WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — Three U.S. university-led proposals have been selected by NASA to develop technologies for living and working at the Moon, from using lunar resources for construction to developing electronics that can work in the Moon’s extremely cold temperatures.

National Research & Development Agency
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

TOKYO — The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) cooperate under the KiboCUBE program launched in 2015 to provide developing countries with opportunities to deploy CubeSats from the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” of the International Space Station (ISS).

JAXA and UNOOSA have selected teams from the Popular Autonomous University of the State of Puebla (UPAEP) of Mexico and the Private Higher School of Engineering and Applied Technology (ESPITA) of Tunisia for the sixth round of KiboCUBE program, which was open for applications from December 20, 2020 through May 31, 2021.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (NRAO PR) — Recent advancements in 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) for metallic structures make it possible to print all-metal electromagnetic devices—like antennas and waveguides—on demand. A new partnership between the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Optisys, LLC, headquartered in West Valley City, Utah, will explore the potential for leveraging this technology for radio astronomy applications.

WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — NASA’s Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program has awarded $15 million to U.S. small businesses and research institutions to continue developing technologies in areas ranging from aeronautics to science and space exploration.

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla. (NOAA PR) — NOAA’s GOES-T, the third in the GOES-R Series of advanced weather observing and environmental monitoring satellites, arrived in Florida on November 10, 2021, to begin final preparations for launch.

Report projects a century of sea level rise in 30 years

SILVER SPRING, Md. (NOAA PR) — The United States is expected to experience as much sea level rise by the year 2050 as it witnessed in the previous hundred years. That’s according to a NOAA-led report updating sea level rise decision-support information for the U.S. released today in partnership with half a dozen other federal agencies.

A paranoid computer and excessive secrecy killed Frank Poole wrecked the Discovery One mission. But, there was another problem that’s been hiding in plain sight for half a century.

by Douglas Messier
Managing Editor

In the classic sci-fi movie, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the first human mission to explore Jupiter goes off the rails when the Discovery One‘s HAL 9000 computer begins to malfunction. Faced with possible disconnection, HAL kills Frank Poole during a spacewalk, turns off life support for three survey team members in hibernation, and traps mission commander David Bowman outside the ship. Bowman manages to get back inside and disconnects the psychotic computer, triggering a video that explains the true purpose of the mission.

The precise reason for HAL’s malfunction and murderous rampage are not really explained in a movie that is the very definition of opaque. We know that it involved a monolith dug up on the moon that sent a signal to Jupiter. And that HAL knew about it. The answer lies beyond the infinite.

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla. (SpaceX PR) — SpaceX is targeting Monday, February 21 for a Falcon 9 launch of 46 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The instantaneous launch window is at 9:44 a.m. EST, or 14:44 UTC. The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched Crew Demo-2, ANASIS-II, CRS-21, Transporter-1, Transporter-3, and five Starlink missions. […]

PARIS (ESA PR) — ESA’s OPS-SAT is a Swiss army knife in orbit. The 30-cm CubeSat packs a powerful onboard computer and an array of instruments that make it the ideal laboratory for testing innovative new technologies in space.

Thanks to the ESA Discovery programme, 12 new experiments will be doing just that, as they develop software, concepts and protocols that push the robust CubeSat to its limits and that could one day be essential parts of future spacecraft missions.

SILVER SPRING, Md. (NOAA PR) — Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a Space Object Commercial Data Request for Information (RFI). NOAA is soliciting information from commercial satellite tracking providers on data products, services, and capabilities to support development of an Open Architecture Data Repository (OADR) for commercial space situational awareness. Responses to this RFI will be used to inform plans for OADR development and other acquisition […]

The objective is to support long-term growth in the regional space sector

BRASILIA, Brazil (AEB PR) — The Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) signed a Term of Strategic Intent and Cooperation. The initiative, with which the Brazilian Embassy in Washington also collaborated, is the first of its kind for AWS in Latin America and will support innovation and continued growth in the country’s space industry.

AEB plays an important role in the Latin American context, being responsible for a wide variety of space activities related to space transport, satellites, research and applications. AEB has supported the strengthening of the Brazilian infrastructure for rocket launch, production and exploration of space systems. It also supports educational and research activities in astronautical and related sciences. In addition, AEB is a bilateral partner of NASA in ionospheric research and a signatory to the Artemis Agreements for the joint exploration of the Moon.

SPRINGFIELD, Va. (NGA PR) — The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency signed a Partnership Intermediary Agreement, or PIA, with T-Rex innovation and entrepreneur center in St. Louis Feb. 17. PIAs help industry and academia leverage government developed data and technology. The agreement with T-Rex will support NGA’s vision for the development of the next generation workforce and geospatial technology to address evolving challenges to national security, said Phil Chudoba, NGA’s associate director […]