In Today’s Deep Space Extra… How JWST could study dark matter. Juno reveals sounds from the Jovian moon Ganymede. The Space Force picks Boeing to support GPS operations over the next 10 years.
Space Science
What will the James Webb Space Telescope reveal to us about dark matter?
Coalition Member in the News – Northrop Grumman
Space.com (12/20): Ever since its proposed existence in 1933, the composition of dark matter has remained a mystery. However, dark matter is estimated to comprise about 27 percent of the known universe. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), undergoing preparations for launch from French Guiana early Friday, could help to unravel the mystery by observing how concentrations of dark matter influence their surrounding normal, visible matter.
Floating “aerobats” could be the best way to explore the cloud tops of Venus
Coalition Member in the News – Northrop Grumman
Universe Today (12/20): At West Virginia University, engineers are working with NASA to develop an “aerobot” mission strategy to help unlock the mystery surrounding the high temperature and pressure environment at Venus, a planet with similarities to the Earth. Learning the changes that transitioned the second planet from the sun to its current presumably uninhabitable status could be of value to the Earth’s future. Aerobots could help to support lighter-than-air missions to Venus to explore the high-altitude atmosphere, the realm above the cloud tops, where temperatures are stable and atmospheric pressure is comparable to that of Earth.
NASA releases ghostly sounds recorded at Ganymede by the Juno Probe
Science Alert (12/20): NASA’s Juno spacecraft mission at Jupiter has provided some recent scientific dividends, including a soundtrack from its sweep around the large moon Ganymede. Launched in 2011, Juno has been orbiting the solar system’s largest planet since July 2016.
Bits of asteroid Ryugu are among ‘most primordial’ materials ever examined
Space.com (12/20): Initial science investigations into the material returned to Earth in December 2020 by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Hayabusa2 mission to the asteroid Ryugu finds the sample material as some of the most primordial ever examined by Earthlings. Launched in 2014, the samples on Ryugu were collected at two locations across 2019. The exact age of the material remains unknown but should be revealed in future studies that will also focus on the role asteroids played in the distribution of water and organics. The findings were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Other News
Boeing wins $329 million contract to support orbiting GPS satellites
Coalition Members in the News – Boeing, Lockheed Martin
SpaceNews.com (12/20): The U.S. Space Force announced Monday that it has selected Boeing under a $329.3 million contract to support Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) operations over the next 10 years. The agreement is for the support of the GPS 2F satellites manufactured by Boeing and launched between 2010 and 2016. The current constellation of 31 operational GPS satellites includes 12 of the 2F model.
L3Harris’ missile-tracking satellites pass critical design reviews
Coalition Members in the News – L3Harris, Northrop Grumman
SpaceNews.com (12/20): A missile-tracking satellite developed by L3Harris for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has passed its critical design review. The satellite is for the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) program. The MDA in January awarded Northrop Grumman a $155 million and L3Harris a $121 million contract to develop prototypes for on-orbit demonstrations, which have to be delivered in 2023.
U.S. Defense Innovation Unit selects Maxar to produce robotic arms for on-orbit servicing
Coalition Member in the News – Maxar
SpaceNews.com (12/20): Maxar Technologies won a $9.3 million Defense Department contract to produce two in-space servicing robotic arms for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The $9.3 million contract is for Maxar to further develop a robotic arm it designed for both commercial and government customers. DIU is a DoD organization created to accelerate the adoption of commercial technology. Space is one of DIU’s portfolio areas, including in-space transportation and robotic technologies for on-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing.
After years of delays by FAA, Spaceport Camden granted site operator’s license
Savannah Morning News of Georgia (12/20): After a lengthy evaluation, the FAA announced its intent to grant the 11,800 acre Spaceport Camden an operator’s license. However, further FAA safety, environmental, and other reviews and analyses will be necessary before actual launches can occur. Efforts to obtain the license and address environmental concerns have been underway since 2015.
Source link
