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A Florida Friday night successful SpaceX Starlink launch

UPDATE: The weather held and so on Friday, September 29 at 10:00 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

This was the 10th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19, and now six Starlink missions.

Following stage separation, two and half minutes into flight, booster 1069, which was making its 10th flight, landed on the drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas,” stationed about 420 miles (675 km) downrange in the Atlantic east of the Bahamas. Touch down occurred about eight and half minutes after launch.

SpaceX is now targeting Friday, September 29 at 6:39 p.m. ET for a Falcon 9 launch of 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

If needed, three backup opportunities are available starting at 7:34 p.m. ET until 10:15 p.m. ET.

While the California-based company did not say why it was pushing back its launch, originally scheduled for Thursday at 7:28 p.m. ET, it is possible that it was due to severe weather that has plagued most of Central Florida for the majority of the week. SpaceX is now aiming to launch the Starlink 6-19 mission on Friday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

This is the 10th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19, and five Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about five minutes prior to liftoff.

Starlink’s Starshield wins $70M contract with U.S. Space Force

SpaceX has received its first contract from the US Space Force to provide specialized satellite communications to the military as part of the company’s new Starshield program. The company is competing with 15 companies for $900 million in work orders through 2028.

SpaceX launched Starlink Starshield internet service to support national security. 

Starshield won one contract from the U.S. Space Force to provide customized satellite communications for the military. The contract was awarded on September 1 and will last one year. It has a ceiling of $70 million. 

ULA’s Atlas V readies for Amazon’s Project Kuiper Protoflight

The launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 501 rocket carrying Amazon’s Project Kuiper Protoflight mission is planned for Fri., Oct. 6 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The launch window opens at 2 p.m. EDT.Liftoff will occur from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

Launch Date: October 6, 2023
Launch Window: Opens at 2 p.m. EDT

GO Atlas V! GO Centaur! GO Project Kuiper! GO Protoflight!

The Atlas V booster stage is hoisted into the VIF. Photo by United Launch Alliance

Launch status update

(Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., Sept. 28, 2023) – The launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 501 rocket carrying Amazon’s Project Kuiper Protoflight mission is planned for Fri., Oct. 6 from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The launch window opens at 2 p.m. EDT.

Protoflight: Atlas V stacked ahead of first Kuiper launch

United Launch Alliance (ULA) uses heavy-duty cranes, teamwork and a lot of coordination to assemble our massive rockets before they head into space. That art of rocket stacking is both time-tested and an obligation to some passengers who require vertical integration of their payloads.

This week, engineers and technicians at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, completed the initial buildup of the Atlas V 501 rocket that will launch prototypes of the Project Kuiper broadband system for Amazon.

The satellites will add real-world data from space to results from Amazon’s extensive lab testing, fieldwork, and simulation. This Protoflight mission also helps Amazon finalize design, deployment and operational plans ahead of a full-scale deployment beginning in 2024.

Preparations for this first launch began Sept. 16 with the Launch Vehicle on Stand (LVOS) milestone.

Before sunrise, the move crew arrived at the Advanced Spaceflight Operations Center (ASOC) to configure the Atlas V first stage for its delivery to the Vertical Integration Facility (VIF), located about four miles up the road.

more information follows at this blog...

Space Systems Command contracts Johns Hopkins University APL for nexgen protected strategic SATCOM GRIFFON mission support

Space Systems Command (SSC) has awarded a $10 million University-Affiliated Research Center laboratory contract to the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Lab (APL) to ensure software and cyber best practices are adhered to in the newly awarded Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) ground segment, known as Ground Resilient Integration & Framework for Operational Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (GRIFFON).

(L to R) Capt. Brandon Johnson, Lt. Matt Ress, and Lt. Jennifer Leo inside Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab Multi-Mission Operations Center (MOC) in Laurel, Maryland.
Photo Credit: Lt. Col. Laila Barasha.

SSC’s ESS system will provide the survivable and endurable satellite communications capability for the Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) mission. GRIFFON encompasses a framework and mission capability applications, to mirror best practices in ground software acquisition across the community. APL, as the government partner for independent software testing, will enable ESS to mitigate ground integration risks. APL has a long-standing history as a strategic United States Department of Defense research center attached to a university.

ESS is part of a system of systems that also includes joint SATCOM terminals and a National Security Agency-managed, Cryptographic Infrastructure that will evolve and modernize the existing ground system to meet new requirements. 

ESS uses multiple alternate acquisition pathways for each of its capability areas. The Space segment is a Middle-Tier Acquisition rapid prototyping contract, with a production contract Request for Proposal projected for release in early 2024. The Ground segment is leveraging Software Acquisition Pathway contracts to promote non-traditional vendor teaming. The Crypto segment is currently in source selection. The government team has brought together many mission partners, to include JHU/APL, to enable system integration.

“Our mission and our timelines are informed by threat scenarios to assure strategic endurance, and on the worst of days, ensure our National Command Authority can communicate without fail with our joint strategic and nuclear forces, partner nations, and Allies. ESS is the backbone for joint all-domain nuclear command, control, and communications, and will provide the integrated, survivable, and resilient ground and satellite communications capability necessary to deter in competition, deescalate in crisis, and defeat in conflict.” — Col. A.J. Ashby, Senior Materiel Leader for SSC’s Strategic SATCOM Acquisition Delta

“Partnering with APL allows our program to have a test bed for the ESS framework prototypes and a pseudo production-environment for analyzing agile software drops. With a focus on cyber-resilient architecture, APL is ensuring that software best practices and lessons learned are baked in to make this system successful faster than predecessor ground systems. Due to the classified nature of the [nuclear] program and the need to protect our data at higher compartmentalized levels, our industry partners are prototyping in a more complex and dynamic environment than other similar software programs. APL brings the expertise we need to ensure our nation’s NC3 capabilities are developed correctly from the start, hand-in-hand with our innovative industry partners.” — Lt. Col. Laila Barasha, materiel leader for SSC ESS Ground

“We are excited to bring JHU/APL space operations and software systems expertise to Space Systems Command by leveraging decades of civilian space exploration experience and mission success. We truly appreciate another opportunity to support GRIFFON mission partners and ensure that the latest agile software development processes are properly and effectively implemented to meet the warfighter’s mission needs.” — Michael Kim, program manager at APL

Strategic agreement: Sierra Space Corp., MUFG Bank, Kanematsu + Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance

Sierra Space Corporation, MUFG Bank, Ltd., Kanematsu Corporation, and Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. have concluded a strategic agreement in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, and MUFG Bank, Kanematsu, and TMNF have also made a strategic investment in Sierra Space to the tune of $290 million.

Left: Aiming to establish a new eco-system centered on LEO.
Right: Example of space use.
Images courtesy of SPACE FRONTIER STUDIO KIBO (credit: Bascu)

Through this partnership, Sierra Space will contribute to the commercialization of LEO (refers to the area where the ISS (altitude 400 km) is active, between 200 and 1000 km) , the creation of new industries as well as the enhancement of life on Earth.

Sierra Space is building a platform in LEO – space stations and transportation systems to and from Earth – and will soon launch the first of an initial seven resupply missions to the International Space Station (The ISS is scheduled to operate until 2030. There have been discussions, mainly in the United States, on how to conduct business on commercial space stations owned and operated by private companies following the ISS retirement) under a multibillion-dollar NASA contract with its nexgen Dream Chaser® spaceplane (A reusable space plane developed by Sierra Space. Operation of resupply missions to the International Space Station will begin in late 2023/ early 2024. Manned aircraft are also expected to start operating in the second half of the 2020s.)

Early this year, NASA awarded a Space Act Agreement to Sierra Space, providing support to a “pathfinder” space station that will serve as a technology demonstration for key elements of commercial space stations.

Sierra Space is considering the use of Oita Airport as an Asian hub and spaceport for Dream Chaser®, which is expected to have an economic ripple effect of about 350 billion yen in Japan as a whole and about 35 billion yen in Oita Prefecture (estimation of Mitsubishi UFJ Research & Consulting Co., Ltd.) In addition, Sierra Space’s end-to-end business and technology platform is expected to use the microgravity environment of LEO for innovations in the field of life science, academic scientific experiments in the fields of materials and physical chemistry, drug discovery and other applications, as well as entertainment.

In October last year, the four companies announced joint participation in JAXA’s “Feasibility Study for Sustainable Space Environment Utilization in Low Earth Orbit” to discuss how to conduct LEO activities after the ISS retirement and how to conduct LEO activities after 2025, including extending the ISS, and to propose new solutions and business models.

Under the strategic partnership, MUFG Bank, Kanematsu, and TMNF will participate in the commercialization of LEO, led by Sierra Space, thereby further expanding the supply chain of the Japanese space industry and creating new industries. The company will also broaden efforts to develop the space industry by bringing together all the companies who can participate in this initiative.

Space System Command (SSC) opens new TAP Lab for Space Domain Awareness (SDA) innovation

Space Systems Command (SSC), the United States Space Force (USSF) field command, has opened a Tools Applications and Processing (TAP) Lab in Colorado Springs to address critical challenges in Space Domain Swareness (SDA). Designed with an open framework to encourage government, industry, academic, and allied collaboration, SSC’s newest TAP Lab will engage external partners through Project Apollo, slated for kick-off on October 26, 2023.

Noting that “current space domain awareness systems are stove-piped and disaggregated,” a September 2023 Department of Defense (DoD) report on space policy and strategy calls for integrating space domain awareness systems to fully leverage data from DoD, other U.S. Government agencies, and international and commercial partners.

Modeled after SSC’s highly successful missile warning TAP Lab in Boulder, which is focused on battlespace awareness and missile detection, tracking and warning, the Colorado Springs TAP Lab was stood up within two months of Lt. Gen. Mike Guetlein’s (SSC Commander) May 2023 directive.

The collaborative working space is designed to advance space domain awareness by rapidly onboarding “apps to close gaps,” decomposing kill chains into atomic parts, prioritizing needs with operators, mapping needs to technologies, and enabling on-boarding onto existing platforms in order to quickly integrate solutions into operations.

The Lab is currently partnering with MITRE, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Aerospace, and the Supra Coder program to provide foundational services, data and code sharing solutions to speed innovation within government and ease the integration of commercial technology.

The Lab’s primary customers are subordinate units of DEL 2, the U.S. Space Force’s Space Domain Awareness Delta, including the 18th Space Defense Squadron, 18th SDS Detachment 1, and 19th SDS.

Through Project Apollo, the new TAP Lab will facilitate three-month innovation cycles with external partners up to four times per year. The first cohort, expected to start on October 26th, will focus on one (or more) of three specific challenge statements: maintain custody of launches within minutes and predict intermediate and final orbits; classify, ID and evaluate space objects within seconds; and/or provide semi-automated, real-time, data-centric decision aids for an Operation C2 center.

Companies will be invited to apply to participate in the first cohort through the TAP Lab’s website (coming soon). Those selected will work collaboratively on-site to address any or all aspects of these challenge statements. Participants will be given access to a digital sandbox which will include a vast amount of data, foundational micro-services, a software development environment, algorithm benchmarking tools, and the ability to host their own apps and micro-services.

“Project Apollo is a voluntary, collaborative tech accelerator for U.S. companies, University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), industry experts, and USSF Guardians to band together to solve critical space domain awareness challenges.” — Barbara Golf, SSC Strategic Advisor.

“The future lies in our ability to maximize the utility of the data coming from the Nation’s space systems. Mastery of the data could be the key behind winning or losing. The new TAP Lab will expose data at all classification levels to our industry, academia, government agency and allied partners and provide them with a ‘sand box’ to experiment on the data, to include implementing Artificial Intelligence. Promising developmental capabilities will then be fast-tracked into operations, giving our warfighters a competitive advantage.” — Lt. Gen. Mike Guetlein, SSC commander.

“The new TAP Lab is a great example of SSC fostering innovation and partnerships to deliver resilient capabilities to our Nation’s warfighters.” — Col. Bryon McClain, SSC program executive officer for Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power.

 “We are here to enable space superiority missions by avoiding operational surprise, denying the first mover advantage, and aiding responsible counterspace campaigns. What exactly does it look like to be surprised in space? Classic examples include camouflage, concealment, deception, or maneuvers to prevent being tracked or identified. As the next generation of space professionals emerges, Project Apollo is a path to solve real problems, collaborate across industry and government, provide expert mentorship, interact with operators, and make measurable advances in space defense.” — Maj. Sean P. Allen, the Lab’s inaugural chief.

Monday morning’s successful launch from California of SpaceX’s 21 Starlink smallsats

UPDATE: A success once again today, Monday, September 25 at 1:48 a.m. PT, Falcon 9 launched 21 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This launch in California was just two days after the successful Starlink sendoff in Florida.

Launch on September 25 courtesy of SpaceX.

This was the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched SDA-0A and now five Starlink missions.

The Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth safely, landing on a SpaceX drone ship at sea about 8.5 minutes after launch.

It was the sixth liftoff and landing for this Falcon 9 first stage, according to a SpaceX mission description. 

Starlink is SpaceX’s internet megaconstellation that has more than 4,750 operational satellites in LEO, and more to come soon.

SpaceX is targeting Monday, September 25 at 1:48 a.m. PT (08:48 UTC) for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. If needed, four backup opportunities are available starting at 2:03 a.m. PT (09:03 UTC) until 4:04 a.m. PT (11:04 UTC). Six backup opportunities are also currently available starting on Monday, September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT (06:59 UTC on September 26) until 3:42 a.m. PT (10:42 UTC) on September 26.

This is the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched SDA-0A and four Starlink missions. 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.

This photo is from Saturday, September 23rd Falcon 9 launch of 22 Starlink satellites at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about five min

OSIRIS-REx sample capsule safely touches down with NASA’s first asteroid sample

The sample return capsule from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission is seen shortly after touching down in the desert, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at the Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range. The sample was collected from the asteroid Bennu in October 2020 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.
Credits: NASA/Keegan Barber

Following a rapid and red-hot descent through Earth’s atmosphere, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule touched down in the desert at 8:52 a.m. MT on September 24th, returning NASA’s first-ever, asteroid sample.

Artist’s concept of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collecting a sample from the asteroid Bennu.
Credits: NASA

The capsule is estimated to hold about a cup of material from Bennu, a carbon-rich asteroid. Scientists hope it will teach us more about the origin of organics that led to life on Earth and help us to better understand planet formation.

Just prior to landing, the capsule entered the atmosphere traveling more than 27,000 mph and then gently landed in the sands of the U.S. government’s Utah Test and Training Range.

A specialized recovery team led by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] – the company that designed, built and currently flies the mission for NASA – comprising representatives from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Johnson Space Center, the University of Arizona, then secured the capsule. In total, about 60 people from NASA, the University of Arizona, Lockheed Martin and range personnel took part in the capsule landing and recovery efforts, plus a team of about 25 engineers operating the spacecraft from Lockheed Martin’s Mission Support Area in Denver.

“The landing was safe, recovery was a huge success, and we’re thrilled that the next phase of this mission can now begin. This particular sample return is monumental – scientists are about to open a time capsule with some of the earliest history of our solar system inside.” — Kyle Griffin, vice president and general manager of Commercial Civil Space at Lockheed Martin

After approaching the capsule landing area in helicopters, the recovery team carefully searched for any hazardous material, sampled the neighboring soil, wrapped the 100 lb capsule in protective material, and attached it for transport with via helicopter to an on-site cleanroom at the range. There, the sample is being processed for shipment on a military aircraft to curation team members at NASA Johnson in Houston, Texas, who will make it available for study.

The OSIRIS-REx mission pioneered key technologies relevant to the future exploration of small bodies in our solar system, beyond its immediate follow-on mission. They include:

Specific techniques for operating in microgravity
Autonomous guidance to the surface of a small body with Natural Feature Tracking
Unique sample collection from an asteroid, with the Lockheed Martin-invented, reverse-vacuum Touch and Go sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) device

Next Stop: Apophis
Following today’s successful landing and showcase of key technologies, OSIRIS-REx will now be dubbed OSIRIS-APEX and enter its extended mission phase, beginning its journey to its follow-on mission target: near-Earth asteroid Apophis.

To date, OSIRIS-REx’s major mission milestones include:

Launching on September 8, 2016, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Arriving at Bennu on December 3, 2018, where it conducted a two-year detailed survey of the asteroid.
Extracting a sample from the asteroid by “tagging” it on Oct. 20, 2020.
Departing the asteroid to head back to Earth on May 10, 2021.

Within an hour and a half, the capsule was transported by helicopter to a temporary clean room set up in a hangar on the training range, where it now is connected to a continuous flow of nitrogen.

Getting the sample under a “nitrogen purge,” as scientists call it, was one of the OSIRIS-REx team’s most critical tasks today. Nitrogen is a gas that doesn’t interact with most other chemicals, and a continuous flow of it into the sample container inside the capsule will keep out earthly contaminants to leave the sample pure for scientific analyses.

The returned samples collected from Bennu will help scientists worldwide make discoveries to better understand planet formation and the origin of organics and water that led to life on Earth, as well as benefit all of humanity by learning more about potentially hazardous asteroids.

“Congratulations to the OSIRIS-REx team on a picture-perfect mission – the first American asteroid sample return in history – which will deepen our understanding of the origin of our solar system and its formation. Not to mention, Bennu is a potentially hazardous asteroid, and what we learn from the sample will help us better understand the types of asteroids that could come our way. With OSIRIS-REx, Psyche launch in a couple of weeks, DART’s one year anniversary, and Lucy’s first asteroid approach in November, Asteroid Autumn is in full swing. These missions prove once again that NASA does big things. Things that inspire us and unite us. Things that show nothing is beyond our reach when we work together.” — Bill Nelson, Administrator, NASA

The Bennu sample – an estimated 8.8 ounces, or 250 grams – will be transported in its unopened canister by aircraft to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Monday, September 25th. Curation scientists there will disassemble the canister, extract and weigh the sample, create an inventory of the rocks and dust, and, over time, distribute pieces of Bennu to scientists worldwide.

Mobile Satellite Users Association (MSUA) presents ‘Game Changers’ live with the CEO of SatNews Publishers

A not to be missed session regarding the upcoming Silicon Valley Space Week / Satellite Innovation / Milsat Symposium (SVSW) trade event will be hosted by the Mobile Satellite Users Association (MSUA) as they present their ‘Game Changers‘ interview — LIVE.

The guest for this informative session will be Mr. Silvano Payne, the Chief Executive Officer of SatNews Publishers. He will offer a preview of what can be expected during the SVSW trade event that will be in session from October 17th through 20th at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.

Mr. Payne’s deep experience in the satellite industry has enabled him to develop an outstanding SVSW, an event that is built on his industry experience and insights. SVSW gathers together some of the most successful leaders in the satellite and space industry and they create highly informative keynotes, sessions and panels that simply cannot be found in any other industry trade show.

MSUA members receive a 20% discount on their registrations. Be certain to visit the members only portal for this discount code. In the meantime, join MUSA to learn more about this upcoming truly informative and incredibly informative annual event.

Do not miss this MSUA ‘Game Changers‘ event which will be streamed on…

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7111063442974789632/comments/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXwh9RWYBr0

SpaceX launches 22 Starlink small sats and attains two new records

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 22 Starlink satellites on Sept. 19, 2023. It was the record-setting 17th launch for this rocket’s first stage. (Image credit: SpaceX)

On Tuesday, September 19 at 11:38 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Falcon 9’s first stage came back to Earth 8.5 minutes after launch, landing on a SpaceX drone ship stationed at sea. SpaceX launches have been dedicated to building out the Starlink megaconstellation, that consists of more than 4,700 operational satellites.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rests on the deck of a drone ship shortly after launching 22 Starlink satellites on Sept. 19, 2023.  (Image credit: SpaceX)

This was the 17th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew Demo-2, ANASIS-11, CRS-21, Transporter-1, Transporter-3, and now 12 Starlink missions. Those figures are record breaking as the previous mark was 16, held by two different Falcon 9 boosters.

The 22 Starlink satellites deployed from the Falcon 9’s upper stage 62.5 minutes after launch as planned.

Tuesday night’s launch also created another record as it was SpaceX’s 65th orbital mission of the year. The company’s previous mark, 61, was set in 2022.