The Space Economy and Space Politics: News and Developments

[Cara]

This is a thread to collect items related to the Space Economy and associated Space Politics (domestic and international).

Items that might be relevant are:
- private space investment
- satellite programmes etc.
- space stations and developments
- national, regional and international space ventures
- militarisation of space

There may be other related items that come up but this is my first guess of what might fall into the category.

The main objective is to collate items in the newly rejuvenated space sector - both private and public - which seems to have been injected with new impetus. Trends, themes and patterns may also emerge.

[Cara]

First, the latest announcement from President Putin on Russia’s space programme; remarks delivered on Cosmonautics Day, 12 April 2018:


Putin lays out priorities of Russia’s space program on Cosmonautics Day
Tomasz Nowakowski
Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting the Cosmos pavilion at the all-Russian Center of Achievements of the National Economy (VDNKh) in Moscow on April 12, 2018.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting the Cosmos pavilion at the all-Russian Center of Achievements of the National Economy (VDNKh) in Moscow on April 12, 2018. Photo Credit: kremlin.ru

Russian President Vladimir Putin made remarks regarding essential elements of his nation’s space program on Thursday, April 12, when the country celebrated Cosmonautics Day.

Cosmonautics Day in Russia celebrates the anniversary of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first person to orbit the Earth. For Russian officials, the day is considered to be the perfect occasion to recall the achievements of the country’s space program – and to outline potential future goals.

This year, Putin visited the Cosmos pavilion at the all-Russian Center of Achievements of the National Economy (VDNKh) in Moscow, where he made remarks about Russia’s future space exploration plans. In one of his first statements, Putin declared when the first tests of a new super-heavy rocket will be carried out.

“The super-heavy rocket, the first trial is planned in 10 years,” Putin said.

These tests are currently planned to be conducted at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East. However, Putin added that in order to perform these trials, a special infrastructure is needed there, including a dedicated launch compound.

“One more launch pad needs to be created at the Vostochny Space Launch Center,” the Russian president acknowledged.

Putin went on to note that work on the rocket and the launch site required to support it – should be carried out simultaneously.

“When we discussed all these issues, we agreed that one project should be synchronized with the other, so that we can have the launch pads and rockets simultaneously. Otherwise it makes no sense,” Putin said.

Answering questions from cosmonauts, including Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, Putin also promised to push ahead with the nation’s lunar program. He noted that the first step of a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 is creating a space station in lunar orbit. He was referring to the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, formerly known as the Deep Space Gateway – an international cislunar space station.

“A Moon orbiter will come first. Then modules on the Moon itself will emerge. At least that is what the plans are. I hope they will come true,” Putin revealed.

The Russian president added that the super-heavy rocket is planned to play a major role in Russia’s lunar program as well as the next-generation spacecraft known as “Federation.” RKK Energia, the spacecraft’s manufacturer, plans to complete the construction of the first vessel by 2021.

In addition to remarks regarding the super-heavy rocket and lunar program, Putin also told the crowd that Russia has no intention of withdrawing from international cooperation in space. The statement came when tensions between Moscow and the West are rising and there are concerns that this growing tension could jeopardize international space projects, like the Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway.

“We are not going to upset anything or to quit these programs. We are determined to complete them. We have partners in the exploration of Mars and the Moon – the United States, Canada, Japan, and the European Union,” Putin said.

From here: http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/organizations/roscosmos/putin-lays-priorities-russias-space-program-cosmonautics-day/

[Justplain]

Isnt it interesting that Russia still tows the deep state 'party line' that we can only get to deep space using 'heavy rockets'. Russia already has publicly published research that shows that mass can be reduced.

In fact, the black ops have known about antigravity for more than half a century, as evidenced by the testimony of Bill Uhouse, who worked in Area 51 on antigravity flight simulator in the 1950’s and met aliens:

VxA-Y4enohQ

The deep state and black ops have known about alien moon bases as well, as noted by Sgt Karl Wolfe, Secret Structures on the Moon:

_4hycqDNnPE

A blackops antigravity craft is the TR-3B, the manmade black flying triangle

http://www.darkgovernment.com/news/tr-3b/

Also, the u.s.a. has already militarized space:
RaghqW1QWQQ

[Cara]

Thanks both for the contributions above.

@Cider, in answer to the question: yes, I think there is a shift going on with many more private corporations playing more transparently in the Space Economy. I think this is the “corporatisation” of space. I believe we are going to start seeing far more about mining in space etc. from private companies. Perhaps this will be a little like the British East India company being the company that controlled and drove much of the British colonialisation... and they simply called in the British military to back them up when things got too hot for them to handle.

I guess the overall idea is to track the growing mercantilism of space.

So, the last story you posted, about Rolls Royce and Boeing investing in a UK space engine is the type of thing I wanted to collate and collect here.

[Jayke]

Isnt it interesting that Russia still tows the deep state 'party line' that we can only get to deep space using 'heavy rockets'.

They’re not towing the deep state party line completely, just enough to not give the game away and provoke the wrath of the deep state space factions that want to remain secret. Russia announced a couple years ago that they’ve invented a nuclear powered rocket that can get us to Mars in 6 weeks. Now that may not be anti-gravity tech but 6 weeks is still short enough to provide a pretext for colonising Mars.

https://www.rt.com/news/334416-russia-space-nuclear-engine/

A nuclear power propulsion system could propel a spacecraft to Mars in just over a month, a huge step forward from the current 18 months required. Russia might test a nuclear engine as early as 2018, the head of the Rosatom nuclear corporation revealed.
Another advantage of a nuclear engine is that it enables a spacecraft to maneuver throughout the flight, whereas existing technology only makes a defined trajectory flight possible.

Radiation makes Mars travel impossible today…let’s fly faster!
“A nuclear power unit makes it possible to reach Mars in a matter of one to one and a half months, providing capability for maneuvering and acceleration,” the head of Rosatom Sergey Kirienko said. “Today's engines can only reach Mars in a year and a half, without the possibility of return,” Kirienko said.

The nuclear engine project was launched in 2010 and by 2012 an engineering design had been created. The project’s budget is estimated at 20 billion rubles (about $US274 million).

It has been reported that a prototype nuclear drive could start testing by 2018. Traditional rocket engines are believed to have reached the limit of their potential and can’t be used for deep space exploration.

An operable module with a nuclear drive would facilitate space exploration both for close-range expeditions to the Moon and deep-space autonomous robotic missions to the outskirts of the Solar system

What I find interesting, is Putins announcement of their ‘invincible’ nuclear powered missiles, (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/01/vladimir-putin-threatens-arms-race-with-new-missiles-announcement) that can keep a nuclear warhead in flight indefinitely, with unlimited range, and is most likely derived from the same technology they’re putting into their heavy-rockets. And from the gist of the video below, it sounds like the concept of heavy-rocket is more to do with the physics of keeping a space station locked into a lunar orbit where the gravity isn’t as strong as the Earths.

CGJjrsTLE7M

[Cara]

... Russia announced a couple years ago that they’ve invented a nuclear powered rocket that can get us to Mars in 6 weeks. Now that may not be anti-gravity tech but 6 weeks is still short enough to provide a pretext for colonising Mars.

https://www.rt.com/news/334416-russia-space-nuclear-engine/

A nuclear power propulsion system could propel a spacecraft to Mars in just over a month, a huge step forward from the current 18 months required. Russia might test a nuclear engine as early as 2018, the head of the Rosatom nuclear corporation revealed.
Another advantage of a nuclear engine is that it enables a spacecraft to maneuver throughout the flight, whereas existing technology only makes a defined trajectory flight possible.

Radiation makes Mars travel impossible today…let’s fly faster!
“A nuclear power unit makes it possible to reach Mars in a matter of one to one and a half months, providing capability for maneuvering and acceleration,” the head of Rosatom Sergey Kirienko said. “Today's engines can only reach Mars in a year and a half, without the possibility of return,” Kirienko said.

...

It has been reported that a prototype nuclear drive could start testing by 2018. Traditional rocket engines are believed to have reached the limit of their potential and can’t be used for deep space exploration.

An operable module with a nuclear drive would facilitate space exploration both for close-range expeditions to the Moon and deep-space autonomous robotic missions to the outskirts of the Solar system

What I find interesting, is Putins announcement of their ‘invincible’ nuclear powered missiles, (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/01/vladimir-putin-threatens-arms-race-with-new-missiles-announcement) that can keep a nuclear warhead in flight indefinitely, with unlimited range, and is most likely derived from the same technology they’re putting into their heavy-rockets.....

This is a “doozie”, thanks for posting!

I guess when your funds are limited (Russia’s economy is relatively small) you have to look at ways of sharing expertise and expense across different programmes.... as a result we may be seeing the “two birds with one stone” outcomes of collaborative efforts in the form of two variants of the same underlying nuclear engine.

[Cara]

And here’s another development to enable / facilitate the mercantilism of space: galactic space positioning, courtesy NASA.


NASA's Got a Plan for a 'Galactic Positioning System' to Save Astronauts Lost in Space
By Rafi Letzter, Live Science Staff Writer | April 17, 2018 07:00am ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Outer space glows with a bright fog of X-ray light, coming from everywhere at once. But peer carefully into that fog, and faint, regular blips become visible. These are millisecond pulsars (https://www.space.com/32661-pulsars.html), city-sized neutron stars rotating incredibly quickly, and firing X-rays (https://www.livescience.com/32344-what-are-x-rays.html) into the universe with more regularity than even the most precise atomic clocks. And NASA wants to use them to navigate probes and crewed ships through deep space.

A telescope mounted on the International Space Station (ISS), the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), has been used to develop a brand new technology with near-term, practical applications: a galactic positioning system, NASA scientist Zaven Arzoumanian told physicists Sunday (April 15) at the April meeting of the American Physical Society.

With this technology, "You could thread a needle to get into orbit around the moon of a disant planet instead of doing a flyby," Arzoumian told Live Science. A galactic positioning system could also provide "a fallback, so that if a crewed mission loses contact with the Earth, they'd still have navigation systems on board that are autonomous."

Right now, the kind of maneuvers that navigators would need to put a probe in orbit around distant moons are borderline impossible. In the vastness of outer space, it's just not possible to figure out a ship's location precisely enough to engine-firing just right. That's a big part of why so many of the most famous planetary missions NASA has managed — Voyager 1 (https://www.livescience.com/39620-how-big-is-solar-system.html), Juno, and New Horizons among them — have been flybys, where spacecraft have flown close to, but just past, major planetary objects.

Relying on Earth for navigation is also a problem for crewed missions, Arzoumian said. If that signal, connecting Earth and a distant spacecraft like a long and tenuous thread, gets somehow lost, astronauts would be hard-pressed to find their way home from Mars.

Here's how the galactic positioning system would work

A galactic positioning system would go a long way toward solving that problem, Arzoumian said, though he cautioned he's more a pulsar expert than a navigator. And it would work a great deal like the Global Positioning System (GPS) on your smartphone.
...
From here: https://www.space.com/40325-galactic-positioning-system-nasa.html

==========

Interestingly, Dr Paul LaViolette speculated that pulsars could form some kind of galaxy wide communications network in his book, “Decoding the Message of the Pulsars”:


Decoding the Message of the Pulsars presents evidence for the existence of interstellar radio beacons of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) origin that are beaming signals toward the solar system. Dr. LaViolette announced this important discovery to the astronomical community on January 12, 2000 at the 195th meeting of the American Astronomical Society held in Atlanta, Georgia (abstract). His findings were well received.

First time proof of the existence of interstellar radio signals of intelligent origin being sent to us.
Evidence that pulsars are part of a vast network of ETI communication beacons.

This exhaustive study presents first time proof that astronomers have been receiving radio signals of intelligent origin. As early as 1967 and continuing to the present, radio astronomers have been carefully studying and cataloging unusual interstellar beacons called pulsars thinking them to be stars of natural origin. Dr. LaViolette, who has been researching pulsars for 35 years, shows that, up to now, the nature of these radio sources has been grossly misunderstood. He has discovered that a number of very unique pulsars are nonrandomly distributed in the sky and mark key Galactic locations that have particular significance from an ETI communication standpoint. He also presents evidence of unusual geometric alignments among pulsars and intriguing pulse period relationships. Equally compelling is the message they are sending-a warning about a past Galactic core explosion disaster that should help us avert a future global tragedy.


Contains extensive analysis of pulsar data, revealing new ideas about the origins and functions of pulsars
Provides proof of an extraterrestrial communication network
Includes information about the formation of crop circles and force-field-beaming technology

From here: http://etheric.com/decoding-message-of-the-pulsars/

==========

I wonder if there is a kind of galactic Piri Reis map (http://www.sacred-texts.com/piri/index.htm) we have “found” and are using for this galactic positioning system?

Can’t have our space trawlers and expeditionary vehicles getting lost, can we?

[Cara]

Here is an article about managing traffic in space.... yes, it seems we have now shifted from “space junk” to “space traffic”. This signals that there may be some planning for more activity and the need for frameworks, agreements and systems potentially outside of the military domain or at least some parts outside of the military domain.

Couple this with the fact that several of the world’s largest companies have revenues and market capitalisation larger than those of many nation states and it may be that corporations outside of the military industrial complex are seeking to widen the participation in space.

The language used in this article is interesting.... it speaks of “space traffic control”, obviously drawing on the idea of air traffic control and evoking the idea of busy airports and multiple flights.....


Space traffic control: technological means and governance implications
by Nayef Al-Rodhan
Monday, April 16, 2018

Since the first human-made object was launched into space in October 1957, the number of objects orbiting the Earth has risen into the thousands. The term “space traffic” refers to all spacecraft (both active and inactive) and space debris that are currently orbiting the Earth. The current amount of space traffic in orbit is quite striking. According to NASA, there are more than 500,000 pieces of debris the size of a marble or larger, orbiting the Earth, travelling at speeds of up to 28,000 kilometers per hour, enough to damage a satellite or spacecraft upon contact. In fact, at that speed, even “tiny flecks of paint can damage a spacecraft”. Data provided by the United States Space Surveillance Network (SSN) quotes that there are around 21,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters orbiting the Earth and more than 200,000 smaller objects.

The “over-congestion” of key orbits greatly decreases their utility, as collisions become far more likely. Collisions between existing objects can create further debris, subsequently increasing the chance of collision and jeopardizing future space travel.

The variety of objects in space is large. Orbital debris comprises expired spacecraft, spent rocket boosters, individual pieces of space assets, and even objects such as gloves. The last few decades have seen a drastic increase in the amount of objects in the low Earth orbit (LEO) domain—between 200 and 2,000 kilometers in attitude—which is by far the most congested orbit and contains important space assets such as the International Space Station (ISS) and other crewed spacecraft, as well as the Hubble Space Telescope. The economic importance of the LEO domain is growing rapidly with the emergence of new space systems, comprising hundreds to thousands of small or medium-size satellites, for Earth observation and telecommunications. These new space systems create new space traffic risks and are themselves at risk from others satellites and debris.

The amount of traffic in space complicates the task of launching new satellites. Launch windows already depend on a variety of factors and thus must be very carefully planned. Windows for launch can be limited, and the need to assess space traffic to avoid collisions simply adds another factor for consideration. Today, more than 60 nations spend a portion of their national budgets on space projects and, increasingly, private companies are launching new objects into orbit. Over the course of several years, scientists have noted a stark increase in the number of times two space objects have passed closer to each other than the minimum distance generally understood as safe. Any object larger than one centimeter can cause damage to satellites and other space assets, and most space debris are uncontrolled travel at high speed. The “over-congestion” of key orbits greatly decreases their utility, as collisions become far more likely. Collisions between existing objects can create further debris, subsequently increasing the chance of collision and jeopardizing future space travel.

...


Continues here: http://www.thespacereview.com/article/3473/1

[Cara]

So, Airbus together with Masayoshi Son, the CEO of SoftBank, and Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, are planning a 500 satellite network - EarthNow LLC - that will provide “unmatched” video coverage of the earth:

(Side note: SoftBank is also in a joint venture with Google to run an AI as a mayoral candidate in Japan: http://otaquest.com/tama-city-ai-mayor/)


Satellite Project Draws Airbus, SoftBank, Bill Gates as Investors
Constellation of some 500 powerful satellites designed to provide real-time, continuous global coverage

April 18, 2018 5:17 a.m. ET
By
Andy Pasztor

Airbus SE and two of the world’s most recognizable tech billionaires, Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates and SoftBank Group Corp. chief executive Masayoshi Son, propose to build and launch some 500 small satellites intended to provide unmatched video coverage of the globe.

The EarthNow LLC project, slated to be unveiled Wednesday, is still in its formative stage without a firm price tag, launch schedule or technical details, according to founder and chief executive Russell Hannigan.
...
From here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/satellite-project-draws-airbus-softbank-bill-gates-as-investors-1524043058
(I cannot get the remainder because I do not have a subscription)

==========

Russell Hannigan, mentioned in the article as being the EarthNow project’s chief executive, used to do business development for Intellectual Ventures.... and that company has been involved in making Tesla’s wireless power a reality with their initial focus being drones.

(Side note: wasn’t Google also doing work on AI for drones for the US military: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/07/google-ai-us-department-of-defense-military-drone-project-maven-tensorflow:)


Wireless energy for drones? Intellectual Ventures beams power with metamaterials
by Alan Boyle on February 1, 2017 at 7:00 am

BELLEVUE, Wash. – Wireless power transmission has been a dream since the days of Nikola Tesla (https://www.geekwire.com/2016/pbs-documentary-shows-why-nikola-tesla-is-a-tragic-hero-for-geeks/), but Intellectual Ventures (http://www.intellectualventures.com/) is adding a twist to make it so, and make it profitable.

The twist is a little something called metamaterials (http://www.iop.org/resources/topic/archive/metamaterials/), a technology that has already spawned several spin-outs from the Bellevue-based company. Russell Hannigan, senior director of business development for Intellectual Ventures’ Invention Science Fund (http://www.intellectualventures.com/insights/category/isf/), says a decision on how to commercialize the technology is just “a few months away.”

...

“Our driving application – the one that’s the most lucrative – is drones,” Hannigan said.

...
From here: https://www.geekwire.com/2017/intellectual-ventures-microwaves-metamaterials-beam-power/

==========

Intellectual Ventures does not have such a rosy reputation (see for instance here: https://www.cnet.com/news/inside-intellectual-ventures-the-most-hated-company-in-tech/) having been accused of buying up and hoarding patents.

It also seems to be at the confluence of quite a few leading edge scientific development commercialisations:


... Intellectual Ventures’ past spin-outs in the field include Kymeta, which focuses on flat-panel antennas; Echodyne, which works on drone-friendly radar scanners; and Evolv, which is building security scanners. Yet another metamaterials venture based in Bellevue, Pivotal Communications, can trace its lineage to the Invention Science Fund.

...

The lab’s power-beaming system shoots microwaves at a metamaterials-based reflective array the size of a chalkboard, which focuses the waves on their intended target. In real-world applications, the reflector’s focus can be shifted electronically to track a moving target without having to reposition the antenna.

... the University of Washington’s Matt Reynolds, is also a consultant for the new project that Intellectual Ventures has in mind. ... “In order to get longer-range wireless power … you need to use fundamentally different physics,” he said.

...


Microwaves being shot at a metamaterials array? A link to the new 5G system perhaps.... or maybe something to do with space weapons?

And,

“you need to use a fundamentally different physics”
How interesting: this is reminiscent of the statement of Lockheed Martin’s Ben Rich statement that there is “an error in the equations”. Perhaps the zero point energy ideas might be dripping through from the black budget world.

==========

Back to EarthNow and its founder and CEO: Richard Hannigan is an interesting guy (https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-hannigan-7722562).

Before this EarthNow project, he worked for Intellectual Ventures for eight years.
He has a number of patents to his name.
He started his career at British Aerospace Systems in 1985 and
He attended an educational programme at the “International Space University” in 1988



The International Space University Central Campus and global headquarters are located in Illkirch-Graffenstaden near Strasbourg, France. ... for educating and training space professionals and post-graduate students. As of January 2014, there were over 3700 ISU alumni from more than 100 countries. In November 2017 the International Space University hosted a conference in Strasbourg that led to the formation of the Moon Village Association. [2][3]

The ISU faculty members include astronauts, space agency leaders, space engineers, space scientists, managers, and experts in space law and policy comprising an international collection of experts in technical and non-technical space-related fields.

The Chancellor of the International Space University is Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin,[4] who succeeded then–European Space Agency Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain and acclaimed science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, in 2004. The fifth President of the International Space University is Prof. Walter Peeters, who took office in September 2011.
From here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_University

So was he “selected” all those years ago? Or is he returning to his real passion, space?

=========

So, it seems this project for 500 satellites might have quite a bit of support from long time players in the space game....

An additional fact that might give credence to this view is that I can’t find another article on it aside from the one in the Wall Street Journal (published by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corp, which is part of Rupert Murdoch’s media empire).
This points to a carefully orchestrated and managed PR campaign with connections to people of influence (I draw this conclusion based on my time managing marketing and PR campaigns for a multi national company).

[Cara]

A request to all posters regarding this thread:

It’s purpose is to focus on the economic and commercial side of space developments as a means to track the mercantilism in space.

Whether this is an ethical or moral direction to take is not what this thread is intended to discuss. There certainly are ethical issues and concerns but this is not the purpose of this thread.

:focus:

[Cara]

China’s interests in space are developing apace. Here an article on their plans for a shuttle:


Chinese space shuttle flights planned for 2030
Proposed reusable craft would launch from back of a plane

April 18, 2018 07:14 JST

CHONGQING -- China will have a reusable space shuttle ready for test flights in 2030, the head of a state-owned aerospace company tells Nikkei.

China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp., which also produces missiles and other military systems, aims to build broadband communications networks using low-orbit satellites as well.

"Technological advances have brought space development into the commercialization phase in a range of fields," Chairman Gao Hongwei told Nikkei in a written interview. The company will partner with aircraft maker Aviation Industry Corp. of China and rocket builder China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. in the country's aerospace push.

Developing a "spaceplane" shuttle -- which can take off and land horizontally, like an airplane, unlike American shuttles that blasted off vertically using rockets -- is one of CASIC's key commercial projects. The company sees the craft carrying out operations including satellite launches, space travel and resupplying space stations.

According to Chinese media, the spaceplane would consist of two winged vehicles: a large carrier for launching and a smaller one for spaceflight, which rides atop the launch craft. The carrier would fly the smaller vehicle to an altitude of 30km to 40km before separating and landing, while its companion would carry on up to space, fulfill its duties and finally return to Earth.

The ability to reuse both craft would significantly heighten CASIC's ability to compete on cost. It is currently researching technologies for parts such as engines and fuselages. The initial goal is to make a craft as capable as or better than the U.S. military's unmanned X-37B shuttle-like vessel, said a source affiliated with the project.

CASIC's other key space projects, which represent an unusual breadth even among global players, involve building communications networks using drones and low-orbit satellites, which would create access in places that would normally be difficult to reach. Such networks can be used for weather observation and natural disaster response, for instance. The company aims to have a constellation of 156 satellites in place and offer broadband service by 2025.

https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fs3-ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com%2Fpsh-ex-ftnikkei-3937bb4%2Fimages%2F_aliases%2Fmiddle_320%2F7%2F3%2F3%2F8%2F13678337-3-eng-GB%2F0418N-China-Rocket.jpg?source=nar-cms

The Kuaizhou 1A, developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp., can launch three satellites at once. (Photo from company web site)


The state-owned company is also ramping up its satellite-launching business. It has successfully launched its Kuaizhou 1A vehicle, which can deliver three satellites at once. That vehicle offers per-kilogram costs far below launch prices in the international market, according to Chinese media. CASIC aims to slash launch prices further -- to about $10,000 or less -- by developing a rocket capable of carrying twice as many satellites as the Kuaizhou 1A.

Reusable space shuttles are a common goal among international space players. U.S. company Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX -- fronted by Tesla entrepreneur Elon Musk -- has worked to cut launch costs by making vehicles reusable, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency plans to hold takeoff and landing tests for reusable craft next spring. CASIC aims "to join the top ranks of businesses with global competitive power," said Gao.

But concerns of security, including in the cyber realm, have made many international players wary of dealing with Chinese businesses. CASIC's military ties in particular will probably lead to calls for transparency inmanagement if it is to do more business with foreign companies.
From here: https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Chinese-space-shuttle-flights-planned-for-2030

[Cara]

It seems there is some jockeying for positioning among various players in the US space arena.

1. The US Airforce says they “can handle it”, no need for a separate space force:


Air Force leaders say they're the right force for space
While the Air Force wouldn't take direct aim at Trump administration trial balloons about creating a new military branch for space, leaders Tuesday used the Space Symposium to show such a force isn't needed -- the Air Force can do the job just fine.
...
From here: http://gazette.com/air-force-chiefs-at-space-symposium-say-a-space-force-is-unnecessary/article/1624514

2. The military industrial complex “old boys club”, are still playing...

Here’s Lockheed Martin evoking a sense of history to show their long credentials to continue to be in the game:


Lockheed CEO: Time is now to inspire next generation of space pioneers
The nation's space sector has a golden opportunity to inspire a generation of youth to pursue space careers, Lockheed Martin Corp. CEO Marillyn Hewson said Tuesday in Colorado Springs.

Hewson compared President Donald Trump's reformation of the National Space Council, headed by Vice President Mike Pence, to a speech by President John F. Kennedy just four months into his term that called for putting a human on the moon by the end of the 1960s.
...
From here: http://gazette.com/article/1624513

Maybe they’re feeling left out with all this hype about Elon Musk and SpaceX?

3. The new space heroes - SpaceX, RocketLab, etc. - (and some old: Virgin Galactic) are busy with their rockets and their PR campaigns, for instance just in the last two days:

Wednesday, April 18

Rocket Lab just got a leg up on the race to launch tiny satellites
CNNMoney.com — 6:45 am ET (1045 GMT)

Weather, technical issues delay Rocket Lab's first commercial launch
Hawke's Bay (NZ) Today — 6:44 am ET (1044 GMT)

Rocket Lab pushes back first commercial launch by 'weeks'
Stuff.co.nz — 6:42 am ET (1042 GMT)

Virgin Galactic Releases Update on New Mexico Spaceflight Operations
KRWG-FM Las Cruces, NM — 6:41 am ET (1041 GMT)

SpaceX set for second TESS launch attempt Wednesday evening
Orlando Sentinel — 6:26 am ET (1026 GMT)

SpaceX Will Build Its Next-Gen Mars Rocket in Los Angeles
SPACE.com — 5:39 am ET (0939 GMT)

Forecast clear for SpaceX launch of NASA planet hunter Wednesday
Florida Today — 5:19 am ET (0919 GMT)

Tuesday, April 17

Rocket Lab aiming for two space flights a month and a second launch pad video
Stuff.co.nz — 5:56 am ET (0956 GMT)

Virgin Galactic Works On Space Flight Cabin
Aviation Week — 5:53 am ET (0953 GMT)

SpaceX will build BFR spaceships and rocket boosters at Port of Los Angeles
Los Angeles Times — 5:51 am ET (0951 GMT)

SpaceX to build Mars rocket at the Port of Los Angeles
CNNMoney.com — 5:50 am ET (0950 GMT)

SpaceX Will Make Massive, Mars-Bound ‘BFR’ Rocket at L.A. Port
Bloomberg News — 5:41 am ET (0941 GMT)

Elon Musk’s latest SpaceX idea involves a party balloon and bounce house
TechCrunch — 5:35 am ET (0935 GMT)

SpaceX is about to launch a NASA satellite designed to discover thousands of planets
CNBC — 5:30 am ET (0930 GMT)

SpaceX Launch of NASA's TESS Space Telescope Scrubbed for Today
Popular Mechanics — 5:29 am ET (0929 GMT)

SpaceX to launch a small planet hunter for NASA on Monday
Ars Technica — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT)

It’s official: SpaceX will build its monster rocket in California
Ars Technica — 5:21 am ET (0921 GMT)

Elon Musk has a new idea, and it involves a rocket and a party balloon
Mashable — 5:19 am ET (0919 GMT)

SpaceX scrubs first attempt to launch TESS on a mission to search for near-Earth exoplanets
NasaSpaceFlight.com — 5:08 am ET (0908 GMT)

Watch SpaceX Loft NASA’s New Planet-Hunting Mission Into Orbit
Wired News — 5:07 am ET (0907 GMT)

NASA and SpaceX Delay Launch of TESS, a New Planet Hunter
New York Times — 5:05 am ET (0905 GMT)

Elon Musk Says SpaceX Will Try to Land a Rocket with a 'Giant Party Balloon'
SPACE.com — 4:55 am ET (0855 GMT)

SpaceX scrubs TESS launch, targets Wednesday attempt
Orlando Sentinel — 4:46 am ET (0846 GMT)

NASA, SpaceX targeting Wednesday launch of planet hunter after scrub
Florida Today — 4:35 am ET (0835 GMT)

Mayor says SpaceX to build new rocket in Port of Los Angeles
AP — 4:31 am ET (0831 GMT)

===========

This volume of press coverage points to a very significant, coordinated public relations campaign. Some parties are pushing this VERY HARD.

4. President Trump’s administration is taking an active role, shifting the space sector out of complete control of the military and to the department of commerce. VP Pence and republican Ross are on point as the “talking heads”:

Pence:

In Colorado, Pence says commerce dept. will play role in space traffic management
Florida Today — 4:35 am ET (0835 GMT)

National Space Council Will Deliver Space-Junk Plan to Trump, VP Pence Says
SPACE.com — 4:54 am ET (0854 GMT)

White House readies new system for space traffic management, VP Mike Pence says
GeekWire — 5:18 am ET (0918 GMT)

Vice President Pence talks up private-sector space, U.S. dominance during Colorado address to industry
Denver Business Journal — 5:42 am ET (0942 GMT)

Mike Pence tells Colorado Springs crowd about going to the moon and cleaning up space junk
Denver Post — 5:41 am ET (0941 GMT)

VP Mike Pence reaffirms commitment to return to the moon and beyond
KOAA-TV Colorado Springs — 5:48 am ET (0948 GMT)

VP Pence: Commerce Department will oversee new space debris policy
CNBC — 5:48 am ET (0948 GMT)

Trump administration aiming high in space exploration, Pence says at Space Symposium
Colorado Springs Gazette — 5:44 am ET (0944 GMT)

Ross:

Ross: Space is getting crowded and Earth debris needs serious attention
Florida Today — 5:19 am ET (0919 GMT)

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross lays out his plan to streamline space regulations
GeekWire — 6:17 am ET (1017 GMT)

And see story below from Salon.

Broader positioning:

Commerce to take responsibility for space traffic management under new policy
Space News — 4:58 am ET (0858 GMT)

A year later, a new political reality for military space
Space News — 5:03 am ET (0903 GMT)

5. The “intelligentsia” fire back from the sidelines with sarcasm:


Team Trump, lost in space: Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross wants a “gas station” on the moon
The administration’s focus on frivolous space travel is amusing. It also distracts attention from real problems

This week’s headlines about climate change should be alarming enough to nudge even the most environmentally-unconscious among us to contemplate the fate of our planet. Climate change is reportedly causing an uptick in Lyme disease. As heat waves increase due to climate change, so do heat-related illnesses and deaths. Oh, and a prominent lawyer, David Buckel, set himself on fire over the weekend and sent an email to The New York Times that read: “Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result — my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves.”

I'm sure you're surprised to learn that none of this news has apparently penetrated the Trump administration. Instead, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross -- a banking billionaire who is likely far wealthier than President Trump -- appeared on CNBC on Tuesday to discuss the future of business . . . in space. He did not mention the internet-beloved “Space Force” idea that Trump semi-coherently name-dropped during a speech at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in March. But believe it or not, there was talk about building a gas station on the moon. The interview was a continuation of the announcement that the Department of Commerce will oversee a new space traffic management policy, which Vice President Mike Pence announced on Monday.

Ross began by explaining how profitable space tourism could be in the future.
...
From here: https://www.salon.com/2018/04/18/wilbur-ross-wants-to-put-a-gas-station-on-the-moon-enable-space-mining/

6. NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) still play a role but it’s as opaque as ever....

NASA:

NASA Authorization Bill Clears Committee with Bipartisan Support After Last Minute Negotiations
SpacePolicyOnline.com — 6:01 am ET (1001 GMT)

Republicans move to force vote on Trump pick to head NASA
Atlanta Journal-Constitution — 5:26 am ET (0926 GMT)

And stories above show a high level of coordination with SpaceX

JPL:

Under cover of a celebration of a milestone achievement, JPL asks for USD 2 billion:

On 60th Anniversary of First U.S. Satellite, Rep. Chu Requests $2 billion for JPL
South Pasadenan — 6:34 am ET (1034 GMT)
https://southpasadenan.com/on-60th-anniversary-of-first-u-s-satellite-rep-chu-requests-2-billion-for-jpl/

(Note, when I follow the story URL, I get redirected to Google’s home page. Perhaps they have been “chastised” for this story?)


==========

There certainly are concerted efforts going on here by multiple players.

[Hervé]

[Mod Note: I have moved ~ 15 posts from this thread to constitute this new thread: Space, New Technologies and Better Living (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?102517-Space-New-Technologies-and-Better-Living) per the request in its post # 13 (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?102517-Space-New-Technologies-and-Better-Living&p=1220668&viewfull=1#post1220668), Hervé]

[Cara]

Thank you @Hervé

[Cara]

Well, here is more news on the Bill Gates, SoftBank chief executive sponsored satellite project EarthNow, which was in post #9 above.

The coverage is from RT:


Satellite surveillance startup aims to monitor entire Earth & stream video in real-time
Published time: 20 Apr, 2018 04:21 Edited time: 20 Apr, 2018 05:33

https://cdni.rt.com/files/2018.04/article/5ad95972fc7e93d6308b45e9.jpg
Satellite surveillance startup aims to monitor entire Earth & stream video in real-time

US-based startup EarthNow, which plans to deploy a constellation of hi-tech satellites to monitor the entire surface of Earth and stream HD footage 24/7, has secured backing from many notable investors, like Bill Gates and Airbus.

Though the contribution made by Microsoft’s founder is not disclosed, Gates is just one of many investors who are helping EarthNow reach for the stars. Other investors, including Airbus, the SoftBank Group, and tech entrepreneur Greg Wyler also support the initiative, to deploy a large network of state of the art imaging satellites that will (http://10z325bj2404dqj6e3lhft8y-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Press_Release_18April2018.pdf) deliver “real-time, continuous video of almost anywhere on Earth.”

“We created the world’s first low-cost, high-performance satellites for mass-production to bridge the digital divide. These very same satellite features will enable EarthNow to help humanity understand and manage its impact on Earth,” Wyler said.

The company’s goal is quite ambitious: It wants to create a global network of some 500 satellites, through which billions of users will be able to see places on Earth and monitor events almost in real time, with a tiny delay of less than a second. EarthNow’s founder and CEO, Russell Hannigan, explained that the satellite network can be used to monitor illegal activity from space or to detect weather conditions before they threaten the public. “We are excited by the prospect of giving everyone a stunningly-beautiful real-time window on your world from space. With EarthNow, we will all become virtual astronauts,” said Hannigan.

In order to achieve that, the company needs a fleet of super advanced satellites which will be built by Airbus and will feature enough CPU power to relay a video signal in real time. “Each satellite is equipped with an unprecedented amount of onboard processing power, including more CPU cores than all other commercial satellites combined,” the company said in its press release.

“Airbus has a unique heritage in design, manufacture and operation of Earth Observation satellite systems and would certainly be a valuable partner in this program,” said Nicolas Chamussy, Head of Space Systems at Airbus.

While the company promises to eventually make the service accessible to anyone through its “live Earth video” market application, its business plan initially wants to focus on “commercial video and intelligent vision services” for governments and corporations.

The company, however, promises to “respect societal privacy” and hire a Chief Privacy Officer to ensure they abide by privacy laws where they operate. “We will work closely with governments and the public at large to address privacy concerns while providing visual Earth coverage for the benefit of humanity and our planet,” EarthNow said (https://earthnow.com/).
From here: https://www.rt.com/news/424644-satellite-surveillance-earth-livestream/


So, cloaked under the guise of “helping humanity to understand their impact on the planet” (which may be a laudable goal), there will be high speed, no delay video surveillance by satellite of the entire planet... initial customers of this video surveillance will be governments and corporations.

I wonder what the likes of Monsanto, Nestle, etc. might do with this kind of live surveillance?

[Cara]

And here is some news about space tourism. I am a little sceptical of this idea since this was the raisin d’être of Virgin Galatic when it launched over a decade ago but perhaps this time the hype will translate into reality.


How to become a space tourist: 8 companies (almost) ready to launch
How much are you willing to pay to become an astronaut?

On April 28, 2001, 60-year-old American businessman Dennis Tito became the first tourist to leave Earth’s atmosphere behind, spending nearly 8 days in space, much of it aboard the International Space Station (ISS)—and reportedly paying $20 million dollars to do so. Despite objections from NASA, who thought that Tito’s training would not be sufficient by the time of his flight—Tito also thinks it’s likely (http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-13208329) they were concerned about his age—tourism company Space Adventures negotiated a deal with the Russian agency Roscosmos that got Tito a seat in a Soyuz.

Since then, there have been only six other space tourists, all traveling aboard a Soyuz to the ISS. The last one, Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberté, flew in 2009. The end of this early space tourism era came about due to the doubling of the crew size aboard the ISS in 2009, which left no room for visitors on the station, as well as the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011, which meant that NASA needed all extra Soyuz seats to launch its astronauts.

But the seven space tourists won’t be alone for long. Numerous private companies intend to launch their own space tourism programs. You’ve likely heard of the biggest players in the private spaceflight game: Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic (http://www.virgingalactic.com/) just resumed testing of its SpaceShipTwo vehicle earlier this month after a fatal test in 2014, and Blue Origin (https://www.blueorigin.com/), Jeff Bezos’ private spaceflight venture, is aiming to send crewed missions to space as early as this year (https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/19/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-could-send-tourists-to-space-in-2018.html).

And, in addition to these heavy hitters, there are quite a few other companies offering tourists a chance to reach space, too. Some are farther along in development than others, and there are always reasons to be skeptical when talking about space tourism. We’ve seen (https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-08/luxury-getaways-future-visit-orbital-technologies-space-hotel and https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2009-11/space-hotel-already-has-paying-guests-2012-debut) plenty of similar ventures come and go over the years without making it to space. But we choose to remain optimistic. Here are the most recent commercial space programs that would love to take you out of this world—for a price.

1. Orion Span (https://www.orionspan.com/)

In early April, Orion Span announced its plans for the Aurora Station, billing it as the world’s first luxury space hotel. Scheduled to begin construction in space in 2021 using the company's proprietary technology and construction methodology (though, what rocket system they'll use to launch the materials isn't yet clear), the station will have two private suites, with a total of four guests and two crew per stay. Guests will have to undergo a training program prior to their trip: “We have taken what was traditionally a 24-month training program to prepare travelers to visit a space station and streamlined it to three months,” says Orion Span CEO Frank Bunger. “Phase one of the certification program is done online, making space travel easier than ever. The next portion will be completed in-person at Orion Span’s state-of-the-art training facility in Houston, Texas. The final certification is completed during a traveler’s stay on Aurora Station.” In order to actually send guests to the Aurora Station, the company would like to partner with SpaceX for launches.

It will cost guests $9.5 million per person for a 12-day mission, making it one of the more “affordable” ways to temporarily live in space. “In context, historically, space tourists paid between $20 million and $50 million to stay aboard the ISS,” says Bunger. “Our long-term goal is to continue to drive that cost down further so that space is more accessible to more people.”

One other note—Aurora Station also plans on selling space condos if you want to make your stay a little more permanent.

2. Virgin Galactic (http://www.virgingalactic.com/)

Founded in 2004 by Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic aims to take tourists on suborbital flights aboard its SpaceShipTwo spacecraft, which is launched from an aircraft rather than a rocket. Though the company hoped to complete its maiden voyage in 2009, a series of setbacks have continuously delayed that inaugural trip. The most severe of these was the 2014 loss of the VSS Enterprise during a test flight, which killed co-pilot Michael Alsbury.

The company just returned to testing on April 5 with a powered test of VSS Unity, which reached an altitude of 84,271 feet. The ship plans to eventually take people just to the edge of space, at about 330,000 feet. As SpaceShipTwo isn’t designed for long-duration missions—total flight time will be just minutes—a seat on the vehicle for a suborbital flight will cost $250,000, and passengers won’t need extensive training. As of 2017, about 650 people had purchased tickets.

3. Blue Origin (https://www.blueorigin.com/)

Blue Origin’s New Shepard program, named for America’s first man in space, Alan Shepard, seeks to launch passengers in a capsule atop a rocket, just like in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo days. The program is still in development and the company is targeting late 2018 or early 2019 for their first flight with humans onboard.

The short-duration missions (lasting approximately 11 minutes) are expected to require a day of training, which would take place right before the flight. Training will include mission and vehicle overviews, safety briefings, and mission simulations. Tickets have not yet been released but are rumored (https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/03/blue-origin-teases-more-images-of-its-new-shepard-capsule/) to be comparable to other short-duration missions—i.e., in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars.

4. Space Adventures (http://www.spaceadventures.com/)

Responsible for organizing the launches of all seven space tourists, Space Adventures is the only truly successful space tourism company as of today. Though it hasn’t been able to send new guests to the ISS since 2009 due to capacity issues, it is still promoting new missions, including a spacewalk at the ISS (no private citizen has ever performed one) and a trip around the moon, which would also include a stay at the ISS. While Space Adventures has no spacecraft of its own, it has long partnered with Roscosmos to send its guests into space via the Soyuz, and plans to do so in the future.

While its trips into space have been curtailed since 2009 and there is no firm timeline for re-starting them, the company is currently offering space-adjacent adventures, like trips to see a Soyuz launch (http://www.spaceadventures.com/experiences/launch-tour/), and flights in zero-g (http://www.spaceadventures.com/experiences/zero-gravity-flight/).

5. Roscosmos (http://en.roscosmos.ru/)

Historically, Roscosmos worked with Space Adventures to launch space tourists to the ISS, but it recently began development of its own program. The Russian agency plans on building a luxury space hotel module (https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/satellites/a14471796/luxury-hotel-iss/?src=socialflowTW) for the ISS through its partnership with RKK Energia, a space station contractor. Guests at the hotel will be treated to private living quarters with four “bedrooms” (each will be about 70 cubic feet), hygiene and medical facilities, as well as a lounge. Though its training plans haven’t been released, it is expected to be an abbreviated version of the professional two-year program, similar to Dennis Tito’s 8-day experience. Prices will range from $40 million for a one- to two-week stay to $60 million for a month-long stay that would include a guided spacewalk by a cosmonaut. The agency would like to launch the space hotel by 2022, though it should be noted that the ISS is scheduled to retire in 2028, meaning the hotel might be a short-lived endeavor.

6. KosmoKurs (http://www.cosmocourse.com/)

In 2016, Roscosmos awarded private company KosmoKurs approval to build a reusable rocket with the intention of sending tourists into space. As only the designs have been approved, the company will likely have years of testing ahead of them before crewed missions will be launched. Similar to Blue Origin’s flights, the short-duration missions (about 15 minutes long, with just a few minutes of weightlessness) will see guests launched in a capsule atop a rocket. The training program will last three days, and the entire package will cost approximately $200,000 to $250,000 per person.

7. Axiom Space (https://www.axiomspace.com/)

Though its primary services are on-orbit research and manufacturing, Axiom Space’s ultimate goal is to launch a commercial space station—a self-proclaimed successor to the ISS. Though the company hasn’t released many details on its space tourism program, according to its website, it plans to send modules to the ISS by 2021 and establish its own space station by 2024. Private clients will be able to book seven- to ten-day missions to the station, and they will complete a several-week training program before the trip.

8. SpaceX (http://www.spacex.com/)

While Elon Musk’s SpaceX is not a space tourism company—it currently operates cargo missions for NASA and other clients—it is developing technology for crewed missions aboard its Dragon spacecraft, which would typically carry NASA astronauts into space. But moving beyond its main operations, in 2017 the company announced its intentions to fly two private citizens on a circumlunar mission, following a similar plan to Apollo 8 (and the unintended flight path of Apollo 13). Details are scarce, but Musk recently announced (https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/7/16983040/spacex-falcon-heavy-rocket-launch-schedule-spaceflight) that the prospective moon missions will not use Falcon Heavy rockets as planned, instead using a larger rocket in development called the BFR (https://www.popsci.com/spacex-wants-to-build-swiss-army-knife-rockets).
From here: https://www.popsci.com/how-to-become-a-space-tourist

==========

The first thing to note is that this is published by Popular Science Magazine, which is owned by Bonnier Corporation, which

“is an American magazine publisher owned by the Swedish Bonnier Group. It was formed in March 2007 by the merger of World Publications, Time4 Media, and The Parenting Group. It publishes more than 40 special-interest magazines and is based in Winter Park, Florida.”
(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnier_Corporation)


“Bonnier AB (also the Bonnier Group) is a privately held Swedish media group of 175 companies operating in 15 countries. It is controlled by the Bonnier family.”
(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnier_Group)


The Bonnier family is a Swedish family of Jewish origin,[1] who since the beginning of the 19th century has been active in the book industry and later also in the mass media industry. They own the media group Bonnier Group, which has 175 companies in 18 countries.
(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonnier_family)

From the above, we might infer that The Trump administration’s seeming alliance with Jewish interests is paying off in this mostly positive coverage in the popular press.

It also may show an alignment of corporate interests behind the commercialisation of space OR some favour trading between this publishing company and some interests that support the space commercialisation drive.

==========

The second interesting thing to note is the timing of some of these announcements of plans for tourism ventures in space: early April this year.


What “milestone” was achieved that promted this timing?
What interests have been “aligned”?

[Cara]

Greg Hunter from USA WatchDog.com interviews Catherine Austin Fitts.

The latest Solari Report, the first quarter wrap up, is an update on the Space Economy.

The interview covers this at the beginning and then moves to other topics concerning global control and the “rape of Russia” for the USA (see Paul’s thread here: http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?102416-The-Rape-of-Russia-Coming-to-the-United-States)

1H_trIfTEEc

https://shop.solari.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1sr_Q_wrap-2018-cover-678x877.jpg


This week on The Solari Report, I will present the theme of the 1st Quarter 2018 Wrap Up: Who’s Who & What’s Up in the Space-Based Economy.

I will review the area of activities, the changes in technology that are inspiring growth and the companies and private enterprises active in space. I will also cover the unanswered questions that make evolving an integrated framework for space economics such a mind-bending challenge.

The Trump Administration is significantly increasing US interest and investment in space. The President has even indicated he wants a “Space Corp.” There is a lot to be excited about.

However, there are also significant concerns. Will investment in space merely be used to justify more central control with surveillance and communications technology combined with high tech weaponry? I will touch on Elana Freeland’s new book, Under An Ionized Sky.

Make sure you review our updated presentation under Space Enterprises at the 1st Quarter 2018 Wrap Up Web Presentation. Jason Worth has updated and expanded our list of companies traded on US, European and Asian stock markets, as well as private space companies (yes, lots of new start ups) and governmental organizations. Reviewing the growing number of companies involved helps demonstrate the breadth of the activities involved and the explosive investment underway.

In Let’s Go to the Movies, I recommend another great film from director Ridley Scott – The Martian. The push for man made missions to Mars is on – and it’s a global push. While politicians would have you believe that the US, Russia and China are at each others throats, a remarkable amount of cooperation continues in space. It’s part of becoming a multi-planetary civilization.

...
From here: https://home.solari.com/1st-quarter-wrap-up-whos-who-whats-up-in-the-space-based-economy/

[Cara]

Here is a press release on a white paper just released by a company called Aerospace, which seems to provide engineering and technical consulting and solutions to the space sector.


Aerospace Policy Paper Explores the Next Steps in Space Development

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 17, 2018 – The Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy (CSPS) (http://www.aerospace.org/policy/) released a new policy paper that explores future opportunities in cislunar space—essentially, the space inside the moon’s orbit and the orbital area around the moon.

Cislunar Development: What to Build— and Why (http://www.aerospace.org/publications/policy-papers/cislunar-development-what-to-build-and-why/) discusses the possible applications for cislunar space—for example, outposts on the moon, extraterrestrial mining operations, interplanetary waystations—and determines the infrastructure that will be needed to realize those ambitious goals. Author Dr. James Vedda, senior policy analyst with CSPS, says that the cislunar region remains a largely underdeveloped resource, and any coherent, long-term strategy for space commerce and exploration will need to make better use of it.

“An enduring, multi-purpose space infrastructure means more than just rockets and spacecraft,” said Vedda. “It needs a wide range of capabilities, such as inter-orbital transportation, on-orbit servicing, standardization, fuel storage, energy distribution, communication and navigation services, resource extraction, and materials processing.”

Vedda added that visions for cislunar development have been proposed by public and private stakeholders in spacefaring countries, but no widespread consensus on what to build and how to build it has emerged.

“Most of these concepts have focused on small aspects of the overarching design—but to truly realize the enormous potential of cislunar space, infrastructure projects should strive for broad applicability, beyond a single mission or short-term series of missions for a single agency.”

Dr. Jamie Morin, executive director for CSPS, echoed those sentiments, noting, “Investment in cislunar development makes sense as a strategy for boosting U.S. space commerce and expanding the human footprint in the solar system. Building an effective space infrastructure will involve a mix of government agencies and private-sector entrepreneurs from around the world, so collaboration between the public and private sectors and across national lines will be key.”
From here: http://www.aerospace.org/news/pressreleases/aerospace-policy-paper-explores-the-next-steps-in-space-development/

And here’s the white paper: http://www.aerospace.org/publications/policy-papers/cislunar-development-what-to-build-and-why/

===========

I used to work in the IT sector: white papers are a marketing and sales tool designed to position the company writing them as a thought leader in the topic and to provide a type of value add. So, when I see this company writing white papers on space policy around the moon, this signals to me:

The space sector has reached a level of maturity and competition that requires this type of sales and marketing effort
Complex selling is now supported by marketing initiatives: this is a sign that business volumes are significant enough to support a marketing budget and team instead of just technical staff and sales people
The topic of the paper indicates that space policy is now being influenced by a wider set of stakeholders than the traditional military set - or, that a wider set of interests would like to influence space policy.

[Cara]

And Foxnews (perhaps predictably) and Newt Gingrich are on board with the Trump administration’s push for space sector development.

In my view this article communicates some aspects of the administration’s positions that perhaps they are not able to say for themselves... Most interesting. See towards the end as to the three imperatives needed.

The article also comes “wrapped in” quite a bit of US patriotic language and calls for a new national purpose.... the echoes of J.F. Kennedy’s calls for space exploration might be deliberate and be aimed at evoking a similar emotional response.


Newt Gingrich: A glimpse of America’s future in space in 2024

Newt Gingrich15 hours ago

Two historic events happened this past week that will lay the groundwork for the future of American space exploration.

First, after a close vote in the Senate, Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Okla. – a former Navy combat pilot – was confirmed as the new head of NASA. I am confident he will be a strong leader in space exploration as we begin a new era of innovation, technological advancement and limitless exploration.

Second, Vice President Mike Pence laid out a bold vision for America’s future in space exploration during his opening remarks at the Space Foundation’s 34th Annual Space Symposium in Colorado. The vice president showed the Trump administration’s commitment to restoring American leadership in space, rightly pointing out that “we stand at the dawn of a new era of human activity in space; a turning point that will bring new opportunities and new challenges.”

This renewed interest in space has the potential to dramatically change our space program over the next several years, But in order to achieve this, we must be able to think big and set bold goals.

By the end of 2024, a very large American spacecraft should be on its way to Mars. We should have a working base on the moon that’s producing rocket fuel from ice. The first asteroid mining project should be returning valuable minerals to the United States (thus rendering obsolete the Chinese effort to corner the supply of rare minerals on Earth).

Between Earth and the moon, there should be multiple low-orbit systems assembling enormous structures and supporting commercial manufacturing, tourism and other industries in space. If we achieve this before any other country, the United States will have undisputed economic superiority for decades.

At the same time, execution of this seemingly fantastic concept would leapfrog our national defense capabilities far into the 21st century. Having a squadron of reusable rockets (effectively a Mach 25 Air Force) would allow U.S. forces to overfly and outfly the myriad of foreign air and space weapons proliferating today.

This would also allow us to have “eyes, ears, and presence” anywhere in the world in under an hour, while also protecting the peace in the global commons of space.

This vision could be made possible by three technological and entrepreneurial revolutions.

First, the advent of reusable rockets is going to lead to a crash in costs and a dramatic increase in frequency of launches. Ranges and regulatory procedures must be modernized as we move from a paradigm of 10 heavy launches per year to a paradigm of 70 to 100 heavy launches per year.

If the Trump-Pence team pushes it, Falcon Heavy rockets could have more than 100 launches through 2024. The New Glenn, which will lift almost as much as the Falcon Heavy and will be rated to carry humans from Day One, could add another 20 flights between 2020 and 2024.

Together, these approximately 120 heavy commercial flights would lift as much payload as 60 of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) flights. However, there will be at most four SLS flights by end of 2024, according to current plans. Each reusable commercial flight will also cost less than $100 million, while SLS flights will cost $700 million to $1 billion per launch.

On the other end of the payload spectrum, a single squadron of reusable military rockets – “space planes” – using these same technologies and updated with reusable upper stages could easily undertake daily long-range flights akin to the SR-71 flight rates before it was retired.

Moreover, at five miles per second, such vehicles are more survivable than stealth aircraft and far cheaper. Military space planes with their high flight rates could help to drive costs of operation down into the million-dollar range, potentially cheaper than the SR-71 in its era.

None of this takes into account SpaceX’s planned Big Falcon Rocket (BFR), which may be available for crew and cargo missions by 2024. If it starts flying by then, it will be so cheap, the cost compared to SLS will become absurd.

Additionally, there will probably be a new generation of innovators like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos inventing even better ways to lower the cost of getting into space through dramatically simpler and less expensive manufacturing and new approaches to reusability.

No one in government today is really planning for the scale of change implicit in the rise of reusable rockets and the likelihood that the second generation will be even cheaper.

The second technological revolution underway is in 3-D printing, robotics, and autonomous assembly. There are multiple small startups producing full-size rocket engines made with 3-D printing (for example, Relativity Space in Los Angeles; Ursa Major Technologies in Berthoud, Colorado; and Additive Rocket Corporation in San Diego).

There are startups working on assembly in space through autonomous systems, such as Made In Space. If the collapse in cost of the reusable rockets is combined with the development of these autonomous distance capabilities, the potential exists for a totally new approach to space.

Instead of designing very small capsules modeled on the Apollo program, we can begin to imagine robotically printing and assembling very large facilities in space.

We can combine that with a refueling capability from launching specialized tanker ships and by mining the moon for water and turning it into fuel at one-sixth Earth’s gravity. This could help the next generation of innovators to create the first space elevator on the moon, but that is still probably 30 years away. Now we begin to create real capabilities for exploring space.

We will be able to autonomously mine an asteroid by 2024 as part of this general wave of development. We will also be able to build the first Mars-bound ship on a scale that will be much safer for human passengers (big ships shield from solar radiation much more effectively than small ships). This large vessel would also provide far more exploration and science capabilities once the ship reaches Mars.

Third, beyond the immediate capabilities, there are breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and nanoscale science and technology, which will be coming into practical use long before 2024.

One of our great challenges is stepping away from the current static planning model, which assumes the currently available systems are the state of the art. If we want to plan for 2024, we have to ask what will be available six years from now. Given the rate of new innovations we are seeing, the pattern of greater capability at lower cost will continue to accelerate.

This enormous opportunity requires three things:

1. Planning must start now within this breakout framework, and every existing program must be assessed against the scale of change. We cannot keep building stagecoaches when the railroad is being built at the same time. Several long-existing bureaucratic programs should be cannibalized, so their money can be transferred to new, higher-value projects.

2. NASA and the Department of Defense must accept that most of the breakthroughs will come from small entrepreneurial companies that are not part of the traditional lobbyist-heavy, technologically slow, big company model we’ve relied on for the past few decades. Every time I turn around, I run into smart people (some still students) who are creating a better, cheaper, more capable future. Today they are outside the planning and procurement systems of NASA and the Department of Defense. That must change immediately.

3. Laws must be created to empower lunar and asteroid developers. For example, a 30-year tax holiday for profits from space should be enacted to create a real incentive for investment and a real competitive alliance between billionaires willing to invest in space. The potential for an American breakout into the solar system has to be developed. There will not be enough taxpayer money to get all this done, but there will be plenty of private capital, if it is encouraged and rewarded.

...

If President Trump and Vice President Pence take on an American breakout in space as a project to be managed and demand a review every month of the changes in the large bureaucracies, they will be astounded by how fast things develop – and how far we will have come by the end of President Trump’s second term.

As a last observation, we cannot forget that this is a national security race with China for the industrialization of space. The winner will secure economic and military might for the next 100 years.

The British largely wrote maritime law because England controlled the sea trade. America wrote the rules of air travel because we had the largest commercial air sector. China intends to win the new space race, so it can write the rules of the road for space and make up for its bad decision in the late 1300s to ban sea trade (which led to China’s century of humiliation).

...
From here: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2018/04/22/newt-gingrich-glimpse-america-s-future-in-space-in-2024.html

A few things that interested me:

1. The technological roadmap that seems to be tied to this programme is:

“advent of reusable rockets”
“technological revolution underway is in 3-D printing, robotics, and autonomous assembly”
“breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and nanoscale science and technology”

Notice that the first two items are outlined in some detail but the third is not.... why not?

2. There is a less than subtle US long term supremacy being positioned here. This is not about a multi-polar world and space environs but about:

“commitment to restoring American leadership in space”
“a national security race with China for the industrialization of space.”
And winning: “The winner will secure economic and military might for the next 100 years.”


3. There is a message to the old guard - NASA and the defence sector and some state bureaucracies - that they will have to give way to smaller commercial operations and a wider range of players. In other words, they have been put on notice:

“Several long-existing bureaucratic programs should be cannibalized”
“NASA and the Department of Defense must accept that most of the breakthroughs will come from small entrepreneurial companies that are not part of the traditional lobbyist-heavy, technologically slow, big company model”


==========

Also interesting is that Elon Musk and his BFR are mentioned where many other players and initiatives are not.

[Jayke]

I think it was in Joseph Farrells book Babylon’s Banksters, where he mentioned that once a country reaches homeostasis between its population size and it’s natural resources, then the elite controlling that country have two options for maintaining economic growth.

Expand the borders of the country through conquest
Depopulate the country through war and attrition

By opening humanity up to space, it indicates to me that the depopulation agenda may have been taken off the table for now, as the elites seek capital growth through these other means.

[Cara]

I think it was in Joseph Farrells book Babylon’s Banksters, where he mentioned that once a country reaches homeostasis between its population size and it’s natural resources, then the elite controlling that country have two options for maintaining economic growth.

Expand the borders of the country through conquest
Depopulate the country through war and attrition

By opening humanity up to space, it indicates to me that the depopulation agenda may have been taken off the table for now, as the elites seek capital growth through these other means.

Thanks Jayke. This is a great insight! Thank you!

[CurEus]

This is all well and good until we end up annoying or intruding upon other space faring races that may not have any hesitation to put us in our place.

IF we have a secret space program and "solar wardens" and a few allies we may not totally be in the Wild Wild West and indeed it would be nice to have spacecraft and travel...I'd be gone exploring in an instant if it were an option but I'm not entirely convinced we're prepared to deal with agressors.

I'll just trust to hope we can at least explore this Solar System without disturbing anyone.

[Cara]

@CurEus, it may well be that there will be problems and the space activity will be interdicted or inhibited in some way by terrestrial or space politics. Or it may be that some kind of agreement among the parties involved and affected has been reached and that there is some kind of “understanding” in place.

==========

So India has been pushing ahead with its space programme too and has achieved its own satellite communication system.


India now proud owner of indigenous navigation satellite system

SRIHARIKOTA: India’s long cherished dream of owning an indigenous navigation satellite system, officially known as NavIC (navigation with Indian constellation), has been accomplished as ‘workhorse’ Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C41) successfully launched IRNSS-1I, eighth and the last satellite of the IRNSS constellation into the targeted Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit on Thursday. Within a month from now, the space agency will start rolling out a slew of navigation applications.

In a pre-dawn operation, the rocket measuring 44.4 m in height and weighing 321 tonnes lifted off from the first launch pad at 4.04 am from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. Within 20 minutes, IRNSS-1I was placed in the desired orbit.

It is a culmination of 17 years of rigorous work by Indian space scientists. India took a firm decision on IRNSS in 1999 after the US government refused to share GPS data that would provide vital information on Pakistani troops position during Kargil war. As in the previous launches of the IRNSS satellites, PSLV-C41 has also used ‘XL’ version of PSLV equipped with six strap-ons, each carrying 12 tonnes of propellant.

IRNSS-1I is a back-up navigation satellite for IRNSS-1A. The Rs 1,420-crore NavIC suffered setback in January last year, when three rubidium atomic clocks of IRNSS-1A put into orbit on July 1, 2013, stopped working. Each satellite has three clocks and a total of 27 clocks for the navigation satellite system were supplied by the same vendor from Europe. The clocks are important to provide precise data.

...

ISRO Satellite Centre Director Mylswamy Annadurai said the solar arrays onboard IRNSS-1I have been successfully deployed and it would take about one month for the satellite to join its siblings after necessary orbit raising manoeuvres.

However, Sivan said the wait for NavIC applications was over. “Within a month from now, various NavIC application will be rolled out. I request the industry and institutions to come forward to take these (navigation) applications to the user community,” he said.

...


Further, ISRO officials said the crucial miniaturisation of chipsets that go into the wireless devices such as cell phones and wi-fi receivers has been achieved. Initially, the ISRO had invited industry to design and develop the chipsets.

However, little interest was shown due to high investment costs. “Market did not want to take the first step. So we took it on ourselves. Our Semiconductor Laboratory in Chandigarh has developed the digital chips and for manufacturing prototypes of RF Front End hardware, we gave the order to Tower Jazz, which is a US-based firm specialising in silicon germanium technology suited for increasing bandwidth. We are planning to set up a fabrication facility with silicon germanium processing technology in the SCL,” a senior scientist told Express.

Meanwhile, as reported by Express, the ISRO indicated that the phase two of IRNSS programme was on with advanced navigation satellites. Significantly, ISRO chief said the forthcoming navigation satellites will have rubidium atomic clocks developed by Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre, instead of imported clocks.

...

No fund crunch

ISRO chief has downplayed reports that the space agency was facing a fund crunch for its ongoing activities. “There is no fund crunch. We will ensure that the ongoing activities are not affected. What happened was the budgetary approval was based on previous year’s performance. We have to utilise the funds allotted fully, otherwise there will be a slight reduction. We can always propose a revised budgetary estimate. Getting funds is not a problem. It has been wrongly reported that the ISRO was facing funds crunch,” he clarified.

The total allocation for the Department of Space for next fiscal in the Union Budget for 2018-19 is around Rs 10,783 crore (including the Rs 8,936.97 crore for various space related projects), up from Rs 9,155.52 crore allocated for 2017-18 net of recoveries and receipts.

Nine launches in next eight months

Listing out the space mission for 2018, Sivan said the agency would launch 5.7-tonne GSAT-11, a high throughput satellite using Ariane rocket followed by GSAT 29 launch using GSLV Mk III rocket. There are also launch missions for remote sensing satellites and NavIC satellite onboard PSLV. The Chandrayaan-2/moon mission is planned by the year-end

RLV programme progressing steadily

Another ambitious programme Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) is progressing steadily. S Somanath, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, said the next phase will be to test ground landing. ‘”In the previous RLV mission, we made simulated landing on the sea. Now, we will land on the wheels. It will be a helicopter drop test.

The next step will be to take it to an orbit, put in the orbit and do some useful tests and make a ground landing. The first step will be realised in the near future and the next one will be carried out after getting approval from the government. It is in engineering phase,” Somanath said.
From here: http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2018/apr/13/india-now-proud-owner-of-indigenous-navigation-satellite-system-1800948.html

[Joe from the Carolinas]

Geez, looks like India is really moving fast. Check out what they’re going to be looking for during their moon mission. First ever moon mission to the South Pole of the moon, too.



Orbiter payload

Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (CLASS) from ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC),

Bangalore and Solar X-ray monitor (XSM) from Physical Research Laboratory (PRL),
Ahmedabad for mapping major elements present on the lunar surface.[19]

L and S band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) from Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad for probing the first few tens of metres of the lunar surface for the presence of different constituents, including water ice. SAR is expected to provide further evidence confirming the presence of water ice below the shadowed regions of the Moon.[19]

Imaging IR Spectrometer (IIRS) from SAC, Ahmedabad for mapping of lunar surface over a wide wavelength range for the study of minerals, water molecules and hydroxyl present.[19]

Neutral Mass Spectrometer (ChACE-2) from Space Physics Laboratory (SPL), Thiruvananthapuram to carry out a detailed study of the lunar exosphere.[19]

Terrain Mapping Camera-2 (TMC-2) from SAC, Ahmedabad for preparing a three-dimensional map essential for studying the lunar mineralogy and geology.[19]


Lander payload

Seismometer for studying Moon-quakes near the landing site[30][2][34]

Thermal probe for estimating the thermal properties of the lunar surface[2]

Langmuir probe for measuring the density and variation of lunar surface plasma[30][2]

Radio occultation experiment for measuring the total electron content[2]


Rover payload

Laser induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) from Laboratory for Electro Optic Systems (LEOS), Bangalore.[19]

Alpha Particle Induced X-ray Spectroscope (APIXS) from PRL, Ahmedabad.


Lunar surface plasma measurement, X-rays, moon quakes, minerals, hydroxyl, water, surface temps, and terrain mapping?

Sounds like they have some plans for the moon. They’re spending a ton of money on this project.

[Cara]

Thanks Joe. They certainly have been busy in India with their space programme. Joseph Farrell had a blog post not too long ago on their Moon plans which he tied into some “high, octane speculation”:

https://gizadeathstar.com/2018/02/indias-chandrayaan-2-land-lunar-south-pole/

[Cara]

Small snippet in the ongoing story of space commercialisation:


Winners and losers from Jim Bridenstine’s confirmation as NASA administrator

The vote along party lines to confirm Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) brought to a conclusion a drama...

...

The commercial space sector was another winner, as suggested by the accolades on Twitter that poured in from such organizations as Moon Express and Bigelow Space Ops. Bridenstine has long been a champion of partnerships between NASA and commercial companies to fulfill its space exploration mission. Now, space entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Bob Richards know that they have a friend and ally at the head of the space agency. Bill Nye (no slouch where it comes to climate change) of the Planetary Society and Robert Zubrin of the Mars Society, two important space advocacy organizations, also lent their good wishes.

...


From here: http://thehill.com/opinion/technology/384331-winner-and-losers-from-jim-bridenstines-confirmation-as-nasa-administrator

[Cara]

And when NASA receives press coverage in the Harvard Business Review, “leading light” of business ideas and thinkers for the corporate world, then you are well into the commercialisation zone:


The Reinvention of NASA
Loizos HeracleousDouglas TerrierSteven Gonzalez April 23, 2018

https://hbr.org/resources/images/article_assets/2018/04/apr18-20-nasa-apollo-proj-archive-01-1200x675.jpg

NASA today is a very different beast from the NASA of the 1960s. Though many would call that decade NASA’s golden age, we’d argue that NASA’s innovation and influence (https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20180001756.pdf) is even greater today.

Since the Apollo program, NASA has faced funding cuts, competition from other nations for space leadership, and a radical restructuring of its operating environment due to the emergence of commercial space – all of which have forced the organization to change its ways of thinking and operating.

Over the past few decades, not only has NASA delivered crucial technologies (https://spinoff.nasa.gov/pdf/STHOF_flyer.pdf) for society, such as water filtration systems, satellite-based search-and-rescue, and UV coating on eyeglasses, it has also evolved its dominant logic and business model. NASA has moved from being a hierarchical, closed system that develops its technologies internally, to an open network organization that embraces open innovation, agility, and collaboration.

This reinvention demonstrates that substantial organizational change is possible, even amid barriers such as regulations and politics. It offers an example of what we call “strategic agility,” or the ability to effectively (and continually) adapt how a firm operates and competes. This is not driven by a single leader, but by a multitude of champions scattered around the organization who push forward initiatives that slowly create change.

The challenges facing NASA

During the Apollo program NASA’s funding peaked at 4.5% of the federal budget (https://www.lpi.usra.edu/exploration/multimedia/NASABudgetHistory.pdf) (US$5,250 million) in 1966 (https://aerospace.csis.org/data/history-nasa-budget/). But shortly after the first moon landing in 1969, their budget plummeted. It is currently at less than o.5% of the federal budget (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/NASA-Budget-Federal.svg).

Meanwhile, the organization’s mission aspirations grew bolder. The Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 (and amendments in 1988 and 2004) called for government agencies such as NASA to support the development and growth of commercial space. This not only necessitated a more collaborative way of operating, but it also called for the agency to differentiate its missions. As commercial space organizations began to drive more low-earth orbit (up to 2,000 km from earth) activities, NASA has had to shift its efforts toward exploring deep space, accomplishing further manned missions, and setting up permanent facilities on the moon as a gateway for missions to Mars and beyond.

The emergence of commercial space has also gone hand in hand with an accelerating pace of technology development. This means that the technologies necessary for successful space-faring, particularly human space travel beyond low earth orbit, cannot all be developed by a single organization. NASA has had to become more outward-looking and network-oriented to develop and acquire the technologies it needs.

Competing nations have also been expanding their space exploration efforts. The space industry is now a global, multi-faceted, multi-stakeholder endeavor, where commercial activity accounts for the lion’s share of value. (Over three quarters of the $350 billion global space industry revenues (https://www.morganstanley.com/ideas/investing-in-space) are driven by commercial products, services, infrastructure, and support industries.) Sustaining NASA’s and the USA’s space leadership has called for a new way of organizing and competing.

Adapting to change

The reinvention of NASA has been an evolution spanning three phases, each focused on achieving different goals and characterized by particular technology strategies, cultural values, and ways of working with external parties.

The traditional model (from 1960s to 1990s): In its early days NASA served as both the prime contractor and the exclusive customer of space technologies. This model made sense for a few reasons. First, the frontier technologies that NASA needed were not already available on the market; they had to be developed from scratch by specialized contractors. Second, the Cold War and the space race meant that NASA needed to have control of the resulting technology rather than the technology being made available on the market by contractors after development. Third, NASA’s military heritage, and more broadly the procurement processes of government agencies at the time, meant it operated by issuing cost-plus contracts and owning the resulting technology.

Think of the Apollo program in the 1960s. NASA gave detailed specifications to contractors (such as North American Aviation, which built the command/service module of the Apollo spacecraft, and Ford Aerospace, which built the mission control), defining what should be done and how. NASA, purely funded by government, incurred the total costs and became the owner of the resulting technology.

In this model, the relational approach was one of positional authority and hierarchy. NASA focused on developing and monitoring precise engineering specifications. NASA engineers had large amounts of control over what the contractors were doing. The technology strategy focused on agency-driven investments and strict control over the internally developed technologies. there was a sense of technological superiority and exceptionalism that developed from the government’s efforts to attract the brightest scientists.

The transitional model (from 1993 – 2006): This phase kicked off with the International Space Station project. In 1993 NASA was directed by the White House to collaborate with other nations on the design and construction of the International Space Station. The agencies involved were the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and Roscosmos.

The ISS was a necessary step in the grand goal of launching human missions in deep space, such as to Mars, a key NASA aspiration for decades. A round-trip human journey to Mars would take around 21 months (https://image.gsfc.nasa.gov/poetry/venus/q2811.html), depending on a variety of factors. NASA needed to understand what would happen to the human body during extended missions in space, and the ISS would provide a way to gather this knowledge by stationing astronauts on the space station for long periods. But ISS would be too expensive for any one country to build alone.

During this transitional phase, NASA learned how to function within a cluster of partners, as opposed to being the dominant party in a supplier/buyer relationship. This demanded shifts in cultural values, relational approaches, and technology strategy.

Culturally, the sense of technological superiority developed during the Apollo program was still present, but now there were more players with their own cultures, technology, and operating models. NASA had to learn how to collaborate. Further, greater cost consciousness developed, as the American public and politicians began questioning the amount of resources needed by the agency. Unlike the Apollo era, when funds were no barrier in the effort to win the space race, NASA now had to accomplish its missions as efficiently as possible and be more explicit about its added value to society. It invested more in external communication.

Relationally, the hierarchical pecking order of the traditional model had to accommodate a cluster of international governmental organizations. NASA negotiated with, coordinated, and led the network of international space agencies to accomplish one of the most complex undertakings of humanity, designing and building the ISS. The work was distributed: NASA ISS program managers led the effort at the operational level and worked with international counterparts to implement the program. There were 15 centers around the world (http://www.nss.org/resources/library/spacestation/ISS-06-InternationalOperations.pdf) focused on ISS; in the U.S., much of ISS training and program management took place at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

NASA’s technology strategy also evolved to leverage the investments of state partners and share technical responsibility. The agency worked with its partners on developing shared technical interfaces, standards, and protocols, learning how to operate within public-public partnerships.

The network model (from 2006 to present): The network model began with the Commercial Resupply Services (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/launch/overview.html) program that launched in 2006 to carry cargo to the International Space Station after the space shuttle was retired. The space shuttle’s retirement meant that NASA had to find other ways to resupply the ISS that would not only be reliable but also require fewer resources than the space shuttle. This and a number of different factors — budget pressures, government interest in promoting commercial space, and rapidly growing commercial expertise in space — led NASA to seek suitable commercial partners.

NASA wanted to use part of its budget not only to buy services it needed, such as to resupply the ISS with cargo, but also to spur the growth of commercial space. NASA looked for outside partners because it recognized that the expertise was now available in the open market to deliver frontier capabilities, at lower cost compared to what NASA could develop them for. In 2008 NASA awarded contracts to Space X and Orbital Sciences to transport cargo to the ISS. Space X carried out its first resupply mission in 2012 and Orbital Sciences in 2013.

This model has changed NASA’s technology strategy. It now involves fixed-price contracts within public-private partnerships, where NASA does not exclusively own the resulting technology. Commercial partners can sell their services and technology to other customers. Costs are shared, and NASA pays for milestones reached. Rather than providing detailed specifications for the what and the how, NASA specifies high level goals (the what), leaving the how to the commercial partners. The innovators can then exploit these technologies commercially as they see fit, further fuelling the development of space technology and enhancing the value of the industry overall.

The commercial resupply program has taught NASA how to work effectively with the commercial sector and to manage ongoing public-private partnerships. Culturally this has led to a more outward-looking agency that recognizes the innovative capacity of the market. Dealing with commercial actors has also taught NASA greater commercial awareness, that is, a focus on accomplishing things as efficiently as possible and being conscious about the costs of any given activity – a far cry from what was seen as unlimited resources of the Apollo program.

New offices such as the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program (https://www.nasa.gov/offices/c3po/home/) were set up within NASA to manage and promote commercial partnerships. Leaders managing these partnerships adopted the mindset that NASA is one of several parties involved in space technology development, and favor an open engineering architecture that can facilitate commercial collaborations (https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/203082main_C3PO%20-TEC%20Briefing%20Nov_2007.pdf).

In this networked model, NASA has also embraced open innovation (https://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/openinnovation/aboutus). The agency now poses innovation challenges online in open competitions, crowdsourcing solutions and ideas as a complement to internal innovation efforts. Successful open innovation challenges have included competitions on the design of pressurized yet flexible astronaut gloves, ways to accurately measure the strain on materials used in space such as Kevlar straps, and better forecasting of potentially destructive solar flares.

Given the recent directive (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-memorandum-reinvigorating-americas-human-space-exploration-program/) the U.S. government requiring NASA to return to manned missions to the moon and beyond, the organization’s new capabilities and structure are becoming even more important. NASA is now able to use innovations wherever they emerge within its networks, so that it can accomplish goals such as deep space exploration, the search for extra-terrestrial life, and a manned journey to Mars.
From here: https://hbr.org/2018/04/the-reinvention-of-nasa

My 15,000 foot view of the essential idea is this: NASA is becoming a state owned enterprise (rather like publically owned utilities and transport used to be and still are in many countries).... rather than a public / government research/public interest programme.