Weekly New Space Economy Newsletter October 30, 2023

New Space Economy

New Space Economy

Market Research, Analysis, and Resources

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Articles From The Previous Week

Satellite Imagery vs Alternatives: What Sets It Apart?

Satellite imagery possesses distinct attributes that differentiate it from alternative imaging methods, such as aerial photography from airplanes or drones, or ground-based photography. This article reviews the unique attributes of…

Reducing the Stigma Around UFOs/UAPs: The Role of NASA’s Independent Study Team

Unidentified flying objects (UFOs), now more commonly referred to as unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), have long carried a stigma. Reports of strange lights or objects in the sky have frequently…

SpaceX Starship: Space-Based Solar Power Application

SpaceX, founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk, has been at the forefront of private space exploration and commercial spaceflight services. One of the most ambitious projects under SpaceX's portfolio is the…

Europa: A Promising Destination for Alien Life

Europa, one of Jupiter's 95 known moons, has emerged as one of the most promising places in our solar system to search for signs of extraterrestrial life. This icy moon…

The Growing Threat of Space Junk

The space environment around Earth has become increasingly congested over the past six decades. Since the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, the number of catalogued objects in Earth orbit…

What are Satellite Conjunctions and Their Relevance to the Space Economy?

Satellite conjunctions describe scenarios in which two or more orbiting objects—be they satellites, space stations, or space debris—come into close proximity to each other in Earth's orbit. This article reviews…

Space Situational Awareness: LEO Labs Overview

LEO Labs is a commercial space company that provides services and products related to tracking and monitoring satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). Their goal is to provide superior information…

What is NASA’s Orbital Debris Program and Why is it Important?

Orbital debris, also known as space junk, refers to the human-made objects in space that no longer serve any useful purpose, including nonfunctional spacecraft, abandoned rocket stages, fragments from disintegration,…

Orbital Debris: Potential Motivations of Responsible Organizations to Deorbit Old Objects?

This article reviews the potential motivations for responsible organizations to pay millions of dollars to remove objects they launched into orbit decades ago that are now defunct and classified as…

SpaceX Starship: Iterative Design Methodology

This article reviews SpaceX's approach to the development of Starship using an iterative design methodology, which stands in contrast to the traditional design methodologies often used in aerospace engineering.

SpaceX Starship: Point-to-Point Cargo Transportation and Military Applications

SpaceX's Starship, renowned for its potential in space exploration, also holds promise for revolutionizing terrestrial logistics through Point-to-Point (P2P) cargo transportation. Moreover, this capability could significantly affect military operations, providing…

SpaceX Starship: Accelerating Planetary Science and Exploration

The SpaceX Starship system has the potential to fundamentally transform NASA's capabilities for robotic and human missions to the Moon and Mars. The fully reusable Starship vehicle, consisting of the…

The Chandra X-ray Observatory: An Overview

The Chandra X-ray Observatory is one of NASA's Great Observatories, a series of space telescopes designed to observe the universe in different wavelengths. Launched on July 23, 1999, aboard the…

Satellite Components: Accelerometers

Accelerometers serve as indispensable sensing components in the intricate ecosystem of satellite systems. They capture vital data concerning a satellite's linear acceleration or changes in velocity over time. These measurements…

Satellite Components: Inertial Measurement Units

Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) serve as a cornerstone in satellite systems, providing comprehensive data related to a satellite's linear and angular motion. These are complex devices that amalgamate multiple sensors,…

What are Considered “Deep Space Missions”?

Deep space missions refer to a category of space exploration endeavors that go significantly beyond Earth's immediate neighborhood, particularly extending outside the Earth-Moon system. This article provides more details on…

Satellite Components: Horizon Sensors

Horizon sensors are specialized instruments that play an important role in the orientation and stabilization of satellites. These sensors assist in maintaining a satellite's desired orientation relative to the Earth…

Satellite Components: Sun Sensors

Sun sensors are a type of sensor that detects the position of the sun relative to the spacecraft. These sensors are an important component of many satellites and other space…

The First Words on Mars: Echoing Humanity’s Cosmic Journey

The moment the first human steps onto the Martian surface will be a landmark event in the history of human exploration, science, and achievement. Much like Neil Armstrong's first steps…

Comparing Very Low Earth Orbit (VLEO) to Other Orbits

The selection of an orbital altitude for a satellite or spacecraft is a critical decision that has far-reaching implications for mission success. Each orbit, whether it's Very Low Earth Orbit…

Satellite Components: Online Marketplaces

The market for satellite components has rapidly evolved in recent years with the emergence of online marketplaces that allow companies and organizations to easily source parts and services for building…

Satellite Components: What is Flight Heritage and Why is it Important?

Flight heritage refers to the history of successful operation of a particular component, subsystem, or system in a space environment. In other words, it is an established track record of…

Environmental Impacts of Space Mining vs Terrestrial Mining

Mining on Earth has long been associated with significant environmental damage, from habitat destruction to water and air pollution. As demand grows for minerals used in clean energy technologies like…

The Search for Extraterrestrial Life as We Don’t Know It

The search for life beyond Earth is one of humanity's most exciting scientific endeavors. For over 60 years, scientists have been scanning the skies and exploring our solar system for…

Satellite Components: GPS Receivers

Global Positioning System (GPS) technology has profoundly impacted various sectors, from navigation and mapping to timekeeping and scientific research. Typically, when one thinks of GPS, it's often in the context…

NASA Faces Hurdles in Commercial Transition Away from ISS

The International Space Station (ISS) has been humankind's continuously occupied outpost in low Earth orbit for over two decades. But with the ISS planned for retirement in 2030, NASA aims…

Satellite Components: Magnetic Torquers

Satellites are marvels of modern engineering that provide a multitude of services, from weather monitoring to global communications. One often-overlooked aspect of satellite functionality is the need for precise attitude…

Satellite Components: What are the Differences Between Gyroscopes and Reaction Wheels?

Gyroscopes and reaction wheels are critical components used for spacecraft attitude control and stabilization. This article examines their distinct roles and characteristics provides insight into spacecraft design and the technologies…

If We Encounter Life Utterly Unlike Earth Life, How Would Humanity React?

The possibility of encountering extraterrestrial life has long fascinated humans, and the question of how humanity would react to such a discovery remains a topic of debate and speculation. While…

Paper: Dissolving the Fermi Paradox (2018)

The Fermi paradox refers to the apparent contradiction between the lack of evidence for extraterrestrial civilizations and high estimates for their probability based on the Drake equation. The 2018 paper…

Paper: Precision Magnetometers for Aerospace Applications: A Review (2021)

This article summarizes the key points from the paper.

Report: Surplus Missile Motors (GAO 2017)

This article summarizes the key points from the report.

The Implications of a GPS Jamming Satellite on Orbital Assets

The deployment of a satellite dedicated to jamming Global Positioning System (GPS) signals would constitute a significant disruption to a wide array of systems and technologies that rely on accurate…

The Vulnerability of GPS to External Attacks Originating From Adversarial Satellites in Orbit

The Global Positioning System (GPS) serves as a critical infrastructure for a multitude of services and applications, including but not limited to navigation, timing, and scientific research. Satellites that depend…

Satellite Components: Gyroscopes

This article provides a review of gyroscopes and their application in satellites.

What is GPS jamming?

GPS jamming refers to the intentional interference with the normal operation of GPS (Global Positioning System) signals. This is typically done using a jammer, a device that emits radio frequency…

Paper: Developing a Drift Rate Distribution for Technosignature Searches of Exoplanets (2023)

The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) seeks evidence of technology created by intelligent life beyond Earth. One approach is to look for narrowband radio signals that exhibit a frequency drift…

Satellite Components: Reaction Wheels

Reaction wheels are mechanical devices used for attitude control on spacecraft and satellites. They provide torque to rotate the spacecraft by exchanging angular momentum with a spinning mass inside the…

Satellite Components: Guidance, Navigation, and Control

The Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) subsystem serves as the operational core of a satellite, ensuring that it performs its designated tasks in alignment with its mission objectives. Whether the…

Report: 2022 State of the Art Small Spacecraft Technology Report (NASA 2023)

This article summarizes the key points of the report.

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