The Space Resource Newsletter - May 2020
View over the shoulders of astronauts Doug and Bob as the SpaceX Crew Dragon carries them toward a rendezvous with the ISS. Credit: SpaceX.
Welcome to The Space Resource monthly newsletter for May 2020. SpaceX successfully launched two astronauts to the ISS, NASA established Artemis Accord, and Tom Cruise to film movie on ISS. Looking for prior newsletters? View the archive here.
🚨🚨 Want to learn more about space resources? Checkout The Space Resource Report! We highlighted the major developments surrounding space resources in 2019, covering the science, technology, business, and policy developments that will invigorate humanity’s expansion into space.
We welcome all story ideas, so please contact us with any ideas. If you are not already subscribed to this newsletter, please consider subscribing here. If you enjoy our work, please consider supporting us on Patreon.
Asteroids
In the early morning hours of April 27, Pan-STARRS, a survey telescope located at the summit of Haleakalā in Hawaii, detected a new asteroid in close proximity to Earth. With a rough 10% probability of colliding with Earth the following day, observatories around the world rapidly joined the effort to study this object. The Xingming Observatory in China obtained the first position, motion, and brightness of the object within 50 minutes of the initial Pan-STARRS report. The Tautenburg observatory in Germany provided additional observations later that day. The extra observations indicated the 4 to 8 meter wide asteroid, named 2020 HS7, would miss Earth, but would pass very close to geosynchronous orbit. Flyby occurred on April 28th 18:49 UTC at a distance of about 42,745 km from Earth (geosynchronous orbit is at 35,786 km), placing this as one of the 50th closest flybys ever recorded. This exercise shows the rapid response capable through global collaboration, and the tremendous benefit survey telescopes provide to planetary defense. Source.
Cislunar
Tethers Unlimited acquired by Amerigint Technology. Tethers Unlimited was developing and testing water based thrusters, a passive deorbit system (Terminator Tape), and an in-space manufacturing platform (HyperBus). NASA awarded two Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) to Tethers Unlimited on May 5 to further develop HyperBus and ARTIE, a robotic power and grapple interface. It remains unclear if Amerigint will continue the sustained development of these technologies. Source.
Moon
NASA establishes the Artemis Accord to provide norms for space activities. Any country that wishes to cooperate on the Artemis program will need to sign a series of bilateral agreements with the United States. As Jim Morhard, deputy administrator of NASA, mentioned, “This is based on our values and our own behaviors, but it’s also grounded in the Outer Space Treaty (OST).” Some of the unique principles provided include transparency, interoperability, release of scientific data, spacecraft disposal, establishment of safety zones, and the ability to extract and utilize space resources. Most importantly, the Accord should add clarification and teeth to the OST. Source.
Researchers identify urea as an effective binder for lunar based construction. Urea, the main organic compound found in urine, acts as a plasticiser when combined with lunar simulant. The resulting material is similar to concrete, where it can be molded yet still support ten times its weight when cured. The tested samples performed well in vacuum and and through freeze-thaw cycles (-80 to 114C). The proposed architecture would use urea from astronaut urine to manufacture base building feedstock. The unique environment on the Moon will encourage novel solutions such as this. Source.
Terrestrial
SpaceX launched astronauts to the ISS for the first time. After a nine year hiatus, NASA is able to have astronauts flown into space directly from the United States. Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, both experienced astronauts, comprised the crew for this test mission. The SpaceX Falcon 9 launched the Crew Dragon, christened Endeavour, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30. Doug and Bob docked at the ISS after about 19 hours. They are expected to remain there until later this summer. Doug and Bob will then pilot Endeavour back to Earth, where it will splash down in the Atlantic Ocean near Florida. The next SpaceX crew launch is set for the end of August, where a four person crew will be launched to the ISS.
Tom Cruise to film his next movie aboard the ISS. Cruise will become the first actor to appear on-screen while filmed in orbit. This represents an excellent commercial opportunity for the International Space Station (ISS) and commercial crew launch. The commercialization of space extends beyond physical materials and telecommunications, with space tourism providing near term funding. Cruise will be flown up to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon. Exact dates are not known at this point, but Jim Bridenstine, administrator of NASA, and Elon Musk are both fully supportive of Cruise and other tourists travelling to space. Additionally, inspiring the public through arts is invaluable to STEM and space advocacy.
China tested a human rated capsule, pushing for its Tiangong space station. The capsule is based on the Soyuz capsule and is rated to carry six takinauts (astronauts). This test capsule was launched aboard a Long March 5B rocket in early May. While an issue was mentioned, China is calling this test a success. Ultimately, China is pushing to complete a space station by 2022 and wants to land takinauts to the Moon’s surface soon after.
The US Air Force launched the X-37B into orbit for its 6th mission with a power beaming experiment. Launched aboard a ULA Atlas V, the X-37B will likely spend around two years in space before returning to Earth. One of the experiments the X-37B is carrying will demonstrate harvesting power from a solar array and converting that energy to microwave signals. The microwave signal could be collected at a receiving array and converted back into electricity for consumption. It is unclear if this demonstration will cover receiving, either in orbit or terrestrial. Optical power transmission could also be used instead of microwave, but microwaves provide better atmosphere penetration. This is relevant if space based power generators are beaming power down to Earth based receiving stations (such as forward operating bases, drones, or disaster response areas). Lasers provide a better option for long distance transmissions in space (or on the Moon) because they have much lower divergence, and require much smaller receivers (useful for rovers). Source.
The US Army to test Starlink capability across its systems. The Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) will allow the Army to assess Starlink for three years, before deciding if they want to commit to a purchase. Similar agreements have been made for other commercial SATCOM services. The Army indicated that it is primarily interested in the reliability of Starlink and potential vulnerabilities it may have. Ultimately, this exploration stage evaluation will determine if Starlink can be integrated within the Army’s existing geosynchronous and terrestrial based communication systems. Source.
LeoLabs unveils satellite collision avoidance service. Known for their satellite and space debris tracking ability, the startup LeoLabs will soon offer a service to help satellite operators gain better situational awareness of potential collisions. LeoLabs will handle this by identifying high risk encounters and scheduling extra observation time related to the objects in question, ideally trying to increase accuracy of the risk of a collision. With greater collision accuracy values, satellite operators are better able to determine if they need to move their satellites to avoid collisions. Source.
