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Let’s move beyond rovers
Elevated tracks can enhance mobility for long-duration lunar missions and resource extraction plants.
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A first customer for the Space Superhighway
NASA has recently announced that it will partner with industry to resupply the Lunar Orbiting Platform-Gateway: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-to-partner-with-american-industry-to-supply-artemis-moon-missions Last month in Aviation Week Online, we talked about the...
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Lunar dust — a big deal
The six Apollo missions experienced a wide variety of effects from lunar dust (regolith). The image is a NASA photo of Dr. Harrison Schmitt in his dust-begrimed suit. There is a superb 2007 compilation of dust effect information from the six Apollo missions:...
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Let’s get agile in space
If you’re not in the IT world, you may not be familiar with the concept of “agile development.” Basically it started as a software development method—small bites, quick turns, frequent “scrum” meetings to elicit good ideas, test as you go. That’s an inadequate...
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Economic opportunities in Earth orbit
People are starting to notice that space provides vast opportunities for economic returns, and therefore is attractive for investment.
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Unlocking Economic Value in Earth Orbit
The following op-ed was published online in Aviation Week and Space Technology today and is reprinted here with permission. Opinion: Unlocking Economic Value In Earth Orbit Gordon Roesler and Mark Mykityshyn The transition from government-led to private-sector-led...
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Back to the Moon in Five
After yesterday’s direction by Vice President Pence to NASA to get Americans back onto the surface of the Moon by 2024, one can find the following reactions: “There’s not enough budget” “I’ve heard this kind of pronouncement too often in the past” “There’s no way they...
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How to mine the Moon for fun and profit
There is water on the Moon. After years of encouraging scientific data, this summer the finding was conclusive. Analysis of data from the Indian satellite Chandrayaan-1 proved it. What good is water on the Moon? As someone once said, "In the desert, gold is useless,...
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Software: the “invisible hand” of space robotics
Automating the operation of robots in space makes them safer. But verifying that the software is written correctly is critical.
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How to do space servicing safely
An illustration of Space System Loral's concept for a satellite servicing system it is developing with DARPA. Credit: SSL Inspecting, repairing, and upgrading satellites in space will make them cheaper, last longer, and able to perform more missions. But...
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Crater analysis suggests more water on the Moon
Some of the craters at the Moon's poles are shallower than typical impact craters. It has just been suggested that the "fill" material could be largely water ice, as is true at Mercury: https://phys.org/news/2019-07-moon-thought.html Of course, the only way to really...
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Moving around on the Moon
This week, specifically June 6-9, is the International Space Development Conference in Arlington, Virginia. Traditionally, this is the conference where new thinking and radical ideas receive a hearing from a broad, like-minded audience. My talk is at 11 AM on...
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A business analysis firm looks at space robotics
The firm Global Market Insights has taken a look at coming demand for space robotics:...
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Maxar to build the first component of the Lunar Gateway
NASA has decided to include the Lunar Orbiting Platform-Gateway in its architecture for returning to the Moon in 2024. Ultimately to consist of several modules, the first module must be the one that keeps everything in the correct orbit. This module is called the...
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Japan looks at robots for the Moon
Japan was an early leader in space robotics. Their ETS-VII mission in 1997 demonstrated the ability of robots on orbit to perform several useful tasks (see the Library for more information on ETS-VII). Now Japan is studying how to use autonomous robots to prepare a...
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A huge week in space–April 8-12, 2019
Last week did not bring us a single earth-shattering event. But there were so many technical accomplishments that manifested: Stratolaunch's air launch vehicle, the world's largest airplane, made its maiden flight Israel's Beresheet probe entered lunar orbit--the...
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NASA Administrator gives space robotics a shout-out
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine recently testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Here was his testimony:...
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Work on DARPA’s robotic payload continues
DARPA's program for Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites received a severe blow on January 30, when its partner SSL, the satellite manufacturing arm of Maxar Technologies, pulled out of the partnership, citing fiscal woes. Fortunately, DARPA continues work...
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A lunar industrial vision
Both the US and China are putting plans for going to the Moon in high gear. Eventually, this is so that the Moon becomes a source of economic activity. Lunar resources, like water and metals, can support sustainable human presence on the Moon. They can also lower the...
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DARPA looking for a new partner in space robotics
A couple of weeks ago, we posted that DARPA’s partner for the RSGS program had pulled out, citing financial challenges: https://spacenews.com/ssl-cancels-darpa-satellite-servicer-agreement/ DARPA has reacted quickly by reaching out to the US aerospace industry for a...
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