– Blue Origin prepares to build “Artemis base camp” before landing NASA astronauts on the moon.
– The share appears to be rising for former Senator Bill Nelson to run NASA because of his ties to the President and Congress.
– Agile Space Industries uses a ‘really revolutionary’ manner to test 3-D driven propulsion systems.
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‘ARTEMIS BASE CAMP’: Blue Origin, which has put together a national team to compete for NASA’s lunar lander, is one of three companies selected last year to design and build vehicles to bring astronauts to the moon. But he plans to do more than prove his concept on the demo mission before delivering astronauts, says Brent Sherwood, vice president of advanced development programs at Blue Origin, by laying the cornerstone for an outpost of the moon.
The Demonstration Cargo Landing Mission, which will land less than 100 meters from where NASA intends to land crew, will carry a ton of cargo, allowing the space agency to cater for the next missions. And the lander itself is designed to act as a hub for power, Wi-Fi and other communications, Sherwood said.
“Our approach is to commission Artemis base camp for the very first demonstration mission,” said Sherwood, a longtime veteran of the aerospace industry, who also worked at Boeing and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. “It allows the first crew to land at the beginning of a base a year later.”
Blue has worked with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper. SpaceX and Dynetics also both received design contracts for the program.
The company also aims for more than just NASA missions. Because the lander has built-in power, computers and telecommunications, it is very suitable for potential commercial customers who want to work on the lunar surface, Sherwood said.
“We will know commercial success – something that NASA and we all want – when dollars flow to missions and goals from outside the NASA budget,” he said. “What is needed are two things: NASA needs to catch fire, and then customers with needs that can only fulfill the things that happen on the moon for their business, regardless of their business.”
NELSON BILL TO RUN NASA? The White House could announce President Joe Biden’s choice to lead NASA as soon as today, say several people outside the government who are watching the talks closely. And it looks like the space community has the prospect of being former Florida Senator Bill Nelson.
“I agreed on the value of his connection with the president and his connection to the Hill,” Mike French, vice president of space systems at the Aerospace Industries Association, described the sentiment among members. “I think this is a general opinion, how it can be very useful for the agency.”
Nelson, who flew aboard the spacecraft, was also instrumental in writing the 2010 NASA Authorization Bill, which sets the framework for the pioneering programs that now deliver cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station, depending on commercial suppliers, French said. added.
NASA declined to comment on any pending nomination.
‘REAL REVOLUTIONARS’: Agile Space Industries is trying to drive what SpaceX did before the launch, says Jeffrey Max, CEO of the company. The company has existed for more than ten years as a place for organizations such as Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies and NASA to test their propulsion platforms, but about three years ago it began building its own propulsion systems with additional manufacturing. And with 3D printing, the company can bid 40 to 60 percent lower than traditional companies, Max said, adding: “that’s what SpaceX did for the launch.”
An idea can stand the test in just 48 hours. he explains. “We can evaluate test results, change the design, do a reprint, get back on the test stand within another 48 hours,” he said. ‘This rapid iteration and rapid development of design is … really revolutionary. [The industry would] usually spend several months machining parts and hope it works. ”
This ability to test quickly was a major selling point for Astrobotic, which Agile chose last month to build the propulsion system for its Griffin Mission One, which will deliver a lunar rover to the moon in 2023 under NASA’s commercial program Lunar Payload Services. “When we said that to Astrobotic, it was like, ‘Yeah, whatever. “Then they came to the facility and we showed them, and they looked like, ‘OK, done, you got it.’
This mission will be the first use of Agile’s technology during the flight. “It’s always been a problem for us,” Max said. ‘It’s an industry where heritage matters. So how do you get from a non-heritage provider to one where you reached the threshold and … you flew? I give a lot of credit to the team of Astrobotic for realizing that these are capabilities where core technology is mature. ”
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Congratulations to David F. Beck, a former intern at the National Space Council, for being the first to correctly answer that Robert Lightfoot was the longest-serving acting NASA administrator.
This week’s question: Who discovered Jupiter’s volcanic moon, Io?
The first person to email [email protected] get bragging rights and an exclamation in the next newsletter!
The Biden administration is tearing down Trump’s legacy everywhere but space: Washington Post
– The pressure for NASA to name the James Webb Space Telescope: Scientific American
– Perseverance sends back detailed photos of the Mars surface: Newsweek
– Once on Mars: The New York Times
Rocket Lab’s 3D Printed Rockets Could Be SpaceX’s Biggest Competitor: MIT Technology Review
– SpaceX’s Starship prototype explodes after landing during test launch: Space.com
The Air Force has asked the industry for information on using 5G in orbit: RCR Wireless News
– Space control versus superiority in space: War on the Rocks
Japanese billionaire looking for travel companions to the moon: CNBC
– The first hotel in space is expected to open in 2027: CNN
TODAY: Astronauts are expected to take a spacewalk outside the International Space Station.
SUNDAY: The International IEEE Aviation Conference is about to begin.
TUESDAY: The Institute of Engineering and Technology in the UK is hosting the Milsatcoms 2021 conference.
TUESDAY: The LRA Institute is hosting the two-day conference on space removal and debris management.
TUESDAY: Two days of virtual events for Paris Space Week begin.
WEDNESDAY: The Space Foundation is hosting a panel discussion on the impact of new technologies on satellite communications markets.
WEDNESDAY: NASA will celebrate the arrival of the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock Module aboard the International Space Station.
THURSDAY: Sandia National Laboratories presents an opportunity on India’s place in the space security domain.
