By Ralph Thiele

thousands

Satellites are a critical infrastructure. They enable television, internet, telecommunications, energy, trade, and financial networks to function. As access to space gets cheaper, the commercial sector continues to grow its presence in space.

For fifty years, space innovation meant scaling Apollo-era technologies into ever larger, more durable satellites parked above their terrestrial clients in geosynchronous orbit. Exotic space-ready parts, militarised defences and layered redundancies became multi-billion-dollar systems designed to last forty years or more beyond their conceptions. Only a few organisations with thousands of aerospace engineers could participate. Space was reserved for major corporations, in turn dependent on government and military bodies.

This scenario has changed radically. Satellites are no longer the exclusive domain of rival superpowers, but rather a business opportunity based on falling technology costs. As access to space gets cheaper, the commercial sector continues to grow its presence there. Satellites are becoming mass-produced devices. Commercial space companies are fielding hundreds of small, cheap satellites. Companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin are building cheaper, reusable rockets to add as many as 100 new satellites with every launch. Soon, there will be thousands of such satellites, providing eyes and ears over the entire world to include low earth orbit nano-satellites for navigation and communications, surveillance and reconnaissance, intelligence and missile warning.

In 2018, there were 114 government and private space launches worldwide, the first time in three decades that the number exceeded 100. The United States had 31 launches including a record number of commercial launches and China had 39. More than 80 countries have entered the global space industry. These countries have realised that space is a strategic industry that creates a highly technical workforce, triggering spinoff technologies and economic growth. Seventy-five percent of space industry revenues are commercial.[1]

no fence in space

Serious threats to space infrastructure are a relatively new phenomenon. For a long time, space used to be an ecosystem of its own. As more countries and commercial firms have begun participating in satellite construction, space launch, space exploration, and so forth, new risks and threats have also emerged for space-enabled services.

An important element of the debate concerns access: it has to be recognised that there is no fence in space. The unhindered access to and freedom to operate in space is of vital importance to nations and international organisations, such as NATO and the European Union.[2] Navigation and weather monitoring, communications and financial networks, military and intelligence systems all of these and more have components in the space domain. Military Command and Control use space-based systems coupled with meshed networks systems to support deployed operations and allow data exchange in austere environments wherein units will join ad hoc networks built upon the devices belonging to friendly forces. Mobile communication devices share intelligence, translate languages, provide navigation, targeting data and blue force position, while maintaining visual contact with the surrounding environment.

Given that there are few distributed technological systems that do not rely on satellites for some vital piece of their functionality, the importance of space assets and of retaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information that they carry cannot be overstated. Opponents understand this well. Space has become their centre of gravity for downgrading Western C4I. China for example has adopted the if you cant beat them, hack them strategy for space. Denying the use of space capabilities will be very high in the next conflicts Electronic Orders of Battle.

vulnerable assets

Satellites are vulnerable to a wide array of intentional and unintentional threats. Several nations have learned how to attack the global commons of space.[3] To this end, Florence Parly, French Minister of Defence, reported recently: we know very well that very large space powers deploy intriguing objects in orbit, experiment with potentially offensive abilities, conduct manoeuvres that leave little doubt about their aggressive vocation. [4]

Attacks against satellites can be very targeted, but they can also have wide-ranging implications for nearly all militaries and the global economy. Disrupting global navigation satellite systems (GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BEIDOU) as a means of degrading military targeting and navigation systems will have considerable repercussions for other militaries that leverage these systems. There may also be potential implications for civilian and commercial applications of these systems, for example car or cell-phone navigation systems.

Similarly, the destruction of a satellite in space will create spacedebris that could threaten a much broader spectrum of space architecture, as successful direct ascent anti-satellite missile tests by China in 2007 and India in 2019 have both shown. With the prospect of large constellations consisting of thousands of satellites the challenge of space congestion will augment. This is why it is indispensable that Space Situational Awareness (SSA) comes up with detailed knowledge of any given space objects location, and ensures the ability to track and predict its future location, incorporating the understanding of an actors intent for their spacecraft.

The spectrum of threats is impressive:

Of particular concern is the vulnerability of military, commercial, and dual-use space infrastructure that has become critical not just to military C4I capabilities, but also civilian and commercial communications that rely on space-based assets. Development and deployment in the last decade of a growing range of counter-space capabilities is shaping the need for new concepts and capabilities to ensure the resilience of space-based communications.

In August 2019, French Minister of Defence Florence Parly announced plans to develop and deploy an active defence system for Frances space assets and infrastructure to include satellites equipped with cameras, lasers and maybe even guns by 2030. The announcement follows closely French President Emmanuel Macrons announcement during Bastille Day celebrations in July 2019 of a new Space Command that improves upon the French Joint Space Command concept established in 2010.[5] Together, these announcements offer valuable insight into the military and security competition unfolding in space.

Space will likely emerge as its own domain of manoeuvre warfare. Spacecraft will be able to manoeuvre and fight, and the first orbital weapons could soon enter the battlefield. So far, the near impossibility of refuelling spacecraft has largely limited them to orbiting the earth. But as it becomes feasible to not just refuel spacecraft mid-flight but also build and service satellites in space, process data in orbit, and capture resources and energy in space for use in space, space operations will become less dependent on earth.

The space environment is particularly vulnerable to hybrid threats, such as spying or service interruption. Upcoming challenges cross-cut space and cyber domains. Actors can use offensive cyberspace capabilities as other hybrid means to enable a range of reversible to non-reversible effects against space systems. There are plenty of access points which can be attacked including the antennae on the satellites, the ground stations, and the earth-based user terminals, ranging from physical vulnerabilities of a ground site to electronic warfare (EW) disrupting the connection between the space segment and the operator. Attacks include stealing data, sending fake or corrupt data, and a complete shutdown of all the satellites operations. It is increasingly understood that space assets have been vulnerable to hybrid attacks for far too long.

Part Two of this essay will be published tomorrow.

Bio: Colonel (Ret`d) Ralph Thiele is President of EuroDfense-Germany, Chairman of the Berlin based Political-Military Society and Managing Director of StratByrd Consulting, Germany. Thiele brings 25 years experience in top national and international political-military leadership and policy assignments.In his honorary and business functions he advices on Defence Innovation and Disruptive Technologies in times of digital transformation. He has published numerous books and articles and is lecturing on defence and security issues on global scale.

[1] Wilbur Ross. Remarks at the Sixth National Space Council Meeting. U.S. Department of Commerce. Washington, Tuesday, August 20, 2019. https://www.commerce.gov/news/speeches/2019/08/remarks-us-commerce-secretary-wilbur-l-ross-sixth-national-space-council

[2] EDA. 2018 CDP Revision. The EU Capability Development Priorities. Brussels. Pg. 9. https://www.eda.europa.eu/docs/default-source/eda-publications/eda-brochure-cdp

[3] EDA. 2018 CDP Revision. The EU Capability Development Priorities. Brussels. Pg. 9. https://www.eda.europa.eu/docs/default-source/eda-publications/eda-brochure-cdp

[4] Florence Parly. French Minister of the Armed Forces. Remarks on Space & Defence at the French space agencys Toulouse headquarters. September 7th, 2018. Posted in English translation on 23 September 2018. https://satelliteobservation.net/2018/09/23/space-defence-policy-speech-by-the-french-ministry-of-the-armed-forces/

[5] Mahlandt, Taylor, France is Getting Serious About Its Space Command, Slate, 1 August 2019, https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/france-space-command-plan-satellites-lasers.html

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#SpaceWatchGL Op'ed: Space And Hybrid Warfare - Part One - SpaceWatch.Global

As the year winds up, it is exciting to recap Africas journey in space in 2019 which is the best year so far in the continents 21-year space history.The year started on a high note with consultations on integrating the African space sector through the establishment of an umbrella agency that will co-ordinate the continents space programmes.

Although the conversation on founding an African space agency started long before 2019, it reached a new milestone with Egypt winning the host country at the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in February at the AU headquarters Addis Ababa. The year gradually progressed with further developments in formulating the modalities of the agency and setting guidelines for its operations.

Although still at the embryonic stage, the African Space Agency dominated political and business conversations on multilateral space cooperation in Africa at various high-level panels and industry events on the continent and abroad. This, in essence, set the tone and the urgency for kick-starting formal operations of the Agency in 2020.

On a national scale, 2019 witnessed an emergence of new entrants into the league of space-faring African nations nations that have successfully launched a satellite into space. Before 2019, the elite league comprised of only 8 African countries: Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. Now the league includes Rwanda, Sudan and Ethiopia following the launch of RwaSat-1 in September, SRSS-1 in November and ETRSS-1 in December, respectively.

The industry is expected to grow about 40% in the next five year from its current valuation of USD 7.37 billion to over USD 10.24 billion. Presently, 11 countries in Africa have launched at least a satellite and it is projected that before 2024, the number will rise to at least 18. Click here for the breakdown of revenue from the industry and the future projection.

Also, the continent witnessed tremendous growth in the number of countries that have declared an interest in space exploration. Particularly, Uganda and Zimbabwe that announced their space ambitions with plans to launch a satellite by 2022, whileCameroon commissioned a feasibility studyfor the launch of a national space programme.

In June, Ugandan President,Yoweri Museveni pushed for space technology research with Russiaafter a meeting with delegates from the Russian-Uganda Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Science and Technical Cooperation. In October,Museveni held another bilateral meeting with the Russian President,Vladimir Putin and different leaders of Russia and Africa exploring partnerships in areas of space science and technology during the 2019 Russia-Africa summit. The consultations heralded the possibility of launching a Ugandan satellite by 2022 according to Dr Elioda Tumwesigye, the Ugandan Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, who disclosed the information at the 2019 World Science Day held in Makerere University, Kampala, in November.

Similarly, the Zibwawean government in January 2019 commenced the implementation of its national space science programmes through the Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development Ministry under the coordination of theZimbabwe National Geospatial and Space Agencywhich was established in July 2018. Zimbabwe embarked on several space science activities in 2019. However, the highlight of the year for the Southern African nation is the announcement of a fund set aside for the launch of its satellite which was disclosed in November 2019 by the Zimbabwean Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube during a national budget hearing session.

Beyond the declaration of interest to start space programmes, Africa launched a record eight satellites in 2019, the highest ever launched by the continent in a calendar year. Starting with the launch of EgyptSat-A in February, the year progressed with the launch of XinaBox Thinsat in April. The second quarter recorded the launch of Egypts indigenously-built 1 CubeSat, NARSSCube-2, in July. The last quarter witnessed a record launch of five satellites: Egypts NARSSCube-1 and Rwandas RwaSat in September, Sudans SRSS-1 and Egypts TIBA-1 in November, and Ethiopias ETRSS-1 in December.

African countries have now successfully launched 41 satellites into space to date, with Egypt holding the record for the highest number of satellites having launched four satellites into space in 2019 to bring its total record to nine. South Africa closely follows with record eight satellites. Algeria and Nigeria hold the third place with six satellites each. Morocco has launched three satellites into space while Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Sudan have a record for one each.

There is an increase in the national governments budget and investment in the space industry across the continent, more countries are starting to develop space programs, there is an increase in the number of satellites being launched and space technologies is having massive positive impacts in the growth and development of the continent. There is also growth in the number of NewSpace companies on the continent with more efforts into supporting the establishment of more. While 2019 is unequivocally the best year in Africas 21 year space history, we envisage an upward trend in 2020 across all the segments of the industry.

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2019 Might Be The Best Year So Far For The African Space Industry - Space in Africa

When the Trump administration first proposed the Space Force as the sixth branch of the United States military in June 2018, many people were undecided whether the idea was an atrocity or a joke. On the atrocity side, some analysts believed that the Space Force constituteda dangerous plan to militarize space. On the joke side, social media became littered with images from Star Wars and Star Trek. Netflix even greenlit a workplace comedy calledSpace Force.

The United States Space Force transitioned from joke to reality recently when the House authorized its establishment as part of a defense authorization bill. Remarkably, a considerable number of Democrats voted for the bill that contained the Space Force. They did so in return for a provision that allowed for a 12-week family leave for federal workers. Thus, a space-faring, war-fighting military service was born, thanks to good, old-fashioned backroom wheeling and dealing.

More importantly, the Space Force became a reality with the help of Democrats who at the same time were hell bent in impeaching the president who proposed and championed it in the first place.

The United States Space Force is starting out modestly. Personnel to fill out its organization will have to be recruited. The Space Force will have to develop what it needs to accomplish its main mission of keeping the peace in space. Its goal is to not just become a force that can wage war beyond the Earth but to deter war, to demonstrate to enemies of the United States that attacking its space assets would be folly. A space war with both sides attacking the satellites of the other would be catastrophic for both parties. The Space Force will be an expression of peace through strength. It will develop ways to defend against attacks on Americas space infrastructure while placing that of an enemy at risk of destruction.

In the long term, the Space Force will become the third leg of a triad that includes NASA and commercial space companies. The space triad will ensure that the United States and her allies dominate the economic development, scientific exploration and human expansion into space.

NASA will continue its mission of space exploration, scientific study and technological development that will further the vision of the United States as a space faring nation. The Artemis program will return humans to the moon, this time to stay. Eventually, astronauts will land on Mars as a first step to making that planet a new home for human civilization. Robotic probes will continue to ferret out the secrets of the solar system and beyond.

Meanwhile, the private sector will continue to oversee the economic development of space. Private spacecraft that will take humans and cargo to and from factories in low Earth orbit, bases on the moon, settlements on Mars and mining facilities on the asteroids will evolve with increasing range and capabilities. Commercial companies will manufacture products in space and mine the moon and the asteroids for their mineral wealth.

The United States Space Force will ensure that no unfriendly power can impede these activities through military attack. The new service branch will have to be so strong and capable that no other country would think of trying to bring fire and destruction to American and allied space infrastructure.

The United States Space Force, as an operational service branch, could take on two other related missions.

The Space Force could start the process of cleaning up orbiting space debris. Decades of dead satellites and other junk have created a ring around our planet that is increasingly becoming a hazard to space navigation. Even the International Space Station must, from time to time, alter its orbit a little to avoid being hit by space junk.

The Space Force can also defend the planet from a threat that does not come from any human agency, but nature. The prospect of an asteroid or comet hitting the Earth with such devastating effect that it ends human civilization or even life itself is very real.

If the Space Force can put assets in place to prevent an Earth-approaching object from ending the human species, it will have justified any effort and expense to create and maintain it.

Mark Whittington, who writes frequently about space and politics, has published a political study of space exploration entitledWhy is It So Hard to Go Back to the Moon?as well asThe Moon, Mars and Beyond. He blogs atCurmudgeons Corner.

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The Space Force has gone from joke to reality | TheHill - The Hill

Its been a stunning year for space exploration. Yes, it was the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, the first crewed moon landing, but so much more happened that increased our knowledge of the cosmos.

Here are 15 of the most amazing space images from 2019, in no particular order:

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) a planet-scale array of eight ground-based radio telescopes ... [+] forged through international collaboration was designed to capture images of a black hole. In coordinated press conferences across the globe, EHT researchers revealed that they succeeded, unveiling the first direct visual evidence of the supermassive black hole in the centre of Messier 87 and its shadow.

Were you impressed by the first-ever image of a black hole? If not, youre not looking at it properly. Created by daily observations of eight ground-based radio telescopes synced to atomic clocks, what youre looking at is actually the shadow of the black hole in the center of the supergiant elliptical M87 galaxy in Virgo, one of the most massive galaxies in the observable universe.

Comet 2I/Borisov, the first confirmed interstellar comet, as photographed by the Hubble Space ... [+] Telescope.

Remember 'Oumuamua, the cigar-shaped rock that entered our solar system in 2017 to become the first interstellar object astronomers had ever detected? It happened again in 2019 with the detection of Comet 2l/Borisov, which was also found to host water.

Into the Shadow, winner of the Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2019 ... [+] competition organised by the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London.

Hungarian photographer Lszl Francsics won Septembers Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2019 competition organised by the Royal Observatory Greenwich in London with his image Into the Shadow. Taken in Budapest, Hungary, the photograph depicts a creative and artistic composition of the 35 phases of the total lunar eclipse that occurred on January 21, 2019 also called the Super Blue Blood Moon.

On July 2 denizens of planet Earth could stand in the Moon's dark umbral shadow during South ... [+] America's 2019 total solar eclipse. It first touched down in the Southern Pacific Ocean, east of New Zealand. Racing toward the east along a narrow track, the shadow of the Moon made landfall along the Chilean coast with the Sun low on the western horizon. Captured in the foreground here are long shadows still cast by direct sunlight though, in the final moments before totality began. While diffraction spikes are from the camera lens aperture, the almost totally eclipsed Sun briefly shone like a beautiful diamond ring in the clear, darkened sky.

Although many had stayed away because of the threat of cloud, July 2, 2019 saw crystal clear skies and an achingly beautiful total solar eclipse across northern Chile and Argentina (I was there myself to witness it). Winner of NASAs Astronomy Picture of the Day, this image from Yuri Beletsky shows eclipse observers witnessing a diamond ring from the Carnegie Las Campanas Observatory, which by lucky chance happened to be within a narrow path of totality over Chile.

A new SPHERE/VLT image of Hygiea, which could be the Solar System's smallest dwarf planet yet.

Did the Chiles Very Large Telescope reveal a new planet? A study of Hygieaan object in the main asteroid beltsuggested it could be the solar system's smallest dwarf planet yet. It already met three of the four requirements to be classified as a dwarf planet: it orbits around the Sun, it is not a moon and, unlike a planet, it has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit. The VLT found that it also met the fourth requirement; that it has enough mass that its own gravity pulls it into a roughly spherical shape. 2019 also saw the confirmation of Hippocamp, a seventh inner moon of Neptune.

This striking view of Jupiters Great Red Spot and turbulent southern hemisphere was captured by ... [+] NASAs Juno spacecraft as it performed a close pass of the gas giant planet.

NASAs Juno spacecraft at Jupiter has been doing some awesome work. It took three images used to produce this color-enhanced view on February 12, 2019, which were turned into this sublime image by citizen scientist Kevin M. Gill, who has consistently produced some incredible images from Junos raw data.

This new image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captures two galaxies of equal size in a ... [+] collision that appears to resemble a ghostly face. This observation was made on 19 June 2019 in visible light by the telescopes Advanced Camera for Surveys. Residing 704 million light-years from Earth, this system is catalogued as Arp-Madore 2026-424 (AM 2026-424) in the Arp-Madore Catalogue of Southern Peculiar Galaxies and Associations.

Based on an observation made by the Hubble Space Telescope on June 19, 2019 in visible light, the image shows a couple of galaxies colliding about 704 million light-years from Earth. The two eyes are the bright cores of the two galaxies, one of which slammed into the other, while the outline of thefaceis a ring of young, hot blue stars.

Apollo 11 Saturn V Rocket Projected On The Washington Monument

The 50 year anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission with NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin was celebrated in a 17-minute show, Apollo 50: Go for the Moon, by the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum. It combined full-motion projection-mapping artwork on the Washington Monument and archival footage to recreate the launch of Apollo 11 and tell the story of the first moon landing.

The SpaceX Starship test vehicle, September 2019.

First unveiled in Texas during September was the SpaceX Starship, which could one day take 100 people to Mars. Is this 50m-tall hunk of stainless steel the most exciting things to happen in human spaceflight in recent decades? It will launch on a SpaceX Super Heavy rocket, and is destined for a short test flight followed by a go for orbit in 2020 ... though it did blow its top in late November.

The most detailed images of Ultima Thule -- obtained just minutes before the spacecraft's closest ... [+] approach at 12:33 a.m. EST on Jan. 1 -- have a resolution of about 110 feet (33 meters) per pixel.

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft raced past the most distant object ever explored, a Kuiper Belt object nicknamed Ultima Thule about four billion miles from Earth. Its appearance, unlike anything astronomers had seen before, illuminates the processes that built the planets four and a half billion years ago.

The latest view of Saturn from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures exquisite details of the ring ... [+] system which looks like a phonograph record with grooves that represent detailed structure within the rings and atmospheric details that once could only be captured by spacecraft visiting the distant world. Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 observed Saturn on June 20, 2019, as the planet made its closest approach to Earth, at about 845 million miles away. This image is the second in a yearly series of snapshots taken as part of the Outer Planets Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) project. OPAL is helping scientists understand the atmospheric dynamics and evolution of our solar system's gas giant planets. In Saturn's case, astronomers will be able to track shifting weather patterns and other changes to identify trends.

The Hubble Space Telescope once again proved that Saturn is by far the solar systems most photogenic planet when it photographed the gas giant as it neared opposition. Its magnificent ring system was near its maximum tilt toward Earth.

A SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches the STP-2 mission from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space ... [+] Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

SpaceX launched its Falcon Heavy rocket for the third time, this time at night, from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Its client was the US Air Force, whose Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) contained a bunch of payloads. More importantly, it made the Falcon Heavy fit for future national security missions.

Recorded at regular intervals before and after the total eclipse phase, the frames in this composite ... [+] sequence include the moment the Moon's dark shadow fell across some of planet Earth's advanced large telescopes. The dreamlike view looks west toward the setting Sun and the approaching Moon shadow. In fact La Silla was a little north of the shadow track's center line, so the region's stunning, clear skies are slightly brighter to the north (right) in the scene.

Another winner of NASAs Astronomy Picture of the Day, this image by the European Southern Observatorys photo ambassador Petr Horlek shows a time-lapse of the total solar eclipse on July 2, 2019 from the ESOs La Silla Observatory in Chile. Totality occurs on average at any specific location every 360 years.

This remarkable image of Mars was taken in the Terra Sabaea region of Mars, west of Augakuh Vallis, ... [+] by the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) onboard the ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter.

Heres Mars as youve never seen it before, with dust devils having churned up the surface material, exposing fresher material below. The reason why the streaks are so concentrated on the ridges is not known.

A spectacular image of the 2019 transit of Mercury taken from North Carolina by Zack Stockbridge ... [+] using a Lunt Solar Systems H-alpha telescope. Stockbridge was part of the Citizen ToM Project that collected data to measure the distance from the Earth to the Sun.

That little black dot is Mercury. A rare transit of Mercuryacross the face of the Sun took place over five hours in November, the last time the tiny inner planet will make that visual journey until 2032.In fact, a transit of Mercury wont be visible again from North America for a whopping 30 years.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.

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The 15 Best Space Images Of 2019: From A Black Hole And A New Planet To A Dazzling Solar Eclipse - Forbes

Jeff Bezos

On Wednesday evening, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos posted a video on his official Twitter account to tout about the success of his self-funded space exploration company, Blue Origin.

Dressed in a camo parka, cowboy hat and aviators, Bezos looked less like the richest man in the world (now worth $109 billion) and more like a Texas ranger.The video shows him walking towards a reusable Blue Origin rocket called New Shepard, presumably at the companys launch site in West Texas. [T]his vehicle has now flown to space & back six times making this a new milestone, Bezos tweeted.

While there were no humans onboard on its most recent mission, the rocket did carry thousands of postcards that children had written as part of the Space Mail campaign from Club For The Future, a nonprofit funded by Blue Origin. The organization is open to students, parents and teachers, with a mission to give children affordable, frequent and reliable access to space in order to foster a future generation of space explorers. The postcards will be sent back to the children after their voyage to spacewith a Blue Origin stamp newly affixed. Bezos is shown stamping a few of the postcards in the video. Alright, thats a success guys. Thats beautiful, Bezos says in the video.

Eventually, Blue Origin hopes to carry humans to space in the reusable rocket. This mission was another step towards verifying New Shepard for human spaceflight as we continue to mature the safety and reliability of the vehicle, the company said in a statement.

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The Richest Man On Earth Just Sent Thousands Of Postcards To Space And Back - Forbes

Space exploration has returned in force to the popular imagination, thanks in large part to a rapidly expanding space economy. Rising investor enthusiasm has sparked financial institutions to offer methods of exposure to the space sector as a whole.

The latest investor-facing innovation: Procure Space ETF (NASDAQ:UFO), an exchange-traded fund dedicated to companies touching the space economy.

An ETF for the new space age

Procure Space was designed to create diversified exposure to the many companies, large and small, that have a presence in space or that support companies embedded in the orbital industry. Based on the S-Network Space Index, the ETF is currently composed of 30 stocks covering a number of key pieces of the space economy.

Launched in April, the ETF's track record to date is still limited. Since its inception, it has traded in a fairly tight range. As of Dec. 13, it was down about 2%, which represents one of the lowest trading points since its debut.

According to Procure Space's creators, its mandate is to focus principally on companies that are currently engaged directly in space-related enterprise:

"At least 80% of the index weight is allocated to companies that derive a majority of revenues from space-related industries, including those companies utilizing satellite technology."

This mandate is reflected in its top holdings, which include Maxar Technologies (NYSE:MAXR), Garmin (NASDAQ:GRMN), Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB), Viasat (NASDAQ:VSAT), Eutelsat Communications (EUTLF), Iridium Communications (NASDAQ:IRDM) and Inmarsat (IMASF).

Investing in a booming sector

It seems as if everyone knows the space economy is gearing up for growth. However, according to UBS, financial markets barely comprehend the scale of growth on the horizon:

"Mainstream financial markets are only just starting to awaken to the commercial and disruptive opportunities that space offers, as technology is starting to tear down the high entry barriers to access space. We forecast that the combination of declining space launch costs and advances in satellite technology will raise the value of the space economy from $340 billion currently to nearly $1 trillion over the next two decades."

Story continues

Procure Space, while focused principally on the opportunities available in the existing space economy, is also looking to the future with an eye toward evolving right alongside the space sector:

"The Index Provider believes that additional companies engaged in other space-related industries may emerge in the future, including: Space Tourism, Including Transportation and Hospitality, Space-based Military and Defense Systems, Space Resource Exploration and Extraction, Space Colonization and Infrastructure, Space Technologies that Enable the Space Economy."

Many of these technologies remain speculative, while others are rapidly approaching reality. Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. (NYSE:SPCE), for example, has become the first publicly traded space tourism company. Clearly, the space economy is changing and growing rapidly. Exposure to the space as a whole thus has some obvious appeal to a reasonable investor.

Missing the private sphere is a problem

While the ETF offers exposure to publicly traded companies serving the space economy, it does not do the same for private companies. That is a severe limitation, given the importance of a number of private names driving and accelerating the development of the space economy.

Obvious examples of private companies at the forefront of the space economy are Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies (widely known as SpaceX) and Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. Both companies are engaged in rocket development, orbital transportation and satellite communication endeavors, all of which are likely to have an outsized impact on both the expansion of, and public enthusiasm for, pushing further into space.

Of course, the exclusion of private companies is simply a fundamental limitation of an exchange-traded fund, so the Procure Space ETF can hardly be blamed for their absence. SpaceX and Blue Origin do not trade publicly, and therefore cannot be included in any ETF. However, while not a fault per se, this fact does obviously limit its ability to truly reflect the space economy as it is actually developing.

Verdict

Overall, Procure Space represents an interesting, and cleverly constructed, derivative security. It certainly provides exposure to a significant number of key stocks in the space. However, its limitations are quite apparent. Without exposure to the important private market, it cannot be considered a true space economy ETF. Moreover, the heterodox collection of companies and sectors represented in the ETF make it a somewhat unwieldy vehicle.

Investors looking to buy into the space economy would probably be better served looking elsewhere.

Disclosure: No positions.

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Is This the Best Way to Invest in Outer Space? - Yahoo Finance

Casey Dreier December16,2019

The 2010s was a decade of major changes to space policy, particularly regarding human exploration in the United States. While the end of the 30-year Shuttle program and the sudden cancellation of the Constellation program were themselves major policy events, the resulting political reaction created major programs and policies that defined NASA during the 2010s and, very likely, for decades to come.

Marcia Smith, founder of Space Policy Online, joined me on a recent episode of Planetary Radio: Space Policy Edition to explore the most impactful space policy events the 2010s. The following is a condensed and edited version of that discussion.

Marcia: On February 1 2010, President Obama revealed that he was canceling the Constellation program. There was a huge furor in Congress. It was not a partisan issue; it was the two ends of Pennsylvania Avenue disagreeing strongly with each other.

On April 15, President Obama went down to Kennedy Space Center and gave a speech and said (paraphrasing) "we're not going back to the Moon, been there, done that. Instead, we're going to go to Mars. Mars is our goal, and we need a stepping stone, and that is going to be an asteroid." The asteroid mission never really won a lot of support. So a lot of the early part of the decade was lost because of this battle between Congress and the White House over the future of the human spaceflight program.

NASA / MSFC

Also at this time there was tremendous churn when the Space Shuttle program was being terminated, so the future of human spaceflight was very unclear. This characterized the early tumult of the first part of the decade.

Casey: This is all happening in the context of the greatest recession that this country had seen in almost a century.

Marcia: Obama was enthusiastic about space exploration. He's the only presidential candidate I have known in my lifetime who actually used space in his campaign ads. But then he walks into his office on January 20 and he has this huge recession. The Constellation program was costing a lot more than had been advertised. He had this expert commission brought together under Norm Augustine and they said, basically, you need $3 billion a year more. He had to change some of his plans.

Marcia: The termination of the Space Shuttle without anything to replace it was a questionable policy choice. You can look back on it and say it didn't look so bad in 2011. We were friendly with the Russians and it was only supposed to be a 4-year gap. People were not as worried about it. Now, of course, if you look at the decade that we're just finishing up the geopolitical relationship between the United States and Russia has changed dramatically after Russia took over Crimea in 2014. And now it's an 8-year gap and we're hoping it's not going to be 9.

NASA

Casey: Do you think that that tight inter-relationship of sending humans into space through Russia altered the overall foreign policy of the U.S. with Russia?

Marcia: I see it as space being isolated into its own little pocket. Both sides are protecting it because it's important to them for different reasons. Both countries want the national prestige of operating the International Space Station. But Russia also gets a lot of money from the deal and they need money for their space program. The United States is willing to pay that money because it has no choice, although it's working on alternatives.

Casey: Is there a long-term consequence from this? Has Russia grown too dependent on NASA money to fund its space program?

Marcia: Well, that's going to be a very interesting question. Obviously, the Russian space program has been struggling because they don't have a lot of money going into it. Once commercial crew is operational, NASA and Russia both said that they're going to be flying their astronauts and cosmonauts on each other's vehicles, because they want to be sure there's always at least one American and one Russian up there. But it'll be an era where the money is not coming from NASA to pay Russia for those seatsat least that's what NASA is expecting.

So is Russia going to be able to maintain the production levels of the Soyuz and their rockets without that money coming in from NASA? I think that's a very good question and I don't know the answer to it.

But I think that, overall, the space station partners feel that ISS is the prime example of international cooperation. Getting through the difficult marriage over the course of this programthe on-again, off-again program that starts in the 1980s, then adding Russia in the 1990sthrough all of that it's really been a Herculean task to keep the partnership together. I think that people see this as an encouraging sign that, as we move further out into the solar system, we will get these partnerships, including new commercial partnerships, and be able to keep them together, no matter what happens.

Casey: We're still living with the consequences of this. The attempt to cancel Constellation led to the NASA Authorization Act of 2010. It mandated the Space Launch System rocket, maintained the Orion crew capsule from the Constellation program, and endorsed commercial providers for cargo and crew into low Earth orbit.

Marcia: You can look at the Constellation program and say that Obama canceled it, but if you look at the work that was going on at NASA during his presidency, it was never really canceled. The destination temporarily changed from the Moon to an asteroid and then on to Mars. But NASA was still building a big new rocket. The "multi-purpose crew vehicle" turned out to be Orion. So those fundamental elements that you needed for a bold human spaceflight program, were built under Obama because Congress forced them to do it through that NASA Authorization Act.

NASA / Paul E. Alers

Casey: It's an extraordinary piece of legislation to read. They're specifying the minimum metric tonnage for heavy-lift rockets and that it has to use the same workforce from the Space Shuttle and constellation programs. And this is a Congress of President Obama's same political party.

Marcia: It was Congress versus the administration. And Congress wanted to move forward with a human spaceflight program. They made clear also in that law that they wanted a balanced NASA program. They didn't want money being siphoned off from science and other areas in order to fund it. There was a lot in that law, it was very important.

Casey: In 2010 the Democrats lost the House of Representatives and were replaced by a very Republican majority focused on budget-cutting. They implemented a law that we know as sequestration a few years later. It was supposed to limit overall government spending and impose across-the-board cuts if no specific cuts were agreed by Congress. During this period of the Obama presidency, NASA takes a significant dip in terms of its real spending power, which is unusual compared to most presidential administrations. New programs such as the SLS really squeezed NASA's portfolio, which is one of the reasons we had the Asteroid Redirect Mission: NASA had no money to create a human-qualified lunar lander or spacecraft beyond what they were already designing with Orion. You saw significant cuts to planetary science and the delay or cancellation of major programs at NASA that we're still rebuilding back from. We're facing a 5-7 year gap in planetary science and astrophysics due to these cuts and overruns with the James Webb Space Telescope. These are going to manifest themselves in the next few years because of budgeting decisions made seven years ago.

Marcia: Sequestration was a Damoclean sword hanging over all the agencies until quite recently. They actually implemented sequestration in fiscal year 2013 and you can see the big dip NASA and other agencies. After 2013, when they saw what direct impact it had across government, Congress said to themselves "never again". But they didn't want to just vacate the 2011 budget act, so they did it in 2-year chunks. Every two years, they would pass another waiver to the Budget Control Act, but then you'd have the Damoclean sword hanging over you for the next two years. And so it was just a long, drawn-out process. We never knew from year to year, whether or not agencies were going to be hit with sequestration or not. It's been a very challenging time for research and development agencies like NASA to plan their futures.

NASA's annual budgets during the Obama Administration, adjusted for inflation using the NASA New Start Inflation Index. The vertical axis displays NASA's Presidential Budget Request and the final congressional appropriation in billions of dollars. Note that the y-axis is scaled for clarity. The horizontal axis is fiscal years. Detailed data including outlays, alternate inflation indices, non-inflation adjusted numbers, and White House budget requests are available to view or to download as an Excel spreadsheet.

Casey: After sequestration was implemented, they kind of lost the taste for it. You can see the gradual increase of NASA's budget after 2013, and the political dynamics changed once President Trump came into office.

Marcia: Right now, Congress has been very generous with NASA. They're giving it a lot more money than is being requested. It's the good times and I don't know how long that's going to last. Sooner or later there's going to be a reckoning and someone's going to be interested in deficit control again, and I think that NASA needs to be aware of that. You really never can rest on your laurels.

Antonio Peronace for The Planetary Society

Casey: Another item that is important in terms of implementation of policy is the ascension of John Culberson to the chairmanship of the Commerce, Justice and Science Committee Subcommittee of Appropriations in the House of Representatives.

John Culberson is an honest-to-God space fan. He exudes a passion for space at a level that I don't even see in most people who work in the space business. His passion was finding life on Europa. And Europa Clippera flagship-class, $3 billion dollar missionexists today because John Culberson effectively forced NASA to take it on by appropriating hundreds of millions of dollars to the project as chair of the committee that funds NASA.

Marcia: Mr. Culberson clearly is a space cadet, I don't think there's any question about that. I agree with you that Europa would not be happening if it were not for his personal enthusiasm for it. The planetary science community owes a lot to him.

Casey: I went back and forth on whether to include this because we just don't know the outcomes yet, but I think enough has happened to consider Space Policy Directive #1, the first Space Policy directive of the Trump administration, as consequential.

It was signed in December of 2017. And all it really did was change a line of text the official National Space Policy released in the Obama era to say that the United States will lead the return of humans to the moon for long term exploration and utilization. You saw significant movement towards this goal in a way that we just never saw under the previous administration for sending astronauts to an asteroid, particularly with the progress toward the Lunar Gateway.

NASA/Aubrey Gemignani

Marcia: Is it a significant space policy development? Sure, because it puts us on another path towards the future. But I think it is overshadowed by the March 26 decision by Vice President Pence to land on the Moon by 2024.

After Trump put the Moon back in the plan, NASA came up with a plan to implement it saying we're going to get back there by 2028. I thought it wasn't a bad plan, I thought it was reasonable and achievable if Congress came up with a reasonable amount of money.

But then you have this pivot back on March 26, when suddenly we have to get there in five years, which just seems a bridge too far in terms of the amount of money it's going to take, even if you do this with public-private partnerships.

I see a huge change after March 26. The Gateway was going to be International, and a big feature of it was sustainable exploration. And suddenly, no, we have to be there by 2024. So first we're going to do it fast, and then we're going to do it sustainably. And they start pouring money into public-private partnerships to create human lunar landers, and they change how they are going to do Gateway, also through public-private partnerships

At the same time, you had NASA getting frustrated with SLS and deciding to put the exploration upper stage (EUS) to the side because they wanted Boeing to focus just on the Block 1A for Artemis. And now you're getting pushback from the Senate saying no, you have to build EUS. We have a chaotic soup of competing interests. I feel like we're right back to where we were after Obama canceled Constellation. You have pushback from Congress on some of these things that NASA and the White House want to do by people in their own party.

Casey: Let's talk about public-private partnerships, which you suggested as one of the critical developments in this decade.

Marcia: The way NASA defines a public-private partnership is that the government and the private sector put money into the development of something and NASA will buy services instead of owning the hardware. The idea is that the companies will make money off of selling services to the government as well as other customers.

With commercial crew, (then-Associate Administrator of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate) Bill Gerstenmaier came the closest to publicly saying what the percentage split was between government money and the private sector money, which was that NASA was paying 80% to 90% of it. So there's still largely government money going into these programs and it's the government currently buying the services. They still haven't gotten to the point where NASA is one of many customers, which is NASA's overall goal for these things.

NASA TV

Casey: Why do you think that public-private partnerships have grown so popular, despite seeing mixed outcomes in the last 10 years?

Marcia: I think that NASA is hoping to offload some of the upfront costs of development and get things done more quickly. We haven't seen it play out yet. The only success so far is commercial cargo. And I give credit to both SpaceX and to Orbital Sciences (now owned by Northrop Grumman). Both of those companies demonstrated that you could technically build the vehiclesthe rockets and the spacecraftto accomplish a task for a government customer. They probably did it less expensively than if NASA had used the traditional cost-plus contracts. What they haven't demonstrated is that there are other customers, so that from a business standpoint, they can make a go of it even if NASA stops paying for those services for whatever reason.

That's the key for these other things that NASA wants to use them for, like having commercial space stations where NASA is only one customer. I just don't know how you get there. We've had space stations galore. The first space station went up in 1971, a Russian station called Salyut 1, and after all these decades over which we've had space stations, we're still looking for that killer app that's going to demonstrate that there's something profitable that you can do with humans in space.

They're using a model that's unproven, not just for today, but they're building it into their future plans without any evidence that it's going to work out.

Casey: When the government is depending on these companies to provide a required service, it's never really a fixed price, right? It's never truly a partnership if the government needs a capabilityit gives a lot of leverage to the companies developing it.

Marcia: We saw that decades ago with the evolved expendable launch vehicle (EELV) program. That was an early example of a public-private partnership. In the 1990s it looked like there was going to be a lot of launch business. So Boeing invested a lot of money in upgrading its rockets and Lockheed Martin spent a lot of money upgrading their rockets, in addition to some government money. And then the market collapsed. The government had to have launches and the companies said, "pay us more, otherwise we can't build these rockets." That's an example of a public-private partnership not working out.

We now have one example, commercial cargo, where it worked out from a technical standpoint. And that's all we have for data points. And yet, all the eggs are going into these public-private partnership baskets. Maybe it'll work out. I just note that, from a policy perspective, it's an additional risk.

Casey: The next decade is going to be a test of this hypothesis. We've made a lot of promises in terms of policy in the 2010s that are going to define the 2020s, and we're going to have to live with those consequences.

Casey: What was frustrating or exciting in this last decade for you? Did you experience any kind of emotional color in last 10 years that was unique?

Marcia: I hate to use negative terminology. Because I don't really feel negative about the space program overall. But it was a surprise when Obama decided out of the blue to cancel Constellation without working that through the political system in advance, that's a lot of what undid it. If he had a great new idea of how to do human exploration, and he could have worked it out with key members of Congress in advance so it didn't just fall in their laps, then maybe something better could have come out of that.

So when we had Vice President Pence come seemingly out of the blue with this idea to do something which seems absolutely impossible, which is to get people back on the moon in 5 years, it had that same feel to it. It's a frustration.

I can't say that I feel more frustrated in 2019 than I did in previous decades, because I've been feeling pretty frustrated for quite a long time. We can't just seem to agree on the path forward and execute the plan.

Casey: I hear you. I'll put in a request for a discussion at the end of 2029 to and we can follow up then.

Marcia: [Laughs] I am not discussing Moon vs. Mars again. I'm done! Just pick one and do it.

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The Most Important Space Policy Events of the 2010s - The Planetary Society

The push to rapidly develop technology for space exploration has resulted in many IoT innovations. IT pros have been able to use these innovations to develop sensors, communication networks and compute processes that collect and transmit data and images over limited network bandwidth.

Space missions have served as the launch point for many of the latest innovations people use every day, including PCs, smartphones and solar panels, as well as medical innovations such as the insulin pump, scratch-resistant lenses for glasses and artificial limbs.

Organizations that developed these space and IoT innovations pursued them because of the need to develop smaller, faster and more reliable systems. Once successfully demonstrated on missions, researchers began to explore how the technology could be used on earthbound systems. The application of space technology to other areas was both planned through research and discovered as the result of experiments in space.

Satellites are primary examples of devices that gather data, collect images and transmit information -- through calls, streaming or emails -- about the environment to monitor storms or agriculture. The data has traditionally been sent to government or university labs. IT pros had to figure out how to broadcast this data to users who weren't in a lab or didn't have high-tech equipment, which pushed them to create IoT technology that could transfer data without needing supercomputing facilities.

IoT innovations continue to expand the uses of IoT in a variety of industry applications. Doctors can monitor patients by using bandages or other wearables that incorporate sensors to collect patient health information. IoT can add value in rural and undeveloped areas where access to medical care is limited. For example, if fears of a communicable disease were to arise, data could be shared quickly with a lab and the areas of the outbreak to try to contain the spread of disease.

In the enterprise, organizations can use IoT sensors for predictive maintenance on their machines to monitor conditions in factories or asset tracking. Many smart buildings incorporate sensors to adjust temperature and lighting based on the presence of people in rooms to lower energy waste. Tracking devices reduce the time spent locating equipment and products.

See more here:

How can IoT innovations resulting from space missions be used? - TechTarget

Space is more than a legally defined domain; it is an integral part of our understanding of the human experience. Space advances our understanding of our fundamental place in the universe and serves as a testing ground for science that has dramatically changed how we live. Now, space is also critical infrastructure for the daily survival of our human species. Our cell phone communications, GPS, banking systems, air travel, and more all depend on our space assets. If we lose them or they are attacked, Americans will become collateral damage.

The US government accepted space as a global commons during the Cold War, after a series of arms tests including the July 9, 1962 detonation of a 1.4 megaton hydrogen bomb by the United States that disabled six satellites .

But now our restraint is waning.

In December 2017, Scott Pace, executive secretary of the US National Space Council, said, It bears repeating: Outer space is not a global commons, not the common heritage of mankind, not res communis, nor is it a public good. Two years later, US Space Command was established as one of 11 Unified Commands under the Department of Defense. Its responsible for defending US action in space, delivering combat-relevant space capability, and joint warfighters to advance US interests in, through, and from the space domain. This is an aggressive militaristic approach that will be mimicked by other nations.

There is no precedent for assuming that weaponizing space will benefit humanity. In fact, we should assume the opposite, especially when reviewed in the context of its closest corollary: the Internet.

US Cyber Command, based within the National Security Agency, is the model for the US Space Force. Created in 2009 with the original mission to defend the nations cybersecurity, US Cyber Command has increasingly acted as an offensive force. The Internet is a war-fighting domain and becoming more so daily. On any given day, 30 nations are actively engaged in acts of war against one another. Cybercriminals and other bad actors use the Internet to maliciously target American citizens, companies, and institutions, steal data, and spread disinformation.

A war in a global commons is not traditional war: It is not finite, with strict boundaries and rules of engagement. Instead, wars in global commons spill outward and impact our entire world. For example, WannaCry ransomware, a top secret exploit developed by the NSA and released by hackers, brought China, Russia, Britain, and the United States to their knees by holding users files hostage until a ransom was paid. It spread to hospitals and other vital institutions. A cyber weapon knows no physical boundaries. Neither does a space-based one.

In wars that take place where there is no sovereign claim, weapons take new and ever-changing forms and have unintended consequences. Weapons in space could be used to defend against attacks on space-based critical infrastructure, but they could also lead to unprecedented damage. Space is large and unknown. Physical weapons like rockets would be hard to intercept. But physical weapons are only one scenario. Cyber weapons attacking vulnerable satellites are a real threat that will cross multiple commons.

Space is a blank canvas on which to paint a new existence, or it is a chance to repeat the failures of our past.

We need to figure out a way to create a resilient system in space where we put the common goodfirst. This includes a vision where our critical infrastructure is protected. But to do this, we need to have a broad discussion about space as a global commons. It must include understanding the role that space plays for humanity, the impacts of weaponizing space, how much of a role individual nation-states can play, identifying the policing force, how we envision space exploration, and more. If we do not develop a global vision for space, the militarization of space and inevitable conflicts will impact every one of us here on Earth.

Space is, indeed, our final frontier. It belongs to all of us. It should not be colonized or controlled by any nations military. We have the opportunity to get this one right and develop the future with a blockbuster Hollywood happy ending: a world where space is safe, secure, and stable for human exploration.

Kristina Libby is an adjunct professor at New York University and executive vice president of future science and research at Hypergiant. Follow her on @kristinalibby. Maggi Molina is a US Air Force veteran and a TechCongress alumni.

Originally posted here:

Trumps US Space Command will bring Earths battlefields to the stars - The Boston Globe

20Death Stranding

Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima crafts a strange, highly contemplative dystopian adventure about a deliveryman who must bring hope, along with couriered parcels, to the lonely survivors of a supernatural cataclysm.

What we said: This uncompromising, unashamedly political work of artistic intent is 2019s most interesting blockbuster game by a distance. Read the full review

The cleverest puzzle game of the year is this series of lo-fi mazes, in which blocks containing nouns, conjunctions and verbs can be rearranged to remix the rules of each conundrum. Ingenious and mind-bending.

What we said: From a simple premise, Teikari spins dozens of ingenious challenges an invitation to play the role of a chaotic god, rewriting the rules of the universe. Read the full review

Waking early on a ship bound for the furthest human colony in the galaxy is the intriguing start point for Obsidians epic and amusing role-playing adventure. With beautiful worlds and interesting characters, this treatise on unencumbered space capitalism is a joy.

What we said: The Outer Worlds is vital proof that mid-sized indie teams can take on the big guns at their own game, and leave them looking a little foolish. Read the full review

Described as a pop album video game, this joyous adventure sends you scorching through a brash, electric neon landscape, collecting hearts and dodging obstacles to a synth-drenched soundtrack.

What we said: Embellishes its ideas in step with its fizzing tracks, which sustain second and third listens as you try to beat your score. Stylish, memorable game-making. Read the full review

An overlooked treasure, Horace is both an innovative and brilliant genre-bending platform-adventure game and an unexpectedly moving story about a robot butler, stuffed with references to the pop-cultural obsessions of its British creators. It spirals outwards from deceptively humble beginnings into a sprawling and singularly strange experience.

The grand tactical role-playing adventure returns, this time pitting three regal households against each other in a quest to rule the land. Players swap between battlefields and academy classrooms in a mix of war and romantic entanglements.

What we said: By turns grandiose and silly, but always engrossing, this bubbling school soap opera is a game to spend a summer with. Read the full review

A Gothic-horror space exploration game, where every journey between space stations is a life-or-death gamble. Inspired by the novels of HG Wells and Jules Verne, this is a singular sci-fi role-playing game, filled with weird characters fighting it out to survive in a galactic Victorian empire.

What we said: Depending on what you want from it, Sunless Skies is a merciless odyssey of oddball sci-fi survival, or a fantasy novel trilogys worth of wild, written ideas. Read the full review

On a space station floating in the ether, something has gone very wrong and you watch it unfold not from the perspective of the astronauts, but as the stations AI. A novel, intelligent space thriller that draws from several cinematic sci-fi greats, and doesnt suffer by comparison.

What we said: An idea so good that you wonder why it hasnt been done before. Its unsettling and unconventional, and I was totally unable to turn away. Read the full review

A supremely clever, funny detective game set in a surreal recreation of the early-90s internet, complete with obscure message boards, dodgy low-bitrate music downloads and MySpace beef. Youll never have played anything like it.

What we said: Rather than lazily pastiching the ugliness and awkwardness of turn-of-the-century web pages, it really conjures that time, when the internet was a place to go rather than a liminal omnipresence. Read the full review

Of all the games to jump on the battle royale bandwagon, Tetris was surely the least expected but it turns out that 99-player Tetris is genius. Insanely moreish, competitive and just chaotic enough to keep things interesting, this is one of 2019s best multiplayer games.

What we said: Forget serene, calming Tetris, where you arrange blocks into pleasing configurations to make them disappear. This is survival Tetris, where youre squeezing tetrominos into teensy gaps at high speed as the screen fills. Read the full review

A resurgent Capcom resurrects a dormant series to great effect. The screaming guitars and gothic fashions might be a bit early 2000s, but the hack-and-slash action is unquestionably stylish and the challenge enticing.

What we said: Its bloody, spectacular and irresistible, all cheesy one-liners, guns, swords, explosions, and it plays like a dream. Read the full review.

Stealing peoples shoes and glasses, knocking over pints, fleeing from irate gardeners: who could have foreseen the fun there was to be had in waddling around as a horrible goose? There are those who remain resolutely uncharmed by Untitled Goose Games ramshackle whimsy, but we are not among them.

What we said: Certainly not fowl, most definitely worth a gander, its a whimsical little game full of charm and joy, a wonderful experience for just about anyone. Read the full review.

A musical Zelda spin-off thats suffused with love and respect for Nintendos peerless series of colourful adventure games, remixing both the music and the sword-swinging monster-bashing.

What we said: Stylish and excellent fun, this tribute captures the excitement and sense of discovery that makes Zelda what it is: a real adventure. Read the full review.

Supernatural adventure specialist Remedy Entertainment returns with another bewildering sci-fi romp, this time following Jesse Faden of the Federal Bureau of Control, a secretive agency invaded by paranormal forces. Literally nothing not even the furniture is what it seems in this dizzying thrill ride.

What we said: Remarkably, it all manages to hang together, providing a meaty, exciting and utterly unforgettable video game experience. Read the full review.

The follow-up to the fascinating CCTV thriller Her Story uses a similarly voyeuristic interface as you raid stolen National Security Agency archives for phone videos and webcam footage that may or may not implicate a group of characters in a major investigation.

What we said: Telling Lies requires a deliberateness from its players that turns us from viewers to active plot participants. Its a game that doesnt hold your hand, and ultimately its down to you to decide the truth. Read the full review.

Titanfall developer Respawn Entertainment takes on the battle royale genre, with 100 players descending on a bright, detailed sci-fi landscape to do deadly battle. Smooth controls, excellent weapon balancing and thoughtful co-op features make this a true contender to the mighty Fortnite.

What we said: You cant really blame this talented team for shooting at the biggest target in modern gaming. And with Apex Legends, it scores a direct hit. Read the full review.

Among the most difficult games of the modern era, Hidetaka Miyazakis sublime samurai game is punishing, extraordinary and dense with meaning for those with the time and skill to delve into it.

What we said: If you have frequent long evenings to throw at its mountainous challenges, you will find here an exquisite game whose subtle themes, gradually unfurling mysteries and beautiful sights reward the determined and skilled player. Read the full review.

Arguably the finest title in Capcoms survival horror series is brought chillingly up to date with rookie cop Leon Kennedy and student Claire Redfield exploring a redesigned version of the zombie-filled Raccoon Police Station. All the old monsters and puzzles are there, but not necessarily in the places that veteran players expect.

What we said: A reminder of how beautifully crafted survival horror games were in their heyday. From a terrifying orphanage to the festering sewers beneath the city, the feel of the action is always perfectly matched with the aesthetics of the setting. Read the full review.

An amnesiac detective wakes up in a grotty hotel room with the hangover from hell and a murder to solve. From this noir-esque opening comes an open-world role-playing adventure like no other, mixing grim psychodrama with wonderful comic writing.

What we said: This is a quietly important game, singular in direction, filled with unexpected, thrilling effects on its player. Read the full review.

Outer Wilds asks you to plumb the depths of space in a ramshackle ship with a primitive clutch of gadgets, probing the mysteries of a capsule universe of bizarre planets without firing any guns or killing any aliens. Survive long enough without getting swallowed by a space creature or crashing fatally into an asteroid and the nearby sun goes supernova but every time you die, you wake up at the start of a time loop, ready to piece together more knowledge of this mysterious little solar system and progress towards learning its secrets. Offbeat and exceptional, Outer Wilds is a game for the curious and the contemplative, an intricate and endearing space adventure with the ambience of a camping trip.

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Top 20 games of 2019 | Games - The Guardian

An eagle feather from Chilliwack flew all the way to the International Space Station with Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques.

Believed to be the second eagle feather in space, it will be a source of inspiration for all soon from the Sto:lo Service Agency in Chilliwack, now that it has touched back down to Earth.

The story starts with the At Home in Space Program, where some UBC researchers were studying ways to reduce stress on astronauts, and help them adapt to the isolating effects of working on the space station. One of the psychology researchers, Peter Suedfeld, has close familial ties to Michael Suedfeld, who does research and communications for Sto:lo Service Agency (SSA).

My father (Peter Suedfeld) offered us the chance to send something of note into space with David Saint-Jacques, Michael Suedfeld recounted, explaining how the item from Sto:lo territory ended up hurtling through in space.

Suedfeld said he sought out his SSA colleague, Kelowa Edel, Sto:lo Health Director, to come up with a suitable suggestion.

Edel said she glanced over at a bookshelf where she kept an eagle feather.

It was perfect.

Its light. Its significant. Its our connection to creator, Edel said, adding that the eagle is known across Turtle Island as the messenger.

Edel, who is not Sto:lo but of Ojibway ancestry, said the eagle feather was gifted to her at one point for her work with Sto:lo people.

We want to really encourage our people, Edel said. You really have to reach for the stars. If you really want something, you can reach higher and higher.

Its just like the feathers trajectory to the space station.

The feather went up, and the feather came back down to earth, Edel said.

As a keepsake, Saint-Jacques snapped a photo of the two-toned eagle feather floating weightlessly in space against the backdrop of Earth, through the cupola window portal on the space station.

That was a really nice gesture on the part of Saint-Jacques, Suedfeld said about the picture.

READ MORE: Saint-Jacques completes spacewalk

Suedfeld said hed been told by Sto:lo elders, that when the eagle reaches the moon, true reconciliation can begin, and his understanding is that this is the second eagle feather on the ISS.

So for anyone reading this story, or seeing the small feather, his wish is that they take hope and inspiration from it.

And theres an official certificate of authenticity that came with a note that reads: It is with great pleasure that we are returning to you this item which flew aboard the International Space Station during David Saint-Jacques Mission.

The feather is set to be mounted in a special frame, and will be eventually on display in Chilliwack, along with the space station mission patch, and space agency certificate, after a small ceremony is held in the new year.

Space exploration enriches humanity with new perspectives on ourselves and the work, Saint-Jacques wrote about his mission.

The astronaut was aboard the ISS from Dec. 3, 2018 to June 24, 2019.

I thank the At Home in Space study team for symbolically taking part in the adventure through this feather that was on board with me.

READ MORE: David Saint-Jacques announced science winners from space

@CHWKjournojfeinberg@theprogress.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The eagle feather can be seen floating weightlessly in space in a photo snapped on the International Space Station by Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques. (Jennifer Feinberg/ The Progress

Sto:lo Nation Health director Kelowa Edel and Michael Suedfeld of Sto:lo Service Agency gingerly holding the first eagle feather ever to make it aboard the International Space Station. (Jennifer Feinberg/ The Progress)

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VIDEO: Eagle feather from Chilliwack flew to space station with Canadian astronaut - Chilliwack Progress

SpaceX is a non-governmental spaceflight entity, which places satellites into an orbit and then takes cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). It was the foremost non-governmental entity to take an aircraft to the International Space Station in 2012. The entity is working on making a powerful rocket and a space ship with the capability of carrying people into space. Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of the entity stated that he wanted people to debut flying aboard on the brandy huge rocket ship of his company in the coming year or so.

Who owns SpaceX?

Musk, who is a businessperson and an entrepreneur who was born in South Africa invented SpaceX. He is 30 years of age. He first got his lakh when he sold his two ever-progressing entities namely; Zip2, which he sold for $307 million back in 1999 and PayPal of which eBay bought for $1.5 billion in 2002. This is a report from the New York Times. He then made a decision of venturing into a non-governmental funded space entity.

Previously, Musk had an idea of transporting a greenhouse, dubbed the Mars Oasis, to Mars. His aim was to direct the curiosity of people into adventures at the same time providing a science locality on Mars. However, the expenses ended up being expensive, and rather, Musk began a spaceflight entity known as Space Exploration Technologies Corporation or SpaceX. currently, it is located in Los Angeles, the periphery of Hawthorne, California.

He spent like a third of his said fortune, $100 million to get SpaceX on track. There was criticism that he could be successful, which went on into SpaceXs first years.

After finishing 18 months of private toiling on a spaceship, SpaceX revealed the spaceship in 2006 with the name Dragon. Elon Musk named the spaceship after the Puff, the Magic Dragon. This was a 1960s hit song from a family group of Mary, Paul, and peter. He confirmed that he chose the name because the skeptics thought his spaceflight targets were futile.

The first SpaceXs spaceship Falcon 1

Elon Musk was already a successful executive with vast experience when he launched SpaceX and he strongly had faith that more reliable and frequent launches could bring down the exploration cost. He sought out a firm consumer that would finance the early development of a spaceship.

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Space X: facts concerning non-governmental spaceflight entity of Elon Musk - Food & Beverage Herald

Fifty years ago, the Apollo 11 moon landing changed how the world viewed space exploration. For the millions of people who watched Neil Armstrong take his first step on the moons surface, it inspired new horizons for the human spirit and imagination and even offered the possibility of life beyond our pale blue dot.

Its that same imagination that has led experts in the space industry to create increasingly sophisticated innovations like the International Space Station and the Mars Curiosity rover, which have led to further research and exploration in the past half-century.

Even so, since the 1969 moon landing, space exploration has largely stagnated. Humans havent revisited the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972 and a mere 571 people have been in Earths orbit.

Fortunately, a new Space Age is upon us that will rocket us past the stagnation. New technologies, decreasing costs, foreign interests and the emergence of the private sector have heralded the forthcoming of the second space race and with it a hopeful future on the horizon.

Over the next 50 years, at least a few key developments will transform our idea of space more than ever before.

Without a thriving and entrepreneurial spaceflight sector, deep-space exploration with people wont be sustainable. The private sector for now is focusing on how to reduce costs through assembly-line production techniques, which is critical to sustainable space tourism and exploration in the future.

While space exploration was popularized by the worlds government space programs, innovative events and breakthroughs wont come through the incremental funding of government space agencies, but instead through pioneering private space companies.

According to Scott Hubbard, a Stanford University professor who ran NASAs Ames Research Center, 75% of the global space enterprise is already commercial, including satellites belonging to the likes of SiriusXM radio and DirecTV. Its the human component that will take precedence in the nearest decades first, through the likes of space tourism and observation.

Similar to the economic forces that explored the American West, they will open up space to the many, even if they start with just the few.

Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin anticipate flying their first crewed suborbital space missions in 2020 with commercial flights to follow. Many would-be passengers are lining up to pay up to $250,000 to fly Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo or Blue Origins New Shepard to the edge of space for an out of this world view and several minutes of weightlessness.

As private companies seek to decrease the price of suborbital flight to as little as $50,000, it will provide increased access and interest in space tourism and observation. While the private sector adjusts for cost-efficiency, a 2019 USB report expects that high-speed travel via outer space will be fully functional in a decade and represent an annual market of at least $20 billion while competing with long-distance airline flights. Space tourism, in general, will be a $3 billion market by 2030.

Space settlement has been a hot topic even before robotic rovers started exploring Mars surface. As more people feel comfortable flying to space, an increase in space tourism will lay the foundations for people who want to start building lives there as well. However, space settlement offers major barriers including dangerous radiation, energy supply and simply getting life-sustaining supplies to these alien worlds.

However, settlements on the moon and Mars are shaping up to be a reality and not just the stuff of science fiction. NASAs Artemis program is pushing for humanitys return to the moon in 2024 and has already awarded contracts to Northrop Grumman for a lunar habitat, to Maxar Technologies for the lunar Gateways cornerstone Power and Propulsion Module and is just accepted proposals from industry for an Artemis lander it intends to contract as a service.

The European Space Agency, under the leadership of Jan Woerner, continues to push the Moon Village concept of open, collaborative exploration and utilization of the moon, is looking to this months ministerial conference to firm up Europes contribution to Artemis and the lunar Gateway.

Meanwhile, architect and design firms like Foster + Partners have unveiled plans for lunar habitats. The structures consist of modules shrouded in lunar soil that are then molded into an exterior shell to protect the dwellings from radiation, asteroid strikes and extreme temperatures.

This space architecture is also envisioned for Mars colonies, too. Both lunar and Martian habitats could feature inflatable pods that will serve as the base of these settlement while robot-operated 3D printers cement together regolith loose soil and rocks to form a protective shield around the pods.

Peter Diamandis, the chairman of X Prize Foundation, says that human lunar research outposts, one-way missions to Mars and the first births in space are what we can expect in the next 50 years.

While the timeline depends on the progress of space manufacturing and the ability to preserve human life on extraterrestrial planets, some experts predict that by 2061, millions of humans will have gone to space and thousands may live there.

Industry leaders have become more serious about mining for space resources, partially because Earths own resources are facing dire depletion due to climate change. Over the past several years, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has experimented with how to mine space for resources.

The space-resources community is actively working with the USGS to see how they can mine minerals, water and energy from the moon, Mars and asteroids. USGS expertise in mapping terrestrial resources should inform further research initiatives in the next several years so that space miners can rely on much needed geological maps for precise landing sites and resource-deposit selection.

According to Lazslo Kestay, a USGS research geologist, the organization has completed enough research to feel confident that the criteria they use to assess mineral, water and energy quality on Earth can be used to assess these same resources in space. Kestay says that nearby asteroids hold enough water and metal resources to support humans if they become completely spacefaring.

Lunar ice may be one of the last resources to be mined by humans because of its cost to mine and find it, but with NASAs follow the water mentality on Mars, it could become a reality and already companies like Blue Origin and Japans ispace have plans to mine for resources there, meaning past 2024 it could become a reality.

While humans likely wont become fully spacefaring in 50 years, the amount of activity in private and public sectors will force movement in utilizing space resources to benefit space settlements and even Earths population.

Although these plans are still developing, the next 50 years of space exploration will transform global societies as humans become more active between the Red Planet, the moon and Earth. While there are many political, economic and moral considerations to achieving these goals, innovations from the most forward-thinking private and commercial NewSpace companies are necessary to revolutionize how we learn about and explore space.

While the original moon landing gave humans a giant leap of hope toward space exploration, the next half century in advancements will allow us to more deeply consider our own place in the universe and the way we interact with each other and our environment inside and outside of our home planet.

Dylan Taylor is chairman & CEO of Voyager Space Holdings, founder of the global non-profit Space for Humanity and co-founding patron of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation.

This article originally appeared in the Nov. 11, 2019 issue of SpaceNews magazine.

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Op-ed | Envisioning the next 50 years in space - SpaceNews

Emirates Mars Missions Hope Probe will study the environment of Mars and serve as a stepping stone for UAEs long-term space goals Image Credit: Gulf News Archives Highlights

The UAE space sector is a regional benchmark today with achievements including running 57 space-related establishments, empowering women to take on important roles and sending the countrys, and the regions, first astronaut to the International Space Station

On the UAEs 48th National Day, we are proud to witness the countrys rapid growth in various industries, including the space sector. We celebrate this special occasion with immense pride as we see our space industry establish a strong position in the global space sector.

In the 1970s, the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan articulated his vision of the UAE as a pioneer in space. Since then, we have been working steadily to grow our capabilities in space, and over the past few years since the UAE Space Agencys founding, our space sector has grown to become the leader in the regional sector. This has shown the entire world the limitless ambition and talent of the UAEs people when it comes to advancing our understanding of the universe through space science, research and exploration.

- Dr Mohammad Al Ahbabi, Director General, UAE Space Agency

We have set big goals, and with the support of our leadership and the motivation of our people, we are on the right track to achieving these goals. Space exploration will help us become a better nation through building human capabilities, which will support our development of advanced technologies for the benefit of humanity. This will also, by extension, accelerate the diversification of our national economy.

Within a few years, we have been successful in establishing a regulated space sector, similar to any leading spacefaring nation. Our space sector now has legislative and structural frameworks consisting of a comprehensive National Space Strategy, National Space Policy, Space Law, as well as a Space Investment Promotion Plan. In such a short time, our national space sector has also made incredible achievements on different levels, to a point that it now includes 57 space-related establishments, investments of more than Dh22 billion, 1,500 rewarding jobs, four space science and research centres, more than 30 international partnerships, 10 satellites in orbit, and outstanding space education programmes that prepare Emirati youth to lead the space sector in the future.

We have also been successful in inspiring and enabling Emirati women to contribute to our national space sector. At the UAE Space Agency, women represent around 45 per cent of our employees and across our national space sector they make up 35 per cent of the workforce. Womens involvement in the space sector enriches and contributes to its success.

Major milestones

In the past few years, we have achieved major milestones in the space sector that will shape the future of the UAE. We are currently working on major space exploration projects that will also play a major role in advancing our knowledge of space and the Earth for the benefit of the UAE and the entire region.

Last September, we witnessed the successful launch of the first Emirati astronaut, Hazza Al Mansouri, to the International Space Station (ISS), which was a historic achievement for the UAE space sector. This major milestone took the UAEs space sector to the next level of space exploration and scientific excellence, cementing the UAEs prominence globally.

Long-term goals

We are also proud to be leading the first regional and Arab mission to Mars, with the Emirates Mars Missions Hope Probe, that is due to be launched to Mars in 2020. The Hope Probe, which should further extend the UAEs leading position in the space sector, aims to develop Emirati capabilities, while enabling a more sustainable future on Earth.

Studying the environment of Mars will help us combat similar environmental challenges on Earth. This project will also serve as a stepping stone for reaching our long-term goals for building Mars Science City that simulates the Martian environment, as well as having a settlement on Mars in 2117.

As collaboration is key when it comes to working in space, we have partnered with local, regional and global entities to accomplish our goals. We have worked closely with leading international space entities to exchange knowledge and collaborate on advanced space missions.

Moreover, earlier this year, we launched the Arab Space Cooperation Group, which aims to enhance the Arab countries scientific efforts in the global space sector through consolidating the existing strengths and capabilities of Arab countries.

This reflects the UAEs efforts in shaping the future of the region through developing the regions human capabilities and bringing space scientists and explorers together to bring about greater benefits for the Arab world.

We are delighted to see the Arab Space Cooperation Group, which initially included 11 Arab countries, welcome three new Arab countries during a meeting held on the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow 2019 in November. We are always keen to work with neighbouring nations to enhance the Arab worlds contribution to the fields of space science, research and exploration. Our region has a lengthy and significant legacy in space, worthy of revival.

On this special day for the UAE, we are honoured to see how the UAE now serves as a role model for every young emerging spacefaring nation. We have achieved great success in a short period of time, and we are grateful to our wise leadership for their continuous support, which has enabled the UAE to thrive and stand out worldwide.

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Space Exploration: Across the final frontier | Science - Gulf News

The first lander to reach Mars was launched nearly 50 years ago, but much about the red planet remains a mystery. After decades of roving, research and taking illuminating photos, the biggest question remains: Could there be life on Mars?

For decades, space was the final frontier. But as space exploration advanced, scientists increasingly set their sights on a new frontier: Mars.

The first lander to reach Mars was launched nearly 50 years ago, but much about the red planet remains a mystery. Scientists are still attempting to bring samples of Mars red soil back to Earth for further study, and human trips to Mars are still years from being feasible.

After decades of roving, research, and taking illuminating photos of the red planet, the biggest question remains: Could there be life on Mars?

To understand Mars potential for life, we need to go back in time about 3 or 4 billion years.

At that time, Mars and Earth shared many of the same characteristics. The red planet was warm and wet, with a robust atmosphere a far cry from the cold, unforgiving place it is today.

Mars is a planet that started with all the same raw materials as Earth, but along the way has suffered changes, said the European Space Agencys Director of Human and Robotic Exploration, David Parker. You could say its kind of broken down.

Because it was once Earths sister planet, Parker said scientists must ask themselves, When life got going on Earth, did it get going on Mars?

Mars lost its magnetic field, meaning nothing shields the planet (or potential life forms) from radiation. Mars also lost most of its atmosphere another deviation from Earth, where the atmosphere supports life by giving us oxygen and acting as a blanket for the planet.

Mars still has an atmosphere but its very thin and mostly carbon dioxide, so its colder, explained Parker.

That means the average temperature on Mars is -81 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it an unforgiving planet for most life forms.

But just because Mars is cold and unprotected doesnt mean scientists have ruled out finding life.

In 2018, NASAs Curiosity rover found organic matter on Mars, which could mean that the building blocks for life once existed, or still exist, on Mars.

Organic matter preservation is central to understanding biological potential on Mars through time, wrote NASA researchers in the journal Science. Whether it holds a record of ancient life, is the food for extant life, or has existed in the absence of life, organic matter in martian materials holds chemical clues to planetary conditions and processes.

NASAs rover has also detected methane on Mars, which is considered the most simple organic molecule and could be another chemical clue of life.

With our current measurements, we have no way of telling if the methane source is biology or geology, or even ancient or modern, said Paul Mahaffy, director for NASA Goddards Solar System Exploration Division, in a June press release.

Meanwhile, Europe and Russias ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter launched in 2016 with the aim of detecting atmospheric gases that could mean theres active, biological life on Mars. The ESAs Parker said that while the Curiosity Rover found methane on parts of the surface, they have not detected methane all across Mars atmosphere.

We have not seen methane globally on Mars, which means methane gas is being produced somehow, Parker said. So is there a methane cycle on Mars?

The discovery of localized methane presents an exciting breakthrough because a common source of methane on Earth is microbial life, according to NASA.

Water and ice on Mars also provide valuable clues that suggest Mars might be more habitable than once thought.

In 2015, NASA scientists thought they found evidence of occasional flowing, salty water flows across the surface of Mars. However, another NASA study in 2017 determined that the flows were most likely grains of sand and dust.

But another breakthrough came in 2018 when the European Space Agency detected a small lake of liquid water beneath the southern polar ice cap of Mars, which the ESA said could further contribute to knowledge about Mars evolution and habitability.

And this year, NASAs Curiosity rover found evidence in Mars Gale Crater that there were once ancient salty lakes on the surface another hint that the red planet could have once supported microbial life.

Water is key because almost everywhere we find water on Earth, we find life, wrote NASA on their website.

Its not just liquid water that space scientists are interested in, but also ice. Parker said the ESA is currently working on research about the ice below Mars surface.

Were getting more and more information about subsurface water ice its further from the poles than we thought, Parker told CNN.

Ice could be further evidence of habitable conditions, and it could also be a valuable resource if space agencies send humans to Mars one day.

To unravel the more complex mysteries surrounding life on Mars, scientists want to collect samples, which would require a round-trip mission.

Because the really powerful scientific instruments are huge, we cant take them and never will be able to take them to Mars. So we need to bring Mars back to Earth, Parker said. By bringing Mars back, we can study it for the next 50 years.

Although no space agency has yet figured out how to launch an unmanned craft from the surface of Mars to get samples back to Earth, one way to bring back Martian samples would be for astronauts and cosmonauts to collect them in person.

But reaching Mars, which at its closest point is still about 33.9 million miles away from Earth, would be a feat of engineering.

Its is an order of magnitude farther away. Youre talking about a 3-year round-trip mission, said NASA spokeswoman Stephanie Schierholz.

If reaching the Moon was one giant leap for mankind, reaching Mars would be more like an Olympic long jump. And unlike traveling to the International Space Station (a mere 250 miles above Earth), traveling to Mars would potentially require a lot more packing.

We send up resupply missions every few months (to the space station), Schierholz said. We dont have the luxury of doing that if we go to Mars.

Despite the challenges, NASA is aiming to send astronauts to Mars by 2035. That means the first life on Mars could be us.

This content was republished with permission from CNN.

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What we now know (and still dont) about life on Mars - WTOP

This Phoenix engineer will have her own device in space in 2021

A 26-year-old engineer from Arizona, working in Phoenix, invented a system that will allow space explorers to stay in the solar system for at least 2 years. The device reduces CO2 in the International Space System.

PHOENIX - An engineer from the valley is helping astronauts breathein space through her own invention.

Phoebe Henson, 26, created a device that cuts down on carbon dioxide in the International Space System. She'sbeen at Honeywell for just 4 years, but she'salready leading engineers that are much older and who've been doing it much longer.

She works as an advanced systems engineer, and herproject will allowastronauts to live in space for twoyears.Some say this will change space exploration as we know it.

The system will be used to help astronauts breathe on missions to the moon and Mars, and even out in deep space.

Henson says it's the most efficient, safest, lightestand smallest comparedto any other system on the market.

Leading a team of engineers at Honeywell, which has a partnership with NASA, a CO2 removal system for the international space station was created. The deviceabsorbs CO2 from the air, captures it and turns it into oxygen.

She says her system maintains a CO2 concentration half the levels on the space station currently.

"This problem is a critical one to solve if we are going to make long term space habitation a reality," Henson says.

This is important because astronauts experience negative healtheffects including headaches dizziness and fatigue.

At a young age, Henson says she wanted to become an engineer. She studied at Arizona State University and tookher first job out of college at Honeywell.

She's proud to work for a company that's given her opportunities to grow and change the way we study space.

"It is really exciting," she said."It is always a dream of mine to put something into space."

Henson's system will be put to use in the space station in 2021.

Another bit of exciting news for Henson: She was just namedas one of Forbes' "30 Under 30" recipients for her groundbreaking work.

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This Phoenix engineer will have her own device in space in 2021 - FOX 10 News Phoenix

In the fall of 1957, the Soviet Union satelliteSputnik 1streaked across the nights sky. The event kicked off the Space Age. It also captured the attention of 9-year-old Jack Stuster, who watched from outside of his grandmothers house, full of awe.

Stuster could never have guessed that his future career path would land him at NASAs Kennedy Space Center. After college, he pursued a doctorate in anthropology, hoping to study hunter-gatherers in Borneo. He instead wound up writing his doctoral dissertation on commercial fishermen in Santa Barbara, California. And in 1982, shortly after joining a behavioral sciences and human factors research firm calledAnacapa Sciencesin Santa Barbara, he began working with NASA.

Stuster is one of just ahandful of anthropologiststo specialize in space exploration. He applies anthropological techniques, such as interviews and participant observation, to understand the physical, psychological, and interpersonal experiences of astronauts, and help plan missions with the explorers human needs in mind.

When the astronauts know Im an anthropologist they open up, explains Stuster, now president and principal scientist at Anacapa. He notes that, unlike the psychologists or physicians who evaluate astronauts, he cant expel anyone from the mission roster.

Over his career, Stuster has helped forecast potential issues, identify real problems such as when shuttle refurbishments were delayed by poor communication and made suggestions that influenced the design and activities on the International Space Station (ISS). As NASA turns its focus toward Mars, he recently completed a report identifying all the tasks interplanetary explorers must be ready formany of which NASA hadnt yet considered.

The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Your first space project was in 1982, when NASA called in Anacapa Sciences to help make the refurbishment of space shuttles safer and more efficient. How did it feel to arrive at Cape Canaveral during the early shuttle program?

We started with a tour of the shuttleColumbia. At each level, we would stop and look at this incredible machine, this spacecraft. I let the others walk ahead of me so that I could pinch myself. It was awe-inspiring to be that close. I was proud to be a member of the species that could build such a complicated machine.

Iwanted to remain involved. During this job, I noticed a sign on a door that said, Space Station Working Group. I thought, Wow, NASAs actually thinking about building a space station? Maybe thats my ticket.

In the absence of a real space station, I proposed to study conditions on Earth that are in various ways similar to a low Earth orbit space station: Antarctic research stations, submarines, oil platforms, things like that.

That research led to your1986 report on living in space. You provided a variety of recommendations, including daily changes of underwear and regular mental health monitoring. How did NASA respond?

The report was a really big hit among the engineers who were designing the International Space Station. They liked it because it was based on real-world conditions. Several of my recommendations made it to the ISS, such as facilities that enable the whole crew to eat together.

Sharing meals aboard the International Space Station can help maintain harmony among astronauts. (NASA Johnson/Flickr)

Spending months in space is a tough assignment. In astudy of ISS astronaut diary entries, you found that morale tends to decline around the third quarter of a tour. What makes astronauts miserable, and how can NASA improve things?

Early on, astronauts would complain about having to do inventories of lightbulbs and underwear and stuff. It helps to divide tedious housekeeping tasks as evenly as possible. Now, since NASA has enlarged the crew size, these tasks are spread over a wider group.

Plus, when astronauts get on the ISS, they are confronted with this phenomenon called space fog or the space stupids. They dont think as quickly as they did on the ground. This may be a result of fluid building up in their head so they feel stuffed up, too little sleep, busy schedules, low gravity, and high levels of carbon dioxide. They get behind schedule and put things away quickly, so its harder to find tools the next time. To adjust, NASA should schedule sufficient time for all tasks.

When youre living in isolation and confinement, every little annoyance is magnified. Astronauts need to do the same things we do on Earth to get along, like refilling the toilet paper or putting the seat down after using the commode. Its really aggravating when you go to use the zero-gravity toilet and the supplies you need arent there. Or the person before you left the solid-waste reservoir full, which means you cant use the toilet until youve emptied it. Keeping up morale, in many ways, is just a matter of being as considerate as possible. More than considerate: Avoid being annoying in any way.

In the next 20 years, NASA hopes to send humans to Mars, following the explorations of the Curiosity Mars rover. (Credit: NASA)

NASA plans to send humans to Mars in the 2030s, likely with a six-person crew of different specialists. You recentlycompleted a reportthat enumerates 1,125 tasks that crew could face. Did you find any gaps in NASAs planning?

The three most recent NASA Mars mission plans did not include a pilot, assuming piloting and navigation would be automated or directed from Earth. I seriously doubt that you would get professional astronauts to go on a mission with no human pilot, only a computer, meaning they wouldnt survive if the computer and communications failed.

NASA assumed Mars explorers would use the standard, gas-pressurized space suit. But if you get a wheel of your rover stuck in the loose sand and rocks on the Martian surfaceas happened to the character Mark Watney in the filmThe Martianyou have to kneel to dig it out. That would be impossible wearing a gas-pressurized suit. Theyll need a mechanical pressure suit, or some sort of hybrid, that enables more flexibility.

In that new report, you defined key jobs that ought to be spread among the Mars crew: leader, pilot/navigator, geologist, biologist, physician, mechanic, electrician, and computer specialist. Who would be on your personal dream team to Mars?

Ellen Ripley played by Sigourney Weaver inAlien. Wouldnt you want Sigourney Weaver? Mark Watney played by Matt Damon. Joe Turner played by Robert Redford inThree Days of the Condornot a space film, but the characters that Redford plays tend to be calm and deliberate. John Wick played by Keanu Reeves in theJohn Wickseries, in case the crew encounters hostile aliens, and because Reeves seems to be a kind and generous persona perfect comrade during prolonged isolation and confinement.

Do you see any role for anthropologists as crew members on future expeditions?

Idoubt it, not unless the first mission discovers theres an alien culture.

Iapplied to be an astronaut, for many years, but I wasnt selected. I would have gone in a heartbeat.

This work first appeared on SAPIENS under a CC BY-ND 4.0 license. Read the original here.

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This Space Anthropologist Is Chronicling Astronauts' Lives in Orbit - Discover Magazine

Space research and space exploration are vital to the future of humankind. The Earth may be resilient -- it's still here long after the dinosaurs, and it shows no scars from the Carrington solar storm that fried telegraph lines in 1859. But society on this planet is facing some unprecedented challenges.

Our dependence on technological systems such as power grids and satellite communication makes us more vulnerable than ever to solar storms. We should not forget that another significant asteroid collision is a matter of when, not if. And planetwide shifts such as climate change, ocean acidification and deforestation raise vital questions about how the Earth can continue to support the growing population.

These are just a few reasons why this is a pivotal time to take major steps in space-based technologies that can help us predict, adapt to, mitigate and protect ourselves from catastrophes or slower-occurring changes. Theyre also good reasons to boost space exploration. To ensure that our species endures, we have a responsibility to develop our society to become a spacefaring one.

Technologically, we're making exciting progress. For example, through the Artemis program, NASA is partnering with private industry and universities to take people back to the moon by 2024 and to Mars by the 2030s. Chinas uncrewed Chang'e program just landed a rover on the far side of the moon, where the Chinese space agency is laying the groundwork for a lunar research station. University, industry and government programs around the world are conducting promising research on ion thrusters for faster interplanetary travel and on small low-cost satellites to explore our solar system and beyond for signs of habitable worlds.

Many of us who work in these areas will be gathering next week for the American Geophysical Union fall meeting. Its the worlds largest Earth and space science conference, and this happens to be its centennial year. As we consider the next hundred years, we must embrace the notion that technology alone wont carry us forward.

We need to design this spacefaring future in context, and universities can play an important leadership role. Thats why, on our campus, weve recently launched the University of Michigan Space Institute. Its purpose is to bring together a strong multidisciplinary community and facilitate entirely new types of collaborations that might not have emerged organically solely within science and engineering communities. Here are some key areas where we believe this approach can pay dividends.

Zoning on the moon. Who owns the moon? How do we determine where we can build a station or mine for water or minerals? While the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 prohibits nations from claiming celestial bodies, it didn't anticipate the privatization of space exploration. Technological advancement and economic shifts have opened many new questions about how nations and companies should operate on outposts beyond the Earth. Researchers in engineering, policy and law will need to work together to develop processes for establishing sustainable settlements.

Tracking and reducing space junk. Artificial satellite explosions and collisions have left behind more than 23,000 pieces of orbital debris that are larger than 10centimeters, as well as more than 100million that are smaller in size. Traveling at more than 15,000 miles per hour, the debris poses threats to the International Space Station and to the future crewed and uncrewed spacecraft crossing their orbits as space travel becomes increasingly commonplace. Today, the international Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee works to limit the accumulation, and other entities are aiming to improve tracking, but it will take both engineers and space policy makers to solve the problem.

Astronaut health. While we have some knowledge of how long-term weightlessness and living in a space environment affects the human body and mind, theres still so much we dont know about how to stay safe and healthy beyond Earth. To ward off physical and mental health problems, present-day astronauts spend two hours of every eight-hour workday exercising. Kinesiologists, biomedical engineers and other health and space environment experts are needed to develop better and more effective exercise hardware and regimens.

Beyond our brains, muscles and bones are our microbiomes. Trillions of micro-organisms help us digest food and fight disease. Microbiologists, gastroenterologists and environmental engineers will need to determine how the human microbiome will react to environments beyond Earth, and how we can ensure that it thrives.

The list goes on in this area. We need better understandings of radiation exposure, immune function, nutrition and medication stability. Only multidisciplinary teams can tackle such challenges.

Building the space workforce. As we move forward in space research and exploration -- whether were focused on understanding, protecting and improving life on Earth, or expanding human civilization beyond its cradle -- we must inspire and prepare tomorrows workforce to collaborate across traditional boundaries. Were already witnessing the space industry outgrowing dependence on government funds and creating new kinds of jobs. We have a responsibility to introduce students in majors not typically associated with space to the opportunities in the new space economy. And the space industry will benefit from the types of creativity that are new to the sector.

In one step toward building a more diverse future space workforce, several universities, including the University of Michigan, are working with NASA to explore ways to increase the number of women who are principal investigators of large missions. We know that more diverse teams, and more diverse leadership, lead to more innovative ideas.

These and other emerging areas are already demanding collaborations not only between engineers and planetary scientists, who have driven much of space exploration to date, but also among scholars from a wide variety of other disciplines. As we become more ambitious, moving toward self-sustaining colonies and human exploration beyond our home planet, the need for a space research community that represents all areas of human knowledge will only grow.

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Universities must break interdisciplinary boundaries to help advance space-based technologies (opinion) - Inside Higher Ed

Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) First Deputy Head Alexander Ivanov, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, and Federal Agency for Special Construction head Alexander Volosov watch a rocket booster carrying satellites blast off from a launch pad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome.

Mikhail Metzel | TASS | Getty Images

NATO, the U.S. and Russia have a new domain to compete and conflict over: space.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday that the U.S. saw space as as "theater of military operations" and that the development of the U.S. Space Force posed a threat to Russia.

"The U.S. military-political leadership openly considers space as a military theater and plans to conduct operations there," Putin said at a meeting with defense officials in Sochi, according to Russian news agency TASS.

"For preserving strategic supremacy in this field the United States is accelerating creation of its space forces, which are already in the process of operative preparations," Putin said, adding that the world's leading countries are fast-tracking the development of modern military space systems and dual purpose satellites and that Russia needed to do the same.

"The situation requires us to pay increased attention to strengthening the orbital group, as well as the rocket and space industry as a whole."

Russia opposed the militarization of space, Putin insisted, but said "at the same time the march of events requires greater attention to strengthening the orbital group and the space rocket and missile industry in general."

Putin's comments Wednesday reiterated those he made in late November to his security council, in which he said he was "seriously concerned" about NATO's "attempts to militarize outer space."

That comment came after NATO had declared space a fifth "operational domain" for the military alliance, alongside air, land, sea and cyber.

"Space is part of our daily life here on Earth. It can be used for peaceful purposes. But it can also be used aggressively," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a meeting of foreign ministers on November 20.

"Satellites can be jammed, hacked or weaponized. Anti-satellite weapons could cripple communications and other services our societies rely on, such as air travel, weather forecast or banking," he said. "Space is also essential to the alliance's deterrence and defense," Stoltenberg added, referencing the organization's ability to navigate, to gather intelligence, and to detect missile launches.

"Making space an operational domain will help us ensure all aspects are taken into account to ensure the success of our missions," he said. "For instance, this can allow NATO planners to make a request for allies to provide capabilities and services, such as satellite communications and data imagery."

He said that around 2,000 satellites currently orbit the Earth with around half of them owned by NATO countries.

Stoltenberg insisted that "NATO has no intention to put weapons in space. We are a defensive alliance." He added the alliance's approach to space will remain fully in line with international law. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty is a global agreement considered a foundation stone of international space law.

The treaty was first signed by the U.K., U.S. and then-Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War to promote the peaceful exploration of space. It banned the placing of nuclear weapons in space and limited the use of the Moon and all other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes only. It also established that space shall be free for exploration and use by all nations, but that no nation may claim sovereignty on any part of it.

There are other space treaties covering, for example, the rescue of astronauts, the moon, the International Space Station (ISS) and liability for damage caused by space objects. Still, the use of space for defensive activities is likely to be litigious and provocative territory.

It's not the first time that space has been seen as a potential realm for defense though, especially during the Cold War. The "Strategic Defense Initiative" was a program first initiated in 1983 under President Ronald Reagan. The aim of the program was to develop an anti-ballistic missile system that was designed to shoot down nuclear missiles in space, with potential missile attacks from the Soviet Union specifically in mind.

Artist's concept of interceptor under development for the U.S. Army's HEDI (High Endoatmospheric Def. Interceptor), a key element of its 1983 Strategic Defense. Initiative (aka Star Wars)

Time Life Pictures | The LIFE Picture Collection | Getty Images

It was dubbed "Star Wars" because it envisaged that technologies like space-based x-ray lasers could be used as part of the defensive system. Funding shortages as well as the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 meant that the SDI was never built.

The idea of space dominance and defense has gained more traction in recent years, however, and in 2018, President Donald Trump floated the idea of developing another military branch, the "Space Force." He said the idea of a Space Force had started as a joke but he had then decided it was a "great idea."

"Space is a war-fighting domain, just like the land, air, and sea," Trump said. "We have the Air Force, we'll have the Space Force." In June 2018, he ordered the Pentagon to begin the creation of the new branch.

At the start of 2019, the U.S. unveiled an overhaul of its missile defense program in its "Missile Defense Review" in which it stated the need for a "comprehensive approach to missile defense against rogue state and regional missile threats." The review also recognized "space is a new war-fighting domain, with the Space Force leading the way" and said it would ensure "American dominance in space."

In a speech presenting more detail on the Missile Defense Review, Trump said the U.S. would "invest in a space-based missile defense layer. It's new technology. It's ultimately going to be a very, very big part of our defense and, obviously, of our offense," he said.

U.S. Air Force Space Command Gen. John "Jay" Raymond stands next to the flag of the newly established U.S. Space Command, the sixth national armed service, in the Rose Garden at the White House August 29, 2019 in Washington, DC. Citing potential threats from China and Russia and the nations reliance on satellites for defense operations, Trump said the U.S. needs to launch a 'space force.'

Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images News | Getty Images

"The system will be monitored, and we will terminate any missile launches from hostile powers, or even from powers that make a mistake. It won't happen. Regardless of the missile type or the geographic origins of the attack, we will ensure that enemy missiles find no sanctuary on Earth or in the skies above."

Russia responded angrily to the comments, saying it was tantamount to the U.S. relaunching the Cold War-era "Star Wars" program. According to a statement from Russia's foreign ministry, reported by Reuters, Russia condemned the strategy as an act of confrontation and it urged Washington to reconsider its plans.

"The strategy, de facto, gives the green light to the prospect of basing missile strike capabilities in space," the statement said. "The implementation of these ideas will inevitably lead to the start of an arms race in space, which will have the most negative consequences for international security and stability," it said.

"We would like to call on the U.S. administration to think again and walk away from this irresponsible attempt to re-launch, on a new and more high-tech basis, the still-remembered Reagan-era 'Star Wars' program," it said, Reuters reported.

Experts say Russia is wary of the U.S., and NATO, opening up a new operational frontier in space as Russia would be easily out-competed by the combined NATO countries' technological expertise, advances and weaponry in space.

"I think when the Russians hear this, they primarily think of the 'Strategic Defense Initiative', they think of missile defense, and those are the kinds of things they can't compete in those areas as well and something they would be very keen to avoid (competing over). The question is, what is NATO actually going to do here?," Daragh McDowell, principal Russia analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, told CNBC Wednesday.

Russia was quick to criticize NATO's announcement of space as a new operational domain with Putin telling his security council that "we are also seriously concerned about the NATO infrastructure approaching our borders, as well as the attempts to militarize outer space."

Earlier this year, Putin had said Russia needs to heavily upgrade its space industry, telling his security council in April that "it is obvious that it is necessary to fundamentally modernize the rocket and space industry," according to news agency TASS. He also said that leading positions in space exploration were essential for solving national development tasks, ensuring the country's security and technological and economic competitiveness, TASS reported.

Christopher Granville, managing director of EMEA and Global Political Research at TS Lombard, told CNBC Wednesday that Russia had spent considerable time and effort, in the last few decades, developing technologies to defend against "any conceivable U.S. strategic defense or anti-missile defense capabilities."

"And if the U.S. were hypothetically to develop new capabilities in outer space, then Russia would have to come up with new responses in addition to the weapon system that Putin announced with some fanfare last year," he said, referencing Putin's revealing of new nuclear weapons in March 2018 that he said were "invincible."

Originally posted here:

Putin fears the US and NATO are militarizing space and Russia is right to worry, experts say - CNBC

Investment in space startups is significant and growing, and the opportunities available to commercial players in space exploration, research and industrialization are multiplying. But for non-expert investors and observers, these opportunities can seem obtuse and obscured, buried in technical jargon and a heady amount of hype.

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This year alone, there was a total of $5 billion in disclosed funding and thats data that doesnt include the final three months of the year. Taken together, that represents four percent of the overall VC market, per Starbursts calculations.

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This deck is a great look at whats interesting and exciting to investors about aerospace and defense, and why its a category that has seen a lot of growth in terms of VC investment in recent years despite seemingly high technology hurdles and perceived long development timelines.

Read more:

An investor's perspective on the current state of the global space startup industry - TechCrunch