NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Aug 21, 2023

Introducing Comet Nishimura

Will Comet Nishimura become visible to the unaided eye? Given the unpredictability of comets, no one can say for sure, but it currently seems like a good bet. The comet was discovered only ten days ago by Hideo Nishimura during 30-second exposures with a standard digital camera. Since then, C/2023 P1 Nishimura has increased in brightness and its path across the inner Solar System determined. As the comet dives toward the Sun, it will surely continue to intensify and possibly become a naked-eye object in early September. A problem is that the comet will also be angularly near the Sun, so it will only be possible to see it near sunset or sunrise. The comet will get so close to the Sun inside the orbit of planet Mercury that its nucleus may break up. Pictured, Comet Nishimura was imaged three days ago from June Lake, California, USA while sporting a green coma and a thin tail.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?

Redwire and Sierra Space partner on commercial space station biotech research platform

August 21, 2023

WASHINGTON — Sierra Space and Redwire are partnering on a biotech experiment platform that will be installed on a Sierra Space commercial space station module in what the companies call a first-of-its-kind arrangement.

The two companies announced Aug. 21 that Redwire will provide a set of equipment that will be installed on a Sierra Space inflatable module known as Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE). That “pathfinder” module will be launched later this decade for commercial pharmaceutical and other biotech research.

“The most significant industrial revolution is underway in space, as we build the first microgravity factories that will benefit humanity with breakthrough innovations and solutions to our toughest problems here on Earth,” Tom Vice, chief executive of Sierra Space, said in a statement. “In Redwire, we have a partner that has a proven history of innovation across in-space manufacturing and biotech facilities.”

In an interview, Mike Gold, chief growth officer of Redwire, called the agreement the first of its kind. “For the first time, a private sector company has contracted with another private sector company for substantive microgravity research and development hardware for pharmaceutical development.”

The hardware includes equipment that Redwire has previously developed for the International Space Station, such as the Advanced Space Experiment Processor, which hosts biotech experiments. A particular focus will be on crystallization experiments, using the microgravity environment to grow larger crystals that can then be studied to determine their structure for pharmaceutical applications.

The companies did not disclose terms of the contract other than that Redwire will start delivering hardware in the fourth quarter of this year. Gold said that the companies will also partner on business development to identify customers for using the experiment platform.

He said that Redwire has been in “constant communications” with pharmaceutical companies about use of those facilities. “We are taking their feedback in terms of what are the tough problems that they need to solve,” he said. “We are directly aligning ourselves with the needs from the pharmaceuticals.”

That is a different approach, he added, from past efforts to attract biotech companies to research on the ISS or other platforms. “For far too long, we had the capability and then tried to sell it to the private sector. Now, we’re beginning with what do the pharmaceutical companies need, what do they want, and then we are focusing our research and development accordingly.”

The companies did not state when the module carrying the experiment platform would launch. At an investor conference in June, Vice said that Sierra Space was planning a launch of a standalone LIFE module as a “pathfinder” for future commercial space stations as soon as the end of 2026. That would be used, he said, for commercial pharmaceutical and other biotech research.

“There have been a number of breakthroughs in the biotech world utilizing the ISS that show we can do some very unique things,” he said then, noting that a pathfinder module would serve as “a revenue-generating space station that is focused around next-generation breakthroughs.”

The pathfinder would also serve as risk reduction for Orbital Reef, a commercial space station being led by Sierra Space and Blue Origin. Redwire and Boeing are also involved in that effort, which is supported by one of NASA’s Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destination awards.

Gold said he believed that microgravity biotech research could help counter the “billionaire playboy narrative” that has dominated coverage of the commercial space industry. “I hope that this agreement is an inflection point that will bring attention to what we are going to be able to do for humanity to benefit and improve life on Earth.”

https://spacenews.com/redwire-and-sierra-space-partner-on-commercial-space-station-biotech-research-platform/

Axiom Space and GU Energy Labs Team Up to Fuel Astronauts

August 17, 2023

Ever wonder how astronauts eat inside their spacesuit? Envision wearing your very own spacecraft that keeps you safe and enables you to explore unreached landscapes, while traversing and working in extreme temperatures for over eight hours. An astronaut’s physiological demands are not only mentally challenging, but physically tough. So, how do they stay personally fueled?

Axiom Space, developer of the next-generation spacesuit, has partnered with GU Energy Labs to develop an advanced in-suit nutrition system for astronauts, providing a crucial energy source for these extreme athletes working in the most extreme environments. The ultimate goal … astronauts will fuel up inside the AxEMU by consuming GU energy gels, traditionally used during ultra-marathons, long distance triathlons, and other physically strenuous activities.

The collaboration is a natural fit for GU, the family-owned, Berkeley-based brand that created the world’s first sports energy gel and continues to develop sports nutrition products that help athletes of all kinds go beyond their own limits. “At GU, we have always been inspired to fuel athletes pushing themselves to the extremes and this collaboration is an extension of that mission,” said Roxanne Vogel, Nutrition & Performance Research Manager at GU and accomplished endurance athlete in her own right. “Our goal is to provide critical nutrients in a convenient, hands-free delivery format, to help fuel astronauts as they push the limits of human space exploration.”

https://www.axiomspace.com/news/gu

Axiom Space Raises $350M at Series-C Close with $2.2B+ in Customer Contracts

August 21, 2023

HOUSTON, August 21, 2023 – Axiom Space announced today that it secured $350 million in its Series-C round of growth funding, lifting the total funds raised to over $505 million from investors and achieving more than $2.2 billion in customer contracts.

To date, Aljazira Capital and Boryung Co., Ltd., have anchored the round, paired with support from an array of diverse backers that include deep-tech venture capital funds and strategic brand partners, positioning Axiom Space as second to SpaceX for the most amount of money raised by a private space company in 2023, based on available pitchbook data.

“We are honored to team with investors like Aljazira Capital, Boryung and others, who are committed to realizing the Axiom Space vision,” said Axiom Space CEO and president Michael Suffredini. “Together, we are working to serve innovators in medicine, materials science, and on-orbit infrastructure who represent billions of dollars in demand over the coming decade. We are building on the legacy of the International Space Station, leveraging the pillars that were constructed in low-Earth orbit more than two decades ago, to now support a burgeoning global space economy.”

Aljazira Capital, one of the major financial powerhouses in Saudi Arabia, has been making significant strides in the world of investment, notably in innovative startup companies across various sectors. Naif AlMesned, CEO and managing director of Aljazira Capital, said, “We believe in the importance of innovation in various sectors and across various markets. In line with the Saudi Vision 2030’s transformative approach, we acknowledge the need for technology toward the advancement of human life. To that end, we are excited to support Axiom Space along its journey of building for beyond.” Aljazira Capital highlighted that it has a profound interest in advancing new technologies and fostering innovation in diverse markets. Its portfolio includes investments in a number of exciting technology-driven ventures, with a distinct focus on enabling businesses that make an impact on society.

Boryung, a healthcare investment company and multi-round lead investor in Axiom Space, strives to establish a space healthcare ecosystem that supports long-duration human space missions and utilizes the space environment to develop new technologies on Earth innovatively. According to Jay Kim, Boryung Chairman, Axiom Station is the preeminent platform for this type of development. “We recognize the depth of human spaceflight knowledge and the level of space station construction and management experience at Axiom Space, as well as the sophistication of the company’s sales and business strategy,” Kim said. “We have a shared vision and ethos and are excited to build opportunity together.”

In addition to building strategic partnerships, Axiom Space’s business operations have been notably successful, with the company not only winning NASA’s port award as the only space company with the privilege of attaching its first commercial space station module to the ISS, but also securing a long-term NASA contract worth $1.26 billion to provide Exploration Extravehicular Activity Services (xEVAS) spacesuits for the Moon and LEO. Guaranteed payments from these task orders total about $370 million, increasing with each new task order received.

Axiom Station’s first module is under construction and is scheduled to launch to the ISS by 2026. Additional modules will follow to build out Axiom Station, which will be ready to separate from the ISS and operate independently, in support of customers around the world, by 2031 when NASA plans to retire the ISS.

https://www.axiomspace.com/news/series-c