In Today’s Deep Space Extra… The International Space Station’s many contributions to innovation include 3-D printing and assessing the value of astronauts in orbit working with robots on planetary surfaces. The U.S. Postal Service commemorates Sally Ride, the first U.S. female astronaut, with a Forever stamp.
Human Space Exploration
3-D printers and robotic arms: How one startup plans to build colonies in space
Coalition Member in the News – Made in Space, Inc.
Forbes (5/22): As human activity in space rises, so too will the need for equipment and supplies. Made in Space, Inc., is helping to pioneer new production tools for the task and demonstrating them aboard the International Space Station with 3-D printing, or additive manufacturing, which promises to offset some of the requirements for cargo mission launches. The company’s latest innovation, Archinaut, is a satellite equipped with robot arms that prints components in space and assembles them into structures.
Captain’s log – week 12 on Station
NASA (5/22): NASA astronaut Scott Tingle reflects on a day in the life of an International Space Station crew member. This one was on March 4 as Tingle worked on a tech demonstration in which he commanded the activities of a robot named Justin, in Munich, Germany.
Space Science
NASA’s GRACE-FO, five Irdium satellites share a ride to space
Spacepolicyonline.com (5/22): The NASA/German Research Center for Geosciences’ twin GRACE-Follow On (GRACE-FO) mission spacecraft launched successfully from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on Tuesday at 3:47 p.m., EDT. As the two spacecraft orbit the Earth, they will monitor subtle changes in gravity reflecting movement in the Earth’s land mass and surface water. The two spacecraft were “ride shares” on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, whose commercial co payload was five Iridium communications satellites.
Jupiter’s great red spot is spectacular (and weird) in this Juno photo
Space.com (5/22): NASA’s Jupiter orbiting Juno probe continues to offer unique camera view of the giant planet and its intriguing great red spot.
Other News
Sally Ride’s stamp: The story of an astronaut’s philatelic portrait
Collectspace.com (5/22): Wednesday the U.S. Postal Service issues a Forever stamp commemorating Sally Ride, the nation’s first female astronaut, who launched in 1983 aboard the shuttle Challenger. A dedication ceremony is planned at the University of California, San Diego Wednesday evening. Ride died of pancreatic cancer in 2012 at the age of 61.
Industry warns of launch vehicle glut
Space News (5/22): A growing enthusiasm for small satellites and the scaled back launch vehicles to launch them may lead to an overabundance of launch services companies in the coming years. Many of the companies may fail, according to those attending the opening day of discussions at the Space Tech Expo conference in Pasadena, California.
ICEYE achieves the ‘impossible’ with miniature radar satellite
Space News (5/22): Startup ICEYE US Inc’s ICEYE-X1 satellite is demonstrating that small satellites are compatible with space radar technologies for Earth observations. The test synthetic aperture radar satellite was launched in January aboard an Indian polar launch vehicle. Two more of the satellites are planned to launch this year.