Update for 11:10 am ET: SpaceX has called off today's launch attempt for the NROL-108 spy satellite due to higher than expected pressures in the Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage. The next launch attempt will be Friday, Dec. 18, at 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT). There is a 3-hour launch window for the mission.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. SpaceX is set to launch a spy satellite into orbit for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on Thursday (Dec. 17), and you can watch the action online.

The flight is scheduled to blast off from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center here in Florida during a planned three-hour window that opens at 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT). However, the exact liftoff time has not yet been announced.

You can watch the launch live here and on the Space.com homepage, courtesy of SpaceX, beginning about 15 minutes before liftoff. You'll also be able to watch the launch directly from SpaceX here.

Related: SpaceX's 1st secret US military satellite launch (& landing) in photos

This mission will mark the 31st launch this year for SpaceX and its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket, as well as the third Falcon 9 to fly in a little over a week. On Dec. 6, SpaceX kicked off its final launch run of the year by ferrying an upgraded cargo Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station, marking the first time there were two such craft attached to the orbital outpost. A few days later, the California-based rocket builder launched a radio satellite into orbit for Sirius XM.

Now, SpaceX will close out a record-setting year with a bang. The company announced that this mission, dubbed NROL-108, includes a rare treat: an upright Falcon 9 booster landing at Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, as opposed to the more common drone-ship landings at sea.

To date, SpaceX has successfully recovered 69 first-stage boosters, 20 of which touched down on terra firma. For its 70th, the company's Falcon 9 will touch down at one of the company's landing sites just 9 miles (14 kilometers) from where it lifted off. SpaceX warned central Florida residents that they should expect to hear sonic booms as the rocket touches down at LZ-1.

"There is the possibility that local residents may hear one or more sonic booms during the landing attempt," SpaceX officials said in an advisory emailed out to the media. "Residents of Brevard County are most likely to hear one or more sonic boom, although what residents experience will depend on weather conditions and other factors."

Officials at the U.S. Air Force's 45th weather squadron have said that the weather looks good for Thursday's attempt, with 70% chance of favorable conditions for launch. The main issues for concern are liftoff winds and potential for a thick cloud layer.

Related: Hitch a ride to space (and back) on a Falcon 9 in this awesome video

The star of today's mission will be one of SpaceX's frequent flyers a Falcon 9 first stage known as B1059. This will mark the booster's fifth launch and landing attempt. Previously it ferried two different Dragon cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station (CRS-19 in December 2019 and CRS-20 in March of this year), launched the Starlink 8 mission in June, and most recently lofted the SAOCOM-1B Earth-observing satellite into orbit for Argentina on Aug. 30.

Thursday's flight will mark the 102nd overall launch of a Falcon 9 rocket and the 70th first stage recovery. SpaceX's drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You" is sidelined for this mission as the booster will attempt its second touchdown on land in a row. (Previously in August it landed at LZ-1 after carrying SAOCOM-1B to space.) That touchdown will occur approximately nine minutes after liftoff.

The company's other drone ship, "Just Read the Instructions" is on its way to Port Canaveral, toting a seven-time flyer. That booster, B1049, became the second in SpaceX's fleet of veteran rockets to launch and land seven times when it ferried the first of two massive radio broadcasting satellites into space for Sirius XM on Sunday (Dec. 13). The second Sirius XM satellite is set to launch sometime next year, and the duo are expected to replace aging satellites already on orbit.

GO Ms. Tree, one of SpaceX's net-equipped boats, is heading to the recovery zone to await today's launch. It's unclear yet if the vessel will attempt to catch the Falcon 9's falling payload fairing the protective "nose cone" that surrounds a satellite during launch or if SpaceX will just scoop the two halves out of the ocean. (Whether or not a catch is attempted depends on a number of factors, including weather and sea conditions at the recovery zone.)

SpaceX has been successful in its attempts to reuse more of the Falcon 9, even reusing several fairings on multiple missions. The payload fairing accounts for approximately 10% of the cost of the rocket, which is roughly $62 million. Reusing fairings could save as much as $6 million per flight, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has said.

The company has been reusing payload fairings, and even used its first refurbished fairing on a paying customer's flight. The Sirius XM-7 mission featured one fairing half that previously flew on the Anasis-II mission earlier this summer, which launched a communications satellite for South Korea's military.

Today's mission will mark the final launch from Florida for 2020. In total 31 missions have launched from the area this year, and 26 of those have been on SpaceX rockets.

Follow Amy Thompson on Twitter @astrogingersnap. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.

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SpaceX will launch a spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office Thursday. Watch it live! - Space.com

Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond spoke today at TechCrunch's Space 2020 virtual event.

Raymond emphasized the role partnerships play in the Space Force. "I'm going to really work hard on cultivating partnerships," he said, citing Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, France, Germany and Japan.

Two days ago, he said he signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan for the Hosted Payload Program, which involves putting U.S. payloads on Japanese satellites. "It saves us dollars and gives us capability."

Last year, the U.S. signed a Hosted Payload Program memorandum of understanding with Norway. Two payloads on their satellites saved the U.S. more than $900 million, he said.

"We're really turning these partnerships into partnerships where we operate together; we train together; we exercise together; we war-game together; we develop capabilities together, and it's proven to pay significant advantages and there's future growth opportunities ahead," he said.

Raymond said he also wants closer ties to the commercial sector.

A few weeks ago, he mentioned watching NASA launch U.S. astronauts from U.S. soil aboard a commercial rocket to the International Space Station.

"I really believe with all this going on in the commercial industry that there's a fused relationship to be had. And we're trying to bring us closer together and to be able to capitalize on this innovative transformation that's happening, especially in the national security space business," he said.

Raymond said industry is heading toward autonomous launches and reusable rocket stages. "Those are going to be huge national advantages that we need to be able to capitalize on."

All of the launch industry will eventually go to autonomous launch operations, he predicted, adding that he's written a policy letter mandating that all Defense Department launches be autonomous by 2025. "It completely rewrites the rulebook on how we do range operations; reduces the footprint of the infrastructure that we have; reduces the amount of bodies that have to come to work to support a launch; allows us to launch more cheaply; allows us to have greater transaction rates, so we can launch more and turn the range around a lot quicker and reduces launch costs."

Raymond said the U.S. has no desire to weaponize space.

"Our goals are to deter conflict from beginning or extending into space," he said.

Unfortunately, adversaries such as China and Russia have robust programs to weaponize space, he mentioned.

Raymond said his goals are to keep the Space Force lean, diverse, agile and cutting-edge and to reduce bureaucracy.

There are currently about 2,400 uniformed personnel in the Space Force, and that number should soon climb about 6,400, he said. Additionally, there are another 10,000 Space Force civilians.

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Space Operations Chief Emphasizes the Importance of Partnerships - Department of Defense

By: Trends Desk | New Delhi | Updated: December 16, 2020 5:40:19 pmThe picture also captures the orange airglow, which is the result of atmospheric particles reacting to solar radiation.

NASA shared an image what the snow-covered Himalayas look like from space and its being widely shared on social media. Shared from NASAs official Instagram handle, the picture also captured the bright city lights of New Delhi and Lahore.

The enhanced, long-exposure image was reportedly taken by one of the crew members of the International Space Station (ISS).

The snow-covered Himalayan Mountains are in splendid view in this enhanced, long-exposure image taken by a crew member aboard the @iss, the post read.

Take a look here:

The picture also captures the orange airglow, which is the result of atmospheric particles reacting to solar radiation.

Take a look at some of the reactions to the picture:

The Himalayan mountain range has some of the highest peaks in Earth, including the Mount Everest, located at the border between Nepal and China.

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NASA shares photo of what snow-covered Himalayas look like from space - The Indian Express

12/17/2020

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) will continue its year-long 20th anniversary celebration of continuous ham radio operation from the ISS this month, with a slow-scan television (SSTV) event over the holidays. The first ARISS school contact took place in December 2000, not long after the first ISS crew arrived on station a month earlier and had made test contacts. The commemorative late-December SSTV event will be held December 24 through December 31, although dates are subject to change. The frequency will be 145.800 MHz, using SSTV PD-120 mode. Over its 20 years, ARISS has supported nearly 1,400 scheduled ham radio contacts with schools, student groups, and other education organizations.

ARISS would not be the complex and growing program of education, operations, and hardware were it not for ARRL, AMSAT, NASA, and the ISS National Lab (INL), said Rosalie White, K1STO, ARISS-US Delegate representing ARRL. For these past 20 years and for the years to come, when we grow into lunar ham radio opportunities and more, the ARISS team will continue to be grateful to ARRL and all our sponsors. We could not do it without you!

The ARISS ham radio gear, for what would become NA1SS on board the station, arrived ahead of the Expedition 1 crew, headed by Bill Shepherd, KD5GSL. Shepherd made the first ARISS school contact with students at Luther Burbank Elementary School in Illinois on December 21, 2000. NASA has marked the ARISS milestone with an infographic highlighting the educational contacts via amateur radio between astronaut crew members aboard the ISS and students.

ARISS will continue to sponsor various commemorative events through November 2021, including more of the very popular ARISS SSTV sessions. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of ham radio on the space station, ARISS took part in the ISS Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) panel session, 20 Years of STEM Experiments on the ISS. A video developed for the session describes the program, conveys some key lessons learned over the past 20 years, and describes the ARISS teams vision for the future.

Twenty years of continuous operations is a phenomenal accomplishment, said ARISS-International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, whos been with the program from the start. But what makes it even more extraordinary is that ARISS has achieved this through hundreds of volunteers who are passionate in paying it forward to our youth and ham radio community. On behalf of the ARISS International team, I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to every volunteer who has made ARISS such an amazing success over the past 20 years. Your passion, drive, creativity, and spirit made it happen.

In September, ARISS announced that the initial element of its next-generation Interoperable Radio System (IORS) had been installed in the ISSColumbusmodule, replacing outmoded and problematic station gear.

A helpful addition to the ARISS website is a Current Status of ISS Stations, which reports the present or coming operating mode of ARISS radios in the Columbus and Service modules. Click on General Contacts and then Current Status of ISS Stations on the drop-down menu of the ARISS website to access the reports.

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SSTV Event to Help ARISS Mark 20 Years of Continuous Ham Radio Operation in Space - ARRL

Soichi Noguchi has emerged as the resident photographer of the International Space Stations current Expedition 64 crew.

The 55-year-old Japanese astronaut reached the orbiting outpost last month, together with three American astronauts, aboard SpaceXs Crew Dragon capsule on its first operational flight.

Since arriving, Noguchi has been tweeting some amazing photos as the ISS orbits the planet every 90 minutes or so, from around 250 miles up. The images were likely taken from the space stations seven-window Cupola observatory, which offers incredible views of Earth, the moon, and beyond.

So lets take a look at some of the best ones to date

This remarkable image shows Houston, Texas, as well as Trinity Bay and Galveston Bay, and Beaumont off to the east.

Howdy, #Houstonian! #houstontx # pic.twitter.com/hkhXW9JXPG

— NOGUCHI, Soichi (@Astro_Soichi) December 10, 2020

An enviable view of Spains Balearic Islands

#Ibiza #Spain's Balearic Islands in the #Mediterranean Sea. pic.twitter.com/ZwXzKFtzY0

— NOGUCHI, Soichi (@Astro_Soichi) December 14, 2020

Noguchi describes this eye-catching image of Mauritania in Africa as almost like an oil painting.

Almost like an oil painting #Africa is beautiful. #Mauritania and #WesternSahara pic.twitter.com/JpD6dtPacV

— NOGUCHI, Soichi (@Astro_Soichi) December 13, 2020

A striking photo of Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri (not Illinois, Soichi!)

I found #Dragon! Lake Ozarks in #Illinois , near hometown of @Astro_illini pic.twitter.com/wbfUY4kLC4

— NOGUCHI, Soichi (@Astro_Soichi) December 5, 2020

With its quirky man-made islands in the Persian Gulf, heres no mistaking Dubai from 250 miles up

Palms, and the World. #Dubai Happy belated anniversary #UAENationalDay pic.twitter.com/wNabENmWf4

— NOGUCHI, Soichi (@Astro_Soichi) December 8, 2020

If you follow an imaginary diagonal line from the top right corner of this photo, youll see a bright white dot about a quarter of the way down. Its the Sydney Opera House

Sydney, #Australia. Yes, I can see the famous operahouse! pic.twitter.com/6sD5CXZ5d7

— NOGUCHI, Soichi (@Astro_Soichi) December 9, 2020

Noguchis fabulous night shot of his home countrys capital city

Good night, #TOKYO! pic.twitter.com/laSbi0FbSW

— NOGUCHI, Soichi (@Astro_Soichi) December 6, 2020

Here we see the Texas location of SpaceXs recent test flight of its prototype Starship rocket, which ended in a spectacular fireball.

Boca Chica, #TX. Probably the closest place to #moon and beyond. Go, #SpaceX !!! pic.twitter.com/jgyeuqYJCG

— NOGUCHI, Soichi (@Astro_Soichi) December 10, 2020

An awesome view of Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia

#Riyadh, #SaudiArabia magical city in the middle of beautiful desert. pic.twitter.com/S0jHVVWuWM

— NOGUCHI, Soichi (@Astro_Soichi) December 6, 2020

Beautiful Hawaii islands, tweets Noguchi.

Beautiful #Hawaii islands. # pic.twitter.com/dh1U0PsSk5

— NOGUCHI, Soichi (@Astro_Soichi) December 5, 2020

The Japanese astronaut points out the place where the Crew Dragon, which transported him and his fellow crew members to the ISS last month, was built.

#LosAngeles our #resilience spacecraft was built here. pic.twitter.com/OssLoOtJBp

— NOGUCHI, Soichi (@Astro_Soichi) December 5, 2020

Turning his gaze away from Earth for a moment, Noguchi captured this beautiful image of the moon, a place set to welcome the first woman and next man before the end of this decade.

#Moonrise pic.twitter.com/sz1TZa4Gew

— NOGUCHI, Soichi (@Astro_Soichi) November 30, 2020

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Check out these amazing views of Earth shot from the space station - Digital Trends

In her famous track titled Tennis Court, singer Lorde sang the poetic lyric, Ill see the veins of my city like they do in space. If youre a Delhite, then this statement may be the aptest description for what this image, shared on the official Instagram account of NASA, shows. The long-exposure photograph, taken by a crew member aboard the International Space Station, shows what the snow-covered Himalayan mountains look like from space. It also captures the bright city lights of New Delhi. The stunning snapshot may leave you stunned.

Posted just a few hours ago, the image is accompanied by text explaining what it shows. It reads, The snow-covered Himalayan Mountains are in splendid view in this enhanced, long-exposure image taken by a crew member aboard the @iss. The highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas are the result of 50 million years of collisions between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. South of the range, or to the right from this perspective, lies the agriculturally fertile region of northern India and Pakistan.

The caption further goes onto state that the bright city lights of New Delhi and Lahore are visible below the orange airglow of atmospheric particles reacting to solar radiation. Check out the post below:

Since being shared on the photo and video sharing platform, this post has accumulated over 5.8 lakh likes and many comments from netizens. These numbers are also steadily rising.

Here is what Instagram users had to say about the post. One person said, OMG! So beautiful.

Another individual wrote, A marvellous picture. Brilliant photography and fascinating exquisite image! read one comment under the post.

What are your thoughts on this share?

Also Read | Heres what 2 supermassive black holes merging together look like. Check it out

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NASA shares picture of snow-covered Himalayan mountains from space. It also captures Delhis bright... - Hindustan Times

Screengrab via @DarkZeroGG

After a week of cross-pollination in content between Spacestation Gaming and DarkZero Esports Rainbow Six Siege teams, SteelSeries announced today that the teams will play each other in their Rival Cup on Saturday, Dec. 19.

The victors will take home $5,000, while the losers will still pocket $2,500.

The pair last locked horns in early November during NAL Stage Two play, with Spacestation taking home a 2-1 victory. They didnt meet in the November Mini-Major, which was ultimately won by TSM.

DarkZero and Spacestation are two of North Americas premiere Rainbow Six teams. DarkZero won the August Mini-Major, which was online. Spacestation are the reigning Six Invitational champions and won the final season of ESLs Pro League this spring.

The showmatch could have some overlap with the Six Invitational Closed Qualifiers, which are scheduled to start an hour after the match on the official Rainbow Six Twitch channel. The Rival Cup will take place on Dec. 19 at 2pm CT on the SteelSeries Twitch channel.

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DarkZero, Spacestation to play in SteelSeries Rival Cup this weekend - Dot Esports

The past 20 years aboard the International Space Station have yielded scientific and technological advancements in the only laboratory available for long-duration microgravity research. These include fundamental disease research, the discovery of steadily burning cool flames, new water purification systems, and drug development using protein crystals.

Fundamental disease research: Those impacted by Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, cancer, asthma or heart disease have been personally touched by space station research. Microgravity research has provided new insights to scientists studying these diseases. Studying cells, organoids, and protein clusters without the influence of gravity or even the forces of container walls can help researchers get a clearer understanding of their properties, behaviors and responses to treatments.

Without the interference of Earths gravity, Alzheimers researchers on the space station have studied protein clusters that can cause neurodegenerative diseases. Cancer researchers studied the growth of endothelial cells on the space station.

Discovery of steadily burning cool flames: Fire typically conjures thoughts of heat, but special flames created aboard the space station keep things a bit cooler. When scientists burned fuel droplets in the Flame Extinguishing Experiment study, something unexpected occurred. A fuel droplet appeared to extinguish but actually continued to burn without a visible flame. The fire went out twice once with and once without a visible flame. This is the first time scientists observed large droplets of heptane fuel that had dual modes of combustion and extinction. The second stage was sustained by what is known as cool flame chemical heat release.

Removing gravity from studies of combustion allows for exploration of the basic principles of flames. Cool flames have been produced on Earth, but they quickly flicker out.

New water purification systems: The space stations life support system was developed to provide the crew with clean air and water. The Water Recovery System purifies and filters the stations water, recovering and recycling 93% of the water astronauts use in space. This technology is licensed for adaption into an Earth-based water treatment system, with the first ground-based water filtration systems using NASA technology installed in Iraq in 2006 Marshall engineers helped install and test the system in the northern village of Kendala, after the pump for the villages deep-water well failed. Station research studies likeAquaMembranehave also tested out other innovative water systems.

Efficiently recycling wastewater aboard the space station reduces the need to provide water through resupply missions. As humans travel deeper into space, resupply will be unachievable, making these systems a necessity. The restrictions imposed by the requirements of space prompted innovation that was applied to Earth.

Water is vital for human survival. Unfortunately, many people around the world lack access to clean water. At-risk areas can gain access to advanced filtration and purification systems through technology developed for the space station, making a lifesaving difference in these communities.

Drug development using protein crystals: Humans are composed of more than 100,000 types of proteins. Each protein provides information related to health. Studying these proteins by crystallizing them helps scientists learn more about the body and potential disease treatments.

Protein crystals grown on Earth are affected by gravity, which may alter the way the molecules align on the crystal. Researchers have discovered that growing crystals aboard the space station allows for slower growth and higher quality crystals. This high-quality crystallization allows scientists to identify the structures of disease-causing proteins to develop a new medications and effective treatments. Protein crystal growth experiments conducted aboard the space station have provided insights into numerous diseases, from cancer to gum disease.

One of the most promising results of these station experiments has come from thestudyof a protein associated with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, an incurable genetic disorder that affects 1 in 3,600 young boys. A treatment based on this research is in clinical trials.

Another investigation, PCG-5, sought to grow the therapeutic antibody Keytruda in a more uniform crystalline form. The goal was toimprovethe drug so it can be delivered by injection rather than an IV treatment.

Editors note: This is the first in a five-part series highlighting scientific and technological breakthroughs that have been achieved over the past two decades as a result of International Space Station science. This research helps humanity explore farther into space while also benefiting life on Earth. The Payload Operations Integration Center at Marshall Space Flight Center schedules, assists with, and coordinates all experiments on the stations U.S. Orbital Segment.

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Celebrating 20 years of space station research, discovery | Technology Today - Theredstonerocket

OCTOBER 2, 2020 ACTUAL LAUNCH IMAGE, BIOALL ONBOARD

ITHACA, N.Y. (PRWEB) December 05, 2020

In an effort to test how productive different types of soil might be in space, a team of research partners, including bio365 LLC, a California-based company focusing on agricultural technology, is managing a first-of-its-kind experiment taking place on the International Space Station (ISS). The experiment has the potential to not only prove which types of growing media work best in unique environments, but also to provide vital scientific data on ways soil can improve crop health on Earth.

The project is led by Morgan Irons, a research fellow at Norfolk Institute in Virginia, Cornell University, where Ms. Irons is in the graduate program under the guidance of Johannes Lehman, PhD, a professor of soil and crop sciences; the Zwillenberg-Tietz Foundation in Germany; and bio365. The soil samples were launched via a Northrup-Grumman Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo module on October 2, 2020, and the samples will remain on the ISS until December 2020.

The samples consist of two topsoil samples taken from land in New York and Germany, plus a sample of bio365's BIOALL, an engineered, biochar-based soil designed for Controlled Environment Agriculture. Each sample was specifically chosen based on its distinct properties. Irons explains that, This is the first time that both natural, unmodified Earth soils and engineered, biologically active, biochar-containing soils, such as bio365s, have been brought to space. The biochar that bio365 uses is especially interesting due to its long-term and efficient nutrient delivery, which has been an open research question for scientists performing space agriculture experiments. This experiment is a prime opportunity for space scientists to learn from Earth horticulturalists and soil scientists.

Once the soil samples return to Earth, researchers in the U.S. and Germany will evaluate the samples, including comparing the soil to parallel samples that remained on Earth. The research team hopes that the contrast between the soils will provide valuable insight into how biological, physical, and chemical processes change over time and in different conditions. The results should offer new insight into how to further fine-tune soils for different growing conditions and differing crops, eventually leading to new techniques for growing higher-yielding, more nutritious foods on Earth and in space.

The team was brought together by Irons and Johannes Lehman, PhD and professor of soil and crop sciences at Cornell University. John Gaunt, PhD, the current chief science officer of bio365, is a former adjunct professor at Cornell and long-time scientific collaborator with Professor Lehman, who also sits on bio365s scientific advisory board. The research project was approved by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), which manages the International Space Station U.S. Lab, and by NASA, which is the overseeing agency responsible for all launches to the ISS.

Gaunt is particularly enthusiastic about the mission, saying, This is a rare honor, and we are grateful for our small contribution to this important project. I especially want to congratulate the Norfolk Institute and Morgan Irons; it is difficult, time-consuming, and heavily scrutinized to get a project of this magnitude accepted by CASIS, the ISS, and approved by NASA. This project was chosen because of its ground-breaking nature as the first ever such soils studied in space, because of its dual implications for both future space living and practical implications here on Earth, and most of all because Morgan Irons and the Norfolk Institute are passionate and tireless advocates for advancing the science of human resilience. We are delighted they chose bio365 as the first and only commercially made, engineered soil to ever go into space.

If humans are to live successfully on other planets in the future, even in enclosed bases, they'll need the ability to grow their own food. That takes healthy soil which provides the right amount of nutrients and drainage for the crops in question. However, the effects of being in space, different gravity, and different radiation exposure, among other issues, could affect soil in unknown ways. It's the goal of this project to start identifying which soil types might be better choices for interplanetary agriculture and to see how those results might change how we manage crops here on Earth.

Olivia Holzhaus, of the Program Science Office of the International Space Station, elaborates, Soil health is inextricably linked to agricultural health and is crucial to producing nutritious food that promotes environmental and human health on Earth and in space. Recent shifts in soil management towards more sustainable practices promote the use of healthy living soils: those in which soil microbes and fauna actively participate to increase soil health. Such agricultural practices have been shown to reduce input costs, increase system productivity, and increase carbon sequestration in the soil. Obtaining knowledge that improves the efficiency and resiliency of soil is considered necessary for deploying such technologies to enable space exploration and enhance agricultural health on Earth.

bio365 Chief Executive Officer Michael Klein is enthusiastic about the chance to participate in such an essential study. Though bio365 already makes a line of proven, high-performing soils, we are grateful for this unique opportunity to collaborate with some of the best scientific minds, working together towards our goal of producing organic indoor crops sustainable for our world and worlds to come, he says.

bio365 soils have received endorsements from the most prestigious commercial-scale controlled environment cultivators growing food and medicine across the United States, supplying soil to some of the largest and best-known independent and multi-state operators (MSOs).

Additional information about the experiment can be found on NASAs Website here.If you are interested in learning more about bio365, visit our website here.

Contact Information: Company: bio365 Contact Person: Chris Moralle Email: Chris.moralle@bio365.com Location : Ithaca NY, USA Website:https://www.bio365.com/

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History in the making: bio365 soil being tested on the International Space Station - PR Web

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Art projects from 2 students head to the International Space Station - KCTV Kansas City

STOCKHOLM, Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On December 5, 2020 at 11:37 AM ET, new critical research projects fly on the 21st SpaceX Cargo Mission heading for the International Space Station (ISS). HemoCue is proud to announce its participation in this adventure and for being selected in the critical research and technology demonstration run by NASA Human Research Program. A small drop of blood can be an ocean of knowledge - perhaps even in outer space.

With close to 40 years of experience providing quality and trusted technology to customers worldwide, HemoCue is proud to support the NASA Human Research project and provide the crew members on board the International Space Station with this unique benefit of running a total white blood cell (WBC) count including a 5-part differential within minutes*. Verification of an autonomous capability for blood analysis on the space station is an important step toward meeting the health care needs of crew members on future explorative missions, including projects like e.g. NASA's Artemis program to the Moon.

The research project will test the ability of the HemoCue device to provide quick and accurate counts of total and differentiated white blood cells in microgravity. A successful demonstration means that the device could be considered for use on future exploration missions to indicate the presence of certain medical conditions, diagnose illnesses, monitor conditions such as bacterial/viral infections or radiation exposure, track the response to treatment, and assess the severity of an illness during interplanetary spaceflight.

"HemoCue has been at the forefront of point-of-care testing technology for close to 40 years and we intend to continue to innovate and advance the healthcare industry long into the future. I am excited to see how our dedication and innovation can touch people's lives in the years to come - and now soon also being used by astronauts on board the ISS. We are eager to see how the ease of use, lab-accuracy and well-known HemoCue quality will provide the astronauts on board the ISS with assistance in diagnosing and treating medical conditions even in this demanding environment", says Christophe Duret, CEO at HemoCue.

"HemoCue products have been tested in evaluation projects in demanding environments over the years. From 0 gravity tests preparing for space flights, extreme conditions in Antarctica, tough expeditions in Himalaya and travelling with drones in Malawi - our products and technologies have been exposed to the most challenging situations in the past and have now also shown that the ease of use and robustness makes them qualified even for space research missions", Christophe Duret concludes.

December 2, 2020Christophe Duret, CEOHemoCue AB

*HemoCue WBC DIFF System is not available in the US.

For additional information about HemoCue AB and our products and services, visit http://www.hemocue.com.

HemoCue Corporate Head OfficeHemoCue AB | Kuvettgatan 1 | SE-262 71 ngelholm, Sweden.Email: info@hemocue.se| Phone: +46 77570 02 10 | Fax: +46431 48 12 25 | Web: http://www.hemocue.com

About HemoCue

HemoCue is a global leader in a field of diagnostics known as near-patient, or point-of-care, testing. In 1982, HemoCue AB, based in ngelholm, Sweden, introduced the first system making accurate hemoglobin testing possible in near-patient settings. Since then, more than 400,000 HemoCue systems have been sold worldwide. The company offers point-of-care tests for hemoglobin, glucose, urine albumin, HbA1c, total and differential white blood cell count. HemoCue subsidiaries, franchises, and third-party distributors supply HemoCue products in more than 130 countries worldwide. HemoCue has been part of the Danaher Corporation's diagnostic platform since April 2013. Additional company information is available at http://www.hemocue.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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HemoCue Lab-Accuracy: Soon Counting White Blood Cells in Outer Space. Innovative Technology Onboard SpaceX Falcon 9 Mission CRS-21 - Bound for...

A freshman at Stockton University has designed experiment that will soon be out of this world....literally.

The creation of Point Pleasant resident Sophia Bradach was scheduled to be launched to the International Space Station on Saturday at 11:39 a.m. The launch can be viewed at NASA live.

The environmental science major wants to find out if snow peas can self-fertilize through nitrogen fixation in a microgravity environment, according to a release from the university.

A space garden could help astronauts grow their own food, but on the International Space Station, space is limited, so storing bags of fertilizer for extended space travel isnt realistic, school officials said.

So, Bradachs experiment will test nitrogen fixation, a natural fertilizing process, in microgravity, using snow peas, the school said.

The entire experiment fits into test tubesone that will go to space and another that will stay on Earth, the release stated. After the mission, nitrogen fixation will be measured in both scenarios and the rates will be compared.

The Point Pleasant native wants to find out if snow peas can self-fertilize through nitrogen fixation in a microgravity environment.Stockton University

Bradach and her mentor, Peter Straub, dean of the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, are hoping to see that the rate and effectiveness of nitrogen fixation on earth also works in space.

Bradach said in the release that the upcoming launch is the perfect combo of my interests and has helped me to combine my passions and studies.

The greenhouse at Stocktons Unified Science Center served as Bradachs lab space as she prepared the test tube with carefully measured quantities of bacteria, snow pea seeds, vermiculite (a lightweight soil), water, and lastly, a fixative that can be released into the test tube to halt the pea growth and nitrogen fixation, the school said.

My room is half plants, Bradach said. It makes me happy when I come home.

Bradach hopes to pursue a career in environmental remediation to clean up superfund sites.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.

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N.J. students farming experiment to launched into space - nj.com

This article was originally published atThe Conversation.The publication contributed the article to Space.com'sExpert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Amanda Jane Hughes, Lecturer, Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering, University of Liverpool

Stefania Soldini, Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering, University of Liverpool

It sounds like science fiction: giant solar power stations floating in space that beam down enormous amounts of energy to Earth. And for a long time, the concept first developed by the Russian scientist,Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, in the 1920s was mainly an inspiration for writers.

A century later, however, scientists are making huge strides in turning the concept into reality. The European Space Agency has realised the potential of these efforts and is now looking tofund such projects, predicting that the first industrial resource we will get from space is beamed power.

Climate change is the greatest challenge of our time, so theres a lot at stake. From rising global temperatures to shifting weather patterns, the impacts of climate change arealready being feltaround the globe. Overcoming this challenge will require radical changes to how we generate and consume energy.

Renewable energy technologies have developed drastically in recent years, withimproved efficiencyand lower cost. But one major barrier to their uptake is the fact that they dont provide a constant supply of energy. Wind and solar farms only produce energy when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining but we need electricity around the clock, every day. Ultimately, we need a way to store energy on a large scale before we can make the switch to renewable sources.

A possible way around this would be to generate solar energy in space. There are many advantages to this. A space-based solar power station could orbit to face the Sun 24 hours a day. The Earths atmosphere also absorbs and reflects some of the Suns light, so solar cells above the atmosphere will receive more sunlight and produce more energy.

But one of the key challenges to overcome is how to assemble, launch and deploy such large structures. A single solar power station may have to be as much as 10 kilometres squared in area equivalent to 1,400 football pitches. Using lightweight materials will also be critical, as the biggest expense will be the cost of launching the station into space on a rocket.

One proposed solution is to develop a swarm of thousands of smaller satellites that will come together and configure to form a single, large solar generator. In 2017, researchers at the California Institute of Technology outlined designs for amodular power station, consisting of thousands of ultralight solar cell tiles. They also demonstrated a prototype tile weighing just 280 grams per square metre, similar to the weight of card.

Recently, developments in manufacturing, such as 3D printing, are also being looked at for this application. At the University of Liverpool, we are exploring new manufacturing techniques forprinting ultralight solar cells on to solar sails. A solar sail is a foldable, lightweight and highly reflective membrane capable of harnessing the effect of the Suns radiation pressure topropel a spacecraft forward without fuel. We are exploring how to embed solar cells on solar sail structures to create large, fuel-free solar power stations.

These methods would enable us to construct the power stations in space. Indeed, it could one day be possible to manufacture and deploy units in space from the International Space Station or the futurelunar gateway stationthat will orbit the Moon. Such devices could in fact help provide power on the Moon.

The possibilities dont end there. While we are currently reliant on materials from Earth to build power stations, scientists are also considering using resources from space for manufacturing, such as materials found on the Moon.

Another major challenge will be getting the power transmitted back to Earth. The plan is to convert electricity from the solar cells into energy waves and use electromagnetic fields to transfer them down to an antenna on the Earths surface. The antenna would then convert the waves back into electricity. Researchers led by theJapan Aerospace Exploration Agencyhave already developed designs and demonstrated an orbiter system whichshould be able to do this.

There is still a lot of work to be done in this field, but the aim is that solar power stations in space will become a reality in the coming decades. Researchers in China havedesigned a system called Omega, which they aim to have operational by 2050. This system should be capable of supplying 2GW of power into Earths grid at peak performance, which is a huge amount. To produce that much power with solar panels on Earth, you would needmore than six million of them.

Smaller solar power satellites, like those designed to powerlunar rovers, could be operational even sooner.

Across the globe, the scientific community is committing time and effort to the development of solar power stations in space. Our hope is that they could one day be a vital tool in our fight against climate change.

This article is republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.

Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates and become part of the discussion onFacebook andTwitter. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This version of the article was originally published onLive Science.

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Solar power stations in space could be the answer to our energy needs - Space.com

We have undocked from the space station, en route home. Since we dont want to hit any part of the space station physically or with rocket exhaust, we gently move away to a good, safe distance.

If we do nothing more, we will continue to orbit the Earth, at the same height and speed as the space station. To get home we have to change our orbit to an elliptical one taking us down to or close to ground level.

We do this by slowing ourselves down by a precisely calculated amount.

This is done using the manoeuvring thrusters or a special retropack, provided for that purpose. They change our orbit just a little, putting us on a downward curving path.

For much of our space mission, the Earths atmosphere has been a problem, making launching spacecraft more difficult because of air drag and aerodynamic stresses. Now, on the return trip, the atmosphere and air drag save us a lot of difficulty and expense.

If the Earth had no atmosphere, and we did nothing to slow ourselves down, our spacecraft would hit the ground at over 8km/s. In the absence of an atmosphere we would have to use a rocket. Because it will have to more or less cancel all the energy needed to put us into orbit, the slowing down rocket would need to be almost the same size as the one that took us to orbit. It gets worse, because putting something that heavy into orbit would require a much bigger launcher. This is where our nice deep atmosphere comes in.

Our descent is taking us into denser and denser atmosphere. At speeds of between 25 and 30 times the speed of sound, the spacecraft gives no time for the very thin atmosphere to get out of the way.

It gets compressed in front of the spacecraft and gets very hot, many thousands of degrees, before it spills past the front of the spacecraft as it gets shoved aside. It is this hot, ionized air that gives the light show returning astronauts experience on the way down.

The work of compressing this air and pushing it out of the way rapidly slows the spacecraft down.

What might be surprising is that although we put sharp, pointed noses on supersonic aircraft, we make spacecraft with blunt noses, as with the space shuttle, or we give spacecraft really blunt back ends, and return to Earth backwards.

The reason is that a sharp, pointy nose would melt, and also that we want the air drag to slow us down. We pick our path back through the atmosphere to keep the heating rate tolerable and to limit the deceleration stresses on the astronauts, which might peak at many times the Earths gravity.

Handling the heat requires special engineering. Like almost all other spacecraft, our vehicle uses a heat shield. This is a saucer-shaped disc of material covering the rear of the spacecraft. It is made of a highly heat-resistant substance that can absorb a very large amount of heat and then burn off, taking the heat with it, revealing a new, cold surface beneath. It is thick enough to deal with the expected heat load with a large safety margin.

Air at a temperature of thousands of degrees ionizes; the atoms partially break up, leaving clouds of free electrons. These completely block radio signals, causing the familiar radio blackout, which is a feature of all our returns from space

As we get lower and slow down more, the heat declines, the ionization dissipates, and we regain radio communication. Little puffs by the attitude control thrusters keep us the right way up.

We eventually go subsonic and soon after, the drogue chutes open. These slow us more, stabilize us and help deploy the main chutes. After these have opened we can take things easy until we splashdown in the ocean.

After dark, Saturn and Jupiter lie very close together, low in the southwest. Mars is fairly high in the southeast, and Venus low in the dawn glow. The Moon will be New on the 14th.

Ken Tapping is an astronomer with the National Research Councils Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in Penticton.

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Getting back home from the space station | Opinion | pentictonherald.ca - pentictonherald.ca

BEIJING (AP) Chinas landing of its third probe on the moon is part of an increasingly ambitious space program that has a robot rover en route to Mars, is developing a reusable space plane and is planning to put humans back on the lunar surface.

The Change 5, the first effort to bring lunar rocks to Earth since the 1970s, collected samples on Wednesday, the Chinese space agency announced. The probe landed Tuesday on the Sea of Storms on the moons near side.

Space exploration is a political trophy for the ruling Communist Party, which wants global influence to match Chinas economic success.

China is a generation behind the United States and Russia, but its secretive, military-linked program is developing rapidly. It is creating distinctive missions that, if successful, could put Beijing on the leading edge of space flight.

The coming decade will be quite critical in space exploration, said Kathleen Campbell, an astrobiologist and geologist at The University of Auckland.

This is where were going to transform out of near Earth orbit and back into what people will call deep space, Campbell said.

In 2003, China became the third nation to launch an astronaut into orbit on its own, four decades after the former Soviet Union and the United States. Its first temporary orbiting laboratory was launched in 2011 and a second in 2016. Plans call for a permanent space station to be launched after 2022.

This weeks landing is a historic step in Chinas cooperation with the international community in the peaceful use of outer space, said a foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying.

China will continue to promote international cooperation and the exploration and use of outer space in the spirit of working for the benefit of all mankind, Hua said.

After astronaut Yang Liweis 2003 flight, space officials expressed hope for a crewed lunar mission as early as this year. But they said that depended on budget and technology. They have pushed back that target to 2024 or later.

The space agency gave no reason for landing its latest probe on the Sea of Storms, far from where American and Soviet craft touched down. But the choice might help to shed light on possible sites being studied for a crewed mission.

Beijings space plane would be Chinas version of the American Space Shuttle and the former Soviet Unions short-lived Buran.

China also has launched its own Beidou network of navigation satellites so the Communist Partys military wing, the Peoples Liberation Army, doesnt need to rely on the U.S.-run GPS or a rival Russian system.

Last year, China graduated from me too missions copying Soviet and American ventures to scoring its own firsts when it became the first nation to land a probe on the moons little-explored far side.

That probe, the Change 4, and its robot rover still are functioning, transmitting to Earth via an orbiter that passes over the moons far side. Chinas first moon lander, the Change 3, still is transmitting.

Chinas earliest crewed spacecraft, the Shenzhou capsules, were based on Russian technology. Its powerful Long March rockets are, like their Soviet and American predecessors, based on ballistic missiles developed using technology seized from Nazi Germany after World War II.

China has proceeded more cautiously than the breakneck U.S.-Soviet space race of the 1960s, which was marked by fatalities. Chinas crewed missions have gone ahead without incident. Some launches of robot vehicles have been delayed by technical problems but those appear to have been resolved.

China is in a growing space rivalry with Asian neighbors Japan and India, which it sees as strategic competitors. Both have sent their own probes to Mars.

While Change 5 gathers moon rocks, Japans space agency just pulled off the even more challenging feat of obtaining samples from an asteroid, Ryugu. The Hayabusa2 mission is due to deliver those to Earth on Saturday.

As its confidence grows, Beijings space goals have multiplied.

It has joined the race to explore Mars, and its Tianwen-1 probe, launched in July carrying a robot rover to search for signs of water, is due to complete its 470-million kilometer (292-million mile) journey in February.

Plans call for a permanent crewed space station as early as 2022.

China is excluded from the International Space Station due to U.S. opposition to including Chinese military officers in a venture that otherwise is operated by civilian space agencies.

Plans also call for an international lunar research base at some point, the deputy director of the Chinese agencys lunar exploration center, Pei Zhaoyu, told reporters last week.

Despite its successes, the military-run Chinese program is more secretive than those of other governments.

Yang and other Chinese astronauts made only a handful of brief public appearances following their flights, in contrast to Soviet and American astronauts who were sent on global publicity tours before cheering foreign crowds.

The agency announced in September its space plane had completed a successful test flight but has yet to release details or even a photo of the craft.

___

Milko reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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China's space ambitions: Robot on Mars, a human on the moon - Associated Press

NASA commercial cargo provider SpaceX is targeting 11:39 a.m. EST Saturday, Dec. 5, for the launch of its 21st commercial resupply services (CRS-21) mission to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A at the agencys Kennedy Space Center in Florida. CRS-21 will deliver science investigations, supplies, and equipment for NASA and is the first mission under the companys second Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA.

Live coverage will air on NASA Television and the agencys website, with prelaunch events Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5.

The upgraded Dragon spacecraft will be filled with supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations that will occur during Expeditions 64 and 65. In addition to bringing research to the station, the Dragons unpressurized trunk will transport the Nanoracks Bishop Airlock.

The first commercially funded space station airlock, the Bishop Airlock is an airtight segment used for the transfer of payloads between the inside and outside of the station. It provides payload hosting, robotics testing, and satellite deployment while also serving as an outside toolbox for astronauts conducting spacewalks.

About 12 minutes after launch, Dragon will separate from the Falcon 9 rockets second stageand begin a carefully choreographed series of thruster firings to reach the space station. Arrival at the space station is planned for Sunday, Dec. 6. Dragon will autonomously dock to the stations Harmony module with Expedition 64 Flight Engineers Kate Rubins and Victor Glover of NASA monitoring operations.

The Dragon spacecraft will spend about one month attached to the space station before it returns to Earth with research and return cargo, with splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean.

Saturday, Dec. 5

Sunday, Dec. 6

Members of the public can attend the launch virtually, receiving mission updates and opportunities normally reserved for on-site guests. NASAs virtual launch experience for CRS-21 includes curated launch resources, a behind-the-scenes look at the mission, notifications about NASA social interactions, and the opportunity for a virtual launch passport stamp following a successful launch.

To participate, members of the public can register for email updates or RSVP to the Facebook event for social media updatesto stay up-to-date on mission information, mission highlights, and interaction opportunities. To find out more, visit:

https://go.nasa.gov/3kaJKJz

Engage kids and students in science, technology, engineering, and math aboard the space station through NASAs STEM on Station.

Members of the public also can share in the journey through a variety of activities, including:

Virtual Launch Passport

Print, fold, and get ready to fill yourvirtual launch passport. Stamps will be emailed following launches to all registrants (who are registered via email through Eventbrite). Passports available now:

https://go.nasa.gov/364lPIt

Watch and Engage on Social Media

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know youre following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtags #Dragon, #NASASocial, #BishopAirlock. Follow and tag these accounts:

Twitter: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @NASASocial, @Space_Station, @ISS_Research, ISS National Lab, @SpaceX

Facebook: NASA, NASAKennedy, ISS, ISS National Lab

Instagram: @NASA, @NASAKennedy, @ISS, @ISSNationalLab, @SpaceX

Learn more about the SpaceX resupply mission at:

https://www.nasa.gov/spacex

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NASA TV Coverage Set for Next Space Station Resupply Mission with SpaceX - The Southern Maryland Chronicle

Astronauts are harvesting fresh radishes grown in space, a delicious prospect that also could help seed food production efforts for longer-term missions to the moon and Mars.

On Monday, NASA flight engineer Kate Rubins pulled out 20 radish plants grown in the space station's Advanced Plant Habitat, wrapping them in foil for cold storage until they can make the voyage back to Earth next year.

Radishes are the latest type of fresh produce to be successfully grown and harvested in zero gravity, joining "Outredgeous" red romaine lettuce, green lettuce, Chinese cabbage, lentils and mustard, according to a NASA fact sheet.

"I've worked on APH since the beginning, and each new crop that we're able to grow brings me great joy because what we learn from them will help NASA send astronauts to Mars and bring them back safely," said Nicole Dufour, the Advanced Plant Habitat program manager at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, in a news release.

Food for future space missions

Back on the ground, scientists at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida are growing radishes in a control group set for harvest on December 15. The researchers will compare the space-grown radishes to the veggies grown on Earth, checking on how space produce measures up on providing the minerals and nutrients astronauts need as they prepare for longer trips.

Meanwhile, astronauts will repeat the radish experiment in the heavens, planting and harvesting another round of radish crop to give scientists more data to draw from.

With their short cultivation time, radishes present potential advantages as a food source for future astronauts embarking on deep space missions in years to come. The radishes grow quickly, and they can reach full maturity in 27 days.

The root vegetables also don't require much maintenance from the crew as they grow.

"Radishes provide great research possibilities by virtue of their sensitive bulb formation," said Karl Hasenstein, a professor of biology at the University of Louisiana and the principal investigator on the project, in a news release.

Researchers will analyze the effects of carbon dioxide on the radishes as well as how the vegetables acquire and distribute minerals, according to Hasenstein, who has run plant experiments with NASA since 1995.

Astronauts have grown 15 different types of plants on the station, including eight different types of leafy greens. And NASA has already tested more than 100 crops on Earth, identifying which candidates to try out next in space.

"Growing a range of crops helps us determine which plants thrive in microgravity and offer the best variety and nutritional balance for astronauts on long-duration missions," Dufour said.

Years of research with space crops

The latest experiments build upon ongoing research growing and harvesting plants in space.

Researchers at NASA began experiments using its Vegetable Production Systems growth chambers back in 2014 shortly after they were delivered to the space station.

Some of the early experiments with red romaine lettuce resulted in a paper, published this March in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science, showing that space lettuce was safe to eat.

In August 2015, NASA shared a video that features American astronauts Dr. Kjell Lindgren and Scott Kelly floating aboard the station, saying "Cheers" and eating the space-grown treat.

"Tastes good," Kelly said.

Getting space agriculture right matters because the nutrients in the prepackaged food that astronauts currently eat in space degrade over a period of time, NASA said.

Getting humans to Mars and back safely over a two- or three-year mission requires growing food along the way. That not only gives astronauts more of a vibrant supply of fresh nutrients on the voyage; it also serves an emotional need as they tend to crops that are both a figurative and literal taste of home, according to the agency.

The NASA Artemis program aims to land the first woman and next man on the moon in 2024, and to establish a sustained presence on the moon by 2028. From there, the agency will be poised to begin staging its next big leap, to Mars.

But before we make it to the red planet, we've first got to make a tasty green space salad.

CNN's Ashley Strickland contributed to this story.

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Drake is selling a candle that smells like ... Drake, and more of this week's weirdest news - Bryan-College Station Eagle

WASHINGTON An on-orbit gas station could be the latest addition to the growing portfolio of satellite life-extension services, with the first so-called gas station in space anticipated to be launched by Orbit Fab in June 2021.

In-orbit servicing companies are rapidly proliferating with a five-fold increase since we founded Orbit Fab in 2018, CEO Daniel Faber said in a statement. Our gas stations in space are an essential resource to fuel this industry and support the infrastructure in space that enables projected commerce, exploration and national security.

Launched in 2018, the San Francisco, California-based Orbit Fab announced Nov. 18 it signed a deal with Spaceflight Inc. to launch its first operational fuel depot into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. Once on orbit, Tanker 001 Tenzing will be a potential source of fuel for compatible space vehicles with depleted fuel stores.

Space vehicles can connect with the fuel depot through the Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface, a technology for transferring liquids that has been adopted by a number of companies. Orbit Fab first tested its RAFTI on orbit in a private water transfer to the International Space Station.

The space-based fuel depot has already drawn interest from the U.S. military, which is interested in finding new ways to extend its satellites lives with supplemental fuel. Earlier this year the company was awarded a $3 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to fully flight-qualify the RAFTI valve.

If successful, the fuel depot will add to the growing portfolio of satellite life-extension services offered to the government by industry.

Most notably, SpaceLogistics, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary, is working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to build a mission-extension vehicle with a robotic arm that can service on-orbit satellites. The company is already using its first mission extension vehicle to extend the life of a commercial communications satellite, supplementing the customer satellites depleted fuel reserves with its own. Astroscale known primarily as an orbital debris removal company is developing a similar life-extension service.

In the future, Orbit Fab sees its fuel depot working as a refueling station for similar mission-extension vehicles.

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Orbit Fabs RAFTI supports the Air Force and Space Force need for space combat logistics capabilities (On-Orbit Servicing), which enables space domain awareness, said Orbit Fabs chief development officer, Jeremy Schiel. Refueling is a requirement in the emerging Space Force architecture and for good reason. You dont want to run out of fuel in the middle of a confrontation.

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Could an on-orbit gas station extend the lives of military satellites? - C4ISRNet

In 2019, United States President Donald Trump declared space is the new war-fighting domain. This followed the creation of the US Space Force and a commitment to American dominance in outer space.

Other space-faring nations, and those who fear the acceleration of an arms race in space, were greatly concerned. At the latest meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, states noted with alarm that preventing conflicts in outer space and preserving outer space for peaceful purposes is more necessary than ever.

The election of Joe Biden as the next US president and Kamala Harris as vice-president suggests there is cause for hope. The future of space may look more like the recent launch of NASAs SpaceX Crew-1 mission to the International Space Station.

Onboard were US and Japanese astronauts, who joined Russian and US crew already living aboard the ISS. As the Falcon 9 rocket soared into space, the collaborative, cooperative and commercial nature of space was once again clear for all to see.

The incoming Biden-Harris administration appears more interested in international cooperation, and much more cognisant of the challenges of climate change, pandemics and other global issues. A carefully calibrated space policy can do much to address terrestrial challenges, while still allowing for many positive space activities.

Since 1967, human activity in space has been guided by the universally accepted principles embedded in the Outer Space Treaty. This has ensured we have had no military conflict in space, and required the exploration and use of space for the benefit and in the interests of all countries.

Any alternative vision of the future of space is dreadful to consider. Rhetoric about the inevitability of war in space makes such conflict more likely and risks a tragedy of the commons in space.

Any space war would have no clear winner. In a complex, globally shared arena such as space, it is important that states abide by accepted rules and established practices.

The US has great scientific and technological advantages and a robust and competitive commercial space sector. Instead of seeking dominance, it can better serve the world (and itself) by focusing its leadership on harnessing space for the benefit of all humankind.

In a promising sign, Biden and Harriss NASA review team is composed of an outstanding group of space scientists as well as a former astronaut.

The current administration re-established the National Space Council, which is chaired by the vice president, and this has reinvigorated American investment and leadership in space exploration. This includes an ambitious plan to return to the Moon under the terms of the Artemis Accords.

To ensure the fragile and shared domain of outer space does not become an arena for conflict, the rules that apply to any military uses of space need to be understood, respected and further developed. Failure to do so could lead to devastation, disruption and impact on civilian lives, particularly in the largest and most powerful countries like the US, whose economies and societies are heavily dependent on space infrastructure. Their access to space has given them the greatest competitive advantage, but they are therefore the most vulnerable if that access is compromised.

Space is a congested, contested and competitive area where scientific, commercial and economic interests converge, as well as military and national security concerns. In this sense, space is like the radio frequency spectrum, which has been successfully regulated and managed for decades under international rules adopted through the International Telecommunication Union.

But space is also much more. As the recent Crew-1 mission demonstrated, there are significant benefits when nations come together and cooperate. Enlightened leadership, guided by commonly agreed laws and practices and a recognition that we share outer space as custodians for future generations is the only realistic way forward.

Steven Freeland is a Professor of International Law at the Western Sydney University.

David Kuan-Wei Chen is the Executive Director at the Centre for Research in Air and Space Law and Ram S Jakhu the Director of the Institute of Air and Space Law at the McGill University.

This article first appeared on The Conversation.

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Trumps idea of war in space would be a catastrophe. Global cooperation is the only way ahead - Scroll.in

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