UC Berkeley to construct next space weather satellite for NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has chosen the University of California, Berkeley to build a satellite that will examine how the Earth’s weather affects the weather at the edge of space. All data gathered from the satellite can be essential for enhancing extreme “space weather” forecasts that may disrupt GPS and radio communications.

Under the terms of agreement, which costs approximately $200 million, UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory is tasked to design, construct and operate the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) mission set for launch in 2017. UC Berkeley will command the satellite from its Mission Operations Center, which currently operates other NASA missions such as ARTEMIS, NuSTAR, RHESSI and THEMIS.

In order to enable scientists to predict space weather better, the ICON satellite will orbit at 345 mile above Earth in the ionosphere to gather data required to establish the connection between storms that occur near the Earth’s surface and space-weather storms. These can help airliners which cannot solely rely on GPS satellites to fly and land due to distorted satellite signals caused by charged-particle storms in the ionosphere.

You may also want to read: 

• RigNet, SnapTV collaborate again for interactive media offering
• Satcom1 shows off satellite communications capabilities for Chinese market

NASA plans on investing big for TESS, NICER projects

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently approved a grant worth $200 million to finance the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Project, which will make use of space telescopes to evaluate the sky and possibly discover new transition exoplanets in the habitable zones of nearby stars. Focusing particularly on planets similar to Earth, the survey project will cover 400 times as much sky as its former missions.

Aside from the TESS project, which is anticipated to launch in 2017, NASA also granted funds for the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), designed to measure the variability of cosmic x-ray sources (x-ray timing) from the International Space Station (ISS).

The TESS and NICER projects are both included as part of NASA’s Explorer program, one of its oldest continuous programs designed to provide inexpensive access to space. Satellite mission grants are capped at $200 million, while space station mission costs are capped at $55 million.

You may also want to read:

• Iran plans on launching seven satellites

Student-built satellite from University at Buffalo to be launched by NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently made a deal to send into space a satellite that has been designed and built by a group of students from the University at Buffalo. The spacecraft, named Glint Analyzing Data Observation Satellite (GLADOS), was built for two years and is designed to keep track of debris orbit and size circling the Earth.

Project leader John Crassidis, who is also a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at UB, will test his theory that sparkles of sunlight reflecting off space junk can be used to determine its mass, size, shape and spin. To prove this project, the GLADOS is equipped with cameras and navigation system. The satellite can also help predict the path of space debris ahead of time, therefore avoiding any collisions.

Composed of 40 engineering students together with John Crassidis, the team got a grant worth $300,000 from the U.S Air Force to fund the GLADOS prototype.

You may also want to read:

• Inmarsat Government wins contract from U.S FEMA for mobile satellite service

SpaceX successfully launches Falcon 9 to International Space Station

Space Exploration Technologies has another reason to celebrate as the company successfully launched the Falcon 9 rocket containing the Dragon capsule into space. The launch pushed through, despite an anomaly detected on the capsule’s maneuvering thrusters. The issue was resolved after astronauts aboard the outpost used the station's robotic arm to pluck the capsule from orbit at 5:31 a.m. EST, as the ship sailed 250 miles over northern Ukraine. Flight controllers at NASA's Mission Control in Houston then stepped in to drive the capsule to its berthing port on the station's Harmony connecting node.

The Falcon 9 spaceship and its Dragon capsule took off at 10:10 a.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The cargo ship -- carrying food, supplies, spare parts and science equipment for the International Space Station -- had astronaut meals and clothing, fresh fruit for the station residents, 640 seeds of a flowering weed for research purposes, mouse stem cells, protein crystals, air-purifying devices, trash bags, computer parts and other necessary gear.

Flight controllers from SpaceX said that they were trying to override the system of the Dragon capsule and activate at least one additional booster required to bring the capsule to its intended orbit. This is the first time SpaceX experienced an anomaly with its Dragon spacecraft while in orbit. The company’s two previous launches to the ISS went through without issues.

The recent flight of the Dragon capsule is a part of SpaceX’s $1.6 billion contract with NASA to resupply the ISS. The space agency is hoping that the collaboration will evolve into using SpaceX to send manned missions into space in the future.

“Using commercial launch providers is more efficient for [NASA], especially after the space shuttles were retired in 2011, and is part of a long-term plan to reduce expenses on low-Earth orbit missions and invest more in deep-space missions,” said Lori Garver, NASA's Associate Administrator.

You may also want to read: 

• Gilat awarded $12.8M to provide SkyEdge II-c, Aries VSAT to Peruvian schools

NASA revives communication with ISS following three-hour gap

NASA has finally restored its contact with the International Space Station after an equipment failure that lasted for almost three hours, leaving the mobile laboratory dependent without a direct link to its Mission Control center.

The space agency suddenly lost communication with the ISS at 9:45 a.m. ET (1445GMT), but fortunately, space station flight controllers at NASA’s Mission Control center in Houston were able to reestablish contact with the space station at 12:34 p.m. ET (17:34 GMT).

In a statement, NASA officials said: “Flight controllers were in the process of updating the station’s command and control software and were transitioning from the primary computer to the backup computer to complete the software load when the loss of communication occurred.

Reports from NASA officials said that the failure was caused by a main data relay system that malfunctioned, making the computer that controls the ISS’ critical functions switch to a backup. After the incident, the station was still not able to communicate with the Tracking and Data Relay satellite network which serves as the outpost’s link to NASA’s Mission Control center on the ground.

The loss of communication occurred when flight controllers at NASA’s Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center in Houston were sending a software update to the International Space Station. Fortunately, NASA flight controllers were able to communicate with the spaceflyers aboard the space station even before the lines of communication were restored.

Once Mission Control made contact with the International Space Station through Russian ground stations, Expedition 34 commander Kevin Ford reported on the health and status of the space station and its residents.

"Hey, just FYI, the station's still fine and straight, everybody is in good shape of course," said Ford in an audio released by NASA. "And nothing unexpected other than lots of caution warning tones, and of course we have no system in sight. We'll get that back to you as soon as we can."

Recommended additional reading: 

• ViewSat moves forward with global expansion following investing period

NASA selects Aerojet to develop Space Launch System Advanced Booster

Aerojet, a manufacturer of rocket and missile propulsion based in California, has been awarded by NASA to develop engineering demonstrations and risk reduction concepts that will be used for future advanced boosters for the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS).

As one of the companies contracted for a NASA Research Announcement (NRA), Aerojet is tasked to enhance affordability, reliability and performance of an advanced booster for a future version of the SLS heavy-lift spacecraft.

The Space Launch System’s vehicle will take NASA’s Orion rocket and other payloads farther than ever before. The 70-metric-ton version of SLS will use two five-segment solid rocket boosters identical to the boosters that aided in powering the space shuttle to orbit. The expected 130-metric-ton version needs an advanced booster with more thrust to evolve the current SLS.

Aerojet will work on improving technical maturation of a liquid oxygen and kerosene oxidizer-rich staged-combustion engine, as well as reducing any risk that may arise. To achieve this, the company will need to fabricate a representative full-scale 550,000-pound thrust class main injector and thrust chamber. Aerojet’s will also require preparation to conduct a series of tests measuring performance and demonstrating combustion stability.

Aside from Aerojet, other companies that were also contracted by NASA to develop the SLS advanced booster include ATK Launch Systems Inc., Dynetics Inc., and Northrop Grumman Corporation Aerospace Systems. These new initiatives will perform and analyze advanced booster concepts and hardware demonstrations during an approximate 30-month period.

You may also want to read: 

• Astrotech Space Operations wins task order contract from NASA to develop OCO-2 spacecraft

NASA sends new tracking and data relay satellite into space

On Wednesday, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched yet another Tracking and Data Relay Satellite -- the agency’s 11th TDRS. The new satellite will be used for communications with the International Space Station and to transmit more images from the Hubble Telescope.

Presently, the new TDRS has the letter K designation (TDRS-K), but once its commences operations it will be named TDRS-11. The satellite, which was sent into orbit by ULA’s Atlas V rocket, will reach its intended 22,300-mile-high orbit in around two weeks. Once the satellite is in place, testing will begin and continue for the next few months.

NASA expects to have at least seven TDRS satellites all working simultaneously in orbit at all times. The TDRS-K makes the eighth satellite at the current time. The agency also scheduled the launch of TDRS-L next year. The very first TRDS was sent into orbit in 1983 and was recently retired along with the fourth.

Recommended additional reading: 

• NASA: Mona Lisa image reaches Moon satellite via laser communications