MDA Space awarded $1-billion contract for next phases of Canadarm3
The Canadian Press
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MDA Space Ltd. has won a $1-billion contract with the Canadian Space Agency for the next phases of the Canadarm3 robotics system.
MDA is building the Canadarm3 which will be used aboard Gateway, a collaboration led by NASA to establish a space station in lunar orbit.
Gateway is a key part of NASA's Artemis program to return astronauts to the moon.
The contract includes funding for the final design phase as well as construction, system assembly, integration and test of the full robotics system.
It will include a large arm, a smaller dexterous arm, specialized tools for performing maintenance and science tasks, as well as a ground segment for command and control.
The contract will also include planning and personnel training in preparation for on-orbit mission operations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2024.
Canada cuts bureaucracy, loans cash to bolster its space firms
, Bloomberg News Jun 28, 2024
Four decades after the U.S. first began to encourage commercial space launch programs, Canada has finally gotten serious about promoting its homegrown space industries.
It launched the Commercial Integration Cell in May and the National Space Council in April after two years of planning. Both are intended to increase collaboration and communication between the government and the private sector, and were inspired by steps the U.S. had taken years earlier. Telesat Corp. Chief Executive Officer Dan Goldberg said in an interview that Canada’s cell is “long overdue.”
So far, just a few companies like MDA Space Ltd. and Telesat are participating in the integration cell due to the extensive clearance process, according to the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 7 Wing space operational command.
“The current governmental process, that is outside the Department of National Defence, is just very tedious,” 7 Wing Commander Colonel Catherine Marchetti said in an interview. “Frankly I think maybe it needs to be looked at.”
Although Canada isn’t currently competing at the same level as the U.S. or China in space, Chris Quilty of analytics firm Quilty Space sees the nation making advancements through cooperation.
“They can’t do their own lunar program on their budget, so they’ll kind of tag-along with the U.S.,” Quilty said. Instead, he said, Canada’s long-term objectives include being more active in the space between Earth and the moon.
The global space economy is expected to grow from US$630 billion in 2023 to US$1.8 trillion in 2035, according to a report by the World Economic Forum and McKinsey & Co. Canada ranked just 13th in the world on government space spending in 2022, according to Space Foundation research.
Yet Quilty noted that many countries with economies close in size to Canada’s don’t have as developed a space program. “Canada is one of those countries, along with Israel, that box above their weight class in all things space,” he said.
MDA CEO Mike Greenley said that the commercial cell is “an important evolution” for Canada’s space ambitions.
“Other countries have those as well,” he said, adding that it’s vital for government and industry to know “what we’re each doing with our assets in space.”
Telesat loan
Canada’s spending of US$730 million on its space program last year was dwarfed by other nations, including the U.S., China and Japan, according to a Novaspace report.
But the government agreed to what would be its biggest loan to a company this year, for a space venture. It plans to loan Telesat as much as $2.1 billion (US$1.5 billion) to build out its Lightspeed network of low-Earth orbit satellites built by MDA that will enable data processing, broadband and military uses.
The loan, which was equal to the amount Canada has spent on its space agency in the past five years, came at a time when a majority of Canadians say the government is spending too much. But Telesat defended the loan, saying that government backing is common in other parts of the world.
“We have big competitors in the U.S., like SpaceX for instance, that work really hand in glove with the U.S. government for funding,” Goldberg said. “Same with our European competitors, they’re working very closely with their governments.”
Quilty said that it was “a geopolitical decision” to support Canadian space firms and create hundreds of technology jobs.
Companies like MDA and Telesat are looking to low-Earth orbit because it offers better latency and affordability than traditional geostationary satellites and is a new market for satellite makers that were in the shrinking television market.
The growth of low-Earth satellite systems, like SpaceX’s Starlink, has helped boost MDA’s revenue growth above many of its larger peers, according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Ken Herbert, who added that this industry “is relatively new for the company.”
Government ambitions
Following China’s voyage to the far side of the moon this month, the Canadian Space Agency and NASA are planning an expedition to the moon’s south pole in 2026 to search for ice. If they find water, CSA says it could be used for electricity and help establish a permanent moon base.
In May, MDA, which developed the Canadarm robotic arm used on the International Space Station, joined Voyager Space Holding, Airbus SE and Mitsubishi to help build the Starlab space station, which is intended to become the commercial heir to the ISS after it is retired around 2030.
And MDA’s Canadarm3 will be part of NASA’s Gateway, a space station designed to orbit the moon. On Thursday, the company received an additional $1 billion Canadian government contract to complete its construction and testing.
CSA has also funded research into mining the moon and asteroid samples from the Osiris-Rex mission with NASA.
David Haight, a director at CSA, said exploring the moon is important because “Mars would be the next step.” And to venture further into the solar system, he said, “there’s definitely a lot of science and technology that we need to develop.”
By AFP
June 29, 2024
Starliner docked with the ISS on June 6 for what was meant to be roughly a week-long stay, but their departure has been pushed back multiple times because of thruster malfunctions and helium leaks that came to light during the journey -
The first astronauts to fly Boeing’s troubled Starliner are definitely not “stranded” at the International Space Station, NASA insisted Friday despite having no clear timeframe for bringing them home.
In an unusually defensive press call, officials attempted to put a positive spin on where things currently stood after weeks of negative headlines due to the spaceship’s delayed return.
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams blasted off on June 5 following years of delays and safety scares affecting Starliner, as well as two aborted launch attempts that came as astronauts were strapped in and ready to go.
They docked the following day for what was meant to be roughly a week-long stay, but their return has been pushed back multiple times because of thruster malfunctions and helium leaks that came to light during the journey.
“Butch and Suni are not stranded in space,” declared Steve Stich, NASA’s commercial crew program manager.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. — © AFP
He added the pair were “enjoying their time on the space station” and “our plan is to continue to return them on Starliner and return them home at the right time.”
Before that can happen, however, ground teams need to run more testing to better understand the root causes.
It was known there was one helium leak affecting Starliner before the launch, but more leaks emerged during the flight. While non-combustible, helium provides pressure to the propulsion system.
Separately, some of Starliner’s thrusters that provide fine maneuvering initially failed to kick in, delaying docking. Engineers are not sure why Starliner’s computer “deselected” these thrusters, though they were able to restart all but one of them.
The thruster testing could begin July 2 and would last at least two weeks, said Stich.
“It is pretty painful to read the things that are out there,” added Mark Nappi, Boeing’s vice president and program manager of its Commercial Crew Program.
“We’ve gotten a really good test flight that’s been accomplished so far, and it’s being viewed rather negatively.”
Teething issues with new spaceships aren’t uncommon, with the Space Shuttle program facing its share of problems in its early days.
But the Starliner program has suffered from comparisons to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon. Both companies were awarded multibillion dollar contracts in 2014 to provide the US space agency with rides to the ISS, with SpaceX succeeding in 2020 and carrying dozens of people since.
Aerospace giant Boeing’s reputation has also nosedived in the wake of the safety scandal surrounding its 737 Max passenger jets.
The Boeing Starliner's first crewed mission and its final test flight will last between 45 and 90 days while NASA engineers study issues with helium leaks and thruster problems with the spacecraft that is docked at the International Space Station.
June 29 (UPI) -- An initial eight-day Boeing Starliner test mission to the International Space Station will be extended indefinitely to test the spacecraft's thrusters.
Test pilots Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are safely aboard the ISS and are not stranded in space, NASA commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said during a briefing Friday.
But there is no targeted return date "until we get the testing completed," Stich said.
"Our plan is to continue to return them on Starliner and return them home at the right time," Stich said. "We have a little bit more work to do to get there for the final return."
NASA pushes Starliner return to July
Boeing Starliner launches to International Space Station from Florida
The Starliner's service module contains thrusters, helium lines and other systems that NASA officials need to study before discarding the module upon re-entry and allowing it to burn up.
Those components require further study to determine why the Starliner deselected needed thrusters as it approached the ISS for docking on June 6.
The Starliner launched on June 5 after several delays to complete its first crewed mission and final test flight with test pilots Wilmore and Williams aboard.
NASA also plans testing as soon as Wednesday at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico to replicate how the thrusters were used during the flight. The testing will take about two weeks.
The Starliner developed helium leaks in five aft thrusters during the launch and while approaching the ISS as the thruster jets pulsed to control the docking procedure.
Helium valves in the service module were closed upon docking, but those valves must be opened to pressurize the helium lines used to power the thrusters.
The questionable thruster jets fired when tested while the Starliner is docked at the ISS while a fifth thruster and produce enough thrust to enable a successful return to Earth.
Stich said the Starliner has many times more helium than needed for the one-day return journey to Earth.
The initial mission was scheduled to last 10 days, including eight while docked at the ISS.
The thruster problems have extended the mission to between 45 and 90 days.
Nine people are aboard the ISS. Four came to the ISS from a Soyuz capsule and three from SpaceX's Dragon.
SpaceX launches U.S. spy satellites from Vandenberg
SpaceX launches spy mission from Vandenburg Space Fore Base.
June 29 (UPI) -- SpaceX launched spy satellites for the United States from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Friday night.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at the opening of a two-hour window, 8:14 p.m. PDT.
The United States' National Reconnaissance Office described the classified mission as "the second launch of NRO's proliferated architecture, delivering critical space-based ISR [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] to the nation."
A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the booster landed on the droneship, Of Course I Still Love You, in the Pacific Ocean. It was the eighth launch and landing for this booster. Overall SpaceX has had 326th booster landings.
SpaceX ended its webcast after the Falcon 9 landing at the request of the NRO.
It was the 66th Falcon 9 mission of the year with 47 for SpaceX's Starlink broadband project in low Earth orbit.
The first Falcon 9 launch was 14 years ago -- pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The first NRA spy mission launch was May 22.
"NRO systems are designed, built and operated by the NRO. As a matter of national security we do not discuss the companies associated with the building of our systems, our contractual relationships with them, their specific activities, or the locations where NRO systems are built," NRO said in a statement to Spaceflight Now.
NASA awards SpaceX $843M to build vehicle to push Int'l Space Station out of orbit
NASA on Wednesday awarded SpaceX hundreds of millions of dollars to develop a spacecraft that can push the ISS out of orbit once it finishes it operational life in 2030. File Photo by NASA/UPI
June 27 (UPI) -- NASA has awarded SpaceX $843 million to develop a new vehicle that can push the International Space Station out of orbit as part of the space laboratory's planned retirement, the federal agency said.
The ISS is planned for its operational life to finish around 2030, and SpaceX was announced by NASA on Wednesday that it has been commissioned to develop a so called deorbit spacecraft vehicle that will deorbit it in a controlled manner and avoid risking populated areas.
"Selecting a U.S. Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low-Earth orbit at the end of station operations," Ken Bowersox, associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA, said in a statement.
The ISS has been in operation for 24 years, and its deorbiting is the responsibility of all five space agencies that have been operating it since 1998.
Canada, Europe, Japan and the United States have committed to operating it until 2030, while Russia has committed to operating it until at least 2028, NASA said.
NASA has said that while much of the orbital laboratory is repairable and replaceable in orbit, the primary structure of the station, including the crewed modules and the truss structures, which are subject to dynamic loading events, cannot be, giving the ISS a finite lifetime.
"NASA has concluded that deorbiting the International Space Station using a U.S.-developed deorbit vehicle, with a final target in a remote part of the ocean, is the best option for the station's end of life," the federal agency said in a recent report.
NASA has also said that the United States plans to transition its operations in low-Earth orbit to commercially owned and operated destinations.
TEHRAN, Jun. 30 (MNA) – A Chinese space rocket blasted off without warning during a test of its engines and crashed into a mountain in a fiery explosion, according to dramatic footage captured by onlookers.
Meteorites strike Mars far more often than thought, probe finds
By AFP
June 28, 2024
Mars is hit by large meteorites creating a 30-metre wide crater once a month, scientists estimate - Copyright AFP RAHEB HOMAVANDI
Pierre Celerier
Mars is bombarded with basketball-sized meteorites on a nearly daily basis, fives times more often than previously estimated, seismic recordings from a NASA spacecraft have revealed.
Before the new study was published on Friday, the best guess for how many meteorites strike Mars was made by looking at images taken by orbiting spacecrafts or models based on craters on the Moon.
But NASA’s InSight probe, which landed on a Martian plain called Elysium Planitia in 2018, has allowed scientists to listen to the internal rumblings of the red planet for the first time.
Mars is roughly twice as big as the Moon and is much closer to our solar system’s main asteroid belt, making it a prime target for large rocks hurtling through space.
Most meteorites taking a shot at Earth break apart in our atmosphere. But the Martian atmosphere is 100 times thinner than Earth’s, giving it little protection.
Rather than scouring through images taken from far away, the international team of researchers behind the new study in Nature Astronomy were able to listen in on meteorites smashing into Mars.
“Listening for impacts seems to be more effective than looking for them if we want to understand how often they occur,” study co-author Gareth Collins of Imperial College London said in a statement.
The researchers used the data from InSight’s seismometer to estimate that every year Mars is hit by between 280 to 360 meteorites, which all blast craters bigger than eight metres (26 feet) wide.
“This rate was about five times higher than the number estimated from orbital imagery alone,” study co-author Geraldine Zenhaeusern of the ETH Zurich university said.
– Mars missions, take note –
Frequent, intense dust storms make it particularly difficult for spacecrafts orbiting Mars to see small meteorite craters down below.
New craters are easiest to spot in flat and dusty areas, but “this type of terrain covers less than half of the surface of Mars,” Zenhaeusern said.
“The sensitive InSight seismometer, however, could hear every single impact within the landers’ range,” she added.
The scientists tracked a particular acoustic signal which is produced when meteorites strike Mars to estimate the diameter of craters and their distance from InSight.
They then calculated the number of craters made in one year near the lander, before extrapolating that number across the entire planet.
“This is the first paper of its kind to determine how often meteorites impact the surface of Mars from seismological data,” said Domenico Giardini, who works on the InSight mission.
This data should be taken into account in “planning for future missions to Mars,” he added.
The researchers estimated that a big meteorite strike makes a 30-metre crater on Mars about once a month — something that may linger in the minds of astronauts hoping to walk on the red surface one day.
The camera on Nasa's Curiosity rover records white streaks and specks on Mars, caused by charged particles from a solar storm that took place in May 2024. Images: Nasa
Nicky Harley
Jun 30, 2024
A climate-resistant desert moss has the potential to grow on Mars, scientists believe.
The moss Syntrichia caninervis could be a good candidate for colonising extraterrestrial environments, a study has found.
Due to its extreme ability to tolerate harsh conditions lethal to most life forms, researchers believe it could help create a sustainable human habitat beyond Earth.
The moss is well known for its ability to tolerate drought conditions, but researchers, in a report published on Sunday in the journal The Innovation, have found that it can also survive freezing temperatures as low as minus 196°C and high levels of gamma radiation. In all cases, prior dehydration seemed to help the plants cope, it said.
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“Our study shows that the environmental resilience of S. caninervis is superior to that of some of highly stress-tolerant microorganisms and tardigrades,” the researchers, who include ecologists Daoyuan Zhang and Yuanming Zhang, and botanist Tingyun Kuang, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said.
“S. caninervis is a promising candidate pioneer plant for colonising extraterrestrial environments, laying the foundation for building biologically sustainable human habitats beyond Earth.”
A small number of previous studies have tested the ability of microorganisms, algae, lichens, and plant spores to withstand the extreme environments of outer space or Mars, but this is the first study to test whole plants.
Syntrichia caninervis is a common moss species with a widespread global distribution.
It grows in extreme desert environments including Tibet, Antarctica, and the circumpolar regions as part of the biological soil crust - a widespread and resilient type of ground cover often found in arid lands. Given the moss’s ability to survive extreme environmental conditions, the researchers decided to test its limits in the lab.
To test the moss’s cold tolerance, the researchers stored plants at −80°C in an ultra-cold freezer for three and five years, and at −196°C in a liquid nitrogen tank for 15 and 30 days.
In all cases, the plants regenerated when they were defrosted, although their rebound was less rapid compared to control specimens that had been dehydrated but not frozen, and plants that were not dehydrated before freezing rebounded more slowly than plants that were dried, then frozen.
The moss also demonstrated the ability to survive gamma radiation exposure that would kill most plants, and doses of 500 Gy even seemed to promote the plants’ growth, it found.
For comparison, humans experience severe convulsions and death when exposed to around 50 Gy.
“Our results indicate that S. caninervis is among the most radiation-tolerant organisms known,” the researchers said.
Finally, the researchers tested the moss’s ability to endure Mars-like conditions using the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Planetary Atmospheres Simulation Facility.
The simulator’s Martian conditions included air composed of 95 per cent CO2, temperatures that fluctuated from −60°C to 20°C, high levels of UV radiation, and low atmospheric pressure.
Dried moss plants achieved a 100 per cent regeneration rate within 30 days after being subjected to the Martian conditions up to seven days.
Hydrated plants, which were only subjected to the simulator for one day, also survived, though they regenerated more slowly than their desiccated counterparts.
“Although there is still a long way to go to create self-sufficient habitats on other planets, we demonstrated the great potential of S. caninervis as a pioneer plant for growth on Mars,” the researchers said.
“Looking to the future, we expect that this promising moss could be brought to Mars or the Moon to further test the possibility of plant colonisation and growth in outer space.”
Updated: June 30, 2024
