📄Top Stories

The National Security Space Association (NSSA) calls for a substantial increase in the U.S. Space Force budget to maintain space superiority against mounting threats from China and Russia. Meanwhile, the GOP introduces a stopgap funding bill enhancing defense allocations beyond FY24 levels. In other news, ESA selects its inaugural CubeSat for the Ramses mission, and the Aries SN1 satellite celebrates one year in orbit, showcasing significant advancements in the space industry.

📰Detailed Coverage

Doubling Down on U.S. Space Force Budget

The National Security Space Association (NSSA) has formally recommended doubling the U.S. Space Force’s budget to $60 billion over the next five years. This call to action stems from increasing concerns over space threats from nations like China and Russia. The NSSA’s position paper articulates the urgency of bolstering U.S. capabilities to ensure sustained national security and technological advancement in space.

Technical analysis indicates that current funding levels may not suffice to adequately prepare for emerging challenges. By elevating the budget, the Space Force could potentially develop new satellite systems, enhance space tracking capabilities, and reinforce defensive measures against adversarial advances.

Read the full story: Space War

GOP Approves Boost in Defense Funding

The GOP has passed a stopgap funding measure that earmarks an additional $8 billion for the Central Command and European Command. This increase aims to support U.S. military operations and enhance deterrence capabilities in these regions.

This budgetary elevation not only underlines the U.S.’s commitment to maintaining global military influence but also indirectly emphasizes the strategic importance of satellite monitoring and communication systems that bolster these operations.

Read the full story: Breaking Defense

ESA’s Ramses Mission: First CubeSat Selected

ESA has successfully selected the first CubeSat for its ambitious Ramses mission, aimed at studying the asteroid Apophis. This mission follows the Hera project, which launched last October, with CubeSats Milani and Juventas set to facilitate the examination of the asteroid’s deflection attempt.

These small satellites provide an economical and effective way of conducting space research. The Ramses mission will continue this trend by leveraging innovations in CubeSat technology to gather detailed data, thereby enhancing our understanding of near-Earth objects and potential asteroid impact mitigation strategies.

Read the full story: Space Daily

Aries Satellite’s One-Year Milestone in Orbit

Apex has marked the first anniversary of its Aries Serial Number One (SN1) satellite in orbit, a testament to its high-rate configurable bus platforms for satellite manufacturing. This achievement not only highlights Apex’s role in the commercial and governmental space sectors but also reinforces the reliability and performance of their satellite technologies over extended periods.

The Aries SN1’s swift orbital achievements emphasize the potential advantages of using such platforms for future missions requiring adaptable satellite solutions. This event underscores the importance of satellite bus platforms in broadening the operational scopes of future space endeavors.

Read the full story: Space Daily

🛰️Satellite Spotlight

• Satellite Name: GNOMES-1
• NORAD ID: 46266
• Launch Date: 2020 Aug 30
• Mission: This satellite is part of a mission focused on Earth sciences, equipped with the Pyxis RO sensor to collect valuable atmospheric data.
• Orbit: Inclination: 97.8345°, Period: 96.18 minutes, Eccentricity: nominal
• Operator: PlanQ
• Fun Fact: GNOMES-1 quickly became operational within a day of its launch, a feat demonstrating efficient deployment and commissioning in space.

Current TLE Data:

1 46266U 20059B   25069.80005129  .00004124  00000+0  36341-3 0  9997
2 46266  97.8345 274.3487 0006023  87.2039 272.9872 14.96999625246185

Track this satellite in real-time on our web app: Track GNOMES-1

🚀Upcoming Space Launches

March 11

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation:
  • Long March 8 | G60 Group TBD from Wenchang Space Launch Site, People’s Republic of China (16:31 UTC) Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the G60 constellation aiming to expand to 12,000 satellites by 2027.

March 12

• SpaceX:

  • Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 12-21 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA (02:48 UTC) A batch of 21 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation for space-based Internet communication.

• SpaceX:

  • Falcon 9 Block 5 | SPHEREx & PUNCH from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (03:09 UTC) SPHEREx will survey the sky in near-infrared light, gathering data on over 300 million galaxies. PUNCH will focus on the Sun’s outer atmosphere.

• SpaceX:

  • Falcon 9 Block 5 | Crew-10 from Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA (23:48 UTC) Tenth crewed operational flight to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

March 13

• SpaceX:
  • Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 12-16 from Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA (11:23 UTC) Part of the Starlink project for global Internet communication.

March 14

• SpaceX:
  • Falcon 9 Block 5 | Transporter 13 (Dedicated SSO Rideshare) from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (06:39 UTC) A dedicated rideshare to a sun-synchronous orbit with multiple microsatellites and nanosatellites.

March 15

• Rocket Lab:

  • Electron | The Lightning God Reigns (iQPS Launch 1) from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand (00:00 UTC) Launching a synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellite for iQPS.

• China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation:

  • Long March 2D | Unknown Payload from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People’s Republic of China (04:03 UTC)

• Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center:

  • Angara 1.2 | Kosmos (Unknown Payload) from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation (10:30 UTC) Russian military payloads of undisclosed purpose.

• Firefly Aerospace:

  • Firefly Alpha | FLTA006 (Message in a Booster) from Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA (13:25 UTC) Demonstration mission for Lockheed Martin’s LM400 satellite bus for communications, imagery, and radar Earth observations.

Note: Launch dates and times are subject to change due to technical or weather considerations.