In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Roscosmos, the European Space Agency and NASA have plans to partner on a lunar orbiting Deep Space Gateway, according to an announcement from Igor Komarov at the Paris Air Show.
Human Space Exploration
New space exploration competition announced at Paris Air Show
European Space Agency (6/21): A new Space Exploration Masters, raising awareness of the prize opportunities for the best business success from a Technology Transfer related to space exploration technologies and business innovation ideas was announced at the Paris Air Show. The Space Exploration Masters will support Europe’s goals to explore space for new business innovation and technology transfer success benefiting Earth.
Luxembourg Government (6/21): Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy Etienne Schneider visited the ESA pavilion at the Paris Air Show and, together with ESA Director General, Jan Wörner, signed a joint statement on future activities concerning missions to the asteroids, related technologies and space resources exploration and utilization.
Roscosmos, ESA and NASA to play leading roles in lunar orbital station project
TASS of Russia (6/19): Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, the European Space Agency and NASA will be the major partners for the assembly of the lunar orbiting Deep Space Gateway proposed by NASA, Igor Komarov, director general of Roscosmos, stated this week at the Paris Air Show. Details on contributions are yet to come.
How a Soviet lander could help Chinese astronauts reach the moon
Popular Mechanics (6/19): China will look to the Soviet era LK Lander concept as a possible strategy to carry out Beijing’s future human lunar exploration plans. The design emerged in the Cold War, U.S./Soviet moon race.
Space Science
B612 Foundation studying smallsat missions to search for near Earth objects
Space News (6/20): The B612 Foundation, a Silicon Valley nonprofit, intends to advance the identification of increasingly smaller asteroids that could pose an impact threat to the Earth. In the future, a constellation of small satellites with computing powers and optics may be able to detect threats posed by Earth orbit crossing asteroids 140 meters across and smaller as well as help to assess the most effective countermeasures.
Europe backs missions to search for Earth-like planets, deep space cataclysms
Science News (6/20): The European Space Agency on Tuesday committed to a pair of future astrophysics missions. The first, Plato, will join the search for planets beyond the solar system. The second, LISA, will continue the study of gravitational waves, or ripples in space time attributed to violent events like the mergers of black holes.
NASA solar eclipse webcast Wednesday will cover safety, science & traffic
Space.com (6/19): NASA plans a pair of news briefings Wednesday on the science behind the rare Aug. 21 total solar eclipse and how to observe the sun safely during the event. The briefings are planned for 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., EDT, and 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., EDT. With link to web cast.
Other News
Made in Space talks ‘teleporting’ and the future of space-borne 3-D printing
Space.com (6/20): In space and got something you need but forgot at liftoff? Made In Space, Inc., has been working on a solution, 3-D printing, since placing its first additive manufacturing devices on the International Space Station in 2014 and 2016. An eventual goal of the company’s, Archinaut, is a class of small satellites equipped with the manufacturing feature and robotic assembly equipment to manufacture large structures in space instead of launching them.
Brexit Britain looks skywards with plans for domestic launches
Politico (6/20): New British legislation to be proposed Wednesday would benefit commercial space and include plans for domestic launch sites.
Russia ready to send tourists into space
TASS of Russia (6/20): Russia’s Glavkosmos Launch Services is preparing for the launch of space tourists using Russian space hardware including the Soyuz rocket and crew transport capsule. A professional cosmonaut would participate in each mission. Dockings at the International Space Station are a possibility.
House panel takes first step towards military “Space Corps”
Space News (6/20): Lawmakers on Tuesday took the first step towards establishing a ‘Space Corps’ within the Air Force — similar to the way the Marine Corps functions in the Navy — by drafting legislation that would require the new organization to be set up by January 1, 2019.