In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Members of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Wednesday called on Congressional leadership to come together on a new NASA authorization act. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe captures its first images of Venus’ surface in visible light.
Human Space Exploration
Cantwell, Wicker press need for NASA authorization bill this year
Spacepolicyonline.com (2/9): U.S. senators on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee stressed the need for Senate and House leadership to come together on a new NASA authorization measure to strengthen the nation’s science and technology focus in light of competition from other countries. Hearing witness Scott Pace, director of the George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute and head of the National Space Council during the last administration, stressed the value of an authorization bill as a signal of bipartisan support, which potentially helps appropriators offer more funding for NASA. The most recent NASA authorization measure was passed and signed into law in 2017. During the hearing, senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) argued the International Space Station (ISS) is a strategic national security asset and part of how the U.S. projects leadership to the world, adding that private platforms will not send the same message. NASA’s Jim Free responded the U.S. is clearly the recognized leader in space, while Scott Pace said that the Artemis Program and lunar Gateway are even bigger national assets and the new opportunity to show leadership. Another topic of concern during the hearing was the lack of a dedicated manager for the Artemis program.
KSAT to support NASA LunIR mission
Coalition Member in the News – Lockheed Martin
SpaceNews.com (2/10): LunIR is a NASA-funded cubesat built by Lockheed Martin and Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems, a subsidiary of Terran Orbital Corp., to collect lunar images and gather data after launching aboard the Orion capsule on the Space Launch System (SLS) during the Artemis I uncrewed lunar mission. Kongsberg Satellite Services is providing ground network support for the Lunar InfraRed Imaging (LunIR) mission with ground stations in Punta Arenas, Chile, Svalbard, Norway, and Antarctica’s Troll station.
Space Science
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has captured the first visible-light images of Venus
Space.com (2/10): NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has taken its first visible light images of the surface of Venus from space. Venus’ surface is usually hidden from sight. But in two recent flybys of the planet, Parker used its Wide-Field Imager, or WISPR, to image the entire nightside in wavelengths of the visible spectrum – the type of light that the human eye can see – and extending into the near-infrared. Parker’s new images of Venus are the first of many more to be captured by the upcoming DAVINCI, VERITAS, and EnVision missions. NASA is holding a Twitter Spaces discussion today at 11 a.m. EST on the subject.
UAE’s Hope spacecraft marks 1 year in orbit around Mars
Space.com (2/9): Wednesday marked the first anniversary for the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Hope mission in orbit around Mars. The mission is focused on studies of the Martian atmosphere and climate, factors in whether the Red Planet was once and possibly still habitable. “We’re very excited about the science that we’re getting from this mission,” Hessa Al Matroushi, the mission’s science lead, told a recent virtual NASA Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group session. Developed to last one Martian year, or until April of 2023, Hope may be extended, according to Al Matroushi.
China’s Tianwen 1 Mars mission marks 1st full year in orbit
Space.com (2/10): Thursday marks the first anniversary of China’s Tianwen 1 spacecraft in orbit at Mars. Once in orbit, the spacecraft prepared for the departure and landing of the companion Chinese Zhurong rover, which reached the Martian surface on May 14, 2021. With the Zhurong landing, Both the orbiter and rover continue to explore the Red Planet, with Zhurong exceeding its three month-long primary mission.
Other News
NASA outlines concerns about Starlink next-generation constellation in FCC letter
SpaceNews.com (2/9): NASA says that SpaceX’s proposal for a second-generation Starlink constellation with 30,000 satellites could lead to a “significant increase” in potential collisions in low Earth orbit and interfere with the agency’s launches and scientific activities. The five-page letter was submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) February 8 on NASA’s behalf by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, along with a separate one-page letter from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The letter was submitted to the FCC’s proceedings on SpaceX’s proposal for its Starlink “Gen 2” system with approximately 30,000 satellites in LEO.
China plans more than 50 space launches in 2022
SpaceNews.com (2/9): The number of space launches hosted by China over 2022 could exceed 60, boosting at least 140 spacecraft, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., in an annual “blue book” report devoted to upcoming space activities and released on Wednesday. Two launches have been logged so far this year, but the latest projection is up from the estimated launch forecast in early January. The count includes assembly and cargo missions to China’s space station, missions to the Moon’s south pole as well as a combined comet flyby and asteroid sample return mission.
