HERE ARE THE ODDS THAT ONE OF SPACEX’S INTERNET SATELLITES WILL HIT SOMEONE - The chance that SpaceX’s planned Starlink satellite constellation will cause an injury or death is 45 percent every six years, according to an IEEE Spectrum analysis of figures submitted by the company to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. Elon Musk hopes the nearly 12,000 satellites in the constellation will eventually carry half of all Internet traffic. The satellites will use laser and radio links to provide fast, cheap Internet access to people all over the world—and the associated service fees could help Musk fund his dream of colonizing Mars.   More
(Source: IEEE Spectrum - Dec 18)

DESPITE CONCERNS, SPACE JUNK CONTINUES TO CLUTTER EARTH ORBIT - Humans have a tendency to litter wherever we go. Whether it’s the local park, a music festival, or Mt. Everest, we’re just not good at cleaning up after ourselves. And space is no exception. Space is pretty big. Infinite, in fact. But the same can’t be said of low-Earth orbit (LEO) and, in particular, the most popular orbital lanes used by Earth-sensing and communications satellites. We’re launching more objects skyward every year and not, in many cases, cleaning up when we’re done with them. So the space around us is starting to fill up.    More
(Source: Astronomy Magazine - Dec 18)

LASER-POINTING SYSTEM COULD HELP TINY SATELLITES TRANSMIT DATA TO EARTH - A new laser-pointing platform developed at MIT may help launch miniature satellites into the high-rate data game. Since 1998, almost 2,000 shoebox-sized satellites known as CubeSats have been launched into space. Due to their petite frame and the fact that they can be made from off-the-shelf parts, CubeSats are significantly more affordable to build and launch than traditional behemoths that cost hundreds of millions of dollars.    More
(Source: Phys.org - Dec 17)

US AIR FORCE SET TO LAUNCH 1ST NEXT-GENERATION GPS SATELLITE - After months of delays, the U.S. Air Force is about to launch the first of a new generation of GPS satellites, designed to be more accurate, secure and versatile. But some of their most highly touted features will not be fully available until 2022 or later because of problems in a companion program to develop a new ground control system for the satellites, government auditors said. The satellite is scheduled to lift off Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It’s the first of 32 planned GPS III satellites that will replace older ones now in orbit. Lockheed Martin is building the new satellites outside Denver.    More
(Source: AirForceTimes.com - Dec 17)

ROCKET LAB LAUNCHES 13 CUBESATS ON 1ST MISSION FOR NASA - A Rocket Lab Electron booster lifted off from the company's launch site on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula at 1:33 a.m. EST today (0633 GMT and 7:33 p.m. local New Zealand time), kicking off the ELaNa-19 mission for NASA. [In Photos: Rocket Lab and Its Electron Booster] Fifty-three minutes later, all of the payloads had separated from the Electron's "kick stage" and settled successfully into a circular orbit about 310 miles (500 kilometers) above Earth. The little satellites will do a variety of work up there. For example, one will measure radiation levels in the Van Allen belts, to help researchers better understand possible effects on spacecraft. Another aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of compact, 3D-printed robotic arms; and yet another will help prove out technology for a new solar-sailing system that could allow small spacecraft to explore deep space, Rocket Lab representatives said.    More
(Source: Space.com - Dec 16)

SOYUZ RAISED ON LAUNCH PAD IN FRENCH GUIANA FOR ARIANESPACE’S LAST FLIGHT OF 2018 - A Russian-made Soyuz booster rolled out to its launch pad in French Guiana on Friday, and hydraulic lifts rotated the launcher vertical in preparation for liftoff Tuesday with the first in a new series of French military spy satellites. The three-stage rocket emerged from its assembly hangar Friday morning for the 2,300-foot (700-meter) rollout to the launch zone. Russian ground crews deployed on temporary duty in the jungle of French Guiana oversaw the rocket’s transfer on rail car along dual tracks leading from the hangar to the launch pad.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Dec 16)

VIRGIN GALACTIC ROCKET SHIP REACHES SPACE, A MILESTONE IN SPACE TOURISM - A Virgin Galactic spacecraft flew more than 50 miles above the Mojave Desert in California on Thursday morning, climbing into the edge of space for about a minute, a crucial milestone in the race to make big-business space tourism a reality. The craft, SpaceShipTwo, soared at speeds topping out at 2.9 times the speed of sound — around 2,200 miles per hour — through nearly three layers of Earth’s atmosphere to reach space, the company said. SpaceShipTwo topped out at an altitude of 51.4 miles, just surpassing the Federal Aviation Administration’s definition of where space begins but lower than the widely accepted boundary of 62 miles.   More
(Source: New York Times - Dec 15)

ASTRONAUTS TAKE ELF ON THE SHELF TO OUTER SPACE - If you’re a parent with young kids, you’ve probably struggled with the nightly dilemma of where to put the Elf on the Shelf. Here’s an idea — how about putting it up in space? The popular children’s book and toy is currently living on the International Space Station, according to a tweet from NASA astronaut Anne McClain. “Well, look who showed up on @Space_Station!” Lt Col McClain tweeted on Tuesday.   More
(Source: NEWS.com.au - Dec 15)

USAF’S FIRST GPS III SV01 SATELLITE ENCAPSULATED FOR LAUNCH - The US Air Force’s (USAF) first advanced Global Positioning System III space vehicle (GPS III SV01) satellite has been encapsulated for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Built by Lockheed Martin, the satellite was enclosed and sealed in an aerodynamic, nose-cone shell launch fairing, which will be mounted on to the rocket for liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, US, on 18 December. GPS III SV01 is the first of ten GPS III satellites currently under full production at the company’s advanced $128m GPS III processing facility near Denver.   More
(Source: Airforce Technology - Dec 14)

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