In Today’s Deep Space Extra… NASA seeks new partners to tell the Artemis story in innovative ways. Congressional election outcomes and upcoming retirements bring up the question of who fills important space policy seats in the House and Senate.
Human Space Exploration
NASA wants new and innovative storytelling tech to document its Artemis Moon missions
Techcrunch.com (11/5): NASA is seeking new partners to help tell the story of human exploration at the Moon with the Artemis program in ways that engage and inspire a worldwide audience, including through the use of robotic cameras, high-resolution and 360-degree video imagery, immersive VR content, and more. The agency has released an Announcement for Proposals calling for submissions of potential partnerships to bring the public along for the ride, starting as early as a trip around the Moon with astronauts on the Artemis II mission, targeted for 2023.
Space Science
The Taurid meteor shower of 2020 peaks soon. Here’s what to expect
Space.com (11/5): With the Moon now waning, each night through November 12 should offer an opportunity to catch the annual Taurid meteor shower, one of the longest lasting meteor displays of the year.
Other News
Election 2020 — Patience is the watchword
Spacepolicyonline.com (11/5): From a space policy perspective, the biggest changes in the Senate will be the losses of Cory Gardner (R-CO), who sits on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, and Martha McSally (R-AZ), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, presumed to have lost her seat. In the House of Representatives, who fills appropriations seats after the upcoming retirements of Rep. José Serrano (D-NY) and Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN), chairmen of House appropriations subcommittees that fund NASA and NOAA, and Defense, respectively, could have an effect on space programs. “The biggest threat to space activities may be the $3 trillion deficit, not which party occupies the White House or controls the House or Senate,” notes spacepolicyonline.com.
Virgin Galactic prepares to transition to operations
SpaceNews.com (11/5): Virgin Galactic, according to company executives on Thursday, plans a series of test flights in order to inaugurate commercial suborbital passenger launches in 2021. With two pilots, Virgin plans the first powered flight of SpaceShipTwo from Spaceport America in New Mexico between November 19 and 23. The plans were outlined during an earning’s call.
Rocket Lab’s next launch will feature a rocket recovery dress rehearsal
The Verge (11/5): Small satellite launch services provider Rocket Lab announced plans Thursday to initiate the recovery of the company’s Electron rocket first stage for reuse later this month with a parachute descent and ocean splashdown. The company had previously planned to wait for another launch before attempting the recovery.
Texas satellite company defends itself against NASA criticisms
Arstechnica.com (11/5): Recently, NASA expressed opposition to the FCC regarding plans by AST & Science to launch a constellation of 240 large, low Earth orbit communications satellites, raising concerns over a high risk for potential “catastrophic collisions” with other spacecraft. The company, however, is defending its business case. “We’re not a bunch of cowboys launching satellites,” said AST founder Abel Avellan.
SpaceX launches GPS navigation satellite from Cape Canaveral
Coalition Member in the News – Lockheed Martin
Spaceflightnow.com (11/6): SpaceX successfully launched a U.S. Space Force GPS satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on Thursday. An assessment of the SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket performance during this mission has the potential to clear the way for a planned November 14 launch of the first NASA operational Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station (ISS) with four U.S. and Japanese astronauts.
China sends 13 satellites into orbit with single rocket
Xinhuanet of China (11/6): Using a Long March-6 rocket, China placed 13 satellites into orbit on Friday, 10 of them remote sensing satellites owned by Satellogic of Argentina.