Today’s Deep Space Extra offers the latest reporting and commentary on space related activities from across the globe. NASA’s Space Launch System critical design review draws to a close with a decision to proceed with production of the Block 1 version of the exploration rocket sporting a natural orange color scheme. Mars appears to have the resources to support human explorers. NASA calls for industry proposals for the Asteroid Robotic Redirect Spacecraft, which figures in agency plans for human Mars exploration as well as planetary defenses. An FAA official calls for commercial participation in Europe’s human Lunarville proposal. Observations of Comet Lovejoy suggests comets brought some of life’s ingredients to Earth and other planets. NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft sends images of Pluto’s tiny moon Kerberos as it maneuvers toward a new destination, the Kuiper Belt Object 2014 MU69. Jupiter, Venus and Mars gather in the pre-dawn skies. Orbital ATK readies an upgraded Cygnus resupply capsule for a December launch to the International Space Station. Bigelow Aerospace’s experimental habitat awaits launching for a space station test. NASA’s commercial resupply contract decision will impact Virginia’s Wallops Island Flight Facility activities. A look at major space related activities scheduled for the week ahead.
Human Deep Space Exploration
NASA completes SLS design review, confirms rocket to be orange
Spaceflightnow.com (10/23): After clearing a major development milestone last week, Critical Design Review, NASA’s Space Launch System heavy lift rocket gets a color scheme. “We’ve nailed down the design of SLS, we’ve successfully completed the first round of testing of the rocket’s engines and boosters, and all the major components for the first flight are now in production,” said Bill Hill, deputy associate administrator of NASA’s exploration systems development division. The Block 1 version of the rocket with its orange core stage and striped solid rocket boosters is to conduct its first test flight with an unpiloted Orion crew exploration capsule in late 2018. Exploration Mission-1 will take Orion around the moon and back to Earth for an ocean splashdown and recovery.
What we’ll eat, drink and breathe on Mars
Wall Street Journal (10/23): Eventually settlers of the red planet will grow fresh vegetables; extract underground ice and water, converting it into oxygen for respiration and rocket fuel; and shape the soil into bricks that can shield humans from radiation.
NASA starts competition for Asteroid Redirect Spacecraft
Space News (10/23): NASA has asked industry to submit proposals for the primary spacecraft structure of its Asteroid Robotic Redirect Spacecraft. The bus, or skeletal structure, is the cornerstone of the spacecraft that will pluck a boulder from the surface of an asteroid and propel the 20 ton rock into orbit around the moon. The robotic mission is planned for a late 2020 launching. The boulder is to serve as a destination for two NASA astronauts launched in an Orion capsule atop a Space Launch System exploration rocket, perhaps as soon as late 2025. Proposals are due NASA by Nov. 16.
NASA calls on American industry for redirection
Satnews Daily (10/26): NASA turns to industry for proposals to develop a spacecraft that supports the Asteroid Robotic Redirect Mission (ARRM) goals of demonstrating propulsion, robotic and guidance technologies that will eventually extend the reach of human explorers to Mars. ARRM would do so through the use of Solar Electric Propulsion to select and acquire a large boulder from an asteroid and then steer the rock into a lunar orbit.
FAA’s Nield endorses Woerner’s moon village, but with commercial partners too
Spacepolicyonline.com (10/25): George Nield, chief of the FAA’s commercial space office, backs European Space Agency director general Johann-Dietrich Woerner’s proposed Lunarville, a human settlement on the moon’s far side. The commercial sector should be a part of the construction and operations, Nield urged in recent remarks before the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee. The project would involve inflatable modules, 3-D printing technologies and the mining of lunar resources.
Unmanned Deep Space Exploration
Booze and sweets officially found in nearby comet for first time
New Scientist (10/23): Comet Lovejoy’s composition includes sugars and alcohols, according to scientists after observations with a European radio telescope. In all, signatures from 21 compounds were identified, some matching those found on other comets. The findings are helping to explain how the ingredients for life reached the Earth through long ago comet collisions.
Pluto finally shows off Kerberos, its tiniest moon
Washington Post (10/23): NASA’s New Horizons mission spacecraft has transmitted images of Pluto’s small, oddly shaped moon Kerberos back to Earth. Covered in water ice like Pluto’s other moons, Kerberos appears to be the product of a collision between two even smaller objects.
New Horizons Pluto probe heads toward 2nd flyby target
Space.com (10/23): Multiple maneuvers early this week and late last week start NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft on its course to a second Kuiper Belt object, 2014 MU69. Arrival is expected around Jan. 1, 2019. New Horizons was the first spacecraft to make a close flyby of Pluto on July 14 and continues to transmit images of the encounter back to Earth.
Jupiter, Venus and Mars create a cosmic triangle in morning sky this week
Mashable (10/25): Look to the East just before dawn this week for bright Jupiter and Venus grouped closely with Mars.
Low Earth Orbit
Cygnus loaded with nearly 4 tons of supplies for December return to Space Station
AmericaSpace.com (10/25): Engineers and technicians at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are stowing supplies aboard Orbital ATK’s new larger Cygnus cargo capsule for a launch to the International Space Station in early December. The mission will mark the first station re-supply mission for the company since the loss of Orbital’s Antares/Cygnus resupply mission from the Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia in October 2014. Orbital has turned to United Launch Alliance for an Atlas 5 launch for the December flight.
BEAM module waits for transportation to the ISS
Spaceflight Insider (10/25): Bigelow Aerospace awaits an opportunity to deliver the company’s experimental inflatable module to the International Space Station. The delivery awaits SpaceX’s recovery from the launch loss of a Falcon9/Dragon mission bound for the International Space Station with supplies on June 28. The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) could become an important part of future commercial space station and deep space mission habitat planning.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Huge decision looms on Antares, Wallops’ future
Salisbury Daily Times, of Maryland (10/24): NASA’s choice of contractors for future re-supply missions to the International Space Station could determine the fate of launch services on Virginia’s eastern shore, including the launch complex used by Orbital ATK for its Antares/Cygnus cargo flights. The future contract is expected to cover the period from 2018 to possibly 2024.
Major Space Related Activities for the Week
Major space related activities for the week of October 26-31, 2015
Spacepolicyonline.com (10/25): In Washington, the U.S. House is scheduled to select a replacement for Speaker John Boehner. Among the technical and policy gatherings planned this week are the Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium in Huntsville, Ala., and a NASA workshop in Houston to study potential Human landing sites on Mars. On Oct. 28, the Cassini spacecraft is to soar close to the surface of Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, passing through geyser like sprays that could help to determine if the ice and ocean world harbors habitable conditions. Congress may also take up a re-authorization of the Export-Import Bank and raising of the debt limit.