Concept art of the Orbit Fab Tanker-002, which is a geostationary propellant depot able to supply hydrazine to spacecraft on-orbit. Credit: Space Fab.

Welcome to The Space Resource monthly newsletter for September 2021. The on-orbit satellite servicing market is heating up, VIPER’s lunar landing site announced, and Inspiration4 space tourism mission orbits for three days successfully.

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General

Geostationary propellant depot to be deployed by 2023. Called the Tanker-002, the spacecraft is funded and designed by Orbit Fab, a startup specializing in on-orbit satellite refueling. This upcoming satellite will provide around 200 pounds of hydrazine to any spacecraft able to dock with it. Hydrazine is used as a monopropellant fuel for attitude control and maneuvering. On-orbit refuelling is an enabling technology for extending the operational life of satellites, while also facilitating novel spacecraft operations, such as space tugs. Link.

On-orbit inspection satellite to launch in 2023. The Astroscale ADRAS-J spacecraft will rendezvous with a derelict Japanese upper stage rocket and inspect it. A follow-on mission will then deorbit the upper stage, but that mission has not been discussed yet. This mission is important for Astroscale as it will demonstrate their capabilities of rendezvousing and fine-maneuvering. Link.

A new space tug startup raises $7 million. Starfish Space will use these funds for development of its all electric spacecraft, the Otter. They are targeting a launch by 2024. Starfish is aiming to compete with Northrup Grumman’s MEV, Astroscale, and Momentus. Link.

Inspiration4 mission success, with four civilians orbiting Earth for 3 days. This mission was notable chiefly because it was flown by an all-civilian crew, a first in spaceflight history. The mission used a special SpaceX Dragon capsule. A Falcon 9 launched the mission into a 585 km orbit, where it remained for the three day mission. For context, the International Space Station (ISS) orbits at an altitude of about 420 km. Since Inspiration4 did not dock with the ISS as Dragon capsules normally do, the docking adapter was replaced with a large plexiglass dome that the crew could use to enjoy the view. Led by Jared Isaacman, the crew included Hayley Arceneaux, Chris Sembroski, and Sian Proctor. While more expensive than the offerings of Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, this on-orbit tourism capability will surely be a boon for wealthy space enthusiasts.

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Mars

Perseverance rover collected its first rock sample for return to Earth. In preparation for a future return mission, Perseverance is collecting, measuring, and sealing samples from the Jezero Crater. The samples will all be rock cores slightly thicker than a pencil. This was the second sample attempt, with the first sample crumbling in the drill. The sample cache should be collected by a NASA and ESA mission in the 2030s.

The Ingenuity helicopter is still flying on Mars after 12 flights. This far surpasses the expected five flights. Ingenuity is able to survive and operate away from Perseverance using its onboard solar panels and batteries. It’s current role is to scout the terrain ahead of the Perseverance rover, allowing Perseverance to bypass less interesting areas and avoid challenging terrain. Ingenuity should be able to continue operations, however, the Martian winter is approaching.

Moon

Nobile Crater selected for NASA VIPER mission. The Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) will search for ice on the Moon’s south pole. Nobile Crater is located at the Moon’s south pole. Upon landing, VIPER will traverse around 25 km over a multi-month period near and into the crater. The rover will be drilling and mapping any ice deposits along this journey. While VIPER may not find any ice, scientists believe Nobile Crater provides decent odds of at least a light layer of frost. Link.

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