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BUSINESS | POLITICS | PERSPECTIVE JANUARY 18, 2021 THE Issue

4 SPACE CHALLENGES FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN

: : MethaneSAT moves forward Environmental Defense Fund project taps SpaceX for 2022 rideshare launch

INSIDE

n Capitol riot forces contractors into uneasy role n For China, space is substance and symbol n Is public capital ready to fuel private space?

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boeing.com/satellites C O N T E N T S 0 1 . 1 8 . 2 1 DEPARTMENTS 5 3 QUICK TAKES Closer to crew 5 NEWS WELL flew a new model of its suborbital vehicle Jan. 14, 24 COMMENTARY a flight the company says J. Brant Arseneau brings it “really close” to Is public capital ready finally flying people. to help fuel the private space economy? 27 COMMENTARY 6 Dean Cheng MethaneSAT For China, space is both substance moves forward and symbol The Environmental Defense Fund-sponsored project 30 NATIONAL tapped SpaceX last week to SECURITY launch a privately funded smallsat intended to slow Defense contractors the pace of climate change forced into uneasy role by providing global, high- in wake of Capitol riot resolution detection and quantification of methane 32 FOUST FORWARD emissions around the world. With friends like these… 9 Four issues SpaceNews staff writers Jeff Foust and Sandra NEXT ISSUES Erwin take a look at the Our next three issues space challenges incoming will be published Feb. 15, President Joe Biden faces March 15 and April 19. over the next four years.

14 The multi-decade challenge of Mars Sample Return

19 A budget-conscious, 22 AI + autonomy 18 Mars revamped vision for roll out on the Red prove smallsats add Mars exploration Planet value beyond orbit

COVER: NASA’s rover casts off its spacecraft’s cruise stage, minutes before entering the Martian atmosphere for its planned Feb. 18 landing. Cred- it: NASA/JPL-Caltech illustration. ABOVE: Blue Origin’s New Shepard crew capsule outfitted with astronaut experience upgrades lands at the company’s Launch Site One in West after its Jan. 14 suborbital flight. Credit: Blue Origin

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2 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 QUICK TAKES

OneWeb has slashed the size of a proposed next-generation SIGNIFICANT satellite constellation. In a filing with the FCC last week, OneWeb said it’s requesting a modification to an application it filed in May, reducing the number of satellites in that “Phase Two” system from DIGITS 47,844 to 6,372. The slimmed-down constellation, OneWeb said, shows its commitment “to support the long-term use of space for all by preserving the orbital environment.” While it was unclear how serious OneWeb was about that original proposal, larger than any 53The number of launches currently other proposed constellation, the application raised concerns about scheduled for 2021 from Cape orbital debris creation and impacts on astronomy. The proposal Canaveral, , according to the U.S. does not affect the company’s original constellation of about 650 Space Force’s 45th Space Wing, which satellites, which resumed deployment Dec. 18 with the launch of 36 operates the . The Cape satellites aboard a -2.1b that lifted off from Russia’s Vostochny hosted 31 launches in 2020. Cosmodrome. The launch was OneWeb’s first since emerging from bankruptcy. OneWeb now has 112 satellites in orbit. Meanwhile, OneWeb announced Jan. 15 it has raised $400 million from SoftBank and Hughes Network Systems, bringing the total raised since filing for Chapter 11 last March to $1.4 billion. €5MThe amount Leaf Space raised for its ground segment as-a-service business, bringing its total raised to 10 million euros ($12.1 million). With the latest funding, the Italian startup founded in 2014 plans to establish ground stations to serve microsatellites in Sri Lanka, Canada and Australia. By the end of the year, Leaf Space plans to operate 15 ground stations for its multi-customer Leaf Line service and additional dedicated ground stations for Swiss internet-of-things startup Astrocast. French startup Exotrail says it has tested an Intelsat ordered two geostationary electric propulsion system in space. The Hall communications satellites from Airbus effect thruster, installed on the NanoAvionics R2 Defence and Space to support the satellite , changed the satellite’s orbit during a operator’s aviation connectivity business. Airbus test in late December. Over the next few months, and Intelsat signed the deal on Dec. 31, helping $4.9BThe value of the U.S. Space Force Exotrail plans to fire the thruster to demonstrate Airbus meet its goal of attracting three satellite contract Lockheed Martin was collision avoidance maneuvers, decrease the orders in 2020. The new Intelsat spacecraft awarded for the production of three satellite’s altitude and change its inclination. will come from Airbus’ OneSat family of fully geosynchronous Next-Generation Exotrail says its ExoMG thruster is the smallest reconfigurable geostationary satellites. Intelsat’s Overhead Persistent Infrared missile- warning satellites, the first of which Hall effect thruster ever flown, and the first to Jan. 8 announcement offered few details about could launch as soon as 2025. The be used on a satellite weighing less than 100 the satellites, such as their orbital locations award follows a $2.9 billion contract kilograms. In photo above, French Prime Minister and frequency bands, but in a bankruptcy court Lockheed won in 2018 for Next-Gen Jean Castex, Frédérique Vidal, French research filing said they will be used to provide coverage OPIR development. and innovation minister, and Bruno le Maire, over the U.S., North Atlantic, and other parts of French economy and finance minister, are shown the Western Hemisphere to support its Gogo holding the ExoMG Hall-effect thruster during Commercial Aviation business. Airbus plans to their visit to Exotrail on Jan. 8. deliver the satellites in 2023.

$150.4MThe amount the Pentagon’s Space The Space Development Agency (SDA) has restored contracts awarded to L3Harris and Development Agency will pay SpaceX to launch as many as 28 small and medium SpaceX for producing an initial set of missile-tracking satellites. The two companies received satellites in late 2022 from Vandenberg awards in October, valued at $193.5 million for L3Harris and $149 million for SpaceX, for eight Air Force Base, California. SDA also Tracking Layer Tranche 0 satellites, but work stopped after protests filed by Airbus and Raytheon. restored a $149 million contract it gave SDA agreed to reevaluate the contracts, and concluded the L3Harris and SpaceX bids still provided SpaceX to build four missile-tracking the best value to the government.

ONEWEB DEC 18 LAUNCH/EXOTRAIL/INTELSAT-AIRBUS-ONESAT satellites.

SPACENEWS.COM | 3 QUICK TAKES

The Air Force selected Huntsville, Alabama, as the future headquarters for U.S. Space Command. Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett announced the decision Jan. 13 one day before stepping down from her post. Huntsville won the competition, the Air Force stated, because it “compared favorably” to the other five finalists on several factors, including Redstone Arsenal’s ability to offer a temporary site for the headquarters at no cost while a permanent facility is constructed. Alabama was considered a long shot and Colorado was the front-runner, given its status as interim home of Space Command and its concentration of military installations and space industry contractors. Colorado officials said they were “deeply disappointed” in the decision and asked the incoming Biden administration to review it, amid rumors Colorado was the Air Force’s original choice.

Arianespace’s CEO says European governments need to increase their support of the launch provider to match U.S. government support of his competitors. In a briefing Jan. 7, Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël said companies like SpaceX benefit from U.S. government support “with no precedent,” such as the national security launch contracts SpaceX and ULA received last year. He called on European governments to “renew the public- private partnership around and C,” including a bulk order of Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed its first AR1 launches the European Commission is proposing to make this year. Arianespace engine as it looks for customers for it. The AR1 reported revenues of about 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) in 2020, and Israël said was assembled at Aerojet Rocketdyne’s large engine the company in 2021 will exceed the 10 launches it performed last year. assembly facility at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The company is looking at options to test it at Stennis, which may require modifications to existing test stands there to accommodate the engine since it uses kerosene rather than liquid hydrogen fuel. Aerojet developed the AR1 for potential use by , which instead opted for Blue Origin’s BE-4 on its Vulcan rocket. Aerojet is now offering the engine for use on medium- class rockets, and signed an agreement with Firefly Aerospace in 2019 to study its use on that company’s future vehicles.

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite operator Capella Space announced the start of commercial operations after expanding its satellite manufacturing facilities in Colorado and NOAA is proposing a future weather satellite system with three satellites California. “Between our direct sales and reseller in geostationary orbit, rather than two. NOAA’s Geostationary Operational partner network, we’re ready to distribute Environmental Satellite (GOES) system currently has two operational satellites, our high-quality SAR imagery to customers GOES East and GOES West. However, a recent study recommended that, in the in almost every country,” Capella CEO Payam future, NOAA augment that system with a third satellite, GOES Central, with a Banazadeh said in a Jan. 12 blog. Capella also complementary set of instruments. The NOAA study also recommended adding established a government advisory board with new instruments for air quality and ocean color measurements. The agency said it former U.S. government space-policy leaders is in only the initial planning phases of the new system with a first launch in 2032, Doug Loverro, Gil Klinger and Jeffrey Harris. but expects the new system to cost similar to the $12 billion spent on the GOES-R

fleet of four satellites. U.S. ARMY MATERIEL COMMAND/ AEROJET ROCKETDYNE/ARIANESPACE/ NOAA NESDIS

4 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 NEWS SUBORBITAL SPACEFLIGHT

Blue Origin launches New Shepard vehicle intended for crewed flights

lue Origin flew a new model of its New Shepard suborbital vehicle Jan. 14, a flight the com- Bpany says brings it “really close” to finally flying people. The New Shepard vehicle lifted off from Blue Origin’s West Texas test site at 12:17 p.m. Eastern. The vehicle’s crew capsule, separating from its booster about two and a half minutes after liftoff, reached a peak altitude of 107 kilometers before landing under parachutes 10 minutes and 15 seconds after liftoff. The capsule landing came a few minutes after the booster made a powered landing at the edge of its landing pad. The flight was the first for this capsule, called “RSS First Step” by Blue Origin, as well as for the booster. The capsule featured several modifications intended to support , such as seats, new communications systems and displays, and environmental control systems to

regulate temperature and humidity. “It’s Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital vehicle lifts off on a test flight Jan. 14. The flight was the first for a all about the upgrades for the astronaut new crew capsule that features several modifications intended to support human spaceflight. experience,” said Ariane Cornell, direc- tor of astronaut and orbital sales at Blue Origin, during the webcast. Exactly when those crewed flights those human spaceflight plans, or even Unlike several previous New Shepard will begin remains unclear, though. In when the company would start selling flights, this vehicle did not carry science February 2019, company founder Jeff tickets for commercial flights. Much of payloads. It did fly 50,000 postcards sub- Bezos said he expected the company to the webcast was devoted to discussion mitted by students through Club for the begin flying people by the end of that of other Blue Origin activities, such as Future, a nonprofit affiliated with the year, but by October the company said it testing of its BE-4 engine and work on its company. was slowing down those plans to ensure concept for NASA’s Human The company intends to use this the vehicle was ready. Landing System program. spacecraft for future crewed flights. “This Blue Origin performed a single New After the safe landing of the capsule, will be used for astronaut missions,” said Shepard test flight last year, in October, though, Cornell was optimistic the com- Patrick Zeitouni, director of advanced after which the company said it needed pany would soon start flying people. “We’re development programs at Blue Origin, “just a couple more flights before we start getting really close to flying humans. We’re on the webcast. to put humans on board.” getting there,” she said. “The success of During the webcast, company rep- this flight puts us one really big step closer

SCREENSHOT OF BLUE ORIGIN WEBCAST JEFF FOUST resentatives offered few details about to flying astronauts.” SN

SPACENEWS.COM | 5 NEWS EARTH OBSERVATION

Environmental Defense Fund’s MethaneSAT is to be “launch ready” in September 2022.

It was announced Jan. 13 by the Meth- Private methane- aneSAT group that they have signed a contract with SpaceX to launch the satellite as part of a rideshare mission slated for no earlier than Oct. 1, 2022. watching smallsat Tom Ingersoll, MethaneSAT project director, said the spacecraft is making good progress. “We are currently on moves forward schedule to be ‘launch ready’ by the end of September 2022. We still hold our crit- MethaneSAT taps SpaceX for late ical path. That’s not to say we won’t have some hiccups, but right now, everything 2022 rideshare is going very well,” he told SpaceNews. Building and launching the spacecraft privately funded smallsat project will chart and catalog methane emissions will cost $88 million, according to Steven is underway intended to slow from oil and gas operations almost any- Hamburg, chief scientist for MethaneSat. the pace of climate change by where on the planet as well as measure “In addition to that is the data plat- Aproviding global, high-reso- emissions from other human-generated form, as well as the advocacy that will be lution detection and quantification of methane sources, including agriculture. associated with using the data, ensuring methane emissions around the world. Methane has more than 80 times the that it’s impactful,” Hamburg said. In 2018, Fred Krupp, president of the warming power of carbon dioxide (CO2) The spacecraft, which is designed to Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), over the first 20 years after it is emitted. last two years but will carry enough fuel headquartered in New York City, unveiled for five years or more of operations, will the idea for MethaneSAT, an endeavor to Launch window also carry the highest-precision methane support and enable climate action. As a MethaneSAT, LLC, a subsidiary of the instrument ever designed, Hamburg said. compact orbital platform, the spacecraft nonprofit EDF, is leading the design and According to the EDF, human-produced building of the smallsat and its attendant methane emissions are responsible for

LEONARD DAVID data-handling infrastructure. more than 25 percent of global warming BALL AEROSPACE CORP.

6 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 the planet is now experiencing. The group and power available for the methane The compact satellite is to pinpoint calculates that reducing global oil and measuring instrument. the location and magnitude of methane gas methane emissions 45 percent by Lorie Booth, program manager at emissions virtually anywhere on Earth 2025, an EDF stated goal, would deliver Blue Canyon Technologies, said the and can cover a 260-kilometer field of the same near-term benefit to the climate MethaneSAT bus has completed its view. MethaneSAT’s high-resolution as closing 1,300 coal-fired power plants. critical design review phase and is now sensor is designed to observe areas MethaneSAT is being designed to map qualifying new designs and executing as small as 100 x 400 meters with the and measure oil and gas methane emis- on component assembly, preparing for ability to accurately spot differences sions worldwide, including roughly 50 bus integration in the spring of 2021. The in methane levels as small as two parts major oil and gas regions accounting for bus test campaign will kick off in the per billion. more than 80 percent of global production. second quarter of 2021, she said, with an In September, MethaneSAT officials expected bus delivery to Ball Aerospace said the project completed a critical de- Design review counterpart for payload integration in sign review for both the mission’s remote Blue Canyon Technologies of Lafayette, late third quarter of 2021. sensing instrument and the spacecraft Colorado, is building the spacecraft bus. Boulder, Colorado-based Ball Aero- platform bus and was entering the The smallsat-provider was acquired late space designed MethaneSAT’s high-per- production stage. The review involved last December by Raytheon Technol- formance spectrometer-based methane experts who make up MethaneSAT’s ogies. The 350-kilogram satellite uses sensing system to tease out a narrow technical advisory group, headed by Joe Blue Canyon’s X-SAT Saturn-Class bus part of the shortwave infrared spectrum Rothenberg, former director of NASA’s designed to maximize the volume, mass where methane absorbs light. Goddard Space Flight Center, and the

MethaneSAT is a smallsat built to spot and gauge methane emissions that are responsible for more than 25 percent of global warming. METHANESAT, LLC

SPACENEWS.COM | 7 NEWS EARTH OBSERVATION

project’s science advisory group, led by Dan McCleese, former chief scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Data-crunching The MethaneSAT project is automating the data-crunching process to create a speedy and steady flow of real-time information in a range of packages and formats tailored to enable industry, reg- ulators and the public to track emissions and document reductions. Tom Melendez, senior engineering director of data products for Methane- SAT, said gathering and then shaping the satellite-gleaned information is not a trivial matter. That data is first down- linked via X-band to the KSAT Lite, a small-aperture global ground network, then to a cloud-based infrastructure Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, announces go-ahead for MethaneSAT during a TED Talk in 2018. and platform. Algorithms designed by Harvard University and the Smithso- nian Astrophysical Observatory are to “These types of efforts serve to broaden to solve the pressing problems of the be used to build the data acquisition and how we think about environmental world, more quickly, more effectively, analysis strategy. information and who can participate with greater impact than was possible “The magnitude of the data we’re and benefit from it, and I think we will before,” Hamburg said. “We’re trying to dealing with is about a petabyte a year be seeing more and different ways that catalyze a revolution to recognize that of data,” Melendez said. The Methane- this continues to play out,” Parker told we need more data, the right data, to SAT data processing infrastructure is SpaceNews. be to affect the changes we need.” designed to transform the information “You could argue that the Methane- Is the privately-backed MethaneSAT into a useful, actionable product in a SAT is a form of citizen science,” Parker idea a forerunner of things to come? In- timely manner, he said. added, “where members of the public gersoll said he’s already been approached A partnership with New Zealand has participate in gathering of scientific by two other organizations keen on their been formed to take on the role of mis- information, or you could argue that it’s own satellite-aided mission. sion management. A mission operations a different mechanism than citizen sci- The timing of MethaneSAT seems fitting control center will include a physical fa- ence but towards the same end, towards given the incoming Biden administration’s cility, hosted at a New Zealand university. broadening how the public contributes campaign promise of putting in place Data gathered from MethaneSAT will to and interacts with environmental aggressive methane pollution limits for be available free for anyone to use. information.” new and existing oil and gas operations. “It’s clearly one of his high priorities,” said New era Data-to-action pipeline Hamburg. “MethaneSAT will feed directly MethaneSAT demonstrates a new era of MethaneSAT’s Hamburg characterized to the ability of developing methane mit- environmental information, said Alison the project as being in a different league igation strategies and enforcement.” Parker, senior program associate for the than citizen science. Call it “civil society Hamburg said that MethaneSAT is Science and Technology Innovation science,” he said, being driven by phil- meant to provide and present the in- Program at the Woodrow Wilson Inter- anthropic donations to accelerate the formation it gathers in a way that is national Center for Scholars in Wash- application of evolving technology to useful for a diversity of communities. ington. Government no longer controls solve a critical global problem. “It’s the full data-to-action pipeline with the gathering and use of environmental “MethaneSAT draws upon the rapidly high-quality data coming out in a poli-

data, she said. advancing technology in remote sensing cy-relevant format,” he said. SN ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND/TED TALKS

8 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 BUILDBACKBETTER.ORG A new administration will have to address. NASA’s Artemis NASA’s address. to have will administration new agenda. initial Biden’s drive to sure are recovery economic and pandemic The space. FOUR ISSUES Space challenges for President Biden There are, nonetheless, several key space issues the issues space key several nonetheless, are, There stand on stand in issues major security and civil national Harris, Kamala president, vice his and he where about know don’t we much still is there 20, Jan. s Joe Biden begins the first year of his presidency JEFFFOUST AND SANDRA ERWIN for Four four tration’s approach to civil space traffic management. The The management. traffic space civil to approach tration’s adminis Trump the reexamine to administration the lead may debris and satellites of population growing The work. launch vehicles to LEO constellations, started under the administration. under Trump started constellations, LEO to vehicles new launch from programs, finish also will growing Pentagon The faces pains. but mature to continue will Force Space science Earth agency’s the enhancing while program revisit the to the administration the giving goal, landing human 2024 its meet to unlikely now is program the issues S years N next SPACENEWS.COM |9 - FOUR ISSUES

NASA was expected to select a company this spring to proceed into full development of a crewed lunar lander but budget setbacks and a change in administration could alter those plans.

The future of Artemis

ver since Biden won the pres- just a quarter of what the agency re- A new approach might look some- idential election in November, quested. NASA Administrator Jim thing like what NASA was pursuing the space industry has speculated Bridenstine had warned for months in the first half of the Trump admin- Ewhat his administration will that keeping a 2024 human landing istration, when it was focused on first mean for NASA’s to on schedule would be extremely dif- building out the , fol- return humans to the in 2024. The ficult, if not impossible, without full lowed by human lunar landings around Democratic Party platform in August funding for HLS. 2028. NASA has continued to make endorsed in general terms “NASA’s work There was, even before Congress agreements with Canada, Europe and to return Americans to the moon,” but passed the bill, widespread skepticism Japan on elements of the Gateway, so made no mention of either retaining that a 2024 landing was feasible. “It was broader changes to human spaceflight or changing the 2024 goal. a long shot to begin with,” said Gwynne plans that do away with the Gateway That decision may already have been Shotwell, president of SpaceX, shortly could be geopolitically costly for the made for him. In December, Congress after the election. She speculated that Biden administration. passed a fiscal year 2021 spending bill the new administration would defer a NASA may have to make decisions that included $850 million for NASA’s human lunar landing to “slightly later on the future of Artemis soon, perhaps

Human Landing System (HLS) program, than 2024.” before a new administrator is in place. NASA HUNMAN LANDING SYSTEM CONCEPT

10 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 Space traffic

The three companies that received HLS contracts last year — Blue Origin, management Dynetics and SpaceX — are waiting on NASA to select who will proceed into t the end of the Obama ad- Congress provided the office with $10 full development. The agency previ- ministration four years ago, million in the fiscal year 2021 omnibus ously said it would make decisions in the outlines of a civil space spending bill in December — less than the spring, but both the limited fund- Atraffic management (STM) the $15 million it requested but the first ing and the change in administrations system were beginning to take shape. time it received any funding for STM could alter those plans. The Federal Aviation Administration’s work. Up until then, the Office of Space At the same time, the Biden adminis- Office of Commercial Space Trans- Commerce was laying the groundwork tration is widely expected to put greater portation was starting preparations for STM, including coordination with resources into Earth science programs to take on that work from the U.S. the Space Force and meetings with at NASA, as part of a broader emphasis Air Force after a consensus by the industry, but needed funding to hire on climate change. The party platform White House and other government staff and develop systems. called for “strengthening” NASA and agencies that it was the best agency Next year will be largely what I’ll NOAA Earth observation missions “to for the job. call a ‘building block’ year,” Kevin better understand how climate change That changed in June 2018, when O’Connell, director of the Office of is impacting our home planet.” the Trump administration issued Space Space Commerce, predicted in Oc- That could create opportunities not Policy Directive 3 on civil STM. The tober during a SpaceNews webinar. If just for Earth scientists but developers administration directed the Air Force his office got its requested funding, he of spacecraft and related technologies. to transition civil STM activities to the projected that by the end of 2021 “we “With the administration’s planned focus Commerce Department, specifically will have an initial architecture that is on climate change, we expect growth its . It con- up and running.” in spacecraft and information systems cluded that the office could take on That assumes the Biden adminis- related to understanding weather and space traffic management, freeing up tration continues on that path. While climate change,” Eileen Drake, pres- the FAA to oversee increasing com- the incoming administration has ident and chief executive of Aerojet mercial launch activity. offered no hints of its views on the Rocketdyne, said at the AIAA SciTech Two and a half years later, the office subject, there is nothing that would Forum Jan. 11. was finally ready to take on that challenge. stop it from moving civil STM to the Exactly what form that new empha- sis on Earth science will take is not yet clear. NASA already has a lengthy list of recommended missions from the previous Earth science decadal survey published in 2018 but has been slow to implement them because of limited budgets. Additional funding could ac- celerate those missions and feed into a broader climate change initiative. Some have bolder expectations. “Managing the Earth’s ability to sustain human life and biodiversity will likely, in my view, dominate a civil space agenda for a Biden-Harris administration,” said Lori Garver, NASA deputy administra- tor during the Obama administration, shortly after the election. However that climate change ini- tiative develops, it likely means that

SPACENEWS ILLUSTRATION boots on the moon will have to wait. SN

SPACENEWS.COM | 11 FOUR ISSUES

FAA or authorizing the Commerce Commerce was a better agency for civil Another question will be how much Department to perform space traffic man- STM than the FAA, NASA, or Defense attention Commerce gives to civil STM. agement, making it easy for the White Department. Biden’s nominee for Secretary of Com- House to change its mind. With the growing amount of debris merce, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, However, there is now a consensus in in orbit, along with emergence of mega- hasn’t been involved in space in any way or the public and private sector that Com- constellations like , most just want shown an interest in the subject. However, merce is the best place — or, at least, a the government to move ahead as fast as the same was true for Trump’s nominee, good enough place — to handle civil STM. it can. “In the end, it doesn’t really matter financier Wilbur Ross, who never attended A congressionally mandated report by who does it, just that it gets done,” said a launch before 2018. Yet he became a the National Academy of Public Admin- Chris Kunstadter, global head of space vocal advocate for the department’s work istration, released in August, concluded for insurer AXA XL. on space, including STM. SN Next steps for U.S. Space Force

mong the final acts of the Trump civilians. The service will be standing up administration was a celebration at a Space Systems Command to oversee the White House of the U.S. Space acquisitions and plans to build a space AForce’s first anniversary, where intelligence center. The Biden adminis- Vice President Mike Pence announced the tration later this year will have to provide members of the service would be called recommendations to Congress on what guardians. The sixth branch of the armed space units from the Army and the Navy forces was a darling of President Trump could be realigned under the Space Force. and no detail about the Space Force was More broadly, political appointees and A criticism often lobbed at the Space too trivial to trumpet. military officials will continue to have to Force is that it created an expensive The Space Force will now enter its address questions on the Space Force’s new bureaucracy to do the same work formative years with bipartisan support role and reason for being. that the in Congress but under a new commander “There is still a lot of confusion about used to do, with the same people. But in chief with a different worldview. Biden the role of the Space Force,” said Bur- critics need to move on, said Deborah is not expected to undo his predecessor’s bach, noting that he does not speak for Lee James, former secretary of the Air prized achievement, but the Space Force the government. Even though the space Force during the Obama administration. will be lower on the totem pole. service’s job is to operate and defend “It’s not worth the bureaucratic churn to “I don’t think the Space Force is in any U.S. satellites, “they run commercials put it back the way it was,” she said last danger of going away, but I don’t think showing astronauts going to the moon month at the Mitchell Institute’s West it will be politically favored the way it and exploring other planets. That’s not Coast Aerospace Forum. was under Trump,” said David Burbach, what the Space Force is going to do. They Congress has made similar points associate professor of national security are not fighting laser battles in space.” and directed the Department of the Air affairs at the U.S. Naval War College. “The primary job for the Space Force Force and the Space Force to propose Over the next four years, the Space right now is really focused on Earth,” said by May a revamped space acquisition Force will stay busy building the service. Scott Pace, former executive secretary process, a responsibility that will fall on In 2020, more than 2,200 former members of the National Space Council, during a Biden’s appointees. The fiscal year 2021 of Air Force Space Command formally recent National Security Space Associ- National Defense Authorization Act transferred to the Space Force. Another ation webinar. He noted the service has asks for specific recommendations for 3,600 are projected to transfer in 2021. its hands full just carrying out its basic making space acquisitions move faster, The long-term goal is a Space Force of responsibilities to provide space-based in ways that capture innovations from

about 6,000 military members and 8,000 services to U.S. military forces and allies. the private sector. SN U.S. SPACE FORCE

12 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 National security space modernization

pushed the Pentagon to invest in prolif- The U.S. Space Force is counting erated low-Earth orbit constellations, like on a smooth transition to ULA’s those being built by private companies, Vulcan rocket to help ensure the reliable delivery of na- to provide resiliency. Under Griffin, the tional security satellites to orbit. Pentagon stood up the Space Develop- ment Agency to take on the design and early development of military systems in LEO. The young agency, which was opposed by the Air Force Association and others, is preparing to launch its first 28 satellites in 2022. “SDA will get a fresh look,” Tierney said, but there’s no sign that the Biden team will be opposed to it. Once the SDA shows it can deliver on its promise to field a constellation in just two years, he expects it will be seen as the “agile, innovative new arm of the Space Force focused on proliferated LEO.” The large “exquisite” satellites that uring the Trump administration, tested to introduce a new , have been the bread and butter of Pen- the Pentagon took important Vulcan, that the company promised will tagon space programs will not go away steps to modernize key national be ready in 2021. It will fall on the Space even if the SDA’s proliferated systems Dsecurity space programs. For Force and the Biden administration to come to fruition. Under Biden, the Space now, there is nothing to suggest Biden’s help SpaceX and ULA clear this hurdle Force will continue to acquire multibil- appointees — many of them veterans of and assure Congress the nation has the lion-dollar systems for missile warning, the Obama administration — will reverse domestic launch vehicles it needs to secure communications, and navigation. course on major programs, at least until reliably deliver critical national security But there will also be parallel efforts to they have a chance to dig through bud- satellites to orbit. diversify the space architecture and use gets and submit new proposals. Sometime in 2024, the Space Force cheaper, smaller platforms as the private “We see no reason to think it won’t will start planning for a new heavy-lift sector continues to drive down the cost be full steam ahead,” said Mike Tierney, launch competition. Biden’s administration of satellites and launch. industry analyst at the defense and space could be in a position to evaluate whether How the military leverages commercial consulting firm Velos. In 2021, “we’re going emerging players like Blue Origin, which space technology for national security will to get a lot of the same” simply because tried and lost in 2020, can win a spot in remain an issue over the next four years. A the incoming leaders are not going to Space Force’s stable of launch providers. recent Aerospace Corp. space policy paper have time to substantially amend Trump’s Another item on the space agenda is aimed at the Biden administration noted budgets until their second year in office. the resiliency — or lack thereof — of U.S. that the “increasing commercialization of Over the next four years, Biden’s space systems. This has been a much-dis- space is presenting new opportunities for Pentagon will oversee the transition cussed issue during the Trump adminis- national security acquisition.” A trend to of the National Security Space Launch tration amid warnings that U.S. satellites watch will be whether U.S. intelligence program to a new phase where SpaceX are vulnerable to jamming, cyberattacks and defense agencies begin to seriously will have a more prominent role flying and threats from anti-satellite weapons. consider alternatives to the traditional military satellites to orbit and longtime Former undersecretary of defense for model of hiring contractors to develop

UNITED LAUNCH ALLIANCE incumbent United Launch Alliance will be research and engineering Mike Griffin bespoke capabilities. SN

SPACENEWS.COM | 13 NASA’s Perseverance rover is due to touch down Feb. 18 in Mars’ Jezero Crater, the site of an ancient lake and river which could harbor signs of fossilized microbial life.

14 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 MARS AHEAD

The multi-decade challenge of Mars Sample Return

Next month the Martian invasion fleet arrives — the fleet of terrestrial spacecraft invading Mars, that is. On Feb. 9, Hope, the United Arab Emir- the logical next step in Mars exploration,” ates’ first mission to Mars, will enter orbit the survey’s final report noted. around the planet to study its atmosphere. The study acknowledged that MAX-C The next day, Tianwen-1, China’s first would be just the first step in getting those dedicated Mars mission, arrives, entering samples back to Earth. NASA would need orbit to identify a target for its lander and to fly later missions to collect and return rover, which will attempt a landing in May. the cached samples, but those were be- On Feb. 18, it will be NASA’s turn. The yond the scope of the decadal survey, spacecraft will arrive at Mars, which was limited to missions expected landing at Jezero Crater. The landing will to launch between 2013 and 2022. feature the same “seven minutes of terror” NASA got serious about planning for as the rover experienced in 2012, those future missions in 2017, when it and Mars 2020’s Perseverance rover looks announced what it called a “lean” sample much like its predecessor. Its mission, return architecture. It was not that differ- though, is quite different and, in many ent, though, from earlier concepts, calling respects, won’t end for at least a decade, for two additional missions. One would when the samples it collects arrive back land near Mars 2020 and deploy a “fetch on Earth. rover” to collect the samples cached by the earlier mission. That rover would return The logical next step in Mars the samples to the lander, load them into exploration a small rocket called a Mars Ascent Vehicle When NASA announced in late 2012 it (MAV) and launch them into orbit. A sec- would fly Mars 2020, it based its decision ond mission, an orbiter, would collect the on the planetary science decadal survey sample container launched by the MAV in 2011. That study ranked as its highest and return it to Earth. priority flagship-class mission a concept By the time Mars 2020 launched in called Mars Astrobiology Explorer Cacher July, NASA had refined that architecture (MAX-C), a rover that would study the and also brought on board the European planet’s habitability and also collect, or Space Agency, which would lead devel- cache, samples for return to Earth by later opment of the orbiter mission and provide missions. the fetch rover for the NASA-led lander. “The Mars community, in their inputs Airbus Defence and Space received an to the decadal survey, was emphatic in ESA contract in October for the orbiter, their view that a sample return mission is valued at 491 million euros ($595 million.) When Mars 2020 launched, NASA

ESA/DLR/FU-BERLIN/NASA/JPL-CALTECH JEFF FOUST planned to move the Mars Sample

SPACENEWS.COM | 15 MARS AHEAD

NASA presented to the independent review was one sometimes called “26-26-31” by the agency: both the lander and orbiter would launch in 2026, with the samples returned in 2031. That schedule was too aggressive for the independent panel. “The schedules required to support launches in 2026 were substantially shorter than the actual ex- perience from recent, somewhat similar programs,” like Mars 2020 and Curiosity, Thompson said. Under a revised schedule recommended by the panel, the lander mission would launch in 2028. The orbiter could launch in either 2027 or 2028, since its use of electric propulsion gives it the flexibility to pursue alternative trajectories. That revised schedule would delay the return of the samples until 2033. At the same time, the study warned about delaying the missions beyond 2028. “The conditions when you arrive at Mars change dramatically over the Martian NASA’s Perseverance rover will store rock and soil samples in sealed tubes for future retrieval. NASA’s share of the joint retrieval missions could cost $3.8 billion to $4.4 billion. year,” explained Peter Theisinger of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a member of the IRB who previously managed the Return program into Phase A of and chief executive of Orbital ATK, with a Curiosity mission. development around September. But in team of engineers and scientists from both “Launch opportunities after 2028 don’t August, the agency announced it would inside and outside NASA. They worked arrive at a very attractive season,” he added, first conduct an independent review of for two months on the study, which was with the potential for dust storms like the the program. Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA released, along with the agency’s response, one in 2018 that led to the demise of the associate administrator for science, Nov. 10. solar-powered Opportunity rover, and requested the review based on the ex- The good news for NASA was that the other changes in the atmosphere that perience with the Nancy Grace Roman independent study vigorously backed would complicate the landing. “A signif- Space Telescope (formerly WFIRST), Mars Sample Return. “We unanimously icant redesign for the early ’30s would be which had a similar review in 2017 that believe that the Mars Sample Return pro- required, and we want to avoid doing that identified cost and technical issues with gram should proceed,” Thompson said in the middle of the program.” the mission. in a call with reporters about the study. The independent panel, though, wasn’t “The primary objectives are to make “We think its scientific value would be shy about suggesting changes to the mission sure we’re on a good footing going forward extraordinarily high.” in this early design phase. Thompson put a and that we have the resources we need “Full steam ahead,” added Maria Zuber, particular emphasis on studies examining to execute the mission and be successful,” a planetary scientist at the Massachusetts whether the lander mission should be split said Jeff Gramling, Mars Sample Return Institute of Technology who served on into two: one carrying the fetch rover and program director at NASA Headquarters, the independent review and also chairs the other the MAV. It also recommended when NASA announced the study. a separate standing review board for the looking at adding a radioisotope thermo- program. electric generator (RTG) to the lander, or Proceed with caution The study, though, took issue with some at least the lander with the MAV, to ensure The independent review board (IRB) was led of NASA’s plans for Mars Sample Return, sufficient power and to keep the rocket’s

by David Thompson, the retired president including its schedule. The architecture propulsion system from getting too cold. NASA/JPL-CALTECH

16 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 There’s also the issue of cost. NASA had been reticent to discuss the cost of Mars Sample Return since it was still far from the point where NASA makes a formal cost commitment. Zurbuchen, speaking at a Mars 2020 prelaunch briefing, estimated NASA’s cost of the later phases of the pro- gram would be $2.5 billion to $3 billion, a figure that didn’t include the $2.4 billion spent on Mars 2020 or ESA’s estimated contribution of 1.5 billion euros. Thompson said that NASA’s cost es- timates at the time of the independent review were $2.9 billion to $3.3 billion at a confidence level of 50%. That was too low, especially if the launches were delayed to 2028. “We concluded the total budget, to get into the range of a 70-80% confidence level, should be increased by about a billion dollars,” he said, or to about

$3.8 billion to $4.4 billion. Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for science, announcing the official name of the Mars 2020 rover last March at NASA Headquarters. Balancing the portfolio NASA welcomed the independent review board’s report but stopped short of endors- it could have on other parts of the field. March 2022. The decadal won’t attempt ing some of its biggest recommendations, Increased costs could take money away to prioritize Mars Sample Return against particularly on cost and schedule. “It re- from other planetary programs, as well other missions, said David Smith, study quires bringing with us a community,” as make it unlikely other Mars missions director for the decadal at the National said Zurbuchen, including ESA as well as would fly this decade. Academies, but “we are encouraged to Congress, which will have to agree to any Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s planetary comment on NASA’s current plans to delays and additional costs. He suggested science division, addressed that at a town implement the second and third phases “a time scale of a year or so” before NASA hall meeting during the American Geophys- of a Mars sample return campaign.” makes any decision on delaying the mis- ical Union’s Fall Meeting in December. “I The previous decadal survey an- sions or increasing the program’s budget. certainly do recognize and understand that ticipated that when it endorsed the That decision will be informed by stud- it’s critically important that we maintain MAX-C mission. “The committee has ies done under Phase A of the program, the balance within the portfolio and that therefore taken the unusual step of which formally started Dec. 17. That will we continue to have funding to support recommending a plan for the coming further refine the design of the missions the other missions throughout the solar decade that also has significant budget and address some of the issues raised by system,” she said. implications for one or even two de- the independent review. That balance will also be affected by cades beyond,” the report stated. “The The planetary science community, the recommendations of the next plan- committee does this intentionally and meanwhile, is nervously watching the etary science decadal survey, currently explicitly, with the realization that im- status of Mars Sample Return and the effect underway and scheduled for release in portant multi-decade efforts like Mars Sample Return can come about only if such recommendations are made and NASA welcomed the independent review followed.” board’s report but stopped short of endorsing Making such recommendations is easy enough. Following them, as Mars some of its biggest recommendations, Sample Return shows, can be much more

NASA/AUBREY GEMIGNANI particularly on cost and schedule. challenging. SN

SPACENEWS.COM | 17 MARS AHEAD

MarCO cubesats prove small satellites add value beyond Earth orbit

efore NASA’s twin Mars Cube One Missions for Planetary Exploration pro- (MarCO) satellites relayed details gram, which selects satellites with a mass of the InSight Lander’s 2018 entry, of less than 180 kilograms to piggyback Bdescent and landing on the Red on a NASA or commercial launch, or for Planet, people questioned the suitability of NASA’s , which sup- small satellites and cubesats in particular ports inexpensive exploration missions. for deep space. Aeolus instruments also could be Could six-unit cubesats propel them- mounted on a large spacecraft, but small selves from low-Earth orbit to Mars? Once satellite flight opportunities are more outside the Van Allen Belts, could they readily available, Colaprete said. withstand the radiation? NASA has funded work on other By showing that they could, MarCO small Mars missions in the past. One is encouraged scientists and engineers to the Phobos Regolith Ion Sample Mission consider additional Mars missions. (PRISM), a 12-unit cubesat equipped with

“MarCO has shown the promise of NASA’s twin Mars Cube One (MarCO) satellites an instrument to study particles ejected small spacecraft beyond the Earth and served as relays during InSight’s 2018 landing. from the surface of the Martian now there are a number of crafts sup- Phobos’ and Deimos’ in response to solar ported by NASA for science missions and wind and micrometeorite bombardment. for technology demonstrations that will develop small, low-power instruments to Another smallsat mission, Chariot to the continue to move us forward in what we measure winds and obtain vertical profiles Moons of Mars, proposes sending a 12-unit can do in the solar system,” said Andrew of dust and clouds. cubesat with a color camera, multispectral Klesh, MarCO chief engineer. “These observations would provide a imager and spectrometer to study the sur- Scientists at the NASA Ames Research comprehensive data set on the Martian face of Phobos and Deimos. The mission Center, for example, are developing minia- climate and circulation system, critical is designed to shed light on the formation ture instruments to measure Martian winds. to describing present and past climates of Phobos and Deimos, evaluate the fea- “The winds of Mars have never been as well as helping plan future robotic and sibility of in-situ resource utilization and directly measured,” Anthony Colaprete, human ,” Colaprete said. study their ongoing evolution. The Chariot a NASA Ames planetary scientist, said by NASA Ames scientists are refining the cubesat features a deployable drag skirt to email. “Current methods of deriving wind Aeolus mission design with an eye toward slow the cubesat’s momentum enough to speeds may be as much as 100% in error. proposing it for NASA’s Small Innovative enter Mars orbit. SN New techniques allow for relatively small instrumentation to provide day and night observations of the Martian winds.” Colaprete and his colleagues have been working Colaprete and his colleagues have for more than two years to develop small, low- been working for more than two years to power instruments to measure winds and obtain DEBRA WERNER vertical profiles of dust and clouds.

18 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 Report calls for revamped cost-conscious vision for Mars exploration

ith NASA’s Mars Persever- ance rover just weeks away from beginning its multiyear Wmission to collect rocks and soil for future retrieval, planetary scien- tists are concerned other Mars research goals could suffer during the decade-long wait for those samples to complete their three-legged relay back to Earth. With those worries in mind, NASA’s planetary science division chartered the Mars Architecture Strategy Working Group (MASWG) in 2019 to find ways to initiate a diverse set of Mars investigations along- side the flagship sample-return campaign without breaking the bank. In November, the group delivered a final report to NASA that lays out an agenda for investigating Mars using a wide range of approaches meant to kick-start a higher cadence of scientific discovery at a sus-

tainable cost. NASA Hubble Space Telescope image of Mars, a diverse and complex planet that offers many Dubbed A Comprehensive Program for scientific challenges. Future Mars Exploration, the report calls for chipping away at the Red Planet’s many remaining mysteries using everything of the planet on hold for years to come. Mars Sample Return takes center stage for from cubesats and commercial landers “As important as Mars Sample Return the rest of the decade. to top-shelf science probes. (MSR) is — and it will result in a major step “We’re at a point where it’s not clear Mars Sample Return remains the Mars forward for planetary science — examina- what the is going forward,” science community’s top priority, as the tion of material from a single site will not Jakosky told SpaceNews. “There are no new report makes clear. But with no other Mars tell us everything that we need to know missions that are being planned beyond science missions in NASA’s pipeline, the about Mars,” the MASWG report states. sample return.” narrow focus on collecting and retrieving Bruce Jakosky, the University of Col- Jakosky said the MASWG came up several kilograms of rocks and soil from orado, Boulder, scientist who chaired with a flexible, cost-effective plan for Jezero Crater could put wider investigations the MASWG, said the report’s aim was to conducting a diverse mix of Mars science ensure the rest of the Mars Exploration missions in parallel to the flagship Mars

NASA LEONARD DAVID Program doesn’t lose momentum while Sample Return campaign and beyond.

SPACENEWS.COM | 19 MARS AHEAD

Smallsat and cubesat missions have the potential to provide a new means of investigating Mars with more affordable and more frequent flights of payloads for scientific measurements and support of human exploration needs.

The report calls for a reinvigorated As examples of exploration arcs for relating to the planet’s climate and geo- “new vision” for NASA’s Mars Exploration Mars, the MASWG report suggests: logical evolution, past and present habit- Program, one that includes a range of Arc 1: Explore diverse environments ability, and more. It’s an agenda that’s not spacecraft sizes, from relatively inexpen- of ancient Mars to understand early just pertinent to Mars. It could also profit sive cubesats and constellations of small planetary evolution and the nature, NASA’s human exploration goals as well spacecraft, to more conventional, but timing, and geochemistry of environ- as the study of the solar system’s other low-priced, landers and rovers. ments, habitability, and/or biological terrestrial planets and exoplanets circling What’s more, the report’s authors say potential of Mars. other stars, the report says. the plan leverages advances in cubesats, Arc 2: Investigate the subsurface of smallsat constellations and more to tackle Mars that hold many clues to the early Revamped Mars program key science questions without requiring evolution of Mars and the possibility of “If NASA and Congress are serious about more than roughly one-third of NASA’s an early Martian biosphere. Mars exploration and a humans-to-Mars annual planetary science budget — a share Arc 3: Perform ice science measurements program, we need to revamp the Mars on par with what NASA has spent on to understand Martian ice ages in terms program and continue it as a vigorous Mars since the mid-1990s when it began of the distribution and stratification of and robust program,” said Jakosky, the sending new robotic explorers to the Red ice as it was emplaced/removed over principal investigator for MAVEN, a 2013 Planet every couple of years. the last hundred million years, both in that’s still studying the In writing their report, the 16-member the polar regions and in lower latitudes. planet’s atmosphere and will soon serve as MASWG team flagged small spacecraft as Arc 4: Understand climate variability a communications relay for Perseverance. a “programmatic opportunity” for Mars and processes of the current climate Jakosky said that the key message from and proposed a set of mission “arcs’’ that on Mars from hours to decades. the MASWG report is “figure out first what constitute high-priority and scientifically MASWG recommended bolstering science you want to do and then select a rich research that can be done during and the NASA to size class of spacecraft that can do it. It’s

after the present Mars Sample Return era. address fundamental science objectives a new world out there.” NASA SMALLSAT/CUBESAT FLEET MISSIONS DATABASE

20 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 The MASWG report also notes that there may be an avenue to work with commercial providers, or use contracting approaches derived from NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to achieve lower cost access to the Martian surface. There’s also potential value in establishing collaborations between the many different governments and entities interested in Mars exploration, the report states.

Area for investment “If there is one critical area for investment One example of the kind of low-cost missions that could be dispatched to Mars is EscaPADE, a pair by NASA that is necessary to enable the of smallsats that NASA intended to launch in 2022 to study how the strips the atmosphere MASWG approach, it is in small spacecraft away from the planet. and whether there are novel and lower cost ways to credibly explore the surface and we’ve seen over the last two decades,” be needed for technology development subsurface of Mars,” said Scott Hubbard, a Zurek said. “We have to find a way that and funding extended missions. MASWG committee member and former we can get down to the surface and learn Jakosky said that a less-robust but still director of NASA’s Mars program. some key things and not have it cost one compelling suite of missions could be As for a “CLPS for Mars” program, Hub- to two billion dollars.” implemented for $150 million per year bard said while it is unclear if the business Due to the complexity and varieties of in the first decade, ramping up to $300 case for commercial deep space truly ex- environments that exist on Mars, Zurek million per year after that. ists, “NASA would be well-served to test said that NASA should support missions These rough estimates, which Jakosky the waters via a Request for Information, that do more than what a sample return said were based on “simple assumptions” or similar acquisition tool.” campaign from a single point on the planet rather than a formal cost analysis, don’t Hubbard said that the MASWG report can provide. For instance, helping pin down include what NASA already plans to spend takes an instructive tack by outlining four ice deposits on Mars that can be used as a on Mars Sample Return or extended oper- mission arcs that demonstrate what new resource to support human activity on the ations for several aging spacecraft already and exciting science might be accom- planet. Then there’s the question of what studying the planet. plished using different types of exploration the subsurface of the planet may yield. “The capabilities. “The MASWG team was quite subsurface, after all, may be the final refuge Critical juncture conscious of the probable fiscal constraints of an early Mars biosphere. There may be Other than Mars Sample Return and a in the next few years and so focused on water very deep in the crust,” Zurek said. planned Mars Ice Mapper mission to be beginning these arcs or pathways using “We still have much to learn.” funded by the agency’s human space- small spacecraft,” he said. Zurek said having a sufficient number flight division, NASA does not have any Other mission arcs are certainly possi- of flight opportunities is important to directed Mars missions in its pipeline for ble, the report points out, and the number sustain the technical and analytic capa- development in the decade ahead. and scale of arcs that can be pursued in bilities of the Mars science community. “It was recognized that the science to parallel depend on available dollars. More frequent opportunities may also be be done in exploring Mars is more than essential to attract the commercial sector waiting for samples to return to Earth,” said Build, maintain and enhance and maintain international partnerships Michael Meyer, lead scientist for the Mars In mid-November, during a meeting of a in Mars exploration. Exploration Program at NASA Headquar- National Academies committee working “Start small and go big as the science ter and ex officio for the MASWG report. on the new planetary science decadal sur- dictates,” Zurek said. Should the Mars 2020 mission’s Per- vey due out next year, MASWG co-chair severance rover not make it safely to the Richard Zurek of the NASA Jet Propulsion Rough cost estimate surface during its Feb. 18 landing attempt, Laboratory’s Mars Program Office empha- The full Mars program outlined by MASWG the wait would be even longer. sized the need to build upon the successes would cost around $300 million a year “The loss of Perseverance would be of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program and during the first decade, ramping up to $500 devastating,” Meyer told SpaceNews. “In- put it on a good footing for the future. million a year beyond that. An additional dividual careers would be turned upside

UC BERKELEY/ROBERT LILLIS “It is the diversity of the planet that $150 million a year, the report says, would down. There is no backup plan, meaning

SPACENEWS.COM | 21 MARS AHEAD

there are no makeup missions in the not stop with Mars Sample Return,” Jakosky intends to send people to Mars in the near wings.” said. “There are truly fundamental and future, Jakosky said,“then there needs to If Perseverance crashes, Mars would still compelling measurements to be made that be a continuing Mars program in order to be there — mysteries intact. “There will still will advance our understanding not just answer questions about the environment be many scientifically compelling missions of Mars but of the rest of the solar system that astronauts will face and to ask ques- to do at Mars and sample return would still and beyond.” tions that astronauts can address with a be of the highest priority,” Meyer said. “The Jakosky said now that the report is human mission.” SN ramification of the mission loss would not done, it’s up to NASA to decide if it wants be science lost but science postponed. The a Mars program that’s more than just The Mars Architecture Strategy Working setback would be time and money, but the sample return. Group (MASWG) final report is available goals of exploration would be the same.” “We’re at a critical juncture. Now is at: https://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/reports/ While NASA does not have a formal the time to make decisions or we lose the MASWG NASA Final Report 2020.pdf backup plan, it now has the MASWG report’s momentum that we have built up over the vision for a Mars Exploration Program that past decades,” he said. SPACENEWS CONTRIBUTOR LEONARD DAVID IS does not put all of its scientific eggs into Maintaining that momentum is about THE AUTHOR OF “MOON RUSH: THE NEW SPACE one sample-return basket. more than tackling questions mostly of RACE” PUBLISHED BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC “Scientifically, Mars exploration does interest to planetary scientists. If NASA IN MAY 2019.

samples, searching for signs of ancient life and collecting soil samples. NASA steadily “We have a finite window of time to do our entire science mission,” Rieber said. “The more time we spend driving, the expands AI and less time we spend on science.” For Perseverance, NASA upgraded AutoNav, the autonomous driving mode that helps the rover reach specific Martian autonomy for coordinates. “When we can micromanage a drive, we do because the human brain is much Mars exploration more capable of making complex deci- sions like planning a path,” Rieber said. When mission operators don’t have ASA is turning increasingly to Perseverance, like its predecessor enough imagery to chart the rover’s autonomy and machine learning Curiosity, relies primarily on two radia- path, they turn to AutoNav to create a to make the most out of Mars tion-hardened processors called Rover digital elevation model with imagery Nexploration missions, but don’t Compute Elements that have roughly the from Perseverance’s cameras. AutoNav count on self-driving rovers to zip across same processing power as a state-of-the- then evaluates dozens of paths toward the Red Planet anytime soon. art desktop computer from the mid-1990s. its desired destination by tracing where “For space applications, we like to That is not enough processing power each of the rover’s six wheels will travel. make sure that everything goes ac- to perform complex machine-learning It considers the terrain, looking at rocks cording to plan,” said Rich Rieber, lead operations. and other obstacles as well as any height mobility systems engineer for the Mars Still, Perseverance will have more differences among the wheels that would 2020 Perseverance rover at the Jet Pro- autonomy than Curiosity thanks to an make the rover tilt. pulsion Laboratory. “That goes doubly for additional flight computer programmed “We do that every 25 centimeters surface assets because they are orders of to help the rover land safely. Once Per- along the path,” Rieber said. “If it makes magnitude more resource-constrained severance touches down on Mars, NASA strategic progress toward our goal and than satellites in space.” plans to reprogram the flight computer it’s safe, we drive it.” to help the rover avoid rocks and craters AutoNav, while helpful in evaluating DEBRA WERNER as it travels around studying geological terrain features, can’t spot the type of

22 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 research they should consider for each sample. “Ideally, in the future, AI will run on the spacecraft or on the surface of the planet,” Lyness said. Someday, Mars missions could feature algorithms created through machine learning. For now, engineers rely on their knowledge and experience to come up with algorithms, which they then test in laboratories or in the field. In the automotive industry, ma- chine-learning and deep-learning al- sand trap that doomed , the NASA gorithms are suggesting new algorithms rover that explored Mars from 2004 to for testing. 2009, and threatened Curiosity. “If you get that right, it can open up “It would look at a sand patch, see it a high level of accuracy and capability was super flat and bomb right through it,” for those algorithms,” said Ossi Saarela, Rieber said. “What we do as rover planners space segment manager at Mathworks, a is define sand patches as keep-out zones, computational software company. red boxes on the map that the rover has For example, machines might be able to navigate around.” to create an algorithm to identify and Future Mars missions are likely to rely gather imagery of volcanic activity on more heavily on autonomy and machine the surface of a moon. learning both for surface operations and “An astronaut onboard a spacecraft to analyze data transmitted to Earth. could easily recognize these types of Top: Rich Rieber, center, the lead mobility NASA is finding Martian craters, for events and point a scientific instrument systems engineer for the Mars 2020 example, by applying machine learning Perseverance rover, views a test rover at at it, but it’s difficult to train a computer to 14 years of orbit imagery. JPL’s Mars Yard with NASA Administrator to do those kinds of things,” Saarela said. Jim Bridenstine (right) and JPL Director Mike “We trained a classifier to scan the For now, NASA relies on autonomy Watkins (left) in 2018. Above: NASA’s Jet full archive and give us a ranked list of Propulsion Laboratory developed artificial and machine learning to perform tasks possible locations to zoom in on,” said intelligence to spot craters in imagery that pose no threat to Mars missions. gathered by the High-Resolution Imaging Kiri Wagstaff, a JPL computer scientist. Curiosity relies on software, called Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard The classifier is proving it can identify NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Autonomous Exploration for Gathering small craters that people who previously Increased Science, to select rock and soil looked at the imagery missed. samples to investigate when the rover is “They are more often clusters of impacts to decide how to tune the instrument to not in contact with ground controllers. instead of solitary impacts,” Wagstaff said. study specific rock samples. Based on criteria determined by scien- NASA and the European Space Agency “MOMA is a very customizable tunable tists, the rover fires its ChemCam laser, also plan to harness machine learning to instrument,” said Eric Lyness, software analyzes gases that burn off, packages help analyze data from the Mars Organic lead in the Planetary Environments Lab the data with images and sends them Molecule Analyser (MOMA), a suite of at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Cen- to Earth. three instruments scheduled to launch ter. “Based on what you see, there’s a ton “That’s a win-win scenario,” Saarela in 2022 on the European Space Agency’s of things you can do to further identify said. “During times when the ground can’t ExoMars rover to look for signs of past or a sample.” communicate with the rover, there’s not present Martian life. To speed up the decision process, NASA much it could do.” MOMA’s laser desorption experiment, sends laser desorption data to Earth where Also, the algorithm doesn’t have to be in particular, gathers data that is difficult a neural network algorithm helps point perfect to provide value. for scientists to analyze quickly. Never- scientists in the right direction. “For scientific applications in particular, theless, quick decisions are necessary be- The algorithm can quickly evaluate deploying AI could be very beneficial in

NASA/NASA/JPL-CALTECH cause scientists have only about 24 hours new data and tell scientists the type of the near term,” Saarela said. SN

SPACENEWS.COM | 23 COMMENTARY J. Brant Arseneau

IsIs publicpublic capitalcapital readyready toto helphelp fuelfuel thethe privateprivate spacespace economy?economy?

or the first time in decades, the space special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) industry is proving to be very popu- listing of which saw it become lar again. With the recent successes of one of the most active public stocks of 2020. FSpaceX’s crewed missions, the upcom- This year will see even more listings through ing landing NASA’s Mars 2020 rover, Japan’s initial public offerings (IPOs), SPACs and direct returned sample from the asteroid Ryugu, listings, which may include companies such China’s lunar landing, and the test flights of as Momentus and Voyager Space Holdings. Elon Musk’s Starship, public sentiment is be- Investing in early stage companies will also be coming extremely positive again and enthu- a source of excitement for the public as startups siasm seems to be nearing Apollo-era heights. continue to seek capital from new investors Beyond public sentiment, the investment and become more well known. community is also showing a keen interest Startups that plan to raise capital from the

in space companies. A great example is the public under the U.S. Securities and Exchange SHUTTERSTOCK

24 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 an exemption framework, that if a company qualified, could offer shares for sale without registering. The common exemption used by most institutional investors, including venture cap- italists, is Regulation D (Reg D). Raising capital under Reg D limits the issuing company to sell shares mainly to accredited investors, which eliminates a vast majority of the public. While this may not seem fair, ironically it was one of the main intentions of the 1933 Securities Act; protect the general public. The JOBS Act is meant to bring the public into the private company investment process in a balanced manner and allow them to be exposed to the risks and rewards of early stage companies. This brings us to the details of new amend- ments, which provide changes to two exemp- tions that include Regulation CF and Regulation A (colloquially referred to as Reg A+). Both regulations allow the public to be solicited by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) members and SEC regulated platforms and sold shares of private companies. Under Reg Commission’s (SEC) newly amended Jumpstart CF, an issuing company can now raise up to Our Business Startup (JOBS) Act, may do better $5 million a year, use an SPV to aggregate large now than when the rules were implemented numbers of investors, and finally to conduct in 2013. For example, space-related companies early campaign trials, called testing-the-waters, could initially only raise $1.07 million a year to gauge public interest in potential company under the original rules, but in December 2020, listings. Under Reg A, an issuing company has the SEC voted for the limit to be increased to $5 a choice of two tiers; under Tier I it can raise million a year. At the same time, they allowed up to $20 million and under Tier II it can now the use of traditional special purpose vehi- raise up to $75 million, up from $50 million. cles (SPV) to make these capital rounds more Companies have additional financial disclosure compatible with follow-on institutional raises. requirements to adhere to under Reg A raises These rule changes come at an important time compared to Reg CF. The investment and could help provide the capital fuel for a Space-related companies that have raised community, like growing private space economy that may see under the JOBS Act prior to the new amend- a banner year in 2021. ments have had varying results. Companies the general public, Last month, the SEC proposed amendments like Tesseract, a California propulsion com- is showing a keen to the JOBS Act scheduled to go into effect in pany, were able to quickly raise the maximum interest in space March. The original rules laid the groundwork amount under Reg CF in 2018. Solstar, a New for companies to sell shares of new businesses Mexico space networking company, is seeing companies. to individual investors, through public inter- similar success and will likely reach its maxi- net solicited campaigns. Under the original mum capital raise easily. Although these two Securities Act of 1933, the SEC prohibited companies were able to raise capital efficiently, companies to sell shares to the public unless other companies struggled. Overall, very few they were registered with the SEC and followed space companies adopted this funding method strict guidelines. The SEC eventually created under the original rules.

SPACENEWS.COM | 25 COMMENTARY J. Brant Arseneau

The urge for exploration and human curiosity combined with an enthusiasm for space will create a large market of public space investors, helping provide the capital fuel for an innovative and growing private space industry.

Many proponents of the JOBS Act and raising gross margins. Even the application of distributed capital on public platforms, have expressed that the ledger technology (DLT) and smart contracts have new amendments will help accelerate the adoption added value by future-proofing architectures for rate of the new capital source and possibly create potential secondary markets with powerful auto- the proverbial “hockey stick” effect. Although I be- mated asset servicing. lieve that these amendments are very important The amendments and improvements will help to space companies, they will not solve all their startups raise capital on these platforms much challenges. For instance, increasing the raise limit more efficiently. But the biggest improvement will to $5 million will certainly help within a capital come when a platform creates a specific market intensive industry like space. Also allowing the for space investors. To create and maintain this use of SPVs to aggregate large numbers of retail market one needs to know the target audience, investors, simplifies the capitalization table for understand how to reach them through paid and follow-on institutional investors. organic marketing, bring them to the platform Despite all this, you still need a market. and get them to stay and make multiple invest- Creating a large market for space investors with ments — not the “churn-and-burn” approach of these structural improvements, is crucial to the some others. larger adoption of this capital source. It’s logical Creating a sustainable market that retains to think that a large market is possible based on members and forms capital in an exponential a large population of both altruistic-driven and manner requires engaging them on many as- financially-driven space enthusiasts. Based on pects of the industry and investing in general. It social and traditional media activities, some be- requires educating market participants on topics lieve this population could be as large as 25 to 50 like portfolio theory and providing them with rel- million potential investors. evant market intelligence and insights specific to Capital raised through the JOBS Act has also the industry to help create a fruitful, sustainable been met with a certain amount of criticism by capital ecosystem. some venture capitalists (VC) and private equity The real tipping point for public capital to help (PE) firms. It’s sometimes referred to as ‘not-smart’ fund the private space economy is when a true or ‘messy’ money. The original rules created deal market is created specifically for private space structures that were not standard for institutional investments. A market where a large number investors and were deemed incompatible, cre- of space investors come to find quality private ating challenges in follow-on raises for issuing companies, similar to what happened when the companies. But some of this criticism may have NASDAQ evolved into a market that attracted both been partly defensive. My own experience with tech companies and tech investors during the early established space VCs and PEs however, has days of Silicon Valley. The urge for exploration and been starkly different — the JOBS Act has been human curiosity combined with an enthusiasm encouraged and supported and will potentially for space, I believe, will create that large market of act as a preprocessor to their investing methods. public space investors and will help provide the There have been other platform improvements capital fuel for an innovative and growing private in the areas of technology and process, as well. space industry. SN These include cloud-native technology that scales to handle massive amounts of users and transac- J. BRANT ARSENEAU IS A FOUNDING PARTNER OF tions, conducting anti-money laundering (AML), 9POINT8 CAPITAL, FOUNDER OF SPACED VENTURES know your customer (KYC), payments efficiency, AND BOARD MEMBER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE SPACE and data and analytics. All these contribute to INFRASTRUCTURE BANK COMMITTEE FOR THE improving customer experience while increasing FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE.

26 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 COMMENTARY Dean Cheng

For China, space is both substance and symbol

n December, China successfully conducted Republic of China (PRC) had anything to do China’s steady its first lunar sample retrieval mission. with the failure of the iconic Arecibo facil- Chang’e-5 landed on the moon, deployed ity, the symbolism of the two events would persistent efforts Ia rover who then dug up various pieces of seem to highlight the steady shift in space have allowed it the lunar surface, then returned to Earth with prominence. The Chinese Chang’e missions to build a firm about 5 pounds of material. This marked the have not done anything the has first return of moon rocks in over 40 years. not done previously, but China’s steady per- foundation During the week that Chang’e-5 departed sistent efforts have allowed it to build a firm from which to Earth, the giant radio-telescope at Arecibo in foundation from which to compete with the compete with Puerto Rico collapsed. One of the supporting United States. cables had failed in August, and another in This is hardly surprising. For the PRC, space the United November, with damage to the main reflector is both substance and symbol. States. dish. On Dec. 1, the supporting cables on one In terms of substance, the PRC has long seen tower failed completely, causing the structure the aerospace field as a locomotive for broader to collapse. development of China’s various capabilities.

ADOBE STTOCK While there is no reason to think the People’s The Chinese often describe aerospace as

SPACENEWS.COM | 27 COMMENTARY 28 |SPACENEWS 01.18.21 a high-technologypowerhouse, atruerival rigors ofspaceflight.Italsopresents Chinaas its productsarehighquality,able tomeetthe yond isonethatcanreasonably arguethat deep tional benefits,atmultiplelevels. a vibrantspacecapabilitygeneratesreputa symbolism realmeaning. For the PRC, then, The erful symbolsarebackedbyactualsubstance. From theChineseperspective,mostpow- General ArmamentsDepartment. by peoplefromthePeople’sLiberationArmy efforts; thosefacilitiesweremostlikelystaffed bati inthelate1990stosupportitsShenzhou space trackingfacilitiesinNamibiaandKiri- by nearlytwodecades.Chinaestablished facilities predatethemilitarybaseinDjibouti “Belt andRoadInitiative.”China’sfirstoverseas “Space SilkRoad”tocomplementtheterrestrial including Nigeria and Bolivia, but also to tout a China not onlybuildtiesto a varietyofstates and associatedlaunchservices,havehelped of commercialaircraft. be appliedtothedesignandmanufacturing skills learnedintheaerospaceindustrycan leadership. TheChineseclearlyhopethatthe Boeing andAirbus—acleargoalforChina’s where Chinahopestoproduceairlinersrival COMAC, theCommercialAircraftCorporation, aerospace officialshavebeenshiftedtoworkat It is to supportforeignanddomesticpolicygoals. ing andsystemsintegration. techniques, qualitycontrol,systemsengineer- with field, both byattractingtalentintotheaerospace manufacturing. Itwillfosterhumancapital, advanced materials,powerstorage,precision information andcommunicationstechnology, cessful spaceprogramwillinvolveaspectsof A Chinathatcansuccessfully conduct Substance, inturn, supports symbolism. Chinese spaceexports,includingsatellites A capablespaceprogramcanbeleveraged no ability “dense” inadvancedtechnologies.Asuc- the but space missions to the moon and be- accident demands also to by display creating that of advanced many real Dean Cheng a work capabilities senior manufacturing force Chinese familiar gives -

in a by aSouthKoreanrockbandor anEasteregg sensitivity toeventheperception ofaslight any efforttodenigrateBeijing. GivenChina’s as apartner andas involving effortstobuildChina’s credibility or yulunzhan,isaconstant,ongoingeffort, “public opinionwarfare.”Public opinion warfare, to burnishChina’simage. way, inthecontextofglobalpublicopinion, first lunarsamplesinfourdecadesgoessome number ofblowsin2020.Bringingbackthe equipment, China’sreputationhastakena of qualitycontrolwithpersonalprotective the WorldHealthOrganization or the problems Whether itwasthelackofcooperationwith poor COVID-19responseshavegenerated. to balancethereputationalhitsthatChina’s Japan andIndia,thisisapowerfulsymbol. power. Initsongoingcompetitionwithboth arguably makesChinaAsia’sleadingspace and nowdeepspaceexploratorymissions dozens ofsatellites,human-ratedspacecraft, deed, China’sspaceportfolio,completewith to theUnitedStates,Russia,andEurope.In The Chinesesuccessesalsogosomeway This isanintegralpartofChina’seffortsin video game,space, and a power, its while prominence, is countering -

launcher. probe separating from its Illustration of theChang’e-5

CHINA NEWS SERVICE The Chinese goals for the moon were long stated as “orbit, land, return,” with a series of missions that would build on each other.

even more central to public opinion warfare American rockets. Meanwhile, U.S. launch efforts. As one senior Chinese official, now providers are no longer dependent on Russian apparently heading the cislunar development rocket engines for satellite launches. The U.S. effort, observed back in 2016, China’s aero- Space Force meanwhile reflects the reality that space program is the symbolic program for alongside the new commercial opportunities the nation’s level of science and technology. are a growing array of potential threats. Aerospace is “a vital organizational element Interestingly, the previous Obama admin- of national comprehensive power, as well as istration, when Mr. Biden was vice president, a direct expression of it,” as China’s state-run helped open the door to this American space Xinhua News Agency put it in 2016. renaissance, when they pushed commercial The emphasis on both substance and providers to help resupply the International symbolism has meant that Beijing has been Space Station. Much of the renewed space able to maintain a praiseworthy focus on their efforts has been the result of entrepreneurs objectives. The Chinese goals for the moon such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos who took were long stated as “orbit, land, return,” with advantage of that opportunity to bring a a series of missions that would build on each different, more commercial mindset to other. The various Chang’e missions have, in American space efforts. The result has been fact, demonstrated a Chinese ability to orbit remarkable cost savings, such as the recent the moon (Chang’e-1, -2), to land rovers on seventh mission of a Falcon-9 rocket; the the moon (Chang’e-3, -4), and with Chang’e-5, corresponding reduction in cost-to-launch to go and return. in turn offers opportunities for greater This is in sharp contrast to the United risk-taking on the part of satellite designers States. Over the past several decades, es- and manufacturers. pecially with the end of the Cold War, the It is to be hoped that the incoming admin- American space effort has seemed rudderless. istration’s space officials will see the symbolic At various points, the focus has been on re- as well as substantive importance of space. turning to the moon, going to Mars, landing Achieving national goals, including ones set on an asteroid, retrieving an asteroid. Every out by previous administrations even if they incoming administration has seen fit to re- are of a different party, is vital in support of examine America’s space goals, and usually both elements. In particular, given the compre- chooses a different objective. With so little hensive nature of the Chinese challenge, both constancy of purpose, it is not surprising terrestrially and in space, both substantively that the available funding has too often had and symbolically, demonstrating American little to show for it, given the repeated shifts preeminence in space is a key part of rebutting in focus and objective. the Chinese effort to show that they, and not The incoming Biden administration will we, hold the keys to the future. SN hopefully not repeat the mistakes of past administrations. At the moment, it would DEAN CHENG IS A RESEARCH FELLOW FOR CHINESE appear that the technological requirements POLITICAL AND MILITARY AFFAIRS AT THE HERITAGE for an American return to the moon are be- FOUNDATION, A WASHINGTON-BASED THINK TANK. ing met. For the first time in almost a decade, SINCE 2018, HE HAS SERVED ON THE NATIONAL the United States once again has the ability SPACE COUNCIL’S USERS ADVISORY GROUP. THE to launch astronauts from American soil, on VIEWS EXPRESSED HERE ARE PURELY HIS OWN.

SPACENEWS.COM | 29 ON NATIONAL SECURITY Sandra Erwin

Defense contractors forced into uneasy role in wake of Capitol riot

s the fallout from the Jan. 6 deadly siege on silent for several days after the riot but on Jan. 12 the the U.S. Capitol continues, the crisis has forced eight members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — the nation’s a reckoning of sorts in a sector of American highest ranked four-star officers — issued a message A industry that typically steers clear of political to the entire U.S. military strongly condemning the controversy. violence at the Capitol and pointing out that threats to Major government contractors in the defense and American democracy can be foreign but also domestic. space sectors last week announced they would suspend U.S. military leaders pride themselves on being all political donations in the wake of riots perpetrated nonpartisan and apolitical. But they had a fraught by a pro-Donald Trump mob trying to stop Congress relationship with Trump who as commander in chief from certifying Joe Biden’s electoral win as the nation’s politicized the military and threatened to invoke the next president. 1807 Insurrection Act to send active-duty troops to quell Boeing, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Raytheon Black Lives Matter protests in U.S. cities. In the Jan. 12 Technologies and Leidos are among the defense and letter to the force, the Joint Chiefs said the U.S. armed aerospace companies that so far have made public forces are trusted by the American people to “protect statements on their decision to halt contributions to them and our Constitution … against all enemies, for- political campaigns. These companies’ stance on po- eign and domestic.” litical donations followed moves by trade groups and The Joint Chiefs of Staff weighing in on domestic CEOs from others sectors of the economy to stop giving political events is a rare thing. “Imagine the world in money to Republican members of Congress who voted which all the Joint Chiefs felt the need to sign this doc- to overturn the results of the presidential election and ument. Then realize that we are living in that world,” pushed falsehoods about election fraud. Defense com- former Pentagon procurement chief Frank Kendall, panies didn’t single out lawmakers, deciding instead who served during the Obama administration, wrote to pause all donations for the time being. in a social media post. “Democracy thrives on passionate debate and dif- In what would be considered normal times, defense ferent opinions but dies in anarchy and violence,” said and space executives and lobbyists would be planning Leidos CEO Roger Krone in a statement denouncing for the arrival of a new president by gaming out the ad- the attack on the Capitol. ministration’s possible moves on spending proposals, Companies that do business with the government, policies and regulations. and especially Pentagon contractors, are notoriously For now, the industry just wants a peaceful trans- cautious and rarely take stands in divisive political fer of power. “We must remain committed to this as a fights. They usually give money to both Democrats nation,” Aerospace Industries Association president and Republicans, and their lobbyists work both sides and CEO Eric Fanning said in a statement. “Ensuring of the aisle to influence budgets, policy and legislation. the peaceful transition of power is a hallmark of our Every time there is a change in administration or shift democracy.” in Congress, K Street politically realigns itself to better After the dust settles and the nation swears in its position their clients. Violent insurrections and coup 46th president Jan. 20, corporations will reassess their attempts are not scenarios the industry plans for. decision to cut off the political money spigot and will At the Pentagon, the unrest and its fallout drove the get back to business as usual. But this dark episode in top brass into uncharted territory. Generals remained American history will never be forgotten. SN

30 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 ON THE HORIZON

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SPACENEWS.COM | 31 FOUST FORWARD Jeff Foust

and the manner in which it occurred” — that is, With friends like the riot — but put the blame on the Supreme Court for rejecting a lawsuit challenging several states’ electors. Brooks claimed on that these... the rioters were “fascist ANTIFA” (an oxymoron: “Antifa” comes from the term “anti-fascist”), but “PRO-SPACE” LAWMAKERS PUT THEMSELVES ON THE ongoing law enforcement investigations have WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY shown those who invaded the Capitol that day were staunch, but terribly misguided, supporters of President Trump. In the coming weeks, Congress will move ne of the central tenets of space politics on from the inauguration of Joe Biden and the for decades is that the issue is bipartisan. second impeachment trial of Donald Trump, and Debates about NASA programs and fund- start to take up more mundane issues, like space. Oing levels are more likely to be along pa- That may include another attempt at a NASA au- rochial than partisan lines. For example, when NASA thorization bill. In December, the Senate passed a decided in 2019 to place the new Human Landing NASA authorization bill with bipartisan support System program office at the Marshall Space Flight that its lead sponsor hoped would serve as the basis Center, it won praise from Republican members of for a similar bill that could pass Congress in early Alabama’s congressional delegation but was criticized 2021. The problem is that lead sponsor: Ted Cruz. by Republican members from Texas who thought the Will Democrats in Congress be willing to support office should be based at the Johnson Space Center. a similar bill if it’s reintroduced by Cruz? Should The space industry and other space advocates have they? It’s not hard to imagine them taking a stand, long worked to cultivate support from both parties in refusing to cooperate with members that backed Congress. Part of that is to provide stability as parties the protests, either by declining to co-sponsor move in and out of power. It also reflects the fact that legislation or opposing the bills entirely. very few members of Congress care that much about Will the space industry also take a stand? Initial space, because it is not a high-profile issue. The indus- signs are not encouraging. While dozens of compa- try needs all the supporters it can get on Capitol Hill. nies announced they will halt donations to mem- The uncomfortable truth now facing the space bers who supported efforts to block electors, several community, in the days after the horrific events at major aerospace corporations, including Boeing, the Capitol Jan. 6, is that some of the most prom- Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, have inent Republican supporters of space in Congress said they’re suspending such donations entirely, are on the wrong side of history. In the days leading affecting both members whose actions helped up to the formal, and usually only ceremonial, cer- instigate the riot and those who were victims of it. tification of the Electoral College results, members There are many Republican members of like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Reps. Brian Babin Congress who opposed the effort to block cer- (R-Texas) and Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) announced their tification. These include powerful figures like intent to challenge several states’ electors, citing Sens. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and Roger Wicker baseless claims of voter fraud. (R-Miss.), the top Republicans on the appropria- Those actions helped fuel a protest, which became tions and commerce committees, respectively. If a riot. Afterward, those members disavowed the vi- the space industry continues to seek bipartisan olence, but were hardly repentant. When the Senate support — a noble goal, all else being equal — reconvened later that evening, Cruz continued his they’re a good place to start. challenge of Arizona’s electors, and later backed a The danger is if the space community reverts challenge of Pennsylvania’s electors. to political expediency, willing to work with any Babin, in a statement Jan. 7, said he was “against member who shows an interest in space. No issue, what took place yesterday inside the Capitol building including space, is that important. SN

32 | SPACENEWS 01.18.21 SMALLSAT SYMPOSIUM February2021 –8 thVIRTUAL - 11th, 2021 SMALLSATSHOW.COM

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Maj. Gen. Clinton Crosier Kevin O’Connell Director, Aerospace and Director of the Office of Satellite Solutions Space Commerce Amazon Web Services - U.S. Department of AWS Commerce

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