/sci/ - Science & Math

Japan is studying a reusable rocket, but it won’t fly before 2030, Northrop Grumman to join Voyager Space commercial space station project (Nanoracks is part of Voyager Space)
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https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/10/a-reusable-rocket-is-on-japans-road-map-for-space-development/
> This launcher would replace the H3 rocket, which hasn't yet become operational.
> There's no design yet for this still-unnamed rocket. A JAXA spokesperson told Space News that engineers haven't settled on a fuel. It could be cryogenic methane, the fuel favored by most companies developing new reusable launch rockets, or Japan could stick with liquid hydrogen, the super-cold fuel used on the H-2A and H3 rockets.
> Like many countries, Japan views independent access to space as a strategic imperative. Like other large spacefaring nations, Japan prefers to launch its spy satellites and scientific probes on homemade rockets.
> Japanese startups built on an entrepreneurial model similar to SpaceX and Rocket Lab are also vying to carve out a place for themselves in the launch market. One of those companies, Interstellar Technologies, unveiled a design for a large reusable rocket named Deca earlier this year. Interstellar has successfully launched a suborbital rocket into space and is working on a small orbital-class rocket as an intermediate step before the much heavier Deca vehicle.
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https://spacenews.com/northrop-grumman-to-join-voyager-space-commercial-space-station-project/
> LOS ANGELES — Northrop Grumman will drop plans to develop its own commercial space station and instead assist a competing effort led by Voyager Space, the companies announced Oct. 4.
> Voyager Space recently added Airbus Defence and Space to its team, creating a joint venture to enable development of Starlab.

So there is now Vast, Axiom, Gravitics, Starlab (Voyager Space/Nanoracks/Airbus/Northrop Grumman)

Unclear how and in what situations US military arms would defend starlink, Foust article about BO CEO change (nothing new really but there is a comments section if you are interested in that)
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https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/09/space-force-chief-foresees-role-in-protecting-commercial-satellites/
> Space Force chief says commercial satellites may need defending
> "It would stand to reason that same philosophy would extend into space."
> In a modern war, "there are going to be commercial entities, commercial organizations, commercial capabilities and assets that get caught up in the conflicts," Saltzman said. "Space is no different than sea lanes. It’s no different than civilian airliner traffic in Europe right now. The US has a long history of saying we’re going to protect the things that we need to be successful. So it would stand to reason that that same philosophy would extend into space, and I have no reason to believe that that will be different.”
> Space Command is currently led by US Army Gen. James Dickinson. In July, Dickinson basically punted on a similar question about defending commercial satellites from a foreign attack.
> "I do have a mission area protecting and defending, and that's widely known, assets on orbit," he replied. "But to be honest with you, those have to be directed to me by, you know, my boss, and my boss's boss, eventually if that were to happen."
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https://spacenews.com/blue-origin-ceo-smith-to-step-down/
> Blue Origin CEO Smith to step down
> “When I joined Blue, we had very, very little revenue,” Smith said at the June conference. “Now we have hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue as well as billions of dollars in orders, so we’re in a very good position.”