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Category: satellites – Page 183

WASHINGTON: Three influential House lawmakers have asked DARPA in a Jan. 25 letter to review a robotic space repair program to see if it violates the National Space Policy by competing with private-sector efforts and to put the program on hold until the review is complete. The National Space Policy requires “that the government not build or buy systems that “preclude, discourage or compete” with commercial systems. Orbital ATK is building a system it believes competes directly with the DARPA initiative, known as Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites.

It’s an intriguing program. DARPA’s goal is to develop robotic systems that can fix damaged satellites 22,000 miles up. In the words of the program web page, it would be designed to “make house calls in space.”

But Rep. Jim Bridenstine, one of the most active lawmakers on space issues today (and possibly the next head of NASA); Rep. Barbara Comstock, chair of the House Science, Space and Technology subcommittee on research and technology; and Rep. Rob Bishop, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, signed a letter today asking Acting DARPA Director Steven Walker to review RSGS to ensure it complies with the National Space Policy’s requirement that the government not build or buy systems that “preclude, discourage or compete” with commercial systems.

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Since our launch in 2016, Vector has focused on connecting space startups and innovators with affordable and reliable space by dramatically increasing access and speed to orbit. And as a result, Vector is reshaping the multi-billion launch market. Building on over 10 years of research to develop the Vector-R launch vehicle, Vector is truly at the forefront of innovation and revolutionizing the next generation of rocket launches. George Washington University has developed ground-breaking plasma steering thrusters which will help put Vector ahead in the great “New Space” race. Our collaboration with George Washington University will help us move closer to achieving our long-term vision of furthering the technological achievements for our industry.

Through this agreement, Vector will license the plasma thruster technology created by the School of Engineering and Applied Science at George Washington University for the Vector-R launch vehicle. The technology will allow us to propel miniature satellites, which are significantly less expensive and made from common materials, and control them while in space. As part of the collaboration, Vector will develop the thruster for commercial space use, and the University will continue to develop the next generation of the technology.

Small spacecraft and satellites are extreme ly difficult to maneuver and control once in space, and George Washington University’s plasma thruster technology helps us manage this problem. The thrusters use titanium as a propellant, which is converted into a gas-like plasma to provide propulsion. The plasma then accelerates and expands into a vacuum at high velocities to produce thrust. This thrust helps the craft overcome drag and maintain the small satellite’s orbit. We plan to use the technology as part of our launch system dedicated to micro spacecraft.

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Nice write up on the QC news about China’s QC satellite from late Wed.

China’s Quantum Science Satellite was declared operational this week after five months of in-orbit testing, now set for a busy two-year mission demonstrating hack-proof communications by means of entangled photons as a trailblazer for what is widely considered the communications technology of the future.

The Quantum Science Satellite, nicknamed Mozi, was launched into orbit on August 15, 2016 as the world’s first dedicated quantum communications testbed, embarking on an ambitious mission dedicated to validating the principles of quantum communications across vast distances of open space.

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Enlarge Image Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University has successfully launched a satellite from the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time. It’s a nanosatellite that deserves special attention for its new thruster technology. These new micro-thrusters allow the satellite to remain in for space twice as long as other similar satellites, according to the university. The improved thrusters could go a long way towards fighting the problem of space debris: Man-made trash such as the old satellites and spent rocket stages that create a field of debris around the earth.
https://www.cnet.com/news/singapore-launches-first-ever-sate…CAD590a51e

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This video was produced by YT Wochit Tech using http://wochit.com

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QC communications (includes networking) is now available in China.

Nice job China; now if the rest of us can catch up.

China’s quantum communication satellite, launched last August, is officially operational after four months of in-orbit testing, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said Wednesday.

Testing of the satellite, payloads and space-ground links have been completed, the CAS said, adding that everything was operating properly.

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Hope folks are realizing this is happening and now real. Not sure what experiments their doing as they have already been experimenting already on hacking.

The world’s first quantum science and communications satellite has been handed over to Chinese scientists for the official start of experiments to test the phenomena of quantum entanglement and ‘unhackable’ quantum communication.

The Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS) satellite was launched on August 15 last year and soon after began testing its payloads and space-to-ground links.

“The in-orbit test came to a very successful end,” said mission designer and leader Pan Jianwei, an academic at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) which oversees the institutions involved in the mission.

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Entrepreneur’s Space X agency files request for $10bn project with the FCC and says internet speeds globally will reach 1Gb/s.

The man who wants to take humans to Mars also wants to connect the whole of planet Earth and bring digital equality across the globe.

Elon Musk’s Space X spacial agency has requested to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorisation to launch 4,425 satellites which would be used to provide connectivity to the more than 7.2 billion humans on Earth.

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This post is also available in: heעברית (Hebrew)

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) officially handed off control of the Space Surveillance Telescope (SST) to the US Air Force Space Command. After five years of successful operation the telescope will now be dismantled and sent overseas.

Australian forces are planned to handle the task of scanning the skies for asteroids that could endanger satellites or potentially strike the Earth. The Air Force will maintain “a broad and full SST partnership” with the Australian military, said 1st Lt. Sarah Burnett, a spokeswoman for Air Force Space Command (AFSPC). After the move, SST will operate as a dedicated sensor in the US Space Surveillance Network, operated by AFSPC.

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