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T-Minus: 10 space stations of the future https://ift.tt/AK1xjbY This is T-Minus, where Freethink’s Kristin Houser counts down the biggest developments in space, from new rocket launches to discoveries that advance our understanding of the universe and our place in it. Space stations of the future For more than 20 years, the International Space Station (ISS) has served as one of humanity’s few off-world homes, giving us a way to conduct groundbreaking research that wouldn’t have been possible on Earth’s surface. Today, China also has a crewed space station, and ten new stations are now in the works. In no particular order, here are the space stations that will ensure humans can continue to take advantage of the space environment long after the ISS is finally deorbited in 2030. Lunar Gateway A concept image of the Lunar Gateway. (Credit: NASA / Alberto Bertolin) Team leader: NASA (US / public) Location: Lunar orbit Deployment target: 2025 (but likely 2027) Capacity: 4 people Claim to fame: The first lunar space station (maybe) Quick recap: NASA plans to return astronauts to the moon’s surface with its upcoming Artemis missions and eventually send people to Mars. To support those astronauts and their research, it plans to build a space station in the moon’s orbit, with its partners at ESA, JAXA, and CSA. What they’re saying: “We’ll need a place to orbit around the moon where we can live and work. A place to get ready for our lunar surface expeditions, and a place to return to when our work on the lunar surface is complete. We need a lunar home away from home. This will be the Gateway.” – Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut Haven-1  A concept image of Haven-1. (Credit: Vast) Project lead: Vast (US / private) Location: Low-Earth orbit Deployment target: August 2025 Capacity: 4 people Claim to fame: The first commercial space station (maybe) Quick recap: Vast’s plan is to have Haven-1 operate as an independent commercial space station when it is first launched but later connect it as a module on a bigger space station that it is currently developing. The company has already tapped SpaceX to launch Haven-1, as well as deliver its first crew of four astronauts. What they’re saying: “A commercial rocket launching a commercial spacecraft with commercial astronauts to a commercial space station is the future of low-Earth orbit, and with Vast we’re taking another step toward making that future a reality.” – Tom Ochinero, senior VP of commercial business at SpaceX Axiom Station A concept image of the Axiom Station (Credit: Axiom Space) Project lead: Axiom Space (US / private) Location: Low-Earth orbit Deployment target: 2026  Capacity: 8 people Claim to fame: NASA’s transition phase Quick recap: In 2020, NASA awarded Axiom Space a contract to build and deploy at least one new space station module, attached to the ISS. When the ISS retires, the plan is to detach the Axiom module(s), allowing them to operate as...

NASA's Gateway: Deep Space Connectivity Achieved Gateway: Humanity’s First Space Station Around the Moon In the realm of space exploration, Gateway represents an unprecedented step forward as humanity’s first space station orbiting the Moon. Recently, a complex network of cables and sensors was meticulously arranged throughout one of Gateway’s key modules, known as HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost), during a crucial testing phase. This rigorous testing aims to ensure that the lunar-orbiting science lab can endure the severe conditions of deep space. Understanding HALO and Its Role The HALO module is one of four essential components of Gateway, a collaborative international effort where astronauts from around […] https://lnkd.in/dh99DEER https://lnkd.in/dyHK4S83

✦ The ARTEMIS ACCORDS, focusing on RESPONSIBLE SPACE EXPLORATION, have reached a milestone with PANAMA and AUSTRIA becoming the 49th and 50th SIGNATORIES. #SpaceMilestone #GlobalSignatories ✦ Emphasizing DATA SHARING and SPACE RESOURCE UTILIZATION, the ACCORDS seek to promote PEACE and COOPERATION in space activities. #SpaceCooperation #ExplorationEthics ✦ NASA Administrator BILL NELSON underscores the significance of COLLABORATION in tackling the CHALLENGES of space exploration. #NASALeadership #SpaceChallenges

NASA has selected SpaceX to build the deorbit vehicle for the International Space Station (ISS), ensuring its safe disposal at the end of its service life. • 🚀 SpaceX will develop the "U.S. Deorbit Vehicle" for controlled disposal. • 🌍 The project supports NASA’s transition to future commercial space stations. • 💼 Contract valued at up to $843 million. #NASA #SpaceX #ISS • 📅 Target end of ISS operations is 2030. • 🛰️ Ensures safe and controlled deorbit of the ISS. • 🤝 Supports ongoing international space partnerships. • 🔭 Maintains the legacy of scientific exploration in space. NASA selects SpaceX to build deorbit vehicle for International Space Station https://lnkd.in/gnPUDJrd

As the International Space Station (#ISS) ages and becomes costly to maintain, NASA is transitioning to support the development of private space stations. These new stations will be developed by commercial companies with different goals and will operate in various orbits, aiming to ensure that the U.S. maintains a presence in low Earth orbit after the ISS is decommissioned. The same thing is happening in other countries. The UK has long been focusing on private companies. Japan and Korea are moving in the same direction. Governments are losing their monopoly on space. Our orbit is becoming open to everyone. And that allows for more rockets, more satellites, more space stations. https://lnkd.in/e89gmke5

Peru and Slovakia recently joined the ranks of countries committed to responsible space exploration by signing the Artemis Accords, bringing the total number of signatories to 42. Peru’s participation marks a significant step for the country, providing an opportunity to enhance its scientific and aerospace development. González-Olaechea emphasized that this move will enable Peru to engage in the exploration and sustainable use of space resources. The rapid increase in signatories to the Artemis Accords reflects a global commitment to a brighter future in space. This growth is seen as a beacon of hope amid global conflicts, suggesting that the Artemis Accords offer a vision of a future full of wonder. “At the heart of the Artemis Accords are two truths, and the first is that space presents challenges that no nation, no matter how determined, can solve alone. And therefore we do not go alone, we go together,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at the Slovakia signing ceremony. “The second truth is that space is an engine for partnership. Space unites nations in a way that few other things can.” This landmark event follows a workshop hosted by the Canadian Space Agency, where representatives from 24 nations discussed crucial aspects of the Accords and participated in collaborative exercises. The next meeting of the Artemis Accords nations is scheduled for October at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy. https://lnkd.in/ewkAgC68 #Space #Peru #Slovakia #NASA #Artemis

NASA selects SpaceX to destroy the International Space Station In a contract worth up to US$843 million, NASA has selected SpaceX to design the "US Deorbit Vehicle." The spacecraft will bring the $150 billion International Space Station out of orbit to safely and burn up in our atmosphere at 3,000 ºF (1,649 ºC). NASA will take ownership of the deorbit vehicle once completed, and will operate it throughout the mission sometime in 2030. While guiding the ISS into the atmosphere, it is expected that both the deorbit vehicle and the ISS – which is about the size of a six-bedroom, two-bath house – will burn up safely before ever reaching the ground. Should any debris make it to the Earth's surface, it will land safely in a region of the South Pacific Ocean regularly used for deorbiting spacecraft. It is the responsibility of the five space agencies that operate the ISS – namely the ESA (European Space Agency), JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), CSA (Canadian Space Agency), State Space Corporation Roscosmos (Russia) and NASA – to ensure the safe decommissioning of the ISS at the end of its 30-year operational life. NASA is currently spending just over $3 billion per year on the space station program, with $1.3 billion on operations aboard the station and nearly $1.8 billion on crew and cargo transportation. "This amount can be applied to NASA’s deep space exploration initiatives, allowing the Agency to explore further and faster into deep space," NASA states in its transition from ISS report. "This amount can also be applied to other NASA programs." With the ISS weighing in at 925,335 lb (419,725 kg) and traveling at 18,000 mph (29,000 km/h) while orbiting the earth every 90 minutes, this will be no easy feat for SpaceX engineers, who will be responsible for the design of the craft. And exploded view (no pun intended) of the ISS and all its various segments It will be a day of sadness for the space community The ISS has been a true symbol of international cooperation and scientific advancement in space exploration. The project began in November of 1998, with modules flown to low-Earth orbit where the space station could be assembled. Nearly two years later to the day, cosmonauts Sergey Krikalev and Yuri Gidzenko along with astronaut William Shepherd flew into orbit, docked with the ISS, and were the first aboard. In the nearly 24 years since then, the station has been continually occupied by space explorers from 23 different countries. Much has changed technology-wise since the beginning of the project, but the International Space Station will forever carry the legacy of being the first of its kind. Even in times of geopolitical turmoil 227 miles below, the ISS has been a place where be it mission-critical or mundane, the science, the learning, and the humanity are all that matters.

[White House Directs NASA To Create A New Time Zone For The Moon] The White House has tasked NASA with creating a new time zone for the moon by the end of 2026, as part of the United States' broader goal to establish international norms in space. The direction to set up a lunar time zone comes amid growing global interest for humanity to establish a long-term presence on the moon in the coming years — a chief priority of NASA's Artemis program. "U.S. leadership in defining a suitable standard — one that achieves the accuracy and resilience required for operating in the challenging lunar environment — will benefit all spacefaring nations," the memo stated. Because there is lower gravity on the moon than on Earth, time there moves slightly faster — 58.7 microseconds faster every day. Though minuscule, that difference would make it harder for the growing number of future missions to communicate with each other and for mission control to accurately track satellite and crew positions, among other issues. "As NASA, private companies and space agencies around the world launch missions to the moon, Mars and beyond, it’s important that we establish celestial time standards for safety and accuracy," Steve Welby, the OSTP deputy director for national security, said in a statement. On Earth, time is measured by numerous atomic clocks placed in various locations around our planet. A similar ensemble of atomic clocks on the moon itself may be used for lunar timekeeping. "An atomic clock on the moon will tick at a different rate than a clock on Earth," Kevin Coggins, manager of NASA's Space Communications and Navigation Program, told the Guardian. "It makes sense that when you go to another body, like the moon or Mars, that each one gets its own heartbeat." In space, there are a couple of different ways in which space agencies keep time. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station, which is in low Earth orbit, follow Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). For spacecraft elsewhere, NASA uses "Spacecraft Event Time" to catalog key mission events, like science observations or engine burns. To establish LTC on the moon, the space agency told NPR that "subject matter experts throughout the international community are discussing an approach to provide recommendations to the International Astronomical Union for lunar reference frame and time systems." NASA's Artemis program currently plans to send humans to the moon no sooner than September 2026, three months prior to the deadline to establish LTC. China previously announced a lunar crewed mission before the end of this decade and India by 2040. Source: https://lnkd.in/eW-dGzif #galaxyaerosgh #space #spaceexploration #spacenews

Some early Christmas🎄 reading for everyone: How Europe Can Build “Space Power” with Asia. On Christmas Day 2021, an Ariane V rocket launched from French Guiana carrying the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a $10 billion project over two decades in the making. Twenty-seven minutes after takeoff, the telescope separated from the rocket and deployed its solar array. The launch was “perfect.” The successful launch was a milestone for the European Space Agency - ESA, which partnered with NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Canadian Space Agency. But for Europe, it also represented something more tangible. In return for the launch, NASA granted ESA 15% of Webb’s observation time, allowing Europe to contribute to the search for the origins of the universe and life on exoplanets. While the JWST launch was a success, Europe faces significant limitations in space. Bureaucratic competition, differing national priorities, and financial constraints hinder Europe’s ability to influence space governance. To enhance its influence, Europe must expand its partnerships, not only with traditional space powers like the U.S. and Japan but also with emerging spacefaring nations in Asia, such as India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Read more at the link! Much thanks to ISPI - Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale for helping me publish and for letting me attend the Rome MED Forum this year.

"NASA's LEGS can do more than help Earthlings move about the planet. Three Lunar Exploration Ground Sites, or LEGS, will enhance the Near Space Network's communications services and support of NASA's Artemis campaign. NASA's Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program maintains the agency's two primary communications networks—the Deep Space Network and the Near Space Network, which enable satellites in space to send data back to Earth for investigation and discovery. Using antennas around the globe, these networks capture signals from satellites, collecting data and enabling navigation engineers to track the mission. For the first Artemis mission, these networks worked in tandem to support the mission as it completed its 25-day journey around the moon. They will do the same for the upcoming Artemis II mission. To support NASA's Moon to Mars initiative, NASA is adding three new LEGS antennas to the Near Space Network. As NASA works toward sustaining a human presence on the moon, communications and navigation support will be crucial to each mission's success. The LEGS antennas will directly support the later Artemis missions, and accompanying missions such as the human landing system, lunar terrain vehicle, and Gateway. "One of the main goals of LEGS is to offload the Deep Space Network," said TJ Crooks, LEGS project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "The Near Space Network and its new LEGS antennas will focus on lunar missions while allowing the Deep Space Network to support missions farther out into the solar system—like the James Webb Space Telescope and the interstellar Voyager missions." How it works"... NASA read & learn more