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Perth: (The Conversation) Last week, three tiny Australian satellites from Curtin University's <keyword id="23932163" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Binar-Space-Program" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Binar Space Program" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Binar Space Program">Binar Space Program</keyword> burned up in Earth's atmosphere. That was always going to happen. In fact, Binar means "fireball" in the Noongar language of the First Nations people of Perth. When a satellite is in low Earth orbit (2,000km or less), it experiences orbital decay as it drags closer and closer to the surface, eventually burning up. But these cube satellites (<keyword id="21533654" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CubeSats" source="keywords">CubeSats</keyword>), known as Binar-2, 3 and 4, entered the atmosphere much sooner than originally planned. They only lasted for two months - a third of what was expected. This significantly reduced valuable time for science and testing new systems. The reason for their untimely demise? Our Sun has kicked into high gear, and the Binar satellites are far from the only casualty. Recent high <keyword id="20792842" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Solar-activity" source="keywords">solar activity</keyword> has been causing an unexpected headache for satellite operators in the last few years, and it's only increasing. <h2>Why is the Sun so active? </h2> Solar activity includes phenomena such as sunspots, solar flares and solar wind - the stream of charged particles that flows toward Earth. This activity is a product of the Sun's ever-changing magnetic field, and approximately every 11 years, it completely flips. At the midpoint of this cycle, solar activity is at its highest. While this cycle is known, specific solar activity is challenging to predict - the dynamics are complex and solar forecasting is in its infancy. In the last few months, indicators of solar activity were more than one and a half times higher than predictions for this point in the current cycle, labelled <keyword id="22712826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="solar-cycle-25" source="keywords">solar cycle 25</keyword>. <h2>The impact of <keyword id="20087207" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-weather" source="keywords">space weather</keyword> </h2> Space weather refers to the environmental effects that originate from outside our atmosphere (mostly the Sun). It affects us on Earth in a variety of noticeable and unnoticeable ways. The most obvious is the presence of auroras. In the past few months, auroras have been visible far more intensely and closer to the equator than in the last two decades. This is a direct result of the increased solar activity. Space weather, and solar activity in particular, also creates additional challenges for satellites and satellite operators. Higher solar activity means more solar flares and stronger solar wind - resulting in a higher flux of charged particles that can damage or disrupt electrical components on satellites. It also means an increase in ionising radiation, resulting in a higher dose for astronauts and pilots, and potential disruptions to long-distance radio communications. But for satellites in low Earth orbit, the most consistent effect of solar activity is that the extra energy gets absorbed into the outer atmosphere, causing it to balloon outward. As a result, all satellites less than 1,000km from Earth experience a significant increase in <keyword id="23473319" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="atmospheric-drag" source="keywords">atmospheric drag</keyword>. This is a force that disrupts their orbit and causes them to fall towards the planet's surface. Notable satellites in this region include the International Space Station and the Starlink constellation. These satellites have thrusters to counteract this effect, but these corrections can be expensive. Low Earth orbit also contains many university satellites, such as the Binar CubeSats. Cube satellites are rarely equipped with tools that can adjust their altitude, so they're entirely at the mercy of space weather. <h2>What happened to Binar? </h2> The Binar Space Program is a satellite research program operating out of Curtin University. It aims to advance our understanding of the Solar System and lower the barrier for operating in space. The program began operations with its first satellite, Binar-1, in September 2021. This was less than a year into solar cycle 25 when solar activity was relatively low. In these conditions, the ten-centimetre cube satellite started at an altitude of 420km and survived a full 364 days in orbit. The program's follow-up mission - Binar-2, 3, and 4 - were three equally sized CubeSats. However, they were expected to last approximately six months owing to the extra surface area from new deployable solar arrays and a forecast increase in solar activity. Instead, they only made it to two months before burning up. While cube satellite missions are relatively cheap, the premature ending of a mission will always be costly. This is even more true for commercial satellites, highlighting the need for more accurate space weather forecasting. The good news is the Sun will calm down again. Despite the current unexpectedly high solar activity, it will likely slow down by 2026, and is expected to return to a solar minimum in 2030. While this was not an explicit goal of the mission, the Binar Space Program has now poignantly demonstrated the dramatic effects of solar activity on space operations. While the untimely loss of Binar-2, 3 and 4 was unfortunate, work has already begun on future missions. They are expected to launch into far more forgiving space weather. (The Conversation).

Right now, the Sun is far more active than predicted - and small satellites are paying the price

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Baiju Bhatt, the cofounder of trading app Robinhood, has a new space startup.</li><li>Aetherflux aims to launch a constellation of satellites to transmit solar power to Earth using infrared lasers.</li></ul>When Baiju Bhatt co-founded the stock trading app <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/robinhood-collapse-what-happened-retail-investing-meme-stocks-future-finance-2022-2">Robinhood</a> in 2013 with his college best friend, Vlad Tenev, the aim was to "democratize finance for all."Robinhood's no-fee, gamified approach to investing made capital markets more accessible than ever before, leading to an IPO in 2021.After over a decade at the company, Bhatt stood down as Robinhood's chief creative officer in March to pursue what was described at the time as "other entrepreneurial interests."In October, Bhatt announced he was launching Aetherflux, a Silicon Valley-based space startup.Aetherflux aims to create a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) that will collect solar power and beam it down to receptors on Earth using infrared lasers.Just as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-starlink-spacex-satellite-internet-business-constellation-fleet-elon-musk-mars">Elon Musk's Starlink</a> constellation has transformed communications, Bhatt hopes Aetherflux will revolutionize energy, he told Business Insider in an interview.The receptors will be just 10 meters in diameter, Bhatt said, meaning they can be placed virtually anywhere and theoretically provide power to remote locations that would otherwise be too expensive or dangerous to reach."If we succeed, we unlock a renewable energy source for humanity that can be delivered virtually anywhere," he wrote in a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/allow-me-re-introduce-myself-baiju-bhatt-nu1ic/?trackingId=xecx1MNjQxGa6fapJvT2fA%3D%3D">LinkedIn post</a> announcing Aetherflux.If it works, far more solar power can be captured in orbit than through the atmosphere at ground level, and there would be no nighttime or weather disruptions to the power source. It would also free up land used for solar farms on Earth.Aetherflux plans to start by powering military operations in remote locations or remote mining operations, Bhatt said.<div type="image" title="A profile of Baiju Bhatt smiling in a black t-shirt in front of a beige background." height="3553" width="5324" msid="114432481" hostid="261" sizebytes="611312"></div>Bhatt hopes that a single receptor will one day be able to capture enough power for a small neighborhood of homes. He added that they'd need around 100 satellites to provide continuous power to one location.The idea of space-based solar power has existed for decades, but theories have generally rested on large constructions being sent into orbit and using microwaves to transmit energy.In January 2023, the California Institute of Technology launched a solar space-power demonstrator satellite into orbit for a yearlong mission to test out a range of potential approaches.Caltech's president, Thomas F. Rosenbaum, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/space-solar-power-project-ends-first-in-space-mission-with-successes-and-lessons">said the project</a> had shown them that solar power beamed from space "is still a future prospect" but that it "should be an achievable future."Aetherflux wants to do things differently by using infrared lasers and a modular approach.The science has already been demonstrated; it's just going to be an engineering and economic feat to prove it can be done from space, Bhatt said.To begin with, Aetherflux plans to send a single satellite into orbit by the first quarter of 2026 to demonstrate that solar energy transmission is possible.<h2 id="f76e6857-d783-49d8-94bf-ab950b9759df">The right time to be in space</h2>Though the career jump from finance to the space industry may seem unusual, Bhatt said space has been his "lifelong calling."NASA was a part of Bhatt's childhood. His father moved to the US from India to pursue physics and got a job at NASA's Langley Research Center in the 1990s studying atmospheric sciences.With a bachelor's in physics and a master's in mathematics, both from Stanford, Bhatt thought he'd be a physicist too. So, Robinhood was a "bit of a detour," he told BI.He is still a board member but has stepped back from day-to-day operations.One lesson Bhatt said he learned from running the trading app was how powerful capitalism could be in accelerating innovation."If you can take a problem that's been stagnating and you can create a capitalist system around it where people can make money doing something, you'll see the rate of progress really speed up," he said.<div type="image" title="Baiju Bhatt (right) and Vlad Tenev, founders of the online brokerage Robinhood." height="4160" width="6240" msid="114432476" hostid="261" sizebytes="601100"></div>After meeting with people working on power for DARPA at the beginning of this year and seeing the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-spacex-starship-launch-five-huge-deal-space-travel-2024-10">timeline Starship is on</a>, Bhatt decided that the best opportunities were now in space.Since 2009, the sum of private investments in space startups has soared from essentially nothing to $327.3 billion, according to the latest "<a target="_blank" href="https://spacecapital.docsend.com/view/9d69zpfz4ddms3ry">Space Investment Quarterly</a>" report published by venture capital and angel-investment firm Space Angels.The industry's value is expected to continue booming. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/aerospace-and-defense/our-insights/space-the-1-point-8-trillion-dollar-opportunity-for-global-economic-growth">McKinsey</a> estimates that the global space economy will be worth $1.8 trillion by 2035, accounting for inflation, up from $630 billion in 2023."It's hard to find something more exciting and impactful than space," said Matthew Weinzierl, a professor of the economics of space at Harvard Business School and coauthor of the upcoming book "Space to Grow.""This really is a new frontier, one where technological innovation can create new markets and solve real problems, often in ways we haven't thought of before," he said.Weinzierl said that in the past two decades, the US government has created pathways for commercial players, enabling market forces to take hold."Prices to orbit have dropped, launch availability has soared, and a wave of entrepreneurs are finding new ways to create value," he said.<div type="image" title="SpaceX's Super Heavy booster as it returned to its launch site, with the sun rising in the background." height="1031" width="1920" msid="114432482" hostid="261" sizebytes="52022"></div>With so many more commercially available products, space has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starship-launch-success-elon-musk-vision-cheap-space-travel-closer-2024-3#:~:text=%22With%20Starship%2C%20SpaceX%20is%20poised,in%20an%20email%20on%20Thursday.">never been cheaper</a>.Aetherflux is an example of how companies are using off-the-shelf solutions to speed up development. Its satellites are purchased readymade from satellite bus provider <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/palmer-luckey-anduril-apex-defense-tech-space-satellite-surveillance-2024-10">Apex</a>, the high-powered lasers it plans to use are commercially available, and it'll be using <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-launch">SpaceX</a> as a launch partner for its 2026 mission."The part that we're building is the actual optical design, the control systems, and the power transmission link, as well as the ground station," said Bhatt.<h2 id="5dda5318-030a-431a-91ff-f205b537a068">The future of Aetherflux</h2>When he spoke with BI, Bhatt had just moved into a lab facility in the Bay Area. With a team of 10 employees, he will begin iterating ground tests, developing the system design, and working with regulators.He's self-funding the project "completely," he told BI. As one of Robinhood's cofounders, Bhatt's net worth spiked after its IPO in 2021. He is worth around $1.7 billion, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.forbes.com/profile/baiju-bhatt/">Forbes reports.</a>Although access to space has become more routine and affordable, Weinzierl said there is still a lot of uncertainty around the industry. Some of the ideas and businesses being developed today won't survive, but they'll be "the foundation that tomorrow's entrepreneurs will learn from and build on," he said.A self-proclaimed science nerd, Bhatt named his startup after a 19th-century theory about a pervasive medium called the aether, which physicists believed light traveled through."Einstein came along in 1905 and was basically like, nah, that stuff's all wrong. Light is the same in every reference frame," said Bhatt.So Aetherflux is named after a disproven scientific theory? Yes, Bhatt agreed with amusement. But he's "laser-focused" on the first mission and adamant that Aetherflux won't fall into the same bracket as its namesake."Space is hard," he admitted, "but we're committed to demonstrating this and making it happen."

Robinhood's cofounder has joined the rapidly growing commercial space race, and wants to beam solar power from satellites to earth

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="19895159" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Russia" source="keywords">Russia</keyword> and <keyword id="19894886" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="China" source="keywords">China</keyword> are investigating ways to disable <keyword id="21403350" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="US-satellites" source="keywords">US satellites</keyword>, raising defense concerns.</li><li>China is testing <keyword id="21403351" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="satellite-grappling-technology" source="keywords">satellite grappling technology</keyword> that can move objects in space without debris.</li></ul>Russia and China appear to be actively looking into ways to watch and potentially incapacitate US satellites in space, and defense analysts are concerned. "China and Russia are both operating satellites that attempt to better understand high-value U.S. government satellites" and engaging in other alarming activities, analysts at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said in the think tank's 2024 <a target="_blank" href="https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2024-04/240417_Swope_Space_Threat_0.pdf?VersionId=DDeJ0EkYnF5W7POfMJHVGjkxEVeTx3o0">Space Threat Assessment</a> report. "These developments are concerning and will likely continue in the coming years." "Both Russia and China routinely <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-conducts-space-based-anti-satellite-weapons-test-2020-7">maneuver their satellites near Western government and commercial satellites</a>, sometimes remaining close by for months at a time," the report's six expert authors said. China has been testing technology and mechanisms that allow satellites to grapple onto other satellites. Analysts at CSIS drew this conclusion after it was reported that China successfully used its SJ-21 satellite to grapple and direct an inoperative satellite to a new location in orbit. The potential grappler satellites China could be testing have an "unfriendly" connotation as they are capable of hijacking and moving objects like satellites in space "without generating any debris." In a February hearing, US Space Command leader Gen. Stephen Whiting described the pace of<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-race-anti-satellite-china-russia-war-us-2017-07"> China's space expansion</a> as "breathtaking." Beijing, Whiting <a target="_blank" href="https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/whiting_statement.pdf">said</a>, is "growing its military space and counterspace capabilities at breathtaking pace to deny American and Allied space capabilities when they so choose." Russia likely has at least two satellites conducting "an espionage mission but may also perform other functions." Experts also believe that at points within the past decade, Russia has tested projectile weapons to be used in Low Earth orbit. "All of these unfriendly behaviors in space have become commonplace," the analysts wrote. And earlier this year, the White House sounded alarms about a Russian system that US officials told reporters involved putting some sort of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-could-blind-us-with-nuclear-space-weapon-ex-cia-director-2024-2">nuclear capability into outer space</a>. Security experts have often said that China and Russia would <a target="_blank" href="https://www.economist.com/international/2024/01/31/america-china-and-russia-are-locked-in-a-new-struggle-over-space?utm_medium=affiliates.content.pd&amp;utm_source=Skimbit%20Ltd.&amp;utm_campaign=16002&amp;utm_content=Online%20Tracking%20Link&amp;irclickid=0mlX%3AH0zGxyKU3LyIL0hGyY4UkHWe6VvgwKm0g0&amp;channel=Impact&amp;irgwc=1">take down</a> satellites as their first course of action in the event of war. The US currently has thousands of satellites in space. Some are capable of tracking ballistic missile threats, some serve commercial endeavors, others provide critical GPS services, and others gather intelligence. These satellites serve US economic and national security interests, and in a great power conflict, these space assets are critical. But they're at risk as rivals China and Russia advance their respective counterspace capabilities. A senior Marine Corps officer in information, Lt. Gen. Matthew Glavy, warned last year that the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-must-control-space-in-future-wars-top-marine-general-2023-12">US has to be ready for challenges in space</a>. "I'm telling you right now: We don't win the space domain? Don't even bother," he said. "No space, no chance."

US satellites could face threat from Russia and China's 'unfriendly' space behavior, warn defense analysts

<keyword id="19915124" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ISRO" source="keywords">ISRO</keyword> has targeted to <keyword id="19997100" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="launch" source="keywords">launch</keyword> the first mission of the ambitious <keyword id="19945102" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gaganyaan" source="keywords">Gaganyaan</keyword> project by December, a top official said here on Friday. Currently, some of the rocket hardware for the human <keyword id="41531" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space" source="Orion">space</keyword> programme has reached the <keyword id="20021373" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Satish-Dhawan-Space-Centre" source="keywords">Satish Dhawan Space Centre</keyword> here and the integration of the crew module was going on at the <keyword id="20054184" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vikram-Sarabhai-Space-Centre" source="keywords">Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre</keyword>, Trivandrum, ISRO Chairman <keyword id="19929547" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="s-somanath" source="keywords">S Somanath</keyword> said. "Today, we are working on the first mission of the Gaganyaan called G1. The first unmanned mission. The status today is the rocket, the S200 stage, the L1, C32 stage are all at Satish Dhawan Space Centre," he said. He said the Crew Module integration was going on at VSSC Trivandrum while Crew Escape hardware was also ready. "So, we have to complete with full wiring and testing should be done. Our target is by November the whole system will reach here, possibly by December launch will happen," he said, responding to a query. Somanath was talking to reporters after successfully launching the third and final developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle that placed the Earth Observation Satellite into orbit earlier in the day. The success of the third and final developmental flight would pave the way for launch of commercial missions using the smallest vehicle by ISRO's commercial arm <keyword id="20038721" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NewSpace-India-Ltd" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NewSpace India Ltd" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NewSpace India Ltd">NewSpace India Ltd</keyword> (NSIL). Today's successful mission of <keyword id="21471593" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SSLV" source="keywords">SSLV</keyword> allows industry to forge a partnership with ISRO for placing satellites into Low Earth Orbit. Besides, it would also allow a company to gain knowledge on rockets, launch vehicles, and satellites in the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle missions. To a query about the requirement for industries to partner with the ISRO for taking up commercial launch of SSLV missions, Somanath said a day-long meeting was recently held with the industry. "I am hoping that the first technology transfer will happen in India between ISRO and industry. The Request for Interest (RFI) was released and as a single (entity) or as consortia, a company can show interest on the technology transfer (from ISRO) and what were the expectations from ISRO and how to qualify for such missions," he said. From the interactions held with the industry it emerged there was a huge amount of interest for them to learn about space, he added. "We told them it will be a huge challenge for anyone to learn rocketry from scratch. It is not just transferring technology, we are transferring the knowledge on how things are done (at ISRO). It is not the drawings alone, it is the knowledge behind those drawings we transfer to industry," according to Somanath, also the Secretary, Department of Space. Through the industry partnerships, ISRO would teach them on how to build a rocket, he said and added that the industry should qualify as per the criteria put forth by ISRO. The company should possess manufacturing capabilities, manufacturing facilities and financial strengths of a company would be assessed, he said. "We will add weightage and marks based on the performance of the company and based on that the companies will be shortlisted and a contract would be given to them after the companies which have to pay a technology transfer fee," he said. Some of the unique features of SSLVs are -- it provides low-cost access to Space, offers low turn-around time and flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, 'launch on demand' feasibility and SSLV missions demand minimal launch infrastructure.

ISRO targets first Gaganyaan mission launch by December: Chairman

<ul class="summary-list"><li>North Korea's latest satellite launch failed in a fireball in the sky on Monday evening.</li><li>That comes after South Korean media reported that Russia was helping Pyongyang's space program.</li></ul>North Korea announced on Monday that its latest spy satellite launch ended in the explosion of its rocket just minutes after liftoff — a third failure in its last four attempts to put a satellite into orbit.And that was despite Russian space experts recently arriving to guide North Korea's space program, South Korean news agency <a target="_blank" href="https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240526000500315">Yonhap</a> reported a day before the failed launch, citing a senior defense official who was not named.Yonhap wrote that a "large number" of Russian technicians had entered North Korea after Russian leader Vladimir Putin last year offered to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2023/09/13/1199190066/russia-north-korea-putin-kim-jong-un-summit#:~:text=Putin%20offered%20North%20Korea%20technological,for%20military%20cooperation%20between%20them.">support Pyongyang with its satellite launches.</a>It's unclear exactly how many technicians were sent to North Korea, when they might have arrived, or how they might have advised Pyongyang.The senior South Korean defense official told the agency that the Russian experts likely had high standards, causing a delay between North Korea's last satellite launch and preparations for Monday's attempt.Yonhap reported that North Korea's space rockets also likely face issues with their second and third-stage engines.That could forewarn even deeper problems in Pyongyang's space program; the explosion at Monday's launch occurred during the rocket's first stage of flight.North Korean state media cited a space official saying that preliminary investigations showed the rocket's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-blames-new-liquid-oxygen-engine-for-satellite-2024-5">new liquid oxygen and petroleum engine</a> was to blame. However, he also said there may have been other reasons for the launch failure.Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider.Russia and North Korea's relationship has come under scrutiny in the past year after the <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-north-korea-un-missiles-aa272d30568657a3718bad4af7a44b16#:~:text=UNITED%20NATIONS%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94%20The,sanctions.">US accused them of trading arms and materials</a> deployed in the war in Ukraine.Per the accusations from the US and its allies, Moscow has been sending raw materials, food, and technical expertise to Pyongyang <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-shells-used-by-russia-from-1970s-report-2024-5">in exchange for shipments of artillery ammunition and missiles</a> that Ukraine reports seeing on the battlefield.South Korea has for months said that North Korea's sole successful satellite launch of 2023<a target="_blank" href="https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20231124/p2g/00m/0in/002000c"> came off the back of Russian assistance.</a>Pyongyang launched the Malligyong-1 in November and claims it is still functioning, though Seoul said in February that it detected the satellite is no longer communicating with the ground.Some international experts, however, said that month that they've seen <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-spy-satellite-malligyong1-movement-orbit-alive-failed-attempts-2024-2">signs of activity</a> from the Malligyong-1.North Korea's repeated satellite launches come as a concern for the US and its allies, who have tried to limit its nuclear weapons and space programs through sweeping sanctions. Pyongyang's repeated testing of ballistics and space launches indicates that it's been able to persist despite the global restrictions.The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pacom.mil/Media/News/News-Article-View/Article/3788148/usindopacom-statement-on-dprk-launch/">US Indo-Pacific Command</a> noted that Pyongyang's Monday launch appeared to use technology related to North Korea's ballistic missile program. It condemned the launch as a "brazen violation" of United Nations resolutions that could destabilize regional security.

Russian experts were guiding North Korea's space program ahead of Pyongyang blowing up its latest satellite: South Korean report

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/x-37b-vs-china-shenlong-space-plane-2024-8">Space planes</a> could become a reality if one company achieves its goal.</li><li>Radian Aerospace has plans to test its Radian One space plane over the next few years.</li></ul>One company is reviving a decades-old NASA idea to build a reusable <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-lands-secretive-space-plane-after-months-in-orbit-2023-5">space plane</a> that could shuttle people and small payloads to space for cheap.In the 1990s, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-invest-mars-pulsed-plasma-rocket-shorten-space-time-travel-2024-7">NASA</a> looked into developing a space plane prototype called X-33, but it scrapped the mission in 2001 citing technical issues.Seattle-based <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-startup-radian-seeks-funding-for-catapult-based-spaceplane-2020-11">Radian Aerospace</a> is now trying to finish what NASA started by building Radian One, a space plane that will be fully reusable up to 100 times and could carry up to five astronauts at a time.Livingston Holder, who was the program manager of X-33 for NASA, is the company's chief technology officer and is overseeing the new effort.Holder <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.cnn.com/science/radian-spaceplane-rocket-sled-spc/index.html">told CNN</a> that enough has changed since 2001 to make creating a space plane a more realistic goal."We've got <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-big-falcon-spaceship-construction-musk-mars-missions-2018-9">composite materials</a> that are lighter, tougher and can take a larger thermal range than we had back then," he said. "And propulsion is better than anything we had, in terms of how efficiently it burns propellant and how much the systems weigh."The company raised nearly $28 million to build Radian One in 2022 and told CNN that it plans to test a scale model this year.<h2 id="5a24bfe5-d014-4f2f-afcd-e0b40dec20c3">Why we need space planes</h2><div type="image" title="A rendering of NASA's proposed X-33 space plane" height="786" width="1041" msid="113007147" hostid="261" sizebytes="65138"></div>Demand for launching things into space — like satellites, which make everything from weather forecasting to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gps-jamming-now-impacting-transatlantic-flights-russia-electronic-warfare-2024-6">GPS</a> possible — is only increasing.Rockets remain the best option for doing that, even though they're "terribly inefficient and expensive," according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/beginners-guide-to-aeronautics/ideal-rocket-equation/">NASA.</a>A typical rocket consists of multiple stages that are expensive to build and often discarded after one use.Companies like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-launch-risky-polaris-dawn-mission-first-commercial-spacewalk-radiation-2024-8">SpaceX</a> have revolutionized rocket technology and reduced costs with fleets of reusable rockets, like the Falcon 9.But space planes, which require less fuel and no rocket stages, could offer another cheap, and more comfortable, alternative to space travel.<h2 id="5cb73c7a-7c19-42bd-b7f9-e0324f52e25d">How Radian One could offer a cheap and comfortable ride to space</h2><div type="image" title="A rendering of the Radian One space plane shows the spacecraft in orbit above the Earth" height="1440" width="2560" msid="113007146" hostid="261" sizebytes="198734"></div>Unlike a rocket, which launches vertically, the concept for Radian One uses a rocket-powered sled.The sled would carry the plane along a two-mile-long rail, accelerating it to a speed of 537 miles per hour, and then launching it toward space.The plane would then fly the rest of the way with its own engines. Using the sled to reach launch speed reduces the amount of fuel that the space plane itself needs to carry, according to Radian's website.This airline-like ascent would be a more comfortable ride for passengers, according to Radian. The company also hopes that it could reduce the cost of spaceflight. It's unclear by how much, but for some idea, NASA hoped that its X-33 space plane would reduce the cost of sending a pound of payload into orbit from $10,000 to $1,000.Radian One wouldn't be a replacement for all rockets, though.Radian's space plane would be capable of carrying smaller payloads into space making it the equivalent of a pickup truck, he told CNN. Traditional rockets, Holder said, will likely remain for heavier payloads, making them the 18-wheelers in this analogy.A full-size plane won't take to the skies until 2028, and even then, the company doesn't expect it to reach orbit just yet. But, if successful, Radian One could eventually present a cheap option for a growing segment of space travel.

NASA's dream of a space plane could finally become reality

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Two astronauts went to the International Space Station on a new Boeing spacecraft on June 5.</li><li>They were supposed to return eight days later, but thruster issues and helium leaks caused delays.</li></ul>The good news for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-starliner-spacecraft-nasa-mission-astronauts-2024-6">Boeing's Starliner</a> capsule is that it finally brought humans to low-earth orbit. The issue is that it hasn't gotten them down yet — and it may be a while before it does.The issues that resulted in astronauts <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-starliner-spaceship-delays-astronauts-return-earth-2024-6">Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams</a> extending their stay at the International Space Station were the culmination of years of shortcomings that have delayed the Starliner, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/2024/07/03/nx-s1-5026448/boeing-starliner-astronauts-space-station-return">NPR reported</a> on July 3. The spacecraft is leaking some of the helium that is part of its propulsion system, the outlet reported, and a minority of its thrusters experienced issues.In a telephonic press conference late last month, NASA official Steve Sitch said a thruster is being put through rigorous tests on the ground to try to replicate the issues observed in space. He said the tests could start July 2 and run for "a couple weeks.""I want to make it very clear that Butch and Suni <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-nasa-starliner-astronauts-stuck-in-space-2024-6">are not stranded</a> in space," Sitch said. "They're safe on the space station, their spacecraft is working well, and they're enjoying their time on the space station."The delays underscore how <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-starliner-space-astronauts-flight-door-ntsb-investigation-2024-6">Boeing has been getting lapped</a> by <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-work-at-spacex-elon-musk-2024-4">SpaceX</a>, which sent its eighth crewed NASA flight into orbit in March. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>-led competitor has also gained ground in the national-security arena, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/business/the-once-dominant-rocket-maker-trying-to-catch-up-to-musks-spacex-11ac3535">the Wall Street Journal reported</a> on July 1, ferrying more confidential cargoes like spy satellites to space than United Launch Alliance, Boeing's joint venture with Lockheed Martin.In addition to ground-based tests, NASA has been testing the Starliner's thrusters and systems while it remains <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astronaut-spend-355-days-orbit-international-space-station-2022-9">docked at the ISS</a>. Wilmore and Williams aren't alone; they joined Russian and American astronauts who were there on an existing mission, and space-agency officials said there is no shortage of supplies or anything that requires them to rush.Still, the delays underscore <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-disaster-american-businesses-greedy-broken-stock-market-wall-street-2024-2">Boeing's business problems</a>. The company's commercial airliner business has been under regulatory scrutiny since a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alaska-boeing-737-max-9-door-blowout-company-response-earnings-2024-1">door plug blew out</a> on an Alaska Airlines flight in January, and Reuters and other outlets have reported that the US Justice Department is preparing criminal charges related to fatal crashes of its 737 MAX jets.Ron Epstein, a Bank of America analyst, told NPR the company has focused on making money for its investors at the expense of its "core engineering business."In May, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-bashes-boeing-astronaut-flight-spacex-did-years-ago-2024-5">Musk tweeted</a> a similar critique."Too many non-technical managers at Boeing," he wrote.

NASA says astronauts from Boeing's Starliner could be in space for a couple more weeks even though their test flight was only supposed to last 8 days 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Sir Peter Beck has built Rocket Lab into a $3.5 billion space company and SpaceX competitor.</li><li>The New Zealander didn't go to university and started out building rockets in his spare time.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> dominates space with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-elon-musk">SpaceX</a> — but one of his biggest rivals, who got his start strapping rockets to anything with wheels, thinks that's about to change.Sir Peter Beck, the founder of Rocket Lab, does not have the typical background for the CEO of a billion-dollar company.The New Zealand native <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-impressed-rocket-lab-ceo-beat-jeff-bezos-orbit-2023-5">didn't go to college</a> and spent time working at a dishwasher manufacturer before starting the rocket firm, which now has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/rklb-stock">a market cap of $3.5 billion</a>.In his spare time, he experimented with rockets and jet engines, building rocket packs, bikes, and even rocket-powered rollerblades. "The original plan was to go and work for NASA. But I went on a bit of a rocket pilgrimage and soon learned that a foreign national with no university degree would be highly unlikely to land any kind of position at NASA," Beck said in a recent conversation with Business Insider."Even if I did, I couldn't really see one singular person in that organization affecting any kind of meaningful change," he added.<h2 id="d1848003-7fd3-406d-a777-2cdaad70e6a3">Taking on Elon Musk</h2>Now, Beck has built Rocket Lab into one of the world's most prominent space companies, behind only SpaceX in the number of commercial rocket launches it conducts.The company's small-scale Electron rocket <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.rocketlabusa.com/updates/rocket-lab-successfully-launches-50th-electron-mission-deploys-satellites-for-kineis/">celebrated its 50th launch earlier this year</a>. A new, larger rocket, named Neutron, is expected to be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.rocketlabusa.com/updates/rocket-lab-completes-successful-first-hot-fire-of-archimedes-engine-for-neutron-rocket/">launched in mid-2025</a>.Beck describes Neutron as a direct competitor to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Like the Falcon, it will be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-9-launches-updates-schedule">partially reusable</a> and aims to transport cargo into orbit at a fraction of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/space-launch-costs-growing-business-industry-rcna23488">cost of traditional rockets</a>."Neutron is really important for two reasons. One, we need to bring some balance to the market with the Falcon 9, but we also need a vehicle of our own to launch our own satellites and put our own stuff in orbit," said Beck.SpaceX, which conducts <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-blue-origin-faa-spacex-starship-super-heavy-launches-2024-6">more rocket launches than any other company or country</a>, looms over the rest of the space industry — and its sheer size has sometimes caused tension with rivals.<div type="image" title="Elon Musk" height="683" width="1024" msid="112781111" hostid="261" sizebytes="21386"></div>Beck <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/28/us/politics/elon-musk-space-launch-competition.html">told The New York Times</a> in May that SpaceX sets some of its launch prices below what they cost the company to undermine emerging competitors — a charge that SpaceX disputes.SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment. Speaking to BI, Beck said SpaceX's "monopoly" was no accident, but added that he thinks Musk has pushed the industry forward."They're very good at building rockets and very good business people as well," he said."I think there's probably some questionable practices in there, but it's just business at the end of the day. You either compete or die, and that's absolutely fine. It certainly spurs us along, and if the Falcon line wasn't so dominant, then we may not have even looked at building the Neutron," Beck added.Nevertheless, the Rocket Lab CEO believes adding a rocket that can compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9 will offer businesses valuable choices — especially companies building rivals to SpaceX's satellite internet service Starlink but still have had to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60825386">rely on the company to put their satellites into orbit</a>."There is a number of customers that are putting up competing platforms, and you can imagine that's a fairly uncomfortable situation," said Beck.Amazon, which is building a rival satellite internet network called Project Kuiper, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-strikes-deal-with-spacex-for-satellite-launch-partnership-2023-12">struck a deal last year to use SpaceX's rockets</a> to put some of its satellites into orbit.<h2 id="b02b9a69-bbc6-43d2-a22c-9754a613ae71">The new space race</h2>Beck is more skeptical about some of Elon Musk's grandiose plans for SpaceX. The billionaire has frequently discussed <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-plan-colonize-mars-plan-unrealistic-scientists-explain-2023-10">his intention to use Starship, his company's newest giant rocket, to colonize Mars</a>.In July, The New York Times <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/technology/elon-musk-spacex-mars.html">reported</a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/technology/elon-musk-spacex-mars.html"> — citing sources familiar with the matter —</a> that SpaceX employees had been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-denies-volunteering-sperm-to-start-a-martian-colony-2024-7">directed to draw up plans for a Martian city</a>. Musk also reportedly suggested that up to one million people could be living on the planet within the next 20 years.Beck said such an endeavor would require "tens of thousands" of Starship rockets, and expressed doubt over its value. "I guess I'm a capitalist at the end of the day. Is there a market to go to Mars? I don't know," he said."Elon wants to go to Mars for his reasons, but I'm focused on building a profitable, enduring space company. So my view of the world is a little bit different. I have no desire to put a footprint on Mars," Beck said.<div type="image" title="SpaceX's Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket on the launchpad." height="1012" width="1678" msid="112781107" hostid="261" sizebytes="24128"></div>Despite the success of commercial companies like SpaceX and Rocket Lab in recent years, the space industry is still notoriously difficult to break into, with high-profile companies such as the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/man-accused-of-bogus-200-million-virgin-orbit-bailout-sec-2024-6">Richard Branson-backed Virgin Orbit collapsing</a>.Beck said the ultimate test of a space company was being able to "put something on the launchpad that works."He pointed to the rise of Rocket Lab as evidence that space, once the domain of big governments and large defense contractors, is now there for the taking for smaller firms and startups."The reality of the space industry being once just a completely government-dominated domain where the large defense companies would gobble up the various contracts is over," he said."In the last 10 years, we have really witnessed the democratization of space," he added.

One of SpaceX's biggest rivals on competing with Elon Musk and the new space race

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Debris from a Russian anti-satellite <keyword id="14237089" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="weapons-test" source="Orion">weapons test</keyword> threatened to collide with the <keyword id="11969448" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international-space-station" source="Orion">International Space Station</keyword>.</li><li>The November 2021 test destroyed the Soviet-era Cosmos 1408 satellite, sending debris through <keyword id="11895441" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="space" source="Orion">space</keyword>. </li></ul>The International Space station had to conduct an avoidance maneuver on Thursday to avoid being hit by space debris from a Russian anti-satellite weapons test.In November 2021, <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> conducted an anti-satellite weapons test which destroyed the Soviet-era Cosmos 1408 satellite and launched more than <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-added-1500-space-junk-in-orbit-satelite-test-missile-2021-11">1,500 pieces of debris</a> through space. Pieces of that debris passed near the <keyword id="12060330" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="iss" source="Orion">ISS</keyword> this week, prompting the avoidance maneuver. "The crew was never in any danger and the maneuver had no impact on station operations," read <a href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2022/06/16/life-science-debris-avoidance-maneuver-takes-place-on-station/">a statement released by NASA</a> about the avoidance maneuver. "Without the maneuver, it was predicted that the fragment could have passed within around a half-mile from the station."The ISS conducts such avoidance maneuvers to swerve around space debris on a fairly regular basis, including incidents in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iss-swerves-avoid-debris-chinese-satellite-space-junk-2021-11">November</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/international-space-station-swerves-to-avoid-rocket-debris-2021-12">December</a> of last year. While collisions with debris the size of a baseball <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-added-1500-space-junk-in-orbit-satelite-test-missile-2021-11">could kill astronauts on board</a>, collisions with smaller debris have also caused damage to the station. Last year an unknown piece of debris <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-debris-hit-international-space-station-damaged-robotic-arm-2021-6">struck the robotic arm</a> of the space station, puncturing a hole through it. In 2016, a small piece of space junk roughly the size of an eyelash <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2016/05/Impact_chip">caused a chip in the glass dome</a> of the station.The <a href="https://www.esa.int/Safety_Security/Space_Debris/Space_debris_by_the_numbers">European Space Agency estimates</a> there are more than a million pieces of potentially damaging debris in orbit.

The International Space Station swerved to avoid colliding with shrapnel from a Russian anti-satellite missile test

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US X-37B and China's Shenlong are unmanned spacecraft that play secretive roles in space.</li><li>Space-based technology has long given the US military an edge.</li></ul>Just before the start of 2024, the United States and China <a target="_blank" href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/x-37-chinese-space-plane-launch/">launched</a> what may be their most secretive spacecraft into orbit to little fanfare.Commonly referred to as space planes, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missions-experiments-for-space-force-mysterious-x-37b-space-plane-2020-5">American X-37B</a> and the Chinese Shenlong are unmanned spacecraft so secretive that their launches were marked with little more than vague general statements from their governments.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-launched-a-top-secret-military-spaceplane-into-orbit-2023-12">launches</a> are the seventh and third missions for the respective spacecraft, and although they are highly classified, observers have had limited success in tracking some of their movements.The missions demonstrate exceptional leaps in the development of space planes, and come at a time when both the Chinese and US militaries have ramped up their <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-must-control-space-in-future-wars-top-marine-general-2023-12">space operations</a> — a new frontier that can determine the course of war.Space-based technology has long given the US military an edge. It can track the movements of enemy weapons with powerful <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/manned-orbiting-laboratory-crewed-us-spy-satellite-never-sent-to-space-2024-1">spy lenses</a> and provide the navigation and communications systems ships, aircraft, and troops in the field depend upon.Enter the space plane. From one vantage, they could be robot keepers who keep these large networks fueled and functional, but from another, they could be orbiting spies and saboteurs.What's clear is that their missions are getting more complex, as is their centrality to the strategies of the two countries that fly them.<div type="image" title="The uncrewed X-37B, seen here after its 2019 landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, is believed to be about 30 feet long." height="1333" width="2000" msid="112761598" hostid="261" sizebytes="82008"></div><h2 id="3dc83e63-5cf2-42d5-8174-a6f3d2577c69">X-37B</h2>A space plane is a reusable spacefaring craft that can maneuver in space independently and also fly and glide within Earth's atmosphere. They are sent into space via a detachable <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-launch-secret-spy-satellites-space-force-government-2022-8">rocket booster</a>, and contain a cargo bay to deploy satellites and other objects for use and experimentation.After completing their mission, they independently return to Earth's atmosphere, land at a designated landing site on their own power, and prepare for their next mission. The most well-known space planes are the American <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/challenger-video-nasa-space-shuttle-program-2016-1">Space Shuttle</a> and the Soviet <a target="_blank" href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/soviet-buran-shuttle-one-flight-long-history">Buran</a>. But in contrast to the Space Shuttle, the X-37B is owned and operated by the military.The X-37B's origin begins in 1999, when the civilian space agency NASA awarded Boeing a contract to develop a small unmanned spacecraft capable of fitting inside the Space Shuttle. What they created was a small space plane measuring approximately 30 feet long and with a wingspan of 15 feet — roughly one-fourth the size of the now-retired Space Shuttle.It also contains a cargo bay measuring about 7 feet by 4 feet, which, in addition to housing satellites and other space cargo also holds a solar panel enabling the space plane to recharge. Boeing says the plane's avionics automate its descent from orbit and landing.In 2004, before a working prototype had even been built, the project was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/337-nasa-transfers-37-project-darpa.html">transferred</a> to the US Defense Department, specifically the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Glide tests on the first testing prototypes (known as the X-37A), <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/1226-rutan-white-knight-carries-37-space-plane-aloft.html">began in 2005</a>, with the first fully successful free glide occurring in 2006.That same year, the project was transferred from DARPA to the United States Air Force Space Command, which then built another model, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/details-about-air-force-space-plane-that-spent-2-years-in-space-2017-5">the X-37B</a>. Also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), two X-37Bs have been built.They have flown seven flights so far, with each being <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unmanned-craft-us-space-force-lands-2-5-years-orbit-2022-11">longer</a> than the previous one. Though most of the details of the flights and their results remain classified, some information has been released to the public.<div type="image" title="The X-37B launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in 2017." height="1333" width="2000" msid="112761595" hostid="261" sizebytes="88120"></div>The first flight began on April 22, 2010, and saw the first X-37B remain in orbit for a total of 224 days. The second flight, which was the second X-37B's inaugural mission, began on March 5, 2011, and was extended well beyond its original 270-day limit to a total of 468 days. The third flight, beginning on December 11, 2012, marked the first time an X-37B had been reused, and lasted 674 days.The fourth flight began on May 20, 2015. Over the course of 717 days, the space plane tested new propulsion technology for satellites as well as the effects of radiation on certain objects.The X-37B's fifth flight on September 7, 2017 was launched atop Space X's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/">Falcon 9</a> rocket (all previous launches were with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ulalaunch.com/rockets/atlas-v">Atlas V</a> rocket). Over the course of 780 days — a little over two years — the space plane performed a number of activities and experiments, including the deployment of multiple <a target="_blank" href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/topics/cubesats">CubeSat</a> satellites, which NASA foresees as an orbiting sensory network that can solve complex tasks with a "powerful central spacecraft."The sixth flight began on May 17, 2020, and lasted <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unmanned-craft-us-space-force-lands-2-5-years-orbit-2022-11">908 days</a>. It was the first mission conducted under the command of the newly formed U.S. Space Force and may have been one of the busiest missions yet. It exposed select materials to space, tested the effects of space radiation on seeds, and deployed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usafa.edu/research/research-centers/space-systems-research-center/">FalconSat-8</a>, a satellite built by US. Air Force Academy cadets to conduct five experiments.The X-37B's most recent and current flight began on December 28, 2023. Its mission is classified, with the Space Force <a target="_blank" href="https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3583347/department-of-the-air-force-scheduled-to-launch-seventh-x-37b-mission/">stating</a> only that it will be "operating the reusable space plane in new orbital regimes, experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies, and investigating the radiation effects on materials provided by NASA."The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-force-guardian-nick-hague-spacex-rocket-iss-2024-2">Space Force</a> has not given the X-37B's flight path, but because it was launched atop SpaceX's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photo-spacex-falcon-heavy-launchpad-blasted-lightning-rocket-spaceflight-musk-2023-5">Falcon Heavy rocket</a>, there has been speculation that the space plane could be headed for a much higher orbit than previous missions, as the rocket is one of the most powerful in the world.<div type="image" title="A Long March-2F rocket blasted off in October carrying a manned spaceship from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Shenlong was launched on December 14 from the same center without images or fanfare." height="1333" width="2000" msid="112761594" hostid="261" sizebytes="201664"></div><h2 id="ef23e953-67f4-4399-8bc9-c452d0019685">Shenlong</h2>Named after the most important dragon god in Chinese mythology and first revealed in 2007, the Shenlong is thought to be a direct Chinese response to the X-37B.The program is surrounded in such extreme secrecy that there are no known images of the space plane in its current form. Images of what is believed to be a Shenlong test prototype <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/18410-china-space-plane-project-mystery.html">mounted under the fuselage of an H-6 strategic bomber</a> in 2007 indicate that the craft is likely to be similar in appearance to the X-37B.Though its specific capabilities remain classified, it is known that, like the X-37B, the Shenlong is unmanned, that it is deployed via a rocket, that it is capable of adjusting its position and maneuvering in space, and that it can carry and deploy satellites and other space objects.Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Shenlong is the speed of its development. Though the exact start date is unknown, academic models of a Chinese space plane were reported as far back as 2000.Years of modelling, wind tunnel testing, and prototype test fights via deployment from H-6 bombers followed, and in 2011, the Shenlong reportedly made its first suborbital flight.On September 4, 2020, the Shenlong made its <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/chinese-reusable-experimental-spacecraft-releases-object-before-returning-to-earth/">first orbital flight</a>, which lasted two days and saw it release an object into orbit before returning to China on its own power. A second orbital flight began on August 4, 2022, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-lands-secretive-space-plane-after-months-in-orbit-2023-5">lasted</a> nine months.<div type="image" title="The X-37B launched on its sixth flight in May 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station." height="1280" width="2000" msid="112761596" hostid="261" sizebytes="165564"></div>In addition to being considerably longer, the Shenlong's second flight was far more eventful. About two months into its flight, the space plane <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/chinas-spaceplane-conducted-proximity-and-capture-maneuvers-with-subsatellite-data-suggests/">deployed a subsatellite and then practiced recovering it</a> at least two (and possibly even three) times, a capability for so-called proximity operations that may allow it to snatch an enemy's satellite.The Shenlong embarked on its third and current flight on December 14, 2023, just seven months after its second mission. In May, the Shenlong <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/chinas-secretive-spaceplane-conducts-proximity-operations-with-small-spacecraft/">released an object from its cargo hold, and began proximity operations</a>, possibly even recapturing it.How much longer the Shenlong will remain in orbit, as well as its future plans more broadly, remain secrets that the Chinese government has shown little appetite for divulging. The government has only <a target="_blank" href="https://app.xinhuanet.com/news/article.html?articleId=b9141bb29a221c45ac2ad0d44dc87fc6">said</a> that the space plane will eventually land in China, and that "reusable technology verification and space science experiments will be carried out as planned to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space."The vague wording resembles previous statements, like those of its builder, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, which has previously said that the Shenlong "will provide a more convenient and inexpensive way to access space for the peaceful use of space in the future."<div type="image" title="The satellite networks of the US and its allies could be targeted by enemy spaceplanes." height="1280" width="1920" msid="112761592" hostid="261" sizebytes="362914"></div><h2 id="2f25d6b5-fe78-4384-a750-e76f8663eacb">Satellite threat</h2>Given the immense secrecy of the crafts and what is known about their capabilities, it's easy to understand speculation that the two space planes could be orbiting weapons platforms.The very fact that the US Department of Defense is in charge of the X-37B instead of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/nasa">NASA</a> confirms that the US government believes that there is a military application for the space plane. Similarly, the fact that the Chinese government has been so silent on the Shenlong's activities despite its penchant for boasting about its other space accomplishments may be a tacit indication that there is more to the Shenlong than the 'peaceful use of space.'One of the most impactful possible uses of the space planes is as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-condemns-irresponsible-russian-anti-satellite-test-threatening-space-station-2021-11">anti-satellite assets</a>. Both have deployed satellites from their cargo bays, and the Shenlong's proximity operations may be training runs for attacks on hostile satellites in orbit.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-inspector-satellite-chasing-secret-us-military-satellite-cat-mouse-2023-4">Proximity operations</a> are murky. They could be dress rehearsals for disrupting or eavesdropping on an enemy's satellite, just as they could be drills for missions to refuel and repair one of the country's own satellites.Satellites are among the most important assets for any first-rate military, as they are essential for secure communications, navigation, and intelligence gathering via orbital imaging and communication intercepts. They are even sometimes used to guide smart munitions to hostile targets as well.Neutralizing an enemy's satellites would be one of the most important objectives in any potential conflict between the world's foremost military powers. <a target="_blank" href="https://swfound.org/media/9550/chinese_asat_fact_sheet_updated_2012.pdf">China</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4198/1">US</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2019/04/indias-asat-test-an-incomplete-success?lang=en">India</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2021/11/the-dangerous-fallout-of-russias-anti-satellite-missile-test?lang=en">Russia</a> have each demonstrated a capability to destroy satellites in orbit with anti-satellite missiles, but each of those tests resulted in the creation of large debris fields in orbit that took sometimes took years to disappear. Such debris fields could also pose a very severe threat to friendly satellites as well. China's anti-satellite missile test in 2007 triggered a space debris cloud that was an <a target="_blank" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/hollywood-space-disaster-gravity-uses-kessler-syndrome-for-scares">inspiration</a> for the blockbuster film "Gravity."Having a way to neutralize or even capture satellites, then, could be a better alternative. Tapping into enemy satellites to eavesdrop or shut down their data streams and communications could also serve as a better alternative, and may also be possible with the assistance of space plane (similar to the tapping of underwater cables by submarines).With the militarization of space <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/there-path-counter-russias-space-weapons">seemingly fast becoming</a> reality and with China's space program demonstrating that it can <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/chinas-shijian-21-spacecraft-docked-with-and-towed-a-dead-satellite/">tow away satellites</a>, it is likely that space planes will only become more important in the years ahead.Benjamin Brimelow is a freelance journalist covering international military and defense issues. He holds a master's degree in Global Affairs with a concentration in international security from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. His work has appeared in Business Insider and the Modern War Institute at West Point.

America's X-37B vs. China's Shenlong: Top space planes and their shadowy role in orbital war

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Spacecraft burning up in the atmosphere are leaving behind metal particles.</li><li>Scientists are racing to understand if that affects the climate.</li></ul>Satellites and spacecraft burning up in our atmosphere are leaving metal particles in the stratosphere — and scientists are worried it could harm our planet.About 10% of the particles floating around the stratosphere now come from the aerospace industry, and we don't know if this could impact the climate.One risk is that these new particles could seed polar stratospheric clouds, which are spectacular <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-rainbow-colored-clouds-in-arctic-sky-near-christmas-2023-12">rainbow-colored clouds</a> that can damage the ozone layer, experts told Business Insider."This is a good demonstration of how important it is to have the basic research on the stratosphere," Daniel Murphy, a research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Chemical Science Lab, who led a survey of the particles, told BI."There is a whole phenomenon here that we didn't expect out and we don't fully understand the implications," he said.<h2>Stratospheric particles can shape the ozone layer</h2>Remember the ozone layer? If you were around in the 80s, that's likely the period you'd associated it with.This crucial layer of the atmosphere, mostly contained in the stratosphere, protects us from ultraviolet radiation from the sun. It was frequently splashed across the headlines about 40 years ago when <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/antarctic-ozone-hole-is-healing-2015-5">scientists raised the alarm</a> about gaping holes growing over the poles made by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) rising up uncontrolled to the atmosphere.<div type="image" title="A picture shows a heat map of the ozone layer around the planet. A big hole is shown over a pole" height="2162" width="2000" msid="108165845" hostid="261" sizebytes="98904"></div>The ozone holes are not making the news quite so often today. Thanks to the 1987 <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-saved-world-ozone-hole-montreal-protocol-2018-6">Montreal Protocol</a>, a global agreement that set out a trajectory to phase out ozone-damaging gases, they have been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ozone-layer-climate-success-story-threatened-by-wildfires-2022-3">steadily healing</a>.Still, they are not gone. In September 2023, the hole above the Antarctic grew to its <a target="_blank" href="https://atmosphere.copernicus.eu/twists-and-turns-2023-southern-hemisphere-ozone-hole#:~:text=The%202023%20Antarctic%20ozone%20hole,the%20end%20of%20the%20month.">sixth-biggest size</a> ever observed before snapping back, likely because of the particles spewed by the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tonga-volcano-eruption-ruptures-giant-undersea-internet-cable-2022-1">Hunga Tonga underwater volcano eruption</a> in 2022.That's why it's important to keep an eye on particles in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stratosphere-shrinking-greenhouse-gas-emissions-climate-change-2021-5">stratosphere</a>. These nanometer-sized flecks, which naturally come from meteors crashing into the planet, can dramatically change the stratosphere's chemistry.Clouds don't usually tend to form in the stratosphere, because it's much drier than the troposphere, where most clouds are born.By bringing in elements you wouldn't usually see in the sky, like metals, these particles can combine with the sulfuric acid naturally present in the stratosphere to create a chemical reaction that can suck up passing water vapor, creating an ice crystal.That, in turn, can spark a chain reaction that creates rainbow-colored polar stratospheric clouds.On their own, these stunning clouds are harmless, but they can be terrifying when mixed with human-made gases. The clouds' edges offer perfect conditions to turn damaging chlorines and bromides into their active, ozone-busting form.<div type="image" title="Rainbow colored clouds are seen strewn in the skies." height="3651" width="5477" msid="108165847" hostid="261" sizebytes="362540"></div><h2>Metal from satellites and spacecraft is vaporizing into the atmosphere</h2>Murphy and his colleagues <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rocket-satellite-metals-polluting-earth-stratosphere-2023-10">recently conducted a survey</a> of the state of stratospheric particles over Alaska using a sensitive detector aboard NASA's WB-57 high-altitude research plane.The findings, published in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2313374120">peer-reviewed journal PNAS</a> in October 2023, revealed that about 10% of the stratospheric sulfuric acid particles they picked up could not be explained by natural causes."We weren't really looking for spacecraft, but it became apparent in the data that there were elements that couldn't be coming from the meteors," Murphy told BI.<div type="image" title="A picture from inside a cockpit shows the sky and clouds below" height="609" width="1999" msid="108165850" hostid="261" sizebytes="71150"></div>The particles contained "far too much aluminum, far too much lithium, far too much of a few other elements to be coming from meteors," he said.Two elements found in the particles, niobium and hafnium, were particularly surprising, Murphy <a target="_blank" href="https://csl.noaa.gov/news/2023/388_1016.html">said.</a>These don't occur naturally, but have to be refined, the scientists said."The combination of aluminum and copper, plus niobium and hafnium, which are used in heat-resistant, high-performance alloys, pointed us to the aerospace industry," Murphy added.<div type="image" title="A graphic shows how meteors and spacecraft reentry could spark metal particles in the stratosphere." height="3515" width="4270" msid="108165852" hostid="261" sizebytes="493792"></div>Right now, we simply don't know what these new particles could do. But scientists are eager to figure it out."This is a new problem and we're just beginning to understand it," said Murphy.They may be able to spark polar stratospheric clouds. If so, this could be a big problem in the short term, Martin Chipperfield, a professor of atmospheric sciences from the University of Leeds, UK, told BI."The timescale for the ozone hole to disappear is about 2060 based on current predictions because the chlorine is going down very, very slowly," said Chipperfield, who was not involved in the study."So that still gives plenty of scope in the short term, if we greatly increase the burnout of space debris over next couple of decades, for the ozone hole get worse before it gets better," he said.These new particles could also migrate to the troposphere, where they might influence the formation of <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/fionagh-thomson-447864">feathery cirrus clouds</a>. Unlike other clouds, cirrus clouds retain heat in our atmosphere, which could worsen the climate crisis.It's also possible that the particles could create a completely new phenomenon. Or they could do nothing at all.Their composition is unique, so it's unclear what to expect. Murphy said scientists will have to do experiments in the lab to test this out."It's very important to understand it because the space industry is growing so rapidly," Murphy told BI."If there are impacts, you'd rather understand it now before it grows than after it's already grown a lot."<h2>We're realizing how little we know</h2>With launch costs going down, the number of satellites orbiting the planet is only expected to grow to over<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-105166#:~:text=Rocket%20launches%20and%20satellite%20reentries,emissions%20could%20mitigate%20the%20effects."> 50,000 </a>by 2030, up from <a target="_blank" href="https://orbit.ing-now.com/low-earth-orbit/">about 8,000 now.</a> Many of these satellites are expected to have a short lifetime."If you multiply those numbers out, a satellite will be reentering the atmosphere on average about once an hour," said Murphy.Within the next few decades, Murphy and his co-authors estimate aerospace debris could make up 50% of the particles in the stratosphere, which makes the need to understand what they do even more pressing.<div type="image" title="An illustration of thousands of dots around the Earth shows the density of satellites in the sky." height="1024" width="1024" msid="108165854" hostid="261" sizebytes="200390"></div>Spacecraft decommissioning is only part of the equation, said Chipperfield."There's an increasing number of rocket launches for small satellites and tourism, which burn kerosene or other fuels that emissions in the atmosphere. Then some satellites and orbit have fuel like iodine that can come back to the atmosphere. And then the demise," he said."I think the whole life cycle of satellites is definitely one to watch, and this burn up is part of that," said Chipperfield.Scientists are also seriously considering <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/geoengineering-atmosphere-clouds-harvard-2018-4">geoengineering the atmosphere</a> to help shield our planet from the heat of the sun by sending billions of particles of sulfuric acid into the stratosphere.For Murphy, this all goes to show just how little we know about how humans are affecting the stratosphere as more forays are reaching for the skies."That there was still a surprise in our understanding of the composition of particles in the stratosphere is relevant to conversations about adding more," said Murphy.

Satellites burning up in our atmosphere may not be as harmless as first thought

The <keyword id="116095" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="indian-space-research-organisation" source="Orion">Indian Space Research Organisation</keyword> (ISRO) is gearing up for an "extremely challenging" experiment of controlled re-entry of a decommissioned orbiting satellite on Tuesday. The low <keyword id="6359982" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="earth" source="Orion">Earth</keyword> satellite, Megha-Tropiques-1 (MT1), was launched on October 12, 2011, as a joint satellite venture of ISRO and the French space agency, CNES for tropical weather and climate studies. An uninhabited area in the Pacific Ocean between 5°S to 14°S latitude and 119°W to 100°W longitude was identified as the targeted re-entry zone for MT1, weighing about 1000 kg. About 125 kg on-board fuel remained unutilised at its end-of-mission that could pose risks for accidental break-up, an ISRO statement noted. This left-over fuel was estimated to be sufficient to achieve a fully controlled atmospheric re-entry to impact the uninhabited location in the Pacific Ocean. Controlled re-entries involve deorbiting to very low altitudes to ensure impact occurs within a targeted safe zone. Usually, large satellites/rocket bodies, which are likely to survive aero-thermal fragmentation upon re-entry, are made to undergo controlled re-entry to limit ground casualty risk. However, all such satellites are specifically designed to undergo controlled re-entry at <keyword id="336838" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="eol" source="Orion">EOL</keyword>. "MT1 was not designed for EOL operations through controlled re-entry which made the entire exercise extremely challenging", ISRO said. Furthermore, the on-board constraints of the aged satellite, where several systems had lost redundancy and showed degraded performance, and maintaining subsystems under harsher environmental conditions at much lower than originally designed orbital altitude added to the operational complexities. Innovative workarounds were implemented by the operations team based on the study, deliberations, and exchanges among the mission, operations, flight dynamics, aerodynamics, propulsion, controls, navigation, thermal, and other sub-system design teams across the ISRO centres, who worked in synergy to surmount these challenges. Since August 2022, 18 orbit manoeuvres have been performed to progressively lower the orbit. In between the de-orbiting, aero-braking studies at different solar panel orientations were also carried out to gain better insights into the physical process of atmospheric drag affecting the orbital decay of the satellite. The final de-boost strategy has been designed after taking into consideration several constraints, including visibility of the re-entry trace over ground stations, ground impact within the targeted zone, and allowable operating conditions of subsystems, especially the maximum deliverable thrust and the maximum firing duration of the thrusters. The final two de-boost burns followed by the ground impact are expected to take place between 16:30 IST to 19:30 IST on March seven, ISRO said. Aero-thermal simulations show that no large fragments of the satellites are likely to survive the aerothermal heating during the re-entry. Although the mission life of the satellite originally was three years, it continued to provide valuable data services for more than a decade supporting regional and global climate models till 2021, Bengaluru-headquartered national space agency said. UN/IADC (Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee) space debris mitigation guidelines recommend deorbiting a <keyword id="91911" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="leo" source="Orion">LEO</keyword> (Low Earth Orbit) object at its end-of-life (EOL), preferably through controlled re-entry to a safe impact zone, or by bringing it to an orbit where the orbital lifetime is less than 25 years, according ISRO. It is also recommended to carry out "passivation" of on-board energy sources to minimise the risk of any post-mission accidental break-up. The orbital lifetime of MT1 would have been more than 100 years in its 20 deg inclined operational orbit of 867 km altitude, according to ISRO. "As a responsible space agency committed to safe and sustainable operations in outer space, ISRO proactively takes efforts for better compliance with the UN/IADC space debris mitigation guidelines on post-mission disposal of LEO objects", the statement said. The re-entry experiment of MT1 has been undertaken as a part of the ongoing efforts as this satellite with sufficient left-over fuel presented a unique opportunity to test the relevant methodologies and understand the associated operational nuances of post mission disposal by direct re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, it was stated. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/a-unique-cricket-match-for-wheelchair-bound-players-in-kolkata/articleshow/98446407.cms">A unique cricket match for wheelchair bound players in Kolkata</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/women-are-shaping-new-real-estate-trends-like-preference-for-bigger-homes-anarock/articleshow/98446173.cms">Women are shaping new real estate trends like preference for bigger homes: Anarock</a>

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