WASHINGTON - ARLINGTON, Va. - The Space Force released its Commercial Space Strategy April 10, which details how the service is retooling processes and cultivating commercial partnerships to increase U.S. competitive advantage.

The Commercial Space strategy aligns with the Department of Defense Commercial Space Integration Strategy released on April 2.

The strategy signals a fundamental mindset shift for the Space Force and how it supports the Joint force; the service will institutionalize and operationalize commercial capabilities by integrating space goods, services, and activities.

“The Space Force has formalized how we want to move forward with commercial industry in a new approach to reset and improve our connection to the space economy; we need their innovations,” said Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton, deputy chief of Space Operations, Strategy, Plans, Programs, and Requirements. “We carefully constructed the Commercial Space Strategy to drive development of more resilient and combat-capable architectures while deploying them faster, in greater numbers, and at a lower cost.

The Space Force will implement four lines of effort to achieve this strategy: (1) Collaborative Transparency; (2) Operational and Technical Integration; (3) Risk Management; and (4) Secure the Future.

Priority mission areas for new commercial integration are Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking; Space-Based Environmental Monitoring; Positioning, Navigation, and Timing; and Space Access, Mobility and Logistics; as well as the continued integration of commercial capabilities into mature mission areas like Satellite Communication, Launch, and Space Domain Awareness.

The Space Force will use four criteria, in line with DoD policy and guidelines, to inform decision-making related to utilizing commercial space solutions: (1) Operational Utility; (2) Feasibility; (3) Resilience by Design; and (4) Speed to Fielding.

Space Force support to combatant commanders relies on the ability to operate in space freely, effectively and with certainty. The pacing challenge is moving aggressively to challenge U.S.’ space supremacy and the ability to operate there - partnering with industry under Commercial Space Strategy guidance will enhance national security and fortify capabilities.

Source: USSF
Associated URL: https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3736616/ussf-releases-commercial-space-strategy-to-increase-competitive-advantage/

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Rocket Lab USA, Inc. announced it is returning a previously flown Electron rocket first stage tank into the Electron production line for the first time in preparation for reflying the stage. The step is a significant milestone in Rocket Lab’s development program to make Electron the world’s first reusable small orbital launch vehicle.

Rocket Lab has successfully recovered multiple Electron first stages from previous missions by returning them to Earth under a parachute after launch, splashing them down in the ocean, then collecting them onto a specially modified boat for transfer back to Rocket Lab’s production complex. All previously recovered boosters have undergone extensive analysis to inform an iterative development process to make Electron reusable, but this is the first time a tank has been moved back onto the standard production line in preparation for reflight.The stage was successfully launched and recovered as part of the ‘Four of a Kind’ mission on 31 January 2024 and has already passed more acceptance tests than any other recovered Electron stage, including:

· Tank pressurization test - a process that filled the carbon composite tank with inert gas and held it in excess of maximum operating pressure for more than 20x longer than the standard Electron flight duration;

· Helium leak check - a stringent process that determines there are no leaks in the tank; and

· Carbon fiber structural testing - including ultrasonic assessment and other non-destructive tests to confirm no delamination of the carbon composite tank fibers.

The stage will now undergo final fit out and rigorous qualification and acceptance testing to the same standard as a brand-new Electron tank to determine the recovered stage’s suitability for reflight. Rocket Lab has carried out iterative modifications across multiple recovery missions to hone the recovery process ahead of first reflight, including:

· Ensuring Electron’s carbon composite structure survives the intense heat and forces of atmospheric reentry through innovative coatings, heat shields, and advanced reaction control systems to control the angle of reentry;

· Refining the parachute system to ensure reliable deployment and smooth deceleration from more than 2,300 meters per second to 10 meters per second;

· Honing the telemetry and tracking systems so the marine recovery team can locate the stage as soon as it splashes down;

· Streamlining the process of collecting the stage from the water in less than an hour, then ensuring safe transit back to the Rocket Lab production complex; and

· Successful launch of a previously flown Rutherford engine.

The payload scheduled to launch on the recovered stage will be announced following the completion of final acceptance and qualification testing.

Source: Rocket Lab
Associated URL: https://www.rocketlabusa.com/updates/rocket-lab-returns-previously-flown-electron-to-production-line-in-preparation-for-first-reflight/

TURIN, Italy - Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a framework contract divided into different tranches with the European Space Agency (ESA), worth a total of €522m, to continue essential activities for the completion of the ExoMars 2028 mission. The contract includes the development of the Mars Entry, Descent and Landing Module (EDLM) and maintenance activities on vehicles already built for the 2022 mission.

The upcoming ExoMars mission, set for launch from the Kennedy Space Center between October and December 2028, will explore the Martian surface in search of signs of past life, a quest that has long fascinated humanity. Led by ESA with a major involvement by NASA, ExoMars 2028 will deliver a European rover capable of autonomous driving on the planet’s surface. Scheduled to reach Mars in 2030 after a long voyage, the rover, fitted with a drill developed by Leonardo, will collect soil samples by drilling into the Martian soil up to 2 meters deep and will analyze their chemical, physical and biological properties using its advanced Analytical Laboratory Drawer (ALD) developed by Thales Alenia Space. One of the mission objectives is to search for subsurface bacteria, living or fossilized, which would be evidence of extant or previous life on the Red Planet.

In the meantime, the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), built with Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor, is still orbiting Mars. Tasked with detecting trace gases, especially methane, in the Martian atmosphere, TGO plays a key role in understanding potential indicators of life on Mars. Additionally, it continues to transmit most of the data from Mars, including from NASA’s Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, contributing to ongoing research efforts. TGO still has a significant amount of fuel, and its operational life will be extended to support the ExoMars 2028 mission. Thales Alenia Space’s role

As industrial prime contractor for the ExoMars 2028 mission, Thales Alenia Space is responsible for designing the Entry, Descent and Landing Module (EDLM), developing its radar altimeter, integrating the Analytical Laboratory Drawer (ALD) on the rover and developing the onboard computer. Thales Alenia Space is also responsible for assembly, integration and test activities (AIT), as well as overseeing the launch campaign.

Under this contract, Thales Alenia Space will lead the definition of the Entry, Descent and Landing Module and maintenance activities for the transfer module (carrier) and the rover, including upgrades and replacement of time-sensitive elements. A full audit and tests will be carried out on the rover to ensure its readiness for the new mission. In addition, replacement of some payload elements is planned, such as integration of the new Enfys infrared spectrometer. The batteries and tanks will be replaced on the carrier module as well as potential adjustments to align with the updated trajectories to Mars. New developments on the descent module and landing pad are also required, because the European avionics part of the descent module will be reused.

Source: Thales
Associated URL: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/space/press_release/search-life-mars-goes-exomars-2028