www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 1 Ad 2 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #EDITOR #ASTEROID #DIDYMOS #DIDYMOON #DEFENCE Dr Amy Saunders Editor As we move into an increasingly space-orientated era, complex topics of sovereignty, space laws, interference, debris, and interplanetary defence arise. It’s all well and good for us to be utilising space to provide communications capabilities and learn more about the Earth, the solar system and beyond, but it’s important that we do so with a mind to ethics and protecting our world. Protecting the Earth from space-based threats has historically been something more likely to crop up in science fiction movies – particularly when it comes to the threat of asteroids – but that’s just what OHB System AG is working on right now. In August, OHB System was selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) as prime contractor for a study on the asteroid mission HERA. The HERA study will see a probe fly to the twin asteroid ‘Didymos,’ where it will analyze its surface and sub-surface physical properties and investigate its dynamics in the aftermath of a hypervelocity impact. Didymos, the target of the mission, has a main body 780m in diameter; it is orbited by ‘Diddymoon,’ measuring 160m. The HERA mission, planned for launch in 2023, is the European contribution to a joint but staggered planetary defence mission with NASA. HERA will investigate the impact crater on the smaller of the two asteroids Didymoon, which NASA’s DART spacecraft will have left behind with a previous mission to be launched in 2021. According to the scientists, the impact will slow Didymoon down by about half a millimetre per second. HERA will provide detailed information on Didymoon’s orbit changes and relate them to the asteroid composition, as well as surface and interior structure. With this experiment, a viable method to deflect asteroids from their collision course with Earth will be fully validated and the results of this international collaboration could be extrapolated from Didymos to other asteroids. Should an asteroid the size of Didymos fly towards the Earth, a hit would have severe consequences on a regional scale and unprecedented socioeconomic impact on a global scale. In order to modify their orbit with a ‘pusher’ in an effective way, however, science must first learn more about these celestial bodies. “It is crucial to know what effects an impact exactly has on the orbit of an asteroid. We still know very little about these bodies,” said Marc Scheper, Head of OHB’s Space Transport, Robotic Missions and Exploration departments. “Only if we know exactly how an asteroid is composed will we be able to validate effective defensive measures if such an object should one day actually collide with Earth.” Protecting the Earth from asteroids ESA’s AIM spacecraft watches DART impact Didymoon Image: ESA/Science Office www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 3 CONTENTS Letter from the Editor 3 OHB System AG plans for future asteroid threats to Earth NewsBlast 6 All the latest news from around the world Is there life on Mars? 12 A round-up of current and planned Mars projects Front cover: Photo courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech 12 Editor Amy Saunders [email protected] Sales Director Chris Ayres [email protected] Sales Director Sam Baird NASA Mars 2020 Rover [email protected] Image: NASA Publisher Richard Hooper [email protected] Big plans for launch 22 Simon Gwozdz from Equatorial Space Industries opines on the future Managing Director David Shortland Space mining: Fact or fiction? 24 [email protected] The ins and outs, and rights and wrongs, of deep space mining No part of this publication may Targeting Southeast Asia and beyond 28 be transmitted, reproduced or James Yenbamroong outlines mu Space Corp’s plans for Southeast Asia electronically stored without the written permission from the Critical connectivity solutions 30 publisher. David Helfgott discusses Phasor’s plans for its ESA technology DS Air Publications does not give any warranty as to the context of Communications at extreme latitudes 34 the material appearing in the Kepler Communications on providing connectivity at the poles magazine, its accuracy, timeliness or fitness for any Advertisers’ Index / Next issue 38 particular purpose. DS Air Publications disclaims all personal responsibility for any damages or losses in the use and dissemination of the information. 24 All editorial contents Copyright © 2018 DS Air Publications All Rights Reserved ISSN: 2516-4848 DS Air Publications 1 Langhurstwood Road Horsham West Sussex RH12 4QD United Kingdom T: +44 1403 273 973 F: +44 1403 273 972 30 4 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com www.newspaceinternational.com NewSpace International - September/October 2018 5 #NEWSBLAST #NEWSPACE #3D-PRINTING SSL expands work for NASA’s Psyche SSL has been selected by Zin the brain of the spacecraft, providing a high power solar electric Technologies to build and test its functioning as the coordinating propulsion spacecraft chassis based Psyche Compute Element. This center for command and data on the SSL 1300 satellite platform. critical flight system component was handling activity. Using SSL’s standard commercial designed by NASA's Jet Propulsion SSL is working with Arizona State spacecraft design helps NASA Laboratory for Psyche, a NASA University’s School of Earth and reduce costs and ensure reliability for Discovery Mission, which will Space Exploration and NASA’s Jet this mission to the asteroid belt, which investigate a metal asteroid that is Propulsion Laboratory in the first lies between Mars and Jupiter. expected to offer insight into how our mission to explore what is believed Scheduled to launch in 2022, the planet formed. to be an asteroid made of metal Psyche mission was selected over As the main on-board computer, rather than rock or ice. In addition to four other NASA Discovery Mission the Psyche Compute Element acts as the Psyche Compute Element, SSL is candidates. New record for 3D printed space parts Lockheed Martin has embraced a 3D qualification effort as an investment The tank domes are a leap in size printed titanium dome for satellite in helping our customers move faster for qualified 3D printed materials. The fuel tanks so big you can't even put and save costs," explained Ambrose. largest part previously qualified was your arms around it. The 46 inch "These tanks are part of a total a toaster-size electronics enclosure (1.16m) diameter vessel completed transformation in the way we design for the Advanced Extremely High final rounds of quality testing this and deliver space technology. We're Frequency satellite program. month, ending a multi-year making great strides in automation, Lockheed Martin's recent accomp- development program to create virtual reality design and common- lishment continues a path of 3D giant, high-pressure tanks that carry ality across our satellite product line. printed parts that bloomed in recent fuel on board satellites. Our customers want greater speed years. Since the company launched The titanium tank consists of three and value without sacrificing the first ever printed parts into deep parts welded together: Two 3D capability in orbit, and we're space aboard NASA's Juno printed domes that serve as caps, answering the call." spacecraft, it has produced thous- plus a variable-length, traditionally- Even the smallest leak or flaw ands of flight components and even manufactured titanium cylinder that could be catastrophic for a satellite's more for tooling and prototyping forms the body. operations, so Lockheed Martin using a variety of metals and "Our largest 3D printed parts to engineers went to great lengths to composites. date show we're committed to a ensure the printed tanks meet or Technicians used Electron Beam future where we produce satellites exceed the performance and Additive Manufacturing to produce twice as fast and at half the cost," said reliability required by NASA. Engin- these domes in the largest 3D printer Rick Ambrose, Lockheed Martin eers and technicians rigorously at the facility in Denver. Lockheed Space Executive Vice President. "And evaluated the structure, conducting Martin now offers the tank as a we're pushing forward for even better a full suite of tests to demonstrate standard product option for LM 2100 results. For example, we shaved off high tolerances and repeatability. satellite buses. 87 percent of the schedule to build the domes, reducing the total delivery timeline from two years to three months." Satellite fuel tanks must be both strong and lightweight to withstand the rigors of launch and decade-long missions in the vacuum of space. That makes titanium an ideal material, but procuring 4 foot diameter, 4 inch thick titanium forgings can take a year or more, making them the most challenging and expensive parts of the tank. Traditional manufacturing techniques also meant that more than 80 percent of the material went to waste. Now, 3D printing eliminates all that lost material for the domes, and the titanium used for printing is Completed satellite fuel tank readily available with no wait time. "We self-funded this design and Photo: Lockheed Martin 6 NewSpace International - September/October 2018 www.newspaceinternational.com #NEWSBLAST #NEWSPACE #IN-ORBITSERVICING Goonhilly unveils new commercial roadmap Goonhilly Earth Station has launched processor that provides the ultra- ultrafast fibre broadband to deliver its roadmap which will place it at the low-noise performance required for unprecedented reach around the vanguard of the NewSpace both primary tasks. world. Sitting at a confluence of the economy. This roadmap underpins Through the collaboration with planet’s main Internet backbone and the firm’s ambition to become a ESA, Goonhilly will be involved in the with the launch of its tier 3/4 world-leading space connectivity return-to-the-moon missions, includ- datacentre later in 2018, customers nexus and centre of innovation.