U.S. NUCLEAR COMMAND SATELLITES NEED HARDENING AGAINST ATTACKS, REPORT WARNS - The United States should harden its low Earth orbit satellites that support nuclear command and control against radiation effects from potential high-altitude nuclear detonations, according to a new report from a prominent think tank. The Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security released a study July 15 titled “Modernizing Space-Based Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications” that recommends steps to protect space-based elements of the U.S. nuclear command, control and communications (NC3) system. The report comes amid growing concerns about Russia’s development of space-based nuclear weapons and the vulnerability of critical military satellites. More (Source: SpaceNews - Jul 16)
U.S. PLAN TO CRASH SPACE STATION IS CONDEMNED BY SPACE AGENCY LEADERS - An American plan to destroy the International Space Station by propelling it to burn through the atmosphere, and then crashing it into the Pacific Ocean, would rob citizens of the future of one of civilization’s greatest technological masterworks, and should be halted, say one-time leaders of NASA and of the European Space Agency. NASA’s draft blueprints to send the ISS on a peacetime kamikaze mission, to explode on impact with Antarctic waters, would obliterate a pole star of human ingenuity, says Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of the European Space Agency when the ISS was being built and expanded. More (Source: Forbes - Jul 15)
STARLINK SATELLITES ARE STRANDED IN LOW ORBIT AFTER ROCKET MALFUNCTION - Usually, SpaceX is synonymous with innovative space solutions, a name that sparks hopes of an extraterrestrial future. However, a recent incident involving the company’s Falcon 9 rocket has left a dent in their otherwise stellar reputation. A SpaceX rocket has gone off course for the first time in nearly a decade, marooning the company’s Starlink internet satellites in a lower-than-intended orbit, spelling their inevitable plunge back to Earth. More (Source: Earth.com - Jul 15)
SPACE FORCE LAUNCHING LASERS IN 2025 TO HELP PINPOINT THE CENTER OF EARTH - The U.S. Space Force aims to better pinpoint the location of Earth's true center using lasers on GPS satellites slated to launch in 2025. A set of laser retroreflector arrays, or LRAs, will be installed onto two GPS III satellites, called SV9 and SV10, as part of NASA's Space Geodesy Program space sensor network. The lasers are designed to make precise sub-centimeter level measurements using a technique called Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), which will allow researchers to more accurately determine Earth's center, according to a statement from the Space Force. More (Source: Space.com - Jul 14)
LAWMAKERS ASK NASA ABOUT RISK OF POST-ISS GAP - Lawmakers raised concerns on Wednesday about the US leaving a leadership vacuum in LEO after the ISS is retired in 2030. To try to get ahead of the problem, members of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee passed an amendment to the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2024 that would require the space agency to report back on the risk posed by a potential gap in US access to LEO, plus how to prevent it. More (Source: Payload Space - Jul 13)
FALCON 9 SECOND STAGE FAILS LEAVING STARLINK SATELLITES IN WRONG ORBIT - SpaceX suffered its first inflight failure of a Falcon 9 since 2015 on Thursday, leaving 20 Starlink satellites in a perilously low orbit. SpaceX founder Elon Musk said it was unclear if the satellites could raise their orbits using onboard ion thrusters. SpaceX’s 70th orbital launch of the year initially appeared to go well after lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Thursday night at 7:35 p.m. PDT (10:35 p.m. EDT, 0235 UTC). The batch of 20 Starlink satellites included 13 that feature the direct to cellphone capabilities. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 12)
CHINA FORTIFIES SPACE STATION - Two astronauts ventured outside of China's Tiangong space station last week to armor its exterior against incoming space debris kicked up by an exploding Russian satellite. "The spacewalk primarily focused on installing protective devices on external cables and pipelines to mitigate risks posed by potential space debris collisions, enhancing the long-term safety and stability of the space station," China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation engineer Liu Ming told state-owned news network CCTV, as quoted by the South China Morning Post. More (Source: Yahoo - Jul 12)
SPACEX LAUNCHING DIRECT-TO-CELL STARLINK SATELLITES FROM CALIFORNIA ON JULY 11 AFTER DELAY - SpaceX plans to launch 20 more of its Starlink satellites on Thursday night (July 11), including 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink spacecraft is scheduled to lift off Thursday from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, during a four-hour window that opens at 10:39 p.m. EDT (7:39 p.m. local California time; 0239 GMT on July 12). That's one day later than originally planned; SpaceX didn't give a reason for the slip. SpaceX will livestream the action via its X account; coverage will begin about 15 minutes before launch. More (Source: Space.com - Jul 11)
EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY LAUNCHES INAUGURAL ARIANE 6 ROCKET, ENCOUNTERS UPPER STAGE ISSUE - The inaugural launch of the Ariane 6 rocket, which was lauded from those from the President of France to the NASA Administrator, hit a notable snag in the third and final phase of the mission. Part of the rocket’s upper stage, called the Auxiliary Propulsion Unit (APU), was powered on for a third time as intended, but it quickly shut off after only seconds, causing the upper stage to deviate from its planned trajectory. During a post-launch press conference, leadership within the European Space Agency (ESA), ArianeGroup (the prime contractor) and CNES (France’s space agency) focused primarily on the successes of the day, rather than the anomaly at the end of the mission. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 11)
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