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Welcome to our weekly roundup of the top SpaceNews stories of the week, brought to you every Friday! This week, the Space Force's X-37B spaceplane will practice changing its orbit and jettisoning a module, another country signs the Artemis Accords, NASA and SpaceX await the next Starship flight, and more.

Our Top Story

U.S. military spaceplane to perform orbital maneuvers

X-37B rendering

By Sandra Erwin, Oct. 10, 2024

The U.S. Space Force announced that its secretive X-37B spaceplane will execute a series of maneuvers to change its orbit and jettison components.


The reusable spacecraft, which has been in orbit since December 28, 2023, will perform aerobraking maneuvers to alter its trajectory around Earth, the Space Force said Oct. 10. This technique involves making multiple passes through the planet’s upper atmosphere, using atmospheric drag to modify the vehicle’s orbit while conserving fuel.


These maneuvers also are intended to showcase responsible space operations, the Space Force said. The aerobraking enables the spaceplane to change orbits and comply with space debris mitigation rules by safely discarding the service module. Read More

Other News From the Week

LAUNCH

Japan’s H3 to launch Emirati asteroid mission


The UAE Space Agency (UAESA) announced Oct. 10 it selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to launch its Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) on an H3 rocket in the first quarter of 2028. Terms of the contract were not disclosed. The MBR Explorer spacecraft will fly by six main belt asteroids between 2030 and 2033 before rendezvousing on a seventh, Justitia, in 2034, later deploying a lander. Read More


China launches third high orbit internet satellite

A Long March 3B lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, southwest China, at 9:50 a.m. Eastern, Oct. 10 (1350 UTC). The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) declared the launch was a complete success over an hour after liftoff. Read More


NASA “really looking forward” to next Starship test flight

NASA is closely watching as it waits for the company to achieve the next milestones on development of the lunar lander version of the vehicle, which will include an attempted landing of Super Heavy Booster. SpaceX announced late Oct. 7 that it was preparing to launch Starship on its fifth integrated test flight as soon as Oct. 13, pending regulatory approval. Read More


Falcon 9 launches ESA’s Hera asteroid mission

A Falcon 9 successfully launched a European asteroid mission Oct. 7 in a partial return to flight for the rocket. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:52 a.m. Eastern. The rocket deployed the Hera spacecraft for the European Space Agency about 76 minutes later, after two burns of the upper stage to place the spacecraft on an interplanetary trajectory. Read More

MILITARY

Debate over Space Guard rekindles amid growing reliance on satellites for disaster relief

John Klein, a professor and expert in military strategy, argues that a Space National Guard would provide much-needed support during disaster relief efforts. National Guard forces are activated when local resources are overwhelmed by natural disasters. Read More


Last week, satellite vendors were notified of an upcoming solicitation for an estimated 200 satellites and associated ground services under Tranche 3 of the Space Development Agency's Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA). The procurement process is expected to begin in 2025, and SDA is calling for “improved and more focused proposals” that will enhance the capabilities of the constellation while preparing for its long-term sustainment. Read More

CIVIL

NASA awards Rocket Lab study contract for Mars Sample Return

Rocket Lab said Oct. 7 that it received a contract to study what it called “a simplified, end-to-end mission concept” for MSR that would deliver samples being collected by the Perseverance rover to Earth for a “fraction” of currently projected costs, estimated to be as high as $11 billion, and several years earlier than 2040. Read More


Dominican Republic signs Artemis Accords

NASA said that Sonia Guzmán, ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United States, signed the Accords on Oct. 4. Unlike some other countries to do so in recent months, there was no formal signing ceremony publicized by NASA or the Dominican Republic. Read More

OPINION

Planning our lunar return? Get a telescope



Tycho Crater

By Christopher Cokinos, Oct. 11, 2024


Perhaps you’re a propulsion engineer making lunar landers as part of NASA’s CLPS program. Perhaps you’re a lawyer specializing in the OST. Or you are a chemist cracking the codes of lunar ISRU. 


If you are any of these things or even if you just know what those acronyms mean, you’re part of the lunar revival, our return to the dramatic wilds of the moon, a return for science and industry and, just maybe, helping to make life multi-planetary.


I absolutely support those goals, but I also have a telescope. Anyone planning our lunar future should have one too or, at least, regular access to one. Why? Because we won’t have a lunar future worth having if we don’t really see the moon. And if we don’t really see the moon, we’ll miss how its beauty can guide us when we return. Read More


Space policy for the new President — whoever it might be

By Grant Anderson


Looking to the next four years: strengthening America’s space leadership

By Clayton Swope and Audrey Shaffer


SpaceNews is committed to publishing our community’s diverse perspectives. Whether you’re an academic, executive, engineer or even just a concerned citizen of the cosmos, send your arguments and viewpoints to opinion@spacenews.com to be considered for publication online or in our next magazine.

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Announcing DSI’s 11th Annual Space Resiliency Summit

By Defense Strategies Institute


Belgian spacetech gem VEOWARE secures €2.5 million euro to empower spacecrafts with next-generation agility

By Veoware Space


SpaceNews Celebrates 35th Anniversary as a Global Media Brand

By SpaceNews

SpaceNews Newsmaker Forum: Leading Women webinars

Check out our latest Leading Women in Space interview!

In this episode, SpaceNews correspondent Debra Werner speaks with Negar Feher, CEO at Orbital Outpost X

Don’t miss out—watch the full interview now!

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