COLDEST SPOT IN UNIVERSE SHOULD SOON BE ABOARD INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - The International Space Station (ISS) will soon host the coldest spot in the entire universe, if everything goes according to plan. This August, NASA plans to launch to the ISS an experiment that will freeze atoms to only 1 billionth of a degree above absolute zero — more than 100 million times colder than the far reaches of deep space, agency officials said. The instrument suite, which is about the size of an ice chest, is called the Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL). It consists of lasers, a vacuum chamber and an electromagnetic "knife" that together will slow down gas particles until they are almost motionless.   More
(Source: Space.com - Mar 9)

CHINA TO DEVELOP SATELLITE-DELIVERY ROCKETS FROM AIRPLANES - China will develop a new generation of rockets that can be launched into space from an aircraft, a senior official said. Air-launched rockets can rapidly replace dysfunctional satellites or, in cases of disaster relief, quickly send up Earth observation satellites to assist in the effort, Li Tongyu, the head of carrier rocket development at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, said. Engineers at the academy, which is the main developer of Chinese carrier rockets, have designed a model capable of sending a payload of about 100 kilograms into low Earth orbit, he said. They plan to design a larger rocket that could carry 200 kg into orbit.   More
(Source: The Indian Express - Mar 8)

SIGNAL-TRACKING SATELLITE WOULD BUILD ITS OWN ANTENNA IN SPACE - A British engineering firm plans to make satellites that can manufacture their own gigantic antennas in space. They would then be able to monitor radio signals from Earth. The idea, from Magna Parva in Leicester, is to launch satellites with a supply of raw materials that they can combine to produce long, thin structures such as booms or antennas. These components are difficult to deliver into space because they take up a lot of room and can be easily damaged. Being able to make them in space from raw materials would allow satellites to carry larger antennas.   More
(Source: New Scientist - Mar 8)

SENTINEL-2B RIDES VEGA TO JOIN COPERNICUS FLEET - Arianespace’s small launcher, the Vega rocket, has lofted the Sentinel-2B Earth observation satellite on Monday night (local time). Sentinel-2B becomes the fifth satellite launched for Copernicus following its lift off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The launch was on schedule at 01:49 UTC (Tuesday). Sentinel is the space segment of Copernicus, consisting of six different types of satellite to study different aspects of the planet.   More
(Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Mar 7)

CUBESATS DEPLOYED DURING CREW ULTRASOUND SCANS - Four CubeSats were deployed this morning as the crew researched fluid shifts toward the head that may affect astronaut vision. Tools were also being collected and organized today ahead of possible maintenance spacewalks. Four CubeSats were ejected Monday morning from outside Japan’s Kibo lab module using the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer. The LEMUR-2 satellites will help monitor global ship tracking and improve weather forecasting. Sergey Ryzhikov from Roscosmos participated in ultrasound scans of the head and neck for the long-running Fluid Shifts study.    More
(Source: NASA - Mar 7)

PRIVATE CYGNUS SPACECRAFT TO LAUNCH NASA CARGO TO SPACE STATION SOON - The private spaceflight company Orbital ATK is targeting March 19 for its seventh cargo flight, dubbed OA-7, to the International Space Station. Packed with supplies and science gear, the Cygnus cargo craft is scheduled to blast off atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida during a 30-minute launch window beginning at 10:56 p.m. EDT (0256 GMT on March 20). Along with more than 7,500 lbs. (3,400 kilograms) of cargo and supplies for the astronauts aboard the space station, Cygnus will carry several science experiments, including dozens of cubesats, a new habitat for growing plants and targeted cancer therapies.   More
(Source: Space.com - Mar 7)

BELARUS’ SATELLITE OPERATOR FEELING GOOD A YEAR AFTER FIRST SATELLITE LAUNCH - A little over a year after the launch of its first satellite, Belarus’ state-owned telecom satellite operator, Belintersat, says its commercial sales efforts are bearing fruit. Belintersat-1, a C- and Ku-band satellite from China Great Wall Industry Corp, with payloads from France-based Thales Alenia Space, launched in January 2016 aboard a Chinese Long March 3B rocket. Belintersat is focusing its satellite capacity on international markets in order to generate a new source of revenue for the tiny Eastern European state of 9.5 million people.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Mar 6)

ENJOY NOAA'S EYE-OPENING SATELLITE IMAGERY WHILE YOU CAN - U.S. satellites help us predict and prepare for powerful storms, even before they arrive at our door. The data let us to monitor climate change and map the effects on coastlines, glaciers, oceans and land. With satellite systems, we can tell when it's safe to fly a plane, steer a ship or drive a car. Yet NOAA may soon be forced to dial back or pause some of this work if the Trump administration succeeds in slashing the agency's budget.    More
(Source: Marshable - Mar 6)

DON'T EXPECT A SPACE RACE. SPACEX AND NASA NEED EACH OTHER - SpaceX, the upstart company, and NASA, the government agency, both have plans to venture to Mars and orbit the moon. But that doesn’t mean they’ve launched a new space race. In fact, NASA has long been SpaceX’s most important customer, providing contracts to deliver cargo and eventually astronauts to the International Space Station. And the Hawthorne company will need NASA’s technical support to achieve the first of its grand ambitions in deep space.   More
(Source: Los Angeles Times - Mar 6)

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