Aerospace and Defense Review : News

SpaceX has launched 60 Starlink satellites since May 2019 and is expected to launch hundreds more in the upcoming year. Recently, SpaceX filed paperwork for another 30,000 Starlink satellites, on top of the existing 12,000 Starlink satellites that have already been approved by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. The advent of private companies into the space frontier has opened up multiple possibilities in the field. Private companies have begun to look beyond the International Space Station and deep space exploration , and are venturing into areas that can have an immediate impact on human life. One such area is Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations. These can have a massive impact on the telecom infrastructure presently in use. Companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are working relentlessly to launch their own LEO Satellite Constellations . Recently, SpaceX filed paperwork for another 30,000 Starlink satellites, on top of the existing 12,000 Starlink satellites that have already been approved by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). If approved, this would leave SpaceX with a whopping total of 42,000 satellites under the Starlink constellation program. On behalf of SpaceX, The FCC has submitted 20 filings for 1,500 satellites a piece to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The ITU is a United Nations entity that coordinates spectrum at an international level for satellite operators to ensure there is no signal interference or spectrum hogging. Each countries' national regulators submit filings to the ICU on behalf of its satellite operators. The filings for SpaceX elaborate details like frequency range, proposed orbital altitudes, and the number of satellites it aims to launch. As of now, SpaceX has already launched 60 Starlink satellites since May 2019 and is expected to launch hundreds more in the upcoming year. The ITU filings is a preliminary process in deploying a satellite and begin much before the company plans to build a spacecraft. While applying to the FCC to access the U.S. market to offer broadband services, SpaceX will be required to submit a much more detailed report. As per the filings for the additional 30,000 satellites, SpaceX plans to operate these satellites in low Earth altitudes ranging from 328 kilometers to 580 kilometers. ITU filings also trigger a seven-year deadline clause, within which the satellite operator must launch at least one satellite within the requested frequency and operate it for a minimum of 90 days. Once the ITU issues spectrum rights, new ventures must be designed, keeping the existing spectrum in mind to avoid any kind of signal interference. ...Read more

The Proton launch, previously scheduled for September 30, 2019, was postponed after an issue was discovered during the electrical testing of the vehicle SpaceLogistics, subsidiary of Northrop Grumman, will launch the Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) 1, on a Proton rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The spacecraft platforms will be dual manifested on the Proton along with Northrop built Eutelsat 5 West B communications satellite. The Proton launch, previously scheduled for September 30, 2019, was postponed after an issue was discovered during the electrical testing of the vehicle, as per details provided by launch services provider International Launch Services. "I’ve been working on this for about a decade. Once launched, MEV-1 will use its electric propulsion system to go to geostationary orbit, a process that will take up to three and a half months. It will rendezvous there with the Intelsat 901, an 18-year-old satellite in an inclined geosynchronous orbit . The satellite will raise its orbit to a graveyard orbit a few hundred kilometers above GEO prior to MEV-1 arrival to avoid any interference with other satellites in GEO," said Joe Anderson, vice president of operations and business development at SpaceLogistics. The MEV 1 is set to dock with the apogee motor nozzle on Intelsat 901, from whence it shall take over altitude control and orbit control. Followed by this, the MEV 1 will move Intelsat 901 into its new operational location in GEO over the Atlantic Ocean and will continue to remain attached to it for the next five years before moving the satellite into a graveyard orbit and undocking. Once the MEV 1 completes these functions, it shall be redirected towards other missions where it can be of use. The spacecraft is built with a design lifespan of fifteen years, and a propellant that can survive well beyond that. SpaceLogisics is currently developing a second such vehicle, MEV 2, and also plans for the launch of additional servicing vehicles like Mission Extension Pods that can be attached to satellites by a separate vehicle. While the emphasis on both MEV and other concepts has been on the technology to extend the lives or otherwise service satellites, a key aspect is the business case for such systems. “It’s not an innovation until you’ve converted it from an idea, from an invention, into an economic return,” Anderson said. “I’m not aware of any economic returns yet in this industry, but we are days away from that occurring.” Check This Out:-  Top Aerospace Manufacturing Companies ...Read more

The X-57's Mod II vehicle replaces the traditional combustion engines on baseline Tecnam P2006T aircraft with electric cruise motors. The Mod II will be put to rigorous test over the next few weeks. NASA's X-57 Maxwell's first fully electric configuration was delivered to the Armstrong Flight Research Center in Florida by Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero). The X-57 Maxwell is NASA's first all-electric experimental aircraft and the first crewed X-plane in two decades. The delivery marked first of three configurations of the all-electric aircraft, known as Modification II or Mod II. The delivery marks a significant milestone for the project as it allows NASA engineers to begin putting the aircraft through ground tests, which will be followed by taxi tests and flight tests. The X-57's Mod II vehicle replaces the traditional combustion engines on baseline Tecnam P2006T aircraft with electric cruise motors. The Mod II will be put to rigorous test over the next few weeks. "The X-57 Mod II aircraft delivery to NASA is a significant event, marking the beginning of a new phase in this exciting electric X-plane project," said X-57 Project Manager Tom Rigney. "With the aircraft in our possession, the X-57 team will soon conduct extensive ground testing of the integrated electric propulsion system to ensure the aircraft is airworthy. We plan to rapidly share valuable lessons learned along the way as we progress toward flight testing, helping to inform the growing electric aircraft market." The Mod II completed loads testing on a new, high aspect ratio wing at NASA Armstrong's Flight Loads Laboratory. Following the completion of the tests, the wing, which will be featured on the Mod III and Mod IV configurations, will undergo fit checks on fuselage at ESAero, which will ensure the timely transition of the project's Mod II phase to Mod III phase. "ESAero is thrilled to be delivering the MOD II X-57 Maxwell to NASA AFRC," said ESAero President and CEO Andrew Gibson. "In this revolutionary time, the experience and lessons learned, from early requirements to current standards development, has the X-57 paving the way. This milestone, along with receiving the successfully load-tested MOD III wing back, will enable NASA, ESAero and the small business team to accelerate and lead electric air vehicle distributed propulsion development on the MOD III and MOD IV configurations with integration at our facilities in San Luis Obispo." The X-57 team is using a design driver as a technical challenge, to drive lessons learned and best practices. This design driver includes a 500 percent increase in high-speed cruise efficiency, zero in-flight carbon emissions, and flight that is much quieter for communities on the ground. ...Read more