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SpaceX Starlink Mission
SpaceX is targeting Friday, April 5 for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites, including six with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is targeted for 7:31 p.m. PT, with backup opportunities available until 11:25 p.m. PT. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Saturday, April 6 starting at 7:25 p.m. PT.
A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about five minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.
This is the sixth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE, Transporter-10, and one Starlink mission. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-8-1
Thanks back at ya
Ambitious new dark matter-hunting experiment delivers 1st results
April 5, 2024
While the Broadband Reflector Experiment for Axion Detection (BREAD) developed by the University of Chicago and the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermilab hasn't turned up dark matter particles just yet, the new results place a tighter constraint on the type of characteristics scientists can expect such particles to have. The BREAD experiment itself also served up an exciting new recipe that could be used in the hunt for dark matter — a relatively inexpensive one that doesn't take up a vast amount of space.
BREAD takes a "broadband" approach to search for hypothetical dark matter particles called "axions" and associated "dark photons" across a larger set of possibilities than other experiments, albeit with slightly less precision.
"If you think about it like a radio, the search for dark matter is like tuning the dial to search for one particular radio station, except there are a million frequencies to check through," University of Chicago scientist and BREAD project co-leader David Miller said in a statement. "Our method is like doing a scan of 100,000 radio stations, rather than a few very thoroughly."
A small experiment to tackle a big problem
Dark matter represents a huge problem for scientists because, despite the fact it makes up around 85% of the matter in the universe and its influence prevents galaxies from flying apart as they spin, we have little idea what it is made of.
That is in part because dark matter is effectively invisible; it doesn't seem to interact with light, neither emitting nor reflecting standard photons. That lack of electromagnetic interaction suggests that dark matter isn't composed of the protons, neutrons and electrons that comprise "normal matter" objects like stars, planets, moons, our bodies and the cat next door.
Though our telescopes can't detect dark matter directly, the stuff does affect stars, galaxies, and even light via its interactions with gravity. So astronomers can tell that something is there — they just don't know what it is. Knowing what to look for and exactly where to look is a different matter.
"We’re very confident that something is there, but there are many, many forms it could take," said Miller.
This confusion has sent scientists on the hunt for different particles with strange properties that could comprise dark matter. One such candidate is the axion, a hypothetical particle with an extremely small mass. Should axions exist, they may interact with a so-called dark photon just as everyday matter interacts with "ordinary" photons. This interaction could occasionally prompt the creation of a visible photon under certain circumstances.
BREAD is a coaxial dish antenna in the shape of a curved metal tube that can fit on a tabletop. The experiment is designed to catch photons and funnel them to a sensor at one end to search for a subset of possible axions.
The full-scale BREAD experiment will see the equipment sit within a strong magnetic field, which the team says will increase the chances of the conversion of axons to photons. As a proof of principle, the team conducted a BREAD experiment minus the magnets needed to generate this field.
The proto-BREAD experiment ran at the University of Chicago for a month and delivered some interesting data, whetting the team's appetite for the full-scale experiment. The test results showed that BREAD was highly sensitive in the range of frequencies that the team had designed it to probe.
"This is just the first step in a series of exciting experiments we are planning," BREAD co-leader and Fermilab researcher Andrew Sonnenschein said. "We have many ideas for improving the sensitivity of our axion search."
The test also demonstrated that particle physics can be done on a tabletop as well as in huge particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which runs for 17 miles (27 kilometers) deep under the border between France and Switzerland.
"This result is a milestone for our concept, demonstrating for the first time the power of our approach," said Stefan Knirck, the Fermilab postdoctoral scholar who led the development and construction of BREAD. "It is great to do this kind of creative tabletop-scale science, where a small team can do everything from building the experiment to data analysis but still have a great impact on modern particle physics."
The next stage of the BREAD experiment will see the apparatus transported to the magnet facility at Argonne National Laboratory. Additionally, facilities like SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, MIT, Caltech, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are working on research and development with the University of Chicago and Fermilab for future recipes of the BREAD experiment.
https://www.space.com/bread-experiment-first-results-dark-matter-search
Thailand joins China-led ILRS moon base initiative
April 5, 2024
Thailand has signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation on the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).
The memorandum of understanding was signed April 5 by Xu Zhanbin, deputy administrator of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and Permsuk Sutchaphiwat, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI).
The two sides also signed an MoU on cooperation in the exploration and peaceful use of outer space, according to a CNSA statement.
Thailand and China will cooperate on the demonstration, project implementation, operation and application of ILRS, according to CNSA. The pair will organize expert teams to conduct research spanning science, engineering and international cooperation, and form a cooperation plan.
Thailand becomes the ninth country to join the ILRS. China and Russia formally announced the joint project in St. Petersburg, Russia, in June 2021. Venezuela, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Belarus, South Africa and Egypt signed up during 2023.
The China-led ILRS envisions constructing a permanent lunar base in the 2030s, with precursor missions in the 2020s. These include Chang’e-7 around 2026 and the later Chang’e-8 in-situ resource utilization technology test mission. Both multi-spacecraft missions will target the lunar south pole.
The initiative is seen as a China-led, parallel project and potential competitor to the NASA-led Artemis Program. On the diplomatic front, Uruguay in February became the 36th country to sign the Artemis Accords which outline best practices in lunar and deep space exploration.
China’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) under CNSA stated last year that China aimed to complete the agreements with founding members of ILRS by October 2023. It appears this deadline has moved and China is still attracting founding members.
Thailand is already engaged in the ILRS project. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) signed an agreement on cooperation in the ILRS in September last year. This coincided with a payload proposed by the institute being announced as accepted to join China’s future Chang’e-7 mission.
NARIT is one of a series of other firms, universities and organizations that have signed agreements on the ILRS.
Marc Julienne, director of the Center for Asian Studies at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), told SpaceNews last week that China’s space cooperation is focusing on the “Global South,” because of a lack of better alternatives and broader diplomatic reasons.
China and Russia initially hoped to attract European countries to join the initiative. The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 ended any hopes of such partnerships.
Thailand is not a major space player but is growing its space footprint. It drafted a Space Activities Act in 2021 with the aim of promoting the country’s space-related economy and technologies. Its government approved a “national space master plan 2023-2037” in late 2022, defining eight strategies, including international cooperation, to boost its space economy for the purposes of national security, prosperity and sustainability.
THEOS-2, a remote sensing satellite built by Airbus Defence and Space for Thailand’s Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency, launched on a Vega rocket last October. Satellite operator Thaicom has four satellites operational in geostationary orbit. It last month ordered a new, small GEO satellite from Astranis for launch in 2025.
Partnerships with countries like Japan and organizations such as the European Space Agency (ESA) have helped in developing Thailand’s space-related infrastructure and expertise.
Meanwhile China is moving ahead with its lunar exploration hardware. Last month China launched its Queqiao-2 lunar communications relay satellite. The spacecraft will facilitate the unprecedented Chang’e-6 lunar far side sample return mission, due to launch next month. It will also later support the Chang’e-7 and later Chang’e-8 missions to the lunar south pole landings.
A pair of small navigation and communications technology test satellites launched along with Queqiao-2. The pair, Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2, separated from each other in lunar orbit April 3.
https://spacenews.com/thailand-joins-china-led-ilrs-moon-base-initiative/
Blue Origin to resume crewed New Shepard flights
April 5, 2024
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Blue Origin announced plans April 4 for its first crewed New Shepard flight in more than 18 months, a mission that will give an opportunity for America’s first Black astronaut candidate to finally go to space.
The company said the six-person crew of the NS-25 suborbital mission will include Ed Dwight. He was a U.S. Air Force pilot announced by the Kennedy administration in 1961 as an astronaut candidate, the first Black person to be considered. He graduated from the Air Force’s Aerospace Research Pilot School but was not selected by NASA in its next astronaut classes. He left the Air Force in 1966 and became a sculptor.
Dwight’s inclusion on NS-25 is sponsored by Space for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that sponsors flights for individuals on commercial spacecraft. “Ed is an industry legend, and his ascension above the Karman Line is long overdue,” said Dylan Taylor, founder of Space for Humanity who flew on New Shepard in 2021, on social media.
Also supporting the flight is the Jaison and Jaime Robinson Foundation; Jaison Robinson flew on the NS-21 New Shepard flight in June 2022.
Dwight is in line to become the oldest person to fly in space, as he is currently about a week older than actor William Shatner was when he became the oldest person to go to space on a New Shepard flight in October 2021. Blue Origin has not revealed a launch date for NS-25 but the announcement of the crew suggests the company plans to conduct the flight in the near future.
The other five people flying on NS-25 are Mason Angel, a venture capitalist; Sylvain Chiron, a French businessman and philanthropist; Kenneth L. Hess, a software entrepreneur; Carol Schaller, a retired accountant; and Gopi Thotakura, a pilot and founder of a wellness center.
The NS-25 mission will be the first crewed flight of New Shepard since the NS-22 mission in August 2022. A month later, a payload-only flight of New Shepard suffered an engine problem a minute into the flight, triggering the capsule’s abort system. The capsule landed safely but the vehicle’ propulsion module was lost.
Blue Origin concluded that the thermal damage caused structural failure of the engine’s nozzle. The company resumed New Shepard flights with another payload mission in December 2023, stating at the time that it would conduct its next crewed mission “soon.”
https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-to-resume-crewed-new-shepard-flights/
Mitsubishi takes stake in Starlab Space
April 5, 2024
Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. is joining Starlab Space, the joint venture of Voyager Space and Airbus Defence and Space that is developing a commercial space station.
Starlab Space announced April 4 that Mitsubishi has become a strategic partner of Starlab Space and would take an equity stake in the joint venture. A Starlab spokesperson declined to provide specific details about the agreement, including its financial value or the size of the equity stake.
“We are excited to join forces with Starlab, a best-in-class team comprising Airbus and Voyager, to drive innovation and catalyze advancements in space exploration,” said Mikito Nakaniwa, division chief operating officer of Mitsubishi’s Infrastructure, Ship & Aerospace Division, in a statement.
The announcement did not identify any specific roles or responsibilities for Mitsubishi in Starlab, stating only that the company would “significantly increase the value of Starlab” by using space research to support terrestrial product development in a range of industries. It would also provide Japanese industry with access to Starlab’s capabilities.
“Our next-generation space station relies on both innovation and experience. Hence Mitsubishi Corporation, a pioneer of space business in Japan since the 1960s with a strong drive for shaping the future, is a perfect addition to our team,” said Mike Schoellhorn, chief executive of Airbus Defence and Space, in the statement.
Having a Japanese company involved in Starlab could also help the company access funding from the Japanese government. Current partners in the International Space Station are pondering how they will continue their current activities on the station once it is retired around the end of the decade, with a preference for keeping investments in their countries rather than making direct payments to an American commercial space station operator.
Voyager and Airbus announced the creation of the Starlab Space joint venture in August, with Voyager holding a majority stake. The companies had previously announced an agreement where Airbus would provide technical support, including work on the station’s single large module, for Starlab.
One reason for the partnership was to give Starlab better access to European markets through Airbus. In November, Airbus and Voyager announced they signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Space Agency to explore how to use Starlab to provide ESA with continued access to low Earth orbit after the retirement of the ISS. That could involve using commercial cargo and crew vehicles developed in Europe with the support of ESA, which announced a cargo vehicle initiative around the time the memorandum was signed.
Starlab Space announced in January that it reached an agreement with SpaceX to launch the Starlab station on a single flight of SpaceX’s Starship vehicle in the late 2020s.
https://spacenews.com/mitsubishi-takes-stake-in-starlab-space/
On Friday, April 5 at 5:12 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This was the 14th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19, and nine Starlink missions.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-6-47
SPY-7 radar on Japanese ship tracks objects in space
April 5, 2024
Lockheed Martin successfully demonstrated the first live track AN/SPY-7(V)1 radar for the Aegis System Equipped Vessel (ASEV), marking a critical milestone in the programme.
During the first track event, SPY-7 radar tactical hardware and software tracked objects in space, which verified the maturity of the radar system and marked the beginning of comprehensive performance testing.
“We use our proven integration and test process to fully test the capability of Aegis and SPY-7 prior to delivery to Japan,” said Amr Hussein, vice president of Multi-Domain Combat Solutions at Lockheed Martin.
“This vigorous testing regimen minimizes risk and ensures that Japan will receive a fully integrated and calibrated system as quickly as possible.”
The Japan Ministry of Defence will field two ASEVs with the SPY-7 radar system.
“The SPY-7 radar product line uses technology from the Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) program to enhance overall strength against evolving threats,” said Chandra Marshall, vice president of Radar and Sensor Systems at Lockheed Martin. “Providing 24/7 coverage, SPY-7 is a superior deterrence asset available for land and maritime applications around the world.”
The tracking event was performed at Lockheed Martin’s Production Test Center in Moorestown, New Jersey. The SPY-7 radar system and Aegis Weapon System equipment will be fully tested ahead of the shipment to Japan.
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/spy-7-radar-on-japanese-ship-tracks-objects-in-space/
Kratos demonstrates satellite internet tech for U.S. Army
April 4, 2024
WASHINGTON — Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced April 4 it completed a demonstration of satellite-based broadband for the U.S. Army using a virtual ground system — a software-defined alternative to traditional hardware-based ground stations for controlling satellite constellations.
The company won a contract in 2022 to conduct the demonstration for the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications Tactical (PEO C3T) as part of a broader push to modernize voice and data communication for tactical units. The Army is looking for ways to tap into commercial capabilities rather than having to build its own bespoke space networks.
Kratos used its OpenSpace Platform, a virtualized satellite communications (satcom) ground system. In the demonstration, it showed it can beam internet down from spacecraft in low Earth orbit directly to small antennas used by soldiers, streamlining the signal path.
Telesat’s LEO 3 satellite used in demo
For the demo, Kratos connected a Cobham tracker antenna to Telesat’s LEO 3 satellite. This is an experimental satellite Telesat launched in July 2023 as a pathfinder for the company’s Lightspeed LEO constellation, a planned network of broadband satellites.
“The demonstration showed a flexible network architecture that allowed soldiers to connect Telesat’s LEO 3 satellite through Cobham antennas,” Kratos said in a news release.
Telesat’s LEO 3, launched aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, is one of seven demonstration satellites. LEO 3 has Ka- and V-band payloads.
https://spacenews.com/kratos-demonstrates-satellite-internet-tech-for-u-s-army/
Women, Peace, Security panel marks anniversary of Department of the Air Force Strategic Action Plan
April 4, 2024
The Military Women’s Memorial hosted a Women, Peace, and Security panel at Arlington National Cemetery, April 1, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the Department of the Air Force’s WPS Strategic Action Plan.
The DAF WPS Strategic Action Plan serves as a comprehensive framework outlining the critical role women play in international peace and security efforts while advocating for their meaningful participation in all levels of decision-making.
During a keynote address, Kristyn Jones, assistant secretary of the Air Force (financial management and comptroller), performing the duties of under secretary of the Air Force, underscored the pivotal role of WPS strategies and principles in bolstering national security.
“The Women Peace and Security Act of 2017 seeks to incorporate women in peace and security – not just as a manifestation of our values of equality and inclusion, although those are important; but because of the empirical evidence that their participation leads to better security outcomes,” Jones said.
Gwendolyn DeFilippi, principal assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs, echoed this sentiment during her remarks.
“Women, Peace, and Security isn’t just making sure that women have a place at the table within the DoD,” Defilippi said. “It is making sure the right voices are heard when resolving complex security issues across the globe, to consider all things that contribute to security— not just armed conflict — with the ultimate goal of enhancing security and sustaining peace by including all perspectives.”
The event also featured a fireside chat with retired Lt. Gen. Nina Armagno, the first director of staff of the United States Space Force, and Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber, and nuclear. The two share a special bond as the first and second women to join the Space Force, respectively.
Armagno reflected on what her journey was like and the importance of having female mentors.
“I had never experienced [female] leaders like that, and we’re still friends to this day,” Armagno said. “They got me through so much because I was able to see what I wanted to be.”
In Burt’s case, she did not encounter a female boss or mentor until she reached the group commander level.
“I had to rely on male mentors who were smart enough and open enough to see talent regardless of gender,” she said. “It was hard though because they didn’t really talk to me about family and kids and that balance that you get when speaking to female mentors.”
The biggest theme across their discussion was the importance of being visible for those who come after them.
“We are representing the next generation,” Burt said. “You can’t be what you can’t see.”
The Women, Peace, and Security series exists to enhance and amplify women’s voices as they participate in policy discussions and offer perspectives stemming from their experiences in public and military service.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3731505/women-peace-security-panel-marks-anniversary-of-department-of-the-air-force-str/
Ace Frehley’s UFO Encounters: ‘The Evidence is Overwhelming’
April 4, 2024
Ace Frehley says he has had more than one close encounter with UFOs in his lifetime, and believes he knows why our Government has spoken more openly about the phenomenon in recent years.
"I don't think they have a choice at this point," the former Kiss star tells UCR. "There have been so many sightings over the years, plus people claiming they have been abducted. The evidence is overwhelming."
Frehley also thinks he may have been visited by beings from another world. "I dreamt that I was [visited]. The dreams started happening a couple of weeks after I ended up unconscious between the open door in the front of my house. I was halfway in and halfway out. Even when I'd get completely wasted, I'd make it inside the door and at least crash on the couch or something, it was unprecedented. Then I looked outside on the grass in my front yard and I saw a circular depression."
You can hear Frehley recount the incident in the video below. He also shares the story of a more recent UFO sighting, which occurred while he was on an airplane that had just taken off from Las Vegas.
Frehley's close encounters inspired the track "Up in the Sky" on his newly released album 10,000 Volts. "They're up in the sky / Girl, I know what I saw / You can't trust the news / Can't trust the law," he insists on the song's chorus.
Frehley will spend much of the summer touring in support of his new album. You can get the most up-to-date concert information at his official website.
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/ace-frehley-ufo-stories/