In Today’s Deep Space Extra… James Webb Space Telescope readied for voyage to launch site. NASA names Jacobs Large Business Prime Contractor of the Year.
Space Science
SLS cubesats arrive for Artemis 1 launch
SpaceNews.com (8/26): NASA released an image August 11 showing the Artemis I Orion stage adapter, which links the spacecraft to the SLS second stage, and hosts cubesats that will be deployed during the mission. The image shows nine cubesats installed on the adapter and four empty slots. One of those slots will be filled by BioSentinel, which arrived at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) but will be installed last to preserve the samples onboard. Two of the other cubesats are part of NASA’s Cube Quest Challenge. One of them, CU-3E, is still expected to arrive in time for the launch, but the Cislunar Explorers will not be ready. The other cubesat is Lunar Flashlight, being developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to look for water ice deposits on the moon. The spacecraft is in danger of missing the mission because of delays in the development of its propulsion system.
JWST ready to hit the road
Coalition Member in the News – Northrop Grumman
Spacepolicyonline.com (8/26): After finalizing rigorous tests, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is nearing departure from the Northrop Grumman facilities in Redondo Beach, California. The joint NASA, European, and Canadian space agencies space observatory will be launched later this year, likely in the November time frame, for a month-long journey to the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, 1 million miles from Earth.
Interstellar comets visit our solar system more frequently than thought
Space.com (8/26): Comets that originated well beyond the solar system may travel through the sun’s neighborhood much more often than previously detected, according to a Harvard University-led study published by the Royal Astronomical Society.
Other News
ULA stops selling its centerpiece Atlas V, setting path for the rocket’s retirement
Coalition Members in the News – Boeing, Lockheed Martin, United Launch Alliance
The Verge (8/26): United Launch Alliance (ULA) won’t be selling any more of its workhorse Atlas V rockets. “We’re done. They’re all sold,” CEO Tory Bruno said of ULA’s Atlas V rockets in an interview. ULA has 29 Atlas V missions left before it retires sometime in the mid-2020s and transitions to its upcoming Vulcan rocket, Bruno said.
NASA names Jacobs Large Business Prime Contractor of the Year
Coalition Member in the News – Jacobs
PR News (8/26): Jacobs has been selected by NASA as Large Business Prime Contractor of the Year for the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). “Jacobs’ relationship with NASA goes back 60-plus years, and we truly value our longstanding collaboration to help to solve the most complex and hazardous challenges of space exploration,” said Jacobs Critical Mission Solutions Executive Vice President Dawne Hickton.
White House to revise charter and membership of space council advisory group
SpaceNews.com (8/26): The charter and membership of the White House National Space Council’s User’s Advisory Group is undergoing re-evaluation to better reflect the policy priorities of the Biden Administration, Chirag Parikh, the recently appointed council’s executive secretary, told the 36th annual Space Symposium on Thursday. The council, chaired by Vice President Kamala Harris, is scheduled to meet for the first time this fall.
Chinese commercial sector investment lagging in 2021
SpaceNews.com (8/27): After a rapid start once the government of China opened space to private sector investment, activity is now slowing. Notably, funding in 2021 has not reached the levels of the largest rounds from 2020, which included large rounds for remote sensing firm Changguang Satellite ($375 million) and launch companies such as Landspace ($175 million).
Blue Origin launches NS-17 suborbital science mission
NASAspaceflight.com (8/26): Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital rocket launch on Thursday delivered 18 science and technology development payloads to suborbital space and down for a landing. Among the payloads aboard the rocket was a NASA technology development initiative to improve the accuracy of human as well as robotic mission landings on the Moon and on terrains more challenging than those visited during the Apollo era.
Amazon calls on FCC to reject SpaceX’s revised second-gen starlink plan
SpaceNews.com (8/26): Amazon is urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to dismiss SpaceX’s revised plans for its second-generation Starlink constellation, saying they are too broad and speculative. SpaceX proposed two potential configurations for follow-on satellites this month, which Amazon said breaks FCC rules that require details of a proposed amendment to be settled before filing such an application. “Should the Commission depart from its rules and precedent and endorse the approach of applying for multiple, mutually exclusive configurations, the consequences will extend far beyond the SpaceX Amendment,” wrote Mariah Shuman, corporate counsel for Amazon’s broadband megaconstellation venture Project Kuiper. Project Kuiper has yet to deploy any of its satellites.
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