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ULA's new Vulcan Centaur rocket launches on 2nd test flight

October 4, 2024

United Launch Alliance's (ULA) powerful new Vulcan Centaur rocket is two for two.

Vulcan Centaur, the successor to ULA's workhorse Atlas V, launched today (Oct. 4) at 7:25 a.m. EDT (1125 GMT) after a series of holds from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, kicking off a key test flight called Cert-2.

ULA declared the flight a success, apparently keeping the new rocket on track to be certified for use on national security missions — a box that could be checked in the coming weeks, after ULA and the U.S. Space Force have had a chance to review data from the flight.

"I think we're all really excited to see that it's such a significant launch in terms of our certification and where we're going with Vulcan," Space Force program manager Megan Lepien said during the ULA launch livestream.

"It was just a tremendous accomplishment from this team."

Vulcan Centaur flew for the first time this past January. That mission, called Cert-1, was a success, delivering the private Peregrine lunar lander to a highly elliptical moon-intercepting orbit as planned.

Peregrine didn't make it to the lunar surface, however; it suffered a propellant leak shortly after separating from the rocket's Centaur V upper stage and was guided back to Earth before getting destroyed in our atmosphere.

Cert-2 was supposed to be the first-ever flight of Dream Chaser, a robotic space plane built by the Colorado company Sierra Space.

But the private vehicle wasn't ready in time for liftoff, so ULA changed course, putting an inert "mass simulator" and a set of the company's own rocket-monitoring instruments on the Vulcan Centaur instead of a customer payload.

This shift meant ULA had to foot the entire bill for Cert-2, whose price tag is in the "high tens of millions of dollars," ULA CEO Tory Bruno told reporters in a prelaunch briefing on Wednesday (Oct. 2).

Cert-2 "has literally one primary objective, which is to go fly a second time and have another success," Bruno added in Wednesday's briefing.

That objective was apparently achieved, as Vulcan Centaur seemed to perform well throughout the flight.

The rocket ticked all the major boxes on schedule — jettisoning its two solid rocket boosters around two minutes after liftoff, for example, and acing stage separation about three minutes after that.

There was an as-yet unexplained burst of material from the rocket about 39 seconds after liftoff, as seen in the launch video, but the Vulcan Centaur was able to fly its planned flight profile nonetheless.

The Centaur V upper stage conducted two long engine burns as planned, the second ending about 35 minutes after liftoff.

That milestone brought the main Cert-2 mission to an end, though ULA planned to do a little more work after that as well.

"We're going to conduct a few maneuvers with the upper stage, just to learn better how it behaves in those types of maneuvers, and also to give us more time with the [onboard] experiments," Bruno said in Wednesday's briefing.

Those maneuvers and experiments could inform the development of a future version of the Centaur V that's capable of operating in the final frontier for much longer than an hour or so, which Bruno said is the current norm for an upper stage.

"We think it's possible to take this to months, and that's a game-changer," he said. "What that would allow us to do is have an in-space transportation capability for in-space mobility and servicing and things like that."

If all goes according to plan, the Centaur V will head to a disposal orbit around the sun after completing those extra maneuvers and experiments, Bruno said via X on Wednesday.

The stage will then be "passivated" — drained of propellant and battery power until it's an inert hunk of metal.

ULA will analyze the Cert-2 flight data, then hand that information over to Space Force officials who will perform their own examination, Bruno said. Certification could follow relatively soon after.

"If the mission is very clean, like the Cert-1 mission, that goes pretty quickly," Bruno said on Wednesday. "I mean, that'll be done in weeks, not months."

ULA is gearing up for that short timeline. The company hopes to launch two national security missions, known as USSF-106 and USSF-87, with Vulcan Centaur before the end of the year.

And, if all goes according to plan, the new rocket will be a big part of a busy 2025 for ULA. The company aims to launch 20 missions next year, Bruno said, half of them with Vulcan Centaur and half with the still-active Atlas V.

One of those Vulcan Centaur flights will likely loft the space plane that was originally supposed to fly today.

"We have room in the 2025 manifest for Dream Chaser," Bruno said on Wednesday.

https://www.space.com/ula-vulcan-centaur-second-test-flight-launch-success

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAUatH8O6Ng

China aims to breed zebrafish aboard Tiangong space station

October 4, 2024

Zebrafish aboard China's space station are doing well in orbit, according to an update on the experiments.

The four zebrafish arrived at the Tiangong space station aboard the Shenzhou 18 spacecraft on April 26, along with astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu.

The fish live in a tank that forms a miniaturized self-sustaining ecosystem.

It uses a plant called hornwort, which carries out photosynthesis, to sustain the lives of the fish, according to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV).

Scientists designed the experiment to study how the space environment affects their growth and the overall system balance.

Earlier, the fish had been observed doing strange things due to microgravity, such as unusual directional behavior and inverted swimming.

The scientists have expressed hope that the fish may lay eggs.

If they do, the Tiangong astronauts will be able to closely follow the development of any offspring, as zebrafish embryos are transparent and develop outside of the uterus.

If this happens, it would not be the first case of fish bred in space, as medaka fish mated on a 1994 space shuttle mission.

"In space, we conducted the country's first in-orbit aquatic ecological research project — that is, raising fish in space," said Li Guangsu.

"We observed the zebrafish growth in the space station, which have accompanied us for several months. As the mission requires, we have to carry out over 90 experiments and tests, and all of them are progressing smoothly."

The experiment is China's first in-orbit aquatic ecological research project.

It is being carried out in cooperation between the Institute of Hydrobiology and the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The project aims to make a breakthrough in the cultivation of vertebrates in space, according to CCTV.

The experiment may shed light on the challenges of maintaining life support systems for long-duration space missions.

Meanwhile, the three Shenzhou 18 astronauts could be back on Earth within the month, as their six-month-long orbital mission draws to a close.

China's human spaceflight agency has, however, yet to release a date for the launch of the new Shenzhou 19 mission and subsequent return of Shenzhou 18.

https://www.space.com/china-breed-zebrafish-tiangong-space-station-video

U.S. Air Force to study use of Sierra Space ‘Ghost’ spacecraft to deliver cargo from orbit

October 3, 2024

The space infrastructure company Sierra Space announced Oct. 3 it has secured backing from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to advance its “Ghost” spacecraft, a system designed to deliver cargo from space to any location on Earth in under 90 minutes.

Known for developing space habitats and vehicles like the Dream Chaser spaceplane, Sierra Space won a contract of undisclosed value as part of the AFRL’s Rocket Experimentation for Global Agile Logistics (REGAL) program.

The Air Force is exploring the potential of space vehicles to rapidly transport critical supplies from orbital warehouses back to Earth.

This could include reusable reentry vehicles capable of delivering payloads from prepositioned stocks in orbit.

Sierra Space, based in Louisville, Colorado, said its defense technology team designed the Ghost system to be capable of remaining in orbit for up to five years, storing and delivering essential supplies on-demand.

Once fully developed, the spacecraft could be used for missions such as delivering rescue kits for downed pilots, medical supplies for disaster relief or logistical support for military operations.

The company earlier this year reported successful drop tests at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and plans further testing over the next year to refine concepts of operations and develop the necessary infrastructure.

“Sierra Space and AFRL want to bridge the gap between current small payload return capabilities to higher tonnage down-mass systems,” the company said in a statement,

Tom Vice, CEO of Sierra Space, called the Air Force contract a “significant leap forward” in logistics capabilities for defense applications.

“This partnership allows us to expand the Sierra Space Ghost into a larger form factor, ready for critical defense missions,” he said.

According to the company, each Ghost vehicle costs “tens of millions” of dollars to build and the company is working to reduce the cost to “single-digit millions” per unit.

https://spacenews.com/the-air-force-is-exploring-the-potential-of-space-vehicles-to-rapidly-transport-critical-supplies-from-orbital-warehouses-back-to-earth/

NRO expanding satellite network designed to support military operations

October 3, 2024

The National Reconnaissance Office and the Pentagon are making strides in their collaborative effort to use surveillance satellites to track targets on the battlefield, NRO Director Christopher Scolese said Oct. 3.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Scolese revealed that by December, approximately 100 satellites could be in orbit as part of this initiative.

“We’re going from the demo phase to the operational phase, where we’re really going to be able to start testing all of this stuff out in a more operational way,” he stated.

The classified sensor satellites are designed to support military operations by providing real-time data on enemy movements.

This marks a shift from using satellites for traditional intelligence gathering and instead using them for “battlespace awareness,” noted Kari Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project at CSIS.

“It’s not business as usual,” Bingen said during a Q&A session with Scolese.

‘Data centric’ problem

These new satellites will serve directly in military operations, and there will likely be challenges coordinating across intelligence and defense agencies, Bingen said.

Scolese acknowledged data integration issues but expressed optimism about the progress being made.

“We have to deliver the data at the speed and with the characteristics that the user needs,” he said. “I see this as a data centric problem.”

Bingen pointed out that a moving-target tracking system to be successful has to merge and interpret data from different types of satellite sensors.

“You’re collecting electro optical images, you’re collecting radar images, you’re collecting signals. You have to fuse that all together in real time,” she said.

These types of “tasking handoffs, or having to tip and cue between a signals collection system and an imaging system” create policy and cultural challenges, Bingen noted, because the intelligence community and DoD have not collaborated in this manner before.

Despite these obstacles, Scolese reported that technical issues are being resolved, and progress is being made on the policy front.

“We’re still in the process of working through all of those things,” he said, emphasizing the importance of producing usable data not just for the military and intelligence but also for civilian government agencies.

The NRO has already deployed several batches of sensor satellites using SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets, although details about the satellites’ capabilities remain undisclosed.

“We put prototypes of the various satellites up there that allowed us to see what they can do,” said Scolese.

To address integration challenges, the agencies are conducting exercises and wargaming events, Scolese explained, adding that these activities are helping to identify and resolve policy gaps.

In parallel with the NRO’s satellite program, the Department of the Air Force is developing a battle management system designed to support the integration of data from satellites and from other sensor platforms, in an effort to enhance the military’s ability to process and utilize the information.

https://spacenews.com/director-chris-scolese-said-the-nro-and-dod-are-resolving-data-integration-issues-as-more-satellites-are-deployed/

5 years securing our nation’s interests in, from, and to space

Published Oct. 3, 2024

On Dec. 20, 2019, the U.S. Space Force was established, creating the first new branch of the U.S. armed services in 73 years.

The need for a separate, space-oriented branch of service was driven by the quickly evolving space domain, and a growing threat posed by near-peer competitors in space.

For the last 60 years, the United States’ space capabilities have become an essential part of modern life for all Americans, from GPS to satellite communication.

The space domain empowers the U.S. military to be faster, better connected, more informed, precise and lethal because of its investment to strengthen its presence in space.

The origins for operations in space goes back to the U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy’s military space programs created during the start of the Cold War.

From the 1950s, the Department of Defense focused on developing space capabilities to support national military objectives, such as surveillance and reconnaissance, communications, and navigation, while simultaneously supporting manned spaceflight programs under NASA.

However, by the mid-1970s, the Air Force managed most of the space systems, but many were fragmented under multiple commands.

To consolidate these space systems, the Air Force established its own operational command to oversee space operations on Sept. 1, 1982.

A few years later, this command would be designated Air Force Space Command.

As our nation’s space capabilities increased, they proved their value during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the early 1990s, which many have named “the first space war.”

Desert Storm marked the first time that space-based capabilities were leveraged to their fullest extent in support of an air and ground campaign.

Over the next few decades, space became a growing role in supporting military operations and humanitarian aid and relief efforts.

While the U.S. grew its space enterprise, so did China and Russia’s capabilities in the domain, creating congestion to a once benign area of operations.

While the idea of a separate space force had been debated for decades, it was not until 2018 that the highest levels of government began to advocate for a separate force.

In its first year, under the leadership of Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond and Chief Master Sgt. of the Space Force Roger Towberman, the service focused its sights on building its headquarters and implementing its new organizational structure of field commands, deltas and squadrons.

In 2020 and 2021, the service unveiled its cultural items, such as a seal, its flag, dress uniforms and unique enlisted rank insignias.

The first field command, Space Operations Command, was established Oct. 21, 2020, with Space Systems Command and Space Training and Readiness Command following suit in August 2021.

Since its first change of responsibility, naming Gen. Chance Saltzman as the new CSO, the Space Force continued to grow, activating the first of its new component field commands, U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific.

This milestone was quickly followed by Space Forces Korea, Space Forces Central, Space Forces Europe and Africa and Space Forces Space.

These component commands enable joint space operations for each geographic combatant command they are assigned to.

Additional Space Force milestones include the adoption of the branch’s motto, “Semper Supra,” Latin for “Always Above,” and the creation of the Guardian Values: Character, Commitment, Connection and Courage.

In 2022, the Space Force unveiled its official song, named after its motto. The song was created to capture the esprit de corps of both current and future Guardians, intended to bring together service members by giving them a sense of pride.

Nearly five years after it was created, the Space Force and its Guardians continue to maintain its mission to “secure our nation’s interest in, from and to space.”

While its first few years as a brand-new service were spent “building” and “operationalizing” the service, the Space Force now delivers unmatched space capabilities to the United States.

https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3925436/5-years-securing-our-nations-interests-in-from-and-to-space/

America finds a “photovoltaic UFO” in the middle of the desert: 386 MW coming from outer space

October 2, 2024

There’s a new, space-age green energy plant out in the Mojave Desert employing technology called concentrated solar power, or solar thermal power, but don’t make the mistake of thinking this is the same solar power as we’ve come to know it in the form of panels on roofs or solar farms.

The huge photovoltaic heliostat arrays out in San Bernadino County look like UFOs have landed.

Futuristic uber-solar farm in Mojave Desert generates power 386 megawatts

It’s not a stretch to describe the phenomenal number of 10,000 mirrors arranged in a vast circular formation in the middle of the Mojave Desert as otherwordly.

The innovative solar thermal power plant is actually made up of three separate, individually certified plants under the name of Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS).

The 386-megawatt project is based on heliostat mirror technology and a distributed power tower system, whereby heliostat fields (made up of mirrors) direct intensified solar energy at receivers placed on towers at the center of each circular array. It sounds spacey, right?

Each site has its own heliostat array (circular mirror setup) and a single, central receiver. Here’s how the project is broken up into plants and their capacities:

ISEGS Power Plant 1 generates 120 MW under normal operating conditions and takes up around 914 acres. It contains 53,500 heliostats.

Power Plant 2 has an ideal output of 133 MW and is situated on 1,097 acres with 60,000 heliostats.

1,227 acres is allocated to Power Plant 3, which also has a generation capacity of 133 MW.

How does the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System create green power?

Each solar plant incorporates a Rankine-cycle reheat steam turbine that gathers live steam from a solar collector situated in the power block on top of a tower.

Each plant also houses a nighttime preservation boiler and an auxiliary boiler, which is used during the morning start-up cycle to help with the daily warm-up process.

The auxiliary boiler also maintains the steam turbine during cloudy conditions.

How does America’s solar thermal power plant compare to clean power efforts internationally?

Several countries, most notably China, Germany, and Spain, are driving solar technology development with equal intensity to the US.

China: The People’s Republic is unsurprisingly at the forefront of development in this sector of green energy production.

The Chinese government-owned Shenhua Group Corp. signed an agreement to develop infrastructure for a 1,000 megawatt-capacity plant.

Germany: The European powerhouse has embarked on a nationwide drive called the energiewende, which aims to drive the population to transition to cleaner energy from 25% renewable consumption to at least 60%. Germany, however, doesn’t benefit from as much sunlight in their part of the world, so they have had to put extra effort into sourcing their solar power outside their borders.

Spain: There are numerous, large-scale operations both operating and being planned in Spain. The country has an abundance of sunshine and is already exporting power to other countries.

The drawbacks of farming solar energy for clean energy generation

There are environmental drawbacks to solar thermal power generation, for example, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System has seen thousands of birds burned to death when they fly too close to the hotter areas of the plant.

There are also cost concerns. Solar power is more expensive to generate in some areas than others, although tax subsidies have helped offset the cost and make solar power more attractive to investors.

Storage complications are also a concern. For obvious reasons, solar power can only be generated during the daytime, so systems need to be in place to keep the supply regular at night.

Unforeseeable weather factors can also interrupt operations with cloud cover, snow, and even dust on the panels.

While it’s clear that there’s still a long way to go to make solar power processing streamlined, practical, and viable on a larger scale as commercial ventures, developments like the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System are stimulating growth and learning, paving the way for bigger and better technological advancements in the worldwide drive for zero carbon emissions.

https://www.eldiario24.com/en/america-photovoltaic-ufo-space-desert/925/

What is it? Man spots & photographs Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) over Burien

October 2, 2024

A local resident reported seeing an Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) hovering over Burien from the Fred Meyer parking lot on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, adding to a growing number of such sightings nationwide.

Jeremy Garcia told The B-Town Blog that he was driving home from a fishing trip when he spotted an unusual object in the sky at approximately 2:41 p.m.

Garcia said the object appeared to be about 300 to 400 feet in the air, seemingly floating silently in the sky.

From our initial review of Garcia’s photos (see below), the mysterious object looks a little bit like someone flying a jet pack.

“I saw this thing floating in the sky,” Garcia recalled. “It wasn’t moving around like someone with a jet pack.

It was just hovering or floating, and it didn’t seem to make any noise.”

Below are some of Garcia’s photos, progressing from wide shots to closeups:

Garcia pulled off the freeway and snapped several photos of the UAP.

He noticed a few other drivers stopping to look up at the sky as well, clearly confused by what they were seeing.

Within minutes, the object moved south, drifting over the Highline High School area, Garcia said.

“I should have stayed and watched it more, but we ended up just going home,” Garcia added.

He speculated that the object might have been a balloon, due to its floating motion, but remained uncertain.

“It was just so weird to see this, especially so close to the airport,” he said.

As of now, there has been no official explanation from authorities regarding the sighting, and no reports have surfaced from Sea-Tac Airport.

While there is likely a logical explanation for this object (some kind of balloon?), the incident remains under speculation, with many locals curious about the nature of the unidentified object.

https://b-townblog.com/what-is-it-man-spots-photographs-unidentified-anomalous-phenomena-over-burien/

Amarillo’s Own ‘Phoenix Lights’? Strange Sky Phenomenon Has Locals Talking UFOs!

October 3, 2024

One thing about Amarillo is that there’s a lot of open land, and on a clear night away from the city lights, you can see thousands upon thousands of stars shining in the sky.

It’s the kind of beautiful night sky that makes you wonder: Could there be other life out there in the galaxy?"

Many people believe that aliens and other life forms exist.

If you think about just how vast this universe is, it's kind of crazy not to think there might be other life forms.

However, we all hope that they are kind and happy life forms and not those that want to kill us and eat our brains.

I digress. Obviously, I've watched one too many movies. But seriously, how could there not be especially when there is proof out there saying there are other life forms?

Something strange was flying over Amarillo the other night. What could it be?

Apparently, a UFO was spotted over the skies of Amarillo recently. A TikTok user Holoskypodcast posted a video.

Is this real? Are those aliens checking out Amarillo? Have the Phoenix Lights returned?

What are the Phoenix Lights?

On March 13, 1997, many people across the state of Arizona, especially Phoenix saw a series of V-shaped lights fly across the night sky.

The lights were also spotted in Henderson, Nevada.

What do you think? Was it aliens visiting again but over Amarillo? Was it a drone, plane, or weather balloon?

Was it someone visiting from the future? I'll let you be the judge.

https://thebullamarillo.com/amarillo-ufo/