In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Paragon Space Development Corp. finalized a contract to provide support for the Northrop Grumman Habitation and Logistics Outpost. The NASA Advisory Council’s Human Exploration and Operations Committee meets Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, the space subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology committee will hold a virtual hearing on “Keeping Our Sights on Mars Part 3: A Status Update and Review of NASA’s Artemis Initiative.”
Human Space Exploration
Paragon snares $100M lunar space station deal
Coalition Members in the News – Northrop Grumman, Paragon Space Development Corp.
Arizona Daily Star (1/15): Paragon Space Development Corp. has finalized a more than $100 million contract to provide the life support system for the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module being developed by Northrop Grumman for NASA’s Gateway. Launch of the Gateway’s HALO and Power and Propulsion (PPE) are planned for as soon as 2024.
Look up: Many new spacecraft to launch from Space Coast in 2022
Coalition Members in the News – Axiom Space, Boeing, United Launch Alliance
Denver Gazette (1/14): NASA’s Artemis I mission, the debut of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion crew capsule, is the headliner for the launch of new missions from Florida’s space coast over 2022. But there is more. Axiom Space plans to lift off for the International Space Station (ISS) with four civilians aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon in February. Boeing is preparing for a second attempt at a full duration initial test flight of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner, which is under development as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Sierra Space is looking to the initial launch of its Dream Chaser for cargo missions to the ISS. United Launch Alliance (ULA) is looking to the initial launch of its Vulcan rocket and Blue Origin the first launch of its New Glenn rocket. Astra Space and Relativity Space are also working to debut their small launch vehicles.
Why do astronauts get “space anemia”? This study has an answer
CBS News (1/14): A Canadian research effort has identified a loss of red blood cells in space rather than a shift in bodily fluids from the lower to upper torso of astronauts as a likely cause of “space anemia.” It was believed that the bodies of astronauts responded to the fluid shift by destroying about 10 percent of their red blood cells to balance the shift and the count would return to normal within about 10 days. The new study, based on blood cell counts from 14 astronauts over six-month missions, suggests that the space environment itself leads to a continuous larger-than-usual destruction of red blood cells, leading some to experience anemia upon their return to Earth.
Space Science
NASA Mars rover set to do something the team ‘never imagined’
Cnet.com (1/13): Earlier this month, NASA discovered that its Perseverance rover on Mars could not complete the stowage of a sixth sample of material cored from a rock called Issole in late December because some small pebbles were obstructing the passage to a sample carousel. Experts are now planning to dump the material onto the Martian surface so they can proceed with the sample gathering.
Opinion
Space race needs better cybersecurity
The Hill (1/13): As they increase, U.S. space assets are becoming more vulnerable to attack on multiple fronts, including cybersecurity with multiple technologies. In an op-ed, Josh Lospinoso, a cyber security expert and the CEO of Shift5, urges the adoption of the Space Infrastructure Act as a first step in designating the space realm a critical infrastructure domain.
Other News
China’s first launch of 2022 puts classified Shiyan-13 satellite into orbit
SpaceNews.com (1/17): A Chinese Long March 2D rocket placed the classified Shiyan-13 test satellite into a high inclination orbit following a launch on Sunday at 9:35 p.m. EST. The lift off marks the start of another busy year of launch activity for China.
Huge Tonga underwater volcano eruption captured in stunning satellite video
Space.com (1/16): NOAA’s GOES West satellite captured live views of Saturday’s powerful underwater volcanic eruption in the Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific. The event spawned a tsunami and sent a mushroom cloud billowing high into the atmosphere.
Major Space Related Activities for the Week
Major space related activities for the week of January 16-22, 2022
Spacepolicyonine.com (1/16): Monday is a federal holiday commemorating the birth of Martin Luther King. The NASA Advisory Council’s Human Exploration and Operations Committee meets virtually Tuesday and Wednesday. Russian cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov and Pyotor Dubrov are to spacewalk early Wednesday outside the International Space Station’s (ISS) Russian segment to prepare the new Prichal docking module for the future arrivals of Soyuz crew and Progress cargo vessels. On Thursday, the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s space subcommittee will host a hearing on “Keeping Our Sights on Mars Part 3: A Status Update and Review of NASA’s Artemis Initiative.” Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), known for showing up at these hearings with a “Mars 2033” bumper sticker, just announced he will not run for reelection.