SSI Newsletter - Summer Newsletter 2022

NASA has selected CU Boulder’s Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) to lead the operation for Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s upcoming NEO Surveyor mission. Scheduled to launch in 2026, NEO Surveyor will use infrared observations to detect, track, and categorize Near-Earth Objects (NEO). This mission will fulfill a congressional mandate to categorize 90% of all NEOs, substantially increasing our planetary defense capabilities. As LASP hires undergraduate students to operate mission control and “drive” these missions, this contract ensures that students will continue to receive career-elevating opportunities long into the future. To read more, check out LASP’s announcement of the contract.

Other Highlights:

• CU Boulder engineers have developed a new helical antenna to provide more powerful communication for small satellites. This holds the potential to increase the utility of individual satellites with greater transmission and observation capabilities. 

• Having conducted an internal investigation over the past year, the Department of Defense found that the Trump Administration’s January 2021 decision to move US Space Command from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama complied with federal law and the decision process was “reasonable”. Colorado lawmakers vow to continue fighting this decision, putting emphasis on the pending environmental review. To read more, check out SpaceNews’s article on the subject.

• The Space Foundation hosted their 37th annual Space Symposium this past April in Colorado Springs. To recap the major announcements, check out their website’s news page.

The Biden Administration released their fiscal year 2023 (FY23) budget this past March, including an 8% increase in NASA’s budget with a $23 Billion request. While most missions and departments across the board saw a modest increase in funding, including a hefty bump in NASA’s Earth Science program, a few cuts did occur. Notably, the long-enduring SOFIA airplane observatory will be canceled, citing its large operating cost and the seeming success of NASA’s newest infrared observatory: the James Webb Space Telescope. For a detailed breakdown of NASA’s FY23 budget, look no further than the Planetary Society.

Other Highlights:

• The Biden Administration released their space priorities framework on Dec 1st of last year.

• Axiom Space launched the first all-private astronaut crew to the International Space Station for a 10 day stay.

• Citing SpaceX’s failure to provide required information, the US Army Corps of Engineers has withdrawn SpaceX’s application to expand their Boca Chica test site.

The War in Ukraine. As with every aspect of today’s global world, space has not been spared from the ongoing war in Ukraine. Satellites have captured Russia’s atrocities in full detail, providing images of the destruction wrecked by Putin’s invasion. Furthermore, reconnaissance satellites have played a critical role in providing Ukrainian forces with information on Russian troop movement, an advantage Russia lacks. Internationally, Russia has seen some of its partnerships falter, with ESA ending cooperation on a joint lunar mission and Ukrainian allies banning the sale of space exports to Russia. Space.com has an ongoing account of space’s role in the invasion of Ukraine, I would recommend it for anyone interested.

Other Highlights:

• Ian Christensen from the Secure World Foundation wrote an op-ed regarding the “greenwashing” of space, picking apart the difference between real, sustainable action and marketable virtue-signaling.

• India and the U.S. have announced an agreement to share space situational awareness data.

• Singapore has signed onto the Artemis Accords, making it the 18th country to do so and the 3rd East Asian country to join.