Portfolio Company News
SpaceX/Lynk/Apple
In case you needed to catch up on the latest Apple announcement and how it affects Lynk, here are a ‘few’ articles:
Axiom
NASA Taps Axiom Space for First Artemis Moonwalking Spacesuits
Most insiders who were paying attention to NASA’s spacesuit program and Artemis’ schedule were well aware that this extension was inevitable. It's another great win for Axiom that will result in significant additional revenues, as well as being a great acknowledgment of Axiom's expertise in human spaceflight broadly.
Carbice
Nanotechnology startup opens facility in Atlanta's West End
Carbice Corp. is moving to 1050 White St. SW, which has 23,000 square feet of labs, offices, and distribution. The startup spent the past 11 years in a 2,000-square-foot office Georgia Tech's ATDC business incubator.
General Space News
Queen Elizabeth II passed away yesterday at the age of 96. NASA noted in a tweet how the Queen had always been particularly curious about the US space program saying, “Queen Elizabeth II's reign spanned all of spaceflight, predating both Sputnik and Explorer 1. As we join the planet in marking her passing, we are moved by the curiosity Her Royal Highness showed our explorers over the years.”
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher clarified in an Ars Technica interview with Eric Berger just how significant and permanent the rift is between Russia and ESA:
"Look at what is happening on the ground," he said in an interview with Ars. "I'm really disgusted by the invasion of Ukraine. We see it every single day. What is happening there is not meeting our European values, and we cannot work with a partner who is completely trampling on those values."
"I cannot see a rebuild of the cooperation we had in the past," Aschbacher said. "I am speaking here on behalf of my member states. They all have very much the same opinion. And this is really something where the behavior of ESA will reflect the geopolitical situation of the member states on this point. And I think this is very clear."
ESA is seriously considering switching to SpaceX until their Ariane update is complete.
FCC proposes reducing de-orbit time after end of life from 25 years to 5 years.
The FCC has proposed a modification to its license granting process that changes the deorbit requirement from 25 years to 5 years. The requirement even extends to any spacecraft that transmits data to the US. Waivers may be available for smaller experimental missions. To meet this new requirement all spacecraft above ~500Km altitude will need some active deorbit mechanism (engines, drag devices, electrodynamic tethers, etc). The proposal has been circulated to the FCC Commissioners for discussion at their next open meeting.
The willingness of NASA to consider the repair of a liquid hydrogen leak on the pad shows how much the Agency is concerned about the stresses and schedule slips caused by rolling the rocket back to the Vehicle Assembly Building. The team is very concerned about the stresses that multiple trips back and forth can have on critical structural components of the vehicle. A concern of “go fever” has been raised in many circles although NASA stresses that this is still a test flight and asks for the same patience other rocket developers have received during their initial test flights.
GAO: Defense, intelligence agencies need a better plan to buy commercial satellite imagery
Even as more commercial Earth observation capabilities come online, much of the DoD still prefers to keep to the old methods. Reportedly the main reason is that mid-career officers are evaluated on how flawlessly they execute the bureaucratic processes within DoD and not the effectiveness of the outcomes. Unless and until the use of new capabilities becomes a requirement for career advancement, this problem will remain.
Chinese megawatt-level space nuclear reactor passes review
In preparation for Lunar ground operations, China is designing multiple different power options for surviving the Lunar night with small nuclear reactors being the most likely solution. Their first design has passed preliminary reviews and will probably begin construction of test reactors almost immediately.
U.S. Space Command calls for investment in technologies for deep space missions
The “blue water vs brown water” debate continues within Space Force. Space Force leaders know they need to begin to monitor all of cislunar space but the funding and attention that requires have not been made available. The quote “I will deal with the alligator that is coming at me after I deal with the alligator that is currently gnawing on my foot.” is often heard.
Both the US and UK defense organizations published updated space policy documents this week. The US update specifically adopted previously published “norms of behavior” that it is encouraging other space powers to adopt. The UK update, while not as comprehensive, does harmonize space operational doctrine between the two allies. The UK update also referenced enhanced norms of behavior but chose to reference UN resolutions on the matter but the result is still a better expectation of behavior by all space powers.
Frank Drake is best known for the Drake Equation which is one of the first attempts at a first principles approach to calculating the probability of extraterrestrial intelligence occurring in the universe. His work as a published and acclaimed astronomer and thinker on life beyond Earth was foundational to why and how we look for signatures of life in our galaxy. To date, we have discovered 5,157 exoplanets and have now begun to understand where and how they occur.
As expected, Congress is now in full campaign mode which puts the likelihood of any major funding or policy legislation passing this year at nearly zero. There will be some chance for narrowly scoped legislation to make it through but any appropriations are definitely on hold until the next Congress convened in January.
Other Space News
OneWeb takes $229 million charge for canceled Soyuz launches
New Zealand is promising more funding for its space industry as part of a policy update.
The head of India's space agency wants to work with industry on a reusable launch vehicle.
A South Korean lunar orbiter completed a critical maneuver on its way to the moon.
India is seeking to expand space cooperation with Australia and The Netherlands.
Indian launch startup Skyroot Aerospace has raised $51 million in a Series B round.
Scout collaborates with Privateer on space sustainability framework