In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Orbital ATK’s solid rocket boosters will help to power the first stage of NASA’s new Space Launch System rocket. In the Middle East, the UAE plans to establish the prototype for the Martian settlement it plans a century from now.
Human Space Exploration
Insider exclusive: The people and parts of NASA’s EM-1 mission
Coalition Member in the News
Spaceflightinsider.com (10/1): Orbital ATK’s efforts so far include the production of five segment solid rocket booster pairs for NASA’s first three Space Launch System missions. The first, Exploration Mission-1, will feature the premier flight of the SLS with an uncrewed Orion capsule, which will loop around the moon and return to Earth for recovery.
Dubai is building a huge Mars city in the desert like its NBD
Mashable (9/29): The United Arab Emirates plans a “mini city” on Mars a century from now. Designs for a Mars Science City project to simulate the settlement in the Emirates are underway.
Space Science
What’s next for the world’s greatest telescope?
CBS News (10/1): At 27, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope lives on, making amazing deep space discoveries. It is to be replaced with the James Webb Space Telescope, an infrared observatory that will look even further out. Unlike Hubble, astronauts will not be able to reach the James Webb to make upgrades and repairs.
New NASA satellite will be ‘on a mission to touch the sun’
USA Today (9/28): NASA’s unmanned Parker Solar Probe is expected to launch next year to fly through the sun’s corona, or atmosphere. The mission will require the spacecraft to weather very high radiation as well as heat — 3 million degrees — in order to learn more about how the nearest star behaves.
Mission to metal world takes a big step forward with thruster test
Universe Today (9/30): Recently approved by NASA, the Psyche mission will send a spacecraft to a metal asteroid, which is perhaps the core of a once Mars sized solar system planet. The mission will employ Solar Electric Propulsion, an efficient propulsion technology for deep space missions. An August 2022 launch is anticipated, with 16 Psyche arrival expected in 2026.
NASA astronaut to bike across Amazon in climate change film
New York Times (9/29): NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy has joined a team of environmental scientists to bicycle across the Amazon as part of a documentary on human influence on the environment.
Other News
World View launches ‘Stratollite’ balloon from Spaceport Tucson for the first time
Geek Wire (10/1): The high altitude balloon launch took place Saturday for the first time from Spaceport Tucson, the company’s Tucson, Arizona headquarters. World View Enterprises plans to launch passengers as well as science payloads into the stratosphere with its high tech Stratollite balloons.
MDA – Digital Globe merger expected to close first week of October
Space News (9/29): A merger in which Canada based MDA purchases Digital Globe for $2.4 billion is expected to close late this week, the two companies announced Friday. The transaction will not pose a security concern, according to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
China returns to flight with a secretive launch of three satellites
Spaceflightinsider.com (10/1): China launched three satellites atop a Long March 2C rocket on Friday, its first attempt at orbital launch activity since early July. The Chinese Academy of Sciences satellites were placed in a sun synchronous orbits for science missions, according to Chinese state run media.
Ariane 5 rocket deploys satellites for Intelsat and B-SAT
Spaceflightnow.com (9/29): An Ariane 5 rocket lifted off successfully from French Guiana Friday night with two U.S. built communications satellites for Intelsat and the Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. of Japan.
Major Space Related Activities for the Week
Major space related activities for the week of October 1-6, 2017
Spacepolicyonline.com (10/1): The week includes the first meeting of the Vice President Mike Pence chaired White House National Space Council on Thursday. Wednesday marks the 60th anniversary of the former Soviet Union’s Sputnik satellite launch. NASA International Space Station astronauts are to embark on the first of three spacewalks to maintain the Station’s Canadian robot arm early Thursday.