In Today’s Deep Space Extra… NASA selects four companies to collect space resources. The National Science Foundation (NSF) said it will be up to Congress and the space science community to decide whether the Arecibo Observatory is rebuilt.

 

Human Space Exploration

NASA astronaut harvests first ever radish crop grown on the ISS
CNET (12/3): NASA astronaut Kate Rubins this week harvested a sample crop of radishes aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The plant experiment, called Plant Habitat-02 (PH-02), is the first time NASA has grown radishes on the orbiting laboratory, and is aimed at reliably growing crops during long-term human missions to places such as the Moon and Mars. For now, the crop will be sent back to Earth for analysis.

 

Space Science

Chilling video shows Arecibo collapse
Spacepolicyonline.com (12/3): The National Science Foundation (NSF) on Thursday released a video of the collapse of the 900-ton platform above the 305-meter dish of the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico. No one was hurt. NSF officials said some science will continue in other facilities located at the observatory’s site, but it will be up to Congress and the space science community to decide whether to re-establish the observatory entirely.

Watch a Chinese spacecraft launch from the Moon and start its trip back to Earth
New York Times (12/3): Two days after successfully touching down on the Moon at the Ocean of Storms, China’s Chang’e 5 lunar sample return mission lifted off with sample material on Thursday, shortly after 10 a.m. EST. The ascent vehicle’s destination is the spacecraft’s companion orbiter in wait for a linkup sometime on Saturday. The challenge then is to autonomously transfer samples of lunar material to the mission’s Earth return capsule.

 

Other News

NASA selects four companies for Moon material collection as it seeks to set precedent on outer space mining
Techcrunch.com (12/3): NASA announced Thursday the selection of four companies to collect lunar samples in an effort to set a precedent for use of space resources. The companies are Lunar Outpost, ispace Japan, ispace Europe, and Masten Space Systems. Overall the new NASA contracts with these companies totals $25,0001.

Space policy advice for Biden: Tone down war rhetoric, fix military acquisitions
SpaceNews.com (12/2): A new report cautions against new space policy decisions that hinder progress made by the present Administration, such as the establishment of the National Space Council and NASA’s program to return to the Moon. The Biden Administration should, however, advance space sustainability solutions and avoid linking the space force to conflict in space as opposed to deterrence.

NASA, SpaceX watch weather as Space Station prepares for dual-Dragon ops
Coalition Members in the News – Nanoracks, Northrop Grumman, United Launch Alliance
Americaspace.com (12/3): Weather on Florida’s space coast could be an issue as SpaceX prepares for the launch of its 21st NASA-contracted cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is planned for Saturday at 11:39 a.m. EST. In addition to science and supplies, the freighter is set to deliver the Nanoracks’ commercial airlock called Bishop for installation on the Tranquility module.