Satellite Evolution Group’s Post

The U.S. Space Force is eyeing a number of options to extend the life of satellites that have run out of fuel. https://lnkd.in/gnDcEZ-e

🚀 Portal Space Systems 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐮𝐠 - 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚 Portal Space Systems on April 30, announcing that it has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Defense worth more than $3,000,000. These funds, as well as an undisclosed private investment, will be used to develop a space tugboat called Supernova. Jeff Thornburg and his team have developed a “satellite bus” that can move a satellite from low-Earth orbit to geostationary orbit in a matter of hours. This distinguishes it from traditional spacecraft, which are built to carry exactly as much propulsion power as needed to maintain orbit. Portal Space Systems says the 500-kilogram Supernova will not depend on payloads and will be able to spend at least five years in space with constant maneuvering. For this purpose, a new solar-thermal propulsion system has been developed that provides a speed of 6 kilometers per second. The first flight demonstration of the satellite is planned for late 2025 or early 2026. #archtown #spacescience #innovations #supernova

[China launches secret space plane on 3rd-ever mission] China has launched its reusable space plane for the third time. A Long March 2F rocket lofted China's experimental spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Thursday (Dec. 14) to conduct space science experiments and "provide technical support for the peaceful use of space," according to Xinhua news. The launch comes just seven months after the spacecraft's last mission, a much quicker follow-up compared to the first and second launches which happened 23 months apart, SpaceNews reports. Hours prior to the secretive spacecraft's launch, SpaceX stood down from the 7th planned liftoff of the U.S. Space Force's own X-37B reusable space plane, and even removed the Falcon Heavy rocket containing it from the Kennedy Space Center launch pad. The mission, known as USSF-52, was scrubbed on Wednesday (Dec. 13) to "perform additional system checkouts." Exact reasons for this delay remain unknown, and a new date has yet to be set for launch. #galaxyaerosgh #space #spaceexploration #spacenews

Built by Boeing, United States Space Force's X-37B lifted off via SpaceX Falcon Heavy from the Cape kicking off the space plane's seventh mission. Mission objectives of the new X-37B mission, known as OTV-7 ("Orbital Test Vehicle-7") as well as USSF-52, include operating the reusable space plane in new orbital regimes. The space planes are used primarily as orbital testbeds to enable the US military to see how instruments perform and behave in the space environment. Prior OTV Mission(s) Overview: - OTV-1: 224 days (launched on April 22, 2010, landed on Dec. 3, 2010) - OTV-2: 468 days (launched on March 5, 2011, landed on June 16, 2012) - OTV-3: 674 days (launched on Dec. 11, 2012, landed on Oct. 17, 2014) - OTV-4: 718 days (launched on May 20, 2015, landed on May 7, 2015) - OTV-5: 780 days (launched on Sept. 7, 2017, landed on Oct. 27, 2019) - OTV-6: 908 days (launched on May 17, 2020, landed on Nov. 12, 2022) #spaceexploration #nationalsecurity _________ Approach Venture provides consulting / advisory services to space-focused teams. https://lnkd.in/gR4iK6t4

"The launch, part of the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program, will involve tests for 'operating in new orbital regimes,' Space Systems Command disclosed in a release." #elaranova #NSSL #SSC #SpaceForce #USSF #spaceindustry #spacetech #spacetechnology #commercialspace #militaryspace #nationalsecurity #nationaldefense #nationalsecurityspace

Space bosses hailed Europe’s return to space after the Ariane 6 rocket successfully carried out a series of trials in a debut flight on Tuesday, but the mission ended with the launcher coasting in orbit without releasing its final batch of payloads. Watched by a Rafale fighter jet, Europe’s newest uncrewed rocket blasted off from French Guiana around 4 p.m. local time (1900 GMT), restoring the continent’s independent access to space after delays, political setbacks and debates over funding. Although not a commercial mission, the flight deployed three sets of micro-satellites for research purposes, prompting European space officials to declare the maiden trip a success. “Europe is back in space,” Philippe Baptiste, head of France’s CNES space agency, said via video link to the Paris headquarters of the European Space Agency (ESA), where employees and politicians cheered the lift-off. In a keenly awaited milestone, the Vinci engine powering the rocket’s upper stage was restarted in space for the first time. It is designed to restart repeatedly, allowing operator Arianespace to place payloads into several different orbits. However, a third firing had to be abandoned after a smaller power unit shut itself down for unspecified reasons, meaning the final batch of payloads — two small capsules designed to test the conditions for surviving re-entry — remained stuck onboard. Story: https://lnkd.in/gQ23baeG Science & Technology | Thomson Reuters

The New York Times: Space Sustainability - Dead Russian Satellite Broke Into More Than 100 Pieces in Space - The cause of the incident, which added to a growing amount of dangerous space junk in low Earth orbit, remains unknown. The most concerning, possibility is that the event was deliberate. In 2021, Russia intentionally fired a missile at one of its own defunct satellites in orbit. China and India have also conducted antisatellite missile tests, as has the United States, which committed itself to a ban of such tests 2022 The U.S. Space Force will work to catalog the debris from Resurs P1, though it could take a few months. Until then, “it’s literally Russian roulette,” Dr. McDowell said. Untracked space junk presents a risk to other spacecraft in orbit, and before it is properly recorded in warning systems used by satellite operators, they will not be able to avoid collisions. In the worst case scenario, the break up of Resurs P1 could create a domino effect: Debris from one satellite smashes into another, which then collides with another — a reaction that is costly and disruptive, Dr. McDowell said, though in this case seems unlikely. https://lnkd.in/g7aFijQE

This just in from Astroscale… their on-orbit refueling satellite concept, being developed for the Space Force. On-orbit refueling will be a game-changer for space. Imagine maneuver without regret. Imagine more payload design options because you don’t need to include both your mission payload and a lifetime supply of propulsion into the same bus. Imagine the return-on-investment models being totally reimagined. Extending the service life of satellites + enabling the maneuver and endurance needed for active debris removal is the mission math needed for viable space sustainability. Reusable boosters have changed the game for launch; refuelers and other on-orbit servicing will do this for on-orbit missions.

**Ariane 6 Rocket Launches into Space** ESA's new Ariane 6 rocket has successfully launched into space, marking a major milestone in the European space program. The rocket lifted off from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana at 22:15 CEST on July 13, 2023. The Ariane 6 is a more efficient and cost-effective successor to the Ariane 5, with a lighter and more powerful engine. It is designed to carry a range of payloads, from small satellites to large spacecraft, and is expected to play a key role in Europe's future space missions. The rocket's maiden flight was a crucial test of its capabilities, and it successfully placed two test satellites into orbit. The mission was declared a success by ESA, marking a major achievement for the European space industry. https://lnkd.in/gjZRcCTj? #Ariane6 #ESA #Space #RocketLaunch #EuropeanSpaceAgency