Polskie Forum Astronautyczne
Artykuły o tematyce astronautycznej => Artykuły astronautyczne => Wątek zaczęty przez: Orionid w Lutego 24, 2022, 21:43
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U.S. and Europe say space cooperation with Russia not affected yet by Ukraine crisis
by Jeff Foust — February 23, 2022 [SN]
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A commercial satellite image released Feb. 22 shows Russian forces gathering near the town of Mazyr, Belarus, less than 40 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Credit: Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies
WASHINGTON — American and European officials said Feb. 23 that space cooperation with Russia remains unaffected even as that country continues to threaten a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
During a panel discussion about space diplomacy organized by George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute, U.S. State Department officials said cooperation between NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos on the International Space Station had not been altered, at least so far, by the Ukraine crisis.
https://spacenews.com/u-s-and-europe-say-space-cooperation-with-russia-not-affected-yet-by-ukraine-crisis/
Biden: Sanctions will “degrade” Russian space program
by SpaceNews Staff — February 24, 2022 [SN]
This is a developing story. Follow @SpaceNews_Inc for the latest and check back for updates.
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U.S. President Joe Biden speaking Feb. 24 from the White House. Credit: Screenshot of Whitehouse.gov video
WASHINGTON — Russia’s space program won’t be shielded from sanctions the United States is imposing in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday afternoon.
“We estimate that we will cut off more than half of Russia’s high-tech imports, and it will strike a blow to their ability to continue to modernize their military. It will degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program,” Biden said in a White House address outlining new sanctions.
Source: https://spacenews.com/biden-sanctions-will-degrade-russian-space-program/
Prezydent USA: rosyjski sektor kosmiczny odczuje zachodnie sankcje
SPACE24 26.02.2022 11:42
(...) „Szacujemy, że odetniemy ponad połowę importu zaawansowanych technologii do Rosji, co uderzy w ich zdolność do dalszej modernizacji sił zbrojnych" - stwierdził prezydent USA, Joe Biden, w trakcie prezentacji pakietu sankcji wymierzonych w Rosję bezpośrednio w odpowiedzi na dokonaną przez to państwo inwazję na Ukrainę. "Uderzy to w ich przemysł lotniczy, jak również program kosmiczny” – powiedział w wystąpieniu w Białym Domu, nakreślając jeden z głównych wymiarów proponowanych restrykcji. (...)
https://space24.pl/polityka-kosmiczna/swiat/prezydent-usa-rosyjski-sektor-kosmiczny-odczuje-zachodnie-sankcje
Previous invasion of Ukraine had serious repercussions for the space sector
by Debra Werner — February 25, 2022 [SN]
(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Putin-and-Rogozin-Feb-2019-879-879x485.jpg)
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Roscosmos Director Dmitry Rogozin at the Kremlin in February 2019. Credit: Kremlin.ru
SAN FRANCISCO – While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could have important space policy ramifications for the United States, the impact is not likely to be as significant as shifts that have already occurred in the wake Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Source: https://spacenews.com/ukraine-impact-on-u-s-russia-space-cooperation/
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ESA to continue cooperation but monitoring situation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
by Andrew Jones — February 25, 2022 [SN]
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The International Space Station in November 2021. Credit: NASA
HELSINKI — ESA is continuing work on the International Space Station and ExoMars programs in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but monitoring the situation, the agency’s director-general said Friday.
“Notwithstanding the current conflict, civil space cooperation remains a bridge,” Josef Aschbacher tweeted.
Source: https://spacenews.com/esa-to-continue-cooperation-but-monitoring-situation-following-russias-invasion-of-ukraine/
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ULA: Russia sanctions not expected to disrupt Atlas 5 operations
by Sandra Erwin — February 25, 2022 [SN]
(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/mars2020-launch.jpg)
The Atlas 5 carrying Mars 2020 lifts off from Cape Canaveral July 30. Credit: Craig Vander Galien for SpaceNews
ULA's RD-180 engines are stored in the company's factory in Decatur, Alabama
WASHINGTON — The Russian rocket engines that United Launch Alliance needs to complete the remaining launches of the Atlas 5 are stored in the United States. The company said the operation of the vehicle will not be affected by the economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the Biden administration in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Source: https://spacenews.com/ula-russia-sanctions-not-expected-to-disrupt-atlas-5-operations/
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ULA: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine won’t impact remaining Atlas 5 missions
February 25, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]
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File photo of an Atlas 5 rocket on its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Credit: Stephen Clark/Spaceflight Now
United Launch Alliance said Friday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will have no impact on the company’s Atlas 5 rocket program, which has 25 missions left to fly with Russian-made main engines before retirement.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/02/25/ula-says-russias-invasion-of-ukraine-wont-impact-remaining-atlas-5-missions/
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Biden announces sanctions targeting Russia’s space program
February 24, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]
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President Biden announced new sanctions against Russia on Thursday afternoon. Credit: White House
President Biden said Thursday the United States is imposing new sanctions against Russia, including measures that will “degrade” the country’s space program, in response to Russian military attacks on Ukraine.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/02/24/biden-announces-sanctions-targeting-russias-space-program/
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Russia halts Soyuz launches from French Guiana
by Jeff Foust — February 26, 2022 [SN]
(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/OneWeb3-879x485.jpg)
Arianespace has launched 13 missions for OneWeb, expanding the operator's network to 428 satellites. © 2022 ESA-CNES-Arianespace / Optique vidéo du CSG - S MARTIN
WASHINGTON — Roscosmos announced Feb. 26 that it is halting cooperation with Europe on Soyuz launches from French Guiana and withdrawing its personnel from the launch site in response to European sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Source: https://spacenews.com/russia-halts-soyuz-launches-from-french-guiana/
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Russia suspends Soyuz launch operations in French Guiana
February 26, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]
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A Soyuz ST-B rocket takes off from the Guiana Space Center on Feb. 10 with 34 new OneWeb internet satellites. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace/P. Piron
Blaming European sanctions enacted after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian space agency said Saturday it is recalling dozens of engineers and technicians from French Guiana and suspending Soyuz rocket operations there, grounding a pair of European navigation satellites previously set for launch in early April.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/02/26/russia-suspends-soyuz-launch-operations-in-french-guiana/
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The Russian Invasion Touches Outer Space
By Marina Koren FEBRUARY 27, 2022, 8 AM ET [The Atlantic]
The long-held idea that earthly conflict can’t tarnish something as lofty as space travel is only a platitude, not a certainty.
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A view of the International Space Station from a departing Russian capsule (Alexander Nemenov / AFP / Getty)
This week, as Russia unleashed a violent assault on Ukraine, the director of Russia’s space agency went on a rant. After President Joe Biden announced on Thursday new sanctions against Russia that would, among other effects, “degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program,” Dmitry Rogozin responded with a series of tweets about the International Space Station: “Do you want to destroy our cooperation on the ISS? If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled deorbit and a fall on the United States or Europe? … The ISS doesn’t fly over Russia, so the risks are all yours.”
Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/02/russia-ukraine-international-space-station/622939/
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Satellite imaging companies increase profile as they track Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
by Sandra Erwin — February 27, 2022 [SN]
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Satellite image released by Maxar Feb. 27 shows a convoy of Russian military vehicles northeast of Ivankiv, Ukraine, and moving toward Kyiv. Credit: Maxar Technologies
Scott Herman, CEO of Cognitive Space: 'You don't get a better opportunity than this to show how remote sensing can support media storytelling'
WASHINGTON – Images collected by commercial satellites have chronicled the buildup of Russian forces on Ukraine’s borders and the ongoing invasion, providing intelligence that previously was only available from government sources.
Source: https://spacenews.com/satellite-imaging-companies-increase-profile-as-they-track-russias-invasion-of-ukraine/
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RUSSIA SUSPENDS SOME SPACE COOPERATION WITH U.S., EUROPE
By Marcia Smith | Posted: February 26, 2022 11:54 pm ET | Last Updated: February 27, 2022 7:53 am ET [spacepolicy online.com]
(https://spacepolicyonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Soyuz-launch-pad-Kourou-ESA-768x529.png)
Soyuz launch pad at the Guiana Space Centre, Kourou, French Guiana. Credit: ESA
U.S. and European sanctions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine were expected to impact Russia’s space program, but Russia is pushing back today by suspending launches of its Soyuz rocket from Europe’s launch base in French Guiana and stopping cooperation with NASA on a planetary science mission. But the two major cooperative programs, the International Space Station and ExoMars, appear to still be on track. Whether that will remain true in the days and weeks ahead is difficult to forecast.
Source: https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/russia-suspends-some-space-cooperation-with-u-s-europe/
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NASA official says U.S.-Russian partnership continues on space station
February 28, 2022 Stephen Clark [SFN]
(https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/51814919155_d0eb34f7b8_k.jpg)
An astronaut on a departing Crew Dragon spacecraft captured this image of the International Space Station in November. The U.S. segment is situated in the upper left of this view, and the Russian segment is on the lower right. Credit: NASA
Kathy Lueders, head of NASA’s human spaceflight operations division, said Monday that joint activities on the International Space Station are continuing amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, including preparations for the return of NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei to Earth on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft March 30.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/02/28/nasa-official-says-u-s-russian-partnership-continuing-on-international-space-station/
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EOS Data Analytics issues urgent plea for imagery of Ukraine
by Debra Werner — March 1, 2022 [SN]
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Capella Space shared synthetic aperture radar imagery of the Belarus-Urkaine border Feb. 24. Unlike electro-optical imagery, synthetic aperture radar data can be acquired at night and through clouds. Credit: Capella Space
Polyakov: Ukraine needs data, not relocation offers for its engineers
SAN FRANCISCO — EOS Data Analytics is asking Earth observation companies worldwide to share up-to-date optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery of Ukraine and neighboring countries to assist Ukrainian military and humanitarian efforts.
Source: https://spacenews.com/eos-plea-for-imagery-of-ukraine/
Russia looks to China for collaboration in space but faces isolation over Ukraine invasion
by Andrew Jones — March 1, 2022 [SN]
(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ilrs-glex2021-june16-phase3-879x485.jpg)
A render depicting phase 3 of a planned joint China-Russia International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) in the 2030s. Credit: CNSA
HELSINKI — Roscosmos is looking to China as a supplier of vital space industry components and a partner in missions following the invasion of Ukraine, but sanctions could still heavily impact any new plans.
Russian space agency head Dmitry Rogozin told Russian media Feb. 26 that sanctions imposed by Western countries would hit supplies of microelectronics necessary for spacecraft.
Source: https://spacenews.com/russia-looks-to-china-for-collaboration-in-space-but-faces-isolation-over-ukraine-invasion/
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Satellite images show Russia’s troop movements but can they reveal intent?
by Sandra Erwin — March 2, 2022 [SN]
(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-02-at-4.56.39-PM-879x485.png)
Satellite image collected by BlackSky over Vasylkiv Air Base, Ukraine, Feb. 28. Credit: BlackSky
Kari Bingen: Commercial imagery is 'a competitive advantage we have vis-a-vis Russia and China'
WASHINGTON — A steady stream of imagery from commercial spy satellites provides extraordinary intelligence about Russian troop advances in Ukraine and attacks on Ukrainian cities. But as the conflict grinds on, intelligence analysts are still being challenged to figure out Russian intent, experts said March 2.
Source: https://spacenews.com/satellite-images-show-russias-troop-movements-but-can-they-reveal-intent/
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Russian sanctions throw South Korean satellite missions into uncertainty
by Park Si-soo — March 2, 2022 [SN]
(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/CAS500-2-remote-sensing-satellite-copy-879x485.jpeg)
South Korea’s CAS500-2 remote sensing satellite is seen at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute’s manufacturing facility. It’s set to launch in the first half of this year on a Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome. But the launch is expected to be delayed due to sanctions on Russia. Credit: Korea Aerospace Research Institute
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea, at least for now, is pushing forward with its planned launch of two satellites on Russian rockets this year. Still, it doesn’t rule out the possibility that the missions could be delayed due to sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Ukraine.
Source: https://spacenews.com/russian-sanctions-throw-south-korean-satellite-missions-into-uncertainty/
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“Nothing to share”: South Korean firm turns down Ukrainian request for satellite imagery
by Park Si-soo and Brian Berger — March 3, 2022. This story was updated at 9:40 p.m. EST. [SN]
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Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands hotel is seen in this optical satellite image captured by South Korea’s SI Imaging Services (SIIS). Ukraine vice prime minister recently asked SIIS and seven other remote sensing companies to provide synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery of Ukraine and neighboring countries to assist Ukrainian military fighting against Russian forces. SIIS president turned down the request, saying it has “nothing to share.” Credit: SI Imaging Services
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s Earth observation company SI Imaging Services (SIIS) turned down a request from Ukraine’s minister of digital transformation to share satellite imagery of Ukraine and neighboring countries to assist Ukrainian efforts to repel Russia’s invasion.
Source: https://spacenews.com/nothing-to-share-south-korean-firm-turns-down-ukrainian-request-for-satellite-imagery/
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U.S. Air Force sees no impact from Russia’s decision to cut off supply of rocket engines
by Sandra Erwin — March 3, 2022 [SN]
(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/FGAScKhXEAcTcz1-879x485.jpeg)
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 551 rocket launched the Space Test Program-3 (STP-3) mission for the U.S. Space Force Dec. 7, 2021, at 5:19 a.m. Eastern. Credit: ULA
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall: 'Our launch needs will be met'
ORLANDO, Fla. — Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said U.S. national security launches will not be affected by Russia’s decision to stop supplying rocket engines to the United States in retaliation for sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.
Source: https://spacenews.com/u-s-air-force-sees-no-impact-from-russias-decision-to-cut-off-supply-of-rocket-engines/
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Roscosmos head again questions future of ISS while NASA emphasizes cooperation
by Jeff Foust — March 3, 2022 [SN]
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NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said at a March 1 meeting of the NASA Advisory Council that it was continuing normal operations of the space station even as his Russian counterpart threatened to withdraw from the partnership. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
WASHINGTON — The head of Roscosmos has renewed threats to terminate Russian participation in the International Space Station even as NASA says operations on the station remain normal.
Source: https://spacenews.com/roscosmos-head-again-questions-future-of-iss-while-nasa-emphasizes-cooperation/
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HawkEye 360 detects GPS interference in Ukraine
by Debra Werner — March 4, 2022 [SN]
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HawkEye 360 detected increased GPS interference in and around Ukraine in the months leading up to the Russian invasion. Credit: HawkEye 360
SAN FRANCISCO – GPS radio frequency interference can signal impending military activity.
HawkEye 360 proved that point in a March 4 news release on GPS interference in and around Ukraine over the last four months. Prior to the Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, the Herndon, Virginia-based geospatial analytics company noted continual and increasing GPS interference near Ukraine.
Source: https://spacenews.com/hawkeye-360-gps-ukr/
Op-ed | Ukraine Will Fight. Ukraine Will Win.
by Volodymyr Usov — March 5, 2022 [SN]
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Volodymyr Usov was chairman of the State Space Agency of Ukraine from January 2020 to January 2021.
A national space program and corporate reform are two major steps to finally cut ties with Ukraine’s Soviet past and to shift the Ukrainian space industry to a new corporate model.
It’s hard to imagine, but right now, the Ukrainian army, and citizens in every city putting their lives on the line, are holding back Russian troops despite being outgunned and outnumbered.
Source: https://spacenews.com/op-ed-ukraine-will-fight-ukraine-will-win/
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Turmoil Over Ukraine Could Debilitate Russia's Space Program
RAMIN SKIBBASCIENCEMAR 4, 2022 7:00 AM [wired.com]
In response to international sanctions, Russia’s space agency is distancing itself from its former partners and risks losing its role as a major space power.
ON FEBRUARY 24, the day Russian forces began their invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration announced new sanctions, including ones that would “degrade” the Russian space program. Within an hour, Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, posted a series of angry statements on Twitter. “If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled deorbit and fall on to United States or European territory?” he wrote in Russian, referring to the International Space Station, which Roscosmos plays a key role in operating.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/turmoil-over-ukraine-could-debilitate-russias-space-program/
Op-ed | Russian Invasion of Ukraine Reinforces the Urgency of Fixing U.S. Satellite Vulnerability by 2027
by Brian G. Chow and Brandon W. Kelley — March 8, 2022 [SN]
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SpaceNews photo illustration
Over the last two weeks, many commentators have warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may portend dark things to come for Taiwan. Yet the key question the United States now faces has remained unanswered: what new actions should the U.S. undertake now to decrease the odds of conflict in the Taiwan Strait?
Source: https://spacenews.com/op-ed-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-reinforces-the-urgency-of-fixing-u-s-satellite-vulnerability-by-2027/
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Canada answers Ukraine’s call for satellite radar imagery
by David Pugliese — March 9, 2022 [SN]
(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/MDA-RADARSAT-2-SAR-imagery_2022-879x485.jpeg)
MDA's RADARSAT-2 satellite captured this image of Montreal, Canada on Jan. 21, 2022. Credit: MDA
Canada had cut off Ukraine's flow of RADARSAT-2 in 2016
VICTORIA, British Columbia — Canada’s MDA Corp. will provide satellite radar imagery to Ukraine’s government to help it counter Russia’s invasion of that country.
Source: https://spacenews.com/canada-answers-ukraines-call-for-satellite-radar-imagery/
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UK bans space-related exports to Russia
by SpaceNews Staff — March 9, 2022 [SN]
(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Screen-Shot-2022-03-09-at-12.22.28-PM.png)
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss speaks March 9 during a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Credit: State Dept. livestream
WASHINGTON — New trade sanctions aimed at Russia’s space sector were announced March 9 by UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
While the announcement focused on new aviation sanctions strengthening an overflight and landing ban imposed on Russian aircraft in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, additional trade measures “will prevent UK exports of aviation or space-related items and technology to Russia, including related services such as insurance and reinsurance services.”
Source: https://spacenews.com/uk-bans-space-related-exports-to-russia/
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War of words between Russian space chief and retired astronaut
March 7, 2022 William Harwood [SFN] STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION
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NASA astronaut Scott Kelly aboard the International Space Station in 2015. Credit: NASA
Retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a U.S.-record 340 days aboard the International Space Station, has taken to Twitter to pass along “real” news to his 5 million followers, many of them in Russia, about the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2022/03/07/war-of-words-between-russian-space-chief-and-retired-astronaut/
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Soyuz embargo strands satellites with limited launch options
by Jason Rainbow and Brian Berger — March 10, 2022 [SN]
(https://spacenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/E8nRV9wXMAk-ZC2-879x485.jpeg)
An Arianespace Soyuz rocket carrying 34 OneWeb satellites awaits launch at Baikonur Cosmodrome on Aug. 22, 2021. Credit: OneWeb
More than a dozen former Soyuz satellite missions need new rides after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, raising questions over how fast the launch market can absorb the loss of the workhorse rocket.
TAMPA, Fla. and WASHINGTON — While Russia’s share of the international launch market has shrunk, the Soyuz rocket’s sudden exit from the global stage has left more than a dozen non-Russian satellite missions without clear paths to orbit.
Source: https://spacenews.com/soyuz-embargo-strands-satellites-with-limited-launch-options/
AST SpaceMobile books more SpaceX rides months after canceling Soyuz reservation
by Jason Rainbow — March 11, 2022 [SN]
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An artistic rendering of a BlueBird satellite. Credit: AST SpaceMobile
TAMPA, Fla. — AST SpaceMobile is expanding a launch deal with SpaceX for its cellphone-compatible broadband constellation, following a 2021 decision to move its upcoming BlueWalker-3 prototype mission from Russia’s now-embargoed Soyuz to a Falcon 9.
BlueWalker-3 was booked on a Soyuz as a secondary payload but moved its reservation to Falcon 9 last August after Russia’s primary customer for the launch ran into delays, AST SpaceMobile chief strategy officer Scott Wisniewski told SpaceNews.
Source: https://spacenews.com/ast-spacemobile-books-more-spacex-rides-months-after-canceling-soyuz-reservation/
Op-ed | Ukrainian space companies are united in defending the country
by Volodymyr Kravchuk — March 11, 2022 [SN]
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Credit: Promin Aerospace
The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has united the space community in our country and worldwide. International space companies are supporting their Ukrainian colleagues, and Ukrainian companies are deploying volunteering directions of work because they have to secure their employees and help the army.
From the first days of the war, world space organizations have stood on our side. To support the Ukrainian Army, captain of the Spacex Inspiration 4 crew Jared Isaacman personally brought aid to the Ukrainian military. Satellite images of the movement of Russian troops were provided by the company Capella, and Ukrainians received Starlink satellite Internet reception stations as a gift from Elon Musk at the request of Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.
https://spacenews.com/op-ed-ukrainian-space-companies-are-united-in-defending-the-country/
From the archives | How Crimea’s annexation hurt Ukraine’s space program
by Matthew Bodner — March 12, 2022. This article originally appeared as a subscriber-exclusive in the June 6, 2016 issue of SpaceNews magazine. [SN]
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The NIP-16 ground station in Yevpatoria, Crimea, was built to communicate with deep space missions using, among other assets, this decommissioned ADU-1000 transmitting array consisting of eight 16-meter antennas. Credit: Rumlin / Wikicommons
MOSCOW — In April 2015, the commander of Russia’s Space Forces, Alexander Golovko, announced plans to overhaul a Soviet-built space tracking facility known as NIP-16 and re-integrate it into Russia’s network by 2020. Located in Yevpatoria, a town situated on the Crimean Peninsula, the facility — built in the 1960s for tracking space probes bound for Venus and Mars — was among the spoils of Russia’s swift yet bloodless seizure of the region from independent Ukraine in March 2014.
Source: https://spacenews.com/from-the-archives-how-crimeas-annexation-hurt-ukraines-space-program/
From the archives | An untethered Ukraine seeks new orbits for its space industry
by Jeff Foust — March 12, 2022. This article originally appeared as a subscriber-exclusive in the June 6, 2016 issue of SpaceNews magazine. [SN]
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WASHINGTON — The last two years have been tough for Ukraine in general, and its space program in particular. Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 meant Ukraine lost access to a major ground station located there. That annexation, and ongoing unrest in eastern Ukraine, have also cut off most business Ukraine’s space industry had with Russia. The conflict also put on hold plans to launch Lybid, a communications satellite for Ukraine built by Canada’s MDA Corp.
Source: https://spacenews.com/from-the-archives-an-untethered-ukraine-seeks-new-orbits-for-its-space-industry/
Ukrainian space industry players continue work, eye European projects amid war
by Jarosław Adamowski — March 15, 2022 [SN]
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Maxar's WorldView-2 satellite collected this image March 14, 2022, of cars backed up northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine, near a damaged bridge crossing the Irpin river. Credit: Maxar Technologies
WARSAW, Poland — While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to impact the Ukrainian space sector, senior industry representatives say that local companies have so far managed to adapt their activities to the realities of war, and they are determined to advance joint projects with their European partners.
Source: https://spacenews.com/ukrainian-space-industry-players-continue-work-eye-european-projects-amid-war/
International talks on space norms to continue but U.S. will not engage directly with Russia
by Sandra Erwin — March 17, 2022 [SN]
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A simulation of Russia's anti-satellite missile demonstration in November 2021. Credit: COMSPOC
An “open ended working group” established by the U.N. General Assembly to address space security issues will hold its first session May 9
WASHINGTON — International talks aimed at preventing an arms race in space are expected to continue this year, a senior U.S. State Department official said March 17. However, bilateral U.S.-Russia space talks that had begun before the invasion of Ukraine are off the table for now.
Source: https://spacenews.com/international-talks-on-space-norms-will-continue-but-u-s-will-not-engage-directly-with-russia/
ESA weighs options for replacing Soyuz launches
by Jeff Foust — March 17, 2022 [SN]
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ESA would like to move payloads that were to fly on Soyuz onto European rockets like the Vega C (above), but that vehicle faces issues linked to its use of a Ukrainian-built engine for its upper stage. Credit: ESA
TITUSVILLE, Fla. — The European Space Agency is looking at options for launching missions that were to fly on Russia’s Soyuz rocket, including both non-European rockets and early use of the Ariane 6.
Source: https://spacenews.com/esa-weighs-options-for-replacing-soyuz-launches/
Cyber warfare gets real for satellite operators
by Sandra Erwin — March 20, 2022 [SN]
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Rendering of Viasat-1 communications satellite. Credit: Viasat
Recent network attacks in Ukraine have been 'an eye opener for everybody'
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government on March 17 advised satellite operators to put their guard up in the wake of a cyberattack that disrupted internet services in Europe provided by Viasat’s KA-SAT.
Source: https://spacenews.com/cyber-warfare-gets-real-for-satellite-operators/
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Satellite supply chains coming under increasing scrutiny
by Jason Rainbow — March 22, 2022 [SN]
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Space executives discussed how changes in the geopolitical climate are affecting their businesses at Satellite 2022 in Washington D.C.
WASHINGTON — Changes in the geopolitical landscape following Russia’s war in Ukraine are pushing space companies to tighten international supply chains amid a renewed focus on security.
Source: https://spacenews.com/satellite-supply-chains-coming-under-increasing-scrutiny/
Arianespace and SpaceX work to adjust launch manifests
by Jeff Foust — March 24, 2022 [SN]
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Arianespace says that Galileo satellites that were to launch on Soyuz rockets from French Guiana could instead go on Ariane 6 in 2023. Credit: ESA - S. Corvaja
WASHINGTON — Arianespace says it is working to remanifest payloads that were to launch on Soyuz rockets while SpaceX says it’s finding ways to accommodate new customers on its vehicles.
During a panel at the Satellite 2022 conference March 22, Stéphane Israël, chief executive of Arianespace, acknowledged the company’s plans had been upended by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and subsequent suspension of both Soyuz launches from French Guiana and those from the Baikonur Cosmodrome carrying satellites for OneWeb.
Source: https://spacenews.com/nasa-to-support-development-of-second-artemis-lunar-lander/
Op-ed | Russian aggression underscores need for greater U.S. space leadership
by Christian Zur and Scott Kordella — April 4, 2022 [SN]
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A simulation of the Russian ASAT demonstration in November 2021. Much of the debris from that event is in an orbit that periodically lines up with satellites in sun-synchronous orbits. Credit: COMSPOC
With the fracturing of America’s longtime civil space partnership with Russia over the war in Ukraine, commercial space companies are adjusting to this new reality, as OneWeb recently experienced first-hand at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
During this period of uncertainty, the space sector should surely abide by the same behaviors as all industries by pulling back from Russian economic participation until events allow for normalization. However, even before invading Ukraine, Russia’s commitment to the good of the order was questionable. NASA recently noted there are approximately 25,000 objects tracked on-orbit, of which 6,100 have a perigee below 600 kilometers, which puts them at risk of debris generating collisions with the majority of all operating satellites and human spacecraft. Disturbingly, debris from a November 2021 Russian weapons test has created what Dan Oltrogge of COMSPOC calls “conjunction squalls,” which further threaten these systems rotating in the same altitude bands and occasional orbital plane.
https://spacenews.com/op-ed-russian-aggression-underscores-need-for-greater-u-s-space-leadership/
To counter threats, U.S. intelligence community leans on partners
by Debra Werner — April 5, 2022 [SN]
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Stacey Dixon, U.S. principal deputy director of national intelligence, highlighted the importance of partnerships during an April 5 speech at the 37th Space Symposium. Credit: Tom Kimmell Photography
COLORADO SPRINGS – Partnerships with industry, academia and government agencies around the world are supporting the U.S. intelligence community’s campaign to counter threats to democracy like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said Stacey Dixon, U.S. principal deputy director of national intelligence.
“This constellation of independent and incredibly innovative partnerships and the values that sustain them is something autocracies cannot match,” Dixon said April 5 at the 37th Space Symposium. “You are our invaluable partners in today’s strategic competition in space and on Earth, a competition between democracy and autocracy.”
https://spacenews.com/partnerships-to-counter-threats/
Path to sustainable space unclear after Russia’s Ukraine invasion
by Jason Rainbow — April 7, 2022 [SN]
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Walther Pelzer, head of German space agency DLR, called for more unified space sustainability regulation at the 37th Space Symposium’s annual heads of agencies panel discussion in Colorado Springs. Credit: Tom Kimmell Photography
COLORADO SPRINGS — Before Russia invaded Ukraine, many considered international space cooperation safely insulated from geopolitical strife.
“This has drastically changed now,” European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher said April 6, pointing to the “very serious sanctions” imposed by Europe and other space powers against Russia.
https://spacenews.com/path-to-sustainable-space-unclear-after-russias-ukraine-invasion/
Russian invasion of Ukraine exposes cybersecurity threat to commercial satellites
by Debra Werner — April 14, 2022 [SN]
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Credit: Adobe Stock
Months before Russian armored vehicles rolled into Ukraine on Feb. 24, companies monitoring satellite networks noticed an uptick in activity.
Hackers were trying to penetrate Ukraine’s communications satellite infrastructure, including networks that relay commands to Ukrainian military drones. Meanwhile, Earth observation satellites detected intensifying GPS interference in the region.
When the invasion began, cyberattacks escalated. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reported jamming of Starlink communications near Ukrainian conflict areas. And hackers infiltrated Viasat’s KA-SAT satellite internet network, disabling modems that provide tens of thousands of customers in Ukraine and nearby countries with internet links.
https://spacenews.com/russian-invasion-of-ukraine-exposes-cybersecurity-threat-to-commercial-satellites/
Op-ed | How Russia’s war with Ukraine jams NASA
by William Bianco — April 14, 2022 [SN]
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The French, Russian and U.S. flags are seen during an ISS crew press conference at the Cosmonaut Hotel in Baikonur, Kazakhstan in 2016. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
International cooperation and the future of the International Space Station
Russia’s war with Ukraine has created an existential crisis for NASA. Three decades ago, NASA embraced international cooperation as a rationale for the International Space Station (ISS). Now, the same argument that saved the station at the end of the last Cold War may produce its demise at the start of a new one.
For decades, NASA has highlighted the ISS as an exemplar of a productive international partnership, a sign that the U.S. and Russia have moved beyond conflict, and a guide to how rivals can learn to peacefully work together. Its accounts of station operations emphasize how much each side has learned from the other and how they have persevered through disagreements, emergencies, and close calls. NASA photos show happy astronauts and cosmonauts living and working together in close quarters. Former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden cheered efforts to nominate the ISS program for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may bring the ISS program to an abrupt end. The problem is not that an extended military conflict will disrupt ISS operations. Rather, with arguments about international cooperation taken off the table, NASA must address a fundamental question it has always struggled to answer: why do we have an Earth-orbiting space station in the first place?
https://spacenews.com/op-ed-how-russias-war-with-ukraine-jams-nasa/
NRO plans for immediate and long-term acquisition of commercial satellite data
by Debra Werner — April 26, 2022 [SN]
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Maxar published a series of images April 22 showing new 40-meter-long trenches expected to serve as graves at a cemetery near Vynohradne, Ukraine, about 12 kilometers east of Mariupol. This is the second time Maxar has revealed cemetery expansion. Similar trenches were discovered near the Manhush cemetery on the northwest outskirts of Mariupol. Credit: Maxar
DENVER – Since Russian forces began mobilizing to invade Ukraine, commercial satellite operators have supplied U.S. intelligence agencies with extensive electro-optical, synthetic aperture radar and radio frequency data.
BlackSky, Maxar Technologies and Planet, for example, have shared “millions and millions of square kilometers of imagery” over Ukraine and Russia, specifically, Peter Muend, director of the National Reconnaissance Office Commercial Systems Program Office, said April 25 at the GEOINT Symposium.
https://spacenews.com/nro-short-long-term-commercial-data-strategy/
Space companies donate funds for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine
by Sandra Erwin — April 26, 2022 [SN]
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U.S. State Department and Defense Department leaders visited Kyiv, Ukraine, on April 24, 2022. Credit: U.S. State Department
The project called “Space Industry for Ukraine” was started by HawkEye 360 and the National Security Space Association
DENVER – Several firms in the commercial space industry have each pledged $50,000 to finance humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, the companies announced April 26.
https://spacenews.com/space-companies-donate-funds-for-humanitarian-efforts-in-ukraine/
DoD intelligence chief: U.S. made ‘gutsy decision’ to release sensitive imagery to counter Russia’s deception ops
by Sandra Erwin — April 27, 2022 [SN]
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Ronald Moultrie, undersecretary of defense for intelligence and security, speaks April 26 iat the 2022 GEOINT Symposium. Credit: USGIF
Moultrie: The decision to release satellite imagery and other intelligence on Russia’s movements 'was not taken lightly'
DENVER – In the weeks and months before Russia invaded Ukraine, the U.S. government came to the conclusion that it needed to publicly release sensitive intelligence to counter Russia’s “false flag” operations – a deception tactic designed to give them an excuse to intervene in Ukraine.
https://spacenews.com/dod-intelligence-chief-u-s-made-gutsy-decision-to-release-sensitive-imagery-to-counter-russias-deception-ops/
Connecting the Dots | Freeing speech from space: Satellite operators under pressure to squelch propaganda
by Jason Rainbow — May 11, 2022 [SN]
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As Elon Musk’s plan to take over Twitter ignites free speech debates on and off the social media hub, satellite operators face similar editorial questions amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Musk describes himself as a “free speech absolutist” and has put social media next on the list of markets to disrupt after transforming launch with reusable SpaceX rockets and — more recently — setting sights on satellite internet with Starlink, the world’s largest megaconstellation.
Although he has yet to detail specific changes to Twitter’s policies, some activists and civil rights leaders fear he could reverse years of efforts to reduce misinformation, hate speech and harassment on the platform.
https://spacenews.com/connecting-the-dots-freeing-speech-from-space-satellite-operators-under-pressure-to-squelch-propaganda/
U.S. Space Force to step up protection of satellite ground systems in the wake of Russia’s cyber attacks
by Sandra Erwin — May 19, 2022 [SN]
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Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations, Cyber and Nuclear, Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, participates in virtual panel discussion hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Credit: DoD
Lt. Gen. Saltzman said one lesson from the cyber attacks in Ukraine is that the main targets are not the satellites but the ground systems
WASHINGTON — Almost three months into the war in Ukraine, it’s still too early to draw conclusions about Russia’s capabilities to disrupt satellite-based communications but one clear takeaway is the importance of protecting the ground systems and network user equipment that provide many entry points for cyber attackers, a senior U.S. Space Force official said May 19.
https://spacenews.com/u-s-space-force-to-step-up-protection-of-satellite-ground-systems-in-the-wake-of-russias-cyber-attacks/
On National Security | Drawing lessons from the first ‘commercial space war’
by Sandra Erwin — May 20, 2022 [SN]
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Maxar satellite images show a 3.25-mile convoy of Russian ground forces with 100s of military vehicles NE of Ivankiv, Ukraine and moving toward Kyiv (40 miles away). Contains fuel, logistics, armored vehicles (tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery).
Throughout Russia’s invasion and offensive in Ukraine, some of the most compelling images of the war have come from satellites in space operated by private companies.
“For many of us who have been tirelessly watching this conflict from our TVs or smartphones, some of the most iconic scenes which come to mind are those of a huge Russian military convoy, stretching more than 60 kilometers northwest of Kyiv,” commented tech industry consultant Chetan Woodun.
https://spacenews.com/on-national-security-drawing-lessons-from-the-first-commercial-space-war/
Op-ed | Protecting Space Assets Above to Assert Geopolitical Dominance Below
by Chris Bogdan and Jim Reilly — May 23, 2022 [SN]
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Maxar commercial satellite imagery collected May 12, 2022, shows the aftermath of recent Russian attacks that damaged the Grande Pettine hotel, located on the beach by the Black Sea. Additional damage is seen at several buildings at the Odesa airport reportedly caused by Russian missile strikes. Credit: Maxar Technologies
Jim Reilly is a former NASA astronaut and current executive adviser at Booz Allen Hamilton. Chris Bogdan is Booz Allen’s senior vice president for the firm’s aerospace business.
While our space assets orbit the Earth hundreds of miles above, the invasion of Ukraine has shown that the space domain is not above deteriorating geopolitical conditions. In fact, the ongoing conflict has further solidified the critical role of space in modern warfighting and national security, highlighting that data collected from space assets is mission-critical for U.S. intelligence and defense operations—in addition to its ability to illustrate a clear picture of the situation to the public. In the past, most space-based overhead imagery, communications and data related to national security were provided by U.S. government or allied government systems. However, over the last two decades, commercial providers have expanded their capabilities to now provide services and data to the government that was, in the past, only provided by national systems. The conflict in Ukraine has shown us that we must now protect and make both our government and commercial space assets more resilient.
https://spacenews.com/op-ed-protecting-space-assets-above-to-assert-geopolitical-dominance-below/