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SSC selects Lockheed Martin for early design of next MUOS Satellites

The fifth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite is seen in Lockheed Martin’s Sunnyvale, California, satellite manufacturing facility prior to launch.

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command recently awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a firm-fixed-price contract valued at $66 million for risk reduction activities and early design work in support of the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) Service Life Extension (SLE) program.

MUOS is a satellite-based network that provides the U.S. military with ultra-high frequency (UHF) voice and data communications. The MUOS constellation consists of four active satellites and one on-orbit spare, all built and operated by Lockheed Martin.The SLE program will extend this advanced capability into the 2030s by adding two more MUOS satellites to enable the continuation of four fully operational satellites, with spares supporting legacy UHF channels.

MUOS SLE Phase 1 is a one-year base period with potential for an additional six-month option. The base period is intended to reduce risks through early design activities in support of the Phase 2 acquisition for final design and production of two space vehicles. MUOS SLE Phase 2 is a separate competition for final design, production, spacecraft testing and delivery to the U.S. Space Force for launch by 2030.

MUOS provides the advanced Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) waveform, giving warfighters 10 times the communications capacity of the legacy UHF SATCOM system, while supporting interoperability with legacy UHF terminals. In 2017, MUOS was approved for early use and testing, including use during humanitarian response and disaster relief missions, with the system being deemed cyber-survivable and approved for use in warfighting environments in 2019 after rigorous testing.  

Most recently, Canada became the first partner nation to successfully access the MUOS Narrowband Global SATCOM System, marking an important international milestone for the program.

“Lockheed Martin revolutionized military communications for mobile forces by developing MUOS, which provides simultaneous, crystal-clear voice, video and mission data that extends connections beyond line-of-sight around the world,” said Joe Rickers, Lockheed Martin Space’s vice president for Connectivity, Transport and Access missions. “This extension effort speaks to the operational effectiveness of MUOS, and as the industry leader in military satellite communications, we are eager to leverage our experience to strengthen the system and ensure the warfighter’s needs continue to be met.”   

GHGSat to launch 6 high-resolution emission monitoring satellites in 2023

Photo of the GHGSat C6 to C8 methane sats is courtesy of the smallsat builder, Space Flight Laboratory.

GHGSat will be launching six additional satellites in 2023 — the first three are GHGSat satellites, named Mey-Lin (C6), Gaspard (C7) and Océane (C8) and they will travel into orbit this spring onboard SpaceX’s Transporter-7 rideshare mission.

GHGSat’s satellite methane sensors have set the standard for performance with an industry-leading combination of low detection threshold and high resolution. The timely and frequent insight the monitoring constellation provides is used by industry, governments and financial services worldwide to proactively drive reductions in emissions.

The demand for data is increasing as awareness of the benefits of addressing methane emissions continues to grow, and nations turn their focus to meeting the commitments made as part of the Global Methane Pledge. With 12 spacecraft in orbit by the end of the year, GHGSat will be doubling its capacity to make more than 1.5 million facility measurements in 2023.

Named after the children of GHGSat team members, as per company tradition, Mey-Lin, Gaspard, and Océane completed testing in December and will travel to their launch site in California later this month. All three proprietary payloads feature the same proven, patented high-resolution interferometer currently on-orbit, tuned to precisely detect and measure the specific ‘signature’ of methane in the atmosphere.

GHGSat-C9, C10, and C11 are hosted payloads currently in the final stages of assembly and testing, and will soon be shipped for integration with third-party satellites, as announced on September 15 of last year. GHGSat-C10 is the world’s first commercial CO2 hosted payload, reaffirming GHGSat’s leadership position in the monitoring of greenhouse gases at industrial facilities from space.

An announcement regarding launch dates will follow in due course.

Stephane Germain, CEO at GHGSat, said, “Every year since our demonstrator satellite Claire was launched in 2016, we’ve pushed the boundaries of emissions monitoring from space. We are driven by our ambition to fight climate change by continuing our role as an independent purveyor of the best methane emissions insight in the world, and as a trusted partner to industry, government and financial services customers. The new satellites mean we can dramatically ramp up the number of locations and emissions we can monitor worldwide, including increasing daily monitoring over key oil and gas production sites.”

Amazon’s new Project Kuiper facility will increase satellite manufacturing with goal of four satellites daily

Amazon plans to develop a dedicated, 172,000-square-foot satellite production facility in Kirkland, Washington. The new facility will create more than 200 highly skilled aerospace and manufacturing jobs in the Puget Sound region and provide the scale required to build as many as four satellites per day.

Amazon’s new facility in Kirkland, Washington, will provide jobs and infrastructure to scale satellite production ahead of a full commercial deployment. Amazon is continuing to invest in people and facilities to support Project Kuiper, a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network that will provide fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world. The program, based in Redmond, Washington, continues to expand the footprint in the region following the announcement of an initial 219,000-square-foot research and development facility in 2020.

These facilities have the capacity to support prototype development and begin commercial satellite production, but to deliver on our vision for the project, we need to operate on a much larger scale. That requires dedicated manufacturing space, and we’re excited to announce plans to develop a dedicated, 172,000-square-foot satellite production facility in Kirkland, Washington. The new facility will create more than 200 highly skilled aerospace and manufacturing jobs in the Puget Sound region and provide the scale required to build as many as four satellites per day.

“Getting Project Kuiper’s satellites into space requires significant precision, expertise, and a world-class team committed to our vision,” said Rajeev Badyal, vice president of technology for Project Kuiper. “This new satellite production facility will significantly expand our manufacturing capacity as we approach launch and deployment, and it brings us another step closer to delivering on our mission to connect unserved and underserved communities around the world.”

Project Kuiper satellites have been designed and developed in-house to maximize performance while reducing costs, and the manufacturing facility will provide additional control over the production and testing process. By centralizing operations in the Puget Sound, it can also ensure close coordination between design and development teams in Redmond and manufacturing teams in Kirkland.

“We’re excited with Amazon’s selection of Kirkland for Project Kuiper’s satellite production facility,” said Kirkland Mayor Penny Sweet. “Whether you’re looking to get your foot in the door or are pursuing an advanced, high-level career, this will bring even more economic opportunity for professionals who live here and for those who have yet to call Kirkland home. Partners like Amazon are critical in demonstrating why our city is such a great place to live, work, and play. Our state’s pioneering spirit has revolutionized aerospace. As Project Kuiper’s partner, Kirkland is proud to continue this tradition.”

Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites will fly on the new Vulcan Centaur rocket in early 2023

Project Kuiper, Amazon’s satellite broadband program, will launch two prototype satellites on an upcoming United Launch Alliance mission to test system performance in space.

For over a century, Washington state has been home to a thriving aerospace sector. Project Kuiper recently joined a White House-led coalition to bolster the country’s commercial space workforce, and these investments will allow them to extend that commitment to the local communities in the Puget Sound region. The new production facility will open new doors in advanced manufacturing for a diverse range of space-focused job seekers, and it will provide additional opportunities for local partners with expertise in manufacturing materials and services.

“In the 21st century, a reliable high-speed internet connection is essential for living, learning, and working from home. Amazon’s Project Kuiper will be critical to help close the digital divide and provide more affordable internet options. Our region’s tech industry is strong, and its continued growth has significant benefits across the country,” said U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene (D-WA), whose district includes Kirkland. “Project Kuiper’s new production facility will bring good-paying, high-skilled jobs to the Puget Sound region as work continues to expand broadband access everywhere.“

Project Kuiper, Amazon’s satellite broadband program, will launch two prototype satellites on an upcoming United Launch Alliance mission to test system performance in space.

“Amazon could have located their Project Kuiper satellite production facility anywhere in the world, and yet they chose Kirkland and the Greater Seattle region to expand,” said Brian Surratt, president and CEO of Greater Seattle Partners. “The decision to continue to grow here will create new jobs and opportunities for our rich ecosystem of aerospace companies and talent that has evolved over more than a century of research, development, and manufacturing. We are honored to be Amazon’s partner in pushing the boundaries of space and delivering fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world.”

Project Kuiper’s first two prototype satellites will launch in early 2023 on United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket, and Amazon has secured up to 92 heavy-lift launches from Arianespace, Blue Origin, and ULA, marking the largest commercial procurement of launch vehicles in history. These contracts will provide enough capacity to deploy the majority of our satellite constellation and support thousands of suppliers and highly skilled jobs across the United States and Europe. Also on Thursday, ULA announced the groundbreaking of new facilities in Decatur, Alabama, nearly doubling its capacity to support the partnership and supply the launch vehicles needed to get Kuiper satellites into orbit.

More than 1,000 people are working on Project Kuiper across the U.S., including cities such as San Diego, Austin, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and are continuing to hire across a wide range of roles and disciplines.

Spire Global solution enlightens dark shipping detection 

Dark ship detection solution is essential to identify and locate vessels suspected of unlawful activities, such as evading sanctions, illegal fishing and human trafficking 

Spire Global, Inc. , a global provider of space-based data, analytics and space services, reveal a dark shipping detection solution to track vessels that manipulate their reported position in order to conceal nefarious activities.

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) on a vessel helps avoid collisions at sea, track global shipping trends and monitor individual vessel activity — however, crew members on board can manipulate the system by turning off the transponder to go dark or ‘spoofing’ the AIS to report false positions. Typically this is done in order to hide activity that is illegal or could have negative consequences to the ship owner, such as illegal trading, loading or unloading sanctioned goods, or illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

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Spire’s near real-time, global geolocation position validation service can uncover suspicious activity and pinpoint a vessel without the need for an approximate location. The applications are critical to governments, intelligence and security agencies, and nonprofit organizations’ efforts to identify and locate vessels that are breaking international law. 

“For a long time, having the tools to accurately identify and track ships that are attempting to hide their activities or location has been the missing key to preventing sanctions evasion, illegal fishing, human trafficking and many more pressing societal issues,” said Peter Mabson, CEO, Spire Maritime. “Dark shipping detection builds on our breadth of maritime tracking solutions and underscores Spire’s mission to use data that can only be collected from space to improve life on Earth.”

Spire operates thelargest multipurpose constellation with more than 100 satellites. The company plans to launch additional products in 2023 for geolocation and identification of dark targets, at sea, on land, and in the air.

U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command launches experimental satellite Tetra-1

Tetra-1 is an experimental satellite designed for a variety of prototype missions in and around geostationary orbit, or GEO Photo Courtesy of Millennium Space System.

Delivered in less than 15 months by prime contractor Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing company, Tetra-1 is an experimental satellite designed for a variety of prototype missions in and around geostationary orbit, or GEO. The launch marks a new era for the Space Force, as it focuses on building and fielding new capabilities faster than in the past.

“The threat to our space systems is real. Speed is critical in developing advanced capabilities to stay ahead and, if necessary, defeat the threat.” said Col Joseph J. Roth, Innovation and Prototyping senior materiel leader for the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command. “Tetra-1 is a great example of how a small company, and an innovative contracting approach, authorized by Congress, came together, and delivered an advanced satellite in record time.”

The small sat, about the size of a large dorm-room refrigerator, will help Space Force operators develop tactics, techniques, and procedures for Department of Defense missions.

Tetra-1 was the pacesetting first prototype awarded under Space Systems Command’s other transaction authority, or OTA, called the Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC), that seeks to speed up procurements and diversify industry partnerships.

Building Smarter

To move fast on development and production of Tetra-1, Millennium Space Systems pulled its expertise from a variety of programs, including the GEO ALTAIR Pathfinder satellite that launched in 2017.

“It is important for SSC to deliver capabilities on time and within budget,” said Roth. “It is also important for the commercial space sector to continue to innovate and help drive down costs.”

“We’re known for delivering systems fast,” said Jason Kim, chief executive officer of Millennium Space Systems. “Our innovation is enabled by the fact that we build 80 percent of our components in-house. That lets us design, build and deliver a completely new satellite in a very short timeline.”

Such is the kind of innovation that Space Systems Command is looking for in procuring new capabilities, like Tetra-1 – working with partners that can take advantage of commercial best practices and existing satellite production. Photo Courtesy of Millennium Space Systems.

Small Sats, Layered Architecture

The Defense Department’s embrace of Tetra and other small satellites is being driven by the need to introduce resilient satellite systems and architectures to counter the Great Power competition. That’s because large, costly, exquisite satellite systems such as the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) — the fifth one was launched in mid-2021 and cost about $1 billion — are increasingly vulnerable to outright attack, which is a capability Russia demonstrated in November when it destroyed one of its own satellites with an anti-satellite missile.

“What we’re seeing is that some of the high-value asset missions that we’ve traditionally done in the past are being envisioned for large constellations of small satellites instead,” said Kim. “There are some benefits to the large constellations of small satellites in that the unit price point of each small satellite has gone down over the years. That lends itself to more affordability. And we’re now building these small satellites much faster and more efficiently, providing schedule savings.”

Use of small sats in a layered architecture spread across low-Earth orbit, medium-Earth orbit, and GEO will let the DoD quickly reconstitute capabilities should certain satellites become inoperative. For instance, loss of one SBIRS satellite in its five-satellite constellation could leave a major gap in missile-warning coverage. Conversely, loss of a few satellites in a larger constellation of dozens of satellites will only incrementally degrade capabilities and can be replaced in a faster fashion.

“Distributing the space architecture will help us build resiliency over time so that there’s not a single point of failure anywhere,” explained Roth. “We’re focused on making our systems and architectures more resilient and robust so if something happens, the Space Force can still perform the mission without fail.”

Update 5: Same day successes as SpaceX’s Crew-5 soar to ISS, just seven hours later 52 Starlinks launch

UPDATE 5 POSTING — 2 LAUNCHES SAME DAY

On Wednesday, October 5 at 12:00 p.m. ET, 16:00 UTC, Falcon 9 launched Dragon’s fifth operational human spaceflight mission (Crew-5) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “Missions like Crew-5 are proof we are living through a golden era of commercial space exploration. It’s a new era powered by the spirit of partnership, fueled by scientific ingenuity, and inspired by the quest for new discoveries,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship. Dragon will autonomously dock with the space station on Thursday, October 6, at approximately 4:57 p.m. ET, 20:57 UTC.

During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct over 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations in areas such as human health and lunar fuel systems. Webcast coverage will resume approximately two hours prior to docking.

Then less than seven hours later, October 5, a successful Starlink launch from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

UPDATE 4 POSTING

SpaceX is now targeting Wednesday, October 5 for a Falcon 9 launch of 52 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The instantaneous launch window is at 4:10 p.m. PT (23:10 UTC).

The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, and one Starlink mission. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

UPDATE 3 POSTING

SpaceX has scrubbed tonight’s launch attempt at Vandenberg Space Force Base, launch complex 4E9SLC-4E) with the Falcon 9 launch of 52 Starlink satellites to LEO tentatively rescheduled for tomorrow evening. However, it is reported that if NASA’s Crew-5 launch remains on schedule for Wednesday in Florida, teams would stand down from the Starlink launch attempt tomorrow in California.

The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, and one Starlink mission

A report from T.S. Kelso on Twitter, who provides prelaunch tracking information from SpaceX, indicates a 24-hour delay to the mission to Tuesday, October 4, at 4:35 PM PDT (23:35 UTC).

This will mark SpaceX’s 44th launch of 2022–a launch every 6.27 days.

SpaceX and NASA are targeting no earlier than Wednesday, October 5 for Falcon 9’s launch of Dragon’s fifth operational human spaceflight mission (Crew-5) to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The instantaneous launch window opens at 12:00 p.m. ET, 16:00 UTC, with a backup opportunity available on Thursday, October 6 at 11:38 a.m. ET, 15:38 UTC.

The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew Crew-3 to and from the space station. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct over 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations in areas such as human health and lunar fuel systems.

UPDATE 2 POSTING

SpaceX is targeting Monday, October 3, for a Falcon 9 launch of 52 Starlink satellites to LEO from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, and one Starlink mission

Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

SpaceX again successfully launches 52 Starlinks with thousands more planned

SpaceX‘s Falcon 9 rocket carrying 52 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Saturday at 7:32 p.m. EDT (2332 GMT).

Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched SES-22 and two Starlink missions.

This launch now brings the total to nearly 3,400 Starlink satellites and plans to launch thousands more starting next year when SpaceX will begin launching Starlink Version 2 satellites.

The Version 2 satellites will be much bigger and more capable than the current version. V2 spacecraft will be able to beam connectivity directly to smartphones, and will do so for T-Mobile customers via a project called “Coverage Above and Beyond,” SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk announced last month.

Arianespace partners with SAB-LS for the provision of cubesat services

Arianespace, provider of launch services for all types of satellites and destinations, and SAB Launch Services (SAB-LS), specialized in Launch Services for small satellites, announced during the International Astronautical Congress, the signature of a multi-year framework agreement. The contract entrusts SAB-LS to co-operate as partner of Arianespace for the provision of end-to-end services for nanosatellites wishing to fly on Arianespace missions. The agreement is specific to the supply of hardware, mission preparation and integration services for CubeSats, and the transportation of payloads from SAB-LS European launch integration facilities, in Brno (Czech Republic), to Europe’s Spaceport, in Kourou (French Guiana). This agreement enables Arianespace to expand its services and capabilities for integrating small payloads on rideshare and piggyback missions.

“This partnership with SAB-LS will provide us with increased flexibility to better address the needs of the small sat community worldwide”, explained Marino Fragnito, Head of Vega Business Unit at Arianespace. “Following the success of the emblematic mission VV16, the Proof of Concept of our Small Spacecraft Mission Services (SSMS), we demonstrated the effectiveness of our piggyback solutions with small payloads integrated on VV19 and VV20. With Vega C, qualified with its maiden flight on July 13, we have an increasing number of opportunities in our manifest. This availability, coupled with our cooperation with SAB-LS, will allow Arianespace to answer the booming demand for small sat services.”

“At SAB we are really excited with this agreement, which recognizes all the efforts done since 2018 to push the Vega services among the small satellites community”, said Marco Mariani, CEO of SAB Launch Services, during the signature ceremony. “SAB-LS has been created following the SSMS development carried out by our sister company SAB Aerospace. We started as the SSMS institutional CubeSat integrator and we have been strongly supporting the launch services from Europe. Thanks to SSMS services for small satellites, we are now witnessing an increasing appreciation from the market for European launching solutions. I think that our commitment to Vega and the close cooperation with Arianespace’s team has been recognized and has allowed us to reach this strategic agreement. This positions SAB as the main partner of Arianespace for the provision of services to nanosatellites. We consider Arianespace a long term strategic partner, and we aim at expanding our collaboration to new services.”

This agreement follows the success of the Vega C maiden flight, launched on Wednesday, July 13, at 10:13 am local time in Kourou. The next Vega C mission, VV22, is planned for late November 2022.

In total, there are already seven Vega C that have been filled and will serve both institutional and commercial missions. This has been possible in particular by leveraging the capability of the SSMS Dispenser, the hardware developed to optimize multiple Small Satellite missions on Vega and Vega C. The SSMS Dispenser is a modular structure, which can be flexibly configured in order to be adapted to the specific satellite aggregate.

The SSMS coupled with the Vega upper-stage provides maximum flexibility for rideshare missions, allowing multiple satellite releases in different orbits with different altitudes and/or some inclination changes.

SSPI’s 2022 Mentor of the Year is Maxar’s Director of Systems Engineering

SSPI’s Mentors of the Year are quiet heroes,” said executive director Robert Bell. “They are more interested in others than in themselves, and think more about the needs of the future …

Steve Bates, Director of Systems Engineering at Maxar will receive Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) 2022 Mentor of the Year Award. Steve will be honored on October 12 at SSPI’s 17th Annual Future Leaders Celebration for the attention, support, wisdom and guidance he has provided to young professionals and colleagues throughout his career. During the Celebration, SSPI will also honor the “20 Under 35” space and satellite professionals to watch in the coming years and present three of them with its Promise Award for outstanding achievement.

“SSPI’s Mentors of the Year are quiet heroes,” said executive director Robert Bell. “They are more interested in others than in themselves, and think more about the needs of the future than the accomplishments of the past. Without their persistent contributions to the success of others, our industry would be much poorer. At this time when the urgent need for new talent make headlines, it is especially important to honor theses people who help turn our industry’s potential into achievement.”

The 2022 Future Leaders Celebration will take place live on October 12 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California in conjunction with Silicon Valley Space Week 2022, produced by SatNews publishers. The proceeds of the Celebration go to fund SSPI’s educational, professional development and industry growth initiatives.

Proof of vaccination is required for this event, and all local government regulations will apply.

The SSPI 2022 Mentor of the Year:

Steve Bates
Director of Systems Engineering, Maxar Technologies

Steve Bates is Director of Systems Engineering at Maxar Technologies, a position he has held since September 2021. In his current role, he is responsible for managing a team of systems engineers and developing the safety roadmap for Maxar. Steve draws on his deep experience in aviation safety from a long and impressive career in the industry to help Maxar ensure that the company meets the demanding safety requirements for a crewed NASA spacecraft as part of the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) for Gateway, a vital part of NASA’s Artemis program. He is also responsible for preparing Maxar engineers to safely execute new missions as part of the company’s business development strategy.

Steve began his career in the U.S. Marine Corps where he worked primarily in electronic engineering. He went on to become an Engineering Manager at Boeing, where he led technical groups responsible for integration and architecture development of large networked systems, including developing and implementing Network Security requirements. While working at Boeing, Steve served as the FAA-approved Safety and Airworthiness Manager with complete responsibility for Flight Deck design and requirements on the 737 and 757. In 2013, he was promoted to Senior Network Engineer at Boeing, a position in which he provided guidance on services and modifications for in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems. Steve then joined Panasonic Avionics Corporation in 2014 as Senior Director of Systems Architecture, where he oversaw several technical departments, including Systems Engineering, End-to-End Architecture, Software Architecture, Software Requirements, Simulation/Emulation, Certification and Engineering Technology and Research and Development. Over his long career, Steve has been a named inventor on 21 issued patents and 24 pending patent applications.

Throughout his more-than-35-year career, Steve has consistently served as a mentor not only to the engineers but also the leaders around him. Steve is known for his kind, wise and supportive mentoring style as well as his ability to illustrate difficult points with stories to better help new engineers find their footing on challenging projects. He maintains constant coolness under pressure and helps those around him do the same, especially during times of change and instability at work. Steve is also known for his humility and respect for his management and co-workers, as well as his frequent expressions of appreciation for his colleagues’ excellent work and commitment to helping others in the workplace, both on social media and within company communication lines.

Perhaps Steve’s most important strength as a mentor is his ability to provide important technical knowledge while also explaining it in an accessible way. One of his co-workers at both Panasonic and later Maxar describes Steve as “the first person that I have ever worked with that, in addition to quoting the industry standard, also provided explanation and alternative solutions and guidance.” This co-worker went on to say that she joined Maxar on Steve’s recommendation, and she is one of seven former colleagues whom he has convinced to join the company within the past year. He has made the transition to a new company, particularly during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, as seamless and pleasant as possible for all of his mentees as well.

Outside of work, Steve has consistently volunteered his time for industry and community activities. He participated in EuroCAE Working Group 72 as a technical expert in aeronautical system security standards and served as a core leadership member of the Aviation Information Sharing and Analysis Center ISAC for the Department of Homeland Security. Steve has also served on the FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee for Aircraft Systems Information Security/Protection and the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics Special Committee 216. He gives his time regularly to his community as a girls’ softball coach and basketball scorekeeper and served as a weekly chaperone for a local teen center for several years. Steve is also involved in many local Catholic church activities and has been a volunteer for Special Olympics swimming events.

NASA Remembers September 11, with views from the ISS

The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 were a national tragedy that resulted in a staggering loss of life and a significant change in American culture. Each year, we pause and remember. Beyond honoring the Americans who died that day, NASA also assisted FEMA in New York in the days afterward, and remembered the victims by providing flags flown aboard the Space Shuttle to their families.

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir photographed the New York City area from the International Space Station in March 2020. Credits: NASA

From his vantage point aboard the International Space Station, European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet photographed the Washington D.C. area on April 11, 2017. The Pentagon can be seen at the center right of the image. Credits: ESA/NASA


Astronaut Frank Culbertson – The Only American Off the Planet

“The smoke seemed to have an odd bloom to it at the base of the column that was streaming south of the city. After reading one of the news articles we just received, I believe we were looking at NY around the time of, or shortly after, the collapse of the second tower. How horrible…”-Frank Culbertson
 

Expedition 3 Commander Frank Culbertson was aboard the International Space Station at the time of the attacks, and the only American on the crew. As soon as he learned of the attacks, he began documenting the event in photographs because the station was flying over the New York City area. He captured incredible images in the minutes and hours following the event. From his unique vantage point in space, he recorded his thoughts of the world changing beneath him.

The following day, he posted a public letter that captured his initial thoughts of the events as they unfolded. “The world changed today. What I say or do is very minor compared to the significance of what happened to our country today when it was attacked.”

Upon further reflection, Culbertson said, “It’s horrible to see smoke pouring from wounds in your own country from such a fantastic vantage point. The dichotomy of being on a spacecraft dedicated to improving life on the earth and watching life being destroyed by such willful, terrible acts is jolting to the psyche, no matter who you are.”

“The smoke seemed to have an odd bloom to it at the base of the column that was streaming south of the city. After reading one of the news articles we just received, I believe we were looking at NY around the time of, or shortly after, the collapse of the second tower. How horrible…”-Frank Culbertson Read Culbertson’s Full Letter

Visible from space, a smoke plume rises from the Manhattan area after two planes crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center. This photo was taken of metropolitan New York City (and other parts of New York as well as New Jersey) the morning of September 11, 2001. Credits: NASA

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NASA Science Programs Monitor the Air
NASA science programs were called into action after Sept. 11, 2001, as the agency worked with FEMA to fly sensors over the affected areas on aircraft looking for aerial contaminants and used satellite resources to monitor from above.

Flags for Heroes and Families

STS-108 astronauts Mark Kelly, left, and Dan Tani hold commemorative American flags the shuttle Endeavour in December 2001. The flags were later presented to victims’ relatives. Credits: NASA

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NASA flew nearly 6,000 4 by 6 inch flags on Endeavour’s flight during STS-108 to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. Students working at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas assembled the commemorative packages, including the U.S. flags flown in space, to be presented to relatives of the victims. Distribution began on June 14, 2002, National Flag Day, at a ceremony held at the American Museum of Natural History’s Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York.

“The ‘Flags for Heroes and Families’ campaign is a way for us to honor and show our support for the thousands of brave men and women who have selflessly contributed to the relief and recovery efforts,” said then-NASA Administrator Dan Goldin. “The American flags are a patriotic symbol of our strength and solidarity, and our Nation’s resolve to prevail.”

“NASA wanted to come up with an appropriate tribute to the people who lost their lives in the tragic events of September 11,” added Goldin. “America’s space program has a long history of carrying items into space to commemorate historic events, acts of courage and dramatic achievements. ‘Flags for Heroes and Families’ is a natural extension of this ongoing outreach project.”

Read More About ‘Flags for Heroes and Families’→

Commemoration Goes to Mars

This view of an American flag on metal recovered from the site of the World Trade Center towers shortly after their destruction on Sept. 11, 2001, was taken on Mars on Sept. 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the towers.Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell University/Arizona State University

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In September 2001, Honeybee Robotics employees in lower Manhattan were building a pair of tools for grinding weathered rinds off rocks on Mars, so that scientific instruments on NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity could inspect the rocks’ interiors.

That month’s attack on the twin towers of the World Trade Center, less than a mile away, shook the lives of the employees and millions of others.

Work on the rock abrasion tools needed to meet a tight schedule to allow thorough testing before launch dates governed by the motions of the planets. The people building the tools could not spend much time helping at shelters or in other ways to cope with the life-changing tragedy of Sept. 11. However, they did find a special way to pay tribute to the thousands of victims who perished in the attack.

An aluminum cuff serving as a cable shield on each of the rock abrasion tools on Mars was made from aluminum recovered from the destroyed World Trade Center towers. The metal bears the image of an American flag and fills a renewed purpose as part of solar system exploration.

One day, both rovers will be silent. In the cold, dry environments where they have worked on Mars, the onboard memorials to victims of the Sept. 11 attack could remain in good condition for millions of years.

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The National 9/11 Flag was raised over the Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex after Florida’s contribution was added. Credits: NASA/Kim Shiflett


NASA Kennedy Adds Florida Touch to Sept. 11 Flag

The contributions of NASA and Kennedy Space Center were stitched into the fabric of one of the nation’s most recognizable symbols, when flags from Florida’s Spaceport were sewn into an American Flag recovered near ground zero following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
 

“A few days after the collapse of the World Trade Center this flag was hanging on a scaffolding at 90 West Street, which was a building directly south of the World Trade Center that was heavily damaged when the south tower collapsed,” said Jeff Parness, director, founder and chairman of the “New York Says Thank You Foundation.”

The flag went on to become one of the most enduring symbols of the recovery from the attack. “The National 9/11 Flag” is a permanent part of the collection of the National September 11 Memorial Museum at the World Trade Center site. There, America’s flag can evoke a sense of pride, unity and hunger to keep achieving greatness, just as the nation’s space program has for more than half a century.

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Last Updated: Sep 11, 2022

Editor: Yvette Smith