21 April 2023
Starship, space-based manufacturing and ISRU marking yet more milestones in commercial space - Space News Roundup
Starship (Image: SpaceX)
On Thursday, SpaceX attempted a first launch of their fully-stacked Starship. The rocket cleared the launch tower, achieving some key milestones, but began to spin shortly after liftoff, leading the flight being aborted. Despite this, SpaceX will take away valuable data, and in clearing the launch tower, still sees the test flight as a success. Starship’s capabilities will change the space launch industry, from its massive payload capacity and long-term ability of transporting crews to the Moon and Mars.
Space launches and innovative rocket design symbolise a rapidly changing industry, and this week there have been promising updates from other commercial space launch companies. However, as well as innovating the technology to access space, there have been promising developments regarding how we will use space to benefit humanity and our long-term exploration goals; through space-based manufacturing and in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU).
Space-based manufacturing and ISRU
One of these promising and diverse technologies is space-based solar power (SBSP). The idea is for solar farms to be placed in orbit, with the energy being wirelessly beamed back to Earth, currently being spearheaded by companies such as New Zealand-based Emrod. The European Space Agency have also being making moves in this area, with their research into feasibility of such tech being studied under their SOLARIS programme. ESA has now signed contracts for two concept studies for “commercial scale” SBSP.
The contracts are being led by Arthur D Little and Thales Alenia Space Italy, and according to ESA they are designed to guide the scope of specific R&D activities that will follow. The results from the overall Solaris programme should be published by 2025, and inform Europe in its decision to proceed with SBSP on a commercial-scale.
This technology also represents an orbital infrastructure that is becoming more diverse, sophisticated and complex. With a rapidly increasing number of objects in orbit, a growing desire to reduce costs, increase efficiency and achieve sustainability goals, there is a developing interest in technologies used to increase the lifespan of orbital vehicles. One such company is US-based Orbit Fab, who have this week raised an additional $28.5million towards their in-orbit refuelling technology. The company has also signed contracts with the US Defense Innovation Unit and Space Force, and the first missions are due to launch in 2024. Similarly, Lockheed Martin have had success this week involving in-orbit satellite servicing. The Lockheed Martin In-space Upgrade Satellite System (Linuss) experiment involves two tiny cubsats, where one will carry out the task of servicing the other, with the two currently carrying out manoeuvres to get ever closer to each other. Karla Brown, Linuss program manager, also highlighted the goal of proving the use of AI algorithms needed to perform the servicing mission.
Building and servicing this new orbital infrastructure is becoming a growth industry in itself, and will be set to expand further as companies also look into the feasibility of in-space manufacture. On Wednesday, NASA announced the formation of a consortium aimed at making in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) technologies a central part of their space architecture. The Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC) is to “…foster a nationwide alliance across government, industry, nonprofit research institutions, and academia to ensure the United States is the global leader in ISAM,” said Jim Reuter of NASA.
Also looking into space-based manufacturing is UK-based Space Forge. They have this week announced that they will be establishing operations in the US, since observing the growing interest in the manufacture of semiconductors. In utilising zero-gravity conditions in space, materials can be produced with fewer defects. SpaceForge’s ForgeStar vehicle did attempt to travel into orbit in January, but was lost as part of the failed Virgin Orbit launch from the UK. They will try again later this year with SpaceX, and attempt to carry out manufacture of semiconductor materials in space. Similarly, Axiom Space have announced a partnership with health specialists Cedar Sinai, in order to grow stem cells in orbit, again utilising the effects of zero gravity. The experiment will be delivered to the ISS as part of Axiom’s Ax-2 mission in May.
The growth of this orbital infrastructure is something we have been monitoring for some time, and with the advent of Starship, it may well expand far quicker than we initially thought.
Rocket Lab to feature reusable components in boosters (Image: Rocket Lab)
Starship marks a new era in commercial launch
Panelists at the Smallsat Symposium in February said that satellite manufacturers should prepare for the emergence of Starship, seemingly suggesting that this will become the launch vehicle of choice. Starship’s radically increased payload capacity alone could be counted on to further reduce launch costs, but there is again, much like the rest of the active SpaceX fleet, the reusable aspect. Starship is design to be launched and relaunched time and time again. However, SpaceX are now not the only ones providing this advantage.
New Zealand company, Rocket Lab, will attempt to reuse one of their Rutherford engines, which was originally flown in May 2022. Furthermore, Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab, said that every Electron (their current launch vehicle) booster from now on will have some components that have previously flown, but it is unsure when an entire booster will be reused. Nonetheless, Rocket Lab may also soon be able to capitalise in this tech, increase efficiency and offer satellite manufacturers a smoother path to orbit. Also, it appears that Virgin Orbit may still be planning to launch later this year. Despite filing for bankruptcy, CEO Dan Hart has said that they are pushing ahead with plans while they are in talks with potential buyers. Virgin’s tech also plays on the idea of increased efficiency and flexibility by launching their rockets mid-air from a 747.
Firefly Aerospace this week announced that they will be looking expand their portfolio, with a new medium-launch vehicle being developed alongside Northrop Grumman. It is slated to launch in 2025, and will compete for national security launches; a reliable and consistent market for launch startups. Furthermore, with a payload of 16,000kg, it is designed to compete with Rocket Lab’s Neutron and Relativity’s Terran-R rocket.
SpaceX may find that they are about to face stiff competition to the dominance of their workhorse Falcon-9, with the Terran-R and Neutron rockets also featuring reusable technology. However, at the moment it seems that SpaceX are always one step ahead. Despite having to abort the launch of Starship, the company has taken a big step forwards. Elon Musk almost immediately tweeted that the next Starship launch will be within a few months, and will likely be far more successful. Competitors of SpaceX will have to move quickly if they want to keep up.
External Links
This Week
*News articles posted here are not property of ANASDA GmbH and belong to their respected owners. Postings here are external links only.
Our future in space
Starship (Image: SpaceX)
21 April 2023
Starship, space-based manufacturing and ISRU marking yet more milestones in commercial space - Space News Roundup
On Thursday, SpaceX attempted a first launch of their fully-stacked Starship. The rocket cleared the launch tower, achieving some key milestones, but began to spin shortly after liftoff, leading the flight being aborted. Despite this, SpaceX will take away valuable data, and in clearing the launch tower, still sees the test flight as a success. Starship’s capabilities will change the space launch industry, from its massive payload capacity and long-term ability of transporting crews to the Moon and Mars.
Space launches and innovative rocket design symbolise a rapidly changing industry, and this week there have been promising updates from other commercial space launch companies. However, as well as innovating the technology to access space, there have been promising developments regarding how we will use space to benefit humanity and our long-term exploration goals; through space-based manufacturing and in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU).
Space-based manufacturing and ISRU
One of these promising and diverse technologies is space-based solar power (SBSP). The idea is for solar farms to be placed in orbit, with the energy being wirelessly beamed back to Earth, currently being spearheaded by companies such as New Zealand-based Emrod. The European Space Agency have also being making moves in this area, with their research into feasibility of such tech being studied under their SOLARIS programme. ESA has now signed contracts for two concept studies for “commercial scale” SBSP.
The contracts are being led by Arthur D Little and Thales Alenia Space Italy, and according to ESA they are designed to guide the scope of specific R&D activities that will follow. The results from the overall Solaris programme should be published by 2025, and inform Europe in its decision to proceed with SBSP on a commercial-scale.
This technology also represents an orbital infrastructure that is becoming more diverse, sophisticated and complex. With a rapidly increasing number of objects in orbit, a growing desire to reduce costs, increase efficiency and achieve sustainability goals, there is a developing interest in technologies used to increase the lifespan of orbital vehicles. One such company is US-based Orbit Fab, who have this week raised an additional $28.5million towards their in-orbit refuelling technology. The company has also signed contracts with the US Defense Innovation Unit and Space Force, and the first missions are due to launch in 2024. Similarly, Lockheed Martin have had success this week involving in-orbit satellite servicing. The Lockheed Martin In-space Upgrade Satellite System (Linuss) experiment involves two tiny cubsats, where one will carry out the task of servicing the other, with the two currently carrying out manoeuvres to get ever closer to each other. Karla Brown, Linuss program manager, also highlighted the goal of proving the use of AI algorithms needed to perform the servicing mission.
Building and servicing this new orbital infrastructure is becoming a growth industry in itself, and will be set to expand further as companies also look into the feasibility of in-space manufacture. On Wednesday, NASA announced the formation of a consortium aimed at making in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) technologies a central part of their space architecture. The Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC) is to “…foster a nationwide alliance across government, industry, nonprofit research institutions, and academia to ensure the United States is the global leader in ISAM,” said Jim Reuter of NASA.
Also looking into space-based manufacturing is UK-based Space Forge. They have this week announced that they will be establishing operations in the US, since observing the growing interest in the manufacture of semiconductors. In utilising zero-gravity conditions in space, materials can be produced with fewer defects. SpaceForge’s ForgeStar vehicle did attempt to travel into orbit in January, but was lost as part of the failed Virgin Orbit launch from the UK. They will try again later this year with SpaceX, and attempt to carry out manufacture of semiconductor materials in space. Similarly, Axiom Space have announced a partnership with health specialists Cedar Sinai, in order to grow stem cells in orbit, again utilising the effects of zero gravity. The experiment will be delivered to the ISS as part of Axiom’s Ax-2 mission in May.
The growth of this orbital infrastructure is something we have been monitoring for some time, and with the advent of Starship, it may well expand far quicker than we initially thought.
Rocket Lab to feature reusable components in boosters (Image: Rocket Lab)
Starship marks a new era in commercial launch
Panelists at the Smallsat Symposium in February said that satellite manufacturers should prepare for the emergence of Starship, seemingly suggesting that this will become the launch vehicle of choice. Starship’s radically increased payload capacity alone could be counted on to further reduce launch costs, but there is again, much like the rest of the active SpaceX fleet, the reusable aspect. Starship is design to be launched and relaunched time and time again. However, SpaceX are now not the only ones providing this advantage.
New Zealand company, Rocket Lab, will attempt to reuse one of their Rutherford engines, which was originally flown in May 2022. Furthermore, Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab, said that every Electron (their current launch vehicle) booster from now on will have some components that have previously flown, but it is unsure when an entire booster will be reused. Nonetheless, Rocket Lab may also soon be able to capitalise in this tech, increase efficiency and offer satellite manufacturers a smoother path to orbit. Also, it appears that Virgin Orbit may still be planning to launch later this year. Despite filing for bankruptcy, CEO Dan Hart has said that they are pushing ahead with plans while they are in talks with potential buyers. Virgin’s tech also plays on the idea of increased efficiency and flexibility by launching their rockets mid-air from a 747.
Firefly Aerospace this week announced that they will be looking expand their portfolio, with a new medium-launch vehicle being developed alongside Northrop Grumman. It is slated to launch in 2025, and will compete for national security launches; a reliable and consistent market for launch startups. Furthermore, with a payload of 16,000kg, it is designed to compete with Rocket Lab’s Neutron and Relativity’s Terran-R rocket.
SpaceX may find that they are about to face stiff competition to the dominance of their workhorse Falcon-9, with the Terran-R and Neutron rockets also featuring reusable technology. However, at the moment it seems that SpaceX are always one step ahead. Despite having to abort the launch of Starship, the company has taken a big step forwards. Elon Musk almost immediately tweeted that the next Starship launch will be within a few months, and will likely be far more successful. Competitors of SpaceX will have to move quickly if they want to keep up.
Share this article
External Links
This Week
*News articles posted here are not property of ANASDA GmbH and belong to their respected owners. Postings here are external links only.
21 April 2023
Starship, space-based manufacturing and ISRU marking yet more milestones in commercial space - Space News Roundup
Starship (Image:SpaceX)
On Thursday, SpaceX attempted a first launch of their fully-stacked Starship. The rocket cleared the launch tower, achieving some key milestones, but began to spin shortly after liftoff, leading the flight being aborted. Despite this, SpaceX will take away valuable data, and in clearing the launch tower, still sees the test flight as a success. Starship’s capabilities will change the space launch industry, from its massive payload capacity and long-term ability of transporting crews to the Moon and Mars.
Space launches and innovative rocket design symbolise a rapidly changing industry, and this week there have been promising updates from other commercial space launch companies. However, as well as innovating the technology to access space, there have been promising developments regarding how we will use space to benefit humanity and our long-term exploration goals; through space-based manufacturing and in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU).
Space-based manufacturing and ISRU
One of these promising and diverse technologies is space-based solar power (SBSP). The idea is for solar farms to be placed in orbit, with the energy being wirelessly beamed back to Earth, currently being spearheaded by companies such as New Zealand-based Emrod. The European Space Agency have also being making moves in this area, with their research into feasibility of such tech being studied under their SOLARIS programme. ESA has now signed contracts for two concept studies for “commercial scale” SBSP.
The contracts are being led by Arthur D Little and Thales Alenia Space Italy, and according to ESA they are designed to guide the scope of specific R&D activities that will follow. The results from the overall Solaris programme should be published by 2025, and inform Europe in its decision to proceed with SBSP on a commercial-scale.
This technology also represents an orbital infrastructure that is becoming more diverse, sophisticated and complex. With a rapidly increasing number of objects in orbit, a growing desire to reduce costs, increase efficiency and achieve sustainability goals, there is a developing interest in technologies used to increase the lifespan of orbital vehicles. One such company is US-based Orbit Fab, who have this week raised an additional $28.5million towards their in-orbit refuelling technology. The company has also signed contracts with the US Defense Innovation Unit and Space Force, and the first missions are due to launch in 2024. Similarly, Lockheed Martin have had success this week involving in-orbit satellite servicing. The Lockheed Martin In-space Upgrade Satellite System (Linuss) experiment involves two tiny cubsats, where one will carry out the task of servicing the other, with the two currently carrying out manoeuvres to get ever closer to each other. Karla Brown, Linuss program manager, also highlighted the goal of proving the use of AI algorithms needed to perform the servicing mission.
Building and servicing this new orbital infrastructure is becoming a growth industry in itself, and will be set to expand further as companies also look into the feasibility of in-space manufacture. On Wednesday, NASA announced the formation of a consortium aimed at making in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) technologies a central part of their space architecture. The Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities (COSMIC) is to “…foster a nationwide alliance across government, industry, nonprofit research institutions, and academia to ensure the United States is the global leader in ISAM,” said Jim Reuter of NASA.
Also looking into space-based manufacturing is UK-based Space Forge. They have this week announced that they will be establishing operations in the US, since observing the growing interest in the manufacture of semiconductors. In utilising zero-gravity conditions in space, materials can be produced with fewer defects. SpaceForge’s ForgeStar vehicle did attempt to travel into orbit in January, but was lost as part of the failed Virgin Orbit launch from the UK. They will try again later this year with SpaceX, and attempt to carry out manufacture of semiconductor materials in space. Similarly, Axiom Space have announced a partnership with health specialists Cedar Sinai, in order to grow stem cells in orbit, again utilising the effects of zero gravity. The experiment will be delivered to the ISS as part of Axiom’s Ax-2 mission in May.
The growth of this orbital infrastructure is something we have been monitoring for some time, and with the advent of Starship, it may well expand far quicker than we initially thought.
Rocket Lab to feature reusable components in boosters (Image: Rocket Lab)
Starship marks a new era in commercial launch
Panelists at the Smallsat Symposium in February said that satellite manufacturers should prepare for the emergence of Starship, seemingly suggesting that this will become the launch vehicle of choice. Starship’s radically increased payload capacity alone could be counted on to further reduce launch costs, but there is again, much like the rest of the active SpaceX fleet, the reusable aspect. Starship is design to be launched and relaunched time and time again. However, SpaceX are now not the only ones providing this advantage.
New Zealand company, Rocket Lab, will attempt to reuse one of their Rutherford engines, which was originally flown in May 2022. Furthermore, Peter Beck, chief executive of Rocket Lab, said that every Electron (their current launch vehicle) booster from now on will have some components that have previously flown, but it is unsure when an entire booster will be reused. Nonetheless, Rocket Lab may also soon be able to capitalise in this tech, increase efficiency and offer satellite manufacturers a smoother path to orbit. Also, it appears that Virgin Orbit may still be planning to launch later this year. Despite filing for bankruptcy, CEO Dan Hart has said that they are pushing ahead with plans while they are in talks with potential buyers. Virgin’s tech also plays on the idea of increased efficiency and flexibility by launching their rockets mid-air from a 747.
Firefly Aerospace this week announced that they will be looking expand their portfolio, with a new medium-launch vehicle being developed alongside Northrop Grumman. It is slated to launch in 2025, and will compete for national security launches; a reliable and consistent market for launch startups. Furthermore, with a payload of 16,000kg, it is designed to compete with Rocket Lab’s Neutron and Relativity’s Terran-R rocket.
SpaceX may find that they are about to face stiff competition to the dominance of their workhorse Falcon-9, with the Terran-R and Neutron rockets also featuring reusable technology. However, at the moment it seems that SpaceX are always one step ahead. Despite having to abort the launch of Starship, the company has taken a big step forwards. Elon Musk almost immediately tweeted that the next Starship launch will be within a few months, and will likely be far more successful. Competitors of SpaceX will have to move quickly if they want to keep up.
Share this article
External Links
This Week
*News articles posted here are not property of ANASDA GmbH and belong to their respected owners. Postings here are external links only.