mu Space to push Thai space industry, planning to build its first spaceship in 2021

2020 was the time when the space scene was lively again, with the Thai government pushing for space-activity-related legislation and creating mechanisms to promote and support both the government and the private sector to develop the space industry together, which is one of the target industries in the new S-curve that will increase Thailand's investment capacity and its role in developing the space industry and ultimately add values to the Thai economy. The private sector also plays an important role in developing the economy and stimulating investment in the space industry. This year, mu Space and Advanced Technology Public Company Limited (mu Space Corp.), a 3-year-old private satellite and space technologies firm, was able to attract investors from several industries and businesses to invest in the space industry, such as TOT Public Company Limited, executives from Dow Chemical Group, SCG, as well as the current investors, including Nice Apparel Group - a global leading athlete apparel maker - , B.Grimm Group, Majuven Fund, private business group, and a group of other minor investors i.e. executives from the UCLA Foundation. The value of 'mu Space' has increased to more than $100 million. through a Series B fundraising. 'mu Space' CEO, Varayuth Yenbamroong, on December 25th, 2020, stated during a soft opening event of the first spaceship factory in Thailand that "the fund recently raised will be used on quickly build a large-scale factory to produce and assemble the first spaceship of Thailand, along with satellite parts and commercial spaceships for domestic affairs, communications, national security such as creating a locally made GPS (Global Positioning System), robotic testing, autonomous system testing for unmanned vehicles to be used on the Moon mission. 

The factory will be equipped with the 5G communication system. It will also serve as a platform to develop "Space IDC" technologies, with a plan to test the "Space IDC"(Space Internet Data Center) simulation in the first quarter of 2021.

"Space IDC" or Space Internet Data Center services is a project jointly created by 'mu Space' Corp. and TOT Public Company Limited, that aims at providing a data center service with a server being located in outer space.

"mu Space' is planning to build 11 gateway stations initially in Bangkok to operate the upcoming Low Earth Orbit Satellite (LEO), while preparing to propose up to 8 projects from US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the beginning of 2021. 'mu Space' has collected a lot of experience and has grown significantly from submitting 7 space technology development projects with its Tipping Point Solicitation Project passing the first hearing. There is a good chance that 'mu Space' will be awarded with the project contract." said Varayuth

Despite the presence of COVID-19 pandemic, 'mu Space' is planning to hire about 100 positions, beginning with the first 50 positions beginning in Q1 2021 to create skilled laborers, in line with the national space technology and industry development plan. This is a good news for Thailand to have private space companies and the new generation who have the determination to develop technologies and innovations to tangibly push the local space industry to become Thailand's New Economy.

China to launch core module of space station in first half of 2021

China plans to launch the core module of its manned space station in the first half of 2021, a senior official said Friday. The core module will be sent by a Long March-5B Y2 rocket from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan Province, said Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program, at a handover ceremony for the return capsule of the Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft in Shaoshan, central China's Hunan Province. "Subsequent space missions include the launches of Tianzhou-2 cargo craft and Shenzhou-12 manned craft after the core module is sent into orbit," Zhou said. Tests on the core module have been completed, and astronaut training is underway. The astronauts will carry out a number of extravehicular activities. China is scheduled to complete the construction of the space station around 2022. The construction project will be implemented in two phases. Six flight missions, including the launch of the core module, have been scheduled in the phase of key technology validation.

SpaceX, Blue Origin, Dynetics await NASA lunar lander decision

Elon Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and a lesser-known company, Huntsville, Ala.-based Dynetics, are preparing for a major decision by NASA early in 2021 about which company will build human-carrying landers for trips to the moon. The three space firms were selected in April to submit proposals early this month. Having done that, they now await NASA's decision, which is scheduled for February. The space agency has indicated it could pick one or two of the proposals. At stake is the future of lunar exploration for the United States and large, multimillion-dollar contracts as part of NASA's planned Artemis program. The agency had a goal of landing people on the moon again by 2024, although Congress hasn't funded NASA's budget requests to meet that schedule. A contract for a human lander may be awarded, but it's not clear if such landers will be built anytime soon, said Marco Caceres, space analyst for the Teal Group based in Fairfax, Va. "Artemis was proposed in another age in our history before the pandemic and the recent election, so I'm not convinced it will happen," Caceres said Tuesday. "From a technical standpoint, the Dynetics proposal has strengths, but NASA tends to pick a known quantity for such spaceflight missions." SpaceX already has multiple high-profile contracts with NASA, including the commercial crew contract to take astronauts to the International Space Station, while Blue Origin has flown NASA hardware on the company's New Shepard rocket. Blue Origin lined up legacy space companies Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to help develop a lander, Caceres noted.

Blue Origin, of Kent, Wash., plans to develop a three-stage lander to be launched on its own New Glenn rocket and United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket. But neither of those rockets has launched; both are being developed.

SpaceX, based in Hawthorne, Calif., is developing the Starship, a fully integrated lander intended for launch on the Starship Super Heavy rocket. It also is being developed, having completed a prototype test flight to nearly 8 miles high Dec. 9.

Dynetics' lander will provide ascent and descent capabilities and also is planned to be launched on the Vulcan. Dynetics is a tech and engineering firm and a subsidiary of engineering firm Leidos.

All three proposed landers could be refueled at the moon, but Dynetics' lander is designed to be easily reusable for multiple hops around the moon, Robert Wright, Dynetics' program manager, said in an interview Thursday.

Dynetics is the only lander with a horizontal crew cabin, as opposed to an upright, vertical cabin, which would allow faster and easier access to the lunar surface, Wright said.

Both SpaceX and Blue Origin would require a crew to descend on long ladders from a cabin high atop a landing vehicle.

"We're in the unique position of being closer to the lunar surface than the other competitors have shown in their concepts," Wright said.

"Having the horizontal capsule, or chamber, means astronauts would have more room to put spacesuits on, and a dust barrier to prevent gritty moon dust from entering the quarters."

But putting the crew cabin higher over the ground is an advantage for Blue Origin's lander, Blue Moon, the company's chief scientist Steve Squyres said in a recent video news release.

"When you land on an unprepared surface, on no landing pad, there are bad things that can happen," such as rocket thrusters kicking up sharp rocks, Squyres said. "The other thing that can happen is you can crunch your engine on the ground when you land."

Therefore, he said, the Blue Moon lander would put the crew and ascent engines on top, "out of harm's way."

Dynetics' Wright said the company's lander still protects the engines with its design, which shows the bottom of a barrel-shaped capsule extending below the engines to protect them from the ground.

SpaceX declined a request for comment. NASA declined requests for interviews "to protect the integrity of the process" as the contract award announcement nears, a spokeswoman said.

The human lander contract will mark a milestone toward "sending the first woman and next man to the lunar surface in 2024 and establishing sustainable exploration by the end of the decade," according to a NASA statement.

World's largest solar observatory releases first image of a sunspot

The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, DKIST, the world's largest solar observatory, has released its first portrait of a sunspot. The photograph's impressive details highlight the optical powers of the Hawaiian observatory. Researchers released the image in conjunction with a new paper -- published Friday in the journal Solar Physics -- describing the telescope's mechanical features, optical instruments and scientific objectives. Sunspots are dark spots found on the surface of the sun created by magnetic field flux, where the convergence of magnetic fields stunts convection and cools the sun's surface. In the new image, hot and cool gas can be seen spidering outward from the sunspot's edge. The radiating pattern is created when rising hot gas and sinking cool gas become stretched along the lines of the inclined magnetic field. Solar activity rises and falls over the course of an 11-year solar cycle. When solar activity is greatest, the surface of the sun is dotted with more sunspots. DKIST snapped the portrait in January of this year, shortly after the sun reached its solar minimum at the end of 2019. The sunspot imaged by the Inouye Solar Telescope was one of the first of the new solar cycle. It measured more than 10,000 miles wide. Scientists expect the sun to reach its solar maximum in the middle of 2025. "With this solar cycle just beginning, we also enter the era of the Inouye Solar Telescope," Matt Mountain, president of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, which manages the National Solar Observatory and the Inouye Solar Telescope, said in a news release.

"We can now point the world's most advanced solar telescope at the sun to capture and share incredibly detailed images and add to our scientific insights about the sun's activity," said Mountain.

Sunspots aren't just optical phenomenon. The majority of solar flares and coronal mass ejections originate from the hyper-magnetized regions surrounding sunspots.

Scientists expect DKIST to provide new insights into the mechanics of supports and their related phenomena -- insights that will help researchers more accurately predict the trajectory of solar storms, which can disrupt communications systems and power grids, as well as put astronauts at risk.

"While the start of telescope operations has been slightly delayed due to the impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic, this image represents an early preview of the unprecedented capabilities that the facility will bring to bear on our understanding of the sun," said David Boboltz, program director for the Inouye Solar Telescope at the National Science Foundation.

DKIST is funded by NSF and managed by the National Solar Observatory through a cooperative agreement with the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy.

Milky Way’s brightest gamma-ray binary system may be powered by a magnetar star

Gamma-ray binaries are a system of massive, high-energy stars and compact stars. They appear bright bluish-white stars when observing with visible light. When observing X-rays and gamma-rays, their properties differ drastically from those of other binaries. Once the gamma-ray binaries were established as a new astrophysical class, it was quickly recognized that an extremely efficient acceleration mechanism should operate in them. Some gamma-ray binaries are known to emit strong gamma-rays with energies of several megaelectron volts (MeV). Such gamma rays are quite challenging to observe as they were detected from only around 30 celestial bodies in the whole sky. But, what’s mysterious is that such binaries emit strong radiation even in this energy band. This means a beneficial particle acceleration process must be going on within them. The past few studies made it clear that a gamma-ray binary is generally made of a massive primary star that weighs 20-30 times the Sun’s mass and a companion star that must be compact. But, it remains unclear whether the close star is a black hole or a neutron star. Scientists at the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) have studied previously collected data to infer the nature of a magnetar orbiting within LS 5039, the brightest gamma-ray binary system in the Galaxy. Scientists focused on LS 5039 because of its position as the brightest gamma-ray binary in the X-rays and gamma-ray range.

Earlier, it was thought that the LS 5039 must have a neutron star because of its stable X-ray and TeV gamma-ray radiation. However, until now, attempts to detect such pulses had been conducted with radio waves and soft X-rays—and because radio waves and soft X-rays are affected by the primary star’s stellar winds, detection of such periodical pulses had not been successful.

Now, for the first time, scientists focused on the hard X-ray band (>10 keV) and observation data from LS 5039 gathered by the hard X-ray detector (HXD). The data was collected from the space-based telescopes Suzaku (between September 9 and 15, 2007) and NuSTAR (between September 1 and 5, 2016).

Both observations provided evidence on the presence of a neutron star within the core of LS 5039:the periodic signal from Suzaku with a period of about 9 seconds. The probability that this signal arises from statistical fluctuations is only 0.1 percent. NuSTAR also showed a very similar pulse signal. Combining these results also inferred that the spin period is increasing by 0.001 s every year.

Based on the derived spin period and the rate of its increase, the group precluded the rotation powered and accretion- powered scenarios. They found that the neutron star’s magnetic energy is the sole energy source that can power LS 5039.

The required magnetic field reaches 1011 T, three orders of magnitude higher than those of typical neutron stars. This value is found among so-called magnetars, a subclass of neutron stars with such a powerful magnetic field.

The pulse period of 9 seconds is typical of magnetars. This strong magnetic field prevents the primary star’s stellar wind from being captured by a neutron star, explaining why LS 5039 does not exhibit properties similar to X-ray pulsars.

Strangely, the 30 magnetars that have been found so far have all been seen as isolated stars, so their existence in gamma-ray binaries was not viewed as a standard idea. Other than this new theory, the group recommends a source that powers the non-thermal emission inside LS 5039—they suggest that the emission is caused by a collaboration between the magnetar’s magnetic fields and dense stellar winds. Indeed, their figurings recommend that gamma-rays with energies of several megaelectronvolts, which has been unclear, can be unequivocally emitted if they are produced in a region of a powerful magnetic field, close to a magnetar.

These results potentially settle the mystery of the compact object’s nature within LS 5039 and the underlying mechanism powering the binary system. However, further observations and refining of their research are needed to shed new light on their findings.

Gilmour Space and Northrop Grumman sign MoU to Grow Sovereign Capabilities in Australia

Australian rocket company, Gilmour Space Technologies, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with global aerospace giant Northrop Grumman Corporation to work on developing sovereign space capabilities in Australia. "Northrop Grumman aims to lead industry support in developing Australian sovereign space capabilities to help meet the needs of defence and realise the Australian Space Agency vision," said Chris Deeble, chief executive, Northrop Grumman Australia. "Our approach is consistent with the Australian government's recently announced Modern Manufacturing Strategy, to make space hardware in Australia while securing sovereign capabilities in priority areas that includes defence and space." As an initial task under the MOU, Northrop Grumman will join Gilmour Space as an industry partner on a previously announced Cooperative Research Centre Project (CRC-P) to develop composite rocket tanks for low-cost space transport. The CRC-P, which includes Griffith University and Etamax Engineering, will manufacture composite tanks up to two metres in diameter and trial them in rocket flights, in an effort to reduce weight and increase reliability. Gilmour Space CEO Adam Gilmour said the company is excited to work with Northrop Grumman on this opportunity. "It is great to gain the support of Northrop Grumman who, through this investment, have further demonstrated their commitment to grow Australian space capability."

The next five years will be a critical time for Australia to develop a world-class sovereign space industry.

"With the right support, we will see innovative, well capitalised, and highly capable Australian space companies like Gilmour Space emerge as future Australian space primes. We look forward to working with Northrop Grumman as we work to launch our first commercial payloads to orbit in 2022."

US-European mission launches to monitor the world's oceans

A joint U.S.-European satellite built to monitor global sea levels lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California Saturday at 9:17 a.m. PST (12:17 p.m. EST). About the size of a small pickup truck, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will extend a nearly 30-year continuous dataset on sea level collected by an ongoing collaboration of U.S. and European satellites while enhancing weather forecasts and providing detailed information on large-scale ocean currents to support ship navigation near coastlines. "The Earth is changing, and this satellite will help deepen our understanding of how," said Karen St. Germain, director of NASA's Earth Science Division. "The changing Earth processes are affecting sea level globally, but the impact on local communities varies widely. International collaboration is critical to both understanding these changes and informing coastal communities around the world." After arriving in orbit, the spacecraft separated from the rocket's second stage and unfolded its twin sets of solar arrays. Ground controllers successfully acquired the satellite's signal, and initial telemetry reports showed the spacecraft in good health. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will now undergo a series of exhaustive checks and calibrations before it starts collecting science data in a few months' time.

Continuing the Legacy
The spacecraft is named in honor of Michael Freilich, the former director of NASA's Earth Science Division, who was a leading figure in advancing ocean observations from space. Freilich passed away Aug. 5, 2020. His close family and friends attended the launch of the satellite that now carries his name.

"Michael was a tireless force in Earth sciences. Climate change and sea level rise know no national borders, and he championed international collaboration to confront the challenge," said ESA (European Space Agency) Director of Earth Observation Programmes Josef Aschbacher. "It's fitting that a satellite in his name will continue the 'gold standard' of sea level measurements for the next half-decade. This European-U.S. cooperation is exemplary and will pave the way for more cooperation opportunities in Earth observation."

"Mike helped ensure NASA was a steadfast partner with scientists and space agencies worldwide, and his love of oceanography and Earth science helped us improve understanding of our beautiful planet," added Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator for science at the agency's headquarters. "This satellite so graciously named for him by our European partners will carry out the critical work Mike so believed in - adding to a legacy of crucial data about our oceans and paying it forward for the benefit of future generations."

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will continue the sea level record that began in 1992 with the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite and continued with Jason-1 (2001), OSTM/Jason-2 (2008), and eventually Jason-3, which has been observing the oceans since 2016. Together, these satellites have provided a nearly 30-year record ofprecise measurements of sea level height while tracking the rate at which our oceans are rising in response to our warming climate. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will pass the baton to its twin, Sentinel-6B, in 2025, extending the current climate record at least another 10 years between the two satellites.

Global Science Impact
This latest mission marks the first international involvement in Copernicus, the European Union's Earth Observation Programme. Along with measuring sea levels for almost the entire globe, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich's suite of scientific instruments will also make atmospheric measurements that can be used to complement climate models and help meteorologists make better weather forecasts.

"NASA is but one of several partners involved in Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, but this satellite speaks to the very core of our mission," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "Whether 800 miles above Earth with this remarkable spacecraft or traveling to Mars to look for signs of life, whether providing farmers with agricultural data or aiding first responders with our Disasters program, we are tirelessly committed not just to learning and exploring, but to having an impact where it's needed."

The initial orbit of Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich is about 12.5 miles (20.1 kilometers) lower than its ultimate operational orbit of 830 miles (1,336 kilometers). In less than a month, the satellite will receive commands to raise its orbit, trailing Jason-3 by about 30 seconds. Mission scientists and engineers will then spend about a year cross-calibrating data collected by the two satellites to ensure the continuity of sea level measurements from one satellite to the next. Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich will then take over as the primary sea level satellite and Jason-3 will provide a supporting role until the end of its mission.

"This mission is the very essence of partnership, precision, and incredible long-term focus," said Michael Watkins, director of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the mission. "Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich not only provides a critical measurement,it is essential for continuing this historic multi-decadal sea level record."

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich and Sentinel-6B compose the Sentinel-6/Jason-CS (Continuity of Service) mission developed in partnership with ESA. ESA is developing the new Sentinel family of missions to support the operational needs of the Copernicus program, managed by the European Commission. Other partners include the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with funding support from the European Commission and technical support from France's National Centre for Space Studies.

"The data from this satellite, which is so critical for climate monitoring and weather forecasting, will be of unprecedented accuracy," said EUMETSAT Director-General Alain Ratier. "These data, which can only be obtained by measurements from space, will bring a wide range of benefits to people around the globe, from safer ocean travel to more precise prediction of hurricane paths, from greater understanding of sea level rise to more accurate seasonal weather forecasts, and so much more."

MDA receives commercial contracts for on-orbit servicing technologies

The OSAM-1 mission, formerly known as Restore-L, will demonstrate robotic servicing technologies in orbit, including satellite refueling, assembly and in-space manufacturing. The SPIDER payload's lightweight 16-foot (5-metre) robotic arm will assemble multiple antenna reflector elements to form a single, functional 9-foot (3-metre) communications Ka-band antenna. MDA has announced that it has signed multiple contracts with Maxar Technologies to provide advanced space robotics technologies for the Space Infrastructure Dexterous Robot (SPIDER), a technology demonstration on NASA's On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1 (OSAM-1) mission. MDA will deliver an enabling technology suite of advanced robot control software and interfaces to help achieve assembly and servicing tasks never done to date. These include:

+ A dexterous end effector;
+ Robotic arm control software;
+ Motor control software;
+ Robotic console command and control software and computers;
+ Grapple fixtures and targets for on-orbit assembly interfaces, and
+ Compact cameras and controllers for situational awareness and robotic arm operation.

MDA will also deliver the Motor Control Electronics and Arm Control Electronics on the SPIDER robotic arm. These essential components drive and control each of the motors and joints of the arm as well as providing the data routing and interfacing between joints and cameras.

The work on these three contracts will be performed at MDA facilities in Brampton and Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue. These products will be delivered in mid-to-late 2021 and incorporated into Maxar's robotic system. They will not only support the goal of making on-orbit assembly commercially viable, but could also support other on-orbit services like debris removal, anomaly resolution, life extension, and salvage of stranded spacecraft.

There is a clear need to service the world's space infrastructure, both commercial and government, and MDA is well positioned to address this burgeoning market.

MDA has unparalleled and proven space servicing capabilities developed through various government programs over the last 40 years, including the Canadian government's Canadarm program for the US Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs as well as other on-orbit servicing demonstrations such as the successful DARPA Orbital Express mission and NASA's Robotic Refueling Missions on the space station.

NASA's Curiosity Takes Selfie With 'Mary Anning' on the Red Planet

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has a new selfie. This latest is from a location named "Mary Anning," after a 19th-century English paleontologist whose discovery of marine-reptile fossils were ignored for generations because of her gender and class. The rover has been at the site since this past July, taking and analyzing drill samples. Made up of 59 pictures stitched together by imaging specialists, the selfie was taken on Oct. 25, 2020 – the 2,922nd Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's mission. Scientists on the Curiosity team thought it fitting to name the sampling site after Anning because of the area's potential to reveal details about the ancient environment. Curiosity used the rock drill on the end of its robotic arm to take samples from three drill holes called "Mary Anning," "Mary Anning 3," and "Groken," this last one named after cliffs in Scotland's Shetland Islands. The robotic scientist has conducted a set of advanced experiments with those samples to extend the search for organic (or carbon-based) molecules in the ancient rocks. Since touching down in Gale Crater in 2012, Curiosity has been ascending Mount Sharp to search for conditions that might once have supported life. This past year, the rover has explored a region of Mount Sharp called Glen Torridon, which likely held lakes and streams billions of years ago. Scientists suspect this is why a high concentration of clay minerals and organic molecules was discovered there.

This close-up shot shows the three drill holes created by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover at the "Mary Anning" location.

 Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS.

It will take months for the team to interpret the chemistry and minerals in the samples from the Mary Anning site. In the meantime, the scientists and engineers who have been commanding the rover from their homes as a safety precaution during the coronavirus pandemic have directed Curiosity to continue its climb of Mount Sharp. The rover's next target of exploration is a layer of sulfate-laden rock that lies higher up the mountain. The team hopes to reach it in early 2021.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, leads the Curiosity mission. Curiosity took the selfie using a camera called the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), located on the end of its robotic arm. (Videos explaining how Curiosity's selfies are taken can be found here.) MAHLI was built by Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego.

For more information about Curiosity, visit:

https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/

https://nasa.gov/msl

Galaxies in the Perseus Cluster

For galaxies, as for people, living in a crowd is different from living alone. Recently, astronomers used the National Science Foundation's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to learn how a crowded environment affects galaxies in the Perseus Cluster, a collection of thousands of galaxies some 240 million light-years from Earth. Left: The giant galaxy NGC 1275, at the core of the cluster, is seen in new detail, including a newly revealed wealth of complex, filamentary structure in its radio lobes. Center: The galaxy NGC 1265 shows the effects of its motion through the tenuous material between the galaxies. Its radio jets are bent backward by that interaction, then merge into a single, broad "tail." The tail then is further bent, possibly by motions within the intergalactic material. Right: The jets of the galaxy IC 310 are bent backward, similarly to NGC 1265, but appear closer because of the viewing angle from Earth. That angle also allows astronomers to directly observe energetic gamma rays generated near the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's core. Such images can help astronomers better understand the complex environment of galaxy clusters, which are the largest gravitationally= bound structures in the universe, and which harbor a variety of still poorly understood phenomena.

Galaxies in the Perseus Cluster, left to right: NGC 1275, NGC 1265, IC 310.

"These images show us previously unseen structures and details and that helps our effort to determine the nature of these objects," said Marie-Lou Gendron-Marsolais, an ESO/ALMA Fellow in Santiago, Chile. She and a number of international collaborators are announcing their results in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Magnetic Monster? NASA’s Hubble Sees Unexplained Brightness from Colossal Explosion

In our infinite universe, stars can go bump in the night. When this happens between a pair of burned-out, crushed stars called neutron stars, the resulting fireworks show, called a kilonova, is beyond comprehension. The energy unleashed by the collision briefly glows 100 million times brighter than our Sun. What’s left from the smashup? Typically an even more crushed object called a black hole. But in this case Hubble found forensic clues to something even stranger happening after the head-on collision. The intense flood of gamma-rays signaling astronomers to this event has been seen before in other stellar smashups. But something unexpected popped up in Hubble’s near-infrared vision. Though a gusher of radiation from the aftermath of the explosion—stretching from X-rays to radio waves—seemed typical, the outpouring of infrared radiation was not. It was 10 times brighter than predicted for kilonovae. Without Hubble, the gamma-ray burst would have appeared like many others, and scientists would not have known about the bizarre infrared component. The most plausible explanation is that the colliding neutron stars merged to form a more massive neutron star. It’s like smashing two Volkswagen Beetles together and getting a limousine. This new beast sprouted a powerful magnetic field, making it a unique class of object called a magnetar. The magnetar deposited energy into the ejected material, causing it to glow even more brightly in infrared light than predicted. 

Magnetar-Powered Kilonova Blast. Credit: NASA, ESA, and D. Player (STScI)

(If a magnetar flew within 100,000 miles of Earth, its intense magnetic field would erase the data on every credit card on our planet!)

This image shows the glow from a kilonova caused by the merger of two neutron stars. The kilonova, whose peak brightness reaches up to 10,000 times that of a classical nova, appears as a bright spot (indicated by the arrow) to the upper left of the host galaxy. The merger of the neutron stars is believed to have produced a magnetar, which has an extremely powerful magnetic field. The energy from that magnetar brightened the material ejected from the explosion. Credit: NASA, ESA, W. Fong (Northwestern University), and T. Laskar (University of Bath, UK)

Long ago and far across the universe, an enormous burst of gamma rays unleashed more energy in a half-second than the Sun will produce over its entire 10-billion-year lifetime. In May of 2020, light from the flash finally reached Earth and was first detected by NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. Scientists quickly enlisted other telescopes — including NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, the Very Large Array radio observatory, the W. M. Keck Observatory, and the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope network — to study the explosion’s aftermath and the host galaxy. It was Hubble that provided the surprise.

Based on X-ray and radio observations from the other observatories, astronomers were baffled by what they saw with Hubble: the near-infrared emission was 10 times brighter than predicted. These results challenge conventional theories of what happens in the aftermath of a short gamma-ray burst. One possibility is that the observations might point to the birth of a massive, highly magnetized neutron star called a magnetar.

“These observations do not fit traditional explanations for short gamma-ray bursts,” said study leader Wen-fai Fong of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. “Given what we know about the radio and X-rays from this blast, it just doesn’t match up. The near-infrared emission that we’re finding with Hubble is way too bright. In terms of trying to fit the puzzle pieces of this gamma-ray burst together, one puzzle piece is not fitting correctly.”

Without Hubble, the gamma-ray burst would have appeared like many others, and Fong and her team would not have known about the bizarre infrared behavior. “It’s amazing to me that after 10 years of studying the same type of phenomenon, we can discover unprecedented behavior like this,” said Fong. “It just reveals the diversity of explosions that the universe is capable of producing, which is very exciting.”

Light Fantastic

The intense flashes of gamma rays from these bursts appear to come from jets of material that are moving extremely close to the speed of light. The jets do not contain a lot of mass — maybe a millionth of the mass of the Sun — but because they’re moving so fast, they release a tremendous amount of energy across all wavelengths of light. This particular gamma-ray burst was one of the rare instances in which scientists were able to detect light across the entire electromagnetic spectrum.

This illustration shows the sequence for forming a magnetar-powered kilonova, whose peak brightness reaches up to 10,000 times that of a classical nova. 1) Two orbiting neutron stars spiral closer and closer together. 2) They collide and merge, triggering an explosion that unleashes more energy in a half-second than the Sun will produce over its entire 10-billion-year lifetime. 3) The merger forms an even more massive neutron star called a magnetar, which has an extraordinarily powerful magnetic field. 4) The magnetar deposits energy into the ejected material, causing it to glow unexpectedly bright at infrared wavelengths. Credit: NASA, ESA, and D. Player (STScI)

“As the data were coming in, we were forming a picture of the mechanism that was producing the light we were seeing,” said the study’s co-investigator, Tanmoy Laskar of the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. “As we got the Hubble observations, we had to completely change our thought process, because the information that Hubble added made us realize that we had to discard our conventional thinking, and that there was a new phenomenon going on. Then we had to figure out what that meant for the physics behind these extremely energetic explosions.”

Gamma-ray bursts — the most energetic, explosive events known — live fast and die hard. They are split into two classes based on the duration of their gamma rays.

If the gamma-ray emission is greater than two seconds, it’s called a long gamma-ray burst. This event is known to result directly from the core collapse of a massive star. Scientists expect a supernova to accompany this longer type of burst.

If the gamma-ray emission lasts less than two seconds, it’s considered a short burst. This is thought to be caused by the merger of two neutron stars, extremely dense objects about the mass of the Sun compressed into the volume of a city. A neutron star is so dense that on Earth, one teaspoonful would weigh a billion tons! A merger of two neutron stars is generally thought to produce a black hole.

These two images taken on May 26 and July 16, 2020, show the fading light of a kilonova located in a distant galaxy. The kilonova appears as a spot to the upper left of the host galaxy. The glow is prominent in the May 26 image but fades in the July 16 image. The kilonova’s peak brightness reaches up to 10,000 times that of a classical nova. A merger of two neutron stars—the source of the kilonova—is believed to have produced a magnetar, which has an extremely powerful magnetic field. The energy from that magnetar brightened the material ejected from the explosion, causing it to become unusually bright at infrared wavelengths of light. Credit: NASA, ESA, W. Fong (Northwestern University), T. Laskar (University of Bath, UK) and A. Pagan (STScI)

Neutron star mergers are very rare but are extremely important because scientists think that they are one of the main sources of heavy elements in the universe, such as gold and uranium.

Accompanying a short gamma-ray burst, scientists expect to see a “kilonova” whose peak brightness typically reaches 1,000 times that of a classical nova. Kilonovae are an optical and infrared glow from the radioactive decay of heavy elements and are unique to the merger of two neutron stars, or the merger of a neutron star with a small black hole.

Magnetic Monster?

Fong and her team have discussed several possibilities to explain the unusual brightness that Hubble saw. While most short gamma-ray bursts probably result in a black hole, the two neutron stars that merged in this case may have combined to form a magnetar, a supermassive neutron star with a very powerful magnetic field.

“You basically have these magnetic field lines that are anchored to the star that are whipping around at about a thousand times a second, and this produces a magnetized wind,” explained Laskar. “These spinning field lines extract the rotational energy of the neutron star formed in the merger, and deposit that energy into the ejecta from the blast, causing the material to glow even brighter.”

This animation shows the sequence for forming a magnetar-powered kilonova, whose peak brightness reaches up to 10,000 times that of a classical nova. In this sequence, two orbiting neutron stars spiral closer and closer together before colliding and merging. This triggers an explosion that unleashes more energy in a half-second than the Sun will produce over its entire 10-billion-year lifetime. The merger forms an even more massive neutron star called a magnetar, which has an extraordinarily powerful magnetic field. The magnetar deposits energy into the ejected material, causing it to glow unexpectedly bright at infrared wavelengths. Credit: NASA, ESA, and D. Player (STScI)

If the extra brightness came from a magnetar that deposited energy into the kilonova material, then within a few years, the team expects the ejecta from the burst to produce light that shows up at radio wavelengths. Follow-up radio observations may ultimately prove that this was a magnetar, and this may explain the origin of such objects.

“With its amazing sensitivity at near-infrared wavelengths, Hubble really sealed the deal with this burst,” explained Fong. “Amazingly, Hubble was able to take an image only three days after the burst. Through a series of later images, Hubble showed that a source faded in the aftermath of the explosion. This is as opposed to being a static source that remains unchanged. With these observations, we knew we had not only nabbed the source, but we had also discovered something extremely bright and very unusual. Hubble’s angular resolution was also key in pinpointing the position of the burst and precisely measuring the light coming from the merger.”

NASA’s upcoming James Webb Space Telescope is particularly well-suited for this type of observation. “Webb will completely revolutionize the study of similar events,” said Edo Berger of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and principal investigator of the Hubble program. “With its incredible infrared sensitivity, it will not only detect such emission at even larger distances, but it will also provide detailed spectroscopic information that will resolve the nature of the infrared emission.”

The team’s findings appear in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, in Washington, D.C.

TAU builds and plans to launch a small satellite into orbit

The TAU-SAT1 nanosatellite, approximately the size of a shoebox, is currently undergoing pre-flight testing at the Japanese space agency JAXA prior to a planned launch by NASA in the first quarter of 2021. TAU-SAT1 was entirely devised, developed, assembled, and tested at Tel Aviv University's Nanosatellite Center, an interdisciplinary endeavor of the University's Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, and Porter School of Environmental Studies. "TAU-SAT1 is the first nanosatellite designed, built and tested in an Israeli university, and the entire process, from conception through design, software development and testing, was done at TAU," explains Dr. Ofer Amrani, head of TAU's minisatellite lab. While other universities in Israel, including The Technion, Ben-Gurion University, and Ariel University, are investing in similar space projects, the TAU satellite will be the first to enter the Earth's orbit. TAU-SAT1 is a research satellite and will conduct several experiments while in orbit, including the measurement of cosmic radiation in space. "We know that that there are high-energy particles moving through space that originate from cosmic radiation," says Dr. Meir Ariel, director of the University's Nanosatellite Center. "Our scientific task is to monitor this radiation, and to measure the flux of these particles and their products. To this end, we incorporated a number of experiments into the satellite, which were developed by the Space Environment Department at the Soreq Nuclear Research Center."

One challenge was to extract the data collected by the TAU-SAT1 satellite. The satellite will complete an orbit around the Earth every 90 minutes. "In order to collect data, we built a satellite station on the roof of the engineering building," says Dr. Amrani. "Our station, which also serves as an amateur radio station, includes a number of antennas and an automated control system. When TAU-SAT1 passes over Israel, the antennas will track the satellite's orbit and a process of data transmission will occur between the satellite and the station."

The satellite is expected to be active for several months. Because it has no engine, its trajectory will fade over time as the result of atmospheric drag. It will eventually burn up in the atmosphere and return to the Earth as dust.

The launch of the TAU-SAT1 nanosatellite is just TAU's first step on its way to joining the "new space" revolution, Dr. Amrani says.

"The idea behind the new space revolution is to open space up to civilians as well. In the not-too-distant past, satellites involved a very expensive development process that took many years and required the involvement of large and cumbersome governmental systems. We were able to complete the planning, building, and testing of our own satellite in less than two years.

"Moreover, we built the infrastructure on our own - from the cleanrooms, to the various testing facilities such as the thermal vacuum chamber, to the receiving and transmission station we placed on the roof. Now that the infrastructure is ready, we can begin to develop TAU-SAT2.

"The idea is that any researcher and any student, from any faculty at TAU or outside of it, will be able to plan and launch experiments into space in the future - even without being an expert in the field," Dr. Amrani concludes.

ESA lays out roadmap to Ariane 6 and Vega-C flights

Vega-C and Ariane 6 are being developed by ESA to assure Europe's independent access to space. The maiden flight for Vega-C is planned to take place in June 2021, that for Ariane 6 for the second quarter of 2022. Solid progress is being made on both Vega-C and Ariane 6 development programmes. Since March, some technical events and the COVID-19 pandemic have both impacted the progress of activities. Uncertainty from COVID-19 still persists globally to date. Vega-C is a more powerful and versatile version of the Vega launch vehicle currently operating at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Vega-C's maiden flight is planned for June 2021. Vega was on track for its return to flight, after the July 2019 failure, with its mission (VV16) in March 2020, but Europe's Spaceport had to be closed due to COVID-19 safety measures. The VV16 launch campaign resumed in May but several further launch attempts were halted due to unfavourable weather. Vega's return to flight, with the new SSMS dispenser carrying 53 satellites, was successfully launched on 2 September. Between February and September no activities for the preparation of Vega-C were possible in the Vega mobile gantry while it housed the P80 solid rocket motor in readiness for flight VV16, due to safety constraints. The qualification at system and subsystems level is currently under finalisation. As from October, all the new solid motors for Vega-C have completed qualification testing. The Zefiro-40 solid rocket motor for Vega-C completed qualification tests in 2019. The final test of the P120C took place successfully on 7 October.

Two Vega flights, VV17 and VV18, are planned before Vega-C. Activities for the modification of the mobile gantry for Vega-C, such as modifications of the fluids networks as well as connection and installation of the new control bench for Vega-C, will have to start after VV18 now planned early February.

Vega-C maiden flight is planned for June 2021.

Vega-C is a project managed and funded by the European Space Agency. Avio is the industrial prime contractor. Arianespace commercialises Vega-C.

Ariane 6
ESA, CNES and ArianeGroup have jointly established a consolidated reference planning for Ariane 6 development and are working as an integrated team in their respective roles to make it happen. This schedule is based on analysis of recent achievements, remaining critical milestones and the impact on the programme caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the successful third static fire test of the P120C solid rocket motor on 7 October, all the propulsion elements of the launcher system have completed their qualification tests.

At Europe's Spaceport, activities for the finalisation of the Ariane 6 launch base are progressing. First integration testing with fullscale 'mock-ups' of the P120C strap-on booster and of Ariane 6's central core took place in the new mobile gantry. Testing of the cryogenic arms that link the launch pad and the launch vehicle are also ongoing at Fos-sur-Mer in France, before shipping to French Guiana.

ArianeGroup is completing the challenging development and qualification of the Ariane 6 Auxiliary Power Unit for the upper stage. This device will allow Europe to offer additional capabilities in satellite deployment for the satellite constellation market.

The first Ariane 6 upper stage has been assembled in Bremen, Germany. Coupling the launcher's tanks with the equipped engine bay of the re-ignitable Vinci engine for the first time. The upper stage is currently undergoing mechanical, fluid and electrical tests, before leaving for further tests at the DLR German Aerospace Center's Lampoldshausen facilities in Germany.

There, the complete stage will be hot fire tested on a new test bench specially developed by DLR for the Ariane 6 upper stage. The Ariane 6 upper stage static fire tests are planned to start in the second quarter of 2021.

In parallel, the first Ariane 6 core stage and the second Ariane 6 upper stage are under preparation. These specimen will be shipped to Europe's Spaceport from Les Mureaux (France) and Bremen (Germany) respectively, for the combined tests campaign.

In the third quarter of 2021, the Ariane 6 launch base will be handed over from CNES to ESA. At this point the Ariane 6 combined tests campaign can start. These series of tests will bring the launch vehicle and launch base together for the first time for integrated tests of multiple systems. This will include a static fire test of Ariane 6 while standing on the launch pad for the first time.

Following the successful combined test campaign and Ground qualification review of the launch system, the first launch campaign, with the integration of the maiden flight hardware, will start.

When all these steps are successfully completed Ariane 6 will be in a position to perform its maiden flight in the second quarter of 2022.

Ariane 6 is a project managed and funded by the European Space Agency. ArianeGroup is design authority and industrial prime contractor for the launcher system. The French space agency CNES is prime contractor for the development of the Ariane 6 launch base at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Arianespace commercialises Ariane 6.

Impact of COVID-19
The measures taken to control the pandemic have seriously impacted the progress of activities both in Europe and at Europe's Spaceport since March 2020, including as a result of social distancing, site lockdowns and reduced capacity at facilities, travel restrictions, quarantines and confinement measures.

This has considerably slowed all working and operational processes for prime contractors and their respective subcontractors around 13 European countries. Ongoing pandemic effects continue to disrupt on-going development and operations.

"We constantly and closely monitor the COVID-19 impact and technical challenges on our ongoing space transportation developments and operations. Together with our contractual partners and participating States, ESA continues to pull together towards our common priority goals which are the maiden flights of Vega-C and Ariane 6," commented Daniel Neuenschwander, Director of Space Transportation at ESA.

Shetland spaceport boosts UK's plans for launch

Hundreds of space jobs will be created in Scotland following the approval of plans for Lockheed Martin to transfer its satellite launch operations to Shetland Space Centre by the UK government. Shetland Space Centre anticipates that by 2024, the spaceport site could support a total of 605 jobs in Scotland including 140 locally and 210 across the wider Shetland region. A further 150 jobs will also be created through wider manufacturing and support services. Following a thorough process of due diligence, the UK Space Agency has confirmed that Lockheed Martin's plans to move its UK Pathfinder Launch to the Shetland site at Lamba Ness on Unst would continue to deliver long-term value and help establish a sustainable, commercial launch market as part of the UK's spaceflight programme - LaunchUK. Lockheed Martin is in discussions with a preferred partner to provide launch services for its UK Pathfinder Launch, which would take place from Shetland Space Centre. UK Government Amanda Solloway, Science Minister, said: "We want the UK to be the best place in Europe to launch satellites, attracting innovative businesses from all over the world and creating hundreds of high-skilled jobs. The potential to have multiple spaceports in Scotland demonstrates the scale of our ambition, and I want to support industry by pressing ahead with our plans during this challenging time. "This government is committed to backing our growing space sector, developing a comprehensive space strategy and supporting transformative technologies that will benefit people and businesses across the country."

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: "The UK Government is committed to cementing the UK's position as a global leader in the space sector. The creation of the Shetland Space Centre is incredibly exciting news and a real boost for the local economy.

"Our investment in Scottish spaceports is creating hundreds of secure and skilled jobs for people in Scotland.

"The Shetland Space Centre a huge step forward for our ambitious UK Spaceflight programme."

Just as an airport can handle a range of different airlines and aircraft, Space Hub Sutherland has been designed as a multi-user site able to cater for the needs of multiple launch providers. This ensures it will be able to continue to compete for a wide range of exciting vertical launch opportunities.

The UK Space Agency will also continue to fully support Space Hub Sutherland through grant funding to Highlands and Islands Enterprise to develop the spaceport infrastructure and to UK-based launch partner, Orbex, to prepare its innovative Prime rocket to launch from the site in 2022.

An economic assessment of the Spaceport Sutherland site reported in 2019 that the site is due to create over 60 high-skilled jobs in Sutherland and Caithness, and 250 jobs in the wider area.

Ivan McKee, Scottish Government Minister for Trade, Investment and Innovation said: "This is an extremely exciting time for the emerging space sector globally, and Scotland is situated at the very forefront of this.

"The transfer of Lockheed Martin's UK pathfinder satellite launch to Shetland Space Centre will enhance Scotland's existing vertical launch capability and enable us to target a wider market base through a complementary offer across multiple spaceports.

"This will provide an economic boost not only to the Shetland Isles but also maximise the commercial opportunity across the wider region, with Highlands and Islands Enterprise leading the delivery of Space Hub Sutherland alongside Scottish-based launch partner, Orbex."

Developing domestic spaceflight capabilities will play a key role in levelling up the UK economy, driving investment, fostering growth and creating new jobs.

Scotland is already home to some of the world's most innovative satellite manufacturers, and its ability to host complementary launch sites puts the UK firmly on the map as Europe's leading small satellite launch destination.

The economic benefits of launch will be shared across the Highlands and Islands region and both Space Hub Sutherland and Shetland Space Centre have already attracted significant commercial interest in their plans. In 2019, Orbex opened a rocket design and manufacturing facility in Forres, near Inverness, which is anticipated to bring 130 highly-skilled jobs to the region.

Nik Smith, UK Country Executive at Lockheed Martin said: "The UK has a vibrant space sector, which can stimulate the national as well as regional economies. As a long-standing strategic partner to the UK, Lockheed Martin is committed to building on its proud heritage to support the UK government's role of growing capabilities in space, exciting imagination and advancing the frontiers of science.

"From the outset our focus has been on realising the greatest economic benefit for the UK through the Spaceflight programme. The transfer of our UK spaceflight operations to Shetland will not only broaden launch options available in the UK, but also ensure the economic benefits of these endeavours are felt more widely."

Space has a significant role to play in generating economic growth, creating high-skilled jobs and tackling global challenges, from climate change to the spread of infectious diseases. The ability to launch small satellites for Earth observation and communications will boost UK efforts to tackle these challenges by providing valuable tools and data that can help analyse and predict impacts and support effective decisions and mitigation strategies.??

The UK's spaceflight programme - LaunchUK - is working with a range of additional partners to establish commercial vertical and horizontal small satellite launch from UK spaceports including Spaceport Cornwall and Virgin Orbit.

NASA InSight's 'Mole' is out of sight

NASA's InSight lander continues working to get its "mole" - a 16-inch-long (40-centimeter-long) pile driver and heat probe - deep below the surface of Mars. A camera on InSight's arm recently took images of the now partially filled-in "mole hole," showing only the device's science tether protruding from the ground. Sensors embedded in the tether are designed to measure heat flowing from the planet once the mole has dug at least 10 feet (3 meters) deep. The mission team has been working to help the mole burrow to at least that depth so that it can take Mars' temperature. The mole was designed so that loose soil would flow around it, providing friction against its outer hull so that it can dig deeper; without this friction, the mole just bounces in place as it hammers into the ground. But the soil where InSight landed is different than what previous missions have encountered: During hammering, the soil sticks together, forming a small pit around the device instead of collapsing around it and providing the necessary friction. After the mole unexpectedly backed out of the pit while hammering last year, the team placed the small scoop at the end of the lander's robotic arm on top of it to keep it in the ground. Now that the mole is fully embedded in the soil, they will use the scoop to scrape additional soil on top of it, tamping down this soil to help provide more friction. Because it will take months to pack down enough soil, the mole isn't expected to resume hammering until early 2021.

"I'm very glad we were able to recover from the unexpected 'pop-out' event we experienced and get the mole deeper than it's ever been," said Troy Hudson, the scientist and engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory who led the work to get the mole digging. "But we're not quite done. We want to make sure there's enough soil on top of the mole to enable it to dig on its own without any assistance from the arm."

The mole is formally called the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package, or HP3, and was built and provided to NASA by the German Space Agency (DLR). JPL in Southern California leads the InSight mission. Read more about the mole's recent progress at this DLR blog.

SpaceX rocket issue delays astronaut launch

SpaceX and NASA have delayed the launch of the company's upcoming astronaut mission to the first half of November to investigate a problem with gas generators in a Falcon 9 rocket's engine. A NASA statement said only that SpaceX data from a recent launch attempt of another Falcon 9 rocket showed "off-nominal behavior" in the generators, and the delay would allow the company to complete tests and review more data. "We're now targeting [not earlier than] early-to-mid November for launch of NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the Space Station," NASA's Associate Administrator Kathy Leuders posted Saturday on Twitter. "The extra time will allow SpaceX to resolve an unexpected observation during a recent non-NASA launch attempt." Launch of the six-month mission, SpaceX Crew-1, is to be the first regular trip to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which allows NASA to contract for launch services from private companies. The mission would be the first ever of a capsule with four people on board. SpaceX owns the rocket, but NASA has full knowledge of the company's launch and testing data, Leuders noted. "The teams are actively working this finding on the engines, and we should be a lot smarter within the coming week," she said in a statement. The crew for the mission consists of mission commander Michael Hopkins, 51, pilot Victor Glover, 44, and mission specialists Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi, both 55. Noguchi is a Japanese astronaut.

The previous crewed SpaceX capsule, which returned to Earth on Aug. 2, carried two astronauts and spent two months in orbit.

The issue with the rocket engine will not delay two other upcoming Falcon 9 launches for the space agency that will carry a satellite and supplies to the space station, NASA said.

The astronaut mission is to lift off from Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Water on exoplanet cloud tops could be found with hi-tech instrumentation

University of Warwick astronomers have shown that water vapour can potentially be detected in the atmospheres of exoplanets by peering literally over the tops of their impenetrable clouds. By applying the technique to models based upon known exoplanets with clouds the team has demonstrated in principle that high resolution spectroscopy can be used to examine the atmospheres of exoplanets that were previously too difficult to characterise due to clouds that are too dense for sufficient light to pass through. Their technique is described in a paper for the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society and provides another method for detecting the presence of water vapour in an exoplanet's atmosphere - as well as other chemical species that could be used in future to assess potential signs of life. The research received funding from the Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Astronomers use light from a planet's host star to learn what its atmosphere is composed of. As the planet passes in front of the star they observe the transmission of the stellar light as it skims through the upper atmosphere and alters its spectrum. They can then analyse this spectrum to look at wavelengths that have spectral signatures for specific chemicals. These chemicals, such as water vapour, methane and ammonia, are only present in trace quantities in these hydrogen and helium rich planets.

However, dense clouds can block that light from passing through the atmosphere, leaving astronomers with a featureless spectrum. High resolution spectroscopy is a relatively recent technique that is being used in ground-based observatories to observe exoplanets in greater detail, and the Warwick researchers wanted to explore whether this technology could be used to detect the trace chemicals present in the thin atmospheric layer right above those clouds.

While astronomers have been able to characterise the atmospheres of many larger and hotter exoplanets that orbit close to their stars, termed 'hot Jupiters', smaller exoplanets are now being discovered at cooler temperatures (less than 700C). Many of these planets, which are the size of Neptune or smaller, have shown much thicker cloud.

They modelled two previously known 'warm Neptunes' and simulated how the light from their star would be detected by a high resolution spectrograph. GJ3470b is a cloudy planet that astronomers had previously been able to characterise, while GJ436b has been harder to characterise due to a much thicker cloud layer. Both simulations demonstrated that at high resolution you can detect chemicals such as water vapour, ammonia and methane easily with just a few nights of observations with a ground-based telescope.

The technique works differently from the method recently used to detect phosphine on Venus, but could potentially be used to search for any type of molecule in the clouds of a planet outside of our solar system, including phosphine.

Lead author Dr Siddharth Gandhi of the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick said: "We have been investigating whether ground-based high resolution spectroscopy can help us to constrain the altitude in the atmosphere where we have clouds, and constrain chemical abundances despite those clouds.

"What we are seeing is that a lot of these planets have got water vapour on them, and we're starting to see other chemicals as well, but the clouds are preventing us from seeing these molecules clearly. We need a way to detect these species and high resolution spectroscopy is a potential way of doing that, even if there is a cloudy atmosphere.

"The chemical abundances can tell you quite a lot about how the planet may have formed because it leaves its chemical fingerprint on the molecules in the atmosphere. Because these are gas giants, detecting the molecules at the top of the atmosphere also offers a window into the internal structure as the gases mix with the deeper layers."

The majority of observations of exoplanets have been done using space-based telescopes such as Hubble or Spitzer, and their resolution is too low to detect sufficient signal from above the clouds. High resolution spectroscopy's advantage is that it is capable of probing a wider range of altitudes.

Dr Gandhi adds: "Quite a lot of these cooler planets are far too cloudy to get any meaningful constraints with the current generation of space telescopes. Presumably as we find more and more planets there's going to be more cloudy planets, so it's becoming really important to detect what's on them. Ground based high resolution spectroscopy as well as the next generation of space telescopes will be able to detect these trace species on cloudy planets, offering exciting potential for biosignatures in the future."

Redcliffe Partners' Ukrainian Space Regulation Review

Over the past decade, the aerospace industry has evolved from a race by countries for kudos into an accelerator of economic and scientific development, where technology travels freely between different industries and generates capital. Space technologies are now widely used in security, navigation systems, information and communication technologies, environmental protection, agriculture, state monitoring and control, and other sectors. The increase in demand for space technology (both public and private) has given impetus to the entry of private companies into the market, leading to the intensification of competition and a reduction in prices. In this article we will examine how Ukraine keeps up with changes in the market, and what Ukraine's potential is in the international "space club". Since independence, Ukraine has established itself as a reliable producer of rocket and space technology: 165 carrier rockets, developed and manufactured by Ukraine and partner countries, were used to launch 345 spacecraft into orbit for 25 different countries. Ukraine has launched 27 spacecraft developed 'in-house'; established the National Centre for Spacecraft Management and Testing, with a considerable ground-based infrastructure; developed a group of promising carrier rockets, "Mayak", propelled with environmentally friendly fuel; and has become a participant in international projects "Sea Launch", "Ground Launch", "Dnipro", "Antares" and "Vega", as well as the International Space Station.

At the same time, the industry has encountered a number of fundamental problems. Ukraine is one of nine countries that possesses a full cycle of aerospace hardware engineering and production, but does not use this potential efficiently. Amongst 18 enterprises managed by the State Space Agency ("SSA"), seven are unprofitable or on the verge of being loss-making, and six are economically inactive. Ukraine incurred losses of about USD1.5 billion within the Sea Launch, the Lybid satellite and the Alkantra spaceport projects. Ukraine still has neither its own Earth observation system nor independent access to space, which were laid down as strategic goals set in the first space programme, in 1993.

Analysing the development of the Ukrainian space industry, one can conclude that Ukraine is an up-and-coming developer and manufacturer of space technology, but its management is inefficient and unprofessional.

Window of opportunity
Repeated failures, however, have created an impetus for significant change: over the past year, the new SSA management presented the concept of industry development, opened the space technology market to private companies, created a start-up accelerator, began the process of inventorying intellectual property, and is developing a corporate reform concept.

Ukraine created for itself a window of opportunity, which, according to industry representatives, is to be open for another four to five years, as long as the technologies previously developed by Ukrainian enterprises remain valuable and competitive. Reform of the aerospace industry foundation is, certainly, a step in the right direction.

Market opening and deregulation of civil rocketry
For Ukraine, the state monopoly in the aerospace industry originated simultaneously with the industry itself. This monopoly survived the collapse of the Soviet Union and was only recently abolished in Ukraine: on 29 January 2020, the law allowing the engagement of private companies in the development, construction and launch of space hardware came into force.

The Parliament simplified significantly the permitting procedure, introducing the mechanism of unilateral notice to the SSA of an undertaking's intention to operate in the space technology market. As for the testing, launch, control and return of carrier rockets and spacecraft, companies are, however, obliged to obtain the relevant permits as these activities are considered dangerous.

To further promote the de-monopolisation of the space technology market, the SSA launched in May 2020 the start-up accelerator Yangel Space Tech, aimed at identifying and supporting teams that develop space technology-related projects.

The aim of these steps is to create an "ecosystem" of public and private companies that will compete and co-operate in an open space technology market. There is no need to create such an ecosystem from scratch; some companies had begun to appreciate Ukraine's space-related potential long before the market was opened, in particular, Progresstech-Ukraine, Elmiz, EOS DA, Space Logistics Ukraine, American-Ukrainian company Firefly Aerospace and British Skyrora (the last two have R&D centres in Ukraine).

Maksym Polyakov, the owner of Firefly Aerospace, for example, has repeatedly stated that the development of Ukrainian space technology is hampered by Soviet laws. Probably, when the ban on private companies operating in the Ukrainian space technology market is lifted, R&D centres will become fully-fledged companies.

Corporate governance reform
The current system of SOE management contradicts OECD principles of corporate governance and goals of the state; it has proved itself inefficient, corrupt and non-transparent. Government officials and SOE management all agree that in order to transform "slow Soviet dinosaurs" into competitive and efficient state-owned companies, it is necessary to reform the corporate governance system.

The chairman of SSA Volodymyr Usov has voiced his vision of merging reformed SOEs under the umbrella of a holding company. This step would ensure the SOEs' compliance with principles of corporate governance, transparency and accountability; facilitate the interaction of SOEs with other companies, including foreign enterprises, through a clear corporate form; and provide the tools necessary for asset use and project management. In addition, the transfer of the management function from the responsible ministry - holding both regulator and owner status that contradict each other at its core - to the holding company will eliminate the conflict of interests within such ministry, as provided for by the OECD Guidelines on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises.

Another promising direction of corporate reform development is engaging in strategic investments in SOEs. We do not know what method will be chosen by the state in this regard. However, we will receive the initial intimation of this with the adoption of the new law showing the list of SOEs that are not subject to privatisation.

Intellectual property database and sale of intellectual property
Since independence, Ukrainian scientists have developed many technologies that have not yet been organised or inventoried. As a result, SOEs have patents and technical documentation that can be profitable and accelerate the development of space technology, but their existence is unknown to potential buyers.

Given the above, the SSA has established the Centre for Support of Technology and Innovation. Its task is to identify and inventory all space-related intellectual property created by Ukrainian enterprises and organisations, as well as to ensure the proper registration and protection of such intellectual property. Following the inventory, the Technology and Innovation Support Centre will create a special online platform, Space Gate IP-Platform, where anybody may transparently purchase intellectual property or invest in technology that is under development. The SSA is also considering the option of providing free access to intellectual property to companies that plan to locate their production facilities in Ukraine.

The commercialisation of intellectual property will become not only an incentive for further innovation, but will also demonstrate a real demand for Ukraine's existing technological base.

Space awaits
The range of opportunities Ukraine offers to those interested in space technology development is continually growing. The key projects that will become the foundation of the current five-year space programme are the following:

+ Start-up accelerator Yangel Space Tech, aimed at creating an ecosystem of start-ups for the development of the private sector of the space technology market in Ukraine. Both start-ups and interested investors can join the programme;

+ Space Gate-IP Platform, which will provide the possibility for investors to purchase space-related intellectual property on the platform, or invest in technology under development;

+ Satellite Earth Observing System of high and ultrahigh resolution: "Sokil" and Earth Observation Platform "OKO". These projects were established to develop a system for collecting, processing and analysing remote Earth observation data, and to create a platform providing data to state and commercial consumers;

+ SpaceStartUA, or the "Air Launch" project, aimed at building a platform for the launch of light, ultralight and mid-weight rockets, which is planned to be implemented on the basis of a public-private partnership; and

+ Moonkind, the project on the development of the infrastructure for supporting human life on the Moon, established so as to accelerate the development of new technologies and further develop the project of an industrial base on the moon created by Ukrainian scientists;

To conclude, the opening of the space technology market for private players marked a new era for Ukrainian aerospace based on two pillars: the competition between private and state-owned companies in the space technology market; and encouragement in the formation of strategic partnerships. We believe this new vision of the industry may secure Ukraine's place in the international space club as an innovative developer and producer of aerospace technology, having both a strong background and a bright perspective.

NASA chief warns Congress about Chinese space station

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine told lawmakers Wednesday it was crucial for the US to maintain a presence in Earth's orbit after the International Space Station is decommissioned so that China does not gain a strategic advantage. The first parts of the ISS were launched in 1998 and it has been continuously lived in since 2000. The station, which serves as a space science lab and is a partnership between the US, Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada, is currently expected to be operated until 2030. "I'll tell you one thing that has me very concerned -- and that is that a day is coming when the International Space Station comes to the end of its useful life," said Bridenstine. "In order to be able to have the United States of America have a presence in low Earth orbit, we have to be prepared for what comes next," he added. To that end, NASA has requested $150 million for the 2021 fiscal year to help develop the commercialization of low Earth orbit, defined as 2,000 km (1,200 miles) or less from the planet's surface. "We want to see a public-private partnership where NASA can deal with commercial space station providers, so that we can keep a permanent uninterrupted human presence in low Earth orbit," said Bridenstine. "I don't think it's in the interest of the nation to build another International Space Station -- I do think it's in the interest of the nation to support commercial industry, where NASA is a customer."

Bridenstine warned the lawmakers this was critical to maintain US space supremacy in the face of a planned Chinese space station that Beijing hopes will be operational by 2022.

The station is named Tiangong, meaning Heavenly Palace, and in June Chinese state media announced it was partnering with 23 entities from 17 countries to carry out scientific experiments on board.

These countries included both developed and developing countries, such as France, Germany and Japan, as well as Kenya and Peru, according to Xinhua news agency.

"China is rapidly building what they call the 'Chinese International Space Station,' and they're rapidly marketing that space station to all of our international partners," said Bridenstine.

"It would be a tragedy, if, after all of his time, and all of this effort, we were to abandon low Earth orbit and cede that territory."

He explained that the microgravity of ISS offered great potential for scientific advances, from innovations in pharmaceuticals to printing 3D human organs to the creation of artificial retinas to treat people with macular degeneration.

Bridenstine said that it was therefore necessary to fund NASA to pay companies to set up a space station, where it would be one of several customers in order to drive down its own costs.

This, he added, was vital to "ultimately not cede that territory to another country that doesn't have our interests at heart."