First, a group of 51 National Guard adjutant generals is urging President Joe Biden to create a separate Space National Guard. Next, physicists have proposed that a large population of small black holes flooded the early universe with particles and radiation, creating their own black hole-powered Big Bang. Finally, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk claims that a recent test flight was a "success," but a group of environmental groups have sued the FAA because they disagree. All this and more on today's space brief.
5. National Guard
Urges Biden to Support Separate Space Guard
A group of 51 National Guard adjutant generals is
urging President Joe Biden to create a separate Space National Guard (SNG),
overturning a decision by the Office of Management and Budget.
The
OMB directed the Department of Defense to prepare for the voluntary transfer of
National Guard members currently performing space missions to a new “Space
Component,” which would include both full-time and part-time Guardians. The
National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) argues that OMB’s
actions are a mistake, and that the Space Component plan will harm Space Force
readiness. The Guard leaders claim that OMB’s financial calculations are simply
wrong.
They
say that “The National Guard Bureau (NGB) estimates the one-time cost to be
$250,000 for heraldry, uniform items, and the transfer of existing manpower and
resources from [Air National Guard] Space units to the new SNG. This cost is
dwarfed by the estimated one-time cost of over $644M to move all ANG Space
missions to the U.S. Space Force (USSF).”
Advocates
of a dedicated Space National Guard have been vociferously fighting back, with
lawmakers proposing the Space National Guard Establishment Act.
The
debate about a Space Guard has been fierce since the establishment of the Space
Force in 2019, with the Biden administration rejecting the idea due largely to
cost concerns. What do you think about the proposal for a separate Space
National Guard?.
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/05/national-guard-leaders-petition-biden-harris-for-dedicated-space-force-branch/
4. China Plans Future
Space Constellation
China is planning to develop a satellite constellation
called Queqiao, or Magpie Bridge, for deep space exploration, according to a
senior Chinese space expert. The constellation will provide communications,
navigation, and remote-sensing services in three phases.
The first phase involves a
pilot of the constellation around 2030 to support the fourth phase of China's
lunar exploration program and the construction of the International Lunar
Research Station. The second phase, around 2040, will see the construction of a
basic constellation to provide services for manned lunar exploration and deep
space exploration for planets such as Mars and Venus. The third phase, expected
around 2050, will expand the constellation's capabilities to include services
for exploring Mars, Venus, giant planets, and the edge of the solar system.
As a part of the constellation,
Queqiao-2, a relay satellite for communications between the far side of the
moon and Earth, is planned to be launched in 2024.
According to Wu Yanhua, chief
designer of the major project on deep space exploration, "The satellite
constellation will be an important support for future manned lunar exploration,
deep space exploration, and planetary exploration."
The satellite constellation is
an essential step towards China's goal of becoming a major space power. It will
enable the country to conduct long-term, large-scale exploration missions,
explore and utilize space resources, and enhance China's space communication
capabilities.
What do you think about China's
plan to develop a satellite constellation for deep space exploration?.
https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/China_to_develop_satellite_constellation_for_deep_space_exploration_999.html
3. Small Black Holes
May Have Shaped the Early Universe
Physicists have proposed that a large population of
small black holes flooded the early universe with particles and radiation,
creating their own black hole-powered Big Bang. The early universe was chaotic
and energetic, especially after inflation, the event that triggered an
incredible expansion, ballooning our universe to tremendous sizes in less than
a second. The universe might have become so violent that random pockets of
space-time could have spontaneously reached critical thresholds in density and
size, thereby triggering the formation of "primordial" black holes
that flooded the universe.
A
team of physicists has examined how these smaller black holes might behave and
how we might detect them. These small black holes could have delayed the
evolution of the universe by emitting Hawking radiation, which transformed
their mass into radiation. These black holes could have prevented the typical
evolution of the universe, thereby keeping the density constant in the first
few minutes after the Big Bang.
The
evaporation of these primordial black holes might have been responsible for
filling the universe with dark matter or dark energy, or they might have
triggered the process of baryogenesis, forcing the universe to have more matter
than antimatter. Primordial black holes also could have flooded the universe
with a unique signature of gravitational waves, which are ripples in
space-time. Future space-based detectors, like the Laser Interferometer Space
Antenna, could detect these gravitational waves..
https://www.space.com/primordial-black-holes-create-big-bang
2. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk
Shares More Details on Failed Starship Test Flight
SpaceX recently conducted a test flight of its
Starship rocket which ended in a large explosion that was broadcasted
worldwide. Despite this, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk claims that the test flight was
still a "success" in relation to SpaceX's aims with the mission.
However, during a recent Twitter Space conversation, Musk revealed several
issues that occurred during the launch. The automated self-destruct feature
didn't work immediately, and three of the rocket's 33 engines didn't
participate in the launch thrust, which caused the spacecraft to lean during
the ascent. One engine also had a fault that damaged other engines, and the
engines lost their ability to control the direction of the launch vehicle,
resulting in spinning.
The FAA has grounded Starship
following the mishap, and it's clear that the issues will need to be addressed
before future launches. Despite this, Musk is still optimistic about the
project's future and believes that SpaceX will be ready to fly again in a
couple of months. He's confident that Starship will reach orbit in 2023.
It's clear that this recent
development with SpaceX highlights the challenges of space exploration and the
importance of rigorous testing. While it's admirable that Musk remains
optimistic, it's essential that SpaceX takes the necessary steps to ensure the
safety of their rockets and crew. It will be interesting to see how SpaceX
addresses the issues that occurred during the test flight and whether they'll
be able to achieve their goals within the proposed timeline.
https://gizmodo.com/spacex-struggled-to-destroy-its-failing-starship-rocket-1850390877
https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/01/spacexs-starship-didnt-self-destruct-immediately-as-planned-during-test-launch/
1. Environmental Groups
Sue FAA Over SpaceX Starship Launches
Several environmental groups have filed a lawsuit
against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alleging that the agency
improperly carried out an environmental review of SpaceX Starship launches from
Boca Chica, Texas. The suit seeks to revoke the FAA's launch license for
Starship launches and declare that the environmental review conducted violated
the National Environmental Policy Act. The lawsuit argues that the FAA failed
to fully assess the impacts on the environment from launches, as well as launch
failures, by the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle. The groups cited the April 20
first integrated launch of that vehicle, which ended in a "fiery explosion
of the rocket just after liftoff." The lawsuit also argues that the FAA
did not adequately examine alternatives to launching from Boca Chica, such as
launching from the Kennedy Space Center.
The lawsuit includes
organizations such as the American Bird Conservancy, Surfrider Foundation, Save
RGV, and the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas. The FAA and its acting
administrator, Billy Nolen, are listed as defendants, but not SpaceX.
The importance of this lawsuit
lies in the potential environmental impact of SpaceX's Starship rocket
launches, which the environmental groups claim have not been properly assessed
by the FAA. The lawsuit argues that the FAA failed to take into account
extended closures of the highway that leads to both the Starbase site and the
neighboring public beach, which the groups argue is counter to Texas state laws
that guarantees free access to such beaches. The groups seek to hold the FAA
accountable for failing to properly regulate the launch site, which is close to
protected habitats and a state park.
What do you think about this
balanace between the next technological fronteir and the impact of space
exploration on Earth and the need to protect habitats for future generations? While I naturally tip more towards the need
for innovation, I think it needs to be done in a very careful way. I would love to hear your thoughts.
https://spacenews.com/environmental-groups-sue-faa-over-starship-launch-license/
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/05/environmental-groups-sue-the-faa-over-spacex-launch-from-texas/?comments=1&comments-page=1
https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-rocket-environmental-groups-sue-faa
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/environmental-groups-sue-faa-over-spacex-texas-rocket-launch/
https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/05/01/faa-sued-over-spacex-starship-launch-program-following-april-explosion/
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