By Margo Pierce
NASA’s Spinoff Publication

Moon dust isn’t like the stuff that collects on a bookshelf or on tables – it’s ubiquitous and abrasive, and it clings to everything. It’s so bad that it even broke the vacuum NASA designed to clean the Moon dust off Apollo spacesuits.

With NASA’s return to the Moon and its orbit, it will need to manage the dust, which is dangerous for people too. The first step is knowing how much is around at any given time. Efforts to do just that are already paying off on Earth, in the fight against air pollution.

Jupiter’s moon Europa has an icy crust covering a vast, global ocean. The rocky layer underneath may be hot enough to melt, leading to undersea volcanoes.

PASADENA, Calif. (NASA PR) — New research and computer modeling show that volcanic activity may have occurred on the seafloor of Jupiter’s moon Europa in the recent past – and may still be happening. NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission, targeting a 2024 launch, will swoop close to the icy moon and collect measurements that may shed light on the recent findings.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Rikkyo University
The University of Tokyo
Kochi University
Chiba Institute of Technology
Maebashi Institute of Technology
Hokkaido University of Education
Nagoya University

TOKYO (JAXA PR) — Research results from the exploration of Ryugu by the asteroid explorer, Hayabusa2, have been published in the British online journal, Nature Astronomy, on May 24, 2021 (May 25 JST). Assistant Professor Naoya Sakatani (Rikkyo University) from the Hayabusa2 science team is the lead author in this research.

• OneWeb’s new launch overall places 36 new constellation satellites into orbit.
• Following the 7th launch for OneWeb, Arianespace has deployed 218 satellites in low Earth orbit for the constellation.

VOSTOCHNY COSMODROME, Russia (Arianespace PR) — Performed on Friday, May 29 at precisely 02:38 a.m. local time at Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome (05:38 p.m. on May 28, UTC), Soyuz Flight ST31 orbited 36 new OneWeb satellites – bringing the size of the fleet in orbit to 218. Flight ST32 was the 57th Soyuz mission carried out by Arianespace and its Starsem affiliate.

NASA FY 2022 Budget Request
Fact Sheet

With the resources provided in the FY 2022 budget request, NASA will: increase investments in climate research and Decadal Survey recommended science programs; partner with commercial industry to build a Human Landing System to land the first woman and the first person of color on the Moon and support a regular cadence of sustainable lunar missions; enhance U. S. competitiveness in the global aviation industry including the first flights of the X-59 LBFD and X-57 Maxwell all-electric aircraft; invest in new technologies and space infrastructure reaffirming the U.S. as the world’s premier partner in space collaboration for decades to come; launch the James Webb Space Telescope; and leverage the Agency’s unique mission to inspire students in STEM.

Office of Management and Budget Letter to Congress

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) inspires the Nation by sending astronauts and robotic missions to explore the solar system, advancing understanding of the Earth and space, and developing new technologies and approaches to improve aviation and space activities. The 2022 discretionary request invests in developing new technologies to improve the Nation’s space and sustainable aviation capabilities; human and robotic exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond, including returning Martian rocks and soil to earth; and development of Earth-observing satellites that would produce breakthrough science and support the Nation’s efforts to address climate change.

The President’s 2022 discretionary request includes $24.7 billion for NASA, a $1.5 billion or 6.3-percent increase from the 2021 enacted level. It:

WASHINGTON (House Science Committee PR) – Today, Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), along with Ranking Member Frank Lucas (R-OK), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Don Beyer (D-VA), and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Brian Babin (R-TX) sent a letter to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro requesting the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a review of the cybersecurity risks to the sensitive data associated with the National Aeronautics and Space […]

SpaceChain’s blockchain-enabled payload, incorporated with the space nodes of its customers, is heading to space aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in June 2021; missions validate space-as-a-service adoption among organizations looking to address land-based infrastructure concerns that inhibit blockchain developments

SINGAPORE (SpaceChain PR) — SpaceChain today announced two launch missions slated for June 2021 which will see the successful deployment of its decentralized satellite infrastructure and  multisignature services by corporate customers, including digital asset management firm Nexus Inc., digital currency exchange Biteeu, and community project Divine.

Scheduled for June 3, 2021, the space node designed by SpaceChain will be launched into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and installed at the International Space Station (ISS). This will be SpaceChain’s fourth blockchain payload launch into space, and the first demonstration of Ethereum technology integration into its hardware on ISS. The mission is made possible by Nanoracks and its Space Act agreement with NASA.

TUCSON (Phantom Space PR) — Phantom Space Corporation, a space transportation technology development and manufacturing company, today announced the successful acquisition of StratSpace, an industry leader in strategic growth consulting, space market projections, as well as the design, build, and management of satellites and satellite programs. The acquisition of StratSpace has further propelled the company towards its goal of becoming a leading space company, covering the full spectrum of primary space services: from satellites to launch to space data infrastructure. This acquisition, the first of many, puts Phantom Space on a hyperscale trajectory to become a global leader in the industry. 

PARIS (ESA PR) — Keeping information secure in today’s interconnected world is becoming ever more important, so ESA is supporting efforts to ensure that future communications are kept confidential.

A new generation of supercomputing power, delivered by quantum computers, is currently being developed that will be almost unimaginably powerful at cracking the most complex problems upon which encryption is based.

TOKYO (JAXA PR) — The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to obtain data on the lunar surface by utilizing a transformable lunar robot. The data collected will aid the design for the studied crewed pressurized rover. The transformable lunar robot is being jointly developed by JAXA, TOMY Company, Ltd. (Tomy Company), Sony Group Corporation (Sony), and Doshisha University. Transportation of the robot to the Moon will be conducted by Japan’s ispace, inc. (ispace).

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, May 26, 2021 (Martime Launch Services PR) – Maritime Launch Services Ltd. (“MLS” or the “Company”), owner of Canada’s first commercial spaceport, is pleased to announce that it has selected a number of Nova Scotian firms to advance design and preparations for construction of the launch complex located near Canso, Nova Scotia.

“We have selected a number of local firms across Nova Scotia to support Maritime Launch in building a state-of-the-art, world-class launch complex,” said Stephen Matier, President and CEO of MLS. “With initial financing in hand, we have begun hiring members of our executive leadership team and we are accelerating work so we can break ground on construction of the complex in the fall.” The preparation efforts include work for Strum Consulting, Stantec, Lloyd’s Register, Nova Construction, Lindsay Construction Management, St. Francis Xavier University, and others.