The newsletter for space professionals
Spaceleaks daily: Mar 13, 2021
Worldwide:
- UK Space Agency guidance for applicants: Space for All 2021 v1.0
- £300,000 from the UK Space Agency to speed up the development of innovative space technology
- China advances space cooperation in 2020: blue book
- Russian government allows using military infrastructure for foreign satellite launches
- Isro’s NISAR to be first satellite to enable earth observation in 2 frequencies
- South African National Space Agency begins construction of new Space Weather Centre, to launch in October 2022
- Space Station crew to relocate Soyuz to make room for new crewmates
Business:
- Richard Branson plans next SPAC deal, this time for Virgin Orbit, seeking a $3 billion valuation
- Capella Space hires VP of Product Dan Getman from Descartes Labs
- Eutelsat hires Juan Pablo Cofino from Intelsat as Americas CEO
- MDA advocates for a long-term space plan in House Committee hearing
- Myanmar’s first satellite held by Japan on space station after coup
Technology:
- SpaceX prepares for Air Force test connecting an aircraft to its Starlink satellite internet
- Kratos Defense & Rocket Support Services supports successful sounding rocket launch of AFRL Science Payload for US Space Force
- Space Force is using virtual-reality headsets to train its Guardians to work on satellites
Science:
- For All Moonkind Moon Registry, a free online resource that catalogs and celebrates human historical sites and artifacts on the Moon
- NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope resumes science operations
Reports:
This op-ed claims that there’s not much for the United States up in space;
the moonshot was always a myth. The author discusses the motivations behind the Apollo program and the differences with today’s geopolitical environment. Quote: ‘Kennedy rejected Webb’s argument that the basis for the Apollo program was scientific. “I’m not that interested in space,” Kennedy said. “I think it’s good. I think we ought to know about it. We’re ready to spend reasonable amounts of money.” If science or the progress of humanity mattered most, the president noted in the same conversation, then it would be more important to spend the herculean sums on desalination or curing cancer.’
