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— Space companies also want federal help to deal with the coronavirus outbreak.
— Space commerce should receive the same attention as national security space, the co-founder of Planet Labs argues.
— The National Space Council will meet on Tuesday.
A message from Northrop Grumman:
We thought we knew what was possible in space—until Northrop Grumman created Cygnus. Cygnus is an autonomous cargo spacecraft capable of resupplying astronauts with everything from scientific experiments to fresh produce so they can go further than ever before.
SPACE INDUSTRY SEEKS HELP: Congress must act to protect the commercial space industry from the “lasting harm” from the coronavirus pandemic, an advocacy group implored in a letter to congressional leaders on Wednesday. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation proposed six recommendations to help its more than 85 members, including establishing a $5 billion grant or loan program; designating the space manufacturing workforce as essential; and creating a Supply Chain Stabilization program that would give larger companies access to low-interest loans to continue paying their suppliers.
The IRS should also give companies their research and development tax credit immediately, which the federation recommended would give innovative companies access to cash more quickly as capital becomes harder to get in the economic downturn.
‘Don’t lose this industry’: Small satellite startups could be one industry at risk from the uncertainty, warned Chuck Beames, chairman of the SmallSat Alliance. He advised the Pentagon to keep payments flowing to its small business partners to make sure the U.S. space industry doesn’t cede technological ground to competitors.
Some strong sexual stimulus purchased that order levitra online is also necessary to enhance sexual stimulation.“They need to be sure that, especially for these small companies, these milestone payments are made in a timely manner so they can keep their employees on the payroll and keep growing their business and keep their competitive edge because frankly we need to be very careful we don’t lose this industry,” Beams said. “It’s something I worry about anyways. … The virus is just another challenge to this industry.”
Beware of what happened to drones: If not careful, small satellites could suffer the same fat as the U.S. drone industry, Beames warned. While the drone industry was initially thriving in California, China took over the majority of the market within a couple of years, he said. “It’s not that it’s fragile, but it’s fleeting and it’s fast-moving. If we fall behind in the tech race by a year or a year and a half, that could be real trouble.”
NASA GOES VIRTUAL: The space agency has stopped production and testing of the Space Launch System and Orion capsule, two of the key components to bring humans to the moon in 2024, because of growing coronavirus concerns. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced Thursday night that employees would complete an “orderly shutdown” and halt work at Stennis Space Center and the Michoud Assembly Facility. “We realize there will be impacts to NASA missions, but as our teams work to analyze the full picture and reduce risks we understand that our top priority is the health and safety of the NASA workforce,” Bridenstine said in a statement.
What does that impact look like? A short-term disruption through April or May could have minimal impact on the mission to send humans to the moon in 2024, Todd Harrison, the director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Aerospace Security Project, said. But any longer and the 2024 moon mission could be in jeopardy, predicted long-time space expert John Logsdon.
“The enforced separation of people working on the same or related tasks will inject delays and miscommunications. It will certainly be an obstacle to schedules and success in activities like preparing for a launch or building an exploratory spacecraft,” Logsdon told us. “Fortunately, the moon and the planets will still be there to visit in 2025 or later.”
What gives? A short-term disruption through April or May could have minimal impact, Todd Harrison, the director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Aerospace Security Project, said. But any longer and the 2024 moon mission could be in jeopardy, predicted long-time space expert John Logsdon.
“The enforced separation of people working on the same or related tasks will inject delays and miscommunications. It will certainly be an obstacle to schedules and success in activities like preparing for a launch or building an exploratory spacecraft,”