Space

• [New] While space has been and is expected to remain a top priority for the Pentagon, one question is if the Biden administration will continue funding Space Development Agency efforts to rapidly launch hundreds of low-Earth orbit satellites. / Government Executive
• [New] In the United States, SpaceX has pioneered reusable rocket technology which could reduce costs for spaceflight. / East Asia Forum
• [New] Inmarsat services will support the real-time transfer of scientific data as teams measure ocean conditions as they race across the world, including through some of the most remote parts of the planet. / Inmarsat Corporate Website
• [New] The system service will be built by sending thousands of satellites in space to provide online data while orbiting the earth continuously. / iTech Post
• [New] A globally coordinated space traffic management system will be vital to avoid collisions that would result in loss of control of satellites, leaving them to tumble helplessly in orbit or fall back to Earth. / The Conversation
• [New] Part of a huge rocket that launched China's first module for its Tianhe space station is falling back to Earth and could make an uncontrolled re-entry at an unknown landing point. / The Guardian
• [New] Over the next decade, more than 57,000 satellites will be launched worldwide to support a surge in demand for space-derived data, from environmental monitoring such as bushfires and floods, to connecting to sensors on Internet of Things networks. / CSIRO
• [New] Secretary of State Blinken promised to use future arms control efforts to address all of Russia's nuclear weapons and reduce dangers from China's modern and growing nuclear arsenal. / Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• [New] Next major milestone within the on-board systems will be during 2022 when the TOSIRIS terminal will be installed on the Bartolomeo platform on the International Space Station (ISS). / no
• [New] LC-39A must be reserved at times to support high priority missions to the International Space Station, including Commercial Crew and cargo flights, and will also return to supporting Falcon Heavy operations later in 2021. / NASASpaceFlight.com
• [New] The following three dedicated launches under contract will each take two more BlackSky satellites, furthering BlackSky's goal to launch nine satellites in 2021. / InvestmentWatch
• [New] SpaceX, which has already carried Nasa astronauts and supplies to and from the International Space Station, could send its first uncrewed spacecraft to Mars by 2022, with astronauts flying to the red planet within the next three to five years. / Proactiveinvestors UK
• [New] OneWeb is building a communications network with a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites that will provide connectivity to billions of people around the world. / Royal Aeronautical Society
• [New] Whilst 3G/4G / 5G telecommunication services will provide the majority of internet access in urban areas (only 3% of global land area), digital connectivity in remote and rural areas continues to be a significant challenge and will require the provision of satellite connectivity. / The Royal Society of Edinburgh
• [New] The Chinese space station is expected to remain in low orbit at between 400 and 450 kilometres above Earth for a lifespan of around 15 years. / Tech2
• [New] SpaceX is developing the spacecraft that could launch the first astronauts to the Red Planet in South Texas. / TESMANIAN
• [New] China plans two additional launches to send cargo and a trio of astronauts to the core module in the coming weeks. / SlashGear
• [New] SpaceX, by reducing the cost of space flight, is helping create a space economy that could be worth trillions even if it only operates in Earth orbit rather than on Mars. / The Week
• [New] China will carry out 11 missions in the next two years, including three space station module launches, four cargo spacecraft and four manned spacecraft launches. / CnTechPost
• [New] In a post-ISS world, other countries seeking to conduct scientific research and experiments in space could turn to China. / CSIS
• A rare look at a Jupiter-sized, still-forming planet, captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, offers astronomers an opportunity to see material falling onto a planet. / Tech Explorist
• The core module of China's station, which will eventually be known as Tiangong, or the China Space Station, is the largest spacecraft China has ever developed and is 54.4 feet long, 13.7 feet in diameter, and weighs nearly 25 tons. / Newsweek

Last updated: 09 May 2021