Aerospace and Defense Review : News

Formally announced by NASA in October 2019, the VIPER was discussed by agency officials at science meetings earlier the same year. The VIPER is similar to a previous mission named Resource Prospector canceled in 2018 NASA has decided to postpone a task order part of the commercial lunar lander program for the delivery of the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover , or VIPER. The rover was scheduled for use at the south pole of the moon, and the decision has been welcomed quietly by some lander companies. NASA has taken the decision based on feedback from a workshop discussion the agency had with companies who are part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program and thus eligible to bid on task orders. According to NASA spokesperson Grey Hautaluoma, NASA wanted to take more time to incorporate those comments, reflecting the complexity of the VIPER delivery. Formally announced by NASA in October 2019, the VIPER was discussed by agency officials at science meetings earlier the same year. The VIPER is very similar to a previous mission named Resource Prospector canceled in 2018. The rover has been designed to probe permanently shadowed regions of craters near the South Pole to characterize water ice believed to exist there. NASA decided to move quickly through the CLPS program to identify a lander to deliver the VIPER to the moon. However, the USD 250 million rover is not scheduled for launch until 2022. While the news to postpone the VIPER task order has been lurking for some time now, there is no clarity on why the decision was taken or the duration of the delay. With the VIPER mission on hold, NASA has shifted its focus towards a separate task order for smaller science payloads, similar to the ones awarded in May 2019 to Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines. "We did not want to delay the release of the next standard delivery task order to allow the CLPS providers to propose on the next delivery task order request," said Hautaluoma. According to Steve Clarke, deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, the next non-VIPER task order designated 19C is set to be released sometime in January. Unlike the two awarded last year, 19C would be used for the exploration of Polar regions. ...Read more

The Air Force staffs around 16,000 personnel that support the five branches and are now part of the new division. Apart from the 45th Space Wing, the 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, the 21st Space Wing at Peterson Air Force, Colorado, the 50th Space Wing at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, and the 460th Space Wing at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado have also been allocated to the U.S. Space Force. The SpaceX Starlink launch on January 6, marked the first launch of 2020 and also the 45th Space Wings inaugural launch as part of the U.S. Space Force. Headquartered at the Patrick Air Force Base, the 45th Space Wing oversees the preparation and launching of U.S. government and commercial satellites from Cape Canaveral and operates the Eastern Range. It is also one of the five Air Force Space Wings that has been assigned under the U.S. Space Force with effect from December 20, 2019, when President Donald Trump signed the Nation Defense Authorizations Act making the U.S. Space Force the sixth branch of the armed forces. “I’m excited for the 45th Space Wing to be a part of the U.S. Space Force,” wing commander Brig. Gen. Doug Schiess. The space wings functions remain the same despite the addition to the Space Force and will continue doing what it has been doing to date. It will take at least 18 months to sort out the details of how the U.S. Space Force will be structured and staffed. As of now, it will be composed of uniformed and civilian personnel who have worked under the Air Force Space Command . These employees will continue to remain airmen within the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force will figure out the process for service members to leave the Air Force and officially transfer to the U.S. Space Force. The Air Force staffs around 16,000 personnel that support the five branches and are now part of the new division. Apart from the 45th Space Wing, the 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, the 21st Space Wing at Peterson Air Force, Colorado, the 50th Space Wing at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, and the 460th Space Wing at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado have also been allocated to the U.S. Space Force. "The effects the new Space Force will have on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and Patrick Air Force Base has not been announced yet, but continuing to successfully accomplish the mission without interruption is our top priority," Schiess said. ...Read more

Saturn targets small scale national customers and small geostationary satellites for customers that can’t afford or justify a traditional, multi-ton communications satellite. Saturn's first NationSat satellite is for a Moscow-based client Intersputnik, scheduled to launch on a shared SpaceX Falcon 9 mission, which has been postponed from 2020 to 2021  Satellite building startup Saturn Satellite Networks is yet to close a deal with a customer for the small geostationary spacecraft it has booked aboard the inaugural launch of Northrop Grumman's OmegaA rocket. The company believes that by reserving the rocket for the 2021 mission, it can save time down the road and provide its customers with a one-stop-shop. Northrop Grumman had earlier announced that Saturn had agreed with them to launch one or two of its NationSat line of small geostationary communications satellites on the maiden flight of OmegA. The rocket runs on solid fuels, which Northrop is building in an attempt to land U.S. national security missions. “Part of our objective is to provide delivery in orbit of our satellite systems,” said Jim Simpson, CEO, Saturn Satellite Networks. “As such, it’s very incumbent upon Saturn to secure multiple launch options to give customers multiple alternatives at the lowest possible cost.” Launched in 2019, the company targets small scale national customers and small geostationary satellites for customers that can’t afford or justify a traditional, multi-ton communications satellite. Saturn's first NationSat satellite is for a Moscow-based client Intersputnik, scheduled to launch on a shared SpaceX Falcon 9 mission, which has been postponed from 2020 to 2021. According to Simpson, Saturn will retain ownership of the satellite but will lease the capacity to Intersputnik for the lifetime of the spacecraft. The company shall be providing lifetime capacity leases or full ownership of satellites depending on customer preferences and regulatory restrictions. The startup is also close to clinching a second NationSat customer. However, whether the new customer will be assigned to the OmegaA or another rocket is yet to be determined. Meanwhile, according to Charlie Precourt, Northrop Grumman’s vice president of propulsion systems, the company has a backup plan in place in case Saturn’s satellites don’t come through in time. "Northrop Grumman is counting on Saturn to fill one of two certification flights it needs to fly to qualify OmegA for U.S. national security launches. Those are details that we’ve worked with them behind the scenes,” Precourt said. “But our first focus is with the Air Force.” Check This Out:-  Top Aerospace Manufacturing Companies ...Read more