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.
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By Sandra Erwin, Oct. 10, 2024
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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 |
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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
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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
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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 |
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| OPINION |
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| By Christopher Cokinos, Oct. 11, 2024
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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
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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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