Small Sat Conference

Meeting new people, with many new stories to come at the Small Satellite Conference in Logan Utah

Hubble sees the lovely Lagoon Nebula sparkling in space

By Amanda Kooser, CNET.Com, 8/7/2015

When we humans down here on Earth look up into the night sky at the constellation of Sagittarius, we see prickles of light forming the rough shape of a mythical centaur pulling back his bow, prepared to send an arrow flying through the heavens.

When the Hubble Space Telescope looks at Sagittarius, it sees images that are just as epic.

The Hubble returned a new view of the Lagoon Nebula, contained within Sagittarius. It is almost 3 light-years wide and is located about 5,000 light-years away from Earth. Its dramatic gas clouds and pinkish hue make it a real looker. NASA released the image this week.

NASA notes that the Lagoon Nebula is a popular target for telescope enthusiasts on Earth and describes it as "an active stellar nursery." While the watery name is the popular term for the nebula, its scientific name is Messier 8 (or M8) for the French astronomer Charles Messier who cataloged the nebula in the late 1700s.

Hubble Wows With Stunning Space Images (Pictures)

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"The region is filled with intense winds from hot stars, churning funnels of gas, and energetic star formation, all embedded within an intricate haze of gas and pitch-dark dust," NASA said.

The Lagoon Nebula has appeared in previous pictures from the space agency, but not with the same level of detail and drama as the new image.

The Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990, is a joint project from NASA and the European Space Agency. It is responsible for some of the most intriguing images of space ever seen, including the famous "Pillars of Creation" showing striking gas columns etched against space in the M16 nebula, popularly known as the Eagle Nebula.

Link to original article: http://www.cnet.com/news/hubbles-lovely-view-of-the-lagoon-nebula-sparkles-in-space/

Here is some news to Buzz about!

Buzz Aldrin will become professor at Florida Tech

By Matt Reed, Florida Today

Apollo astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin will lead new studies on space exploration at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne under an agreement in the final stages of negotiations.

University President Anthony Catanese broke the news Thursday during an interview at FLORIDA TODAY for an upcoming edition of “The Matt Reed Show” on WEFS-TV.

Aldrin will be a research professor of aeronautics, “and we’re going to establish the Buzz Aldrin Institute,” Catanese said. “We’re going to continue our connection with the space program, this time focusing on getting younger people interested in going to Mars.”

Aldrin was the second person to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission that blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in July 1969. His first words on the moon’s surface: “Beautiful view. Magnificent desolation.”

FLORIDA TODAY

Aldrin, Travolta make Brevard gala a special night

In recent years, Aldrin has championed a human mission to Mars. In a New York Timesguest column, he criticized plans to revisit the moon as “more like reaching for past glory than striving for new triumphs.”

A more detailed announcement will come “very soon,” Catanese said.

“We think it’s going to make a great addition,” he said. “Our largest major is still mechanical and aerospace engineering, so it’s still of great interest to our students.”

Aldrin, 85, has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, and a doctorate of science degree in astronautics from the Massachussetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. Before serving as Landing Module pilot on Apollo 11, he flew with James Lovell on Gemini 12 in 1966.

Here is the link to the full article: http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2015/08/06/buzz-aldrin--professor-florida-tech/31226877/

Rocket Launches are becoming boring

By Aleks Bologna, Small Satellite Space News

For people from Norman Oklahoma, the sight of a rocket launch must feel like the first time you had sex. Exhilarating, excitement streaming from your pores and finished way sooner than you expected. Hey, who else knew that an rocket launch only lasts about a minute and a half before you lose sight of it. Sound a little bit like my first time too.

But for people who have watched a rocket launch on a basis of about 2 a month since birth, the thrill is gone for us spoiled space enthusiasts in Florida.

It reminds me of NASCAR, watching the same cars roll around the track 300 times with constant repetitiveness for 5 hours. The only "real" excitement in NASCAR is when a car crashes and burns. I guess the same goes for Rocket Launches.

2 weeks ago while exactly 7 miles away from a Space-X Falcon 9 rocket that exploded 1:30 into launch, I have to admit I was scared. I felt the pain of not knowing, the thrill and excitement rush through my blood, it seems the lust for Rockets inside me had exploded along with the Rocket. Why? Knowing your underneath a behemoth mobile missile that just exploded brings to mind the feeling that I want to crawl underneath the nearest rock or government bunker immediately. Luckily, there was no cause for concern as the rocket location was 200 miles east of Jacksonville.

Oh no, a payload filled missile exploded! Was this a bad thing I thought driving back from the launch? I turned on the radio and heard the local newscast going bananas over the news, soon national news picked it up and sparked nationwide debate, interest and inquiry.

Wow, if only every launch caused this much fervor. Was this a bad thing? No, this was best motivator for space discussion since the last Space X explosion on a barge. In fact it seems like only the failures get the media attention, which you could say about most media  stories. Things that get people's attention are glitzy and light up like fireworks, such as rocket explosions on barges and mid air implosions, not the boring successful payload launches. Those are dime a dozen nowadays, the people want some action now and again, they want a NASCAR crash!

So next time a rocket explodes, your non space friends will turn into NASA experts on Facebook and Twitter overnight. Which we will all roll our eyes at, but hey these people turn into Supreme Court Experts after every ruling.

So I say, in the best interests of Air and Space. Let's blow up a rocket now and then!

(Below is a picture of myself and cousin seconds before the Falcon-9 exploded)

CubeSats are efficient for small organizations as well as large ones.

By Christopher Waldeck - 2015

Cost effectiveness has made CubeSat forms viable launch options for numerous organizations. Previously, I had written about two start-ups that were already launching satellites to perform different tasks and functions. The price of CubeSats is cheap because of their small sizes and now can be used for schools and universities rather than just solely for business purposes. Since 2015, launch prices have been $100,000-150,000 and around $10,000 to construct the CubeSat itself.

One can now see universities and schools developing their own CubeSats and being able to carry on projects that not only contribute to space exploration but also in ability to collect new data and jump onboard research that could lead to further exploration for an expansion of the CubeSat industry. This expansion can boost industries and increase further innovation for developing new technology and products for the future. Although small satellites still need a rocket to carry them into space, they can be launched in multiple clusters because of their size and low cost.

 

According to DIY Space Exploration, CubeSats use solar cells to convert solar light to electricity that is then stored in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that provide power during eclipse as well as during peak load times. These satellites have to share a small amount of solar panels in order to use other objects such as antennas, sensors, camera lens and an access port. The low cost for assembly and launching has led to unprecedented options for smaller organizations to get on board with the launching of small satellites.

Florida Today reported that NASA has launched more than 30 CubeSats over the last several years, and as of 2015, it has a backlog of more than 50 awaiting launch. On 5 May 2015, NASA announced a program based at the Kennedy Space Center dedicated to develop a new class of rockets designed specifically to launch very small satellites: the NASA Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS), which will offer a payload mass of 30 kg to 60 kg for each launcher.

To conclude, CubeSats are becoming a growing industry with more opportunities for small organizations and universities in order to utilize the many benefits that CubeSats provide. They have the potential to revolutionize exploratory research for space and possibly creating more jobs for launching and building the small satellites for space. This isn’t just an industry that only billion dollar businesses can take advantage of. This allows for greater adoption by a variety of organizations and more opportunities for students to take advantage of.

What are small satellites?

By Christopher Waldeck- Aug 4, 2015

Small satellites are revolutionizing the way satellites are launched into space. I don’t just mean because they are small. The rise of small satellites has lead to new technology being developed for them to be launched at cheaper prices and more options for timing of launches. This same feat could not be achieved by larger and heavier satellites because of the cost to transport and launch them into space. However, small satellites have nearly been doubling in launch and have become a growing industry as a solution to the problems of heavy satellites and a revolution for the future. Due to their size, heavier satellites require rockets to launch them and this leads to the cost. Smaller satellites have smaller masses and can be launched in multiples as opposed to one expensive launch vehicle. This alone means that new companies and firms as well as organizations can be able to harness the power of small satellites for many purposes. It has lead to a new industry and new possibilities.

Small satellites have risen sharply in popularity. The rise is attributed to the high cost of launching regular or heavy satellites. The Annual Market Assessment series in Atlanta, Georgia estimates that small satellites in the 1-50 kg range has been significantly exceeding those satellites in the 50-100 kg range. The number of satellites in the 1-50 kg went from fewer than 15 satellites being launched between 2000 to 2005 to 34 being launched in 2012 and 92 launched in 2013. The rise in innovation has lead to more organizations using their reduced cost for purposes that can help them add to this growing industry. Launches can be better timed and even launched at the last minute, a time factor that wouldn't complement larger satellites.

The European Analyst Consult projects that more than 500 smallsats being launched in the years 2015-2019 with a market value estimated at 7.4 Billion. More launch options have attributed to the rise of satellites because of new options for launching. This is includes the rise of technology that allows for small satellites to be launched through faster and easier means than before. “The good news for us is that the launch landscape has drastically changed,” Jenny Barna, launch manager for smallsat developer Spire, stated during a presentation at the Small Payload Rideshare Symposium at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory here June 9. The new means of launching have allowed start-up companies and firms to take up satellite launching.

Various companies are using these new satellites to gather new data. San Francisco-based Spire plans to deploy a constellation of cubesats in low Earth orbit to collect weather data through GPS radio occultation and to track maritime traffic. Barna said “the company plans to launch its first 20 to 25 satellites by the end of the year, and have 125 in orbit by the end of 2017.” According to Space News.com, Other companies such as Planet Labs in San Francisco have noted that small cubesats make it easier for the company to arrange launches, especially on a short notice.

Small satellites are an amazing new industry and Small Satellite Space News is dedicated to bringing awareness to this growing trend. This is an opportunity to collect new data, invent new software, and possibly change the face of communication and space work. Small Satellite Space News will be updating articles following this growing trend and I hope my fellow readers will continue to explore this unique new industry. You can follow us at http://www.smallsatspace.blogspot.com/ where we share stories covering this growing industry. As always, all feedback is appreciated and I look forward to writing more articles on this subject.

Russia Formally Commits to International Space Station Through 2024

By Peter B. de Selding, Space News   |   July 31, 2015 08:51am ET

From left to right, Russia's Zvezda Service Module and Zarya FGB attached to the U.S. Unity module in 2000. Credit: NASA View full size image

PARIS — Russia has formally notified its International Space Station partners that it will continue in the partnership at least to 2024, ending several months of doubts that were fueled by the current poor state of Russia's relations with the West.
The 22-nation European Space Agency confirmed that the Russia space agency, Roscosmos, had notified ESA and the other partners of its commitment to 2024, a decision that followed similar guarantees by NASA – the station's general contractor – and the Canadian Space Agency.
That leaves ESA and the Japanese space agency, JAXA, as the only two current partners yet to make a decision. ESA has yet to commit even to 2020 but expects to do so at a meeting of its member governments in late 2016. [Quiz: The International Space Station]

ESA's work on the service module for NASA's Orion crew-transport capsule is being done as a continuation of a barter arrangement with the U.S. space agency. Instead of paying NASA cash for its 8.3 percent share of the station's common resources, ESA has provided in-kind contributions, consisting up to now of cargo deliveries to the station using its Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).

Sunlight glints off the International Space Station with the blue limb of Earth providing a dramatic backdrop in this photo taken by an astronaut on the shuttle Endeavour just before it docked after midnight on Feb. 10, 2010 during the STS-130 mission.
Credit: NASA

View full size image

The ATV was retired after five flights. While Orion is not intended as primarily a space station taxi, the two agencies agreed to allow ESA's work on the service module – which leverages ATV technology – to offset Europe's common station costs.
Like NASA and Russia, ESA and JAXA both have their own research laboratories attached to the space station.
It remains unclear when the station will need to be retired. Early assessments are that it could remain operational, without a sharp increase in maintenance charges, to 2028 and perhaps longer.
 
This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.