiment. including a procedures conference with the installing a connector which will route data to Five more CubeSats were deployed on ground and a tool audit. Whitson also swapped the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02 (AMS- 17 May. Two further CubeSats from the US bone cell media inside the Microgravity 02). were released several hours later. Fischer Science Glovebox (MSG) which were stowed Fischer also repaired insulation at the worked with NASA’s Genes in Space-2 and in the MELFI for return to Earth aboard a future connecting point of the Japanese robotic arm -3 experiments. The former is looking at SpaceX Dragon. and installed a protective shield on Pressurised telomere changes in space which contributes Whitson and Fischer exited the Quest Mating Adapter-3 (PMA-3). PMA-3 will host to understanding how spaceflight affects

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telomere length and in turn, astronaut heath 39 crewmembers Rick Mastracchio and Steve is now the world’s third most experienced on future missions and the latter seeks to Swanson (Spaceflight Vol 56 No.7 pp 252-3). spacewalker, having accumulated 60 hrs 21 establish a robust, user-friendly DNA sample Whitson and Fischer spent a second day mins of EVA time behind Russian Anatoly preparation process to enable biological on 22 May preparing for their unscheduled Solovyev and Lopez-Alegria. monitoring. Whitson assisted Novitskiy and spacewalk, with the help of Pesquet they Whitson and Fischer stored their EVA gear Fischer with ultrasound scans as for the Fluid gathered their tools, checked the EMU suits on 24 May whilst Novitskiy worked with the Shifts study whilst Yurchikhin conducted and reviewed procedures. Russian Cosmocard medical experiment various maintenance activities in the Russian and joined Yurchikhin to talk to students from segment. MDM replacement Tomsk State University in Siberia. Zvezda’s engines were fired for 13 seconds Whitson and Fischer began their EVA at On 25 May, Whitson and Fischer began at 21:35 UTC on 17 May to boost altitude by 350 11:20 UTC on 23 May, Whitson successfully several days of on board training in preparation metres to place the complex in a 401.8 x 424.0 replacing the failed MDM despite running into for the arrival of the next Dragon unmanned km orbit to accommodate the departure of the minor difficulties when she attempted to install commercial vehicle. The crew also worked with next Soyuz. More CubeSats were released on the replacement data relay box. Whitson felt NASA’s Body Measures experiment, which 18 May, these from South Korea, South Africa, the central primary central bolt holding the examines how an astronaut’s shape changes the US, Greek and French institutions. MDM in place wasn’t as secure as expected during spaceflight. Observations may result in Whitson performed more eye tests for the and reported small flecks of debris floating a new design for space clothing and spacecraft Fluid Shifts experiment, whilst Yurchikhin from the vicinity of the central bolt hole. Fischer work areas to improve mission effectiveness. assisted Pesquet with the Lower Body Negative retrieved a cleaning tool from Quest to assist Pesquet tweeted a photo of himself conducting Pressure (LBNP) suit which draws fluids into Whitson spray compressed nitrogen into the maintenance on ESA’s BioLab facility inside the lower body preventing face swelling and primary bolt hole ‘Whitson…reported small flecks Columbus. BioLab elevated head pressure. Fischer worked with and two secondary supports biological NASA’s high intensity, low volume Sprint fittings to clean out of debris floating from the vicinity experiments on experiment, which aims to improve muscle, the debris. of the central bolt hole.’ microorganisms, bone and cardiovascular health in space. He The MDM was re-installed, although two of cells, tissue cultures, small plants and also scanned his thigh and calf muscles with an the three bolts did not drive in as many turns invertebrates. ultrasound device to help doctors understand as expected. Mission control decided the MDM A total of 17 CubeSats were deployed the impact of these exercise techniques. was firmly in place and a few minutes later on 25/26 May. These were part of the QB50 Fischer devoted most of 19 May conducting ground controllers activated the replacement constellation provided by countries around routine maintenance to one of the EMU MDM and reported it to be working normally. the world. Novitskiy and Pesquet conducted a suits inside Quest and worked with NASA’s The other task of the spacewalk involved Soyuz descent drill on 26 May in preparation NeuroMapping experiment, which tests Fischer installing a pair of antennas outside for their return to Earth and Pesquet completed how the human brain structure and function Destiny to enhance wireless communication several days of work with ESA’s Reaching and changes in space. Novitskiy performed blood for future EVAs. Grasping (GRASP) experiment investigating st pressure measurements for a Russian medical The 201 ISS spacewalk lasted 2 hrs 46 the role gravity plays with the human nervous study and Whitson and Fischer ended the mins, bringing the total time crews have spent system. working week by answering questions from outside the Station to 1250 hrs 41 mins. The crew devoted the first of two days to students in Utah. This was Whitson’s tenth EVA, sharing the Canada’s Vascular Echo experiment on 29 One of two fully redundant Enhanced US record with Michael Lopez-Alegria. She May. They conducted ultrasound and blood Processor and Integrated Communications Multiplexer-Demultiplexer (EPIC MDM-1) data Jack Fischer outside the Japanese Kibo module on 12 May during the shortened EVA due to problems with a space suit. NASA relay boxes on the S0 truss failed at 18:13 UTC on 20 May. Flight controllers made several unsuccessful attempts at restoring power and couldn’t discover why the MDM failed. The MDMs on the truss control the functionality of the solar arrays and radiators and provide power to a variety of ISS components. The MDMs have full redundancy and the failure of MDM-1 had no impact on operations. ISS programme managers held an unscheduled meeting the following day and gave approval for Whitson and Fischer to conduct a contingency EVA to replace the failed MDM. Whitson devoted most of 21 May preparing and testing the components of the spare MDM. Ironically, Whitson and Shane Kimbrough installed the failed MDM with upgraded software during an EVA in March. NASA carried out a previous MDM replacement during a similar EVA in April 2014 by Expedition

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from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at KSC, marking the 100th launch from the historic pad. This was the first refurbished Dragon vehicle to fly twice to the ISS, having flown in 2014 on the CRS-4 mission (Spaceflight Vol 56 No.12 p 451). As Dragon made its way to orbit, Falcon 9’s 47 metre tall first stage made a successful touchdown 7 min 41 sec after launch at Cape Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1(LZ-1), 15 km south of LC-39A. Flight Controllers decided to release Cygnus six weeks ahead of schedule because of the changes in the crew’s timeline due to Dragon’s delayed launch. Whitson and Fischer closed the hatches to Cygnus on 3 June and it was unberthed from the Earth facing side of Unity the following day and released by Canadarm2 at 13:10 UTC. This marked the first time there were two US commercial spacecraft in free flight. Cygnus was filled with unwanted items and a further week spent in orbit conducting experiments before its planned demise on 11 June. Peggy Whitson on the ISS’s historic 200th spacewalk, 12 May. NASA Dragon was captured 8 min ahead of pressure measurements to help investigate grown in the Veggie facility as part of the Veg- schedule by Canandarm2 at 13:52 UTC on changes in blood vessels and the heart 03 experiment. 5 June above the east coast of Argentina. whilst in space. They also retrieved all eight Fischer reminded Houston this was the first space bubble detectors which are part of the Soyuz landing reused vehicle to arrive at ISS since Space Canadian RaDI-N study. The detectors were Novitskiy and Pesquet boarded Soyuz MS- Shuttle Atlantis in 2011 (Spaceflight Vol 53 No. used to monitor neutron radiation levels aboard 03/49S and undocked from Rassvet at 10:47 10 pp 388-393). Ground controllers installed the ISS. UTC on 2 June 400 km above the Mongolia/ Dragon onto Harmony’s Earth facing port Whitson achieved another space milestone China border to signal the official start of at 16:07 UTC delivering 2,708 kg of cargo on 30 May, when she surpassed Suni Williams’ Expedition 52. Soyuz performed a 4 min 37sec including three high profile payloads in the record for the longest single spaceflight by a US de-orbit burn at 13:17 UTC. The Descent module vehicle’s unpressurised trunk to study neutron female of 194 days 18 hrs 2 mins (Spaceflight carrying the crew separated from the other two stars, a new articulated external mounting Vol 49 No.9 pp 336-9). Several days later on 4 vehicles at an altitude of 140 km and entered platform for Earth’s science instruments and a June she beat ESA’s Samantha Cristoforetti’s Earth’s atmosphere at 13:47 UTC. TV cameras new type of solar array. record of 199 days 16 hrs 42 mins to achieve captured Soyuz underneath its huge main chute Inside Dragon were 40 mice to study bone the longest single spaceflight by any female 10 minutes before touchdown, which occurred loss and up to 6,000 fruit flies to investigate the mechanisms that cause deterioration of (Spaceflight Vol 57 ‘The NRO acknowledged the craft’s at 14:10 UTC No.8 p 293). (20:10 local time) heart function during long duration spaceflight. Novitskiy and existence but refused to share 147 km south east Dragon also delivered an experiment from Yurchikhin sent any details of its mission.’ of Dzhezkazgan, the Beijing Institute of Technology aimed at down a special message to legendary Soviet Kazakhstan 70 min before local sunset studying the effects of space radiation on DNA era cosmonaut Alexei Leonov on the occasion completing a mission of 196 days 17 hrs 50 min. and the changes in mutation rate, making this of his 83rd birthday and Fischer spoke to The highly secret National Reconnaissance the first Chinese experiment aboard the ISS. KMGH-TV in his home state of Colorado. He Office (NROL-76) satellite (also known as Whitson and Fischer entered Dragon and said it was “kind of fun to be a little creative” USA-276) launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 began several days of unloading its cargo on with food, citing the salmon burritos he ate the rocket in April 2017 made a series of close 6 June. They worked on NASA’s Fine Motor previous evening. passes to the ISS on 3 June. This caused Skills experiment the following day, which Novitskiy and Pesquet spent 31 May packing some space related websites to speculate if investigates how astronauts interact with their Soyuz vehicle with items for return to these passes were coincidence or planned. touch-based technologies. The crew also Earth, whilst Whitson and Fischer conducted The NRO acknowledged the craft’s existence set up the Sprint experiment and prepared further Dragon robotics training and entered but refused to share any details of its mission. samples for protein crystal growth research. the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module A total of six approaches occurred, the closest By 8 June, the crew had completed 8.5 hrs (BEAM) to install a Radiation Environment being approximately 12 km at 14:01 UTC as of Dragon transfers and had 13.5hrs of cargo Monitor (REM) shield onto a REM sensor both spacecraft flew over the South Atlantic. unpacking remaining. Whitson and Fischer inside the habitat. The 3.3 mm thick component Following a two-day delay due to poor also did further work with Sprint and set up was produced by the 3D printer onboard the weather, SpaceX Dragon was launched on the Rodent Research facility, whilst Yurchikhin ISS. The crew completed the final harvest of the CRS-11 mission atop a Falcon 9 rocket conducted maintenance and science tasks leaves for consumption from Chinese cabbage at 21:07 UTC on 3 June (17:05 local time) inside the Russian segment.

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291.indd 291 6/28/2017 9:28:04 AM factchecker The Global Space Industry

Global space industries want to push out beyond the environs of Earth but government money for such endeavour is stagnant. NASA

In the first of a new series, FACTCHECKER will provide verified information At $49.5 billion, the next biggest sector about aspects of the space programme that never quite seem to get a in the private and corporate space world is straight answer. We aim to put that right - and periodically we will address Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), a different issue. of which $27 billion is in chipsats, $17 billion is in traffic information services, $3 billion is ost people are fascinated by space, are funding little more than one-fifth of the total in surveying equipment and $2.9 billion is in some more than others, and it seems space programme. So what’s it all spent on GNSS applications for agriculture, avionics, that a lot of them are impressed and where does it all go? maritime and rail. Third in the private and Mwith the science, the technology and the corporate sector is satellite manufacturing, at engineering. But how much does it cost, they Segments $16.6 billion, followed by launch services at ask? Estimates from people casually asked at As said, more than 78% of the space industry $5.4 billion and commercial remote sensing at random, in admittedly unscientific polls, range is funded within the non-government sector, $1.9 billion. from 10% to 30% of government expenditure. paying for high-skill professions, funding Of the total amount governments worldwide The sheer magnitude of general uncertainty high-tech jobs and supporting three times spent on space in 2015 ($76.7 billion), $37.4 drives this issue to the top of the pile when it the nominated workforce in ancillary and billion (49.5%) was spent by the United States comes to fact checking on space. supplementary industries around the world. of which NASA received $16.7 billion, which is Matters such as this are important, because And almost all of that goes on businesses which 44.6% of that total. The remainder went to the space projects are among a list of things raised feed international companies, corporations and National Reconnaissance Office ($10 billion), by many people when it comes to questioning non-government agencies providing real work the US Air Force ($4.3 billion), the Missile the priorities for government spending. for men and women around the globe. Defense Agency ($4.3 billion), the National Because of that, we thought it would be helpful Specifically, of the $258.3 billion in the Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration ($1.9 to set the record straight and to arm advocates private and corporate space world, $184.6 billion) and the US Navy ($200 million). with proper, verifiable information – because billion (71.5%) goes on telecommunication, In other words, of the total amount the the facts simply amaze the average voter. satellite broadband and TV services and United States spends on space, $18.6 billion In 2015, the last financial year for which equipment. This is broken down into $97.8 goes on civilian programmes but $18.8 there are verified and audited figures, the billion on television, $17.9 billion on Fixed billion goes to the military. Traditionally the global space industry was worth $355 billion. Satellite Service (FSS) business and $9.9 percentage of government money allocated to Of that total, $258.3 billion was spent by billion on other satellite services. civilian programmes has been much smaller. revenue-earning commercial companies or An additional $59 billion on satellite ground In this last audited year, NASA and the private industry, with worldwide government equipment includes $9.6 billion on network NOAA accounted for a mere 0.49% of federal spending on space totalling $76.7 billion, or equipment and $49.4 billion on consumer expenditure in 2015. 21.6% of that total. That amounts to 0.35% of equipment such as personal navigation Of the entire spectrum of public, private and total cumulative global government budgets devices, in-vehicle GPS, satellite TV dishes, corporate space expenditure, 38% goes on of $22 trillion. Few observers of the industry, mobile satellite terminals, etc, but this does not satellite TV and telecommunications, followed even those working in it, realise that taxpayers include mobile ‘phones. by 18% on ground equipment, with satellite

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manufacturing and commercial launch services away. The US market TABLE 1: 2014 Budgets of Major National Global Space Players. accounting for a further 7% and, as identified share in space was Country Space Budget ($B) % of National Budget above, almost 22% is spent by governments growing at 3%/annum until USA 38.1 1.03 on technology development, robotic and the ITAR trade restrictions human space flight and planetary exploration. were brought in during China 10.8 0.36 1999, wiping $9 billion Russia 8.7 3.39 Returns off potential sales and ESA 5.7 n/a Giant mobile data growth through space- starting a decline of 2%/ India 4.3 1.64 annum thereafter. based platforms is growing at a phenomenal Japan 3.4 1.54 rate, increasing from 2.1 exabytes (2.1 billion The hidden value is France* 2.4 0.18 gigabytes) per month at the end of 2014 harder to equate than the Germany* 1.6 0.11 to 3.8 exabytes at the end of 2015 to 30.7 cost but a traditionally exabytes by the end of 2019. Worldwide accepted multiplier is Italy* 1.2 0.13 growth from satellite related industries around five to seven UK* 0.5 0.04 including manufacturing, launch services times the investment for a South Korea 0.4 0.14 and ground equipment has grown from $175 technologically advanced Canada 0.4 0.06 billion in 2011 to $210 billion in 2015. To meet society, or seven to eight Note: Countries marked with a * pay into ESA; France and Germany times for a Third World these demands, several companies have 23%, Italy 14%, UK 9%. filed petitions for clusters and constellations economy. This is because of several hundred to several thousand small the advantages of using a more efficient space- government space spending very much higher, satellites to accommodate demand from global based system can attract higher multiples of while the truth can be almost unbelievably connectivity in Uber and Airbnb alone. invested return per dollar spent. low numbers. For instance, not many people Like the computer industry before it, and It was the reason why, in the 1980s, India realise that to date the NASA Curiosity Mars the first tranche of commercial space activity found it economically affordable to develop a exploration programme over 10 years of which hit the market like a tidal wave in the satellite-based communications and broadcast development and operations will have cost 1980s, when the commercial communication capability when the amount of money to less than 20% the amount spent by the UK on and TV satellites systems began, the number develop a terrestrial equivalent would have the 2012 Olympics, which has been officially of investors in start-up companies is reaching cost three times as much; the added value audited at $14.6 billion. And that’s after epidemic proportions. Between 2001 and which comes from being able to engage with adjustment for inflation. 2015 the number of banks, public markets, revenue earning activities and fund government Whichever way it's cut, the government cake private equity firms, venture capitalists and sponsored domestic manufacturing in science, will always want more slices. But there are few angel investors serving space start-ups and technology and engineering is a hidden, but investments that bring such healthy returns - entrepreneurs increased from two to almost very real, reason for developing countries to and improve the quality of life. 100. go for space based systems. Bottom line: the tax alone paid by space Although not strictly a matter of global space Estimates extracted at random from companies worldwide more than pays for the expenditure, the political factor is never far unscientific polls of the general public place amount governments spend on space.

A propellant dump near the Moon serves as a way station for cislunar taxis and Mars-bound spaceships. Bigelow Aerospace

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station with crews flying aboard Shenzhou spacecraft and cargo freighters flown China’s First Space operationally. In reality, the missions to Tiangong 2 were cut back to just one piloted visit, Shenzhou 11, and one cargo freighter test, Tianzhou Station Plans 1. Additionally, the Tiangong 3 station was cancelled completely. In part this might have By Phillip S Clark been because of delays in introducing the new CZ-5/CZ-5B launch vehicles, with the proposed Tiangong 3 requiring the CZ-5B to place it into orbit. rom the time of China’s first piloted be known as Tiangong 1 when it was launched The modular space station has never been space mission in 2003 it was clear in 2011. Similarly, after the flight of Shenzhou called “Tiangong 3” by the Chinese: only that the programme was planned to 6 Chinese representations of a modular space western observers have used this name. The Flead to a space station. In 2011 and 2016 the station started to appear. Chinese have only ever called it Tiangong Chinese launched the two Tiangong modules During the lead-up to the launch of Tiangong without a serial number, even though none of which acted as targets for the first Chinese 1 China announced its tentative plans for a its individual modules bear that name; here it is dockings and also as expanded living quarters series of missions which would lead to the being called the Tiangong Complex. to allow missions for longer than a week or assembly of a modular space station: The Tiangong Complex can be seen as so. However, to call these small laboratories a Tiangong 1: docking target for piloted China’s equivalent of the Soviet Union’s/ “space station” would be pushing the definition missions, longer stays in orbit than a Russia’s Mir Complex, the core module of somewhat. “solo” Shenzhou would allow. The design China is now close to starting the assembly of Tiangong would form the basis of the which was launched in 1986 and then five of its modular space station – the country’s cargo freighter spacecraft for the modular “plug-on” modules were launched during first true space station – which will eventually space station. 1987-1996. China is planning for the Tiangong comprise three main modules and be Tiangong 2: improved spacecraft like Complex to comprise the Tianhe 1 core module permanently occupied over a period of around Tiangong 1, host for three piloted missions, and then two similar-sized modules, Wentian ten years, maybe more, if plans to extend the cargo freighter tests. and Mengtian, added before 2022. initial station are given the go-ahead. Tiangong 3: never properly defined but Each of these modules will be in the 20-22 possibly based upon the core module for tonnes class at launch and they will be placed A modular station the Tiangong Complex (compare Russian’s into orbit using the CZ-5B. Dockings will use Soon after China’s first piloted space mission in Mir core module with the preceding Salyuts the APAS-derived system which has been 2003 the first illustrations and video animations 6 and 7), allowing longer piloted visits and used on the missions involving Tiangong 1 and of Shenzhou docking with a small orbital operational use of cargo freighters. Tiangong 2. laboratory were released: this laboratory would Tiangong Complex: modular space The free-flying space telescope Xuntian will operate in the same general orbit of the An illustration of the proposed modular space station. In the bottom left is the Tianzhou cargo freighter Tiangong Complex so that it can be serviced docking at the rear longitudinal port of the Tianhe 1 core module in the centre. A piloted Shenzhou by the station’s crew when necessary. It is spacecraft is docked at the front longitudinal port of Tianhe. The designs of the two plug-on modules has possible that China might plan other free-flying changed over the years, and those docked at the radial ports represent Wentian (right-hand port) and Mengtian (left-hand port). Xinhua spacecraft as part of the overall Tiangong Complex. In April 2016 a Chinese presentation was published and much of the following description as well as the illustrations come from that document and the translation supplied online by Steven Pietrobon. The illustrations of the modules and the assembly sequence are taken from the Chinese paper. Unmanned launches using the CZ-5B and the CZ-7 vehicles will be from the Wenchang site, while the piloted Shenzhou spacecraft will continue to use the CZ-2F vehicle from Jiuquan. As will be seen below, more details are available concerning the Tianhe 1 core module than for the Wentian and Mentian modules. One can assume that more information will be made available for these two modules as their launches draw closer.

Orbit considerations Before the launch, the orbit of the Tiangong

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carrying out a small amount of space application experiments. It will be the management and control centre of the space station. Initially, Tianhe 1 will support a standard crew of three people, although six can be accommodated during crew replacements. The Chinese have talked about crews being in orbit for six months and each Tianzhou The Tianhe 1 core module with a large manipulator arm stowed beneath the smaller of the two cylindrical sections. Xinhua freighter as carrying sufficient supplies to support a crew for six months, but there were also references to Tianhe supporting crews for Complex was given as having an inclination like a derivative of the Shenzhou orbital module just four months. 42-43º (the standard inclination “slot” for docked there. Of course, this might simply reflect the Shenzhou missions) and the altitude in the The launch mass of Tianhe 1 is about 22 Chinese moving from the one month in orbit range 340-450 km. Previously, the Chinese tonnes. The maximum diameter of the module accomplished by the Shenzhou 11 crew have used repeating orbit patterns (where the is 4.2 m and the module’s length (including the aboard Tiangong 2 towards the standard of six ground track is repeated at regular intervals, two longitudinal docking ports) is about 18.1 months by gradually increasing the durations thus ensuring regular launch and landing m. The rear cylinder is 4.2 m diameter and of residencies, leading to the permanent opportunities) and this is expected to continue; 7.2 m long; the smaller cylinder is about 2.9 m occupation of the station. Tiangong 1 used a 31-circuits repeating diameter and 5.3 m long. The spheroid docking China’s space station “is based upon pattern (as had the “solo” Shenzhou missions) adapter is about 2.9 m diameter. the latest technological achievements of and Tiangong 2 a 46-circuits repeating pattern. Tianhe 1 is divided into a main cabin, a contemporary design and construction, a The patterns which give orbital altitudes living control module and a resource bay. The higher degree of information, more capable. within the general range specified by the main tasks to be conducted by the module Especially in the communications, networking, Chinese for the Tiangong Complex are shown are: providing the living environment for the data management and application, China’s in Table 1 (assuming an orbital inclination of crew; supporting the long-term presence of space stations are quite advanced, which 42.8deg). the crew; supporting docking and re-docking also benefited from the development of The figures in Table 1 assume a circular of visiting spacecraft and permanent modules; contemporary technology and national orbit above a spherical Earth, and Chinese responsibilities for the unified management and scientific and technological progress”. figures will differ because they use a different control of the space station assembly; to house Tiange 1 will have two vanes of solar panels, “Earth model”. It would be reasonable for the exterior large remote manipulator, located spanning about 30 m with two-axis orientation the embryonic Tiangong Complex to use the under the smaller-diameter cylindrical module; and high-performance lithium-ion batteries. 31-circuits repeating orbit at first but as modules support the development of space medicine In September 2015, Tianhe 1 completed are added the altitude is raised to reduce the and space life science experiments; and eight months of static tests at a new generation effects of orbital decay and thus reduce the TABLE 1: Orbital Patterns for Tiangong Complex. frequency of orbit-raising manoeuvres. Circuits Orbital Period Altitude

Tianhe 1 core module 91 93.30 minutes 436 km As previously noted, the core module of 76 93.09 minutes 426 km the Tiangong Complex is named Tianhe 1 61 92.77 minutes 410 km (“harmony of the heavens”) with an original 46 92.25 minutes 385 km target launch date of 2018. The module 77 91.84 minutes 365 km comprises two cylinders of different diameters 31 91.22 minutes 334 km with a forward spheroid which acts as a The Multiple Docking Adapter for the Tianhe core module. Xinhua multiple docking adapter. Tianhe has three full docking ports: a longitudinal one at the rear of the module where Tianzhou cargo freighters will normally dock, and a longitudinal one and a nadir one on the multiple docking adapter which can be used by Shenzhou spacecraft. If necessary, presumably a Shenzhou can also use the rear longitudinal port. The two radial ports on the multiple docking adapter are used for berthing the two experimental modules. The upper port can be used for EVA work and most illustrations do not show it as having docking apparatus, however some artists’ impressions (which may be inaccurate, of course) do show a Tianzhou- class module or a smaller module which looks

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in EVA operations, although display models do not show that it is carrying an actual EVA airlock.

Support spacecraft The Shenzhou spacecraft will continue to take crews to and from the Tiangong Complex. Of course, it will be modified/improved compared with the variants which have flown to the two Tiangong space laboratory modules. In order to support residencies of around six months one can expect that the electronics, etc on board the spacecraft to have been improved compared with the earlier spacecraft. Due for launch in 2020, the Wentian module will be the first of two plug-in modules, the vanes of the As with Shenzhou, the Tianzhou cargo solar panels being folded against the small-diameter section. Xinhua freighters which fly to the Tiangong Complex of structural static test facilities designed for the control, be capable to function as a back-up are not expected to significantly differ from first time to complete the large-scale structural function for Tianhe 1, store crew consumables, Tianzhou 1 which flew to Tiangong 2 during static test task. space station spare parts and other supplies, 2017. The two Tiangong space laboratories CPPCC National Committee members, support the astronauts’ extravehicular activities used the same basic design as the Tianzhou China Aerospace Science and Technology and to configure a small remote manipulator cargo freighter, although since they were not Corporation Science and Technology arm. It carries an airlock, so once docked with laden with cargo they were much lighter: about Committee Chairman Bao Weimin has said Tianhe 1 it will become the primary route for 8.6 tonnes compared with around 13.5 tonnes that the core cabin was basically completed by EVA operations outside the station. for a full Tianzhou freighter. the end of 2016 and that assembly had entered The Tianzhou variant can carry about 5.5-6 the bulk test phase, with the launch planned for Second experiment module tonnes of cargo and supplies, as well as being 2018. In the first descriptions of the Tiangong able to transfer propellant to Tianhe, and has The Chinese have referred to this module Complex the name applied to the second an overall length of about 12.5 m, including as being Tianhe 1, suggesting that Tianhe 2 plug-on module was Xuntian but later the the docking port. It comprises two cylindrical is being planned. Perhaps the second could name became Mengtian (“dreaming of modules: the larger one is 3.35 m diameter and be part of the possible expansion of the the heavens”). It is not clear whether the about 4.5 m long. On Tiangong this was where Tiangong Complex which is discussed later. module underwent a genuine name change the crew lived and worked but on Tianzhou Neither Wentian nor Mengtian have sequential or whether a bureaucratic error assigned it will carry supplies and other equipment on numbers assigned so perhaps future expansion Xuntian to the module and it then got racks. The rear cylinder has a diameter of modules will have different names. repeated in Chinese and western literature about 2.9 m and a length of about 3.6 m, and until it was corrected. this houses the electronics systems to support First experiment module The target launch date for Mengtian is 2022 the mission, the freighter’s propellant and The first plug-on module to be launched is and with its arrival the Tiangong Complex will propulsion system. Two vanes of solar panels Wentian (“quest for the heavens”) with a target be considered to be complete. As with the two are attached to this cylinder. launch date of 2020. Like Tianhe, it will be previous modules, it will be launched using The higher mass of the operational Tianzhou launched atop a CZ-5B vehicle and it will have the CZ-5B and have a mass of 20-22 tonnes. compared with the Tiangong laboratories a similar mass to the core module. The module has a maximum diameter of 4.2 m means that it is launched from Wenchang Wentian has a single docking port and and a total length of about 15.5 m. The main using the CZ-7 rocket. The Chinese have said comprises two cylinders with similar dimensions structure is a cylinder with a length of about that each Tianzhou can support a crew on as those of Tianhe 1, plus a forward truss 9.5 m. At one end is the single docking system board the Tiangong Complex for six months. structure to which are attached two vanes of and at the other is a structure to which the two solar panels. It is designed to carry additional vanes of solar panels are attached. There are Free-flying space telescope navigation avionics, propulsion and attitude some references to the module having a role As noted above, the name Xuntian (“heavenly cruiser”) was originally applied to the second Scheduled for launch in 2022, Mengtian is the second plug-in module. Xinhua of the plug-on modules of the Tiangong Complex. The name now refers to a free- flying module (for which the translation makes more sense) which will carry a 2 m diameter space telescope. In this role some writers have christened the module “China’s Hubble” (referring of course to the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope). Xuntian is scheduled for launch around 2022 using a CZ-5B and it will fly in generally the same orbit as the Tiangong Complex. This will allow the module to dock with Tianhe when

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the expanded station will have around twice the volume of the three-module Tiangong Complex, as well as having additional solar panels deployed. A Tianhe 2 module has been docked to the original Tianhe and the new module is shown as having two pairs of solar panels. New plug- on modules are added to the two berths on the sides of the Tianhe 2 multiple docking adapter, but these do not have solar panels. A Tianzhou freighter is docked at the rear of Tianhe 2, a Shenzhou at the nadir port of its multiple docking adapter and a second Shenzhou docked at the front longitudinal port of Tianhe 1. This suggests that the expanded Tiangong Complex will host six people, with the Tianhe 1 nadir port being free for a third Shenzhou to allow crew rotations. There are no indications that the promised Assembly of the Tiangong Complex. From top left, Tianhe in orbit alone, Wentian docking at front new generation piloted spacecraft will have longitudinal port, then rotated to one of the side berths on the Multiple Docking Adapter, followed by a significant role in the programme of the Mengtian at the front longitudinal port, it then rotates to the opposing side berthing port, and finally Tiangong Complex, although it is reasonable Shenzhou on the front docking port. Xinhua that the station might be used as the target for some initial test flights of the system. servicing is required by the station’s crew. It is Some illustrations have shown a Shenzhou at unclear whether the Chinese are planning to the nadir port of the multiple docking adapter, Changing schedules have other free-flying modules as “honorary while some videos have shown no Shenzhou In early 2017 it was expected that the launch members” of the Tiangong Complex or whether present during the operations. of Tianhe 1 would come in 2018, but by June Xuntian will be the only such module. For the launch of Wentian the Shenzhou 2017 the launch had slipped and the schedule A research programme has been could be rotated to the lower docking port on was now calling for the following (Table 2). announced for the Xuntian research, which the multiple docking adapter and Wentian It is clear from this listing that the Chinese includes studying the formation and evolution docked at the front longitudinal port. Then, had no plans to permanently occupy Tianhe of celestial bodies, the formation and evolution using an “arm” as a pivot similar to the Mir or the evolving Tiangong Complex as of stars, galaxies, planets, black holes and Complex’s Lyappa system, the module would modules were added. Perhaps the permanent quasars, the study of dark matter and dark undock and rotate to one of the side berthing residencies would begin when all three main energy, the gravitational lens effect/observation ports where it would be permanently located. modules of the Tiangong Complex were galaxy weak deformation effect, cosmological Shenzhou could then resume its position on docked and operating. studies, reconstructing early cosmic density the front longitudinal port. It is 40 years since Spaceflight first perturbation, technical characteristics. When the time comes to launch the published work by Phillip Clark and In formation with the China Space Station, Mengtian module this procedure is repeated, I am particularly proud to mark the there will be a need to replace and maintain with the new module being rotated from the anniversary with his latest contribution. the equipment with the space station to front longitudinal docking port to the vacant We are very pleased to have this which it can be docked to share human and side berthing port. Assuming that there is a analytical overview of China’s plans for cargo resources. “[The] plans [are] to set up Tianzhou freighter at the rear of Tianhe 1 a space station complex, growing over a set of two-meter diameter telescope in the and with a Shenzhou attached to the multiple time to a similar configuration as that optical compartment ...” Observations will be docking adapter, the Tiangong Complex will proposed by NASA in the 1970s, but with undertaken during more than 40 percent of the be complete and this version of the Tiangong a very much more flexible approach. day. Complex is expected to operate for at least ten Phillip is recognised as a leading expert years. on Russian and Chinese spacecraft and Assembly sequence The Chinese have not discussed growth on mission trajectories, launch window Tianhe 1 will be launched first and over options in much detail, but they have released predictions and on general analysis of approximately the first two years of operations artist’s impressions of an expanded version associated programmes. it will host resident crews with the Shenzhou of the Tiangong Complex. It suggests that spacecraft, supported by the Tianzhou freighters. Tianzhou will occupy the rear port TABLE 2: Preliminary schedule for launches. of the module while the front longitudinal port 2019 CZ-5B - Tianhe 1 CZ-7 - Tianzhou 2 of the multiple docking adapter will host the 2020 CZ-2F - Shenzhou 12 resident crew’s Shenzhou. CZ-7 - Tianzhou 3 CZ-2F - Shenzhou 13 CZ-5B - Wentian It is not clear whether the Wentian and 2021 CZ-5B - Mengtian CZ-7 - Tianzhou 4 CZ-2F - Shenzhou 14 Mengtian modules will be launched and docked 2022 CZ-5B - Xuntian CZ-7 - Tianzhou 5 CZ-2F - Shenzhou 15 with Tianhe 1 while there is a crew on board.

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The 2017 NASA Astronaut Class: (from left) Zena Cardman, Jasmin Moghbeli, Jonny Kim, Frank Rubio, Matthew Dominick, Warren Hoburg, Robb Kulin, Kayla Barron, Bob Hines, Raja Chari, Loral O’ Hara and Jessica Watkins. NASA

ASA has just selected its 22nd group the radiation environment is now known to treatments such as drugs and medications. of astronauts and five of the 12 are be considerably more dangerous than had Those differences were discovered during the women. At the previous selection, been assumed from previous extrapolation of 1970s from Earth-based studies of the effects NNASA chose equal numbers of men and measurements. The additional chromosome on women of medications tested in controlled women to go forward for training. A nice could be a life-saver in the high radiation trials from pharmaceutical studies in America. balance, one could say, between the sexes environment beyond Earth’s magnetosphere. However, there is very little hope of reversing but there is more to it than adopting a policy But the real problem is lack of an actuarial this male bias, since the number of people of positive discrimination (which, on speaking spread from which to observe trends and extract staying on the ISS is small and the potential to them, most women astronauts find insulting data. Of the 399 astronauts selected by NASA for the increased uptake of women astronauts since they consider they do not need a helping since 1959, only 57 (14%) have been women. will likely take several years to work through the hand to show equality!). And the spread of environmental exposure has system, possibly well into the next decade. Which But perhaps there is a very real and highly been across two typical operational groups: is all the more reason to support commercial scientific need for positive discrimination relatively short duration stays aboard the low-Earth orbit (LEO) stations supported by because there are so few women astronauts at a Shuttle or early missions to the International lunar stations where controlled experiments can time when significant data shows that it could just Space Station, and long duration expeditions be conducted on women astronauts inside the work out that women, not men, should fly Mars of recent years. Earth’s magnetosphere and those outside it (see missions. At least, that is the conclusion of a pages 300-302, this issue). distinguished physician Dr Arnauld Nicogossian, Celebrating difference The amount of information required formerly NASA associate administrator for life NASA needs more data, and quickly, because before humans take off for Mars with any and microgravity sciences and now research the potential health problems looming could guarantee of surviving in a healthy condition professor at George Mason University. play a significant role in choosing the type of is likely to stimulate an exciting, vibrant and Nicogossian believes that women are better hardware to build for deep space habitation, fascinating decade or two as more research equipped psychologically to sustain an isolated itself a major factor in selecting a mission will provide additional layers of data to define and incarcerated existence for the 500 days a model for a human space flight to Mars. the physiological differences, to more fully typical Mars mission would take, including time Nicogossian is worried that the small number understand the challenges and to discover the on the surface of the Red Planet. But there is of women in the space-faring population means of combating serious obstacles to health. more to it than merely maintaining a balanced prevents physiological studies from moving The nuts and bolts of space hardware may attitude to the pressures of being locked up with in to this most significant area to match the be fascinating, and the fire and brimstone a group of work colleagues, without respite, abundant data from men. of a launch can galavanise the adrenalin in for 17 months. Nicogossian is convinced that And there are other considerations too. a quite unique way. But step-by-step, the women can, physiologically too, confront On average, women are of slighter build, really exciting opportunity lies in more fully the demanding challenges of the space consume less food per unit volume of body understanding the differences between the environment better than their male colleagues. mass and have several redeeming features sexes and to knowing how best to use those Women, he says, have biological advantages which ameliorate debilitating conditions differences to the advantage of all the crew. which allow them to possess a more robust which could arise en-route to a distant world. Even perhaps to selecting women astronauts immune system, and an additional X Women consume less oxygen in the metabolic rather than men to conduct deep-space EVAs, chromosome which could be the front runner in balance and have been known to have where the protection from radiation is always putting their sex ahead of men. This is because significant differences in response to medical going to be minimal.

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Robert Bigelow and his expandable habitats may carry the brunt of Low Earth Orbit operations after the demise of the International Space Station. Bigelow Aerospace

The International Space Station was always about research into the effects the 1950s, space stations have always been of microgravity on living things – humans in particular. Along the way, assumed to play a central role in establishing stimulated by experiments conducted aboard Skylab in 1973 and 1974, a a permanent presence beyond Earth. And wide range of other physical investigations were embraced by proposals the math works that way too: it takes more for a single, permanently manned facility in low-Earth orbit (LEO). energy to go the first 300 km from the surface of our planet than it does to go from there to ith the European Space Agency’s to explore and reach out to touch other worlds; anywhere else in the solar system. pressurised and unpressurised it was not the reason we went to the Moon The ISS was a big international project, Spacelab platforms, NASA learned with Apollo but it was an explanation for the proposed by NASA Administrator James M Whow to divide up research on such a facility. universal awe and wonder felt by most people Beggs in the early 1980s and supported by But the Spacelab pressure module and the ISS across the planet when humans walked on its President Ronald Reagan with a formal start were parallel projects, the former flying for the surface and explored its morphology for the in 1984 embracing the USA, Europe, Japan first time in 1983 and development for the latter first time. and Canada. After the collapse of the Soviet beginning in 1984. The lessons from Skylab Now that the ISS has been permanently Union, the Russians joined and have been separated research into Earth observation inhabited for almost 17 years, but with probably a significant partner, its legacy hardware (most of which would migrate to unmanned little more than ten years to go before it is forming a structural part of the ISS itself and platforms), astrophysics and solar science decommissioned, a new and more vigorous its spacecraft carrying people to and from the (also moved to satellites and observatory- effort is underway to transform the facility into station, exclusively for the last six years – and class spacecraft), materials processing, and a conduit for channelled evolution. But not as counting. life sciences. a place based on ISS technology, rather on But the ISS will not last for ever. Last It is these latter categories which have a set of new design concepts, materials and month, Spaceflight looked at NASA’s big-ticket stimulated so much research aboard the ISS, operating procedures where the legacy is in roadmap to Mars (Vol 59, No 7, pp 252-259) which was late in achieving final definition the knowledge gained from the ISS science based on experience gained from the ISS. But and even longer in finding a balance between and engineering results. Connected to a wide there are now a wide range of potential station operational “housekeeping” and pure research. range of entrepreneurial and government- successors defined by a very different script. That balance has now been struck but the led initiatives, this could result in a return It is inconceivable that any group of space- uptake for global science aboard the ISS has to fundamental ideas about how to expand faring nations will replace the ISS with a similar been slow and not altogether successful, humanity’s reach into the solar system facility. Technology has moved on and that is despite the marketing and management of not the way it would be done now. experiments being in the hands of a non- Extending LEO Yet there is a slowly expanding requirement government agency. A living space in orbit has been at the core for a replacement facility where commercial and Now, with a universal desire among national of all projections about the exploration of the research activity can proceed at lowest cost and space agencies to reach beyond LEO, the solar system. From the fictional stories of least risk, a place tailored to a known vector in imperative for long duration expeditions is the 19th and 20th centuries to the engineering preferred experiments and tasks rather than a driven by a more primordial urge – the need concepts put forward by Wernher von Braun in place ready to accommodate all-comers, as the

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ISS was intended to be. That shift, tightening the spectrum of adaptability, has already been seen at the ISS with its bolt-on modules and piggy-back experiments permanently attached to the structure. But there is greater flexibility if the successor is more adaptable and has unlimited growth potential. As designed, the ISS has structural and mass limits defined by the way it is controlled and in the manner its attitude and pointing systems operate. Moreover, the very materials of which it is fabricated age over time and cannot readily be changed. Even the very structure from which it is fabricated is vulnerable to micrometeoroid impact and penetration from space debris, an increasing hazard for LEO space. Bigelow Aerospace has been pushing its expandable modules for a long time and one example of this technology now occupies a place on the ISS for long-term monitoring and evaluation but not yet as a listed part of the A conceptual vision of an Earth-orbiting Bigelow outpost with SpaceX Dragon and Boeing CST-100 habitable volume of the station itself. What is spacecraft docked to opposing ends of an expandable structure. Bigelow Aerospace known already is that it promises to provide an affordable, more robust solution to launching Earth environment of outer space. This in Moreover, there are not only better ways to large structures into space, minimising itself is limiting the life of the ISS to 2018 or keep doing essential research work for less volumetric loads on the launch vehicle and thereabouts, despite the best intentions of the cost; there are highly attractive goals now well creating separate elements delivered by partner countries to keep using it. within affordable budgets for expanding the expendable, or partially reusable, rockets at The political decision to support the ISS human presence in space while moving LEO relatively low cost. beyond 2024 has not been secured and there is activity to the commercial sector. As the US Moreover, somewhat paradoxically, the flagging support among those who make such government prohibits cooperation with China, materials of which the expandable Bigelow decisions, the wherewithal to maintain funding this may be the only way interests for LEO modules are made are more durable, becoming increasingly difficult to justify. A wide research can connected to the space station longer-lasting, survive higher penetration range of ancillary and subsystem technology aspirations of that country. And while questions loads and cost less than equivalent sized too is wearing out or past its best. Even the still exist around the strength of economic modules made from aluminium sheet. The EVA suits provided by NASA are long past their viability for LEO stations, at least one analyst ISS is fabricated from metals which are more useable dates, with only 11 of the 18 original has placed a value of $37 billion on revenue likely to incur damage from high-velocity Extravehicular Mobility Units being serviceable from LEO stations in the 10 years beginning in strikes and are already showing signs of and several of those being scavenged to keep the early 2020s. molecular decomposition from the near- just five suits operational. Leaving LEO Much research essential to supporting NASA’s deep-space exploration could be accommodated in commercial space stations in LEO, helping complement the government-led movement of astronauts to Only one of several proposals for commercial Mars. Bigelow Aerospace LEO stations, Bigelow Aerospace is basing evolutionary designs around its B 330 module with a pressurised volume of 300 m³, which in itself would be equivalent to almost one-third of the interior volume of the ISS, which is 916 m³. This could not only grow quickly into a facility larger than the ISS, it could also be the template for a Lunar Orbit Station (LOS). Support for an LOS has been growing strongly over the last several months, where all the prime ISS partners have held closed discussions in Japan about moving from the ISS to support for NASA’s gateway concept of keeping humans aboard a facility which would be placed in a near rectilinear halo orbit, or NRHO (Spaceflight Vol 59, No 7, pp 252- 259). This would bridge the gap between the present ISS, anchored to Earth’s gravity, and the much-needed Habitation Module essential for supporting astronauts in deep space.

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aboard and it was sized to an estimate and not a proven use model. By significantly expanding demand on existing commercial launchers and spacecraft, support infrastructure can bridge the gap between supply and demand, the former growing to meet the needs of the latter. And also to fill gaps. The Falcon Heavy will have almost 25% the lift capacity of the SLS and would be the optimum size for delivering a mass of 12 tonnes to a lunar-orbit facility. The Dragon 2 crew module for ISS flights would weigh almost 10 tonnes including 3.3 tonnes of cargo and that capability would be deliverable to a lunar-orbit station using Falcon Heavy. This duality of growth – where the lift-capability of the launcher increases commensurate with the deliverable mass to Moon-orbit is a dream synergy between physics and economics. But it With cislunar space likely to be the next zone of exploration, outside the magnetosphere and in unlived does not end there, for this package of launcher spaces between Earth and Moon, lunar orbiting space station is a likely first step on the road to the and spacecraft could support the installation Moon. Bigelow Aerospace and development of a lunar base, sought by several ISS partner states as an interim step An NRHO orbit would circle the Moon vehicle being capable of returning people from between the ISS and Mars missions. between 1,500 km and 70,000 km and provide the vicinity of the Moon. All the technology for delivering uninhabited continuous sunlight for solar cells, unlike the A significant advantage in the lunar- modules to the lunar surface exists within the Earth-circling ISS, to almost eradicate the orbit station accrues from a shift toward gateway concept and could be established requirement for orbit-keeping propellant, and reimbursable jobs for partner programmes before human occupation commences. This provide a habitable environment outside the managed by national space agencies. The fits with how China is discussing options Earth magnetosphere, where really meaningful limitations imposed on government-run for its national Moon base, which is now in life-science experiments could take place in projects makes that model almost mandatory the planning stage. That could bring added the radiation environment encountered on for the continuing expansion of human activity value and increased returns for a commercial Mars missions. in space. In this way, by starting small and support infrastructure which has been lacking Instead of the Earth-tethered ISS, the expanding on demand, the market requirement so far. There are very few arguments against NRHO station could, with minimal propulsive would drive the level of activity; with the ISS this evolving development path, stitching manoeuvres, be transferable to deep-space it was the other way round: the facility was together legacy projects, new technology and elliptical orbits where much of the vital designed and built before the users climbed entrepreneurial activity. operational testing, essential before human missions to Mars, would take place. But there is Expandable modules can be used to maximise density for minimal volume in launch vehicles, providing one other very big advantage: that of generating a workable solution to getting habitats down on the surface to rehearse challenges posed by living on work for the commercial launch providers another world, but only three days from Earth. Bigelow Aerospace such as SpaceX, Orbital ATK and Blue Origin, without which this would be unaffordable. Although uncosted at the time of writing, clearly NASA’s giant Space Launch System (SLS) would be uneconomical for logistical supply to any lunar-orbit station of this type. The payload lift capacity is far too high for cargo missions. But sustained employment of the commercial carriers beyond the life of the ISS would be ensured in a NRHO station as well as the commercial LEO station close to Earth, expanding the traffic rate, increasing the revenue and lowering the flight cost. Additionally, Dragon 2 would be a perfect fit for transferring astronauts between the lunar-orbit station and Earth and Boeing’s CST-100 may find commercial application in there too. Elon Musk is already talking about a circumlunar “tourist” flight within the next two or three years, the thermal protection for that

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By William J Rowe MD, FBIS, FACN

An artist envisages how NASA’s Mars 2020 rover will look when it gets to the surface in 2021, precursor to a manned mission in the following decade which may pose greater challenges to human survival. NASA

lthough the Russian cosmonaut Kalahari Desert, capable of chasing an injuries to the lining of blood vessels Valeri Poliakov’s 438 days aboard Mir antelope for two days without a drop of water (endothelium).There is no subcutaneous has been Man’s longest stay in space, – until the animal drops from exhaustion – we replenishable device to compensate for the withA apparently no major cardiovascular have a far better chance of success. Why invariable microgravity induced malabsorption complications [1-3], how certain can we be that not take a group of Bushmen, beginning in or to administer minerals, primarily Mg we can tolerate as well, a 20 month round trip childhood, educate them, perhaps teach them and calcium as well as pharmaceuticals; to Mars even without consideration of unknown to fly, and send them to Mars? furthermore the latter may deteriorate in space, radiation hazards? possibly due to radiation. After the age of 30, The longer the mission, the greater the risk to Heart threat it has been well established, that the blood the cardiovascular system and the cardiac risk Dr Robert Hitchcock, Adjunct Professor of vessel repair mechanism is inadequate; there during Earth re-entry; will the re-entry forces be Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, is a strong case for returning from Mars before as great as those after the Apollo missions of has witnessed repeatedly, the extraordinary age 30 [16]. 7 g, experienced by Irwin, for example, after feats of these Bushmen. Having been to With leaking of plasma, which consists his Apollo 15 mission with classic angina and Africa eight times on safaris, with 4 on foot in mostly of water, along with impairment of symptoms of severe heart failure? [4]. Zambia, and having flown over the Kalahari the thirst mechanism, there is progressive A major complication of space flight is Desert, I can well appreciate the significance dehydration which cannot be completely invariably dehydration, triggered by loss of of Dr Hitchcock’s observations. Man survived corrected. With dehydration, the problem with the thirst mechanism and plasma (consisting with this gift. Why not take advantage of it for high adrenaline is intensified; this, in turn can primarily of water), with leaks through defective a Mars mission, even without considering the trigger heart failure [17]. This is exemplified by capillaries [4, 5]. Rather than gene therapy, unknown degree of radiation? [9-12]. Neil Armstrong, who developed probable heart far too complicated and many decades off, a It has been known since the mid-nineties failure on the Moon only four days after lift-off. 20 month round trip to Mars is more likely to that with space flight, there is a considerable Similarly, James Irwin had symptoms of heart succeed by our taking advantage of the genetic problem with thermoregulation during exercise failure with severe shortness of breath during gifts exemplified by horse breeders; similarly, [13, 14]. Since there are invariable deficits of Earth re-entry at 7g forces. Irwin stated that the recent attempt to break the two-hour magnesium (Mg) because of impairment in during the radio blackout, with the necessity of marathon barrier, missing it by 26 seconds by astrointestinal absorption and loss of storage making a recording, he was so short of breath, utilizing the genetic gifts of a Kenyan [6, 7], sites of Mg in skeletal muscles beginning in a he couldn’t say a single word; in addition, he thereby reducing the risk to the heart from high week or so and in bone, with 1-2% loss per experienced classic angina with his description spaceflight adrenaline levels [4]. The heart has month, this Mg deficit is intensified by the of pressure as if an elephant was standing on no eyes and cannot differentiate the stress to exercise loss with sweating and via the kidneys his chest [4]. the heart and blood vessels from extraordinary [15]; the lower the Mg levels, the higher the However, these symptoms would have been unremitting endurance exercise [8] and the adrenaline levels with vicious cycles between intensified by his inhalation of highly toxic iron- stress from microgravity. the two and in turn, the greater the cardiac risk. laden dust, brought into the habitat, whereas Similarly, I believe that by utilizing the This Mg loss will continue throughout the Armstrong’s lunar heart failure occurred prior extraordinary gifts of the Bushmen of the mission and in turn, there will be progressive to his entry in the Lunar Module. Irwin’s in-

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2. A.I. Grigoriev, A.A. Aqadjanyan, V.M. Baranov et al., "On the contribution of space medicine in the public health care", Acta Astronaut., 41, pp.531-6, 1997. 3. R.M. Baevsky, M. Moser, G.A. Nikulina et al., "Autonomic regulation of circulation and cardiac contractility during a 14 – month space flight", Acta Astronaut., 42, pp.159-73, 1998. 4. W.J. Rowe, "Coronary artery disease and lunar catecholamine cardiomyopathy", Internat. J Cardiol, 231, 42-46, 2017. 5. D.J. Casa "Exercise in the heat 1. Fundamental of thermal physiology, performance implications, and dehydration", J Athletic Training, 34, pp.246-52, 1999. 6. W.J. Rowe, "Man vs Marathon", New York Times Letter, 21 May 2016. 7. New York Times, 7 May 2017, Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya Fastest Marathon 8. W.J. Rowe, "Extraordinary unremitting endurance exercise and permanent injury to normal heart", Lancet, 340, pp.712-714, 1992. 9. W.J. Rowe, "Our ancestors had it right", Am J Cardiol, 86, p.256, 2000. 10. D.W. Moskowitz, "Hypertension, Built for Moonwalks in the Apollo programme, the Personal Life Support System (PLSS) proved only thermotolerance and the “ African gene”: marginally adequate for the wellbeing of the wearer. Hamilton Standard an hypothesis", Clin Exp Hypertens, 18, pp.1-19, 1996. 11. S.B. Eaton, M. Shostak and M. Konner, suit water device didn’t function and he had problem with dehydration is that two blood "The Paleolithic prescription", Harper and no access to water during his three lunar vessel dilators would not be released from Row, New York, 1988. excursions. I believe that this contributed the heart in adequate quantities, conducive to 12. R.B. Lee, I. Devore eds., "Man the Hunter", Aldine De Gruyter, New York, 1968. to his first heart attack 21 months after his angina, clotting, a heart attack or heart failure; 13. S.M. Fortney, V. Mikhaylov, S.M.C. mission and triggered my own interest in space furthermore, one of these vessel dilators (ANP) Lee et al., "Body temperature and medicine research. requires Mg for its synthesis and invariably thermoregulation during submaximal diminished. exercise after 115-day spaceflight", Av Bushmen in space On return from space, the crew requires Space Environ Med, 69, pp.137-141, 1998. 14. L. Nybo, P. Rasmussen and M.N. Sawka, assistance in standing not only because of Armstrong developed lunar heart failure "Performance in the heat—physiological because, as I postulated, the major heart muscle loss but because of this critical loss of factors of importance for hyperthermia- chamber (left ventricle) would not expand plasma volume [18, 19]. induced fatigue", Comprehens Physiol., 4, sufficiently in the presence of severe With the Kenyan’s recent failure to finish pp.657-689, 2014. 15. G. Stendig-Lindberg, D. Moran and Y. dehydration; this would intensify the degree of a marathon in two hours by only 26 seconds Shapiro, "How significant is magnesium in [7], to consider breaking this record with a obstruction in this chamber [4, 17, 18]. Another thermoregulation?", J Basic Clin Physiol Caucasian would be absurd; similarly, a Mars Pharmacol, 9, pp.73-85, 1998. Neil Armstrong came close to suffering a fatal mission would apparently be far more likely to 16. W.J. Rowe, "To Mars before 30", heart attack during his Apollo 11 mission to the be successful by utilizing the genetic gifts of an Spaceflight, 40, p.287, 1998. Moon. JSC African such as the Bushmen of the Kalahari. 17. W.J. Rowe, "Space flight-related endothelial dysfunction with potential However, the Navajo of America, the congestive heart failure", Proceedings Aborigines of Australia, and the Tarahumara of of the 8th. World Congress on Heart Mexico, have all survived chasing an antelope Failure Mechanisms and Management, for up to two days until the animal drops from Washington DC, 13-16 July 2002. exhaustion, throttled and eaten; importantly, 18. E.J. Stohr, J. Gonzales-Alonso, J. Pearson et al., "Dehydration reduced left ventricular the Bushmen need no water. Since water is filling at rest and during exercise stored primarily in skeletal muscles, Bushmen independent of twist mechanics", J Appl apparently have extraordinary muscle water Physiol, 111, pp.891-897, 2011. storage sites despite their small size [21]. 19. W.J. Rowe, "Microgravity and the plasma volume", Spaceflight, 52, p.235, 2010. 20. F.E. Marino, M.I. Lambert and T.D. References Noakes, "Superior performance of African runners in warm humid but not in cool 1. A.R. Kotovskaia, I.F. Vil-Viliams, S.I. environmental conditions", J Appl Phsiol, Elizarov et al., "Tolerance of + Gz loads 96, pp.124-130, 2004. by space physician Poliakov VV during 21. K.J. Hackney, S.B. Cook, T.J. Fairchild the active phases of his 438-days space et al., "Skeletal muscle volume following mission", Aviakosm Ekolog Med, 31, dehydration induced by exercise in heat", pp.29-34, 1997. Extrem Physiol Med, 1:3, 2012,

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By Peter Milne FBIS

A view of the antenna farm with a distant Earth in this artist’s depiction. Michael Lamontagne

revious Spaceflight articles (Vol 58, 2. A coast phase, lasting around 60 years, requires the use of amplifiers capable of the No 4, pp 143-145 and Vol 59, No 1, pp while the spacecraft continues on its highest power, and large antennas. 27-29) have provided updates on the journey at full speed; The amplifiers with the greatest power PProject Icarus interstellar probe and looked at 3. A deceleration phase, in some designs handling capability are in the class of Gyrotrons. the proposed variants of the designs. Much of with the assistance of a magnetic sail, These amplifiers can operate with outputs the design work has concentrated on different lasting up to another 30 years, while greater than 1 megawatt, and at frequencies types of fusion propulsion and the implications the propulsion system is again used, to up to above 100GHz. For the purpose of the on the overall vehicle configurations, but other decelerate the spacecraft and to bring it project Icarus study, a frequency of 32 GHz aspects have also been included within the to its destination within the Alpha Centauri was chosen, as typical of today’s technological project. This article focuses on the design star system; and developments and also as a frequency of the communications system, allowing the 4. The on-station phase when several allocated for space research, and so relatively results of the scientific explorations to be scientific probes will be deployed, in order free from interference. transmitted to Earth. to investigate both stars of the binary Although the attenuation of the signal is The target star system for Project Icarus is system and any planets. proportional to the square of the frequency (as Alpha Centauri, although the requirement is for well as distance), the gain of an antenna of a the spacecraft to be able to reach any close Calling home particular diameter is also proportional to the star system, given a transit time of 100 years. A data link is required during the early mission square of the frequency, and so there is an Alpha Centauri is a binary star system, within phases, to transmit observations of the inter- overall advantage to using the highest possible that requirement, and the objective is for the stellar environment and also to transmit frequency since there is an antenna at both spacecraft to deploy probes to each of those spacecraft telemetry back to Earth. The data ends of the link. stars and to any planets orbiting them. A fly-by rate during those early phases would be small Although Gyrotron devices can operate mission to Proxima Centauri is also included compared with the capacity required once at more than 1 MW, at 32 GHz, amplifiers within the overall envisaged Icarus mission. the spacecraft has reached its destination. A are still in development. Instabilities prevent The resulting configuration is for the spacecraft data link from Earth to the spacecraft is also reliable operation. However, development is to orbit one of the stars and to deploy a required, but real time commanding is not progressing and already 1 MW output power is significant vehicle to the other star. Each of envisaged because of the time delay between possible at lower frequencies. those vehicles will act as a communications transmission and reception at any distance The target data rate for the communications relay for the probes within that star system, beyond the immediate Solar System. link from Alpha Centauri is 20 Gbps. This is and the main spacecraft would provide the As with any wireless communications significantly greater than for today’s spacecraft communications to Earth. system, the major issue to be overcome is the within the Solar System, but is required to cope As a summary, although Icarus includes a distance between Earth and Alpha Centauri. with the anticipated data streams from multiple number of candidate designs, a typical mission We have seen radio links operating from probes. would comprise: the extremities of the Solar System, but the 1. An initial boost phase, lasting perhaps 10 distance to Alpha Centauri (approximately 4.4 Big data years, while the spacecraft accelerates light years – nearly 25 trillion miles!) is several An inter-stellar exploration mission, such away from Earth; orders of magnitude greater. So, Project Icarus as Icarus, would be a “once in a lifetime”

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The antenna farm to relay to Earth communications from the Icarus probe at Alpha Centauri. Michael Lamontagne

opportunity to gather in-situ data from another towards Alpha Centauri in order to maintain the This transmit/receive antenna must be 3 star system, and so the 20Gbps capacity was link. To solve this problem, the antenna would km in diameter. But, in order to close the link chosen to accommodate multiple data streams be located at either of the L4 or L5 Lagrange budget even with those antennas, the data from multiple probes. Given also the choice of points of the Earth-Moon system. A series of rate for the downlink carrier cannot be as high 32GHz as the frequency, a link budget could smaller antennas on the Earth’s surface can as 20 Gbps. In fact, it is necessary to transmit be constructed varying the diameters of the then connect to that relay station. two carriers, on opposite polarisations, each antennas until a workable solution was found. That relay station antenna need not be carrying 10 Gbps. The antenna at the Icarus spacecraft would constructed, immediately, with a diameter of be constructed once the spacecraft arrived at 15 km, since a smaller antenna will be required Plume problems Alpha Centauri. If a large antenna were to be during the earlier stages of the mission. The An interesting aspect of this communications installed on the spacecraft before departure receive function could comprise a number of link is the need to transmit through the ion plume from Earth, the stresses during the acceleration small antennas whose outputs are combined, of the fusion drive, during the acceleration phase could damage it, and it would also likely and the number of those antennas could phase. There is a critical ion density which be damaged by impacts with interstellar dust increase during the acceleration and coast defines the minimum frequency which can during the coast phase. An antenna diameter phases of the mission. be transmitted through the plume. Taking the of 1 km was selected as a reasonable value. The transmit function must be supported by Firefly design of the Icarus spacecraft, that As a result, the antenna at the Earth must be a single antenna, however, because it would plume has been calculated to have a density large enough to “close” the link budget and the be problematic to split high power signals to three orders of magnitude less than that which result is that the Earth antenna must be 15 km multiple antennas. As a consequence, the would cause a problem at 32 GHz, so Icarus in diameter. transmit antenna must be large enough to should not experience a problem. However, the Earth antenna would not be support the link to Alpha Centauri from the Once on station in the Alpha Centauri located on the surface of the Earth. Any antenna beginning of the mission, but it could be used system an antenna farm must be constructed on the Earth’s surface would rotate with the as a combined transmit/receive antenna with to support all of the communications needs. Earth, and several antennas would be necessary the additional receive antennas added as the One antenna will have a diameter of 1 km, to and they would have to be continuously pointed mission progresses. support the link to Earth. A second antenna will

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Various optional antenna capabilities according to average power and frequency, modified from Granatsteil, et al., Proc IEEE, 1999. Via Peter Milne

For the fly-by probe to Proxima Centauri, a such repairs are carried out, redundancy must 200 m antenna on the Icarus spacecraft should be built into the communications subsystems. be protected from the interstellar dust, and For example, two active High Power Amplifiers support a reasonable data rate. are required, to support the two 10 Gbps Given the mission duration and the carriers, and so a third amplifier must also be distances involved remote control from Earth installed to take the place of whichever of the will not be possible, and maintenance of the prime amplifiers has failed. equipment and subsystems (both on board The possibility of a laser optical data link the Icarus spacecraft and at the relay located from Alpha Centauri was also considered. at the Lagrange point) must be performed Although, as before, the higher frequency require a diameter of 75 m, to support the link autonomously. The specifics of autonomous would be advantageous, the collecting area to the other Icarus spacecraft at the other star maintenance are dealt with in a separate part requirements remain large. The surface of the system while 50 m diameter antennas of the Icarus project, but the concept is that a accuracy of the mirrors, or lenses, would have will support the links to the probes. A second form of robot will replace faulty equipment and to be orders of magnitude better than for a radio antenna farm at the second star would be perhaps even repair equipment. However, if the link, so it would not be possible to construct the similar, but without the 1km antenna. communications link is not to be broken while transmitter after arrival in the Alpha Centauri The separate components of the Icarus interstellar project as envisaged at their destination. system. Michael Lamontagne As a result, that transmitting system would likely be destroyed by impacts with interstellar dust during the coast phase of the mission. Even if such a system could be constructed, the data rate would not be sufficient to meet the Icarus requirement, and so the best solution (as presently envisaged) remains a radio link. The conclusion of this part of the Icarus study was that further work is required, to further develop the Gyrotron amplifiers and also to perfect the remote construction of large structures, but that in the timeframe of an Icarus mission, which is still several decades away, a suitable communications link should be feasible. For detail, please refer to the paper published in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Vol 69, pp.278-288, 2016.

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FLASHBACK – August 1967

A regular feature looking back 50 years this month

his month registers some unspectacular Lenoir, John A Llewellyn, Story F Musgrave, Curtis Michel left before getting an assignment events which, although not obvious at Brian O’Leary, Robert A R Parker and William while Owen K Garriott, Edward G Gibson, the time, had significant meaning for E Thornton. These candidates were selected Joseph P Kerwin and Harrison H. Schmitt Tthe subsequent development of the space to add scientific expertise to future missions made outstanding contributions. Members of programme. involving extended stays on the lunar surface both groups who stayed the course formed On 1 August the last of five NASA Lunar and aboard space stations, which at this date the core from which the teams of Shuttle Orbiter spacecraft was launched to the Moon. were envisaged as being in both Earth and astronauts would emerge. Scientist-astronauts So successful were the previous four missions lunar orbit. would come to dominate the selection process that the fifth was relieved of its programme Apart from Holmquest, the candidates in future years. function, to survey and map potential landing reported for duty at Houston on 18 September. sites for soft-landing Surveyor and Apollo Llewellyn had been born in Wales and became 4 August 1967 spacecraft, and sent on a purely scientific a naturalised US citizen but along with The European Launcher Development investigation of the lunar surface from orbit. Holmquest, Chapman and O’Leary would not Organisation (ELDO) launched the first Europa Launched on 10 August 1966, Lunar remain in the space programme long enough to I rocket from Complex 6A at the Woomera Test Orbiter I had been followed by the next three make a flight. In conflict with the military-style Range in Australia. The Blue Streak first stage in November 1966 and February and May structure at NASA’s (then) Manned Spacecraft supported the live French Coralie second stage 1967, in all completing a broad survey of Center (now the Johnson Space Center), they and an inert Italian third stage with dummy 99% of the Moon’s Earth-facing hemisphere were disillusioned. Their collective distaste for payload and shroud. Blue Streak performed at a resolution 10 times better than the best the rigours and style of life as an astronaut as planned for a flight intended to deposit the telescope. Lunar Orbiter V would still cover were expressed through a book written by upper elements in the Pacific Ocean, 4,000 km five candidate Apollo sites but study 36 O’Leary disparaging NASA and discrediting from the launch site. science targets as well. key NASA personnel. Launched on a heading of 5º east of true The contributions made by the five spacecraft In the short term it hardened the core north, Blue Streak pitched over at 20 seconds were important for detailed mapping of potential astronaut team against scientists being with a programmed rate of 0.7º/sec until a flight landing sites and had this programme not been recruited for manned flight at all but the angle of 37º to horizontal was reached. The successful it would have been necessary to fly outstanding achievements of others in the stage shut down its RZ 12 Mk III engines at at least two lunar-orbit Apollo missions to carry group eventually won back the respect they 2 min 30 sec as planned, and separated from out that detailed mapping task. It also fostered deserved. Two years earlier, the first six the second stage. Programmed to burn for 1 a unique cooperation between NASA’s Office scientist-astronauts had been selected on the min 40 sec the Coralie stage failed to fire as of Space Science and Applications and its basis of their academic performance rather intended, the assembly falling into the Simpson Office of Manned Space flight in a way which than their qualifications in flying, engineering Desert just 1,100 km from the pad. quickened the pace for binding manned and or the general sciences. Three more Europa launches would fly, unmanned missions into a single, coherent Of that initial group, Duane E Graveline and F the last from Kourou, French Guiana, and objective. That would result in expanded while Blue Streak performed as planned on enthusiasm for extended Apollo operations on Europa I stands ready for launch at Woomera, each occasion, as it had in the past, none the surface, realised by the J-series missions Australia. HSD of the upper stages achieved their planned of Apollos 15, 16 and 17. objectives. The British were not the only ELDO Elsewhere this month, in a significant move participants to question the wisdom of carrying which helped cut lengthening delays to the on. The Italians too were doubtful and reluctant Grumman Lunar Module, Rocketdyne was partners. awarded a contract to design and develop Right at the beginning of the ELDO a replacement injector for the all-important agreement, in February 1960 the French and ascent engine which would be responsible the Germans had agreed to participate but the for getting astronauts off the Moon. Bell Italians wavered. The then Minister of Aviation Aerospace was having difficulty with this piece Peter Thorneycroft wrote a confidential of hardware. memorandum to the Cabinet: “We have reliable information that the Americans are stepping 4 August 1967 up the bidding in their offers to the Italians in NASA announced the names of eleven an effort to coax the Italians away from Blue scientist-astronauts, constituting Group Streak in the belief that they would wreck the 6, selected from 69 nominees out of 923 chances of Europe having an independent applicants. They included Joseph P Allen, launcher.” Philip K Chapman, Anthony W England, Karl In the end the UK’s withdrawal from ELDO in G Henize, Donald L Holmquest, William B 1971 did the job anyway.

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Satellite Digest is Spaceflight’s regular listing of world space launches. It is prepared by Geoff Richards using orbital data from Satellite Digest-535 the United States Strategic Command Space-Track.Org website.

Spacecraft International Date Launch Vehicle Mass Orbital Inclin. Period Perigee Apogee Notes Designation Site kg Epoch deg min km km USA 276 2017-022A May 1.47 KSC Falcon 9FT 2,000? May 24.45 50.00 92.44 389 409 [1] Mugunghwa 7 2017-023A May 4.92 CSG Ariane-5ECA 3,680 May 15.38 0.05 1,436.03 35,784 35,789 [2] SGDC 2017-023B 5,735 May 15.91 0.06 1,436.04 35,786 35,789 [3] GSAT 9 2017-024A May 5.48 SHAR GSLV Mk 2 2,230 May 22.79 0.05 1,436.01 35,770 35,803 [4] Inmarsat 5 F4 2017-025A May 15.97 KSC Falcon 9FT 6,086 May 30.94 0.21 1,436.29 28,064 43,520 [5] SES 15 2017-026A May 18.50 CSG Soyuz-2.1a-Fregat-M 2,302 May 20.48 5.94 583.76 2,216 31,317 [6] It’s a Test May 25.18 Mahia Electron 300? Failed to reach orbit [7] Kosmos 2518 2017-027A May 25.27 Plesetsk Soyuz-2.1b-Fregat-M 2,000? May 26.77 63.81 713.64 1,650 38,512 [8]

Notes 1. USA 276, also known as NROL-76, is a classified payload built by Ball Aerospace for the NRO and launched by SpaceX. Rumoured to be testing a new reconnaissance sensor. Orbital data are classified, those given are from amateur trackers. Launch vehicle first stage successfully landed at LZ-1 back at the launch site. The satellite passed within 100 km of the ISS several times in early June, the closest within 10 km on June 3, but it is not clear if this is coincidence or to test sensors either on the satellite or on ISS (Raven?). 2. Mugunghwa or Koreasat 7 is a telecommunications and direct broadcast satellite built using a Thales Spacebus 4000B2 bus and launched by Arianespace for KT Sat. Mass quoted above is at launch. The satellite is located at 114.5°E for test and will be located over 116°E to provide a service to Korea, India, the Philippines, Indonesia and South-east Asia. 3. SGDC (Satélite Geoestacionário de Defesa e Comunicações Estratégicas) is a telecommunications satellite built using a Thales Spacebus 4000C4 bus for Visiona Tecnologia Espacial, agents for Telebras. Mass quoted above is at launch. The satellite is located at 74.3°W for test and will be located over 75°W to provide a service to Brazilian government and military users, also a national broadband Internet service. 4. Telecommunications and direct broadcast satellite, also known as South Asia Satellite, built using an ISRO I-2000 bus. Mass quoted above is at launch, dry mass is 976 kg. The satellite is located at 97.3°E for test and will be located over 48°E for service to India and neighbouring countries. 5. Telecommunications satellite built using a Boeing 702HP bus and launched by SpaceX for Inmarsat. Mass quoted is at launch, mass on station is 3750 kg. Satellite is in an elliptical geosynchronous orbit centred over 93°E for test and will be located over the Indian Ocean to provide Global Xpress broadband Internet service to mobile/remote users. 6. Telecommunications and direct broadcast satellite built using a Boeing 702SP bus and launched by Arianespace for SES to replace AMC 1. Satellite will use electric propulsion to raise orbit from that given and will be located over 129°W to provide service to North and Central America. 7. First launch of new Electron all-liquid small launch vehicle built by Rocket Lab, a US company, was intended to orbit the 250 kg second stage plus an unspecified payload of test instrumentation and ballast into a low polar orbit. Apparently suffered guidance problems. First orbital launch attempt from New Zealand, a new site at Onenui Station, Mahia Peninsula, North Island. 8. EKS (Unified Space System) early warning satellite built by RKK Energia for MORF, second of new type to replace the former Oko system, apparently with an infra-red telescope to detect and track missile launches and a communications payload.

NROL-76 is launched, 1 May, carrying a classified payload from Ball Aerospace on a SpaceX Falcon 9FT. SpaceX

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Additions and Updates Designation Comments 1993-066A Intelsat 701 was manoeuvred off station at 29.5°E May 2 and is drifting to the west. It has been retired. 1994-070A ASTRA 1D was manoeuvred off station at 47.3°E May 23 and is drifting to the west. 1997-034D Iridium 18 was moved out of the Iridium constellation and into a reserve orbit May 15. 1997-067A Navstar 42 (USA 134, SVN 38), a decommissioned satellite, is being used for test transmissions, starting May 18. 1997-069A Iridium 43 was moved out of the Iridium constellation and into a disposal orbit May 11. Add orbit: Jun 1.73 86.41° 94.18 min 255 km 706 km 1998-051A Iridium 82 has been replaced by Iridium 98 and was moved out of the Iridium constellation into a disposal orbit May 4. Add orbit: May 7.96 86.40° 96.66 min 472 km 729 km 1998-051B Iridium 81 has been replaced by Iridium 80 and was moved out of the Iridium constellation and into a reserve orbit May 4. 1998-051C Iridium 80 was moved to a new slot, co-located with Iridium 81, April 19 to 28. 1998-051E Iridium 77 was moved out of the Iridium constellation and into a reserve orbit May 12. 1999-041B Globalstar M026 was manoeuvred out of its constellation position May 4 and into a retirement orbit. 2000-007A Hispasat 84W-1 was manoeuvred off station at 83.7°W May 29 and is drifting to the west. It has been retired. 2000-028A Eutelsat 36A was manoeuvred off station at 80.5°E May 23 and is drifting to the west. 2000-054A ASTRA 2B was manoeuvred off station at 19.3°E May 31 and is drifting to the west. 2000-067A AMC 6 was manoeuvred off station at 67°W May 23 and is drifting to the west. 2002-031B Iridium 98 was moved to a new slot, co-located with Iridium 82, April 7 to May 2. 2002-062A Nimiq 2 was relocated back at 63°W, co-located with Telstar 14R, May 18. 2005-046A Telkom 2 was relocated at 157°E, co-located with Intelsat 5, May 29. 2007-048A Globalstar M067 was manoeuvred out of its constellation position about April 28 and may be retiring. 2015-011A-D The four MMS satellites have completed their manoeuvres to a higher orbit with apogee in the geotail region of the magnetosphere for the second phase of operations. Add orbits: May 4.99 27.57° 4,028.01 min 1,820 km 153,227 km Apr 16.72 27.98° 4,027.52 min 1,772 km 153,263 km May 2.01 27.57° 4,027.84 min 1,806 km 153,237 km Apr 28.98 27.76° 4,027.20 min 1,883 km 153,140 km 2015-025A OTV 4 X-37B (USA 261) performed an autonomous re-entry and runway landing at Kennedy Space Center May 7.49. Mission duration of 717.86 days appears to be a record for a recovery from earth orbit. 2015-049K Zidingxiang 2 is a more correct version of this satellite’s name. See also Zidingxiang 1 under 2017-019 below. 2016-016A Resurs-P 3 has not been operational since a transmitter problem occurred on February 8. 2016-036A USA 268 is now drifting to the west, according to amateur trackers. 2016-052A GSSAP 3 (USA 270) was relocated at 79°E during April, according to amateur trackers. 2016-052B GSSAP 4 (USA 271) is now drifting to the west, according to amateur trackers. 2016-059F CanX-7 carried out its ADS-B demonstration mission from October to April, then successfully deployed its drag sails May 4. 2016-060B Sky Muster 2, which had been held as a reserve to Sky Muster 1, entered operational service May 3. 2016-069A,D Galileo Sat 15 and 18 (GSAT0207 and GSAT0214) were declared operational May 29. 2016-077A Fengyun 4A was manoeuvred off its test station at 99.5°E May 18 and relocated at 104.7°E, co-located with Fengyun 2G, May 25. 2017-006A Hispasat 36W-1 was manoeuvred off its test station at 26°W May 11 and relocated at 36°W May 22. It was declared operational on June 6. 2017-014A EchoStar 23 was declared operational May 10. 2017-017A SES 10 was manoeuvred off its test station at 68.5°W May 7, relocated at 67°W, co-located with AMC 4 and AMC 6, May 11 and was declared operational May 15. Part of the capacity is for the Simón Bolívar 2 service to the Andean region.

Launched by Falcon 9FT on 16 March, Echostar 23 is now operational. SpaceX

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Launched in a cluster of four, Galileo 15 and 18 have been declared operational. ESA

2017-019 Eighteen Cubesats were deployed from the ISS/Kibo airlock in eight releases on May 16.35 (SOMP 2, HAVELSAT, QBUS 4), May 16.50 (SGSat, IceCube, CXBN 2), May 17.07 (Phoenix, X-CubeSat 1, qb50-LTU-OC), May 17.34 (Altair Pathfinder), May 17.53 (SHARC), May 18.04 (ZA-Aerosat, LINK), May 18.18 (CSUNSat 1, Biarri-Point) and May 18.35 (UPSat, SpaceCube, Duchifat 2) from an NRCSD deployer. A further seventeen Cubesats were deployed in seven releases on May 25.23 (QBUS 1, NJUST 1, UNSW-EC0), May 25.36 (DUTHSat, Zidingxiang 1, nSight 1), May 25.50 (QBITO, Aalto 2, SUSat), May 25.99 (SNUSAT 1b), May 26.17 (i-INSPIRE 2, PolyITAN 2-SAU, SNUSAT 1), May 26.37 (ExAlta 1) and May 26.51 (Aoxiang 1, BeEagleSat, QBUS 2) from a second NRCSD deployer. Add objects and orbits: SOMP 2 1998-067LH May 17.62 51.64° 92.51 min 399 km 406 km HAVELSAT 1998-067LJ May 19.61 51.64° 92.51 min 398 km 406 km QBUS 4 (Columbia) 1998-067LK May 19.55 51.64° 92.51 min 399 km 406 km KySat 3 (SGSat) 1998-067LL May 17.45 51.64° 92.52 min 401 km 404 km CXBN 2 1998-067LM May 17.42 51.64° 92.52 min 402 km 404 km IceCube 1998-067LN May 17.36 51.64° 92.52 min 402 km 404 km Phoenix 1998-067LP May 17.45 51.63° 92.52 min 402 km 403 km X-CubeSat 1 1998-067LQ May 17.76 51.64° 92.51 min 402 km 403 km qbee50-LTU-OC 1998-067LR May 17.45 51.64° 92.52 min 402 km 403 km Altair Pathfinder 1998-067LS May 19.30 51.64° 92.53 min 401 km 405 km SHARC 1998-067LT May 19.74 51.64° 92.53 min 400 km 406 km ZA-Aerosat 1998-067LU May 19.44 51.64° 92.52 min 401 km 404 km LINK 1998-067LV May 19.48 51.64° 92.52 min 401 km 404 km CSUNSat 1 1998-067LW May 19.64 51.64° 92.53 min 401 km 405 km UPSat 1998-067LX May 19.24 51.64° 92.53 min 400 km 407 km SpaceCube 1998-067LY May 23.36 51.64° 92.51 min 400 km 405 km Duchifat 2 1998-067LZ May 25.09 51.64° 92.51 min 400 km 405 km UNSW-EC0 1998-067MA May 25.48 51.64° 92.53 min 398 km 408 km NJUST 1 1998-067MB May 25.61 51.65° 92.53 min 399 km 408 km QBUS 1 (Challenger) 1998-067MC May 26.18 51.64° 92.53 min 398 km 408 km DUTHSat 1998-067MD May 27.09 51.64° 92.53 min 400 km 407 km Zidingxiang 1 1998-067ME May 26.83 51.64° 92.53 min 401 km 405 km nSIGHT 1 1998-067MF May 26.44 51.64° 92.53 min 400 km 407 km SNUSAT 1 1998-067MG May 26.52 51.64° 92.53 min 398 km 409 km QBITO 1998-067MH May 28.48 51.64° 92.52 min 401 km 405 km Aalto 2 1998-067MJ May 28.88 51.64° 92.52 min 399 km 407 km SUSat 1998-067MK May 28.55 51.64° 92.53 min 401 km 405 km i-INSPIRE 2 1998-067ML May 28.55 51.64° 92.52 min 398 km 408 km PolyITAN 2-SAU 1998-067MM May 28.49 51.64° 92.52 min 398 km 408 km SNUSAT 1b 1998-067MN May 28.55 51.64° 92.52 min 398 km 408 km ExAlta 1 1998-067MP May 28.42 51.64° 92.52 min 397 km 409 km Aoxiang 1 1998-067MQ May 28.55 51.64° 92.52 min 398 km 408 km BeEagleSat 1998-067MR May 28.85 51.64° 92.52 min 395 km 411 km QBUS 2 (Atlantis) 1998-067MS May 28.42 51.64° 92.52 min 399 km 408 km

International Space Station activity Recently detailed orbital decays There was the following orbital manoeuvre of ISS during May, boosted by Zvezda: International Object name Decay Pre-manoeuvre orbit: May 16.91 51.64° 92.57 min 401 km 409 km Designation 2008-062A Kosmos 2446 May 6 Post-manoeuvre orbit: May 17.57 51.64° 92.57 min 402 km 409 km 2015-025A OTV 4 X-37B May 7.49 End-of-May orbital data: May 31.85 51.64° 92.57 min 402 km 409 km 1998-067HU MinXSS 1 May 6.1 1998-067KW EGG May 15

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and distinguished aerospace writers, an author has biased the spread across all three volumes Space Shuttle of many books and a historian of how flying on the technical, engineering and systems machines are conceived, built and operated, operations designed in to this remarkable flying Dennis Jenkins has produced a magnum opus machine. Developing an Icon on this outstanding vehicle which stands head Overall, the three volumes are considerably and shoulders above anything available in print more than the sum of their parts. While detailing – 1972-2013 anywhere. the evolution, technical development and flight Author Jenkins is a prolific author and a sound operations story across the three volumes, Dennis R Jenkins source of reference, having turned his the author also includes essays on restorative Publisher considerable talents on recording the inside processes after both Shuttle disasters and Specialty Press stories of the air and space industry from a provides an intelligently argued case for judging ISBN profound awareness of how projects such as the Shuttle an economic success, contrary to 978-158007-249-6 this evolve. And he should know too; for Jenkins lobbyists and others who point to the Shuttle Price is an insider himself, having spent many years as a costly mistake. $169 plus p&p 1,584 working with the Shuttle programme in a variety Jenkins uses the information he has gathered pages, 2,923 colour of professional capacities. Yet for all that in- over several decades to provide basic data which photos, 999 line drawings depth association, he has crafted a reference will fuel discussion and further research and that work which far exceeds anything else on the in itself is added value. These three volumes are Shuttle programme written by any other author very hard to put down and assemble information onceived before humans walked on the impossible to find elsewhere in a single source. Moon, developed as Apollo astronauts or historian. Because of that the books are essential studies were taking their last steps on the lunar In its collective 1,584 pages, divided into in arming future debate and provide a visually Csurface, the Shuttle was a giant step into the three equally sized volumes, Jenkins has interesting set of tomes in their own right. future. While nobody under 36 years of age can separated the story into three parts, not by Far from being dry, the design and layout recall a time when the Shuttle Orbiters were not operations as noted above but rather in the is attractive and populated with almost 4,000 flying, or retired to museums where they can be logical sequence of how the programme began photographs (the vast majority in colour) and seen, it was formally approved as NASA’s next and how it evolved, for this is a reference work line drawings. The several different designs human space flight programme when the Space which will arm other historians, now and in Age was little more than 14 years old! the future, with a solid base of materials and produced by US aerospace contractors in the Richard Nixon made a formal announcement copious references to prime sources. And that run-up to final selection for the prime contract backing development of the Shuttle in January is one of its secondary attributes – everything are well explored and visualised for the reader 1972, more than nine years before it would is referenced back to the original documents, with three, four and five-view renditions. Many of make its first flight and almost 39 years reports, work sheets or notes, ensuring that these are seen here for the first time and come before it would fly its last mission. In those while it serves an essential starting point for with projected specifications and performance 30 years of operations the Shuttle carried out further research, it directs the reader to more data which allow relative, as well as absolute, several separate phases in its application and voluminous points of reference. comparison between proposals. utilisation, changing roles according to shifting Volume 1 sets the stage for the technical The books are very well produced, printed requirements and in response to unexpected description to follow. It provides a background on quality paper and stitch-bound with yellow tragedies. to winged space vehicles and their progenitors, chord-stops at the top and bottom of each spine. Conceived, somewhat naively, to lower the ideas forged when the extant technology was A tape lever helps ease each volume from the cost of launching payloads into space, and quite incapable of realising nurtured dreams. It slipcase and quality is clearly a high priority in designed for carrying a wide range of satellites, takes the reader through the various evolutions their production. spacecraft and structures into low Earth orbit, of the original idea mooted by NASA in the An important part of the work is how it treats the Shuttle sought customers around the world. period 1967-1969, and on to the Phase B the two Shuttle losses, where Challenger The intensity of that effort was profound, seeking studies which saw dramatic shifts in design and Columbia were destroyed in avoidable a base of customers around the world who would configurations as engineers wrestled with accidents. Here, Jenkins relates a personal render expendable rockets redundant. imposed limits on development funding to find involvement to bring clarity and definition to After the Challenger tragedy in January 1986, a workable solution. Here, Jenkins provides the technical impact of corrective procedures everything changed and the Shuttle entered the most comprehensive array of descriptive mandated by the separate boards of inquiry and its second phase – launching exclusively drawings and texts available anywhere in a of the procedural changes introduced by NASA US government payloads, including national single volume and this alone is worth the cost to improve safety and reliability. security satellites, observatories and planetary of the entire three-volume set. This is not a publication for the casual reader, spacecraft. Then, in 1998, it entered its third and Volume 2 focuses on a technical description as indicated by its price and sheer size – the definitive stage: lifting and assembling in orbit, of the Shuttle, dissecting all its primary elements three volumes in their substantial slipcase the various elements of the International Space and explaining the logic behind selection weighing more than 8 kg. It is very hard to find Station. Along the way it launched, serviced and and sourcing for every functional system and the right superlatives for this work of outstanding upgraded the Hubble Space Telescope. subsystem of the Shuttle itself. This is a tale of scholarship and erudite research because none The story of the Shuttle is a tale of many advanced technology but also of ingenuity and would be excessive. With a glowing foreword extraordinary engineering accomplishments, inventiveness, of clever processes designed from former astronaut Dr F Story Musgrave, across a wide spectrum of several separate to minimise weight and ensure reliability, this seminal work is a great credit to an already sectors of technology and in a diverse range embracing development of the four primary acclaimed author. of procedures and manufacturing capabilities, elements: Orbiter, main engines, solid rocket This is arguably the most outstanding space several invented just for this programme alone. It boosters and cryogenic external tank. publication of the century so far and it is very is, therefore, at the very core of the international Volume 3 covers the flight regime, hard to see it being eclipsed. In more than a space programme because it consolidated a embracing all 135 missions and while these million words it is a fitting tribute to an iconic previously ad hoc arrangement between the flights get only two pages each this is a wise winged vehicle and is the most outstanding United States and other space-faring nations. choice for there are many books around that tell publication on this remarkable flying machine Now, one of the world’s most respected the flight story very well and prudently Jenkins yet published.

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313.indd 313 6/28/2017 9:36:54 AM society news Sir Arthur Clarke Awards

The Gala Dinner of the UK Space Conference on 31 May where 100 finalists met for 1 categories. UK Space Agency

he Arthur C Clarke Foundation and its NASA Astronaut Piers Sellers, who sadly died Trade Body, while Roy Gibson, the first UK partner the British Interplanetary in December 2016. Director General of the European Space Society are pleased to announce the Tim paid tribute to Piers and his passion for Agency (ESA) and later the British National Twinners of the Sir Arthur Clarke Centenary space and in particular the effect of climate Space Centre (BNSC), walked away with the Awards. In a meticulously planned ceremony, change on the Earth, before showing a short, International Award for putting the UK space sponsored by the UK Space Agency, at the but very moving video of many of Piers’ NASA sector firmly on the international map back in UK Space Conference Gala Dinner in the colleagues, friends and family telling their the mid-70s when forming ESA and the mid- sumptuously dressed and glittering Victoria often-amusing stories of Piers’ life in NASA 80s when founding BNSC. Warehouse, awards were presented to 11 and in Space . Other significant award winners were the deserving winners. Tim then presented the Award to Piers’ Gaia Teams who won both an Industry Award Some 500 conference delegates and godchildren, Isabel and Max Sellers, his and an Academic Award, Oxford Nanopore 100 Award Finalists and guests attended niece and nephew, who were representing Technologies, for their DNA Sequencer on the evening and after a look back by David the Sellers family while the rest of them the ISS, Alan Bond for his Skylon launcher, Parker, Director of Human Spaceflight and were in Washington for another memorial Dallas Campbell, the Media Award for Robotic Exploration, ESA and former Chief “celebration”. Isabel and Max spoke his enthusiastic, relaxed, but informative Executive, UK Space Agency, to the small eloquently about Piers and the inspiration he presentation style and his education and beginnings of the UK Space Conference had been in their lives. It was as if Piers was outreach activities and the Cranspace Student at Charterhouse School in 1998 and the handing over the baton, or torch, to the next Team for its Mars Fly-by Mission. introduction of the first Sir Arthur Clarke generation – a truly memorable moment! With so many nominations for the Awards in 2005, a lavish dinner was served. Rebecca resumed control and announced Education and Outreach Award, the judges This was followed by the presentation of each award and its finalists in turn, while decided to split the Award in two, a Team an award to the winner of the day’s Soapbox Tim opened the envelopes, announced the Award and an Individual Award. The Science Presentations, Nobu Okada, Founder of winners and presented the awards, to the Museum Team was rewarded for its amazing Astroscale Pte Ltd., for his talk on “End-of- “whoops” of the winners’ supporters and Cosmonaut Exhibition and Kathie Bowden for life (EOL) Management Service for Mega commiserations to the runners-up. They her innovative Space Placements in Industry Constellations”. worked their way fairly swiftly through the 10 (SPIN) Scheme. Then came probably the most poignant and remaining awards as listed below, culminating The 2017 Sir Arthur Clarke Centenary stirring moment of the evening when Rebecca in the Lifetime and International Space Award winners are: Evernden, Director of Policy, UK Space Achievement Awards. 1. The Special Lifetime Space Agency, introduced the Arthurs and handed The Lifetime Award was won by Paul Achievement Award(Posthumous) the first envelope over to Tim Peake, ESA Flanagan for his many years of support for Piers Sellers – NASA Astronaut Astronaut, to read out the winner of a very the UK space sector through his work as (Isabel Sellers (Niece), Max Sellers Special Lifetime Space Achievement Award, Secretary General, UKspace, the UK Space (Nephew))

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For his extraordinary contribution to (Prof Gerry Gilmore (Cambs)- Principal proposal for a Mars flyby mission which astronautics, Earth & Space science, Investigator, Prof Martin Barstow (Leics) won the Gemini Mars International Design climate change and education and - Co-Investigator, Dr. Simon Hodgkin Competition. outreach. (Cambs), Dr. Gudrun Pebody (Cambs)) 7. The Space Achievement - Media, 2a. The Space Achievement - Industry/ For its role in processing and analysing broadcast and written Award Project Team (Large Projects) Award data from the Gaia star mapping mission Dallas Campbell – TV Presenter and Actor The Gaia Team – Airbus Defence and as its contribution to the European Data For his enthusiasm, love of Space and his Space (Andy Whitehouse (Airbus), Andy Processing and Analysis Consortium. relaxed, but informative presentation style Dyne (Airbus)) 5a. The Space Achievement - Education and his continued support for education For the successful design and and Outreach (Team) Award and outreach. manufacture of the Gaia spacecraft and The Cosmonauts Exhibition Team – The 8. The Lifetime Space Achievement telescope which for the last 3 years has Science Museum Award been accurately measuring the location (Ian Blatchford, Doug Millard and Natalia Paul Flanagan - Secretary General, and motion of the stars. Sidlina and Alexandra Smirnova) UKspace 2b. The Space Achievement - Industry/ For securing invaluable space hardware For his many years of support for the Project Team (Small Projects) Award and preparing the exhibition ‘The whole UK space sector through his work The Oxford Nanopore Technologies Cosmonaut’ to promote Space and in running Ukspace, the UK Space Trade (ONT) Team - Oxford Science Park educate the general public. Body. (Tara Kent (ONT), David Waterman 5b. The Space Achievement - Education 9. The International Space Achievement (ONT), Kristen John (NASA) and Outreach (Individual) Award Award For developing the technology and Kathie Bowden – Institute for Roy Gibson –First Director General, providing the MinION DNA Sequencer Environmental Analytics, Reading European Space Agency and the required support to NASA for University and the UK Space Agency. For putting the UK on the European and its in orbit biomolecule research on the For the promotion and management of then the International Space map as an International Space Station (ISS). the Space Placements in Industry (SPIN) early architect of today’s highly successful 3. The Space Achievement - Industry/ Scheme to introduce the most talented UK Space Sector. Project Individual Award and enthusiastic University students to the Back Row: Left to right: Dr Gudrun Pebody, Alan Bond, Co-Founder, Reaction UK Space Sector. Prof Martin Barstow, Tim Peake, Isabel Sellers, Engines Ltd. 6. The Space Achievement – Student Dallas Campbell, Kathie Bowden, Alexandra For the development of the SKYLON Award Smirnova, Natalia Sidlina, Doug Millard, Max spaceplane to provide cheaper access to The CranSpace Mars Flyby Team Sellers, Rebecca Evernden, Paul Flanagan, Roy space for the benefit of mankind. – School of Engineering, Cranfield Gibson, Mark Thomas.

4. The Space Achievement - Academic University Front Row: Left to right: Andy Whitehouse, Study/Research Award (William Blackler, Robert Sandford, Tiago Andy Dyne, Dr Simon Hodgkin, Prof Gerry The UK Gaia Science Team – Cambridge Matos, Roland Albers) Gilmore, Tiago Matos, William Blackler, Nobu and Leicester Universities For the Cranspace 8-student team’s Okada, Robert Sandford, Roland Albers.

Winners and distinguished guests of the 2017 Sir Arthur Clarke Centenary Awards pose for a group shot to acknowledge their achievements. UK Space Agency

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Author, historian and Sino-Russian expert, Dave Shayler introduced the forum and presented two papers. Alistair Scott

n a weekend that saw London conferences and seminars organised by the fighter pilot and cosmonaut, BIS friend Anatoli gripped by the tragedy of a Society. Artsebarsky. Assisted through interpretation terrorist attack at London Bridge Events at the 37th Sino-Russian forum, by Alexey Loktionov, Anatoli provided an Oand a stabbing at Vauxhall, the BIS held a held 3-4 June at the BIS headquarters, began inside impression of preparations for the memorable forum attended by a large group with an introduction by chief organiser Dave flights of Buran, the Russian shuttle. of enthusiasts and participants at an event Shayler who, over the years, has developed Following a mid-afternoon tea break, Ken dedicated to the memory of Oleg Sokolov this gathering into a highly successful and MacTaggart, author of the Recent Haynes (1945-2016). well attended event, and chair for the morning book “Astronaut: 1961 Onwards”, spoke Oleg graduated from the Moscow Aviation session, Bert Vis. It opened with the Rex about the comparisons between cosmonauts Institute and served as a test engineer on Hall memorial lecture, a talk by Spaceflight and astronauts and this was followed by the first flight attempts with the famed N1-L3 Editor David Baker on his experiences in Bart Hendrickx providing an overview of the system, designed to carry Soviet cosmonauts the USSR working with several government Federatsia spacecraft, originally known as the to the Moon. After three years with that departments and organisations throughout Prospective Piloted Transport System and programme and some Proton flights, Oleg the 1980s. planned as a successor to Soyuz. joined the Air Force as an engineer and a This was followed by a fascinating talk by The day’s formal proceedings were brought qualified helicopter pilot, volunteering for Erik Seedhouse on Tim Peake’s mission and to a close by Andrew Knight, speaking about service in Syria during the Yom Kippur War of on his prospects for future flights, and by the world’s first dual space flights of Vostok 3 1973. Dominic Phelan on how the USSR treated the and 4, and by Philip Clarke giving a detailed In 1975, Oleg resumed an aeronautical press and related media during the early days insight on the Shiyan Weixing mission. After engineering career and took up a position at of the space programme. this, a large contingent removed to a local the Moscow Institute of Thermal Engineering After a short break, Gurbir Singh, already hostelry where debate and discussion mixed from where he developed a post-boost bus preparing what promises to be a seminal with a congeniality fast becoming a hallmark with liquid propulsion for the RT-2PM Topol work on the full history of India’s space of BIS events! ICBM and its derivative, the Start-1 launch programme, gave a talk about Russia’s Sunday 4 June began with a morning vehicle. In 1987 he became involved with the wooing of India with offers of Soyuz flights. session chaired by Brian Harvey, embracing Salyut programme and its military applications This was followed by a fascinating talk from a talk by Bert Vis on China’s spacewalks and before appointment in 1994 as chief of a Andrew Thomas about cultural differences considerations of their potential on future department at Khrunichev responsible for between the public mood in Russia and China missions, and by Philip Clarke analysing the projects with an international potential for toward national achievements in space, Proton Block D upper stages 1999-2017. launcher markets. with several comparisons about the different After a short break, Dave Shayler presented From 2011, Oleg worked at the Air Launch approaches. a paper on the welding techniques of Soyuz Aerospace Corporation and was a special A substantial hot and cold buffet lunch 6 while Alexey Loktionov provided details of friend and ardent supporter of the British with refreshments of every kind, preceded space products marketed in Russia and the Interplanetary Society, presenting a paper resumption under the chairmanship of Brian UK. on the Breeze family of upper stages for the Harvey. Dave Shayler provided a talk on After lunch, and chaired by Bert Vis, Proton launch vehicle at Charterhouse in Soyuz, with Gerry Webb introducing the Anatoli Artsebarsky gave another talk, 2014 and frequently attending subsequent Oleg Sokolov memorial paper delivered by with personal reflections on the challenges

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and successes of his role as test pilot and cosmonaut, and Brian Harvey gave a talk on the Spektr-R radio telescope launched IAC Student in 2011. Philip Clarke ended formal proceedings with a paper on China’s Shijian programme and Dave Shayler provided a closing summary and a vote of thanks to all Paper Competition the presenters. The 2017 forum was one of the best n Saturday 20 May the BIS once inside the meteorites that result from asteroid attended in the series, made more memorable again played host to the International impacts. by the smooth running of the 17 talks. Some Astronautical Congress’ Student The postgraduate competition was OPaper Competition, where one undergraduate contested by two students, (since one of the nuanced additions, courtesy of Gerry Webb, introduced a very special Georgian wine and and one postgraduate student were selected three potential finalists was unfortunately in a toast was raised to Oleg Sokolov. Everyone to represent the UK at the final which will be Australia!). Shambo Bhattacharjee explained was highly appreciative of the work carried held at the international congress in Adelaide a novel method for characterising the orbits of out by Executive Secretary Gill Norman, in September. debris objects in Earth orbit, which is clearly a Ben Jones, Mary Todd and volunteers for The undergraduate competition was highly topical subject, but the judges’ decision contributing so much to the smooth running particularly hotly contested this year – all of went to Ben Fernando. of the event, and everyone expressed their the finalists were of a very high standard. Ben presented a most engaging profound appreciation for the organisation Sebastian Hill described his team’s work on project looking at light-sails, similar to the and the content, all looking forward to the 38th the design of a new sounding rocket, and Breakthrough Starshot concept, but in forum in 2018. Sofija Durward presented some fascinating this case designed for exploring not our work on images of Saturn’s auroras. But the neighbouring stars, but closer to home in winner, by a very short head, was Jérémie the outer reaches of the solar system. In BIS Library Joannès. particular, the aim was to fly magnetometer The Society’s specialist space and Jérémie spoke eloquently about some sensors to measure the fields in the astronautics library is open Monday potentially ground-breaking research on DNA heliopause region, where we only have the to Friday between 10.30 and 15.30 sequencing in orbit, which has the aim of tantalising glimpse from the two Voyager and 18.50 when there is an evening determining whether terrestrial DNA is able to spacecraft so far. lecture. Pre-booking is not required but withstand the radiation environment in space. Thanks are due to Don Pollacco and please check in advance whether the This has implications for whether it might Marino Saksida, who kindly assisted with the library is already in use. realistically move between the planets, locked review of the abstracts, and our stalwart past President Alistair Scott. In addition to judging on the day, he also handled all the logistics at BIS HQ, and bought the beers afterwards! Journal of the British As always, we’d like to express our gratitude Interplanetary Society to all the students who took part, and to JBIS SEDS, who generously made provision in their conference schedule for Gill Norman to launch the competition earlier this year. We wish our winners the best of luck Down Under!

New BIS Members Alex Crowley, Surrey The November and December 2016 issues of the Journal of the British Interplanetary Lawrence Hay, East Sussex Society are now available and contains the following papers: Bruce Thomson, South Ayrshire November Justin Keery, London Fredrik Bjurle, London Navigation to the Alpha Centauri Star System Alistair Grieve, Herts Granularity and Ambiguity in Navigating the Void David Oates, London Examination of the Biefeld-Brown Effect for the Case of a Symmetric Parallel Plate Capacitor Kieran Hashmi, London That is not Dead Which can Eternal Lie: The Aestivation Hypothesis for Resolving Fermi’s Paradox Liam Jordan, Essex Matt Brealey, London December Yinqiu Tang, London Quantifying the Assumptions Behind the METI Debate Louise Page, Bucks A Study into the Sustainable Disposal of End of Life GEO Satellites Craig Spence, Lincs The Oculus Project: Gravitational Lensing, Earth-Like Exoplanets and Solar Sailing Erik Persson, Sweden Ral Tiwarty, Kent Copies of JBIS, priced at £10 for members, £40 to non-members plus P&P. Frederick Samuel, Hertford Full list of available issues – www.bis-space.com/eshop/products-page/publications/jbis/ Back issues are also available and can be obtained from The British Interplanetary Society, Anthony Pilling, Canada Arthur C Clarke House, 27/29 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1SZ, England Craig Hay, Glasgow

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thousands of scientific instruments that made pioneering observations of the Earth, Sun, stars BIS Lectures and Meetings and galaxies. This activity produced some of the earliest UV and X-ray astronomical images obtained, a little-known result this talk will emphasise. Movie Night - Rocket Flight Call for Papers 20 July 2017, 7 pm UN Space Treaty Symposium A rarely seen film, entitled ROCKET FLIGHT. The film, made by the RAF in 1945, details the 10 October 2017 development of rockets and missiles in Germany before and during the Second World War. The British Interplanetary Society is holding a one day symposium to celebrate the 50th The film opens with a brief summary of aircraft development from very early experiments, anniversary of the UN Space Treaty which has been the foundation of space law for half a through World War I, the inter-war period and on to World War II. Film of early experiments in century. The Society invites proposed papers as contributions to this symposium on two the 1920s with solid fuel rockets is then shown, including the skater with rockets strapped to themes: Theme 1 - The history of the UN Space Treaty and its contribution to the exploration his back, rocket aircraft, rocket boats and rocket cars. and exploitation of space. Theme 2 - The future of the UN Space Treaty and how it may need to The work of Tiling in “postal” and other rockets is covered, as are the early liquid fuelled rockets change to reflect the changes in space activity such as the growth in non-government activity. of Goddard and Winkler. The further work of Oberth, Valier, and Heylandt is dealt with. Walter Speakers are asked to send details of their papers via the BIS, un_space_treaty_symposium@ assisted take-off rockets on the He 111, He 116, He 112, BV 138 and Me 321 aircraft are bis-space.com, to Mark Hempsell and Jerry Stone, coordinators of the symposium. covered at some length. The film closes with a glimpse of the future using fantasy sequences and an excerpt from Lang’s FRAU IM MOND. Call for Papers The film is approx 1 hr 40 mins long and a discussion will take place at the end. Symposium on Space Elevators 72nd Annual General Meeting 7 November 2017 The space elevator has captured the imagination of scientists and writers for decades. The 22 July 2017, 1 pm - New Date & Venue transition to low-cost, low-energy access to space via a smooth, gentle ride on an elevator has Venue: The Observatory Science Centre, Herstmonceux, Hailsham, East Sussex, been compared to the transition from the horse-drawn carriage to the railways. The necessary BN27 1RN strong, light-weight material remains elusive, but progress has been made in a number of areas, particularly understanding the minimum requirements and a better grasp of the dy- The 72nd Annual General Meeting of the Society will be held on Saturday 22 July 2017 at 1 namics. A good summary is found in JBIS, 69, no.6-7, June-July 2016. pm. Speakers are invited to submit presentation proposals for talks of up to 40 minutes duration Admission to the AGM is open to Fellows only but all Members are welcome to join the on topics related to space elevators. The scope may include marketing, finance, management, discussion after the formalities of the AGM around 1.10 pm. Please advise in advance if you history (past and future) and science fiction, as well as scientific and technological topics such wish to attend. as materials research, climbers, power transmission, simulation and space debris. Presentations will also be considered on associated technologies: these may include other techniques for BIS Summer Get-Together establishing fixed infrastructure such as the orbital ring and versions of the launch loop. Please send details of your proposed presentation to [email protected] before end-July 2017. 22 July 2017, 1.30 pm - New Date & Venue Proposal acceptance will be by mid-September 2017. Venue: The Observatory Science Centre, Herstmonceux, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 1RN West Midlands Branch Talks Join us at the spectacular and historic Herstmonceux Observatory Science Centre after the 18 November 2017, 1.45 pm Society’s AGM, followed by an afternoon social and picnic. Catch up with BIS friends and bring all the family for a relaxing afternoon at the Observatory. Venue: The Gardeners Arms, Vines Lane, Droitwich, WR9 8LU The ticket price includes a tour of the telescopes, with a history of the observatory, and there The West Midlands Branch is continuing its varied series of talks and lectures at the Gardeners are plenty of interactive science exhibits for all the family. If you would like to donate any Arms. Our speakers for the afternoon are: space-related items for the raffle, perhaps an unwanted book or piece of space memorabilia, please let us know • Mark Yates – Apollo Era Artefacts • Gerry Webb – The Fermi Paradox. Tickets are available at £15 each, with under 16s free. The ticket price includes access to the Observatory and a guided tour. Bring all your own food and drink, a picnic rug and chairs. For further details please visit the BIS Website or the BIS WM Facebook page. Come and join us for what will be an interesting and entertaining afternoon. Please advise us if you will be attending the AGM only, for which there is no charge. Tickets for the Get-Together are on a first come, first served basis, so visit www.bis-space.com/ Lectures herstmonceux to book. Venue: BIS HQ, 27/29 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1SZ, unless otherwise stated. Skylark - Britain’s First Space Rocket Members can attend free of charge. Places must be booked in advance, online or by post. Each member may also obtain a free ticket for one guest subject to availability of space. 5 October 2017, 7.30 pm Non-Members are able to attend the Society’s lectures for a fee. You can order a ticket Venue: Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, 16 Queens Square, Bath, BA1 online or by post (please make cheques payable to the British Interplanetary Society). If 2HN oversubscribed Society Members will be given priority. A joint event by the William Herschel Society and the BIS South West Branch If applying via our website the confirmation receipt is your entry ticket. In 1957 ‘Skylark’ was Britain’s first rocket to reach space, and became the basis of the country’s If, for reasons outside its control, the Society is required to change the date or topic of a first space programme and the birth of British space science and technology. Over the next meeting, every effort will be made to avoid inconvenience to attendees either by notice of 48 years, hundreds were fired from Australia and around the world, launching into space change in Spaceflight/JBIS, on our website or by special advice to each participant.

Readers are reminded that these Notices contain only a reduced description of the event. Full details can be found online: www.bis-space.com/whats-on

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318.indd 318 6/28/2017 9:37:57 AM The British Interplanetary Society From Imagination to Reality Join online by going to www.bis-space.com/join or fill in this form Why not take a digital subscription where a PDF version of your chosen publication(s) is delivered to your inbox each month? Go to www.bis-space.com/digital

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The British Interplanetary Society

JOIN NOW FOR 2017! Your BIS membership includes: • Monthly issues of Spaceflight, the world’s leading space magazine, or JBIS, the global leader in peer-reviewed astronautical papers and our seminal history journal Space Chronicle is available for a supplementary fee • Access to a members-only website page with frequent new material including videos, lectures and reports • Membership of a worldwide network of like-minded people, uniting space industry professionals, enthusiasts and students • The opportunity to meet leading figures in space science, technology and exploration, including astronauts, with free entry to exciting evening talks (also available to members online) • Reduced rates to BIS workshops and social events meeting astronauts, scientists, engineers and opinion shapers at regular meetings • Access to the BIS library, one of the world’s most comprehensive astronautical collections including books, technical reports, journals and a full backlog of all the BIS’ publications • Odyssey, the BIS members’ e-magazine featuring interviews and articles, Society news and events with special articles covering sci-fi, art and a range of subjects linked to space and astronautics. Six issues per year. See p319 for an application form, visit our website or write for an application form to: British Interplanetary Society, Arthur C. Clarke House 27/29 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1SZ, UK Join online: www.bis-space.com/join

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