DARPA to Test Satellite Repair Droids in Orbit

The United States military's high-technology branch is hoping to test out on-orbit satellite servicing in orbit in the next five years.

Satellites that sit in geostationary orbit, which is about 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the Earth, are traditionally used for communications and surveillance because the length of the orbit is approximately the same as Earth's day.

This allows a satellite to gaze at the same area of Earth around the clock.

This location is too far away for conventional satellite servicing mission concepts, however, and at the end of the satellite's lifespan it needs to be moved away from that orbital slot to make way for new missions.

As such, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is seeking some sort of a public-private partnership for satellite servicing.

The U.S. military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is considering adding DARPA-developed space robotic technology to commercial spacecraft to create a robotic service droid capable of repairing satellites in geostationary orbits 22,000 miles above Earth. 

 Credit: Defense Advanced Research Agency

The partnership would be for both commercial and military owners with satellites in that space, possibly saving money since new satellites wouldn't need to be launched as often.

"The ability to safely and cooperatively interact with satellites in GEO [geostationary orbit] would immediately revolutionize military and commercial space operations alike, lowering satellite construction and deployment costs and improving satellite lifespan, resilience and reliability," DARPA officials wrote in a statement.

DARPA has put out a request for information looking for "technical, security and business insights" to make this service possible.

The agency is seeking technical information on a possible "robotic servicer" that would make use of previously developed DARPA space robotics.

Ideally, the robot would be able to fix mechanical problems like antenna issues, or inspect spacecraft that had operational problems, providing more information to controllers on Earth.

The servicer might even be able to move satellites into other orbits.

Responses to the request for information are due by Nov. 3. To learn more abotu DARPA's satellite servicing project requirements, read the full request for information.

“We’re asking the space community to think hard about how they want the future of space operations to look and how GEO robotics could help,” said Gordon Roesler, DARPA program manager.

“Their insights are essential as we take the first concrete steps toward viable satellite-servicing capabilities in GEO."

"If we’re successful, we will significantly accelerate development of a capacity to maximize the utility of current space infrastructure and enhance the capabilities of future systems.”

U.S. Air Force's X-37B space plane in orbit more than 620 days

An artist's illustration of the U.S. Air Force's X-37B space plane in orbit. 

The solar-powered winged spacecraft has spent more than 620 days in orbit as part of the military's secret OTV-3 mission, which launched in December 2012.

Credit: NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

The U.S. Air Force's mysterious unmanned space plane has winged beyond 600 days in orbit on a classified military mission that seems to have no end.

The X-37B space plane is carrying out the Orbital Test Vehicle-3 (OTV-3) mission, a long-duration cruise that marks the third flight for the unpiloted Air Force spaceflight program.

The Air Force launched the miniature space shuttle into orbit on Dec. 11, 2012 using an expendable Atlas 5 rocket.

By the end of Friday (Aug. 29), the space plane had spent 627 days in orbit. That's one year, eight months, 19 days and counting, to be exact.

"The Air Force continues to push the envelope of the solar-powered X-37B capabilities," said Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor of National Security Affairs at the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

TechDemoSat-1 in orbit Snaps Soyuz Launch Companion - video

Video taken in-orbit on 8 July 2014 using an inspection camera on-board the TechDemoSat-1 satellite starting about 30 seconds after separation from the launcher.

At 6 seconds the Sun appears at the top of the frame as a very bright white flare, before the rotation of the satellite reveals a view of Earth below, of the Pacific Ocean south of French Polynesia.

At 25 seconds, the Fregat upper stage of the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle appears as a gold object passing left to right at a distance of approx 60 metres.

At 34 seconds a white dot crosses the frame left to right, this is almost certainly one of the other satellites that shared the ride into orbit with TechDemoSat-1.

The inspection camera which took the video footage is there to monitoring the behaviour of key mechanics, including the Antenna Pointing Mechanism which is in view for the duration of this video.

USAF Boeing X-37B: 500 days in orbit and more speculation

The highly extended mission hints that there's more than mundane testing on this flight. Perhaps components that were undergoing testing on previous flights are now on a true operational mission. 

Or perhaps we are witnessing a long endurance run to prove that certain critical satellite parts can work reliably for a long-duration spy satellite. Both theories are plausible.

With more than 500 days in orbit, the third mission of the mysterious X-37B spaceplane is not only longer than any previous flight, but also much stranger.

The X-37B is a robotic spacecraft launched by the US Air Force on a secret mission that has generally eluded boffins and analysts.

It's not unusual for nations to launch secret spacecraft, but it's often the case that their true missions can be deduced.

The size of the rocket, the orbit and other factors can give analysts clues that a certain satellite is an optical spy satellite, a radar observation satellite or a classified communications satellite.

Knowing that the secrecy is sometimes just a formality, some missions have patches that hint at their true missions, like owl's eyes and large mesh arrays with the motto "We own the night".

Suspicions that this was a radar observation satellite that could see targets in the dark were confirmed.

No such clues have been dropped for X-37B. Part of its mission is known, thanks to US Air Force statements and the fact that X-37B was once a civilian project operated by NASA.

This is an experimental spaceplane designed to test new technologies, ranging from "robot pilot" avionics to an advanced heatshield system.

Photography of the exterior of this spaceplane has been extensive, both before and after landing.

There's more mystery surrounding what lies inside. X-37B features a small shuttle-like payload bay in its middle, with clamshell doors that open in space.

We know that there's a solar panel inside that unfurls from a mast once the X-37B is in orbit but there's room for other items too.

Exactly what else is inside, and what it's doing, has confounded the media and the space community.

This analyst has suggested that X-37B is conducting mundane but critical tests of electromechanical components intended for future US national security satellites.

The parts are operated in open space for long periods then returned to Earth for study.

Other analysts have suggested that the vehicle is conducting a semi-operational mission that involves the use of sensors for Earth observation.

ISS Astronauts Celebrate Holidays in Orbit

NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio performs a spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Dec. 22, 2013, the first of two spacewalks to replace an ammonia coolant pump in one of two cooling loops on the orbiting lab.

Credit: NASA

Six space travelers living in orbit definitely aren't home for Christmas today, but that doesn't mean they won't get into the holiday spirit on the International Space Station.

The space station's six-man Expedition 38 crew includes two Americans, three Russians and one Japanese astronaut.

This year, Christmas falls between two spacewalks — a Christmas Eve spacewalk to fix the outpost's cooling system and a Dec. 27 excursion by Russian cosmonauts — so it is likely a welcome rest in an otherwise busy week.

"Hey folks, MERRY CHRISTMAS!" NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio wrote in a Twitter post Sunday (Dec. 22), adding that he would write more after finishing the station's "home improvement project" to replace a cooling system pump.

He and NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins finished that work in a spacewalk on Tuesday.

USAF X-37B Space Plane: 1 Year in Orbit

The U.S. Air Force's secretive X-37B space plane program has passed another milestone: Its latest mission marked one year in orbit this week.

The reusable unmanned X-37B space plane, flying what the U.S. military calls the Orbital Test Vehicle 3 (OTV-3) mission, began its second flight on Dec. 11, 2012, launching atop an Atlas 5 rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

 But what it's been doing for the last 12 months remains a mystery. The details of the mission, including its payloads and objectives, have been kept classified.

USAF Mysterious X-37B Space Plane Nears One Year In Orbit

This NASA Marshall Space Flight Centre image shows on-orbit functions for the reusable X-37 space plane, now under the wing of the U.S. Air Force. 

Credit: NASA/MSFC

The U.S. Air Force's mysterious X-37B space plane is nearing a major milestone — one year of travel in Earth orbit, performing duties in support of long-term space objectives.

The unmanned X-37B spacecraft — flying a mission known as Orbital Test Vehicle 3 (OTV-3) — launched into space atop an Atlas 5 rocket from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Dec. 11, 2012.

What payloads the space plane is toting and the overall mission goals on its confidential cruise are classified.

But it is known that the OTV-3 mission signals a milestone for the X-37B program.

This same vehicle was flown on the X-37B program's inaugural flight back in 2010.

That OTV-1 mission lasted nearly 225 days in orbit, gliding back to Earth on autopilot over the Pacific Ocean and touching down at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

An OTV-2 mission, which used a different X-37B space plane, was lofted in 2011. That vehicle flew for 469 days, more than doubling its sister ship’s space stay, concluding its mission by also making a Vandenberg landing.



Next-generation technology
According to a Boeing fact sheet, each space plane is built with lightweight composite structures, rather than traditional aluminum.

A new generation of high-temperature leading-edge tiles for the wings is utilized, distinct from the space shuttle’s carbon leading-edge segments.

The X-37B is outfitted with toughened uni-piece fibrous insulation impregnated silica tiles, which are significantly more durable than the first-generation tiles used by the space shuttle.

Advanced conformal reusable insulation blankets are used for the first time on the X-37B.

The Boeing fact sheet also points out that avionics on an X-37B are designed to automate all de-orbit and landing functions.

Additionally, there are no hydraulics onboard the winged vehicle; flight controls and brakes use electromechanical actuation.

Human Spaceflight: Just two weeks in orbit causes changes in Astronauts' eyes

Animal Enclosure Modules similar to the one shown here, being inspected by Mission Specialist Tracy Caldwell, Ph.D., and Pilot Charles Hobaugh aboard Space Shuttle Endeavor (STS-118), are used to study animals in low gravity conditions. 

Scientists are reporting mice traveling aboard STS-133 showed evidence of ocular nerve damage and changes in eye gene expression. 

Credit: NASA

Just 13 days in space may be enough to cause profound changes in eye structure and gene expression, report researchers from Houston Methodist, NASA Johnson Space Center, and two other institutions in the October 2013 issue of Gravitational and Space Research.

The study, which looked at how low gravity and radiation and oxidative damage impacts mice, is the first to examine eye-related gene expression and cell behavior after spaceflight.

Patricia Chévez-Barrios

"We found many changes in the expression of genes that help cells cope with oxidative stress in the retina, possibly caused by radiation exposure," said Houston Methodist pathologist Patricia Chévez-Barrios, M.D., the study's principal investigator.

"These changes were partially reversible upon return to Earth. We also saw optic nerve changes consistent with mechanical injury, but these changes did not resolve."

"We also saw changes in the expression of DNA damage repair genes and in apoptotic pathways, which help the body destroy cells that are irreparably damaged."

Since 2001, studies have shown astronauts are at increased risk of developing eye problems, like premature age-related macular degeneration. Experts suspect the cause is low gravity, heightened exposure to solar radiation, or a combination of the two.

In Nov. 2011, a NASA-sponsored Ophthalmology study of seven astronauts showed that all seven had experienced eye problems after spending at least six months in space.

Doctors saw a flattening of the back of the eyeball, folding of the choroid (vascular tissue behind the retina), excess fluid around and presumed swelling of the optic nerve, or some combination of these.

High-energy radiation from the Sun can cause nasty, extremely damaging chemical reactions in cells, collectively called oxidative stress.

Earth's atmosphere reflects or absorbs much of this radiation and is, ironically, a much better shield than the thick metal hulls of space shuttles and the International Space Station.

Damage to eyes isn't merely a long-term health issue for some astronauts back on Earth—it could interfere with future missions.

Any loss of focus or vision will make it difficult for humans to complete long missions, such as round-trip travel to Mars (12 to 16 months) or to the moons of Jupiter (about two years).

If both radiation exposure and gravity loss are to blame, one solution to save astronauts' eyes might be a spacecraft with a more protective hull and inside, a spinning hamster wheel that simulates gravity similar to those envisioned by futurist author Arthur C. Clarke and realized in Stanley Kubrick's film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.

DARPA: Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) shooting for 'aircraft-like' operations in orbit

DARPA’s new Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program seeks to lower satellite launch costs by developing a reusable hypersonic unmanned vehicle with costs, operation and reliability similar to traditional aircraft. 

XS-1 envisions that a reusable first stage would fly to hypersonic speeds at a suborbital altitude. 

At that point, one or more expendable upper stages would separate and deploy a satellite into Low Earth Orbit. 

The reusable hypersonic vehicle would then return to earth, land and be prepared for the next flight.

Commercial, civilian and military satellites provide crucial real-time information essential to providing strategic national security advantages to the United States.

The current generation of satellite launch vehicles, however, is expensive to operate, often costing hundreds of millions of dollars per flight.

Moreover, U.S. launch vehicles fly only a few times each year and normally require scheduling years in advance, making it extremely difficult to deploy satellites without lengthy pre-planning.

Quick, affordable and routine access to space is increasingly critical for U.S. Defense Department operations.

To help address these challenges, DARPA has established the Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program. The program aims to develop a fully reusable unmanned vehicle that would provide aircraft-like access to space.

The vehicle is envisioned to operate from a "clean pad" with a small ground crew and no need for expensive specialized infrastructure.

This setup would enable routine daily operations and flights from a wide range of locations. XS-1 seeks to deploy small satellites faster and more affordably, while demonstrating technology for next-generation space and hypersonic flight for both government and commercial users.

"We want to build off of proven technologies to create a reliable, cost-effective space delivery system with one-day turnaround," said Jess Sponable, DARPA program manager heading XS-1.

"How it's configured, how it gets up and how it gets back are pretty much all on the table—we're looking for the most creative yet practical solutions possible."

DARPA seeks ideas and technical proposals for how to best develop and implement the XS-1 program. The agency has scheduled an XS-1 Proposers' Day for Monday, October 7, 2013.

The agency also plans to hold 1-on-1 discussions with potential proposers on the following day, October 8, 2013. Advance registration is required; more information is available at www.sa-meetings.com/ 

Registration closes on Tuesday, October 10 2013, at 12:00 PM EDT. For more information, please email DARPA-SN-14-01@darpa.mil.

The DARPA Special Notice describing the specific capabilities the program seeks is available at go.usa.gov/DNkF.

A Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for XS-1 is forthcoming and will be posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website.

ISS EVA: Russian Cosmonauts Wave Russia's Flag in Orbit, Tackle Faulty Gear

A cosmonaut unfurls a Russian flag outside the International Space Station during a spacewalk on Aug. 22, 2013, to mark Russian Flag Day.

Credit: NASA TV

A misaligned piece of gear on the International Space Station caused headaches in orbit for two spacewalking cosmonauts today (Aug. 22), but they ultimately triumphed and even managed to celebrate Russia's Flag Day with orbital style.

Veteran cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin proudly waved a Russian flag while soaring 260 miles (418 kilometers) above Earth to celebrate Russia's Flag Day holiday, which just happened to coincide with their nearly six-hour spacewalk.

"Congratulations to everyone on this day of the Russian flag," Yurchikhin said as he waved the flag in space. "Please remember to value and respect it, and we will respect ourselves."

Yurchikhin and fellow cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin let loose three "hoorahs" as they posed for TV and still cameras. They joked that some viewers wouldn't believe they were in space as the flag floated around them.

"It's a wonderful day," Yurchikhin quipped. "Some people might think that this is actually a performance. That this is staged somewhere down there … this is in space, as real as it comes."

The light-hearted moment capped a long day in orbit for Yurchikhin and Misurkin, who began their spacewalk at 7:36 a.m. EDT (1136 GMT).

They spent five hours and 58 minutes working outside on what was their second spacewalk in six days. The cosmonauts spent more than seven hours outside the station on Aug. 16, setting a new record for the longest Russian spacewalk.

Russia Proposes Giant Solar Power Station in orbit Earth

Russia is planning to build a giant solar power station capable of collecting energy and beaming it to Earth.

This idea was put forward by Central Scientific Research institute for Engineering, a subsidiary of the Russian Space Agency, Roskosmos.

The concept of such a power station was formulated by Peter Glasier in the US in 1968.

It is aimed at beaming energy to Earth using giant solar panels.

To generate necessary power, the panels should have an area of several square kilometers.

The power would be converted to electricity on board the spacecraft and sent to wherever it is needed on Earth by a large microwave-transmitting antenna, and then fed into a power grid.

The scientific research institute suggests using lasers instead of microwaves because radio beams are difficult to focus, and an area of several square kilometers will be needed for the receiving antenna.

In case of a laser beam this area would be ten times smaller. However, at present, there are no such powerful lasers, although many infrared lasers distributed over the panel could be used instead.

Their radiation would be focused or combined and beamed down to Earth.

The US, Japan, Europe and China plan to build solar power stations between 2030 and 2040. It is not surprising that Russia will join them, says Academician Alexander Zheleznyakov.

"Russia should study this problem. If energy from space is cheaper, it is beneficial because Earth has been experiencing an energy deficit. There is a need to think of the future. We are building power plants on Earth, and if we can build a solar power station in space, we should not miss this opportunity," Alexander Zheleznyakov said.

However, deputy editor-in-chief of the Novosti Kosmonavtiki" magazine Igor Lisov insists that this is a beautiful idea but it needs huge investment and consequently, it is not feasible.

"There is a need to watch the situation with open eyes without indulging in wishful thinking. None of the countries is conducting serious work that could shift to experimental studies of supplying energy from space," Igor Lisov said.

The project is based on the myth that mankind will exhaust energy in the near future. This will be true if the only sources of energy remain oil and gas. But mankind will probably develop other sources of energy including thermonuclear energy.

With the appearance of such power plants, there will be no need to build space solar power stations, says Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics Andrei Ionin.

"It will be very expensive to place a power station in orbit and exploit it. It may also have a negative impact on ecology. We do not know what could happen to Earth if a laser beam turns the wrong way. Perhaps, it may burn the ozone layer. If this happens, the consequences will cost a hundred times more than the price of the power generated. I believe that the Scientific Research Institute for Engineering should study reports by ecologists," Andrei Ionin said.

This project will not be implemented in the near future. However, it's necessary to study the problem, experts say. This may breed new technical solutions, such as more effective lasers or solar batteries.

ESA Galileo: In Orbit Validation Phase - Video

Space Debris: Legal issues surrounding remediation

Desperately seeking Technical solutions to the orbital debris problem, like the Swiss CleanSpace One, also require changes to the legal regime. (credit: EPFL)

Space debris is considered by many to be the most prominent issue in the arena of outer space security and safety.

More than a half-century of space activities by the various spacefaring nations have left a debris environment that is self-perpetuating and threatens to render the outer space environment useless, particularly in low Earth orbit.



Space debris ranges in size from fragments less than a millimeter in diameter to complete spacecraft many meters across. The nature of this debris includes intact satellites, rocket bodies, fragments from exploded rocket bodies, fragments from collisions, and objects from extracurricular activities.

Addressing the issue of space debris is two-fold. First, there is mitigation, which through practices by space-faring nations such the space debris mitigation guidelines promulgated by the UN.

These guidelines are not binding upon member states of the UN and only a few of the spacefaring nations have implemented them as mandatory requirements into their space programs.

However, remediation or removal of existing space debris is another matter, and the methodologies of which are still in its infancy and face substantial technical, financial and political hurdles. Additionally, space debris remediation also faces major legal issues.

The purpose of this essay is to attempt to identify and briefly discuss some of those legal challenges and their potential solutions, including a definition of space debris that could facilitate space debris remediation. This essay is should not be considered and exhaustive discussion on the topic.

The most prominent issue surrounding cleanup of orbital space debris rests with Article VIII of the Outer Space Treaty, in which space objects, including nonfunctioning satellites and other space debris, continue to belong to the country or countries that launched them.

There is no right of salvage analogous to the right found in maritime law, which means that even though a satellite or some other space object may not be functioning, it does not imply that it has been abandoned by the nation that launched it.

Without consent from the nation that launched and operates or otherwise owns the satellite or space object, it cannot be disposed of or otherwise interfered with.

This is further complicated by the fact that international space law deems fragments and components from space objects as individual space objects in and of themselves, which would require identification to determine the owner and either individual or blanket consent to remove it from orbit.

Read the full report here: 

Earth Orbiting debris starting to impede Space Exploration programs

Japan’s H-2A rocket that blasted off on May 18 sent a Japanese satellite, Shizuku, and a South Korean satellite, Arirang-3, into orbit but it has also left behind space junk, the accumulation of which is starting to create big problems above Earth's atmosphere.

The amount of space debris has steadily increased since its start on Oct. 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to enter Earth orbit.

Now that India and China are testing space systems, the "garbage problem" could rise at an explosive rate.

Countries are now trying to figure out ways to take care of the problem, but progress has been slow.

"We know that it will eventually impede the development of space, but if we just leave space debris out there anyway, then some day we won't be able to go into space anymore and our development there will hit a brick wall," said Seishiro Kibe, director of the Innovative Technology Research Center of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

An estimated 22,000 pieces of debris with a diameter of 10 centimeters or more are floating around in space. Information, such as orbital path, size and origin, is known for about 16,000 of them.

There are also about 1,000 satellites in operation. The continued accumulation of space debris could interfere with the satellites' orbital paths, leaving them nowhere to operate.

Debris has always been a part of space development and will continue to be so but nations participating in space programs need to take responsibility for the disposal of there waste products, just as on Earth.

Read more of this article here: Space debris - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun