Trump taps former Space Force commander for senior Air Force post
Matthew Lohmeier, a former Space Force commander who was removed from his post over his public criticism of military diversity initiatives, is Trump’s pick to be undersecretary of the Air Force

#Starship upper stage lost on seventh test flight

SpaceX’s seventh Starship/Super Heavy test flight ended prematurely Jan. 16 when the Starship upper stage was apparently lost while ascending into space.

The vehicle lifted off from SpaceX’s Starbase test site at Boca Chica, Texas, at 5:37 p.m. Eastern. The Super Heavy booster ignited its 33 Raptor engines, sending the vehicle into clear skies.

The booster separated about two minutes and 45 seconds after liftoff and headed back towards Starbase. It returned to the launch pad where “chopstick” mechanical arms attached to the sides of the tower caught the booster seven minutes after liftoff, repeating a feat first performed on the vehicle’s fifth flight in October.

While the booster returned, Starship continued to ascend. However, onscreen telemetry showed one of the six Raptor engines on Starship shut down seven minutes and 40 seconds after liftoff, followed by two more engines roughly 20 seconds later. By eight minutes and 25 seconds after liftoff only one Raptor engine was firing, according to the display, and the vehicle’s speed and altitude were no longer updating.

“We had an anomaly with that upper stage,” Dan Huot, one of the hosts of the SpaceX webcast of the launch, said minutes later. “At this point, we are assuming that the ship has been lost.” SpaceX confirmed minutes later that the vehicle had been lost. Video soon appeared on social media showing what may be debris from the vehicle burning up and falling over the Turks and Caicos.

A number of aircraft flying in the vicinity at the time of Starship’s breakup were instructed by flight controllers to go into holding patterns or, in some cases, diverted to other airports to avoid any risk of being struck by falling debris.

“The FAA briefly slowed and diverted aircraft around the area where space vehicle debris was falling,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. “A Debris Response Area is activated only if the space vehicle experiences an anomaly with debris falling outside of the identified closed aircraft hazard areas.”

The flight was the first of a “block upgrade” for the Starship upper stage. That includes stretching the vehicle by about two meters to a length of 52 meters, accommodating larger propellant tanks that carry 25% more propellant. The vehicle features a “complete redesign” of its avionics with new computers, antennas and power distribution system as well as changes to the forward flaps to reduce heating.

Other changes involve the vehicle’s thermal protection system, with new tiles and a layer underneath that will provide protection in the event of damaged or missing tiles. Some tiles were deliberately removed to stress-test vulnerable areas, while the vehicle intended to some metallic tile options, some incorporating water cooling. Those and other changes are designed to prepare for future flights where SpaceX will attempt to land the Starship upper stage back at the launch site.

SpaceX had planned to perform a Raptor engine relight of Starship while in space and also deploy 10 mass simulators of “V3” versions of Starlink satellites optimized for Starship.

“Preliminary indication is that we had an oxygen/fuel leak in the cavity above the ship engine firewall that was large enough to build pressure in excess of the vent capacity,” SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk posted on X, the social media site he also owns. “Apart from obviously double-checking for leaks, we will add fire suppression to that volume and probably increase vent area. Nothing so far suggests pushing next launch past next month.”

That schedule may be overoptimistic. The loss of Starship will likely lead to the FAA mandating a mishap investigation before allowing SpaceX to resume Starship launches. That could delay the next launch by months even though SpaceX has been rapidly producing hardware for future Starship vehicles as the company seeks to scale up launch rates.

SpaceX was planning to soon launch Starships into orbit, rather than on suborbital test flights like this mission. Those future missions would include an in-space propellant transfer demonstration that is a key milestone for development of the Starship lunar lander SpaceX is developing for NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration campaign.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration says it is investigating reports that debris from the failed Starship test flight landed, and caused property damage in, the Turks and Caicos Islands.

In a Jan. 17 statement, the FAA confirmed that it would require SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation for the Starship/Super Heavy test flight the previous day. On that launch, the Starship upper stage broke up late in its ascent.

“The FAA is requiring SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle during launch operations on Jan. 16,” the agency said. “There are no reports of public injury, and the FAA is working with SpaceX and appropriate authorities to confirm reports of public property damage on Turks and Caicos.”

The FAA did not elaborate on reports of property damage, but there have been online postings of people in the Turks and Caicos finding debris they believed were from Starship. That included the distinctive hexagonal tiles used in the vehicle’s thermal protection system.

“There are no reported injuries and reports of only minimal damage to property at this time,” the National Security Secretariat of the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands said in a Jan. 17 statement. It urged people who found debris to avoid handling it and contact government officials.

“Like many across Turks and Caicos Islands, I shared the concern caused by the outfall of debris and bright colors in the sky yesterday evening,” Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam, governor of the islands, a British territory, told a local publication Jan. 17. She said the government was working with the FAA as well as the U.K. Space Agency “to investigate and manage any potential risks.”

The FAA also confirmed in its statement that debris from the incident fell outside of designated areas. “During the event, the FAA activated a Debris Response Area and briefly slowed aircraft outside the area where space vehicle debris was falling or stopped aircraft at their departure location. Several aircraft requested to divert due to low fuel levels while holding outside impacted areas,” the agency stated.

“A Debris Response Area is activated only if the space vehicle experiences an anomaly with debris falling outside of the identified closed aircraft hazard areas,” the FAA added. “It allows the FAA to direct aircraft to exit the area and prevent others from entering.”

According to aviation tracking services, several dozen aircraft altered their flight paths in response to the incident. That ranged from planes going into holding patterns until the airspace was reopened to flights that diverted back to their origin airports or to another airport.

SpaceX, though, stated that debris would not have fallen outside of designated zones. “Starship flew within its designated launch corridor – as all U.S. launches do to safeguard the public both on the ground, on water and in the air,” the company stated on the page devoted to the mission. “Any surviving pieces of debris would have fallen into the designated hazard area.”

The company hasn’t provided additional details on what happened to Starship. #SpaceX stated that during the Starship burn “telemetry was lost with the vehicle after approximately eight and a half minutes of flight. Initial data indicates a fire developed in the aft section of the ship, leading to a rapid unscheduled disassembly.”

“Data review is already underway as we seek out root cause” the company added. “We will conduct a thorough investigation, in coordination with the FAA, and implement corrective actions to make improvements on future Starship flight tests.”

Southwest Research Institute to supply #NOAA #coronagraphs

The San Antonio-based Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) won a $60 million contract to build three coronagraphs for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Under the contract, awarded Nov. 14 by NASA on behalf of NOAA, SwRI will design, develop, build and test coronagraphs for the Lagrange 1 Series project, part of NOAA’s Space Weather Next program. In addition, SwRI will support the launch and provide ground support at NOAA’s Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland.

The coronagraphs, like the other Space Weather Next instruments, are designed to gather data for NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, which issues forecasts, alerts and warnings of geomagnetic activity like the May 10 and 11 storms.

The value of the SwRI cost-plus-fixed-fee contract is approximately $60 million, according to a NOAA news release. The contract’s performance period ends in January 2034, after the launch of the second coronagraph. The third coronagraph is a flight spare.

Coronagraphs provide alerts of coronal mass ejections headed for Earth, which can disrupt satellite operations, the terrestrial power grid and telecommunications. Space Weather Next Lagrange 1 is designed to provide continuity for observations of the coronagraph on the Space Weather follow-on Lagrange 1 mission, scheduled for launch in 2025.

NOAA and NASA share responsibilities for the Space Weather Next program. NOAA provides funding and requirements in addition to managing the program and disseminating data. NASA oversees develop and construction of the instruments and spacecraft, while also providing launch services.

SwRI also is building the QuickSounder satellite to house an Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder engineering development unit refurbished by manufacturer Northrop Grumman. QuickSounder is scheduled to launch no earlier than February 2026.

#NOAA sees new applications for commercial weather data , In addition to purchasing global datasets, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) plans to pay a premium for observations of oil spills or other events.

For oil spills, the spot-market approach “is inevitable, but not yet practical,” Steve Volz, assistant administrator for NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service, told SpaceNews at the American Meteorological Society annual meeting here.

To date, NOAA has purchased radio occultation soundings primarily through contracts that give the government free and open access. As a result, NOAA can integrate the commercial observations with government data and share the results widely.

“Introducing restricted data into that trade space would complicate things immensely,” Volz said. “So we are sticking with our full, open approach.”

NOAA officials recognize, though, that the approach may limit the ability of commercial satellite operators to sell data and imagery to other customers.

“Observation satellites are expensive,” Volz said. “How do you monetize that information?”
Spot Market

Going forward, NOAA will continue to acquire global datasets and respond to events by purchasing data on the spot market.

“When we look at these niche market observations, whether it’s fire detection, greenhouse gas measuring or oil spill detection, I don’t need the global perspective,” Volz said. “I want observations over the oil spill.”

Additional datasets may be geographically focused.

“We may buy imagery or microwave data that is applicable for Florida,” Volz said. “I’ll pay premium dollars for it, and you can sell your other data to other people.”

Through its purchases, NOAA would validate and characterize commercial data, potentially enhancing their value for other customers and applications. Showing the commercial data works well in conjunction with government observations, provides additional value, Volz said.

NOAA’s Systems Architecture Engineering Group is working with the agency’s Commercial Data Program to determine how to purchase limited datasets.
Microwave Data

Congress appropriated $27.5 million in the 2024 budget for NOAA commercial weather data purchases. Through that program, NOAA has purchased radio occultation data for numerical weather prediction models and microwave soundings to assess their quality and utility.

Commercial observations also will be purchased in conjunction with Near Earth Orbit Network, or NEON, NOAA’s next generation of polar-orbiting weather satellites.

“We will be looking at buying hyperspectral microwave sounding capability because we see that as very complimentary to being able to meet our mission,” Irene Parker, NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service deputy assistant administrator for systems, said Jan. 13 at the weather conference.

Congress also appropriated about $5 million for NOAA’s purchase of commercial radio occultation data for space weather models.

“Even though we are working with industry to design instruments for Space weather Observations at L1, we are also going to be working with companies to procure radio occultation data to help us in space weather,” Parker said. “We see it as very much a complimentary relationship.”

#SpaceX launches NROL-153, expanding U.S. spy #satellite constellation
The launch marks the seventh deployment in the NRO’s new “proliferated architecture” strategy, which emphasizes smaller, distributed #satellite networks

Researchers propose #UN goal to curb space #debris .
Countries must unite to include space stewardship in the United Nations’ sustainable development goals to address an escalating threat of orbital debris, an international group of scientists and other experts warned Jan. 9.

The group, including researchers from universities and #NASA, said adding space sustainability to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the UN adopted in 2015 would provide a framework for mitigating orbital debris while fostering global collaboration and accountability.

Existing SDGs range from ending poverty and hunger to combating climate change and protecting biodiversity. Most SDGs have targets for 2030; however, progress has been uneven, with nearly half showing minimal or moderate advancement, according to the UN, amid challenges such as COVID-19, geopolitical tensions, and climate disasters.

Still, with over 100 nations now involved in space activities and nearly 20,000 satellites launched since the 1950s, the group emphasized the need for urgent action to prevent irreparable harm to this vital environment.

Earth’s orbit currently supports $469 billion of human activity annually, the group noted in a report published in the journal One Earth, underpinning critical services like navigation, communications, and ecosystem monitoring. The rapid increase in satellite deployments raises the risk of cascading collisions, known as the Kessler Syndrome, which could render entire orbital regions unusable.

Co-author Melissa Quinn, general manager of international business at California-based space tracking and analytics company Slingshot Aerospace, said its data showed a 17% year-over-year increase in 2024 in the average number of close approaches per satellite in low Earth orbit.

#Rocket Lab asks NASA to open up #MSR to commercial competition

ORLANDO, Fla. — Rocket Lab is asking the incoming administration to reconsider NASA’s plans for Mars Sample Return (MSR), arguing it can offer an approach that is faster and less expensive than the agency’s alternatives.

NASA announced Jan. 7 it would spend the next year and a half studying two new architectures for MSR. One would deliver a sample retrieval lander using a version of the “sky crane” landing system developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. The other would use a commercially developed “heavy lander” to deliver the same lander.

NASA reached that conclusion after reviewing a dozen studies it commissioned in mid-2024 from industry and NASA centers. Among the studies was one by Rocket Lab, which won a study contract several months after the others were awarded.

The company proposed a completely new end-to-end system that would largely use its technologies in launch vehicles, spacecraft and other systems. That approach, which the company outlined on its website after the NASA announcement, is similar to NASA’s earlier architecture, including the use of a sample retrieval lander, Mars ascent vehicle rocket to launch the samples into orbit, and an Earth return orbiter that would bring the samples back to Earth.

The difference, the company argues, is that it can do it faster and cheaper than NASA’s plans. The agency said the two MSR architectures it is considering will cost between $5.8 billion and $7.7 billion and would return samples between 2035 and 2039. That is an improvement over earlier assessments of up to $11 billion and a sample return in 2040.

“We think we’re the organization that can bring these Mars samples home faster and cheaper,” said Richard French, vice president of business development and strategy for space systems at Rocket Lab, in an interview after the #NASA announcement. “Our architecture, as proposed to NASA, was to bring samples back for less than $4 billion and as early as 2031.”

He did not go into details on how Rocket Lab made those cost and schedule assessments, but emphasized the company was leveraging its capabilities across the company, from its Neutron launch vehicle to its work with Varda Space Industries on its reentry vehicle and on the Victus Haze mission for the U.S. Space Force that will feature rendezvous and proximity operations. “A number of these programs are pushing forward the capabilities that we would ultimately need for MSR,” he said.

The company got little response from NASA on its MSR study. “It was pretty frustrating,” French said. “We received very little to no feedback on our inputs.”

He said Rocket Lab wants NASA, rather than to continue studies of MSR, instead open the program to a commercial competition. “If NASA wants to show leadership, it’s to lean into commercial capability and be bold and compete,” he argued. “We’re pretty hopeful with what the new administration is going to bring and how they respond to this set of recommendations.”

Under that approach, NASA might first select several proposals for initial studies before choosing one to carry out the revised MSR program. French noted that NASA is asking for at least $300 million in the final fiscal year 2025 appropriations bill to study the two alternatives the agency is currently considering. “Initial studies with multiple commercial providers would be far more affordable, and it would, in our view, do much more to bring the schedule in and emphasize commercial innovation than the current plan.”

Dutch military signs satellite intelligence deal with #Maxar

#WASHINGTON — U.S. #satellite imagery provider Maxar Intelligence announced a $14.4 million contract with the Netherlands Ministry of Defense, highlighting growing European demand for commercial space intelligence amid heightened global security concerns.

The four-year agreement announced Jan. 9 provides Dutch military users with access to Maxar’s satellite tasking capabilities, imagery archive and data analytics through its Geospatial Platform Pro service.

The deal comes as NATO allies increasingly seek to develop independent geospatial intelligence capabilities, often through partnerships with commercial providers.

“As many NATO countries look to build up their own sovereign geospatial intelligence capabilities, they’re turning more and more to commercial partners,” said Anders Linder, Maxar’s general manager for international government.

The contract will support hundreds of users at the Dutch Defense Geographic Agency conducting mapping, intelligence and operational support missions.
WorldView Legions 5 & 6 ready for launch

Separately, Maxar said it has delivered its final pair of WorldView Legion satellites to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for a planned February launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

These satellites will complete Maxar’s first block of next-generation imaging spacecraft, with four satellites in mid-inclination orbit and six in sun-synchronous orbit. Maxar said this constellation will enable up to 15 daily revisits of specific locations and triple the company’s highest-resolution collection capacity.

The WorldView Legion system provides 30-centimeter resolution imagery, allowing customers to distinguish objects roughly the size of a car hood from space.

TAMPA, Fla. — Astranis said Jan. 10 that all four of its recently launched broadband satellites have passed early tests and begun using electric propulsion to reach #geostationary orbit in the coming months.

The #satellites launched on a Falcon 9 rocket Dec. 29 and feature multiple upgrades over Arcturus, the San Francisco-based manufacturer’s debut spacecraft, which malfunctioned during final testing after reaching orbital position in May 2023.

The failure of both solar array drive assemblies on Arcturus, used to position solar panels that power the satellite, meant it could not fulfill its original mission to provide continuous broadband over Alaska for local telco Pacific Dataport.

Astranis said initial tests for its latest four in-house-built satellites, collectively called Block 2, included placing them in a sun-pointing mode to maximize power generation.

“We’ve spent a week and a half checking out and testing every subsystem on the spacecraft and everything looks fantastic,” Astranis CEO John Gedmark said via email.

“We are now through initial commissioning, with all systems operating nominally, and we’ve kicked off electric orbit raise. Many potential mission risks are now behind us, and all four satellites came out the other side in great shape.”

Astranis said it also tested new software-defined radios on each Block 2 spacecraft, a gimbal set to extend operational life from seven to at least eight years, and a reflector designed to provide 12 gigabits per second of Ka-band throughput that successfully deployed.

The company, which is operating the spacecraft on behalf of customers that have leased their broadband capacity, expects to bring Block 2 services online by the middle of this year.

Two of the satellites, NuView Alpha and NuView Bravo, are intended to provide coverage across the Americas for inflight connectivity provider Anuvu.

Agila is designed to deliver broadband services across the Philippines for local internet service provider HTechCorp. Meanwhile, the multi-mission spacecraft UtilitySat will initially cover Mexico for Apco Networks, a Mexican telecommunications company that has also ordered two of the five Block 3 satellites Astranis plans to launch together this year on an undisclosed rocket.

The Block 3 series would include a replacement satellite for Pacific Dataport, another spacecraft for Orbits Corp, and a satellite for Thai fleet operator Thaicom.

Each 400-kilogram satellite, roughly the size of a dishwasher, is scaled for smaller regional coverage, compared with traditional GEO satellites that are typically the size of a school bus.