NOVEMBER 24, 2014 SPOTLIGHT Clyde Space See page 12 www.spacenews.com VOLUME 25 ISSUE 46 $4.95 ($7.50 Non-U.S.)

PROFILE/22> YVONNE PENDLETON DIRECTOR, SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION RESEARCH VIRTUAL INSTITUTE INSIDE THIS ISSUE

LAUNCH INDUSTRY Swift Development of 6 Urged Applauding the end of a French-German impasse over the , the European Operators Association said the vehicle needs to be in service as quickly as possible. See story, page 8 ATK Hints at Antares Engine Selection Alliant Techsystems Chief Executive Mark DeYoung said there are no near-term liquid- propulsion alternatives to Russian engines for U.S. . See story, page 6 ESA PHOTO

Virginia May Seek Federal Funds for Wallops > “We have found a compromise that is OK for both countries, for the other participating states and also for industry,” Brigitte Zypries (above), Germany’s Virginia’s two U.S. senators said they may seek federal funds to cover $20 million in repairs to the space minister, said of an agreement under which Germany and will back the Ariane 6 rocket and scrap the Midlife Evolution. Wallops Island launch pad damaged when Orbital Sciences’ Antares exploded. See story, page 6 MILITARY SPACE Protected Tactical Waveform Taking Shape German-French Compromise The U.S. Air Force is expected to demonstrate its protected tactical waveform in new modems and reworked terminals as early as 2018. See story, page 11 U.S. To Grant Indirect Access to Space Fence Paves Direct Path to Ariane 6 The Pentagon’s international space surveillance partners will have indirect access to data from the Air Force’s next-generation Space Fence tracking system. See story, page 5 PETER B. de SELDING, PARIS “We have found a compromise and the role of Ariane manufac- that is OK for both countries, for turers in assuming market risk SATELLITE TELECOM he German government the other participating states and all were too ill-defined to permit has agreed to drop its de- also for industry,” Zypries said a full-scale go-ahead. SES Casts Vote in Battle of the Bands Tmand that Europe devel- in a Nov. 15 emailed response Zypries is Germany’s parlia- op a long-planned upgrade of to- to SpaceNews questions. “The mentary state secretary in the Saying inflight Internet represents a huge opportunity for satellite operators, SES has concluded day’s Ariane 5 rocket and instead important elements are the Federal Ministry for Economic that Ku-band is superior to Ka-band for most mobile-broadband applications. See story, page 11 proceed with a new-generation joint intention to develop a new Affairs and Energy, and the gov- Ariane 6 that borrows heavily on launcher as part of a concept based ernment’s coordinator for aviation New Methods for Tracking Dark Ships Ariane 5 technology, Germany’s mainly on Ariane 5 ME technology and space policy. MDA Corp. is developing methods for tracking dark ships, vessels that don’t broadcast the space minister said. and , and a new launcher Her French counterpart, Automatic Identification System signals maritime regulations require. See story, page 14 The decision ends an impasse governance.” Genevieve Fioraso, who is state sec- that has bedeviled the European Vega is the Italian-led small- retary in the French Ministry for Space Agency for more than two satellite launcher. A Vega upgrade, Higher Education and Research, years as it prepares for a Dec. 2 along with Ariane 6, Europe’s par- alluded to a French-German agree- >FEATURES conference of its governments. ticipation in the international ment in a briefing with journalists While noting that certain space station and a European Mars Nov. 12. funding details and a clarifica- exploration project, will all be on Fioraso and Zypries met Nov. 3 NEWS BRIEFS/ tion of industry’s risk-taking the table at the ministerial confer- 13 in Cologne, Germany, with guarantee remain to be ironed ence in Luxembourg. ministers from Italy and several 16COMMENTARY/ out, Brigitte Zypries said Germany The debate about future Ariane other governments. and France now agree to back 5 investment has been the major Germany had said the Ariane 19LAUNCH REPORT/ Ariane 6 and to scrap the Ariane roadblock to an agreement on 5 ME, which is basically today’s 5 Midlife Evolution (ME) rocket all these subjects. Germany had Ariane 5 with a new, multi-ignition 21ON THE MOVE that European governments have said the Ariane 6 business model, been developing for several years. industrial work-share distribution SEE COMPROMISE PAGE 8

PERIODICALS-NEWSPAPER HANDLING Launch Smart

.tv @arianespace @arianespaceceo

www.spacenews.com 3 November 24, 2014 NEWS BRIEFS

NASA and the NSF to ensure that America Culberson To Chair NASA will always lead the world in space exploration and scientific discoveries,” he said. House Approps Subcommittee In an interview with SpaceNews in U.S. Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), a September, Culberson said his top priorities strong advocate of NASA’s exploration and for NASA included accelerating development planetary science programs, will chair the of the Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket subcommittee of the House Appropriations and as well as funding key Committee that funds the agency in the next space science missions. However, he was Congress, the committee announced Nov. 20. skeptical about NASA’s Asteroid Redirect In a statement, committee chairman Mission, which seeks to move a small asteroid Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) released the list into lunar to be visited by astronauts in of the 12 subcommittee chairs approved the 2020s. “It just doesn’t, in my mind, make by the Republican Steering Committee. financial sense when NASA’s money is so That list included Culberson as chairman scarce and so hard to come by,” he said in of the Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) the interview. “I don’t think it’s productive to subcommittee, which funds NASA as well add another really extensive project to their as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric plate when they’re telling the scientific com- Administration and the National Science munity they’re short money to do top-priority

Foundation (NSF). missions like .” U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PHOTO

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) will Culberson is perhaps best known for his > U.S. senior adviser Jason Y. Kim said regulatory measures put into place should be technology-neutral. continue to head the defense subcommittee, advocacy for a mission to Europa, a large which funds military space and missile defense moon of Jupiter believed to have a liquid programs. water ocean beneath its icy surface that may U.S. Warns EU Against Making Galileo Mandatory Culberson was widely considered to be be able to support life. As a member of the The U.S. government has alerted the Commission, the EU executive arm and one of two front-runners to succeed Rep. CJS subcommittee, he worked to set aside European Union that any preferential Galileo’s owner, in June 2004 agreed to Frank Wolf (R-Va.), the previous CJS subcom- funding for a Europa mission in recent appro- treatment the EU gives to its Galileo posi- a series of measures to assure interoper- mittee chairman, who is retiring at the end priations bills, including $100 million in the tioning, and timing network will ability of their systems. of this year. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), fiscal year 2015 CJS appropriations bill passed likely violate World Trade Organization But unlike GPS, Galileo — which is still the current vice chairman of the subcom- by the House in May. NASA had requested (WTO) agreements signed by the United in development but is expected to launch mittee, was also in contention for the post, only $15 million for Europa mission studies States and the 28-nation EU. much of its constellation in 2015-2016 — but will instead retain the chairmanship in its 2015 budget request. In particular, U.S. government officials has always had a commercial ambition. of the agriculture and rural development “It didn’t have an advocate. It didn’t have voiced concerns that the EU is weighing European Commission officials have subcommittee. anybody pushing for it,” Culberson said of equipment mandates for aviation, car- said in recent months that they are still “I am honored that my House Republican Europa mission proposals in the September accident reporting and emergency-call weighing how to stimulate Galileo use, colleagues have chosen me as the new interview. “I knew it was the likeliest place to regulations that could unfairly tip the especially through regulatory measures chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science find life on another world. So that’s sort of scales in favor of Galileo to the detriment requiring that navigation equipment be Appropriations Subcommittee,” Culberson why I picked it up. Europa needed a friend.” of U.S. GPS-enabled hardware. installed on aircraft, automobiles and said in a Nov. 20 statement. “I’m grateful to In a presentation to the 9th Meeting of other platforms. have earned Chairman Hal Rogers’s confi- the International Committee on GNSS, “Requiring specific systems arbitrarily dence, and it is a real privilege to succeed NASA Contract Puts Orbital’s held Nov. 10-14 in Prague, a senior GPS prevents or penalizes imports of goods Chairman Frank Wolf.” official said the and the EU having perfectly functional GNSS capa- In the statement, Culberson said he would Pegasus XL Back on the Board have signed a wide body of satellite navi- bility,” Kim said. emphasize both law enforcement and science Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Virginia, gation agreements designed to promote The United States and Russia both as subcommittee chairman. “It will also be will launch a small NASA heliophysics mission open market access and interoperability. have global satellite navigation networks a source of great joy for me to help lift up aboard the venerable Pegasus XL air-launched These protocols include the WTO’s in place. China’s Beidou system, which rocket in 2017 under a $56.3 million contract Agreement on Technical Barriers to in addition to positioning, navigation award announced Nov. 20. Trade, which prohibits discrimination and timing includes a short-messaging NASA’s Ionospheric Connection Explorer among goods based on nontariff measures capability, is operational in Asia and will (ICON) mission is now set to launch in June including regulations and certification be global within two years. Galileo will 2017 from the U.S. Army’s Reagan Test Site procedures. be globally operational toward the end on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific, NASA Jason Y. Kim, senior adviser at the of the decade. said in a press release. The $200 million U.S. National Coordination Office for India and Japan have launched wide- heliophysics probe will spend its two-year Positioning, Navigation and Timing, said area regional satellite navigation systems. primary mission studying the ionosphere: regulatory measures put into place should The United States, the EU and a region of space ranging from about 90 be technology-neutral, putting GPS- Japan all signed the WTO’s Agreement kilometers to 900 kilometers. equipped hardware on an equal footing on Government Procurement, which CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF REPORTING Orbital’s price has risen for Pegasus XL, with Galileo equipment if both meet the stipulates nondiscrimination in regula- which was once a staple of the company’s regulations’ performance requirements. tions. China, India and Russia are not ON THE BUSINESS AND POLITICS OF SPACE launch business but now is seldom flown. The United States and the European yet signatories. The air-launched rocket, dropped from a modified Lockheed L-1011 TriStar jetliner, last (ISSN 2328-9376) launched in June 2013, when it lofted NASA’s space agency said in a Nov. 21 press release. Maryland, leading numerous flight projects Is published weekly, except for one week in August and two weeks in Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph Watzin, who will manage NASA’s roughly and program offices. December, by SpaceNews Inc., 1414 Prince Street, Suite 300, Alexandria, Va. 22314-2853, USA. SpaceNews is not a publication of NASA. spacecraft. NASA paid about $40 million for $500-million-a-year Mars portfolio beginning Jim Green, NASA’s director of planetary Annual subscription rates: $209 U.S. Domestic mail; $229 Canada; $279 International mail. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, Va., and at other that launch, the 42nd for Pegasus. Dec. 1, succeeds Doug McCuistion, who left science, has been acting Mars Exploration mailing offices. Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Orbital has blamed a sharp downturn his post in December 2012 after eight-and- Program director since McCuistion’s SpaceNews, P.O. Box 16, Congers, NY 10920-0016. SpaceNews is registered in the number of small-satellite launches a-half years on the job. McCuistion was the departure. with the British Postal System and Canada Post International Publications Mail (Canada Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 546046. To order Space for the drought of Pegasus business. The longest-servicing Mars czar in the history News, to change an address or for subscription information, call our toll free number (in the U.S.) 866-429-2199, or write to SpaceNews, Customer small launcher, which can send about 450 of the post, which was created in 2000 to Service, P O Box 16, Congers, NY 10920-0016 or email spacenews@ cambeywest.com. For changes of address, attach an address label from a kilograms to low Earth orbit, is Orbital’s most get the Mars program back on track after SEE NEWS BRIEFS PAGE 9 recent issue. Telephone numbers: Main: 571-421-2300; Circulation: 866-429- experienced, reliable rocket. back-to-back mission failures. 2199, fax 845-267-3478; Advertising: 571-356-9618. Photocopy permission: For permission to reuse material from SpaceNews Inc., ISSN 2328-9376, please Watzin was most recently technical access www.copyright.com or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. director and deputy program executive CORRECTION CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration Jim Watzin Returning for Command, Control, Communications, for a variety of uses. For bulk reprint requests of more than 500, send to SpaceNews Attn: Reprint Department. Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and To NASA as Mars Czar Reconnaissance at the Missile Defense Agency The news brief “Orbital Asked Judge Veteran NASA program manager Jim in Huntsville, Alabama. Before that, he To Force Turnover of Launch Hardware” Watzin has left the U.S. Missile Defense did a stint as director of space programs [Nov. 3, page 8] should have said Orbital Agency to become director of NASA’s Mars at ATK and spent many years at NASA’s Sciences Corp.’s cargo delivery contract Exploration Program in Washington, the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, with NASA is worth $1.9 billion. 4 www.spacenews.com November 24, 2014 IMAGE TEAM OSIRIS FOR ESA//MPS

> Images show Rosetta’s lander as it approached and then rebounded from its first touchdown on Comet 67P. Philae Managers Say Recovery Possible as Comet Nears Sun PETER B. de SELDING, PARIS The SD2 drill was the last of Philae’s instruments to be deployed because Managers of Europe’s Philae comet ground teams wanted to collect as much lander, which went into hibernation Nov. data as possible from those instruments 15 after its battery drained 56 hours after whose measurements posed no risk of touchdown, on Nov. 18 made a virtue destabilizing the lander on its precarious of a necessity in saying Philae’s overly perch. Only two of its three legs were shadowed location will be an advantage securely on the surface. as Comet 67P approaches the sun in the After separating from its mothership, coming months. Philae arrived near dead center in its At that point, they said, it is “probable” intended landing area on Comet 67P/ that the increased doses of power Churyumov-Gerasimenko. But its thruster will warm the lander, permitting its sec- system, designed to keep it secured on ondary battery to power up sufficiently the surface, failed to deploy, as did the to renew communications via the Rosetta harpoons that were to affix it to the spacecraft orbiting overhead. surface. Philae thus rebounded off the In response to SpaceNews inquiries, comet’s surface, reaching up to a kilo- Stephan Ulamec, Philae project manager meter in elevation and traveling for about at the German Aerospace Center, DLR, a kilometer over around two hours. on Nov. 18 said such a scenario “is very It then touched down and rebounded likely to happen. Philae will not overheat again, this time for seven minutes, before on its way to the sun because of its shaded coming to its final resting place. position. Getting closer to the sun means Ground teams are still combing Philae could warm up, wake up and reload through data to determine exactly where its secondary battery by solar power.” Philae is. On Nov. 17 the European Space As of Nov. 18 Philae managers were Agency released a series of photos from still sifting through data from the last Rosetta’s Osiris camera showing Philae’s communication Philae had with Rosetta descent. A subsequent photo shows the early Nov. 15 before its batteries drained. same area after Philae’s rebound, with Early results confirm that the last small footprints in the dust that were not of Philae’s instruments to be switched visible in a previous photo of the spot. on, the SD2 Sampling, Drilling and DLR has concluded that Philae worked Distribution system, deployed correctly 56 hours continuously on the surface of and made an attempt to penetrate the the comet, plus the seven-hour descent surface ice and collect a soil sample. It from Rosetta during which its MUPUS

medialab remained unclear whether a sample was and Rosetta Lander Magnetometer and collected and put into Philae’s micro-oven Plasma Monitor multisensor experiments for analysis. There is no evidence either both were active. Including the descent,

©ESA/ATG way, DLR said. then, Philae logged 63 hours of data. “The strength of the ice found under The only two instruments that were a layer of dust on the landing site is sur- not activated were thermal sensors and prisingly high,” said Klaus Seidensticker accelerometers attached to the harpoon of DLR’s Institute of Planetary Research. anchoring system. Before it went dark, Philae was raised Philae’s exploits 500 million kilometers several centimeters and commanded to from Earth attracted global attention. TOUCHDOWN! rotate 35 degrees to optimize its exposure With the lander now out of the spotlight, to the sun. DLR said the telemetry from at least until its battery is recharged next Congratulations to ESA for achieving the first successful comet the last data transmission early Nov. 15 summer, the Rosetta satellite will continue landing, over 300 million miles from Earth. Ten years ago Ariane 5 confirmed that this maneuver occurred. its unprecedented close-in study of a Data from Philae’s MUPUS instru- comet as it approaches the sun. Rosetta is launched Rosetta on its epic journey to rendezvous with Comet 67P/ ment, or Multi-Purpose Sensors for expected to follow the comet for another Surface and Sub-Surface Science, 18 months or more. Churyumov–Gerasimenko and collect vital information about the suggest that while the MUPUS hammer ESA Rosetta managers are debating origins of our solar system. Space agencies know to launch smart. was deployed and its power increased, whether to land Rosetta on Comet 67 at “we were not able to go deep into the the end of its operational life, but no surface,” said Tilman Spohn of DLR’s decision has been made. @arianespace Institute of Planetary Research. The instrument nonetheless delivered infor- Twitter: @pbdes mation on the comet’s surface. Email: [email protected] www.spacenews.com 5 November 24, 2014 Industry Worries Government ‘Backsliding’ on Orbital Debris JEFF FOUST, COLLEGE PARK, Md. have discussed orbital debris Dunstan said he believed remediation approaches with his that this strong enforcement Despite growing concern office. While those discussions was linked to the 2007 test of a about the threat posed by orbital have yet to lead to formal policies Chinese anti-satellite (ASAT) debris, and language in U.S. and plans, he said the United weapon and the 2009 collision of national space policy directing States should take a leadership an Iridium and Russian Cosmos government agencies to study role in international discussions satellite; both incidents created debris cleanup technologies, about debris cleanup. significant debris. That enforce- many in the space community “I think a lot of countries are ment, he argued, has lagged worry that the government is looking to us for leadership: How as those incidents faded into not doing enough to implement do we solve not only the technical the past. that policy. questions but also the legal ques- “I would contend that there Some speakers at a workshop tions?” he said. has been significant back- held here by the University of The Defense Department sliding since 2010, since the Maryland’s Center for Orbital and other agencies have instead fear of Iridium/Cosmos and Debris Education and Research focused their attention on debris the Chinese ASAT have gone (CODER) expressed concern mitigation efforts. Koller said his away,” he said. He noted the that the government was “back- office was working to limit the FCC recently allowed Iridium sliding” in its commitment to exemptions to current debris to amend its orbital debris plan reducing the growth of orbital guidelines that it grants to its to allow several that debris, let alone tackling the missions. “The goal really is had exhausted their fuel to more complex issues of removing to start drawing down those naturally deorbit over 25 years, orbital debris. granted exemptions and, by rather than actively deorbit over The 2010 National Space 2018, have a zero environment several months. Policy directed government for granted exemptions,” he said. The workshop discussed a agencies to follow orbital debris GRAPHIC Other agencies also imple- number of technical concepts

mitigation guidelines designed AGENCY ment debris mitigation for orbital debris cleanup, from to minimize the creation of new guidelines, either for their own tugs that would move defunct SPACE debris. The policy also, for the satellites or those over which satellites to a laser that nudges

first time, directed NASA and EUROPEAN they have regulatory oversight. smaller pieces of debris into

the U.S. Defense Department > NASA and U.S. Defense Department officials at the workshop said that despite the policy direction, The Federal Communications lower . Even engineers to study ways to remove existing they have only started to address orbital debris remediation issues. Commission (FCC), for example, there, though, acknowledged debris, a concept known as requires companies whose satel- that orbital debris cleanup was remediation. Department officials at the early stage technologies that lites it licenses to follow those not solely a technical problem. “Everybody who’s looked workshop said that despite the may eventually be useful for guidelines. “It’s going to be a little hard at the problem comes to the policy direction, they have only debris remediation as well as “The FCC, at one time, was for some of us to stand back and same conclusion: If we don’t started to address orbital debris other applications, including very aggressive in its enforce- let lawyers and policy people get start removing five to 10 objects remediation issues. “This past its Asteroid Redirect Mission ment” of the orbital debris involved and start telling us how per year for the next 100 years, year, we’ve spent a lot of time program, rather than as a guidelines, James Dunstan, to solve the problem,” said Eric we’ll have an unstable environ- thinking about remediation,” separate initiative. “We do not founder of Mobius Legal Group, Sundberg, principal scientist at ment,” Donald Kessler, a retired Thomas Cremins, senior adviser have an active debris remedia- said in a Nov. 19 keynote at the the Aerospace Corp., in a Nov. 19 NASA scientist who was one of for policy and strategy imple- tion program,” he said. CODER workshop. He cited, as panel presentation on remedia- the pioneers in orbital debris mentation at NASA, said during Josef Koller, space policy one example, the FCC’s rejecting tion technologies. research, said in a keynote talk a panel session Nov. 18. adviser in the Office of the a license application because at the workshop Nov. 18. However, Cremins added that Secretary of Defense, said an it lacked sufficient detail in its Twitter: @jeff_foust NASA and Defense NASA has decided to focus on increasing number of companies orbital debris mitigation plan. Email: [email protected] Haney: U.S. Partners To Have Indirect Access to Space Fence Data MIKE GRUSS, WASHINGTON of terrestrial and space-based sensors, surveillance assets, will join the network in Systems and Training of Moorestown, New both optical and radar, Haney said. The 2019. To accommodate those data, as well Jersey, won a $914 million contract from the The U.S. Defense Department’s network tracks and catalogs satellites and as other sensors both internal and external Air Force to develop the Space Fence. AMEC expanding network of international debris, information that is used for warning to the Defense Department, the Air Force Foster Wheeler of London, which provides partners in space surveillance will have operators of potential collisions, among is undertaking a modernization of the architectural and engineering work, and indirect access to data from the Pentagon’s other purposes. JSpOC’s computing systems, a program General Dynamics C4 Systems SATCOM next-generation Space Fence tracking Strategic Command has announced known as the JSpOC Mission System. Technologies of Scottsdale, Arizona, are system, a top U.S. military official said. major subcontractors on the program. “Once operational, the Space Fence is In a Nov. 18 interview, Steve Bruce, scheduled to serve as an additional sensor in vice president for advanced systems at the Space Surveillance Network, effectively “Once operational, the Space Fence is scheduled to serve as an Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and enhancing the information available to all Training, said the company anticipates a existing and future [space situational aware- additional sensor in the Space Surveillance Network, effectively Jan. 5 groundbreaking at the Kwajalein ness] partners,” Navy Adm. Cecil Haney, site and a critical design review to test the commander of Strategic Command, said in enhancing the information available to all existing and future maturity of the Space Fence technologies a written response to SpaceNews questions. in March. “The same type of data available now will [space situational awareness] partners.” Most recently, Lockheed Martin has be shared with our partners once the Space been focusing on completing environ- Fence is operational.” mental impact studies and site surveys as To date, Strategic Command has Navy Adm. Cecil Haney well as delivering construction equipment announced data-sharing agreements with and materials to the Marshall Islands, at least seven countries and 44 companies, Bruce said. but few details about those agreements space situational awareness data-sharing The Space Fence would track about The Air Force has asked for virtually have been made public. Some in the space agreements with Australia, Japan, Italy, 200,000 objects and make 1.5 million obser- no changes to the contract since June, community had wondered how much of Canada, France, the Republic of Korea vations per day, about 10 times the number Bruce said. the Air Force’s new $1 billion Space Fence and the . It also has agree- made by existing or recently retired assets “We’re moving along very well for a big would be part of those agreements, if at all. ments with the including the Air Force Space Surveillance program,” Bruce said. Lockheed Martin Strategic Command’s data-sharing and Europe’s Eumetsat weather satellite System, which was mothballed in 2013. expects to complete and deliver the system agent is the Joint Space Operations Center organization, Haney said. The system initially will consist of a radar in September 2018, he said. (JSpOC) at Vandenberg Air Force Base, The Space Fence, an S-band radar that site on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific California, which receives data from the will be capable of tracking greater numbers Ocean near the equator. Twitter: @Gruss_SN Space Surveillance Network, a combination of smaller objects than current U.S. space In June, Lockheed Martin Mission Email: [email protected] 6 www.spacenews.com November 24, 2014 Virginia May Seek Federal Funds for Wallops Repairs JEFF FOUST , WASHINGTON surrounding the pad. Two of the four poles fell in the explo- After the failure of an sion, Nash said, and all four will Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares likely be replaced. rocket caused as much as $20 Many other key elements million in damage to a state- of the pad, though, escaped owned launch pad, Virginia’s damage in the accident. “All two U.S. senators said they may the tankage seems to be in seek federal funds to cover good shape,” he said. “The repair costs. water tower also appears to be In a joint statement provided in good shape.” by their offices on Nov. 20, Sens. Nash was optimistic that the Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, damage could be repaired well both Democrats, said they would in advance of the next launch. work with members of both “There’s really nothing that we parties in the House and Senate don’t know how to rebuild,” he to identify funding to pay for said. “There’s not too much that the damage to the Mid-Atlantic should keep us from supporting Regional Spaceport (MARS) on the schedule that Orbital has Wallops Island, Virginia. for a launch in early 2016.” “Sens. Warner and Kaine In a Nov. 5 conference call, are working with their col- Orbital officials said they were leagues from both parties, accelerating the development both chambers, and both states of an upgraded version of the to see if there may be federal Antares with new first-stage resources available to help engines, which they plan to have rebound from this setback,” ready for a first launch in 2016. the statement said. MARS is The company has yet to disclose a joint venture of the states of its choice of engine that will Maryland and Virginia. replace the AJ-26 engine used The Richmond Times-Dispatch previously on the Antares first reported Nov. 18 that Virginia stage and linked to the Oct. Gov. Terry McAuliffe, also a 28 failure. Democrat, had asked the Orbital is still conducting ZAPERACH senators for funding to cover the an assessment of damage to its TERRY repair costs to the spaceport. A BY own equipment at the launch

spokesman for the governor’s PHOTO pad, company spokesman

office did not respond to a NASA Barron Beneski said Nov. 21.

request for comment on the > Pad 0A at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia, was damaged after an Antares rocket suffered an engine malfunction less than 15 He confirmed comments by report. seconds after liftoff Oct. 28. The rocket fell back to the ground near the pad and exploded. Orbital Chief Executive David Pad 0A at MARS was W. Thompson in the Nov. 5 damaged after an Antares Nash, executive director of the were needed and their costs. related systems. “A lot of elec- conference call that the cost to rocket suffered an engine mal- Virginia Commercial Space “The estimate is probably no trical systems and sensors are repair or replace any company- function less than 15 seconds Flight Authority, said the space- more than $20 million,” he said. fried,” he said. owned equipment at the pad after liftoff Oct. 28. The rocket port was still finalizing damage Much of the planned repairs, Among the most visible will be covered by insurance. fell back to the ground near the assessments to the pad infra- he said, involves concrete and damage to the site involves pad and exploded. structure, but believed it had other structural damage to the the four lightning towers, Twitter: @jeff_foust In a Nov. 20 interview, Dale a good handle on what repairs pad, as well as plumbing and resembling tall flagpoles, Email: [email protected] ATK Executive Hints at Antares Engine Selection in Endorsing Orbital’s Recovery Plan PETER B. de SELDING, PARIS Orbital has also said it would scrap its will not be substantial. space station under a services contract current Russian-origin AJ26 first-stage Cohen said ATK also agreed with with NASA. Alliant Techsystems (ATK) Chief Antares engine for an unnamed alterna- Orbital that the likelihood of Orbital But since then the stock has recovered Executive Mark W. DeYoung on Nov. 19 tive that will be in service in late 2016. winning a follow-on space station and as of Nov. 19 was marginally up from said there are no near-term liquid-pro- Neither DeYoung nor ATK Chief supply contract with NASA has not been where it traded on the eve of the April pulsion alternatives to Russian engines Financial Officer Neil S. Cohen iden- reduced because of the Antares failure 28 merger announcement. for U.S. rockets. tified the replacement engine, but and will not suffer from the change in For reasons unrelated to the Antares In a conference call with investors their comments suggested that Dulles, engine. rocket failure, ATK’s stock has also had to explain why ATK still believes in its Virginia-based Orbital has in fact selected He said Orbital’s recovery plan a rocky 2014 and at the stock market’s planned merger with Orbital Sciences a Russian engine to replace the AJ26, includes “key milestones and deliverables close Nov. 19 was down 18 percent since Corp. despite the Oct. 28 failure of which has been tentatively implicated that can be monitored in the coming the Orbital deal was announced. Orbital’s Antares rocket, DeYoung said in the Antares failure. weeks” before ATK and Orbital share- Without disclosing many details, his company continues to hunt for rockets Cohen said ATK’s review of Orbital’s holders vote on the merger of Orbital with Orbital Chief Executive David W. to use ATK’s solid-propulsion systems. recovery program included an “assess- ATK’s Aerospace and Defense division. Thompson assured investors in a Nov. But for liquid propulsion, he said, Russia ment of customer and political risks” The companies agreed to postpone 17 statement that the company would is unavoidable for now. associated with Orbital’s Antares plans, the planned Dec. 9 shareholder vote to fulfill the NASA supply contract by “As much as the country may desire using a phrase normally associated with Jan. 27 to allow time to assess the deal launching space station cargo on one to have an alternative propulsion system purchases from nations with unstable after the Antares failure. or two launches provided by third which does not rely on Russian liquid political regimes or with tense relations The merger involves ATK’s spinning parties without “material adverse finan- propulsion, there are no solutions avail- with the United States. off of its Sporting Goods division into cial changes in 2015 or future years.” able that I am aware of in the near term” Cohen said the ATK review also a new company, called Vista Outdoor. Thompson will become chief executive that could replace “the solutions which “stress-tested” Orbital’s assumptions ATK’s Aerospace and Defense group of the newly named Orbital ATK. are being used right now, which are about the availability and cost of third- would then merge with Orbital, with the While Orbital officials had expressed Russian-based engines,” he said. party rockets for launching one or two combined company becoming a wholly confidence immediately after the failure Arlington, Virginia-based ATK con- space station cargo missions, and about owned ATK subsidiary. that the merger plans remained intact, ducted an in-depth review of Orbital’s replacing the AJ26 with a new engine. The two companies said the transac- ATK had been more circumspect, saying post-Antares failure recovery plan, which ATK’s board of directors concluded tion is expected to close in February. it wanted to evaluate the consequences includes finding replacement rockets to that Orbital has correctly assessed the Orbital’s stock fell dramatically in detail. launch one or two cargo modules to the risks and costs of its Antares recovery following the Antares failure, which international space station to fulfill the plan in concluding that its effect on the destroyed an Orbital-built module Twitter: @pbdes terms of Orbital’s contract with NASA. company’s revenue and profit in 2015 carrying supplies to the international Email: [email protected] www.spacenews.com 7 November 24, 2014 Final Assembly and Testing Begins on NASA’s Next Mars Mission DAN LEONE, WASHINGTON by the French space agency, CNES, cost about $42 million; Prime contractor Lockheed NASA’s financial contribution Martin Space Systems has to InSight’s instrument suite started assembling the InSight — a sensor that tracks Mars’ lander that will carry a pair of rotational axis, a robotic arm European science instruments to to move the European instru- the surface of Mars for a two-year ments from the spacecraft to seismology mission scheduled the ground, and two black-and- to launch in 2016, the Denver- white cameras — totals only $18 based company said in a Nov. 17 million, according to the 2015 press release. budget request. InSight, led by the Jet InSight’s other main instru- Propulsion Laboratory in ment is the German-built Heat Pasadena, California, is the 12th Flow and Physical Properties in NASA’s Discovery series of Package, a small drilling rig small, competitively selected, based on the Multi-Purpose cost-capped science missions. Sensors for Surface and NASA picked the lander in Subsurface Science package August 2012 over the Comet that landed on Comet 67P Hopper and Titan Maritime Nov. 12 as part of the European Explorer missions, the novel Space Agency’s Rosetta mission. designs of which the agency DLR’s InSight instrument will deemed too risky to gamble on cost about 15 million , or with its budget trending flat. just under $19 million, Tilman Spacecraft integration will Spohn, head of DLR’s Institute last about six months, Lockheed for Planetary Research in Berlin, Martin said in its press release. said in a Nov. 19 email.

InSight’s two European instru- PHOTO NASA’s rationale for barring ments are scheduled to arrive significant international contri- within that time frame and MARTIN butions to Discovery missions

start environmental tests this LOCKHEED is to avoid footing the bill for

coming summer in Denver, > Technicians in a Lockheed Martin clean room prepare NASA’s InSight Mars lander for propulsion proof and leak testing. InSight is scheduled to launch in 2016. getting non-U.S. instruments NASA spokesman Guy Webster to distant planets. said in a Nov. 19 email. Tack on another $159.9 million martian equator in a region the Discovery line with a predom- “The intent is to not have U.S. InSight is based heavily for launch, and the total bill known as Elysium Planitia on inantly international instrument spacecraft flying with non-U.S. on the Lockheed-built Mars for the mission rises to $541.8 Sept. 20, 2016. suite. Beginning with the 13th instruments and mostly non-U.S. Phoenix lander that launched million, according to docu- Once InSight separates from Discovery competition, underway science teams,” Michael Lew, in 2007, landed in 2008 and went ments accompanying NASA’s its rocket, a Lockheed Martin since Nov. 5 with a winner to be lead Discovery program scientist, silent after about five months 2015 budget request. team at the company’s Mission announced around September told the NASA-chartered Small of surface operations — two InSight is slated to launch Support Area in Waterton 2015, international contributions Bodies Advisory Group in July. months more than called for aboard a United Launch Alliance Canyon, Colorado, will take over to a Discovery mission’s instru- NASA spokesman Dwayne in its primary mission. Atlas 5 rocket from Vandenberg spacecraft operations. InSight’s ment package may not exceed Brown did not reply to a request Development of InSight Air Force Base in California roughly two-year primary seis- one-third of the mission’s total for comment Nov. 18 about began in December 2013, when March 8, 2016, in what will be mology mission begins when the instrument budget. whether NASA’s new policy was the agency committed to a cost of NASA’s first Mars mission to lander reaches the surface. The Even one of InSight’s two now a permanent fixture in the $381.9 million, excluding launch. launch from anywhere other data could help scientists under- primary instruments easily Discovery program. The estimate places InSight well than Cape Canaveral Air Force stand how small, rocky planets exceeds that limit. For example, within its development cost cap Station in Florida. The lander like Mars and Earth form. the Seismic Experiment for Twitter: @Leone_SN of $425 million in 2010 dollars. is slated to touch down near the InSight could be the last in Interior Structures, provided Email: [email protected] NASA Extends Unfunded Commercial Crew Agreement with Blue Origin JEFF FOUST, WASHINGTON unspecified subscale . and propellant tank milestones would later competitions for the development A second milestone involves a flight be achieved by September 2015, while of systems to carry NASA astronauts NASA announced Nov. 14 that it has test of Blue Origin’s BE-3 rocket engine, the pusher escape system test milestone to and from the ISS. Boeing, Sierra extended its unfunded agreement with a liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen engine is scheduled for March 2016. The overall Nevada Corp., and Space Exploration Blue Origin to support that company’s that the company has tested on the agreement now expires April 17, 2016. Technologies Corp. also received funded effort to develop a commercial crew ground in earlier milestones. That flight “The team at Blue Origin has made CCDev2 awards. spacecraft, even though the company is would test the engine on a “representa- tremendous progress in its design, and While Blue Origin received $22 million not competing for a NASA contract to tive suborbital mission,” which NASA we’re excited to extend our partnership in its original CCDev2 award, it decided, provide transportation to the interna- unlike the other three funded compa- tional space station. nies, not to compete in later phases of NASA and Blue Origin signed an the program. Instead, the company has extension Oct. 31 of their existing Space “The team at Blue Origin has made tremendous progress in its continued development of what it simply Act Agreement, originally part of the calls its “Space Vehicle” using internal agency’s Commercial Crew Development design, and we’re excited to extend our partnership to 2016.” funding. In September, NASA awarded Round 2 (CCDev2) award made in April contracts valued at up to $6.8 billion to 2011. This extension, like previous ones Boeing and SpaceX to develop and test dating back to February 2013, is an Kathy Lueders their commercial crew vehicles, a decision unfunded one where NASA provides that Sierra Nevada has protested to the technical guidance but no money to Government Accountability Office. Blue Origin. “It’s important to keep a pulse on the One milestone covers an in-flight personnel would be invited to observe. to 2016,” Kathy Lueders, manager of commercial human spaceflight industry test of a “pusher” escape system, where The third milestone involves a flight NASA’s commercial crew program, said as a whole,” Lueders said in the NASA rocket engines at the base of the vehicle test of a subscale propellant tank, also in the Nov. 14 statement announcing the statement, “and this partnership is a would push the spacecraft away from on a representative suborbital mission. extension of the Blue Origin agreement. shining example of what works well for its in the event of an The assembly review for that tank was a The CCDev2 program was originally both industry and the government.” abort. Under the CCDev2 milestone, milestone in a prior unfunded extension established to help companies mature NASA personnel would review data and of Blue Origin’s CCDev2 agreement. technologies for commercial crew trans- Twitter: @jeff_foust video from the test, which would use an The extension states that the BE-3 portation systems that would feed into Email: [email protected] 8 www.spacenews.com November 24, 2014 Europe’s Satellite Operators Urge Swift Development of Ariane 6 PETER B. de SELDING, PARIS considered the Proton and Zenit with its opinions early on in the rockets out of the commercial Ariane 6 design process, a move The president of the European market, de Rosen said Eutelsat has that helped change the Ariane Satellite Operators Association been told that the Russian govern- 6 design over the past two years. (ESOA) on Nov. 19 applauded ment will do what it takes to keep ESA Director-General Jean- the apparent agreement between both vehicles viable in the market. Jacques Dordain, de Rosen said, France and Germany on a next- Eutelsat, de Rosen said, point- has been the driving force behind generation Ariane 6 rocket and edly asked SpaceX in September this evolution. “Without Dordain, said the vehicle needs to be in what its medium-term Falcon there would be no Ariane 6,” he service as quickly as possible. 9 pricing policy would be. The said. If it is not, said Eutelsat Chief company wondered whether Leroy said the decision to Executive Michel de Rosen, ESOA’s SpaceX would raise prices once design an Ariane 6 with two president, SpaceX of the United it had secured a sizable share of liquid-fueled stages instead of States will establish itself as a leader the commercial market. a solid-fueled first stage “helps in the commercial market — a SpaceX’s response, he said, was future-proof the vehicle and make position from which it will not be that Falcon pricing would remain it more adaptable. For example, dislodged easily. stable for a time and then head any move to reusability, of the “Our ESOA message: Hurry down, not up, as new technology, sort SpaceX is trying, would need up,” de Rosen said in a briefing scale economies and partial reuse liquid-fueled engines.” here less than two weeks before of the vehicle produced their SpaceX currently charges about European governments are set to intended effects. $60 million for a single satellite meet to decide Ariane 6’s funding While de Rosen occasionally launched on a . The Ariane and development period. “Each sounded like a cheerleader for 64 vehicle that appears on the year that passes will see SpaceX Team France or Team Europe verge of acceptance by European advance, gain market share and — his company has histori- governments is expected to cost further reduce its costs through cally favored both Ariane 5 and about 91 million euros to build economies of scale.” European satellite builders — he and launch, leading to a price, in Hawthorne, California-based PHOTO said Eutelsat would make no guar- 2014 economic conditions, of 115

SpaceX, formally known as Space EUTELSAT antees with respect to Ariane 6. million euros ($144 million) for

Exploration Technologies Corp., > “Our ESOA message: Hurry up,” Eutelsat Chief Executive Michel de Rosen said. “Each year that pass- “If they meet their objectives in a full vehicle with two satellites. has already begun to take market es will see SpaceX advance, gain market share and further reduce its costs through economies of scale.” terms of flexibility and reliability, The Ariane 6 vehicle, assuming its share from Europe’s Arianespace then we would certainly look favor- 4.3 billion euros in development launch service provider, mainly the company’s leverage on them. rockets — have confronted quality ably on the vehicle,” de Rosen said, funding is approved in December, for the launch of satellites that Arianespace has also begun control and supply chain issues. adding that Eutelsat already had is scheduled to be operational would sit in the current heavy-lift reducing prices for satellites in the Leroy said this situation will not volunteered to place one of its in 2020. Ariane 5 rocket’s lower position, Ariane 5 lower position, in part last long, especially if, as scheduled, satellites on the inaugural Ariane Neither Eutelsat nor ESOA which is reserved for the smaller by raising prices for the heavier, SpaceX introduces its 6 flight. appeared overly concerned about of two satellites the vehicle carries upper-berth satellites. sometime in 2015 and thereby “We are just the customers. this price difference. Presented to orbit for commercial customers. Yohann Leroy, Eutelsat’s chief competes for 6,000-kilogram- What we want, as satellite opera- with a competitive challenge, de Evry, France-based Arianespace technical officer, said this policy class satellites as well as lighter tors, is at least three launch Rosen said, Europe’s industry is has responded by squeezing, to a has been possible in part because spacecraft. options. We don’t want anyone likely to rise to the occasion. limited degree, its supplier base. the Ariane 5’s competitors for Asked whether Eutelsat, the in a monopoly position.” But Ariane 5 builders are also heavy satellites — the Russian world’s third-largest commercial The 20-nation European Space Twitter: @pbdes Arianespace shareholders, limiting Proton and Zenit/Sea Launch satellite fleet operator by revenue, Agency asked ESOA to weigh in Email: [email protected]

COMPROMISE FROM PAGE 1 in late 2012 agreed to fund initial studies of international space station work through of the now-scrapped, solid-fueled Ariane 2020, although they agree that 2020 is all upper stage and about 20 percent more 6 design. but certain. Beyond 2020 — NASA wants power, is a much lower-risk endeavor and The Ariane 6 rocket would be ready for to operate the facility through 2024 — is should be approved before any commit- an inaugural flight in 2020. an open question. ment to Ariane 6. ESA has proposed to spend 8 billion In 2012 Germany agreed to increase France had argued otherwise, first by euros ($10 billion) in total on launchers its share of total European space station proposing a solid-fuel-based Ariane 6 that between 2015 and 2024, including some funding following the collapse of Italy’s found little support in industry or among 4.3 billion euros on Ariane 6, including a contribution in the face of the financial commercial satellite fleet operators — the new launch pad at Europe’s Guiana Space crisis in Italy. France also has hesitated on main customers for today’s Ariane 5 — and Center spaceport in . The space station support, and German officials then by aligning with a proposal by Ariane price support payments, which now average have said Germany will no longer provide prime contractor Defence and Space some 100 million euros per year, could a financial backstop for other nations’ and motor-maker Safran on Ariane 6. continue until Ariane 6 is operational. station roles. The Ariane 6 comes in two models: an Zypries said Germany would insist that Zypries said Germany, France and Italy, Ariane 62 that would be used mainly for the 10-year commitment, which ESA has Europe’s top three station backers, have government missions to medium and low proposed be divided into payments to be reached an unwritten understanding that Earth orbit, and a heavier Ariane 64 with released only after industry has reached all of them will return to the space station solid-rocket boosters that would share tech- certain milestones, be subject to a review percentage shares they agreed to in 1995 at nologies with the enhanced Vega rocket. at the next ESA ministerial conference, an ESA ministerial conference in Toulouse, The new Ariane 6 program model, as scheduled for 2016. France. described by ESA Director-General Jean- France has said it would finance 50 “We underlined that the compromise Jacques Dordain in an Oct. 29 response percent of Ariane 6’s development. The includes the funding of the space station as questions from Germany, would force German contribution is expected to be the ESA executive has proposed, meaning industry to assume the risks associated around 20 percent, with Italy and a handful the Toulouse key,” Zypries said. “France and with the commercial market, meaning no of other ESA governments paying the rest. Italy did not object, which we take to mean DUCROS more annual government support payments With the key strategic issue now settled D. that they have the same understanding.” BY to permit the launch services business to between France and Germany, govern- The Italian-led ExoMars program, a make ends meet. ments and industry will focus on several CONCEPT two-launch mission in 2016 and 2018, mean- In return, European governments would outstanding questions related to Ariane 6. while, remains short of needed financing ARTIST’S guarantee an average of five launches per Among them: What happens if governments ESA by around 200 million euros. Zypries said year using Ariane, at set prices, to allow cannot maintain a five-per-year launch rate Ariane 6 no decisions were reached on this program, industry enough business to attack the for their own satellites? Does industry then but that “Germany proposed to offer some commercial market on its own. have a right to demand support payments as “Governance, meaning the share of risk in-kind contribution” beyond its agreed-to The new Ariane 6 approach thus repre- it battles Space Exploration Technologies between public and industry, needs some financial contribution level. sents a climb-down from the earlier positions Corp., also known as SpaceX, of the United more work,” Zypries said. held by both the French and German gov- States, Russia’s Proton and other rockets European governments have not yet Twitter: @pbdes ernments, and by ESA, whose governments on the commercial market? firmly committed to maintaining their share Email: [email protected] www.spacenews.com 9 November 24, 2014 NEWS BRIEFS NEWS BRIEFS FROM PAGE 3 Clinton-era Deep Space Climate Observatory Ships to Florida Launch Site, Finally LASP Finishes After spending more than a decade in storage, the Deep Space Climate Observatory Ultraviolet Sensor (DSCOVR) — a Clinton-era satellite formerly known as Triana — arrived in Florida For GOES-S Satellite Nov. 20 for integration with the SpaceX The Laboratory for Falcon 9 rocket set to launch it Jan. 23, the Atmospheric and Space Physics U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric (LASP) in Boulder, Colorado, Administration said in a press release. finished an ultraviolet sensor DSCOVR uses hardware initially assembled slated to fly on a U.S. geo- for an Earth observation satellite conceived stationary weather satellite in the 1990s by then-U.S. Vice President Al launching in 2017, NASA said Gore, earning the spacecraft the nickname in a Nov. 13 press release. Goresat. Resurrected by the Obama adminis- The Extreme Ultraviolet tration after the administration of President and X-ray Irradiance Sensors George W. Bush shelved the project in 2001, (EXIS) instrument will fly DSCOVR has been recast as a space weather on the National Oceanic and mission and will head to Earth-sun Atmospheric Administration’s point 1 to keep an eye on charged particles Geostationary Operational blasting out of the sun. Environmental Satellite The DSCOVR launch marks not only the (GOES)-S satellite, the second end of a long wait on the ground for the in the GOES-R series slated to erstwhile Goresat, but also the first Falcon begin launching in 2016. NASA 9 launch the U.S. Air Force has bought. The is managing procurement of the launch is costing the service $97 million. four GOES-R-series spacecraft, SpaceX of Hawthorne,. California, formally which are being assembled by known as Space Exploration Technologies Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corp., won the DSCOVR launch in 2012 of Denver under a prime contract when Congress directed the Pentagon to worth about $1.4 billion. open some military launches to companies LASP is building four EXIS other than incumbent government launch instruments. The third, for services provider United Launch Alliance

GOES-T, is now undergoing PHOTO of Denver.

post-environmental testing cali- NESDIS DSCOVR will launch from Cape Canaveral bration, NASA said in its press DSCOVR at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland awaiting shipment to Florida Air Force Station, Florida. release. Earth and Life Sciences, Aircraft Ops Under Microscope in NASA Consolidation Effort DAN LEONE, WASHINGTON told the NAC here, but NASA has so far and centers then hold on to capabilities identified only four: aircraft operations, we don’t really need them holding on NASA’s latest attempt to right-size Earth science research, life sciences to just so they can compete. And that its 10 U.S. field centers will begin with research, and human factors — a disci- model has to be addressed.” a focus on a roughly $3 billion cross- pline focused on making crewed systems One way centers hold on to capabilities section of the agency’s nearly $18 billion such as spacecraft more user-friendly. outside of their core areas of expertise, budget that could affect some 10,000 These four capabilities alone account Roe said, is through contractors. Certain civil servants and contractors, a senior for about $2.8 billion of the roughly $18 capabilities, Roe said, should be consoli- agency official said here Nov. 20. billion NASA spends a year and employ dated at one center, with other centers Including administrative, clerical and about 10,000 people, including contrac- using them as needed. An example of support personnel, NASA employs some tors and civil servants, Roe told the NAC. the model NASA would prefer, Roe said, 17,000 civil servants — who by law may There could be as much as $550 million is the agency-wide use of the Deep Space not be laid off — and between 34,000 in annual savings to be had in these four Network the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and 40,000 contractors who work on or areas, Roe told the NAC, although she maintains to communicate with space- near the agency’s field centers, Lesa Roe, acknowledged the number is “a target” craft beyond Earth orbit. NASA’s deputy assistant administrator, NASA might not be able to hit. “No one will create new [Deep Space told the NASA Advisory Council’s (NAC) Another target for savings under Network], they use the [Deep Space institutional committee during a meeting TCAT, Roe said, is mission operations. Network] we have,” Roe said. “We need to at NASA headquarters here. The latest There are a total of 98 mission opera- do something like that for other assets.”

meeting was only the second for the new tions centers across NASA and the agency PHOTO TCAT is only the latest NASA attempt

NAC committee. believes it can reduce costs in this area NASA to reorganize its organizational footprint. Roe, former director of NASA’s by about 30 percent, said Roe. The week Lesa Roe Previous efforts have met with resistance Langley Research Center in Hampton, of Nov. 10, NASA formed a team led by in Congress, where lawmakers are always Virginia, is co-leading NASA’s Technical John McCullough, former chief flight centers comprising no more than a few eager to protect NASA centers where Capabilities Assessment Team (TCAT) director at the Johnson Space Center in desktop computers. their constituents work. along with her boss, NASA Associate Houston, to evaluate whether that target Meanwhile, TCAT will also attempt to Roe acknowledged that telling the Administrator Robert Lightfoot. TCAT is realistic, Roe told the NAC. reduce the intra-agency infighting that NAC that any TCAT recommendations, began in 2012 but will not be in full force In human spaceflight, Johnson has sometimes occurs when centers vie for however sensible, will ultimately fail “if until after February, when NASA plans a practical monopoly on mission opera- funds under competitive mission lines I don’t align the budget in some way.” to appoint so-called capabilities leaders tions, with the Marshall Space Flight such as the Planetary Science Division’s TCAT is not a secret on Capital Hill, to monitor its 10 field centers and point Center in Huntsville, Alabama, main- Discovery and New Frontiers programs, and lawmakers so far briefed on the out areas where two or more centers are taining a backup mission control for and the Astrophysics Division’s Explorer initiative are “very receptive to this,” spending money on the same things. NASA’s international space station activi- program. Roe said Nov. 20. “They think this is the Each leader will be in charge of one ties. But the dozens of planetary probes, “We are spending ... quite a bit of right thing to do.” broad area of expertise NASA is calling a Earth observation satellites and space money annually, competing for our own technical capability. There will eventually telescopes NASA operates commonly are money, as an agency,” Roe told the NAC. Twitter: @Leone_SN be 19 such agency-wide capabilities, Roe flown from dedicated mission operations “We compete centers against each other, Email: [email protected] 10 www.spacenews.com November 24, 2014 British Company Announces Crowdfunded Lunar Lander Mission JEFF FOUST, WASHINGTON been of scientific interest for some time. The most recent Hoping to leverage what it U.S. planetary science decadal believes to be increased public survey, prepared by the National enthusiasm for science and space Research Council for NASA in exploration, a British company 2011, listed a sample-return announced plans Nov. 19 to raise mission to the South Pole-Aitken nearly $1 million through crowd- Basin as one of five high-priority funding to start work on a private medium-class missions that scien- lunar lander mission that will tists recommended NASA should ultimately cost about $1 billion. pursue through its New Frontiers Lunar Missions Ltd. is seeking Program. to raise 600,000 British pounds Lunar Mission One will not ($940,000) over the next month return samples, but Iron said the via the crowdfunding website spacecraft could have the ability Kickstarter to support studies to cache rock samples collected of Lunar Mission One, a lunar by its drill for return to Earth on lander mission planned for 2024 a future mission. with both science and public Lunar Mission One also is outreach goals. The campaign one of the largest space-related raised more than 75,000 British crowdfunding initiatives to date. pounds in its first 12 hours. In 2013, Planetary Resources As currently proposed, the Inc. raised $1.5 million through one-ton Lunar Mission One Kickstarter to fund development spacecraft will land on the rim CONCEPT of a space telescope. In June, the of the South Pole-Aitken Basin, student-led Time Capsule to Mars the largest impact crater in the ARTIST’S project announced plans to raise LTD. solar system. The spacecraft’s drill most of its estimated $25 million will collect rock samples from a MISSIONS cost through crowdfunding.

depth of at least 20 meters, and LUNAR One risk Iron acknowledged

potentially up to 100 meters, for > As currently proposed, the one-ton Lunar Mission One spacecraft will land on the rim of the Moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin, the largest impact crater in is the all-or-nothing nature of analysis. the solar system. The spacecraft’s drill will collect rock samples from a depth of at least 20 meters, and potentially up to 100 meters, for analysis. the Kickstarter crowdfunding The spacecraft also will carry platform: The company will a “time capsule” that will later mission by giving them something he said, by supporting develop- technical adviser, said in a Nov. 17 receive money only if it meets be buried in the hole created that they want to buy,” David Iron, ment of key mission technologies, interview. “The public has really or exceeds its 600,000 British by the spacecraft’s drill. That founder of Lunar Missions Ltd., such as the spacecraft’s drilling been captured by the science in pound goal. However, Iron was time capsule will include a public said in a Nov. 17 interview. He system. a way most of us didn’t expect.” not worried about falling just archive of information about said the company’s initial market The company hopes to take The company plans to empha- short of its goal and thus not humanity, but the company also research suggests there will be advantage of what it sees as a size the mission’s science. “At the receiving any money. plans to sell space in the capsule strong demand for access to the surge of public interest in space, end of the day, this is primarily “It’s possible, but we don’t to individuals who want to include time capsule. triggered in part by the recent a science mission,” Holdaway think it’s likely” that the company photos, videos or other digital Iron said the company also success of the European Space said. By drilling into the South will just miss its fundraising messages. will pursue corporate sponsor- Agency’s Rosetta comet mission. Pole-Aitken Basin, he said, the goal, he said. “We think we will The company believes those ships for the mission but does “One thing that has been a big spacecraft should be able to either fail completely or succeed time capsule sales will provide not expect that to be a significant deal here is the Rosetta mission,” access rocks dating back to the completely.” the bulk of the funding for the source of revenue. Government Richard Holdaway, director of origin of the solar system 4.5 mission. “We get members of agencies also could be a source of Rutherford Appleton Laboratory billion years ago. Twitter: @jeff_foust the public to pay for the entire in-kind funding for the mission, (RAL) Space, the mission’s The Moon’s south pole has Email: [email protected] Airbus Awarded ESA Contract To Build Service Module for Orion Capsule PETER B. de SELDING, PARIS in the United States by a U.S. contractor in their governments for 800 million euros the event the agreement is not extended. in station support at the Dec. 2 meeting, The European Space Agency on Nov. ESA governments are scheduled to meet with the remaining 200 million euros 17 signed a firm, fixed-price contract with Dec. 2 to formalize their commitment to needed to operate the facility to 2020 to Airbus Defence and Space for the construc- station operations to 2020 and to complete be requested at a meeting of ESA govern- tion of the service module for NASA’s Orion the financial backing needed for the Orion ments in 2016. crew transport capsule, with a launch set service module. At their last meeting, “The fact that we now have a firm, fixed- for late 2017 or early 2018. in late 2012, they agreed to commit 55 price contract with industry should send a Under the contract, valued at 390 percent of the service module’s cost, with positive signal to our governments meeting million euros ($488 million), Airbus will the remaining portion conditioned on a on Dec. 2,” said one official involved in design and build one service module and longer-term agreement among ESA nations Europe’s space station program. build parts for a second to acquit ESA of its on space station operations. The German government, which is space station maintenance dues to NASA The contract signed with Airbus Europe’s biggest space station supporter, between 2017 and 2020. includes protections for ESA and for Airbus is demanding that France and Italy, whose The Orion service module, which in the event — considered highly unlikely financial support has softened, return DUCROS provides propulsion, power, thermal control D. — that ESA governments do not agree to to their previous levels of contribution BY and elements of the life-support system space station support to 2020. instead of assuming Germany will cover for Orion, is based on ESA’s Automated CONCEPT ESA has pegged its Orion service any shortfall. Germany wants to cap its Transfer Vehicle (ATV) cargo freighter. module budget at around 470 million euros contribution at 37.7 percent of the total, ARTIST’S

ESA had been reimbursing NASA for ESA in 2014 economic conditions, meaning after in keeping with an agreement reached

Europe’s 8 percent share of space station > The Orion service module, derived from Europe’s Auto- accounting for inflation since 2011. It has in 1995. common operating charges by launching mated Transfer Vehicle, sits directly below Orion’s crew capsule. spent around 80 million euros in the past Neither France nor Italy has confirmed five ATV vehicles, which paid Europe’s two years to get to the service module’s pre- its space station budget to 2020. station bills until 2017. The Orion service first unmanned flight. But for now, ESA has liminary design review, which is expected For the Orion service module, Germany module completes this obligation through been unable to secure its member states’ to conclude in the coming weeks. heads a list of contributors that include, 2020. commitment to the station beyond 2020 — A detailed critical design review is in order, Italy, France, Switzerland and ESA and NASA have evaluated ESA’s and even 2020 is subject to final approval. expected by late 2015, with flight-model Belgium. annual dues at around 150 million euros. The NASA-ESA Orion agreement stops construction to begin and then delivery The two agencies have said they hope at provision of hardware for a second to NASA. Twitter: @pbdes to extend the Orion partnership beyond a service module, which could be assembled ESA managers are planning to ask Email: [email protected] www.spacenews.com 11 November 24, 2014 SES Casts Its Vote in Inflight Internet’s Battle of the Bands PETER B. de SELDING, PARIS Ka-band systems to offer what and complexity to the system, is designed to be a seamless Draycott said. “Capacity res- Satellite fleet operator SES, Ka-band access route covering ervation on multiple beams is saying the aeronautical com- Europe, North America and necessary, because not all beams munications market “is one of the North Atlantic air corridor. will be hot spots,” he said. the biggest opportunities we’ve Intelsat, Telesat and SES are Draycott used the example seen for years in the satellite adopting the frequency-reuse, of a flight from London to business,” has concluded that concentrated-beam architec- Sofia, Bulgaria. To provide Ku-band is superior to Ka-band ture of Ka-band systems in full coverage for the flight, a for most mobile-broadband Ku-band, taking advantage of satellite fleet operator with a applications. Ku-band’s better resistance to Ka-band spot-beam satellite Stepping into a debate precipitation and the fact that likely would need 10 beams for being played out as hundreds they already use Ku-band for full coverage as the plane moves of commercial aircraft are direct-to-home television. from gateway to gateway, each outfitted with Ku- or Ka-band Saunt said that some with its own IP address. terminals, Luxembourg-based Ka-band high-throughput sat- As a general rule, Draycott SES said using the latest fre- ellites (HTS) offer compelling said, a Ku-band HTS spot- quency-coding techniques, per-megabit throughput costs, beam satellite will have beams wide Ku-band beams over little- but that this advantage disap- between 550 and 965 kilome- trafficked areas coupled with pears in the total cost of system ters in diameter, while a similar CAPTURE high-throughput Ku beams ownership. “Ka-band equip- Ka-band satellite’s beams would VIDEO for dense routes, offers better SES ment — the antenna and the be around 480 kilometers in

value for most customers than > SES’s Simon Gatty Saunt said that for mobile applications, especially over low-density routes, a [solid-state power amplifier] diameter. A wide Ku-band beam a Ka-band network. wide Ku-band beam covering a large swath of territory “can offer very competitive Mbps [megabits per — is much more expensive than covers an entire continent. Ka-band satellite capacity has second of throughput], similar to [high-throughput satellites].” Ku,” Saunt said. SES said a Ku-band HTS been deployed in Europe and ViaSat and other builders of system beam typically can offer North America for consumer president for Europe, data and hockey-stick-shaped growth Ka-band systems say that the 200 megabits per second on the broadband, mainly for a sta- mobility. phase. cost difference in ground gear forward link and 80 megabits tionary customer base, using “Wide beams are well-suited There is no clear verdict on is disappearing fast as Ka-band per second on the return path. multiple spot beams that direct to accommodate traffic growth which airline business model systems are deployed and scale For Ka-band, the company said, concentrated energy over a rela- by gradual capacity increases — free service with the costs economies are generated. the downlink is 45 megabits per tively small area and permit the [and] provide improved eco- embedded in the airline ticket Gez Draycott, SES’s senior second, with the return link at reuse of the spectrum. nomics for low-density and or a pay-per-megabyte or pay- manager for satellite engi- 4.5 megabits per second. For this kind of application, starter routes,” Saunt said in per-flight model — will gain the neering, said during the “A plane traveling at 500 SES said, Ka-band may well be a Nov. 13 SES webcast. most traction among airlines. webcast that SES remains “band- miles per hour [805 kilome- superior. But for mobile applica- SES is one of many satellite ViaSat Inc. of Carlsbad, width agnostic. We use C- and ters per hour] would be in a tions, especially over low-density fleet operators looking for California; Eutelsat of Paris; Ku-bands and we are developing given beam only for 45 minutes routes, a wide Ku-band beam pockets of growth as their core Intelsat of McLean, Virginia; Ka-band satellites as well.” before it would need to switch,” covering a large swath of terri- television broadcast markets Telesat of Canada; Thaicom of But managing aero- Draycott said. “This technical tory “can offer very competitive mature. Aeronautical mobility, Thailand; SES; and others are nautical customers with a complexity adds a lot of extra Mbps [megabits per second of offering broadband connections building satellites with mobility high-throughput satellite with risk to the service.” throughput], similar to [high- to aircraft cockpits, crews and beams. dozens of spot beams requires throughput satellites],” said passengers, is viewed as finally ViaSat and Eutelsat are com- multiple ground gateways, Twitter: @pbdes Simon Gatty Saunt, SES’s vice beginning its long-promised bining their current and future which add operating costs Email: [email protected] U.S. Air Force Maps Out Next Steps with Protected Tactical Waveform MIKE GRUSS, WASHINGTON the slides, which accompanied a presen- of El Segundo, and Space Systems/Loral terminals over both WGS and commercial tation by Ryals at the Global Milsatcom (SSL) of Palo Alto, California, are among satellites in 2018, the slides said. The U.S. Air Force is expected to dem- Conference in London. the companies that received study con- Boeing announced Nov. 4 a successful onstrate its newly developed protected Facing rising demand for satellite tracts under the initial part of the effort, test involving the transmission of data tactical waveform in new modems and bandwidth and a growing problem with which according to the slides has been from a Boeing-built ground terminal reworked terminals as early as 2018 as signal jamming, the Air Force has funded largely completed. and programmable modem to a satellite part of a long-term strategy to bolster a series of tests to evaluate alternatives for The next round of studies is aimed simulator and then to a second terminal the service’s ability to offer protected dramatically lowering the cost of deliv- at informing an Air Force decision on built by Lincoln Labs. Boeing said the communications using either military ering secure services via both commercial an “affordable family of systems” that test demonstrated the waveform’s compat- or commercial satellites. ibility with different terminal platforms. According to slides accompanying a In a Nov. 6 interview, Boeing execu- Nov. 5 presentation by Deanna Ryals, chief tives said the level of protection was of the International Military Satellite “We’ve confirmed this technology can be applied quickly similar to that provided by the tactical Communication Office at the Air Force payloads aboard Advanced Extremely Space and Missile Systems Center in and affordably to existing assets, especially operational WGS High Frequency satellites. Contractors on Los Angeles, the service plans to issue the Advanced Extremely High Frequency a request for proposals in January for system, which also is designed to provide modems that could be integrated into satellites and ground terminals.” nuclear-survivable communications to the terminals currently used with the strategic forces, have disputed similar Air Force’s Wideband Global Satcom assertions in the recent past. satellites. Dan Hart “We’ve confirmed this technology In theory, the new modems could be can be applied quickly and affordably swapped out with modems on existing to existing assets, especially operational WGS and commercial terminals to process and military satellites. Although the Air would support the protected tactical WGS satellites and ground terminals,” the protected tactical waveform, a far Force operates a highly secure satellite waveform, Ryals’ presentation slides said. Dan Hart, vice president of Boeing less expensive option than building new system, dubbed Advanced Extremely High These systems would operate over WGS, Government Satellite Systems, said in terminals. Air Force officials have said Frequency, most military communications Defense Department free-flyer satellites the press release. “With threats to secure terminals are the most costly element traffic is handled by WGS and commer- — these have been described by Air Force communications becoming increasingly of military satellite communications cial satellite systems, both of which are officials as relatively small satellites with frequent and sophisticated, providing programs. vulnerable to jamming. limited, single-payload missions — and this enhanced capability to warfighters The Air Force expects to award a Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems commercial satellites, the slides showed. on the ground is critical.” contract for the modems during summer of El Segundo, California, Intelsat The Air Force hopes to demonstrate 2015 and conduct over-the-air field dem- General Corp. of Bethesda, Maryland, the transmission of the protected Twitter: @Gruss_SN onstrations in 2018 and 2019, according to Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems waveform via production-representative Email: [email protected] 12 www.spacenews.com November 24, 2014 SPOTLIGHT CLYDE SPACE LTD.

Small Satellites, Big Opportunities

DEBRA WERNER, SAN FRANCISCO Clark said. “The U.K. and U.S. have a very good relationship with a lot of trade n 2015, Scotland’s Clyde Space Ltd. moving in both directions.” plans to work with an unnamed U.S. Nevertheless, it makes sense for Clyde Icompany to establish a joint venture Space to establish an affiliate in the in the United States, a move that would United States, according to John Wardlaw, extend the reach of the rapidly grow- investment director for Coralinn Private ing manufacturer of small satellites and Equity of Livingston, Scotland, which spacecraft systems. owns slightly more than 28 percent of “We are having discussions with Clyde Space. another organization about moving into “A big part of the global space market the United States so we can be closer to is based in and around the United States,” our U.S. customers,” said Craig Clark, Wardlaw said. “Clyde Space does a lot of Clyde Space founder and chief executive. business in the United States and with Under the proposed plan, one or more U.S. companies. We are getting to the U.S. entities would own a majority of the time when we need to have a more formal new firm, which would be staffed by U.S. presence in the United States.” citizens. That setup would enable the firm The U.S. market for small satellites to compete for any U.S. government or and subsystems is expanding rapidly. commercial contracts that are restricted San Francisco-based Planet Labs Inc. to U.S. companies. has launched 71 cubesats. Spire, also of Clyde Space already works with San Francisco, plans to launch at least some U.S. government agencies. The 50 cubesats. Google Inc. entered the firm supplies solar panels and reaction fray with its June announcement that wheels for the U.S. Air Force Academy’s it purchased Skybox Imaging, a firm FalconSat-6, a satellite scheduled to launch based in Mountain View, California, that in 2016 that is designed to demonstrate is launching 120-kilogram satellites to advanced propulsion technologies and provide high-resolution Earth imagery, spacecraft subsystems. and on Nov. 10 Elon Musk, founder of “I’ve always had a good relationship Space Exploration Technologies Corp., with the Air Force Academy, the Air Force tweeted, “SpaceX is still in the early stages

and other U.S. government organizations,” of developing advanced micro-satellites LTD. PHOTOGRAPHY ARCHIBALD BY PHOTO Craig Clark with UKube-1

Clyde Space Ltd. at a Glance Established: 2005 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Top Official: Craig Clark, founder and chief executive

Employees: 40 PHOTO SPACE

Mission: Pushing the utility envelope of microspacecraft for the CLYDE benefit of future commercial and science missions for Scotland

and beyond. Clyde> Space cubesat solar panels www.spacenews.com 13 November 24, 2014

CLYDE SPACE ARTIST’S CONCEPT

Clyde> Space’s UKube-1 satellite

operating in large formations.” Space is building another cubesat for the Clark expects the cubesat market to The growing popularity of spacecraft Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy. expand rapidly as military, commercial and constellations is helping Clyde Space “We are effectively acting as prime for scientific organizations identify a variety because customers are placing large orders that contract, not only designing, inte- of missions that could be accomplished and repeat orders, which enables the grating and testing, we are doing all the with 100 orbiting cubesats equipped with company to reduce costs. operations as well,” Clark said. sensors. “If there are 10 missions each with “We are moving to bulk manufacturing Moving from building cubesat compo- 100 cubesats, that’s 1,000 right there,” now, producing power systems and bat- nents to complete platforms was a natural Clark said. “I imagine there will be a lot teries in quantities of 100,” Clark said. progression. “We sell all of our component more than 10 missions. We are at such “I expect that will move to 200, 300 or parts for spacecraft for a price that is an early stage in our market.” even 500, which will help us drive our affordable for universities as well as other Clyde Space is preparing for that price down but keep the quality at the organizations,” Clark said. “Because we market growth by bolstering its staff with same level.” assembled the one spacecraft and are continual hiring. The firm also is moving Clyde Space’s business has expanded already working on the next spacecraft, to a larger facility. On Nov. 28, Clyde steadily. In the last five years, demand it means that we know how to integrate Space plans to move within Glasgow to for the firm’s products has surged an our products into a complete system. That a 1,000-square-meter facility, three times average of 40 percent per year. On Oct. allows us to add more value.” the size of its current office. “We’ve run 27, Clyde Space reported record profits of Within five years, Clyde Space plans out of desk space,” Clark said. “That is 2 million British pounds ($3.1 million), to produce 1,000 complete cubesats per a problem for recruitment because we compared with 1.1 million pounds the year. “We want to be the No. 1 company need more staff and we’ve nowhere to previous year. At the same time, the in the world for cubesats,” Clark said. “We put them.” firm announced a contract valued at will have a production line for cubesats. 1.2 million pounds with LuxSpace of I think that’s where the market is going.” Comments: [email protected] Luxembourg to supply power systems for two European Space Agency satellites and a 940,000-pound contract to build power systems for Spire. Increasingly, Clyde Space is building entire cubesats in addition to components. UKube-1, launched in July, was the firm’s first complete cubesat and the first satel- lite designed and built in Scotland. Clyde

LTD. PHOTOGRAPHY ARCHIBALD BY PHOTO

> On Nov. 28, Clyde Space plans to move within Glasgow to a 1,000-square-meter facility that is three times the size of its current office. “We’ve run out of desk space,” said Clyde Space Chief Execu- tive Craig Clark (second from left). “That is a problem for recruitment because we need more staff and we’ve nowhere to put them.” 14 www.spacenews.com November 24, 2014 Japan’s NEC Looks To Expand Commercial Market Footprint PAUL KALLENDER-UMEZU, TOKYO aboard an H-2A rocket. our annual space-related revenues The NX-G will be a stan- from about 50 billion yen now to The Nov. 6 launch of the first dardized commercial version 100 billion yen in 2020,” Ogawa of a new generation of low-cost of the 2.7-ton Wideband said. Earth observation satellite plat- InterNetworking Engineering In June, the company opened forms built by NEC Corp. for the Test and Demonstration Satellite, a satellite manufacturing facility Japanese government comes as the also called Kizuna, launched in in Fuchu City, west of Tokyo, that company looks to make further 2008, Ogawa said. Kizuna features will enable it to build and test inroads in the international com- advanced Ka-band payloads and eight satellites simultaneously, mercial market with a range of can transmit data at rates up to or double its previous capacity. satellite offerings. 1.2 gigabits per second. The 9,000-square-meter facility After a lengthy delay, the As is the case with the NX-300L, was funded by a 9.6 billion yen inaugural Advanced Satellite NEC is targeting emerging coun- ($82 million) NEC investment with New System Architecture tries with the NX-G. following a 2 billion yen subsidy for Observation, or ASNARO-1, “The NX-G sales point is very from the government. was successfully launched aboard clear,” Ogawa said. “Although com- The decision to target the com- a Russian Dnepr rocket from that peting satellite manufacturers all mercial market comes at a time country’s Yasny launch base, offer big powerful buses in the 5-6 when the Japanese government Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade ton range with 10-20 kilowatts of is aiming to increase spending and Industry (METI) said. The power and some are even bigger, on space. 450-kilogram satellite is primarily our focus is for 4-8 kilowatt satel- NEC is a prime candidate a demonstration platform but lites for emerging Asian or South to build a high-data-rate laser carries an optical sensor capable American countries who don’t optical communications satel- of taking images with 50-centi- CONCEPT need and can’t afford such huge lite that the government would meter resolution. and powerful systems.” use for data from its growing ARTIS’S The ASNARO program is part Ogawa said NEC will offer fleet of Information Gathering CORP. of a broader Japanese government NEC satellites in package deals that Satellites and planned maritime

bid to refocus its space program > Tokyo-based NEC already has sold two ASNARO-based radar satellites to Vietnam and hopes to include communications, ground surveillance constellation. NEC on practical applications, in this build on that success with a broader set of commercial market offerings. support and, in the case of Earth also is the ground systems and case through a low-cost but highly observation satellites, geospatial services provider for the Quazi- capable platform for optical and industry and not just” research flexible and offers a lot of features information products and services Zenith regional navigation radar Earth observation. and development, said Toshiaki for an affordable price,” he said, to help customers in developing satellite system, which also is being Tokyo-based NEC already has Ogawa, NEC executive specialist declining to elaborate. countries make full use of the expanded, and is integrating two sold two ASNARO-based radar for space business. “We think now NEC also is offering a larger systems. geostationary X-band military satellites to Vietnam and is looking is the time to spread our market Earth observation platform NEC has 40 years of experi- communications satellites for the to more fully ensconce itself in commercially.” dubbed the NX-1500L and soon ence building space hardware defense ministry. the commercial market. The The company is marketing a will be offering the NX-G, a and ground systems. According to “The Japanese government company’s components have been 300-kilogram, ASNARO-based sat- relatively small platform for geosta- Masaki Adachi, general manager policy is now investing more in widely used in a variety of space ellite platform called the NX-300L tionary communications missions. of NEC’s Space Systems division, space technologies that are useful missions, but until the Vietnam that Ogawa said will be attractive The NX-1500L, weighing 1000 the company has supplied some for commercialization, and now is deal its business as a satellite prime to emerging countries looking to 1,500 kilograms, is based on 7,000 communications subsystems a good time for NEC to invest,” said contractor has been limited almost to deploy their first space assets. the Global Change Observation for more than 200 satellites. Masaru Uji, general manager at exclusively to the Japanese govern- “The NX-300 has very high per- Mission-Water satellite, also known “We have strong components the Society of Japanese Aerospace ment market. formance for a 300-kilogram bus as Shizuku, that NEC built for sales and strong optical and com- Companies. “Government space policy has and has very low power require- the Japan Aerospace Exploration munications technologies, and a changed to actively supporting ments, fast data rates, is very Agency and launched in May 2012 design legacy. We aim to double Email: [email protected] Canada’s MDA Devising New Methods To Track Ships Not Using AIS DAVID PUGLIESE, in some areas; one analysis of maritime such as Com Dev’s exactEarth. Such data might be made to BlueHawk because of traffic in the Mediterranean Sea indicated are needed, he said. the research into better use of optical and VICTORIA, British Columbia that upward of 50 percent of vessels in that “I don’t think it’s a shot over their bow radar satellites but expects that lessons body of water fell in the dark target category. — exactEarth is a core data feed we use learned will be incorporated as soon as MDA Corp. will over the next six months Similar problems with such vessels exist in to support our service,” Belton said. “But they are available. find new methods to combine the use of Southeast Asia, he added. the recognition of the maritime awareness “Our expectation is that as we learn radar and optical satellites to track so- The plan would be to use radar satellites people is that AIS is not enough because it more through this research and improve called dark ships — vessels that are not to do broad area imaging to get general only represents those ships who are choosing our knowledge base on how to collect with broadcasting Automatic Identification patterns of marine traffic. Optical imagery to self-broadcast. What we’re offering is not multisensors, those rules of thumb will role System (AIS) signals. satellites would provide coverage of a much a replacement of a capability in comparison their way into our acquisition planning The goal of the new research program more specific and smaller area, such as to an AIS feed.” methodology,” he said. “As the research is to better coordinate the two types of choke points. Belton noted that MDA currently has is completed it will become one of the satellites, which in some cases need days Belton said one of the main challenges of an existing product called BlueHawk foundations of our sensor planning that of notice in advance for an imaging using commercial satellite imagery for such that provides an unclassified multisensor feeds into the BlueHawk system.” mission, said David Belton, vice president a task centers on the time lines required to maritime domain awareness picture to The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) said of Geospatial Services for the Richmond, get imaging plans in place. That can take clients. it is also interested in the research, noting British Columbia-based company. anywhere from 12 hours to seven days, BlueHawk is available as an Internet- that the research “would provide great “We’re doing research where multiple which hinders a rapid turnaround for such based service accessible through any Web value to Canada in managing its maritime satellites and sensor technologies can be information. browser, as a direct data feed into customer surveillance capability.” used more efficiently to plan and collect “The goal of the research is to come up systems, or as an enterprise-class system Belton said the CSA is eyeing the data for the purposes of detection of vessels with algorithms and some heuristic rules installed at customer locations. research for possible contribution to its that aren’t broadcasting AIS information,” of how to most efficiently combine two Belton declined to detail BlueHawk proposed Radarsat Constellation Mission he explained. sensors together to accomplish that coverage customers for proprietary reasons but said or RCM. RCM is a constellation of three All ships above a certain weight class are goal,” Belton said. “Different missions have it is provided to international defense orga- radar-imaging satellites that will conduct now required to carry AIS packages that different characteristics, different orbits, nizations, coast guards and border security maritime and Arctic surveillance. The first transmit information such as their position different swath widths, so we’ll be looking organizations. RCM spacecraft was originally scheduled and heading. Satellites are used to relay that at what is the most efficient way to pair BlueHawk uses optical satellite imagery, for launch in 2014 but project delays has data to coastal authorities. Dark ships are Radarsat 2 data with RapidEye coverage as employing RapidEye data, in a limited pushed that back to 2018. vessels that are required to broadcast AIS an example. Or the most efficient way to fashion, Belton said. RCM will also be outfitted with an AIS signals but do not. pair Radarsat 2 with TerraSar and COSMO.” MDA wants to improve BlueHawk with capability. Belton said the problem of dark ships, But Belton said the effort is not aimed its new research. Belton said he does not also known as dark targets, is significant at undercutting AIS information providers have a time frame on when improvements Email: [email protected] www.spacenews.com 15 November 24, 2014 Astra 2G Could Serve as Placeholder for Proposed Luxembourg GovSat PETER B. de SELDING, PARIS questions about the program to to assess the project, the the Luxembourg government. It Luxembourg Chamber of A commercial satellite is unclear whether the GovSat Commerce highlighted the fact owned by fleet operator SES partners have a backup in the that NATO and the European of Luxembourg and scheduled form of a satellite already in Union have not yet made clear for launch Nov. 28 contains orbit carrying the same military how much satellite capacity they a military Ka- and X-band frequencies that could be sta- want in the future, meaning payload that will help secure a tioned at the GovSat slot for the GovSat includes a risk of softer- Luxembourg-registered orbital required three months. than-expected demand. slot reservation that other- The document details why The Luxembourg govern- wise expires in January, the Luxembourg, which is one of ment has agreed to purchase Luxembourg defense minister the European nations that have 100 million euros ($125 million) said. purchased access to the U.S. in GovSat capacity over 10 years The Luxembourg government Wideband Global Satcom military starting in 2017 to reduce project has a special interest in keeping X- and Ka-band constellation, risks. the orbital slot because it plans to wants to get into the military One of the unusual aspects of create, with SES, a joint-venture satellite operations business. GovSat is that the joint venture company to sell military satellite While WGS membership company will ask customers to bandwidth to the NATO alliance gives Luxembourg access to the commit to restrictions related to and individual NATO govern- entire WGS constellation on a the use of GovSat bandwidth to ments and Luxembourg allies. pro rata basis, Luxembourg must guide unmanned combat aerial The project, called GovSat, seek U.S. military permission vehicles. has not yet cleared final approval before loaning its WGS share to The document is unclear with the Luxembourg govern- another nation — a sovereignty about what international law ment. SES’s board of directors constraint. currently says about combat is scheduled to review it Dec. 4 Getting access to the British, drones, but the Luxembourg on the assumption that by then PHOTO French, Italian, Spanish or government realizes it has little the government go-ahead will German military satellite com- hope of overseeing all uses of the L’ÉCONOMIE have been given. DE munications networks directly bandwidth it sells to customers. At that point, SES would or through NATO is a viable The government solicited select from among the prospec- MINISTÈRE option, but access procedures are outside legal opinion about its tive satellite prime contractors cumbersome and the capacity is third-party-liability exposure if a

for GovSat. Bidders include LUXEMBOURG expensive, the document says. drone strike was conducted using

Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, > Etienne Schneider argues that in addition to helping Luxembourg fulfill its NATO obligations, GovSat Commercial capacity is less GovSat capacity. The conclusion: Virginia, and Thales Alenia will tap into growing demand for military Ka-band and X-band capacity on satellites that have not been costly and can be purchased on GovSat would not be liable so Space of France and Italy — both hardened to withstand radiation from nuclear explosions and thus are less costly to build and operate. an as-needed basis, but civilian long as its customer contracts of which have specialized in rela- bandwidth is less secure and stipulate that the capacity must tively small telecommunications of military-frequency satellite capacity for direct broadcast tele- more subject to interference not be used in violation of inter- spacecraft. capacity it wants at its disposal vision into Britain and Ireland, than military bandwidth, the national law. In a document dated Nov. 4, once its current contract, using will be used to “bring into use” document says. Demand for com- One official said the Luxembourg Defense Minister British, French and Italian the Luxembourg military sat- mercial capacity in crisis means Luxembourg governing coali- Etienne Schneider makes the military satellites, expires in ellite system by occupying the governments must compete with tion, which includes the Greens GovSat case, arguing that in 2019. future GovSat slot for at least broadcast networks, interna- party, is already at pains to addition to helping Luxembourg The United Nations, the three months. That is enough, tional organizations and others portray GovSat as a communi- fulfill its NATO obligations in European Union and individual under current International for beams over the crisis area. cations system and not a weapon. a way that brings benefits to governments without their own Telecommunication Union rules, The United Nations uses 350 Concerns about GovSat’s use Luxembourg, GovSat will tap military systems also should be to preserve a reservation. megahertz of capacity on four with drones rose in October into growing demand for military steady GovSat customers, the Once it has fulfilled this task, commercial satellites spaced when a Yemen national sued the Ka-band and X-band capacity document says. Astra 2G will be moved to its per- around the world, but U.N. German government, claiming a on satellites that have not been The immediate priority is manent location at 28.2 or 28.5 officials would be receptive U.S. drone attack in Yemen that hardened to withstand radia- securing the orbital slot, whose degrees east, one of SES’s key TV to switching to military band- killed a family member was coor- tion from nuclear explosions location is not identified but broadcast orbital neighborhoods. width if it were affordable, the dinated via satellite through the and thus are less costly to build whose reservation with inter- SES spokesman Yves Feltes on document says. U.S. Air Force Base in Ramstein, and operate. national frequency regulators Nov. 19 declined to comment on Assuming quick Luxembourg Germany. The document notably fore- expires at the end of the year. the Schneider document, saying government approval, GovSat casts that the NATO alliance SES’s Astra 2G satellite, GovSat had not yet been given would be launched in 2017. Twitter:@pbdes will be doubling the amount built mainly to bolster existing company approval, and referred Asked by the government Email: [email protected] Indonesia’s PSN Switches to SSL after Boeing Unable To Pair Up All-electric Satellite PETER B. de SELDING, PARIS ordered by Indonesian government and Mexico, now renamed Eutelsat Americas dual construction contracts and common corporate operators in the past year. and owned by Eutelsat of Paris. The launch dates. Indonesian satellite operator PT Orbital Sciences of Dulles, Virginia, is first of these two launches is scheduled Boeing officials have said one reason Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN), after building a satellite for PT Indosat that to occur between January and March. the company has not been able to repeat waiting a year for satellite builder Boeing is intended for the same orbital slot, ABS and Eutelsat Americas each the two-satellite performance since 2012 to find a companion customer for a two- 150.5 degrees east, as a satellite under ordered two all-electric-propulsion sat- is that some operators are waiting to satellite contract for all-electric satellites construction by SSL for Indonesia’s BRI ellites to ride in pairs on the Falcon 9 see the new 702SP all-electric platform to launch on a single SpaceX Falcon 9 bank. rocket built by Hawthorne, California- perform in orbit. rocket, on Nov. 19 said it had contracted Thales Alenia Space of France and based SpaceX, formally known as Space Replacing chemical propulsion with with Space Systems/Loral (SSL) for the Italy is building PT Telkom’s Telkom Exploration Technologies Corp. electric saves hundreds of kilograms in satellite. 3S satellite, and PT Telkom has been PSN wanted the same kind of deal, a satellite launch weight, meaning poten- In a joint statement, Jakarta-based PSN weighing a decision on still another way of keeping capital costs down given tially lower costs and, in the case of ABS and SSL of Palo Alto, California, said the spacecraft, Telkom 4. SpaceX’s already low prices and the fact and Eutelsat Americas, the ability to ride PSN 6 satellite will be launched in early “Indonesia keeps you on your toes,” that sharing a launch with a co-passenger together on a Falcon 9. 2017 aboard a rocket that SSL provided one industry official said, referring to could mean a PSN 6 launch for less than The disadvantage of electric propul- as part of the contract to operate at 146 Indonesia’s highly active, and compli- $35 million. sion is that it takes months for its electric degrees east in geostationary orbit. cated, satellite purchasing process. Boeing officials could not be reached motors to power the satellite to final One industry official said SSL is pro- El Segundo, California-based Boeing for immediate comment, but industry geostationary orbit, rather than a couple viding a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch. It was Space and Intelligence Systems had officials have said since the breakthrough of weeks with chemical propulsion. not immediately clear whether the launch been trying to replicate with PSN what Boeing contract in 2012 that it is not easy would carry a second payload. it achieved in early 2012 with two satellite finding two customers whose spending Twitter: @pbdes The SSL contract is one of several operators, ABS of Bermuda and Satmex of plans are so closely aligned as to permit Email: [email protected] 16 www.spacenews.com November 24, 2014 COMMENTARY < EDITORIAL > Cosmic Relief Comet Landing Was Just What the Doctor Ordered he European Space Agency’s landing of a spacecraft on rocky comet, it failed to secure itself to the surface and ef- to work with that should go a long way toward unlocking some a comet, a first for humankind, provided a welcome and fectively bounced, not once but twice, before finally settling of the longstanding mysteries surrounding comets, whose Trefreshing break for a space community that recently has down on a spot about a kilometer away. Unfortunately, that eccentric orbits around the sun make them visible from Earth made global headlines for all the wrong reasons. spot was in an area where sunlight is scarce, leaving Philae for only brief periods of time. Already Rosetta and Philae have Like the October failures of Orbital Sciences Corp.’s An- unable to recharge its batteries, which consequently ran out sent back stunning images of Comet 67P, and Rosetta will con- tares rocket and Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, of juice some 57 hours later. tinue to chase and gather data on the object for another 18 or the successful touchdown Nov. 12 of ESA’s Philae lander on Philae was nonetheless able to collect a wealth of data so months. There can be little doubt that the Rosetta mission the Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko grabbed the attention — 63 hours’ worth if its descent to the surface is included will provide a new foundation for the scientific community’s of the general public. And with good reason: The degree of — which it was able to transmit back to Earth via Rosetta understanding of comets, notwithstanding Philae’s truncated difficulty was such that the likeli- operations on the surface. hood of failure was widely viewed Here’s hoping ESA’s optimism as greater than that of success. The mission has been successful both from a purely scientific point of that Philae can resume its sci- That might explain the absence of ence mission proves to be well key ESA government officials from view and for generating a global buzz beyond the friendly confines of the founded. Even failing that, the events related to the landing. space community. The lesson to be learned within the community is that mission has been successful both But succeed it did in a se- from a purely scientific point of quence that was captured by a when it comes to robotic exploration of the solar system, it always pays view and for generating a global camera aboard the 3-ton Rosetta to aim high and take risks — within bounds of reason, of course. buzz beyond the friendly confines mothership that had brought Phi- of the space community. lae to the comet over a 10-year The lesson to be learned with- journey that covered some 6.4 billion kilometers. The tense before going into what could be a permanent hibernation in the community is that when it comes to robotic explora- moments leading up to the touchdown, and the relief and mode. Much to their credit, ESA managers, who had scheduled tion of the solar system, it always pays to aim high and take jubilation that followed, were reminiscent of NASA’s landing, Philae’s data collection tasks based on the expectation that risks — within bounds of reason, of course. As with the in August 2012, of a 1-ton rover on the surface of Mars using it would operate for much longer, were able to quickly reorder NASA Curiosity rover’s successful Mars landing, Rosetta and an unlikely looking contraption known as the Sky Crane. the agenda when it became apparent that the mission would Philae have demonstrated that there’s a perpetual — if oc- The success cannot help but generate good will among be cut dramatically short. casionally elusive — pool of underlying public enthusiasm ESA members on the eve of what could prove to be a landmark ESA managers have since confirmed that the instruments and support for challenging space endeavors that’s there ministerial conference aimed at setting the agency’s future that were activated operated as planned, although many for the taking with the right combination of chutzpa, drama, priorities, on which key several members differ. News that questions — notably whether Philae was able to collect and science and skill. France and Germany had come to terms on a future launcher analyze a Comet 67P soil sample — remain unanswered, at strategy ahead of the meeting was a positive development least for now. Agency officials are holding out hope that as the n Readers are encouraged to express their views in 400-word letters to the editor. Letters in that regard, although one must assume that the timing in comet gets closer to the sun in the coming months its solar may be edited. Please include name, address and telephone number. Unsigned letters will not be published, but names will be withheld upon request. Send letters to 1414 Prince relation to Philae’s landing was purely coincidental. arrays will be able to capture enough sunlight to recharge its St., Suite 300, Alexandria, VA 22314-2853, or to [email protected]. Letters to the Of course, the landing did not go exactly as planned. While batteries, enabling more scientific data collection. editor, opinion and editorial columns may be published or distributed in print, electronic Philae originally touched down on its assigned spot on the In the meantime, scientists will have plenty of fresh data or other forms.

WASHINGTON OFFICE Senior Staff Writer Subscriber Services Kennedy Space Center, Fla. San Francisco 1414 Prince Street Jeff Foust Toll free: +1-866-429-2199 Irene Klotz Debra Werner Suite 300 [email protected] Tel: +1-845-267-3023 Kennedy Space Center 180 29th Ave., Felix H. Magowan Fax: +1-845-267-3478 Launch Complex 39 Press San Francisco, CA 94121 Chairman Alexandria, VA Tel: +1-571-421-2300 22314-2853 U.S.A. Site [email protected] [email protected] Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Tel: +1-415-412-5819 Tel: +1-303-443-4360 Tel: +1-571-421-2300 NASA, Policy CORRESPONDENTS: Dan Leone India 32899 News Editor [email protected] K.S. Jayaraman [email protected] Canada William A. Klanke Tel: +1-321-422-3431 David Pugliese President & Publisher Todd Windsor Tel: +1-571-356-9531 D-208 Jardine Block [email protected] [email protected] Brigade Gardenia Enclave [email protected] Tel: +1-571-385-0234 Tel: +1-571-356-9773 Military Space J.P. Nagar 7th phase Japan Tel: +1-250-592-8354 Mike Gruss Bangalore 560078 Paul Kallender-Umezu Warren Ferster Art Director [email protected] India 150-0002 Shibuya Ku Executive Editor Lance H. Marburger Tel: +1-571-356-9022 [email protected] 150-0002 Tokyo-To [email protected] [email protected] Tel: +91-80-2696-6579 Shibuya Ku Tel: +1-571-356-9623 Tel: +1-571-356-9601 PARIS OFFICE Shibuya 1-20-17 Paris Bureau Chief Israel Mitake Hime 607 Brian Berger Copy Editor/Web Producer Peter B. de Selding Barbara Opall-Rome Japan Editor, SpaceNews.com Clinton Parks [email protected] 51A Ben Yehuda St. paul.kallender@ Deputy Editor, SpaceNews [email protected] Paris Herzeliya 46403, Israel newstandardjapan.com [email protected] 6 Square Théophile Gautier [email protected] Tel: +81-03-3499-0422 SPACENEWS is a registered Tel: +1-571-356-9957 trademark of Space News Inc. Tel: +1-571-356-9624 75016 Paris, France Tel: +972-9-951-8258 www.spacenews.com 17 November 24, 2014 Time To Change a Poorly Crafted Law < TOMMASO SGOBBA > n Dec. 23, 2004, U.S. President and escape inspection. A “safe” system is one of the most prolific aircraft designers the U.S. Air Force developed a major safety George W. Bush signed into law essentially one that through the selection of of all time, with more than 140 designs standard, MIL-STD-882, establishing novel Othe Commercial Space Launch additional margins, redundancies, barriers spanning a 50-year career. During one system safety engineering techniques and Amendments Act of 2004 (CSLAA). Meant and capabilities (escape, for example) will class, Gabrielli commented on the crash of management concepts. to promote the development of the emerg- “tolerate” (to a certain extent) hardware his G91 fighter prototype back in 1961 by When North American Aviation devel- ing commercial spaceflight industry, the failures, software faults and human errors; saying that “every good airplane is smeared oped the Apollo capsule in the 1960s, there CSLAA made the Department of Trans- mitigate harmful consequences; and/or with blood.” Gabrielli was not a cynical guy; was no safety program and no safety analysis portation and the Federal Aviation Admin- lower the probability of their occurrence. he was just expressing with crude words was performed. A number of choices were istration responsible for regulating com- By not requiring industry to establish the approach of the early times of aviation, made to optimize the mass of the vehicle. mercial human spaceflight. It gave the FAA safety rules up-front, in line with the expe- still in use in the 1960s: “Fly-Fix-Fly.” You The early design used a pure oxygen atmo- authority to regulate commercial human rience gained through government space design an airplane, build a prototype and sphere to lower the capsule internal pressure spaceflight safety only for the aspects of programs, the unintended effect of CSLAA fly it. You discover flaws through accidents, so that the shell could be made thinner and uninvolved public safety, but forbade FAA has been to encourage industry to set the incidents or close calls; fix them; and keep therefore lighter. A lighter inward-opening to levy any safety regulation for the safety hatch was preferred to a heavier outward- of crew and flight participants onboard for opening design. Flammable thermoplastic a period of eight years, unless an accident materials were extensively used, and elec- happened before. The CSLAA moratorium is a gross mistake — not because trical wire bundles were made as light as The CSLAA requires operators to provide possible by the choice of thinner, and there- prospective customers with written infor- it prevents the FAA from intervening, but because it fore hotter, harnesses. The ingredients for mation about the risks of spaceflight and a a raging fire were all in place. On Jan. 27, statement of the fact that the U.S. govern- does not require instead that industry develop its own 1967, during a ground test, a spark, probably ment has not certified the vehicle as safe for caused by an electrical short circuit, trig- carrying crew or spaceflight participants. initial safety program and rules. gered a fire. The internal capsule pressure The rationale behind the CSLAA mora- rose, thus sealing the hatch and the three torium and subsequent extensions until astronauts’ fate with it. October 2015 was to allow industry to acquire clock of its safety practices back to the early flying. At that time there was no other way: Modern safety analyses allow us to identify experience to create future regulations. 1960s. The CSLAA may have planted the Safety programs and hazard analysis did causes of potential accidents (called hazards) The CSLAA moratorium is a gross mistake seeds of the first suborbital flight accident, not exist yet. and to remove or mitigate them through — not because it prevents the FAA from the Oct. 31 fatal crash of Virgin Galactic’s There was no safety program and no the application of predefined best practices intervening, but because it does not require SpaceShipTwo. The CSLAA allows com- safety analyses were performed when the (e.g., safety rules like failure tolerance). instead that industry develop its own initial panies to apply whatever level of failure Atlas and Titan ICBMs were initially devel- Safety analyses and safety measures have safety program and rules. tolerance they like in the design, without oped in the 1950s. Within 18 months after been increasingly used over the last 40 years Hardware and software can be designed even requiring independent verification of the fleet of 71 Atlas F missiles became opera- in government space programs, including to the best of our knowledge, but our knowl- the correct implementation. tional, four blew up in their silos during in the development and operation of the edge is not perfect. We can apply the most In the early 1970s, I was a student of operational testing. The worst accident international space station. Independent rigorous quality control during manufac- aeronautical engineering at the Politecnico occurred in Searcy, Arkansas, on Aug. 9, safety verification of correct implementation turing, yet perfect construction does not di Torino in Italy, and I had the privilege 1965, when a fire in a Titan 2 silo killed 53 exist and some defective items will be built of having as professor Giuseppe Gabrielli, people. As a response to those accidents, SEE SGOBBA PAGE 18 A New Capability for Suborbital Research and Education < ALAN STERN > nly a few years ago, subor- through proposal writing to win atmospheric science, Earth remote systems offer. under agreement to fly as research bital research was limited awards to fly on next-gen vehicles, sensing, instruction and astronomy. n Lower altitudes, where both and education demonstrators on Oto occasional, expensive and through the efforts within the Important applications also exist research and commercial applica- our Tycho and World View vehicles. rocket and balloon launches, Commercial Spaceflight Federation for the in-space demonstration of tions can achieve higher ground These pathfinder payloads include largely using expensive Cold War to foster this new field. systems, subsystems and sensors resolutions, which are better suited, in situ radiation monitoring, technologies. Today, thanks to At the same time that reusable destined for orbit, i.e., “TRL (tech- for example, to research in the remote sensing imaging of the dedicated efforts by next-gen re- rockets are preparing to come on nology readiness level)-raising.” And crucial altitude regimes of the upper atmosphere to study its usable suborbital rocket firms like line to service research and edu- a host of commercial surveillance, stratosphere. meteoroid environment, and an Virgin Galactic, XCOR Aerospace cation needs, we’re adapting our communications and entertainment n Greater range over Earth education payload centered on and Blue Origin, the field is on the balloon-borne suborbital tourist opportunities present themselves than rockets, which plan to fly detecting the ozone layer. Second, verge of a space access revolution vehicle, itself called World View, at these altitudes as well. back to their launch site and can’t we and our partner Paragon Space that will dramatically lower prices, to be an effective, routine platform While rockets and balloons are traverse significant ground, air Development Systems have been create orders of magnitude more for the research and education complementary tools that serve and space paths for research and recently been awarded a NASA frequent access to space, and al- marketplace in 2016-2017. We’re different functions in space access education applications. Flight Opportunities Program low researchers to fly with their also putting in place smaller sub- — just as are forks and spoons n An absence of zero-g, which contract to provide flight services experiments — further lowering orbital vehicles in our Tycho line at the dinner table — there are in many cases creates unwanted to NASA suborbital, near-space the complexity, risk and cost of that can carry research and educa- many attributes that balloons can research and education payload payloads during 2015-2017. those very experiments. tion payloads into service earlier, offer that no suborbital rocket design and operational complexi- At Word View, we believe that At World View, we applaud the beginning in 2015. can. These include: ties. Avoiding zero-g simplifies suborbital research and educa- efforts of these suborbital rocket World View’s near-space access n Gentler rides, so that payloads development and testing and typ- tion applications are as unlimited companies to open space access for distinction is that our vehicles do do not have to be designed and ically lowers the cost to fly both a green field now as personal the research and education market. not require rocket propulsion to tested to withstand sustained payloads and payload specialists. computer applications were in the We also applaud the efforts of gov- reach high altitude. Instead, our high-acceleration G-forces during n A lower cost of flight, which late 1970s. ernment agencies like NASA to vehicles use balloon technology launch and entry, simplifying devel- expands markets and widens oppor- begin offering grants to researchers capable of lifting payloads ranging opment and test challenges, and tunities for frequency of flight. Alan Stern is a founder of World View and serves and educators to build and fly from a few kilograms to a few metric therefore also lowering costs for We believe these attributes as chief scientist for the company. He is an payloads aboard reusable, next-gen tons to altitudes as high as 40 kilo- payloads and payload specialists. will foster many new research and experienced suborbital, Earth orbital and plan- suborbital rocket vehicles. And we meters. At these altitudes — where n Longer flight durations, of education applications in space, etary mission researcher, the former chairman salute the research and education the sky is black and Earth’s horizon hours (and even days) at altitude and we are proud to already be of the research and education committee of the community’s deeply positive interest is curved — important applications on balloons versus the minutes involved in demonstrating that in Commercial Spaceflight Federation, and a former in next-gen suborbital research exist in a wide variety of research at altitude that currently envi- two important ways. First, we have NASA associate administrator for space science. through attendance at conferences, and education fields, including sioned next-gen suborbital rocket placed three pathfinder payloads His email is [email protected]. 18 www.spacenews.com November 24, 2014 The Future of Astronaut Activity < MADHU THANGAVELU > he astronaut corps is a unique group other complex endeavors here on Earth. and welding — and we are fast approaching life-support systems, both vital technologies of people, handpicked from a wide A recent, often-forgotten example the development of high-energy death rays for long-duration missions. Trange of scientific and technical occurred in 2010 when 33 miners were for planetary protection and missile defense Photovoltaics, the nonpolluting tech- professions, winnowed down through very trapped deep underground in a Chilean alike. Nanotechnology materials, precisely nology that converts solar energy into rigorous selection methods, after which copper mine. The Chilean government crafted by 3-D printers and laser technology renewable power atop our homes, when the select few are trained for complex sought NASA’s help, among others, to alle- to form metamaterials and shapes, may coupled with high-density power storage space missions that involve a lot of risk, viate their misery and find ways to keep soon provide more efficient thermal and systems, is already making compact and nail-biting and adrenalin at both the space their morale up for the 10 weeks it took radiation protection for astronauts and may portable devices that are changing the way crew and mission control ends. The hu- to extricate and bring them up safely, in a even be used to create nutritious, complex we live and work, from cellphones to emer- man spaceflight crews at NASA, Russia’s mission that taxed the deep isolation skills foods from simple chemicals. gency equipment in hospitals and in disaster Roscosmos, the European Space Agency of human spaceflight professionals. High-fidelity simulations are a depend- management to warfighting machines and and the China National Space Administra- However, the past decade has seen some able way to test and ferret out issues and systems, and space missions are employing tion are still considered the pinnacle of hu- of the most drastic changes and adjustments resolve them well in advance of mission them regularly. man and technological achievement and in the various astronaut corps, including deployment. NASA uses neutral buoyancy Many of these technologies are being prestige in the world’s leading spacefaring disproportionate budget cuts and rapid tanks to simulate astronaut activity in zero evolved and employed routinely for innova- economies and their space agencies. attrition in their numbers. And as private gravity. However, partial gravity conditions tion, research and development, not only Many nations today aspire to join and space industry and private spaceflight are hard to simulate on Earth, especially in the national labs but also in universities participate in this exclusive club of advanced activity ramp up, including space tourism, for the substantial periods of time that are and private companies and conglomerates, technology-savvy professionals who exude a government-trained astronauts are actively needed to test full-up assembly or other for profit. unique kind of aura, a mix of skills, talents moving into newly created positions in this construction activities. Virtual reality and Our romance with robots initially found and yearning for high-wire drama. This new arena, to create, supervise and evolve gaming applications including massively a commercial home decades ago in the select group of humans has seen the whole- computer industry. Then they became an ness, oneness and richness of Earth from agent of change in the automobile industry above, liberated from the air and gravity, and took over critical operations in heavy completely free and floating, even removed Will robots and robotic systems take over all space activity? industry. Today robots are employed in from our earthly experience of night and expert systems for medical diagnostics and day. They return to Earth as global ambas- Are they capable of all human tasks? Can they operate in delicate surgical procedures sometimes sadors of sorts, with an expanded worldview deemed too risky for the surgeon’s trained and a refined sensitivity toward our planet’s autonomously, without human support? hands. Nanotechnology-based products and fragile biosphere. allied systems are in the pipeline, already Astronaut activity is a demanding offering designer materials that may be endeavor in every aspect, requiring the new and more capable systems. parallel computer platforms operating on suitable for space systems like astronaut physical and mental rigor, agility and dex- Despite these changes, and during this cloud networks, employing visualization suits and gloves, helmets and related critical terity of the crew, the interdisciplinary current period of loosely defined destina- headgear like Oculus Rift along with haptic life-support gear. technologies and skillsets involved, organiza- tions and mission goals, a new generation of feedback and tactile sensitivity, could be Will robots and robotic systems take tional planning with seamless cross-cutting, NASA astronauts is being trained for deep- used to seamlessly mesh real subjects in over all space activity? Are they capable of the meticulous following of reliability space missions. And while these changes various space and extraterrestrial envi- all human tasks? Can they operate autono- and safety protocols, not to mention the are afoot, leapfrogging technologies like ronments, totally immersing astronauts in mously, without human support? monetary resources to back up and support robotics and communications are changing virtual mission environments with realistic The answer seems to depend on the development and operations that are essen- the landscape for future astronaut activity. visualization of partial gravity reaction task at hand. tial for success. A flight task checklist alone Fifty years ago, at the dawn of the Space scenarios. Supercomputers used to simulate Professional explorers, prospectors and runs into volumes of material, making one Age, technologies were minted just to make nuclear explosions may be used, along with geologists alike seem to think robots can wonder how they accomplish all this during spaceflight possible. But now, mature com- real radiation exposure data being gathered never replace humans. The rovers that a short mission that lasts just a few weeks. mercial technologies employed on Earth, about Mars, to recreate whole body effects are roaming the surface of Mars over 200 Flight crew and mission control, impeccable from the prosaic to the profound, are of interplanetary expeditions on crew and million kilometers away do many tasks by teamwork and organization at its best, aided finding their way into the astronaut’s tool systems. themselves but are supervised from mission by agile technologies — this is what makes chest. These range from prospecting and Synthetic biology and advances in control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in astronaut activity possible today. mining to 3-D printing, ground- and altitude- genetics too may offer innovative ways to California. The Cassini spacecraft orbiting But this effort has paid off handsomely based remote sensing and hyperspectral combat radiation damage to human tissue, Saturn 1.5 billion kilometers away is given across several other challenging national imaging, combined with adaptive optics and which is a crucial concern, and techniques instructions and its systems tweaked in the and global pursuits for those economies a range of laser-based applications, which and processes from the biotechnology same manner. And much closer to home, that have chosen to exercise it, applying the include precision analyses of chemicals, industry may find application in space lessons learned in human space activity to separating minerals from ores, purification agriculture and closed-cycle ecological SEE THANGAVELU PAGE 20

SGOBBA FROM PAGE 17 position, possibly as a legitimate is just marketing. a data collection requirement, all Horizon oil spill disaster of 2010 in defense against utopian rules Yes, space travel is a risky safety rules in the IAASS standard the Gulf of Mexico: The commer- is a daily activity for NASA and its and red tape. But the risk here business and for that exact reason are the same or similar to those cial human spaceflight industry international ISS partners, per- is wasted money and human lives the most modern safety practices applied in past and current gov- must move toward developing a formed by interdisciplinary groups just to reinvent the wheel. must be applied and continuously ernment space programs, and by notion of safety as a collective of experts, so-called safety review During a February hearing improved. Industry can propose ISS commercial service vehicles. responsibility. Industry should panels. Because of massive use of of the U.S. House Science space rigorous self-regulation as an alter- No regulation is not a viable establish a “Safety Institute. … safety analyses in the ISS program, subcommittee, George Nield, FAA native to government regulation. option. The return to the old- an industry-created, self-policing seven safety review panels are in associate administrator for space The safety practices developed by fashioned “Fly-Fix-Fly” approach entity aimed at developing, place: four at NASA and three at transportation, said that indus- NASA could be formally adopted can bring only the terrifying adopting and enforcing standards international partner agencies. try’s plea for a longer learning as reference and further updated prospect of a stream of incidents of excellence to ensure continuous On the contrary, the commer- period ignores government exper- and improved as industry accu- and accidents possibly exhausting improvement in spaceflight safety. cial human suborbital spaceflight tise about crewed space systems mulates new experience and any residual public faith in the It is time to change the CSLAA industry has been making the gathered by NASA’s long-running knowledge. future of human spaceflight. of 2004. point that no safety regulation human exploration program. It The International Association Believing that space travel risks should be levied in the “learning would be “irresponsible” to ignore for the Advancement of Space are forever inevitable, that sub- “A life without adventure is likely period” and no independent veri- the lessons from those programs Safety (IAASS) has published a stantial improvements are almost to be unsatisfying, but a life in which fication performed, stating that and force regulators to collect a collection of such heritage safety impossible, and relying on public adventure is allowed to take whatever these would stifle progress and new set of data, Nield said. rules in a standard, available acceptance of high levels of risk form it will is sure to be short.” kill the business. More recently, Another bold message often from our website (http://iaass. while society is increasingly risk- — Bertrand Russell the industry has asked to extend echoed is that of the technological space-safety.org/publications/ averse is a recipe for failure. the learning period indefinitely. novelty and superiority of commer- standards/). With the exemption To paraphrase the finding of Tommaso Sgobba is executive director of the The media and the public seem cial suborbital vehicles compared of two quantitative safety goals, a the U.S. Presidential Committee IAASS. The views expressed are solely those to have generally supported this with government programs. This crashworthiness requirement and that investigated the Deepwater of the author. www.spacenews.com 19 November 24, 2014 LaunchReport NOVEMBER LAUNCHES Date Launch site Vehicle and provider Payload and owner Outcome or purpose Nov. 18 Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Long March 2C, China Academy of Launch Vehicle Yaogan 23, Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Launched a remote sensing satellite. China Technology Technology Nov. 23 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Soyuz FG, TsSKB-Progress Soyuz TMA-15M, Russian Federal Space Agency To launch new crew members to the international Kazakhstan space station. Nov. 28 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Proton, International Launch Services Astra 2G, SES To launch a communications satellite. Kazakhstan Nov. 30 Tanegashima Space Center, H-2A, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Hayabusa 2, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency To launch an asteroid sample return mission. Japan

DECEMBER LAUNCHES Date Launch site Vehicle and provider Payload and owner Outcome or purpose Dec. 4 Cape Canaveral Air Force Delta 4 Heavy, United Launch Alliance Orion EFT-1, NASA To launch the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Station, Florida on an uncrewed test flight. Dec. 4 Guiana Space Center, Kourou, Ariane 5, Arianespace DirecTV 14, DirecTV; GSAT-16, Indian Space To launch a direct-to-home television broadcast French Guiana Research Organisation satellite and a communications satellite. Dec. 7 Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Long March 4B, China Academy of Launch Vehicle CBERS-4, Chinese and Brazilian governments. To launch a remote sensing satellite. China Technology Dec. 10 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Soyuz, TsSKB-Progress Resurs P2, Russian government To launch a remote sensing satellite. Kazakhstan Dec. 11 Vandenberg Air Force Base, Atlas 5, United Launch Alliance NROL-35, U.S. National Reconnaissance Office To launch a classified satellite. California Dec. 12 Baikonur Cosmodrome, Proton, International Launch Services Yamal 401, Gazprom Space Systems To launch a communications satellite. Kazakhstan Dec. 16 Cape Canaveral Air Force Falcon 9, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. SpaceX CRS 5, SpaceX To launch a commercial resupply mission to the Station, Florida international space station. Dec. 18 Guiana Space Center, Kourou, Soyuz 2-1b, Arianespace O3b F3, O3b Networks To launch four communications satellites. French Guiana December Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia 5, Khrunichev State Research and Maiden launch, Russian Federal Defense Ministry To launch a heavy-lift rocket on a test flight. Production Space Center December Satish Dhawan Space Center, GSLV Mark 3, Indian Space Research Organisation Crew module prototype, ISRO To launch the rocket on a suborbital test flight. Sriharikota, India December Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia Soyuz 2-1b, TsSKB-Progress Glonass K, Russian Federal Defense Ministry To launch a navigation satellite.

A Chinese Long March 2C rocket launches the Yaogan 23 remote sensing satellite from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China’s

XINHUA PHOTO BY YAN northern Shanxi province. 20 www.spacenews.com November 24, 2014 MARKETPLACE

THANGAVELU FROM PAGE 18 The future of human space Nature never intended us in our This slow process allows the and these 21st-century profes- activity in general and the niche fragile frames, evolved over a few human body to adjust to the low sionals may yet spring from our the international space station arena of human space explora- million years, to live and work in pressure and altered atmosphere newly homegrown commercial has a humanoid robot called tion that space agencies focus space. Cocooned and nurtured on inside the suits without risking and private space enterprise. Robonaut 2 that is being tested on today are fast approaching a the mild surface of a watery world, the bends, a condition where Among policymakers, where and prepped to help the crew with synergetic and explosive growth blanketed by a thin but soothing dissolved nitrogen in the blood logically sensible ideas often die their chores. It too is supervised period because investors see profit atmosphere and shielded from may bubble out and cause severe a fiery death because of partisan- from mission control. Detailed to be made in space activity — the sun’s wrath by an invisible painful problems and or even ship, space activity is a rare arena engineering studies have shown building orbiting solar power magnetic field, we evolved in a death. Strategies employing semi- where all agree. Above the din that complex projects like the last stations; enhancing communica- biosphere like no other we know rigid suits are proposed to allow and acrimony of political theater, Hubble service and upgrade or tions platforms and maintaining of. Even today, as we are freshly gradual pressure reduction while beneath the cloak of it all, both previous satellite rescue missions that infrastructure; keeping track reminded, entering space, just crew members are being trans- aisles of Congress and even fringe could not have been accomplished of and decommissioning old and escaping the clutches of Earth’s ported to the work site as well. A groups among the leadership by robots alone. failing stations by deorbiting them gravity, requires complex and pre- new generation of suits for extra- support a vibrant space program. Advances in communication rather than mothballing them in cision technologies and systems terrestrial activity on the Moon The space station partnership technology will allow wideband, graveyard orbits where they pose a with extremely narrow tolerance and Mars will effectively neu- has built a venerable coalition teleoperated supervision of potential debris hazard; and pro- for error. tralize the threat posed by dust, of international partners and robots for complex assembly viding station-keeping fuel and And more peril too, for the especially on the Moon, that was could be extended into a global of large space structures and propellants to outbound vehicles 20th-century image of the gov- quite debilitating to Apollo crew effort with the blessing of the systems as well as closely coordi- and other services including cor- ernment-employed astronaut who and rovers. Exoskeletal suits that State Department that could use nated co-robotic manipulations. recting the orbits of spacecraft in appears a daring suited figure, help augment strength, combat it as an instrument to enhance For example, crew and robotic deviant or wrong orbits. It is well braving the extreme environment, fatigue and allow power ampli- the U.S. image, not just among assistants working to build infra- known among space architects all alone in the vast, silent and fication are being put to the test partners but around the world. structure in tandem in the same and engineers alike that human treacherous darkness of space. for soldiers in the battlefield and Astronauts’ training and physical domain is an expanding supervision on site is essential Even today, nearly 50 years since may also find application for the mission expertise, combined with area of investigation. This co- for large and complex assembly we began spacewalking, extra- future astronaut. Meanwhile, the their unique aura and refined sen- robotic approach is already seen and service operations in space vehicular activity is perhaps the U.S. Defense Advanced Research sitivity about our biosphere and as a natural and efficient exten- in order to speedily resolve most strenuous astronaut activity. Projects Agency is putting com- the rich and complex interweave sion of human capabilities in anomalies that may arise during The suits, once inflated, are peting robot assistants to the test of humanity in it, make them a extreme environments here on execution. cumbersome to work in, and the and offering prizes for winning new generation of 21st-century Earth, and space activity provides Humans and robots together astronaut has to fight the stiffness designs. global ambassadors, the few who another realm for expanding this are ready to begin knitting space of the suit and gloves to make And so there is promise for have experienced a global view of application. One of the reasons activity in our solar system into normal movement possible. Like an entirely new vision of humans things, literally, with a stamp that for astronaut crew to be in the the mainstream of humanity’s the capsule technology that is working alongside sophisticated says “made in America.” They may vicinity of action is to circumvent economic sphere of influence, being superseded, the days of robotic agents, as supervisors and hold the key to switch the fear- the time lag associated with oper- making astronaut activity a the Pillsbury Doughboy- or directors and anomaly resolvers. and-greed paradigm that seems ating a robot from Earth. routine part of our lives in which Michelin Man-shaped astronaut They will be comfortably nested in to run rampant in the world today Depending on planetary posi- science and technology are are numbered. cabins within spacecraft in a shirt- with hope, awe and wonder of tions, it takes between 8 and 45 to our culture, as much Hardsuits, or rigid suits molded sleeve environment, teleoperating nature and keep alive humanity’s minutes to send a command to as progressive commerce and from aluminum alloys, are being swarms of robots, building huge noblest aspirations, including our the Mars rover and receive a signal industry play a part in modern used in deep-sea diving missions solar power satellites and assem- place in the universe, the raison back that it has executed the task, civilization. today and may be adapted for bling massive spaceships from d’etre for human spaceflight. and it takes Cassini 2.5 hours Does the future hold peril or space, employing tough and materials dug up and processed to do the same. A lot of unin- promise for our astronaut corps as radiation-resistant materials like among the asteroids, as we expand Madhu Thangavelu is conductor of the tended things can happen over we expand this enterprise? Peril, boron carbide to allow astronauts outward into the solar system to graduate Space Exploration Architectures such long periods, especially when for space is the ultimate unfor- to move between spacecraft and use resources that lie scattered Concept Synthesis Studio in the Department of impromptu control is required for giving environment, as it reminds the vacuum outside without the all over the asteroid belt, to settle Astronautical Engineering within the University tasks that involve construction or us when things go wrong and we lengthy prebreathing protocol our Moon and planets. A far more of Southern California’s Viterbi School of other anomalous situations that lose the brave men and women that is needed today to make the sophisticated and refined U.S. Engineering, and he is also a graduate thesis may arise. engaged in that exo-environment. suits more flexible for movement. astronaut corps is in the making, adviser in the School of Architecture at USC. www.spacenews.com 21 On The November 24, 2014 www.spacenews.com PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER William A. Klanke ADVERTISEMENTS — Call 571-356-9618 Tel: +1-571-385-0234 Horizon ON THE MOVE Email: [email protected] BUSINESS MANAGER December march John H. Dawson Corp. president and chief execu- Tel: +1-571-385-1509 December 8-11 March 10-12 tive, said in a statement. Email: [email protected] 1st International Academy of Astronau- CABSAT 2015 tics Latin America Cubesat Workshop Dubai, UAE n QUALIS CORP., a small tech- Brasilia, Brazil www.cabsat.com nical services company based REPRESENTATIVES http://iaaweb.org in Huntsville, Alabama, has appointed CARLOS KINGSTON vice NORTH AMERICA March 16-19 president of its Missiles and Satellite 2015 Space Group. In his new position, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, STRATEGIC PRODUCTS Washington, DC he will direct Qualis contracts & MANAGER, ADVERTISING SALES www.satshow.com involving space and missiles as Candance “Candy” Maness well as develop a strategy for the Cell: +1-318-550-1727 company to serve U.S. military Email: [email protected] april personnel. BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Kingston had spent the past April 11-16 30 years in senior positions with Paige McCullough National Association of Broadcasters Tel: +1-571-385-0302 the U.S. Army and the Missile Email: [email protected] (NAB) Defense Agency. Most recently, Las Vegas, NV Kingston was program director OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA www.nabshow.com n THE AEROSPACE CORP. elected of the MDA’s Ground-based CHARLES BLANCHARD (above) to Midcourse Defense (GMD) December 16-18 CHINA, GERMANY, INDONESIA, ISRAEL, April 13 its board of trustees. He is a program. There he was respon- KOREA, MALAYSIA, RUSSIA, TAIWAN, DoD Commercial Satcom Workshop partner at Arnold & Porter LLC’s sible for integrating GMD into SINGAPORE, AUSTRIA, DENMARK, FINLAND, Co-sponsored by SIA and Cyber 1.5 Washington office, where he the nation’s ballistic missile INDIA, NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM, LUXEMBURG, U.S. Strategic Command Colorado Springs, CO specializes in national security defense capability, and reported NORWAY, SOUTH AFRICA, , Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel www.spacesymposium.org practices and government to MDA Director Navy Vice Adm. SWITZERLAND, UNITED KINGDOM Arlington, VA contracts. James Syring. www.dodsatcom.com April 13-16 Prior to joining the firm, Tony Kingham KNM PR and Publishing 31st Space Symposium Blanchard had been general Colorado Springs, CO counsel and chief ethics officer 4a High Street, Edenbridge, www.spacesymposium.org for the U.S. Air Force. There he Kent, TN8 5AG, UK oversaw more than 2,600 military Tel: +44 (0) 20 8144 5934 and civilian Air Force lawyers E-mail: tony.kingham@ 2015 April 13-17 around the world. He had also worldsecurity-index.com 4th Planetary Defense Conference served as general counsel to the Frascati, Roma, Italy anuary U.S. Department of the Army, FRANCE, ITALY, SPAIN J http://iaaweb.org chief counsel to the White House Defense & Communication Office of National Drug Control January 18-21 Emmanuel Archambeaud April 20-24 Policy. As a partner in private Fabio Lancellotti Pacific Telecommunications Conference 10th International Academy of Astronau- practice he focused on complex 48 Boulevard Jean-Jaures, (PTC 2015) tics Symposium on Small Satellites for commercial litigation, antitrust, 92110 Clichy, France Honolulu, HI Earth Observation state constitutional law and Tel: +33(0)1 4730 7180 www.ptc.org election law. Cell : +33(0) 6 1103 9652 Berlin, Germany Blanchard also served as a Fax: +33(0)1 4730 0189 http://iaaweb.org two-term member of the Arizona E-mail: earchambeaud@ February defcommunication.com State Senate and in as interim may homeland security director February 3-5 JAPAN for former Arizona Gov. Janet AFCEA’s Defending America Cyberspace May 19-21 Napolitano. n Mineralogical entrepreneur Kazuhiko Tanaka Symposium Shinono International, Inc. 5th IAA Conference on Space Technolo- The Aerospace Corp., a JULIAN MALNIC (above) has joined Colorado Springs, CO federally funded research the board of directors of asteroid Akasaka Kyowa Building 2F gies: the Present and Future 1-6-14, Akasaka, Minato-ku www.afceacyberspace.com and development center, also mining startup DEEP SPACE INDUSTRIES. Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine Tokyo 107-0052 Japan http://iaaweb.org announced several leadership He is the founder of Nautilus Tel: 81 03 (3584) 6420 changes. Minerals Inc., an undersea mining Fax: 81 03 (3505) 5628 February 26-28 1st International Academy of Astronau- KEVIN BELL succeeded Glenn company, and Direct Nickel, a Email: [email protected] June Davis as general manager for company that has developing a tics and International the Imagery Programs Division novel way of extracting nickel. SUBSCRIBER SERVICE Institute of Space Law Conference on in the National Systems Group. Malnic had been acting as an Tel: Toll free in U.S. Climate Change and Disaster Manage- June 9-11 Davis was promoted to vice adviser to Deep Space Industries +1-866-429-2199 ment 11th International Academy of Astro- president of strategic space since before its public unveiling Fax: +1-845-267-3478 Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram, India nautics Low-Cost Planetary Missions Outside North America http://iaaweb.org Conference operations, as was announced in January 2013. Besides his +1-845-267-3023 previously. entrepreneurial ventures, he is Berlin, Germany Fax: +1-845-267-3478 http://iaaweb.org TODD NYGREN succeeded Bell, the founder and chairman of the Email: spacenews@ taking his previous position as Sydney Mining Club, managing cambeywest.com general manager for the Systems director of Fluid Minerals Engineering Division in the Limited and director of public AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Engineering and Technology relations for the Constitution Mark Rosen Group. Education Fund of Australia. Tel: +1-203-822-7789 ANDREW DAWDY succeeded “Not only is he a geologist Email: mrosen@ Nygren, taking his previous with a lot of processing experi- circulationspecialists.com position as general manager of ence, but he is also founder of developmental planning and the world’s first deep sea mining SEND ADVERTISING MATERIAL TO: architectures for the Space company,” Deep Space Industries Christine Frazee Systems Group. Chairman Rick Tumlinson said Tel: +1-571-356-9618 “These leadership changes in a statement. “He brings us an Email: [email protected] are in line with our succession invaluable level of experience in planning, announced previously transformatory mineral resource SpaceNews in September, and our continued ventures.” 1414 Prince Street, Suite 300 focus on delivering mission Alexandria, Va. 22314 USA success to our customers,” Compiled by Clinton Parks, Wanda Austin, the Aerospace [email protected] 22 www.spacenews.com November 24, 2014 PROFILE Yvonne Pendleton DIRECTOR, SOLAR SYSTEM EXPLORATION RESEARCH VIRTUAL INSTITUTE The Moon and Beyond hen NASA established the Lunar Science Institute at the NASA Ames W Research Center in 2008, the space agency was in the midst of the Constellation program with plans to return astronauts to the Moon by 2020. Since President Barack Obama announced plans in 2010 to refocus the U.S. human spaceflight program on travel to a near-Earth asteroid and ultimately to Mars, NASA officials have looked for ways to expand the mission of the institute to reflect the changing priorities of the space agency. In late 2013, the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) officially took over the work of the Lunar Science Institute. SSERVI supports research designed to shed light on fundamental questions related to the Moon, near-Earth asteroids, Mars’ moons Phobos and Deimos, and the space environments near each of those bodies. Yvonne Pendleton, who became director of the Lunar Science Institute in 2010 and now leads SSERVI, is shepherding the organization through the transition. In November 2013, SSERVI selected nine teams to embark on five- year research projects. The teams are led by Bill Bottke of the Southwest Research Institute, Dan Britt of the University of Central Florida, Ben Bussey of the Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory, Bill Farrell of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Tim Glotch of Stony Brook University, Jennifer Heldmann of NASA Ames, Mihaly Horanyi of the University of Colorado, Carle Pieters of Brown University and David Kring of the Lunar and Planetary Institute. SSERVI also has international partners: the Canadian Lunar Research Network, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology,

PHOTO the Saudi Lunar and Near Earth Objects NASA Science Center, the Israel Network for Lunar Science and Exploration, the German Network for Lunar Science and Exploration, Frascati National Laboratory of Italy’s National Nuclear Physics Institute, nine institutions that form a SSERVI node in the Netherlands, and 15 institutions that form the www.spacenews.com 23 November 24, 2014

United Kingdom node. team. Students provide this unique glue that binds the work, trying to understand the moons of Mars or aster- Pendleton, an astrophysicist, decided institute together in a way I had not anticipated. oids by going to remote places on Earth. Canada has some ideal places for this kind of work. The partnership she wanted to work for NASA when she How often will SSERVI seek new research projects? with Germany enabled one of our teams to build a dust was a child in Key West, Florida, watching accelerator in record time. Mihaly Horanyi’s German Every two-and-a-half years, we plan to have another call colleagues gave him the plans to build a duplicate of rockets launch from the Kennedy Space for proposals. That way we can add new teams before the their accelerator. It is now open to the entire scientific Center. She obtained a bachelor’s and a old teams finish their five-year projects. That provides community. master’s degree in aerospace engineering continuity and enables people to share the philosophy and culture of the institute. How many people work on the SSERVI staff and what role do before shifting her attention to astrophysics they play? and earning a Ph.D. at the University of What has SSERVI accomplished? There are 14 people on the SSERVI central staff. We California, Santa Cruz. We picked teams in November. I got the teams together oversee the teams and make sure they get their funding. In 2007 and 2008, Pendleton served as in December and asked them to come up with ideas We track their budgets and learn about their progress for collaboration. They formed a long list and they’ve in monthly meetings. We enable a lot of the virtual the senior adviser for research and analysis been marching right down that list. communication both for our teams and for the whole programs for NASA’s Science Mission One was the idea of having a shared repository of community. NASA is getting very interested in using samples that team members collect. If they go into the virtual tools for a number of meetings. Directorate in Washington. field to collect meteorites or rock samples that other Pendleton spoke recently with SpaceNews teams want to analyze, they work from the same rock. Why is SSERVI at NASA Ames? correspondent Debra Werner. They also share facilities, laboratory resources and students. Some teams are taking other teams’ students Ames is home to all of NASA’s virtual institutes: the with them on trips to analog work sites. NASA Astrobiology Institute, the NASA Aeronautics The teams are already publishing papers together. Research Institute and SSERVI. Ames is an innovative We use the publication rate to measure productivity. center. People here are very interested in cost-savings In six months this group has published 35 papers and approaches to exploration. I think the institutes are Why was SSERVI formed? there are more in the works. thriving because we are in the heart of Silicon Valley. We pick up a lot of virtual tools hot off the press and The institute was created because complex science and What’s ahead for SSERVI? introduce them to our community. engineering challenges require expertise and resources across many disciplines. By eliminating geographical At the American Geophysical Union meeting in San What made you switch from aerospace engineering to constraints, the virtual institute model enables us to Francisco on Dec. 15, we will have an entire day dedi- astrophysics? select the best investigations, teams and resources to cated to SSERVI research topics. We hope to draft a address NASA’s current goals, regardless of where team second Cooperative Agreement Notice to be released When I was 10 years old, I told anybody who would members or infrastructure are located. in late spring of next year. listen that I wanted to work for NASA and study the We have recently been asked to take on manage- stars. I went into aerospace engineering at the Georgia What do you focus on? ment of NASA’s Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project Institute of Technology. The year I graduated I had (LMMP), which includes data from multiple instru- an opportunity to work for Ames and get my master’s ments on multiple lunar missions. All of this data is degree at Stanford University. Once I got here, I realized We tried to come up with questions we would need to put into a system with very sophisticated modeling Ames had a space science division. I wandered over answer before people travel beyond low Earth orbit. capabilities. It allows users to combine different layers there one day and fell in love with everything they were The topics include things like trying to understand of data. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is doing doing. This was the time of the Voyager and Pioneer how small bodies would outgas material. If you were the work. Now that we’ve taken over management, missions. I was mesmerized. At the time, I was working approaching one, you would need to understand that. we have asked them to expand beyond the Moon. As in a wind tunnel. Fortunately, human resources let me From a science perspective, volatiles are incredibly SSERVI’s scope grows, so should LMMP’s. We have switch, and the rest is history. NASA put me through interesting to people who want to understand the origin, included Vesta and Mars, and we hope to include the to get my Ph.D. in astrophysics. I ended up having the evolution and composition of these bodies. moons of Mars in the near future. career that was right for me. How much funding does SSERVI have? What role do SSERVI’s international partners play? So now you work for NASA and study the stars? If you add up every single dollar, including the dollars They play a huge role. On a no-exchange-of-funds That’s right. In my personal research, I look for the for civil servant salaries, the total budget is $15.2 million basis, we collaborate. Some space agencies are making cosmic origins of life in a grain of interstellar dust. per year. The central office gets roughly $2.8 million. discoveries at a breakneck pace. Our job is to connect Now I have the joy of directing an institute focused on The teams, on average, can expect to get about $1.2 them, to help disseminate each country’s expertise our place in the solar system. I believe the Moon and million per year for five years. and results across the globe in a way that makes them other small bodies in our solar system hold the pieces useful to everyone. of the puzzle we need. Five years is a long time for a research project. How do international partners join SSERVI? You also have your own asteroid, 7165 Pendleton. Yes. That is one of the reasons we have the flexibility and the stability that we have. Five years is a long enough They write proposals with an eye toward how they can I was blown away when that happened. It was a huge time for someone to take a graduate student from the fit into the kind of work our teams already are doing. honor. early days all the way through. We have seen students They often offer to send students here or bring U.S. graduate from one team and become postdocs in another students there. Some of our teams do a lot of analog Email: [email protected] The Best Weapon in Your Arsenal is Real-Time Information

Intelsat General Has an Epic Solution for Mobile Connectivity.

Agile and streamlined military forces move fast, and they need secure voice, video and data connections that move with them. Only satellite communications can support the data-intensive applications that serve ships at sea, planes in flight and troops on the ground, linking them to one another and to distant commanders. Our global satellite and ground network delivers mobile broadband military capacity when and where it is needed today. Complementing our existing fleet, Intelsat’s next-generation EpicNG satellites will deliver high performance and flexible capacity, supporting the most demanding military applications far into the future.

mobility.intelsatgeneral.com