[ad_1]
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled a record 143 small satellites into polar orbit on Sunday in the company’s first dedicated “carpool” mission, a response to growing demand for low-cost access to space from companies and smaller, non-traditional institutions.
The “Transporter 1” mission also served as a reminder of the ongoing debate about what role the government should play in regulating the increasingly populated domain of low Earth orbit where collisions would create high-speed shrapnel that threatens other spacecraft.
“There are no universally accepted ‘rules of the road’ for the safety of space operations, much less a regulatory regime for active risk management and collision prevention,” wrote NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel in its annual report. 2020 recently released.
“As the potential for orbital collisions increases with increasing congestion, it is important to recognize that the risks to astronauts, critical national security capabilities and global space trade are also increasing.”
William Harwood / CBS News
Running one day late Due to inclement weather, the Transporter 1 mission began with a ground-shaking roar at 10 a.m. ET as the Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral and took off on a rare trajectory to the southeast into an orbit 326 miles high around from the poles of the Earth.
After propelling the rocket out of the lower atmosphere, the first stage, making its fifth flight, fell and flew toward a landing on the target on an offshore drone ship southeast of Miami. It was the successful 73rd booster recovery from SpaceX and the 51st at sea.
The 143 satellites at the top of the second stage were the most launched by a single rocket, eclipsing the previous mark of 104 satellites set by India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in February 2017.
“Excited to Offer Low-Cost Orbit Access for Small Businesses!” SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted on Friday.
SpaceX charges a relatively low $ 1 million to launch a 440-pound satellite and $ 5,000 for every 2.2 pounds above that base level. The company says Transporter missions will take place every four months or so, as needed.
Sunday’s flight featured a smorgasbord of CubeSats, nano-satellites and other small spacecraft provided by multiple companies and institutions.
The manifesto included 10 of SpaceX’s Starlink internet relay stations, bringing the total launched to date to 1,025, 48 planet-built SuperDove Earth imaging satellites and a wide variety of “small satellites” dedicated to commercial applications. , technology development and scientific research. and education.
The commemorative space flight company Celestis sent ashes in small containers representing 114 “participants,” including the ashes of the late CBS News Radio correspondent Dave Barrett, a longtime space enthusiast.
Shared-ride flights are a recent business innovation that provides companies and institutions with relatively fast and affordable access to space that they could not otherwise secure.
Exolaunch
But critics worry that the increasing number of satellites, in the absence of government regulation and control, will translate into an increased threat of potentially catastrophic collisions.
The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel called space debris “a major safety concern” and the “dominant contributor to crew loss prediction calculations” for the astronaut shuttles SpaceX Crew Dragon and Boeing Starliner and the Orion space capsule. from Lockheed Martin.
Space debris also contributes to two of the top three risks facing the International Space Station.
“The danger persists and continues to grow exponentially,” the report states. “Space is becoming more congested. For example, CubeSats and other small satellites are launched with increasing frequency, and various companies are deploying mega-constellations with hundreds, or even thousands, of satellites.”
The US Space Force provides satellite tracking, but it is becoming increasingly difficult and there is no regulatory framework governing active risk management and collision avoidance.
“Given the recent rise in non-traditional commercial space operations, including satellite service, space tourism, and the deployment of large numbers of satellites to provide Internet access around the world, updates to existing roles and responsibilities may be appropriate, “said ASAP.
“As things stand today, there are no clear lines of authority to direct coherence between the many entities operating in space.”
[ad_2]
