In Today’s Deep Space Extra… NASA’s Commercial Crew Program faces delays in efforts to certify Boeing and SpaceX for transportation of astronauts to and from the International Space Station, according to a government audit. Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems’ Cygnus cargo capsule used its propulsion systems this week to boost the altitude of the nearly one million pound ISS, a first. U.S. aerospace and defense sales contribute significantly to U.S. exports and the nation’s economy, according to an AIA assessment.
Human Space Exploration
GAO again warns of more commercial crew delays and no ISS contingency plan
Coalition Member in the News- Boeing
Spacepolicyonline.com (7/11): NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is likely to face delays in efforts to conduct uncrewed and crewed test flights this year of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Dragon 2 so the two companies can be certified to begin launches of astronauts to the International Space Station next year, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued Wednesday. Noting uncertainty within the development team, the GAO report predicts the “average” certification date to be December 2019 for Boeing and January 2020 for SpaceX. The delays could lead to a gap in the presence of U.S. astronauts on the Space Station, the first since full time staffing of the orbital lab began in late 2000, and NASA needs a backup plan, according to the audit.
U.S. cargo craft tests reboost capability at International Space Station
Coalition Members in the News – NanoRacks, Northrop Grumman
Spaceflightnow.com (7/11): Northrop Grumman’s ninth NASA contracted Cygnus resupply spacecraft launched to the International Space Station succeeded this week in demonstrating a commercial reboost of the six person orbiting science lab. The maneuver Tuesday afternoon came just days before the capsule, which was launched May 21, is to depart the Space Station for additional engineering demos and NanoRacks small satellite deployments until it deorbits on July 30. Tuesday’s maneuver set the stage for an important part of future commercial space station operations. The Cygnus unberthing is set for early Sunday.
Crew Dragon completes thermal vacuum tests ahead of first test flight
Space News (7/9): SpaceX’s Dragon 2, developed to commercially transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station, has cleared a round of thermal vacuum and acoustics testing at the NASA Glenn Research Center’s Plumbrook Station, a milestone ahead of two test flights, the first without astronauts and the second with crew members.
9 Emiratis to be trained in Russia
The Gulf Today (7/12): Nine United Arab Emirate space program candidates will transition to Russia for further space flight evaluation at the Yuri Gagarin Astronaut Training Centre. They were selected from a pool of 18 initial candidates. The roster of nine will be trimmed to four for science mission activities aboard the International Space Station, with the first launches planned for April 2019.
Space Science
Europa’s buried ocean could rise to the surface (video)
Space.com (7/11): An icy crust covers an ocean at Jupiter’s moon Europa. Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have shown through modeling how that water could move to the surface through fractures. NASA is at work on Europa Clipper, a mission that would carry out multiple close flybys of Europa to better assess the environment and its potential habitability. A future lander mission may follow.
Method of making oxygen from water in zero gravity raises hope for long-distance space travel
Space.com (7/11): A study by U.S. and European researchers reveals how water found on deep space destinations could be converted to oxygen for life support and hydrogen for chemical rocket propellant using a semiconductor material and sun, or star, light. Oxygen could also be used as a rocket fuel. Findings on the technology were published recently in the journal Nature Communications.
Other News
Report: U.S. aerospace a trade winner, but tariffs threaten future exports
Space News (7/11): Global U.S. aerospace and defense sales look healthy, though there are concerns over the impact of possible U.S. tariffs. Figures compiled for 2017 by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) show sales generated $143 billion in exports and a positive trade balance of $86 billion. This while the U.S. experienced its third largest trade deficit on record. AIA President and CEO Eric Fanning cautioned that a protracted trade conflict could cause declines in aerospace sales, U.S. jobs and the nation’s economy as countries affected by new tariffs retaliate.
Historic launch towers nearing demolition at Cape Canaveral
Florida Today (7/10): Thursday will mark the demolition of Space Launch Complex 17 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, site of 325 launches over 61 years, including missions for planetary science and national security. The site will move to Moon Express, which plans to launch small commercial payloads to the lunar surface.
Here’s why space engineers come to Seattle and why some of them leave
Coalition Members in the News – Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing, Planetary Resources
GeekWire.com (7/11): Seattle’s access to the great outdoors — hiking, boating — and a vibrant culture prove a major draw for Washington’s technically competent aerospace workforce. But the cost of living, traffic and rainy periods also prompt some to leave, according to participants in a Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce forum on the topic. Space is still a modest part of the region’s overall state aerospace industry. “Nevertheless, the space industry’s local impact is growing rapidly, thanks to Blue Origin and other ventures ranging from century-old Boeing and decades-old Aerojet Rocketdyne to more recent startups such as Planetary Resources and EarthNow,” according to the report.