In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Medical issue delays spacewalk at the International Space Station. Despite the pandemic, the space economy continues to grow, according to a report.
Human Space Exploration
Collins Aerospace to provide life support for privately run LEO outpost
Coalition Member in the News – Collins Aerospace
SpaceNews.com (8/23): Collins Aerospace has announced it was awarded a contract by an undisclosed customer to provide life support systems for a planned privately operated low Earth orbit outpost. The contract is for Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS), a suite of technologies that enable livable conditions outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Shawn Macleod, Collins Aerospace’s director of business development, told SpaceNews the contract is with “a long-duration stay, orbital customer.” Collins has already developed and manufactured life support technologies for NASA.
Astronaut’s undisclosed minor medical issue delays spacewalk
Associated Press (8/23): Plans for NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide to conduct a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) early Tuesday have been postponed until at least mid-September. The decision, announced by NASA on Monday, was attributed to a “minor medical issue” Vande Hei was experiencing. The spacewalk’s purpose was to prepare the orbiting lab’s port side solar power truss for the installation of the third of six planned Roll Out Solar Arrays (ROSA).
Space Science
Hubble telescope spies a stellar nursery through clouds in stunning image
Space.com (8/23): NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has captured a new image of bright, baby stars peeking out of a “stellar nursery” — a cloud of dust where stars are born. This spectacular stellar nursery lies in the constellation of Gemini, NASA said in a statement. Officially called AFGL 5180, the nursery is one of many star-forming regions, which have the right density of dust and gas for that material to eventually collapse in on itself and form a star. Although the surrounding dust “makes for a spectacular image,” according to NASA, it also obscures new star growth from astronomers.
Other News
Global space economy swells in spite of the pandemic
SpaceNews.com (8/23): The overall global space economy expanded by 4.4 percent to $447 billion in 2020, with more nations participating than ever before, according to the Space Foundation’s updated Space Report. Global government spending on military and civil space programs, however, declined slightly, about 1.2 percent, in 2020 compared with 2019. The assessment was presented Monday during the opening day of the Space Foundation’s week-long 36th Space Symposium.
Raymond’s progress report on Space Force: ‘All the pieces are coming together’
SpaceNews.com (8/24): The military bureaucracy is not known for speed, but moving fast is critical in today’s environment, said the chief of space operations of the U.S. Space Force Gen. John “Jay” Raymond. Raymond said he is proud of what has been accomplished but recognizes the service still has to convince Congress it has a vision for the future, particularly on how it will acquire advanced technologies to compete with China and Russia. The service headquarters is up and running at the Pentagon, and three field organizations have been established: The Space Operations Command and the Space Training and Readiness Command, both at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado; and the Space Systems Command at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California.
iSpace unveils new larger lunar lander
SpaceNews.com (8/23): Tokyo’s iSpace is planning a launch as soon as 2024 of its upgraded lunar lander that will be developed in Denver. The initial version of the lander will support the delivery of up to 30 kilograms (66 pounds) of payload to the surface of the Moon. The new version will support 500 kilograms of lunar surface payloads, plus 2000 kilograms of payload to lunar orbit. The new version will be capable of far as well as near side Moon landings and equipped to function throughout the long lunar night. Payloads will include rovers.