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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
March 13, 2025
The Protostars within Lynds 483
Two protostars are hidden in a single pixel near the center of a striking hourglass-shaped nebula in this near-infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope. The actively forming star system lies in a dusty molecular cloud cataloged as Lynds 483, some 650 light-years distant toward the constellation Serpens Cauda. Responsible for the stunning bipolar outflows, the collapsing protostars have been blasting out collimated energetic jets of material over tens of thousands of years. Webb's high-resolution view shows the violence of star-formation in dramatic detail as twisting shock fronts expand and collide with slower, denser material. The premier close-up of the star-forming region spans less than 1/2 a light-year within dark nebula Lynds 483.
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
SpaceX targets Friday launch for flight to replace stuck astronauts
Updated: Mar 13, 2025 / 07:25 AM CDT
SpaceX and NASA are aiming for a launch no earlier than Friday for the Crew-10 mission to the International Space Station, which will relieve Starliner astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been in space for nine months.
The mission is now targeting a liftoff no earlier than Friday at 7:03 p.m. ET, with a backup opportunity available on Saturday at 6:41 p.m. ET, SpaceX said.
Originally set to blast off from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday night, the launch was canceled because of a “hydraulic ground issue with a ground support clamp arm for the Falcon 9 rocket,” NASA said.
Former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao told “Morning in America” it’s rare for SpaceX and the Falcon 9 Dragon rocket to experience delays.
“This is unusual for SpaceX and Falcon 9 Dragon because they usually go on time,” he said. “They don’t often have to scrub a launch for a technical problem, but things do happen.”
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket would have carried two American astronauts, one Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut and one Russian cosmonaut on the Dragon Endurance spacecraft.
NASA astronaut Anne McClain is leading the mission, accompanied by NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
The mission was originally scheduled for a Crew Dragon spacecraft, but due to delays, NASA instead opted for the Dragon Endurance.
Once on board, there will be a handover period, which has been shortened due to concerns about commodities on the ISS after an upcoming supply mission experienced an issue.
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson told NewsNation handovers are “routine.”
“A crew of four is going up. It has to dock. It has to meet up with the space station dock. The crew gets out, they hug each other, and then the other crew gets in,” he said.
Crew-9 will then return along with Wilmore and Williams. Their original departure from the ISS was set for Monday, NASA said, though it’s unclear if the launch delay will affect that timeline.
Wilmore and Williams blasted off on Boeing’s Starliner last summer for a mission initially meant to last two weeks.
However, after multiple issues, including helium leaks in the service module and docking issues, NASA deemed it unsafe for them to return.
The two have pushed back against claims that they are “stranded” in space and have said they are thrilled to get to spend more time in orbit.
The Starliner returned to Earth safely in an autonomous flight, but it’s unclear if NASA will move forward with plans to use the spacecraft for future crewed missions.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/space/spacex-nasa-launch-crew-10-mission/
https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=crew-10
Ohio lawmakers push for NASA headquarters move to Cleveland
03/12/25 3:45 PM ET
A group of Ohio lawmakers in Congress is pushing for NASA headquarters to be moved from Washington, D.C., to Cleveland.
The lawmakers argued in a letter Tuesday to Vice President Vance, who is from Ohio, and Jared Isaacman, President Trump’s pick to lead NASA, that moving the space agency’s HQ would serve as “a significant opportunity to enhance effectiveness, efficiency, and fiscal responsibility.”
“It has come to our attention that NASA has been quietly evaluating potential alternatives to its current headquarters location, and the upcoming lease expiration in 2028 provides an opportune moment to make a strategic shift,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter was signed by Ohio GOP Reps. Max Miller, Troy Balderson, Mike Carey, Warren Davidson, Jim Jordan, Dave Joyce, Bob Latta, Michael Rulli, Dave Taylor and Mike Turner as well as Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur. Ohio Sens. Bernie Moreno (R) and Jon Husted (R) also signed the letter.
The letter comes amid drastic changes at agencies and departments across the federal government.
As part of the flurry of action, the Trump administration has pushed to transfer some operations and workers out of D.C., including dealing with education and law enforcement.
On Tuesday, the Department of Education unveiled it was firing close to half its workforce, one of the latest major cuts by the administration.
In their letter, the Ohio lawmakers justified moving the NASA headquarters to the Buckeye State, arguing it would save taxpayers money and it “aligns with broader efforts to decentralize federal agencies and reinvigorate regions outside the Beltway.”
“Ohio is the birthplace of aviation, the heart of America’s aerospace industry, and a critical hub for advanced technology, research, and manufacturing.
Placing NASA HQ in the ‘Heart of it All’ would reinforce our national leadership in space exploration and aeronautics innovation,” the letter reads.
The Hill has reached out to the White House and NASA for comment.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5191419-ohio-lawmakers-push-for-nasa-headquarters-move-to-cleveland/
https://www.husted.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2025_03_11-FINAL-NASA-HQ-Letter-Signed.pdf
NASA Invites Media to Annual FIRST Robotics Rocket City Competition
Mar 12, 2025
The Rocket City Regional – Alabama’s annual For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Regional Competition – is scheduled for Friday, March 14, through Saturday, March 15, at the Von Braun Center South Hall in Huntsville, Alabama.
FIRST Robotics is a global robotics competition for students in grades 9-12. Teams are challenged to raise funds, design a team brand, hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-sized robots to play a difficult field game against competitors.
District and regional competitions – such as the Rocket City Regional – are held across the country during March and April, providing teams a chance to qualify for the 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition Championship events held in mid-April in Houston.
Hundreds of high school students from 44 teams from 10 states and 2 countries will compete in a new robotics game called, “REEFSCAPE.”
This event is free and open to the public. Opening ceremonies begin at 8:30 a.m. CDT followed by qualification matches on March 14 and March 15. The Friday awards ceremony will begin at 5:45 p.m., while the Saturday awards ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m.
NASA and its Robotics Alliance Project provide grants for high school teams and support for FIRST Robotics competitions to address the critical national shortage of students pursuing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers.
The Rocket City Regional Competition is supported by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement.
https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-invites-media-to-annual-first-robotics-rocket-city-competition/
NASA gives pitiful excuse for why it left astronauts stranded in space for more than 9 months
Updated: 14:17 EDT, 12 March 2025
NASA has finally broken its silence about why the agency left two astronauts stranded in space when there were opportunities to bring them home much sooner.
Ken Bowersox, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, said SpaceX 'helped with a lot of options' for bringing Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore home, but the final decision came down to costs.
He explained that they discussed adding a mission or bringing the currently docked capsule home early, 'but we ruled them out pretty quickly just based on how much money we've got in our budget.'
NASA's budget for the fiscal year 2024 was around $30 billion.
It comes after a report found the agency spent millions on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) grants and contracts while Williams and Wilmore have been stuck in space.
Bowersox also admitted that there 'may have been conversations' in the White House about delaying the return for political reasons, but he was not part of the discussions.
Elon Musk said earlier this month that Biden rejected his offer to bring Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore home early because it would've made Donald Trump 'look good' in the run against Kamala Harris.
When NASA officially announced its decision last August, then-NASA administrator Bill Nelson said: 'I can tell you unequivocally, from a personal standpoint, that politics has not played any part in this decision. It absolutely has nothing to do with it.'
NASA's admission came during a press conference last Friday where Bill Gerstenmaier, vice president for SpaceX, noted that NASA's delayed plan allowed the agency 'to use Sunny and Butch in a very productive manner' and 'keep the science going.
Returning the astronauts early would've meant fewer bodies on the International Space Station (ISS) to continue research.
Williams and Wilmore are scheduled to depart from the International Space Station (ISS) on March 16 inside a SpaceX capsule that has been docked at the orbiting laboratory since September.
NASA has kept a tight lid on why it did not send another capsule to the ISS after Boeing's faulty Starliner returned to Earth empty in September, leaving the pair on the ship for more than nine months.
Williams and Wilmore were only supposed to spend eight days on the ISS when they arrived on June 6.
But technical issues with Starliner prompted NASA to significantly delay their flight home, as the faulty spaceship could not guarantee their safe return.
Friday's press conference provided the first clear picture of why NASA may not have taken SpaceX up on its offer for an earlier return.
'The SpaceX folks helped us folks helped us with a lot of options on how we would bring Sunny and Butch home on Dragon [a capsule] in a contingency,' said Bowersox.
'They've been so helpful this last year, coming up with those options. When it comes to adding on missions or or bringing uh a capsule home early, those were always options.'
While he explained it all came down to cost, recent reports on NASA's spending have suggested there was 'wasteful' spending while the crew was stranded last year.
An Inspector General report from 2024 highlighted issues with the agency's contracting system.
It found an 'inappropriate use of award fees during periods of poor contractor performance for multiple NASA programs and since 2020 questioned more than $77 million of award fees NASA paid for the SLS boosters and engines contracts.'
'Overall, our investigative work has uncovered improper use of grant funds and fraud, which over the past 3 years resulted in 34 indictments, 24 convictions, 14 suspensions, and 20 debarments, with over $7.7 million in civil settlement fines returned to NASA,' the report reads.
'In addition, more than $9.6 million in criminal restitution and nearly $33.5 million in civil settlement fines were returned to the US Treasury.'
On top of these funds, a separate report found NASA dished out $20 million in DEI grants and contracts during the Biden administration, according to watchdog Open the Books.
The group said that when Williams and Wilmore were left stranded in space, it decided look closer at its recent activities and spending.
'With an annual budget of $25 billion, NASA is one of the smaller federal agencies,' Open the Books shared.
'But its mission is high risk and high visibility, so it’s crucial to understand its decision making and investments.'
NASA and SpaceX are set to launch four astronauts today to the ISS, who will take the place of Williams and Wilmore.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14491221/NASA-finally-reveals-shocking-reason-left-astronauts-stranded-space-9-months.html
The Next Great NASA Watch Is Here
March 12, 2025
The last time human beings landed on the surface of the Moon was December 11, 1972. But for the first time in over half a century humans are set to land on the lunar surface as part of the Artemis missions in 2026.
While the astronauts no doubt be wearing their trusty NASA-issued Speedmasters, Massena Lab and Unimatic are envisioning a different future with their new watch.
Massena Laab and Unimatic, two of our favorite small-but-mighty watch brands, came together to create the new U1-SPG.
The collaboration is a direct celebration of the Artemis missions and the aura of possibility that surrounded the Apollo program during the childhood of brand founder and noted collector William Massena.
“When I was growing up, there was an intense obsession with NASA, the launch of its Space Shuttle program, and with the future of space travel,” he said in a press release.
“For me, the U1-SPG pays tribute to that feeling we all had as kids; that the future was full of possibilities and that the promise of technological advancement was almost limitless. To me, that is what NASA is all about.”
Indeed, all eyes are on NASA following over 50 years since the last Moonwalk. Luckily the U1-SPG will help tide us over until then. The watch hits you straight away with a spectacularly fun shade of burn orange inspired by the SLS rockets.
The watch is made of stainless steel withan anti-corrosive, ceramic-based Cerakote coating in burnt orange. It measures 41.5 mm.
The most important detail on the watch is the unmissable NASA logo at 6 o’clock—putting the piece in great company with other brands who have found inspiration among the stars.
G-Shock has created many versions of its hard-wearing watches with the space program’s logo on it, including a fan favorite that comes in a bright orange to match the astronauts’ suits.
There’s the Speedmaster, of course, but did you know that in the ‘90s Timex’s Datalink, a proto-smartwatch, was approved for space travel?
There is a long history of watches born for or inspired by outer-atmosphere exploration and the new U1-SPG is a more than solid addition to that lineage.
On the watch’s caseback, meanwhile, is the Artemis mission logo, a rising “A” with the Earth and Moon in profile.
Like all U1 references, the U1-SPG is water resistant to an impressive 300m and features a sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating, plus reliable Seiko NH34A automatic movement with 42 hours of power reserve and “caller” GMT capability.
Additionally, it comes in a hardshell case with a pair of additional black nylon straps, an embroidered NASA patch, a warranty card, and a unique ID seal.
At $1,295, it provides Unimatic’s typical punch-above-its-weight class value: Great design, a handy complication, and extra goodies are all excellent incentives to fish for one’s wallet.
Add in the NASA inspo and the cool burnt orange color, and we’ve got ourselves a winner. The watch is available at Massena Lab’s website now. Just be sure to act quickly—it’s limited to just 99 pieces.
https://www.gq.com/story/unimatic-massena-lab-nasa-artemis-u1-spg-watch
Listen to the Sun’s own radio station
Mar 11, 2025
Up to several times a day, the Sun blasts bursts of energetic electrons into space, which emit radio waves as they collide with other charged particles.
These bursts are picked up by the Radio and Plasma Waves (RPW) instrument on the ESA-led Solar Orbiter (https://www.esa.int/Science_Explorati…) spacecraft.
A team at Radboud University/Paris Observatory has now divided five years of RPW data into 15 000 six-hour chunks. This video shows one such chunk of data.
As the blasted electrons move further into space, away from the Sun, there are fewer charged particles to interact with, and the radio frequency drops. Each ‘hockey stick’ shape is a real radio burst in action.
In this sonification, the radio waves are converted into sound, with lower frequency radio waves corresponding to lower frequency sound waves.
Whenever a radio burst occurs, we hear a ‘pyoong’ sound that gets lower in tone before fading out completely.
The timeline has been sped up; the biggest radio burst in the middle of the graph lasted about three hours in real life!
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2025/03/Listen_to_the_Sun_s_own_radio_station
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/03/Solar_Orbiter_spots_a_radio_burst_from_the_Sun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoK4nc4MhIs
Hungarian ‘Space Chocolate’ to Launch with NASA Mission
13.03.2025
In an extraordinary fusion of tradition and innovation, a unique Hungarian delicacy—Stühmer’s Moment Korfu chocolate—has received NASA’s approval to accompany Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu on his upcoming mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
This initiative is part of the HUNOR Hungarian Astronaut Programme, which began its collaboration with Stühmer Ltd in April 2024.
Following rigorous discussions and evaluations, Stühmer officially joined the Hungarian space mission as a sponsor, aiming to introduce a piece of Hungary into outer space.
‘When the idea of sending chocolate to space first arose, it seemed an almost impossible challenge.
NASA’s stringent requirements meant the chocolate had to withstand the unique conditions of space,’ Stühmer Ltd’s Head of Quality Management Éva Mazurka said.
To overcome these challenges, the Stühmer team collaborated with the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) to develop a chocolate suitable for space.
Through rapid research and partial in-house development, they successfully created a product capable of enduring the extreme environment of space—resistant to pressure differences, zero gravity, and temperature fluctuations.
The foundation of this innovation is Stühmer’s traditional Korfu slice, chosen for its composition and texture, which ensure resilience in the face of space’s harsh conditions.
Mission manager of the HUNOR programme Norbert Juhos emphasized the significance of including Hungarian food in the mission.
‘One of the most exciting aspects of this journey is not only conducting scientific experiments but also carrying a small taste of Hungarian uniqueness alongside personal items,’ he stated.
Astronaut Tibor Kapu, currently in Houston for mission-specific training for the Axiom-4 mission with his backup Gyula Cserényi, echoed this sentiment.
‘This product is not just a delicious treat. It symbolizes the meeting of Hungarian innovation, tradition, and modern technology,’ Kapu shared from the training centre.
Hungary’s first astronaut, Bertalan Farkas, who has personally supported Kapu and Cserényi during their preparation, also praised the initiative.
He highlighted the chocolate as a testament to Hungarian ingenuity and perseverance.
Péter Csóll, owner and managing director of Stühmer Ltd, expressed pride in the achievement. ‘We are honoured that Stühmer can send a small piece of Hungary into space.
This project is a triumph of Hungarian creativity, innovation, and tradition,’ he declared.
https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/culture_society/hungary-space-programme-nasa-mission-stuhmer-chocolate/
ESA cuts the ribbon on 34,000-core Space HPC center tailored for space workloads
Thu 13 Mar 2025 // 12:30 UTC
The aptly named "SpaceHPC" facility is billed as being "demonstrator infrastructure" designed to help Europe's space industry "mitigate risks associated with data processing, modelling, and simulations."
Located in the Italian town of Frascati, 20km outside Rome, Space HPC houses a machine packing 34,000 cores' worth of the "latest generation of AMD & Intel processors."
108 Nvidia H100 GPUs are also present, giving the machine 5 petaflops of raw performance potential.
That power would see Space HPC ranked in around 210th place on the current Top 500 List of Earth's mightiest supercomputers.
The machine uses InfiniBand networking, packs 156 TB of RAM, and includes 3.6 PB of solid state disk storage.
Direct liquid cooling allowed it to bag a power usage effectiveness score of "below 1.09." The machine is also plumbed into the heating system of the campus where it resides.
As is usually the case with supercomputers, Space HPC can be configured to run different workloads.
The machine therefore offers partitions dedicated to general compute tasks, and two other partitions that take advantage of the H100s to run AI/ML workloads or other software that needs accelerators.
ESA's Space Safety Programme has already tested Space HPC to improve its ability to – you guessed it – model space weather.
Among other things, it can improve warnings of future solar activity that could pose a danger to infrastructure in orbit or on the ground.
Despite Wednesday's inauguration ceremony the facility remains in its pilot phase until at least April.
"Broader access is planned thereafter, in a ramp-up mode to ensure optimal performance and user experience," the ESA said.
The org is, however, already considering expressions of interest for time on the machine at a form you can find here.
https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/13/esa_space_hpc_center_inaugurated/
https://commercialisation.esa.int/space-hpc/
Experts mark crucial work to clarify international law governing military activities in outer space
March 13, 2025
Experts have marked their crucial work to clarify the military law governing military activities in outer space – research that could have a significant impact on how armed forces operate outside of Earth.
The Woomera Manual on the International Law of Military Space Activities and Operations addresses key issues such as whether states are allowed under international law to place nuclear weapons in full orbit around Earth and if jamming satellite communications violates the prohibition on the use of force.
The manual, which was launched in the UK this week, also examines if international humanitarian law applies to outer space, and if so, what rights and obligations do parties to armed conflicts have when they engage in space warfare.
The Woomera Manual, published by Oxford University Press in 2024, is the most comprehensive analysis to date of international law governing military activities in outer space.
It is an international research project spearheaded by the Universities of Adelaide, Exeter, Nebraska – Lincoln, and New South Wales – Canberra.
Kubo Mačák, Professor of International Law in the Law School at Exeter, one of the manual’s core experts, said: “This event marks a significant milestone in our collective efforts to clarify the legal frameworks governing military operations in outer space.
“The development of The Woomera Manual exemplifies the power of collaboration. Experts from around the globe convened to share insights, debate complex issues, and build consensus.”
The University has been a staunch supporter of The Woomera Manual project since its inception, joining the consortium as a founding member in 2018.
Exeter academics have played pivotal roles in the project, serving as core experts and members of the editorial and governance boards.
The launch, which took place at RUSI – Royal United Services Institute, included a panel discussion between Professor Mačák and experts and co-editors who have been involved in the manual: Professor Dale Stephens, from the University of Adelaide; Wing Commander Kieran Tinkler, from the Royal Air Force; Dr Heather Harrison Dinniss, from the Swedish Defence University; and Wen Zhou, from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Professor Stephens said: “The great powers regularly accuse each other of putting military capabilities into space at a frightening pace, significantly increasing the risk of warfare in orbit.
“Recent developments make it clear that the prospect of armed conflict reaching outer space is no longer a distant concern but a pressing reality.
We can no longer overlook the legal implications of military activities in this domain. This is precisely why initiatives like The Woomera Manual are so important.”
https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-humanities-arts-and-social-sciences/law-school/experts-mark-crucial-work-to-clarify-international-law-governing-military-activities-in-outer-space/
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-woomera-manual-on-the-international-law-of-military-space-operations-9780192870667
Rocket Lab Launches Next-Gen Software Platforms For Space Missions
March 13, 2025 6:59 AM
On Wednesday, space company Rocket Lab USA, Inc. launched two software solutions to enhance the efficiency of space mission operations.
The platforms, called InterMission and MAX Constellation, were presented at the SATELLITE conference held in Washington, D.C.
Designed to improve autonomy, security, and scalability, these platforms aim to address the challenges of complex space missions and satellite constellations.
Backed by more than 250 cumulative years of flight experience, Rocket Lab’s space software guarantees smooth mission execution, spanning from launch through spacecraft commissioning to data management.
Their software has been used in numerous commercial and government initiatives, such as NASA’s CAPSTONE mission and Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost series.
“InterMission and MAX Constellation strengthen Rocket Lab’s industry-leading space software suite, giving our customers the tools to optimize performance, reduce risk, and maximize mission success,” said Brad Clevenger, Vice President, Rocket Lab Space Systems.
InterMission is designed as a ground data and space operations platform specifically built for demanding space missions.
It can be scaled for larger constellations and enables users to monitor spacecraft in real-time, recording telemetry and customizing data transformations.
InterMission’s secure architecture integrates encryption, user authentication, and role-based access control, ensuring that mission-critical data is safeguarded throughout the mission lifecycle.
A key feature of MAX Constellation is the ODySSy digital twin platform, which simulates spacecraft components, dynamics, and environments with high fidelity, helping engineers test and refine systems in virtual environments before actual mission deployment.
The platforms are also offered alongside the Beyond Gravity Constellation On-Board Computer (cOBC), which combines avionics, flight software, and ground operations into a unified, ready-to-use solution.
https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44298251/rocket-lab-launches-next-gen-software-platforms-for-space-missions
Hera asteroid mission spies Mars’s Deimos moon
13/03/2025
While performing yesterday’s flyby of Mars, ESA’s Hera mission for planetary defence made the first use of its payload for scientific purposes beyond Earth and the Moon.
Activating a trio of instruments, Hera imaged the surface of the red planet as well as the face of Deimos, the smaller and more mysterious of Mars’s two moons.
Launched on 7 October 2024, Hera is on its way to visit the first asteroid to have had its orbit altered by human action.
By gathering close-up data about the Dimorphos asteroid, which was impacted by NASA’s DART spacecraft in 2022, Hera will help turn asteroid deflection into a well understood and potentially repeatable technique.
Hera’s 12 March flyby of Mars was an integral part of its cruise phase through deep space, carefully designed by ESA’s Flight Dynamics team.
By coming as close as 5000 km away from Mars, the planet’s gravity shifted the spacecraft’s trajectory towards its final destination, Dimorphos and the larger Didymos asteroid it orbits around.
This manoeuvre shortened Hera's journey time by many months and saved a substantial amount of fuel.
Moving at 9 km/s relative to Mars, Hera was able to image Deimos from as close as 1000 km away, surveying the less-seen opposite side of the tidally locked moon from the red planet.
Measuring 12.4 km across, dust-covered Deimos might actually be a leftover of a giant impact on Mars or else a captured asteroid.
“Our Mission Analysis and Flight Dynamics team at ESOC in Germany did a great job of planning the gravity assist,” comments ESA’s Hera Spacecraft Operations Manager Caglayan Guerbuez.
“Especially as they were asked to fine-tune the manoeuvre to take Hera close to Deimos –which created quite some extra work for them!”
Three Hera instruments were used during the flyby:
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Hera’s black and white 1020x1020 pixel Asteroid Framing Camera, used for both navigation and scientific investigation, acquires images in visible light.
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Hera’s Hyperscout H hyperspectral imager observes in a range of colours beyond the limits of the human eye, in 25 visible and near-infrared spectral bands, to help characterise mineral makeup.
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Hera’s Thermal Infrared Imager, supplied by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), images at mid-infrared wavelengths to chart surface temperature, in the process revealing physical properties such as roughness, particle size distribution and porosity.
ESA’s Hera mission scientist Michael Kueppers explains: “These instruments have been tried out before, during Hera’s departure from Earth, but this is the first time that we have employed them on a small distant moon for which we still lack knowledge – demonstrating their excellent performance in the process!”
Hera Principal Investigator Patrick Michel, Director of Research at CNRS / Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, adds:
Other Hera instruments we will utilise once we reach the Deimos and Dimorphos asteroids were not activated, either because they are not usable at such long range and rapid speed from a target – such as our PALT laser altimeter, possessing a maximum range of 20 km – or because they are hosted aboard Hera’s pair of CubeSats which will only be deployed at the asteroids.”
Hera also performed some joint observations of Deimos with ESA’s own Mars Express, which has been in orbit around the red planet for more than two decades.
Results from the Deimos close encounter should help guide operational planning for next year’s Martian Moons eXploration Mission, MMX, being led by JAXA in collaboration with NASA, the French space agency CNES, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and ESA.
MMX will not only collect detailed measurements of both martian moons but also land on Phobos to collect a sample and return it to Earth for analysis.
With Didymos being 780 m across and Dimorphos just 151 m across, Hera’s twin destinations are many times smaller than the city-sized Deimos moon, but Hera is now headed on course towards them.
A follow-up manoeuvre next February, followed by a series of ‘impulsive rendezvous’ thruster firings starting in October 2026 will fine-tune its heading to reach the Didymos system that December.
ESA Hera mission manager Ian Carnelli comments:
“This has been the Hera team’s first exciting experience of exploration, but not our last. In 21 months the spacecraft will reach our target asteroids, and start our crash site investigation of the only object in our Solar System to have had its orbit measurably altered by human action.”
https://www.esa.int/Space_Safety/Hera/Hera_asteroid_mission_spies_Mars_s_Deimos_moon
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/03/Mars_and_Deimos_viewed_by_Hera_s_TIRI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHiASEowrio
Extended space dive
13/03/2025
European scientists are asking volunteers to lie down on a waterbed for 10 days as part of a pioneering dry immersion study to recreate some of the effects of spaceflight on the body.
The Vivaldi experiment started its third and final campaign last month at the Medes space clinic in Toulouse, France, with the longest immersion and an additional head-down bed rest study running in parallel with a total of 20 participants.
Vivaldi’s immersion
During Vivaldi III, 10 volunteers lie down in containers similar to bathtubs covered with a waterproof fabric. This keeps them dry and evenly suspended in water.
Submerged to above the torso and keeping arms and head above water, participants experience a sensation of floating without physical support – something close to what astronauts feel while on the International Space Station.
For the whole 10 days, volunteers remain in this position inside the containers filled with water. Participants take part in a wide range of medical experiments and scientific studies to help researchers understand how space affects the human body.
During meals, they use a floating board and a neck pillow. For bathroom breaks, participants are temporarily transferred onto a trolley, maintaining their laid-back position at all times.
The previous two Vivaldi campaigns involved a dry immersion study over five days with women and men volunteering.
This latest edition expands the scope, combining a 10-day dry immersion and a 10-day head-down bed rest phase in parallel, each involving 10 male participants.
The two techniques, dry immersion and head-down bed rest, can mimic spaceflight conditions.
“By extending the duration of dry immersion and comparing it to bed rest, we are refining our understanding of how these analogues simulate life in space, the different physiological effects and how they complement each other,” says Ann-Kathrin Vlacil, team leader for enabling science in human exploration at ESA.
Simulating body changes in space, on Earth
In weightlessness, astronauts’ bodies go through a wide array of changes due to lack of gravity – they lose muscle and bone density, the shape of their eye globes can change, and fluids shift to the brain.
Dry immersion takes weight off the body, creating conditions similar to weightlessness, while head-down bed rest mimics the fluid shifts and inactivity experienced in space due to microgravity.
Both methods induce physiological changes affecting the neurological, cardiovascular and metabolic systems.
Researchers are also looking into hormonal changes, immune responses and connections between the nervous and vision systems.
This space analogue on the ground allows scientists to make hands-on medical assessments and closely monitor body changes in real time.
Down to Earth
Vivaldi campaigns aim to mitigate health risks in astronauts and design better countermeasures for human exploration beyond Earth, but the research could also translate into better healthcare on Earth.
“Bridging the gap between spaceflight and ground-based research is essential for human space exploration.
Our findings have significant implications for Earth-based medicine, particularly in ageing-related conditions,” explains Marc-Antoine Custaud, group lead of the ESA bed rest and dry immersion campaigns from the University of Angers, France.
Results may also help design new treatments for patients bedridden for long periods of time, the elderly and those with musculoskeletal conditions.
https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Extended_space_dive
Saturn officially has 128 more moons
March 13, 2025
You thought Saturn's 146 moons were impressive? Think again.
The ringed planet's moon count has nearly doubled with the official recognition of 128 new Saturnian moons, bringing its total to an astonishing 274 moons.
That makes Jupiter's 95 moons look paltry, and our single moon downright embarrassing. (Just kidding, we love our moon.)
A team of astronomers from Taiwan, Canada, the U.S., and France discovered the 128 new moons in 2023 using the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT).
However, the moons weren't officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union, the governing body for such affairs, until Tuesday (March 11).
Most of the moons are irregular and tiny, just a few miles across. By comparison, our moon has a diameter of 2,159 miles (3,475 kilometers).
But they do have proven orbits around Saturn, which is a key element of official moon candidacy.
"These moons are a few kilometers in size and are likely all fragments of a smaller number of originally captured moons that were broken apart by violent collisions, either with other Saturnian moons or with passing comets," Dr. Brett Gladman, professor in the University of British Columbia department of physics and astronomy, said in a statement.
Perhaps most impressively, this discovery of 128 new moons wasn't the first time this team added to Saturn's moon count.
Between 2019 and 2021, the team's observations with CFHT resulted in the addition of 62 moons to Saturn's count.
"With the knowledge that these were probably moons, and that there were likely even more waiting to be discovered, we revisited the same sky fields for three consecutive months in 2023," said lead researcher Dr. Edward Ashton, postdoctoral fellow in the Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Academia Sinica. "Sure enough, we found 128 new moons."
Saturn's first moon, Titan, was discovered in 1655 by Christiaan Huygens, and in the following decades, Jean-Dominique Cassini discovered Iapetus, Rhea, Dione and Tethys.
It took another century or so for the next moons to be found: William Herschel spotted Mimas and Enceladus in 1789.
Over the subsequent 200 years, improvements in technology — namely the invention of photography, the development of massive telescopes, and the launch of space probes like the Voyager 1, Voyager 2 and Cassini — allowed us to see even more of Saturn's moons.
But for now, the team suspects we might be maxed out. "With current technology I don’t think we can do much better than what has already been done for moons around Saturn, Uranus and Neptune," said Ashton.
https://www.space.com/the-universe/saturn/saturn-officially-has-128-more-moons
https://news.ubc.ca/2025/03/saturn-128-new-moons/
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/james-webb-space-telescope/is-our-universe-trapped-inside-a-black-hole-this-james-webb-space-telescope-discovery-might-blow-your-mind
https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/538/1/76/8019798?login=false
Is our universe trapped inside a black hole? This James Webb Space Telescope discovery might blow your mind
March 6, 2025
Without a doubt, since its launch, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revolutionized our view of the early universe, but its new findings could put astronomers in a spin.
In fact, it could tell us something profound about the birth of the universe by possibly hinting that everything we see around us is sealed within a black hole.
The $10 billion telescope, which began observing the cosmos in the Summer of 2022, has found that the vast majority of deep space and, thus the early galaxies it has so far observed, are rotating in the same direction.
While around two-thirds of galaxies spin clockwise, the other third rotates counter-clockwise.
In a random universe, scientists would expect to find 50% of galaxies rotating one way, while the other 50% rotate the other way. This new research suggests there is a preferred direction for galactic rotation.
The observations of 263 galaxies that revealed this strangely coordinated cosmic dance was collected as part of the James Webb Space Telescope Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey, or "JADES."
"It is still not clear what causes this to happen, but there are two primary possible explanations," team leader Lior Shamir, associate professor of computer science at the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, said in a statement.
"One explanation is that the universe was born rotating. That explanation agrees with theories such as black hole cosmology, which postulates that the entire universe is the interior of a black hole.
"But if the universe was indeed born rotating, it means that the existing theories about the cosmos are incomplete."
Born in a black hole?
Black hole cosmology, also known as "Schwarzschild cosmology," suggests that our observable universe might be the interior of a black hole itself within a larger parent universe.
The idea was first introduced by theoretical physicist Raj Kumar Pathria and by mathematician I. J. Good.
It presents the idea that the "Schwarzchild radius," better known as the "event horizon," (the boundary from within which nothing can escape a black hole, not even light) is also the horizon of the visible universe.
This has another implication; each and every black hole in our universe could be the doorway to another "baby universe."
These universes would be unobservable to us because they are also behind an event horizon, a one-way light-trapping point of no return from which light cannot escape, meaning information can never travel from the interior of a black hole to an external observer.
This is a theory that has been championed by Polish theoretical physicist Nikodem Poplawski of the University of New Haven.
Black holes are born when the core of a massive star collapses. At its heart is matter with a density that far exceeds anything in the known universe.
In Poplawski's theory, eventually, the coupling between torsion, the twisting and turning of matter, and spin becomes very strong and prevents the matter from compressing indefinitely to a singularity.
"The matter instead reaches a state of finite, extremely large density, stops collapsing, undergoes a bounce like a compressed spring, and starts rapidly expanding," Poplawski explained to Space.com.
"Extremely strong gravitational forces near this state cause an intense particle production, increasing the mass inside a black hole by many orders of magnitude and strengthening gravitational repulsion that powers the bounce."
The scientist continued by adding that rapid recoil after such a big bounce could be what has led to our expanding universe, an event we now refer to as the Big Bang.
"It produces a finite period of cosmic inflation, which explains why the universe that we observe today appears at largest scales flat, homogeneous, and isotropic," Poplawski said.
"Torsion in the gravity of an extended theory of Einstein's general relativity therefore provides a plausible theoretical explanation of a scenario, according to which every black hole produces a new, baby universe inside and becomes an Einstein-Rosen bridge, or a 'wormhole' that connects this universe to the parent universe in which the black hole exists."
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In the new universe, according to this theory, the parent universe appears as the other side of the new universe's only white hole, a region of space that cannot be entered from the outside and which can be thought of as the reverse of a black hole.
"Accordingly, our own universe could be the interior of a black hole existing in another universe," Poplawski continued.
"The motion of matter through the black hole's boundary, called an event horizon, can only happen in one direction, providing a past-future asymmetry at the horizon and, thus, everywhere in the baby universe.
"The arrow of time in such a universe would, therefore, be inherited, through torsion, from the parent universe."
As for these new JWST findings. Poplawski told Space.com: "It would be fascinating if our universe had a preferred axis.
Such an axis could be naturally explained by the theory that our universe was born on the other side of the event horizon of a black hole existing in some parent universe."
He added that black holes form from stars or at the centers of galaxies, and most likely globular clusters, which all rotate.
That means black holes also rotate, and the axis of rotation of a black hole would influence a universe created by the black hole, manifesting itself as a preferred axis.
"I think that the simplest explanation of the rotating universe is the universe was born in a rotating black hole.
Spacetime torsion provides the most natural mechanism that avoids a singularity in a black hole and instead creates a new, closed universe," Poplawski continued.
"A preferred axis in our universe, inherited by the axis of rotation of its parent black hole, might have influenced the rotation dynamics of galaxies, creating the observed clockwise-counterclockwise asymmetry.
"The discovery by the JWST that galaxies rotate in a preferred direction would support the theory of black holes creating new universes, and I would be extremely excited if these findings are confirmed.
Another explanation for why the JWST may have seen an overrepresentation of galaxies rotating in one direction is that the Milky Way's own rotation could have caused it.
Previously, scientists had considered the speed of our galaxy's rotation to be too slow to have a non-negligible impact on observations made by the JWST.
“If that is indeed the case, we will need to re-calibrate our distance measurements for the deep universe," Shamir concluded.
"The re-calibration of distance measurements can also explain several other unsolved questions in cosmology such as the differences in the expansion rates of the universe and the large galaxies that according to the existing distance measurements are expected to be older than the universe itself."
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Manufacturing defect blamed for Vulcan solid rocket motor anomaly
March 12, 2025
The loss of a solid rocket motor nozzle on the second flight of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur last October was caused by a manufacturing defect that has been corrected as the company awaits certification of the vehicle by the Space Force.
The Cert-2 launch of Vulcan suffered an anomaly a little more than half a minute after its Oct. 4 liftoff when the nozzle of one of the two solid rocket strap-on boosters provided by Northrop Grumman fell off.
The vehicle compensated for diminished thrust that resulted from the missing nozzle and still completed its mission.
In a March 12 media roundtable, Tory Bruno, president and chief executive of ULA, said the anomaly was traced to a “manufacturing defect” in one of the internal parts of the nozzle, an insulator. Specific details, he said, remained proprietary.
“We have isolated the root cause and made appropriate corrective actions,” he said, which were confirmed in a static-fire test of a motor at a Northrop test site in Utah in February.
“So we are back continuing to fabricate hardware and, at least initially, screening for what that root cause was.”
That investigation was aided by the recovery of hardware that fell off the motor while in flight, which landed near the pad, as well as “trimmings” of material left over from the manufacturing process.
ULA also recovered both boosters from the ocean so that they could compare the one that lost its nozzle to the one that performed normally.
The defective hardware “just stood out night and day,” Bruno said. “It was pretty clear that that was an outlier, far out of family.”
That information has been passed along to the Space Force as part of the process to obtain certification for national security missions.
“We’ve completed everything that you’re supposed to do,” he said, with that information provided last month.
“Typically, it’s not a very long process in the past when vehicles are certified,” but deferred questions on the timeline of certification to the Space Force.
ULA’s next launch will be not of Vulcan but of Atlas, carrying a set of satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper constellation.
That would be followed, once Vulcan is certified, of the USSF-106 and USSF-87 missions for the Space Force before switching back to Kuiper launches.
He projected ULA will perform about a dozen launches this year, split roughly evenly between Atlas and Vulcan and between national security and commercial missions.
That includes Vulcan launches of Kuiper payloads, which could begin as soon as mid-year. An Atlas launch can carry 27 Kuiper satellites, he said, while a Vulcan can carry 45.
Bruno also addressed in the media roundtable a report by Bloomberg March 11 that the Department of the Air Force, in an annual assessment of contractor performance, had concluded ULA “has performed unsatisfactorily” on its National Security Space Launch contract.
That report also said the Air Force was assessing if it was feasible to reassign launches awarded to ULA to an “alternate provider,” which would be SpaceX.
“When that was written, it was inaccurate. As we sit here today, it is certainly overtaken by events,” Bruno said of that Air Force report.
Concerns about the production rate of the BE-4 engine has been resolved, he said, along with the solid rocket motor investigation.
Bruno said he would normally not talk about “improperly leaked” reports but wanted to do so to address its inaccuracies.
“Besides its inaccuracies, I’m just a little bit suspicious that this was improperly leaked at this moment in time as I wait for my certification.”
https://spacenews.com/manufacturing-defect-blamed-for-vulcan-solid-rocket-motor-anomaly/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/lockheed-boeing-venture-that-s-spacex-rival-ranked-subpar-by-air-force/ar-AA1AFV7H
Lawmakers File Bills to Create Space National Guard, Taking Trump Up on Promise
March 12, 2025 at 10:17am ET
The creation of a Space National Guard is getting a groundswell of support from Congress as bipartisan groups of lawmakers are submitting bills in both chambers to build it and eliminate an old proposal to move certain Air National Guard units from the states into the Space Force.
Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., filed a bill late Tuesday evening on the new Guard branch a plan also backed by President Donald Trump on the campaign trail and companion legislation was submitted by Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo., and Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. Several units that would be affected by the bill belong to the Colorado National Guard.
"Establishing a Space National Guard will better prepare and streamline the work of our existing space personnel to maintain readiness to respond to and thwart attacks from our adversaries," Crapo said in a statement provided to Military.com.
The bills represent an effort that seemingly surpasses partisan politics and is likely an easy legislative win for supporters.
While past efforts to create a Space National Guard have been stymied in Congress, the new administration has expressed support for the idea.
Trump, who established the Space Force in 2019, explicitly said in August that "as president, I will sign historic legislation creating a Space National Guard."
Senate co-sponsors include Sens. Jim Risch, R-Idaho; Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; and Rick Scott, R-Fla.
Additionally, the bill aims to replace Legislative Proposal 480, an Air Force effort first reported on by Military.com under former President Joe Biden's administration that aimed to transfer Air National Guard units with space missions into the active-duty Space Force – bypassing state governors who oversee their Guard units.
The move was widely condemned by every governor in the country and a large, bipartisan number of lawmakers.
National Guard lobbyists have consistently rallied against the transfer of the Air National Guard units into the Space Force and believe a Space National Guard is the best way to have reserve forces.
The Biden administration was against the creation of a space-focused Guard, labeling it too costly.
Retired Maj. Gen. Francis McGinn, president of the National Guard Association of the United States, which lobbies for issues connected to the reserve component, praised the Crapo and Hickenlooper bill.
"For many years, NGAUS has advocated the best way to keep them in the fight is to create a Space National Guard as the primary combat reserve of the U.S. Space Force, similar to how the Army and Air National Guard currently operate with their parent services," McGinn said.
"The Space National Guard Establishment Act is a common-sense solution that ensures the Space Force won't have to take a knee on readiness."
The Space National Guard would consist of units from Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Ohio, according to a copy of the bill text provided to Military.com.
The text also states that a one-star general will be the director of the reserve component and will report to the director of the Air National Guard.
Creation of the Space National Guard would "make use of facilities, infrastructure and installations constructed before the date of the enactment of this act," the bill states.
Advocates in the past said the main costs associated with a new component would consist of making new name tapes and signs, but that the units would continue their same missions from their existing locations.
"A dedicated reserve component will make sure our National Guard space experts have a clear path to continue their service to community and country," Hickenlooper said in a statement provided to Military.com, describing it as a "win-win for service members."
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/03/12/lawmakers-file-bills-create-space-national-guard-taking-trump-promise.html
https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-hickenlooper-lead-bill-to-establish-space-national-guard
Quantum Space Introduces Life Extension Services for Satellite Operators
Mar 13, 2025
Quantum Space, a pioneer in advanced space operations, has unveiled a new suite of life extension services designed to enhance satellite mission longevity and operational flexibility.
Utilizing its agile Ranger spacecraft, the company aims to provide mission extension, orbital repositioning, and refueling solutions to meet the increasing demand for sustainable and cost-effective satellite management.
This initiative underscores Quantum Space's commitment to optimizing the lifespan and functionality of orbital assets for both commercial enterprises and government agencies.
The Ranger's high maneuverability allows for seamless orbit transitions, supporting a diverse range of mission objectives.
"At Quantum Space, our goal is to revolutionize space operations by offering life extension services that grant our clients the Freedom to Maneuver, ensuring their mission objectives are met with greater efficiency," stated Ben Reed, Cofounder and Chief Innovation Officer of Quantum Space.
"Our innovative technology and strategic alliances position us at the forefront of this evolving space ecosystem."
Equipped with high delta-velocity capabilities, substantial payload capacity, and precision navigation, the Ranger spacecraft is engineered for prolonged operations exceeding 15 years.
By reducing the frequency of satellite replacements, Ranger helps lower mission costs while addressing both national security and commercial requirements.
To accelerate the implementation of its in-space mobility and mission extension offerings, Quantum Space has secured investment from Sporos Capital Partners as part of its Series A funding round.
"Quantum Space is redefining how assets function in orbit, and we believe their life extension services are vital to the future of space logistics," commented Nishant Machado, Managing Partner at Sporos Capital.
"Our investment highlights our confidence in their leadership, technology, and long-term vision for sustainable space operations."
With these advanced life extension services, Quantum Space is reinforcing the resilience and sustainability of orbital operations, ensuring enhanced maneuverability and longevity for national security initiatives, commercial endeavors, and scientific research.
https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Quantum_Space_Introduces_Life_Extension_Services_for_Satellite_Operators_999.html
Space Force says Haleakala fuel spill could take years to clean up
Mar. 12, 2025 at 4:45 PM PDT
The U.S. Space Force says it could take up to seven years to clean up a fuel spill on Haleakala.
In 2023, 700 gallons of diesel fuel leaked from a generator at the Maui Space Surveillance Complex.
Officials say the Department of Health has approved a plan for “active bioventing,” a process of blowing air into the soil to break down contaminants.
The first step is installing an electrical system in April.
Last summer, the Maui County Council passed a resolution opposing the building of seven new telescopes on Haleakala.
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2025/03/12/space-force-says-haleakala-fuel-spill-could-take-years-clean-up/
Space Force teaming with Air Force on Joint Simulation Environment
Mar 13, 2025, 07:00 AM
For the past year, the Space Force has been working closely with the Air Force and Navy to learn from their experience developing an advanced, realistic training and testing environment for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter — with an eye on one day creating a similar capability for the space domain.
Col. Corey Klopstein, program executive officer for Operational Test and Training Infrastructure at Space Systems Command, said his team started discussions last year with the Air Force’s Advanced Training Capabilities Division about how the Space Force could be involved with the effort, known as the Joint Simulation Environment.
The Space Force has since joined the JSE user group and is working with the program office to find ways to bring space capabilities into the simulation environment and eventually develop an advanced test and training capability of its own.
“The Space Force needs to provide space effects to the joint warfighter to ensure the joint warfighter can validate in their training events and their exercises, whether or not they’re going to be effective,” Klopstein said March 5 at the Air Warfare Symposium in Aurora, Colorado.
“The Space Force also needs a high-fidelity environment to be able to validate not just our system performance in the threat environment that we anticipate, but also our tactics, and validate our tactics.”
The JSE is typically associated with the F-35 because the Navy and Air Force developed it as a high-end test capability for the advanced fighter jet.
Though there’s currently just one JSE system located at Patuxent Naval Air Station in Maryland, the program is weeks away from flipping the switch at a second site at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and plans to eventually host the capability at all of its F-35 bases.
As the services expand their JSE footprint, the goal is for the system to become the premier combat training environment for U.S. and coalition partners.
As part of that process, they’re working with the Space Force to integrate simulated space capabilities and scenarios into the environment to help make training more representative.
That could include things like space-enabled electronic warfare, navigation or communications.
https://www.defensenews.com/space/2025/03/13/space-force-teaming-with-air-force-on-joint-simulation-environment/
accidentally cut that off a little short
Klopstein described that work as “ongoing,” noting that the Space Force is funding an effort to develop standards and specifications to bring those capabilities to the JSE.
Longer term, the Space Force is crafting a plan for an advanced simulation capability of its own.
The service has training devices, but for the most part they’re not interconnected, meaning that guardians assigned to different missions can’t train together.
Klopstein said the Space Force is in the process of creating distributed — or cross-mission — and high-end training systems.
On the distributed side, it has been using a system called Swarm for large, tactical training exercises like Space Flag.
Realistic simulation is also key for the Space Force’s testing enterprise, which relies heavily on virtual systems to validate that satellites and other space capabilities work as envisioned.
Unlike the other services that can test their ships on the water or their aircraft in flight, the Space Force can’t validate most of its systems in the space environment, which makes the quality of its ground-based testing infrastructure even more important.
Klopstein stressed that as space becomes more congested and adversaries increase their threats against U.S. systems, the service needs an advanced simulation capability that factors in a changing space environment.
“We’ve got to make sure that our systems can survive in a threat environment that we haven’t had to consider in the past,” he said.
“Gathering quantitative data that is representative of our systems that gives us the confidence level that the systems can perform in this threat environment is something that we’ve got to do going forward.”
The service hasn’t decided what a JSE for space could look like and hasn’t announced any specific timeline in that regard, but Klopstein said the service wants to learn from the Air Force’s work on the program and carry those learnings into a future system.
“The partnership that we’ve started … is only going to continue to broaden going forward,” he said.
“We are looking to be able to prototype and partner with [the Air Force] to leverage that work that’s been done and potentially build out the Space Force synthetic and high-fidelity training environment that we need.”
https://www.defensenews.com/space/2025/03/13/space-force-teaming-with-air-force-on-joint-simulation-environment/
Senior leaders to Senate: Air Force, Space Force are ready, capable, but challenges remain
March 12, 2025
Senior uniformed officers from the Air Force and Space Force told a Senate subcommittee March 12 that each service is focused on readiness but that budget shortfalls and determined adversaries are continuing sources for concern.
“I can confidently state that your United States Air Force stands ready and able to defend America’s homeland, ensure a robust nuclear deterrent via our two legs of the Triad, and project power around the world to provide options to deter and win as the nation requires,” U.S. Air Force Deputy Chief for Operations Lt. Gen. Adrian Spain told the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support.
Spain quickly added, however, the same worrisome nuance that Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin has repeatedly voiced in recent months.
“Today’s Airmen will do so with the oldest airplanes, the smallest force and with fewer monthly flying hours than at any point in our history,” Spain said.
“Airmen have, and always will, get the job done, but today they do so at elevated risk."
The Space Force is only five years old and has been “purpose built” to protect the nation’s interests in, from and to space.
It is “accelerating our transformation as a warfighting service,” said U.S. Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael Guetlein.
He noted to the Senate panel more is needed. He said the Space Force “is woefully under-resourced” to meet the nation’s demand for space capabilities.
“We must increase investment to deter the threat and, if necessary, decisively defeat challenges to U.S. space superiority.
The strategic choices we make today will determine whether space remains a domain for peace and progress or becomes a contested battleground for future conflict,” he added.
While Guardians are performing well, the importance of space and its rapidly changing circumstances require the Space Force and the nation to innovate and adapt faster to maintain a strategic advantage.
“As access to, and use of, space grows, the strategic landscape in space is becoming increasingly complex and perilous,” Guetlein said.
More resources will be necessary to achieve space superiority.
“What were once theoretical threats are now daily occurrences. I have observed our adversaries’ actions, and they are employing new capabilities to counter our advantage,” Guetlein said.
“Our competitors are jamming GPS signals, spoofing and disrupting satellite communications, and developing advanced anti-satellite weapons.
Unfortunately, these behaviors have become the norm rather than the exception, creating an increasingly hostile environment and putting at risk our continued freedom in the space domain.”
Guetlein and Spain were joined at the hearing by counterparts from the Army, Gen. James J. Mingus, Gen. Christopher J. Mahoney of the Marines, Navy Adm. James W. Kilby, as well as Diana C. Maurer from the Government Accountability Office.
While the hearing was called to discuss readiness, subjects raised during the two-hour session ranged widely, from the impact of extending the current budget to the end of the fiscal year rather than writing a new budget, to the status of recruiting to questions about the Golden Dome for America initiative.
On the prospect of living with an extension of the budget from the last fiscal year, which is known as a continuing resolution or CR, Spain and Guetlein echoed the impacts voiced by other witnesses.
While funding is provided under a CR that prevents a government shutdown, it also restricts how the funds can be used.
It is limited, for example, only to existing programs so money for “new starts” that brings new technology and modernization is not allowed.
A CR also does not factor in inflation so “buying power” is reduced. For the Air Force, Spain told the committee the financial hit was “close to $14 billion, which we cannot afford.”
Guetlein said the Space Force is affected too. “It does impact us because we are the smallest force with the smallest budget. So, any churn in our budget is a huge hit to us,” Guetlein said.
With the technologies in space shifting so fast, the ban on “new starts” is a major concern, he said.
“We are seeing an enormous amount of threats emerging every single year and it is very hard to get after those threats when you have to wait two to four years to get the budget,” Guetlein said.
“We need budget flexibility for new start authority, (and) the ability to move money between programs would be hugely beneficial.”
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4118091/senior-leaders-to-senate-air-force-space-force-are-ready-capable-but-challenges/