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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
Oct 6, 2023
Edwin Hubble Discovers the Universe
How big is our universe? This question, among others, was debated by two leading astronomers in 1920 in what has since become known as astronomy's Great Debate. Many astronomers then believed that our Milky Way Galaxy was the entire universe. Many others, though, believed that our galaxy was just one of many. In the Great Debate, each argument was detailed, but no consensus was reached. The answer came over three years later with the detected variation of single spot in the Andromeda Nebula, as shown on the original glass discovery plate digitally reproduced here. When Edwin Hubble compared images, he noticed that this spot varied, and on October 6, 1923 wrote "VAR!" on the plate. The best explanation, Hubble knew, was that this spot was the image of a variable star that was very far away. So M31 was really the Andromeda Galaxy – a galaxy possibly similar to our own. Annotated 100 years ago, the featured image may not be pretty, but the variable spot on it opened a window through which humanity gazed knowingly, for the first time, into a surprisingly vast cosmos.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html?
BLACK SKIES 23-3: USSF conducts largest-ever joint space electromagnetic warfare exercise
Oct. 4, 2023
On Sept. 22, the U.S. Space Force successfully concluded BLACK SKIES 23-3, the third iteration of Space Training and Readiness Command’s exercise series focused on tactical Space Electromagnetic Warfare (SEW).
Established in 2022, BLACK SKIES was conceived as an advanced training forum for tactical units to understand the intricacies of between operational planning and tactical tasks.
The success of BLACK SKIES 23-1 was a catalyst for stimulating interest and collaboration among external partners. The essence of integrated domain warfare became a focal point, fostering a conducive environment for joint participation and partnerships, said U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Scott Nakatani, 392d Combat Training Squadron commander.
BLACK SKIES 23-3, as a result, witnessed a substantial increase in participation, tripling in size with over 170 individuals from diverse units contributing their expertise to the exercise.
The roster of participating units was extensive, including the Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC), 16th Electronic Warfare Squadron (EWS), 3rd Combat Training Squadron, 25th Space Range Squadron, 527th Space Aggressor Squadron, Air Force Reserve Command’s 428th Electromagnetic Warfare Flight, Air National Guard’s 138th EWS, 138th Space Control Squadron and 114th EWS, and a series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadrons.
Additionally, this iteration also included the 26th Weapons Squadron’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft Electronic Combat Officer Course (RECOC), and the U.S. Army’s 1st Space Brigade, Multi-source Intelligence Ground System.
U.S. Space Force Col. Phil Verroco, CSpOC commander, acknowledged the significant participation, highlighting the notable increase in unit engagement compared to previous exercises.
One of the key elements of BLACK SKIES 23-3 was the simulated threat scenarios orchestrated by the 26th Weapons Squadron RECOC.
This segment focused on the potential threats to Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) operations, offering a realistic simulation to gauge and enhance the readiness of military personnel. It provided an invaluable opportunity for coordinated efforts aimed at addressing the challenges posed by modern warfare scenarios, said Nakatani.
Furthermore, the 1st Space Brigade demonstrated its capability in processing multi-intelligence data from a diverse array of sensors. This aspect of the exercise highlighted the evolutionary strides in interagency collaboration and strategic warfare planning, which are instrumental in addressing the multifaceted threat landscape in space and other domains.
BLACK SKIES 23-3 was also an opportunity for the CSpOC to integrate command and control of multiple distributed, multi-service units in open air, known as “live-fire,” and closed loop capacity to meet joint operational requirements.
In the given context, “live-fire” in SEW refers to a real-world scenario where space operators send signals from Earth to a transponder on a satellite in space, said 392d CTS officials.
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This process starts with transmitting a radio frequency or electromagnetic signal from a ground station or satellite dish on Earth towards the satellite. The transponder, a special device on the satellite, receives this signal, boosts it, and sends it back to Earth or another location in space. This action enables communication, like TV broadcasts, phone calls, or data exchange between Earth and the satellite, making live fire exercises critical for practicing in realistic settings.
This is in contrast to a closed loop environment, where the procedures remain the same, but the signals are sent and received in a controlled, contained setting, which doesn’t interact with actual space assets.
The live-fire engagements are crucial as they provide a realistic training environment, allowing participants to better prepare for actual combat by engaging with real-world, operational space systems, the officials added.
Despite operating within the constraints of limited resources, the BLACK SKIES series continues to evolve, said Nakatani, emphasizing the importance of SEW exercises in training forces and enhancing warfighting readiness.
“BLACK SKIES has been a massive success in training our forces and testing warfighting readiness,” he said. “The planning and execution team is small, but extremely talented and we will continue to evolve the delivery of realistic combat training to space warfighters.”
The synergy and coordination exhibited among diverse military units across different branches accentuated the importance of synchronization in achieving mission objectives.
This harmonization is crucial for ensuring combat capability in contested, degraded, and operationally-limited (CDO) environment, stated Nakatani.
“Electronic Warfare is an integral piece to the joint environment,” said Nakatani. “It is inevitable that the U.S. Space Force should continue to integrate, communicate, and coordinate with other services in the EW environment to ensure combat capability of our forces in a contested, degraded, and operationally-limited environment.”
As BLACK SKIES 23-3 concludes, the momentum shifts towards the upcoming Concept Development Conference, hosted by the 392d CTS. The conference aims to refine service-level exercises for Fiscal Year 2024, setting the preliminary groundwork for the next iteration of BLACK SKIES.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3549148/black-skies-23-3-ussf-conducts-largest-ever-joint-space-electromagnetic-warfare/
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Energy Action Month highlights the critical role energy plays in strategic competition
Oct. 5, 2023
In recognition of Energy Action Month, the Department of the Air Force is showcasing energy’s critical role in great power competition, particularly in the Indo-Pacific Region.
Building on its three-year theme, “Powering Possibility,” the department is advancing game-changing energy technologies and processes to secure safe, reliable, and efficient energy for the joint fight and ensures its ability to deter adversaries, and if needed fly, fight and win.
“Welcome to great power competition, welcome to Energy Action Month! Energy will be the margin of victory in near peer conflict. Whether it is operational or installation energy, we must work to advance innovation and re-optimize to set the pace in this arena,” explained Dr. Ravi Chaudhary, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment. “Energy efficiency ruggedizes our installations, increases our combat capability, and offers redundant energy systems that increase survivability. It also increases our range and endurance, capabilities that are fundamental to the success of an Air Force.”
Delivering operational and installation energy capabilities that increase agility of the joint force and investing in technologies that revolutionize Department of the Air Force energy use are among the assistant secretary’s top priorities. This year, the department advanced key energy initiatives, including introducing the Climate Campaign Plan to adapt to and mitigate the effects of a changing climate, choosing JetZero for the next phase of a Blended Wing Body prototype aircraft project, and progressing a first-of-its-kind nuclear micro-reactor at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.
Operational energy, or aviation fuel, comprises the majority of the Department of the Air Force’s energy usage, providing a tremendous opportunity to optimize energy consumption and build flexibility in places like the Indo-Pacific.
Operational energy initiatives increase the lethality of the department by improving the combat power and training effectiveness of every ounce of fuel use. These initiatives increase the efficiency of legacy aircraft by reducing drag and improving engines, add productivity to our missions with advanced planning and scheduling tools, and deliver tactical solutions to operators to extend range or time on station while ensuring that fuel is available where and when the warfighter needs it.
The Blended Wing Body project supports the Secretary of the Air Force’s operational imperatives that act as a roadmap for successfully bringing about new technologies to deter and, if necessary, defeat modern-day adversaries.
The BWB project does this by leveraging new transformational aircraft technology that is significantly more efficient (at least 30%) than current platforms, offering more aircraft range, refueling capability, and cargo capacity. This transformational technology decreases logistics risks, improves readiness, and will be vital for a fight in the Pacific.
Installations are also foundational to projecting combat power in air, space, and cyberspace. Reliable access to sufficient, quality power and water ensures missions are on time and proceed to target.
The Department of the Air Force has launched a series of pilot initiatives across the enterprise to explore electrification, carbon pollution-free procurement, and innovative energy technologies to build resilience for installations.
For example, the department is pursuing non-tactical vehicle pilots across 45 installations and continues to advance the nuclear micro-reactor pilot program. This clean energy technology can operate independently from the commercial grid and can produce both power and heat for long intervals between refueling, making it a promising power source for remote domestic military installations critical to the national security infrastructure.
The department is also using innovative contracting methods to implement microgrids, which supply bases with onsite power and bolster mission continuity by “islanding” from local grids during unplanned commercial outages. For example, the microgrid at Kadena Air Base, Japan, kept base power intact during a recent typhoon. The microgrid was funded by innovative energy savings methods piloted by 18th Wing leadership.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3549820/energy-action-month-highlights-the-critical-role-energy-plays-in-strategic-comp/
https://www.safie.hq.af.mil/EnergyActionMonth/
Space Enterprise Consortium Membership Meeting to Bring Government, Space Industry Together
Oct. 5, 2023
More than 300 professionals are expected to attend Space Enterprise Consortium’s (SpEC) annual membership meeting in Los Angeles, Calif. on Oct. 17 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott.
Established in 2017 to bridge the cultural gap between military buyers and commercial space startups and small businesses, SpEC uses a Department of Defense procurement mechanism known as OTA, or Other Transaction Authority, to carry out certain prototypes, research, and production projects. OTAs were created to give necessary flexibility for select federal agencies to adopt and incorporate business practices that reflect commercial industry standards and best practices into U.S. Department of Defense award instruments. SpEC’s innovative contracting process allows it to solicit bids from a mix of member companies, including those which have not previously worked with the Department of Defense.
“That’s one of the prime objectives for the SpEC OTA: attract and break down barriers to entry for those non-traditional defense contractors,” said Maj. Philip R. Duddles, SSC SpEC program manager. “We believe that innovation doesn’t just exist within the big defense ‘Prime’ contractors.”
More than 600 companies have joined SpEC, 70 percent of which are considered non-traditional defense contractors, Duddles said.
“The general membership meeting embodies what SpEC is meant to be about: facilitating better and broader engagement between the government and the commercial and academic sectors,” said Tim Greeff, CEO and founder of NSTXL, which manages SpEC.
“One thing we all missed during Covid was that in-person engagement,” Greeff added. “As we work to put non-traditional companies in business with the federal government, it’s hard to fathom having successful business relationships without that in-person interaction.”
Through the consortium, “we create that environment where government gets to meet and develop relationships with the top performers in industry, and industry gets to meet with government and get that support,” Greeff said.
The annual members meeting will include keynote speakers, including Joy M. White, executive director for SSC, and Col. Richard Kniseley, director of SSC’s Commercial Space Office, Duddles said.
The second section will include breakout sessions where consortium members can listen and learn from program officers talking about their projects, government requirement owners sharing coming requirements, and networking conversations with industry.
“Since January, we’ve seen more than 100 new companies join the consortium,” Duddles said. “A lot of that is from (SpEC members) learning about us when attending symposiums and conferences and our efforts at getting the word out to industry that this opportunity exists.”
Working with the government can seem, to some, like a cumbersome or unclear process, especially for smaller companies if they’ve never worked under federal acquisition regulations before, Duddles said. Traditionally, the timeline between solicitation of bids for a project and awarding the contract could sometimes take years – another barrier for smaller companies.
But with the OTA, the time from a government program posting a solicitation to the membership portal to the time the contract is awarded could be as short as 90 days, Duddles said.
“It lets the government disperse the risk a little bit,” Duddles said. “If you do a big, single contract with a traditional defense contractor for a large effort that includes development, prototyping, production, sustainment, etc., that contractor is going to have to calculate and absorb all that prototyping and risk.”
“But if the government can take and manage the prototyping efforts - sometimes among multiple companies - and identify the best performer or the prototype that’s been validated and works, when you move on to the production phase, whoever wins the production phase is taking on less technical risk,” Duddles said.
“The unique thing about SpEC is that we actually facilitate and encourage companies to come together and ‘team’ on responses to solicitations,” Duddles said. “At the end of the day, that often delivers SSC a better product at a better price.”
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With technology, innovation and space threats all becoming more complex, “it’s now pretty unlikely that any one company is ever going to have the entire capability or solution that the government is looking for,” Greeff said.
And with government working within compressed timelines to deliver solutions, successful teaming needs to happen before the request for proposal goes out – which is where SpEC comes in – encouraging companies to figure out what they can offer, who they can partner with and develop a team, Greeff said.
SSC “owns” SpEC’s OTA, but it’s a tool that can be used by any U.S. Department of Defense agency with a space-related prototype requirement, Duddles said.
“Our scope is defense-related, space prototypes,” Duddles said. “We can engage with any DoD organization that’s doing space prototyping, like the MDA (Missile Defense Agency), SDA (Space Defense Agency), AFRL (Air Force Research Laboratory). A big benefit of this OTA consortium model and having a large and active consortium is that these companies are vetted and educated, and communication is kept flowing between government and the consortium.”
Governed by Title 10, U.S. code 4022, the OTA is about two pages of regulations, as opposed to thousands in the federal acquisition regulations. SSC’s OTA is a 10-year, $12 billion ceiling vehicle that individual efforts can be nested within, Duddles said. No money is assigned to it. Typically, the entity who owns the requirement brings the funding, which then gets nested or assigned under the OTA. SpEC has a team of contracting officers who serve as the point of contact for the OTA.
Recent successful SpEC-funded projects include:
The Hosted Payload Interface Unit (HPIU) is a key capability enabling the U.S./Japan QZSS Hosted Payload mission, an international partnership with Japan in which U.S. Space Force (USSF) sensors are hosted on Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, Japan’s version of the Global Positioning System. The HPIU program successfully integrated with Japan’s QZS-6 satellite in April, and a second system was delivered to Japan in May to be integrated on QZS-7.
Data Exploitation & Enhanced Processing – Position, Navigation & Timing (DEEP-PNT) leverages on-orbit mega-constellations, providing operational threat monitoring, detection, and actionable characterization of the GPS signal environment, said 1st Lt. Alexander G. Saylor with SSC’s Environmental and Tactical Surveillance Delta. DEEP-PNT showcased a successful prototype through SpEC in less than one year.
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Being a part of SpEC allowed the DEEP-PNT team to rapidly prototype and fostered a sense of urgency to deliver a proven operational product into the hands of users, Saylor said. DEEP-PNT has proven its utility by supporting multiple crewed/uncrewed NASA, USSF, and National Reconnaissance Office launches as well specific mission requests from USNORTHCOM. This “quick-win” prototype has found its home at the Joint Task Force Space Defense – Commercial Operations Cell where it is briefed twice a day to numerous national partners during crew stand-ups.
Space Mobility & Logistics On-Orbit Servicing/Refueling project – SSC awarded a $25.5 million contract to Astroscale, a Colorado based aerospace company, for an on-orbit refueling vehicle. Astroscale’s was one of 23 bids that came in through SpEC. By utilizing the SpEC OT, SSC leveraged an industry cost-share, significantly increasing the total value of the effort while codifying a mutually beneficial industry/USSF partnership. Astroscale is on contract to deliver, within 24 months, a prototype vehicle capable of refueling satellites as they remain on-station and on-mission. This game-changing capability will leverage a broader commercial refueling architecture advanced by previous industry/USSF investments.
“In the outreach that we do, and with the size of the consortium membership, we typically average between three to five times the number of qualified proposals being submitted, than if the government posted an opportunity on beta.SAM.gov by itself,” Greeff said.
Greeff said SpEC is constantly looking for emerging companies with promising technology.
“It’s not just a database, or an email list – SpEC is a living community of folks that we are driving to interact with each other, to create better teamed, qualified solutions so that the government has much broader awareness of what’s available and can really select from a greater group of companies – and that competition is good for everyone,” Greeff said.
“We’re starting to see a very steep innovation curve with new space technology. Government is now competing on a global stage like we have never had to do in the past,” Greeff said. “Keeping up to date on all the new technologies coming out – and also being able to contract them in an efficient manner is the only way we’re going to maintain our space superiority.”
https://www.ssc.spaceforce.mil/Newsroom/Article-Display/Article/3549023/space-enterprise-consortium-membership-meeting-to-bring-government-space-indust
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Atlas V rocket launching Amazon's 1st internet satellites today
Oct 6, 2023
The first two prototype satellites for Amazon's Project Kuiper broadband constellation will lift off today (Oct. 6), and you can watch the action live.
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the two spacecraft is scheduled to lift off today from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during a two-hour window that opens at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT). There's a 70% chance the weather will cooperate, according to ULA.
You can watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of ULA, or directly via the company. Coverage will begin at 1:40 p.m. EDT (1740 GMT).
The two satellites going up today are prototypes for Project Kuiper, the broadband megaconstellation that Amazon plans to build in low Earth orbit (LEO).
If all goes according to plan, the duo, called Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2, will be deployed into a 311-mile-high (500 kilometers) orbit about 18 minutes after liftoff, according to ULA.
The initial Project Kuiper constellation will consist of 3,236 satellites, according to an Amazon FAQ. Those spacecraft will ride to LEO atop a variety of rockets — launchers built by ULA, European outfit Arianespace and Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded (like Amazon) by Jeff Bezos.
Kuipersat-1 and Kuipersat-2 were originally supposed to fly on the debut mission of ULA's new Vulcan Centaur, but delays with that rocket led Amazon to shift to the workhorse Atlas V. Vulcan Centaur will still loft Project Kuiper satellites in the future, however.
Amazon's license with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission requires that the company be operating at least half of the Project Kuiper satellites in the initial constellation by July 2026. The constellation will begin providing service to some customers by late 2024, if all goes according to plan.
Project Kuiper will compete with another internet megaconstellation that's already operational in LEO — SpaceX's Starlink, which currently consists of nearly 5,000 functioning satellites. And Starlink is still growing; SpaceX has permission to deploy 12,000 of the satellites and has applied for approval for another 30,000 on top of that.
https://www.space.com/ula-atlas-v-amazon-internet-satellite-launch-webcast
https://www.ulalaunch.com/missions/next-launch/atlas-v-project-kuiper-protoflight
NASA’s Honey Astrobee Robot Returns to Space
OCT 05, 2023
The International Space Station is abuzz with the return of one of NASA’s Astrobee smart robots. The yellow Honey Astrobee, one of three free-flying robots, was unboxed in space after spending nearly a year at its home base, NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. Honey had returned to Earth in September 2022 for maintenance and repairs.
NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg helped unpack Honey from its flight container and verified the robot was ready to get back to work. After initial checks, Honey was able to independently disengage from its docking station, maneuver through the space station’s Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), and re-dock successfully without crew supervision.
The Astrobee Facility provides the orbiting laboratory with a robotic system for research and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) outreach. Astrobee consists of three cubed-shaped robots, software, and a docking station used for recharging. The robots, which use electric fans as propulsion in the microgravity of the space station, aim to help manage routine spacecraft tasks so that astronauts can focus on jobs that only humans can perform. The project provides payload opportunities as well as guidance to users from academia, private industry, NASA, and other government agencies in the execution of approved research and STEM objectives.
https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/iss-research/honey-astrobee-returns-space/
Virgin Galactic to launch Galactic 04 space tourist flight today. Here's what to expect
Oct 5, 2023
Virgin Galactic is keeping pace with the company's monthly flight cadence, and is targeting Oct. 6 for the launch of their fourth commercial mission, Galactic 04.
Three space tourists are scheduled to launch on a suborbital trajectory aboard Virgin Galactic's reusable space plane, VSS Unity. Virgin Galactic has not announced a time for Friday's flight, but similar missions that have flown over the last few months have taken place in the morning, with the takeoff of Unity's carrier aircraft, VMS Eve, around 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT).
VMS Eve will take off from Virgin Galactic's Spaceport America in New Mexico and will carry Unity and her crew to altitude before releasing the space plane to rocket itself the rest of the way to space.
The VSS Unity spacecraft flies on a suborbital trajectory that allows its passengers several minutes of weightlessness before returning to the runway back at Spaceport America. Though it doesn't reach orbit, Unity will be high enough that passengers will be able to see the curvature of Earth against the dark backdrop of outer space.
With Unity secured between the double cockpits of her carrier aircraft, Eve will carry the space plane to an altitude of about 50,000 feet (15,000 meters). Once at altitude, Unity will be released and will ignite its rocket engine to climb the rest of the way to the edge of space.
Originally, Virgin had targeted Oct. 5 for the Galactic 04 flight. However, on Oct. 1, the company wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the launch window was moved back to give their "team an additional day to complete vehicle prep and checks," the post read.
CAN I WATCH VIRGIN GALACTIC'S GALACTIC 04 SPACEFLIGHT?
Nope. Virgin Galactic didn't provide streaming coverage for Galactic 03, and won't be providing live video for Galactic 04 either. During their last mission, updates were only provided via X, and that seems to be the case for Galactic 04 as well.
"There will not be a livestream, but everyone can follow Virgin Galactic on X/Twitter for the latest updates ahead of flight and on the day of flight," the representative added.
Further mission updates on Virgin Galactic's X account are expected as launch day approaches, and throughout the morning during the Oct. 6 flight.
Launch update: The #Galactic04 spaceflight will now take place on the second day of our flight window – Friday, October 6 to give our team an additional day to complete vehicle prep and checks. We look forward to taking to the skies in a few days!
In total, six people will fly to space on Galactic 04: Mission commander Kelly Latimer and pilot C.J. Sturckow will be at the helm of VSS Unity. In the cabin, three private passengers will ride alongside Virgin Galactic's chief astronaut instructor.
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Latimer was the first woman to serve as a research pilot at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center. She has logged several thousand hours in the cockpit of dozens of different aircraft, and was at the helm of VMS Eve during Virgin Galactic's first commercial spaceflight mission in June.
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Sturckow was a NASA astronaut from 1995 to 2013, during which time he flew four space shuttle missions, including the first shuttle to launch to the International Space Station (ISS). Galactic 04 will mark Sturckow's eleventh spaceflight.
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The private astronauts boarding VSS Unity for Galactic 04 are some of the company's "Founder Astronauts," reserving their seats more than 15 years ago. Designated Virgin Galactic's astronauts 017, 018 and 019, the Galactic 04 crew hail from the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.
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Ron Rosano, Virgin Galactic Astronaut 017: Rosano is a space fanatic from Muir Beach, California. He is an astronomy educator who runs multiple websites dedicated to his space ventures and tracking crewed spaceflight, in general. In addition to his ticket for Galactic 04, Rosano has also reserved seats aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, and Space Perspective's stratospheric balloon, according to his website.
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Trevor Beattie, Virgin Galactic Astronaut 018: Beattie is a long-time British ad executive who's made a name for himself in the media industry, and began marketing Virgin Galactic flights through his company, Beattie McGuinness Bungay, as early as 2006.
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Namira Salim, Virgin Galactic Astronaut 019: Salim founded the nonprofit Space Trust, which advocates for leveraging the growing space sector as a platform for achieving peace on Earth. She is Pakistani, living in Dubai, and is recognized as Pakistan's first astronaut. A true world-adventurer, Salim is also the first Pakistani to venture to the North and South Poles.
Beth Moses was the first woman to fly aboard Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity spaceplane. She earned her astronaut wings in 2019 and is designated Virgin Galactic Astronaut 002.
She currently works as the company's chief astronaut instructor and was responsible for overseeing the training of Virgin Galactic's private passengers. She will fly alongside the Galactic 04 passengers as their Galactic liaison and collect observational data to inform future flights. This will be Moses' sixth spaceflight.
Two pilots will sit parallel, one in each of the double fuselages of VMS Eve, during Friday's Galactic 04 flight. The pair will coordinate the release of VSS Unity, before flying the carrier aircraft back to Spaceport America's runway at the end of the mission.
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Jameel Janjua: Janjua is a retired Canadian Air Force Major with an extensive background as a test pilot. He earned a masters of science in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and flew as VMS Eve's pilot during Galactic 01.
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Nicola Pecile: Pecile has flown on 170 different aircraft since beginning his flying career in 1991, which included service in the Italian Air Force as a lieutenant colonel. He has a total of 7,700 flight hours, according to Virgin Galactic.
The exact mission length is uncertain. On Virgin Galactic's past commercial flights, like June's Galactic 01, about 1.5 hours passed between VMS Eve takeoff and the VSS Unity landing back at Spaceport America.
https://www.space.com/virgin-galactic-04-launch-what-time-is-it
https://twitter.com/virgingalactic
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