Chilled to the Drone
NJ state officials convince the public not to worry about mysterious flying drones, the Trump administration replaces Bill Nelson with Jared Isaacman, and all the other ways space got frosty.
Vega C-ing Is Believing – Kicking off Continuum this week with some launch news, we have Europe’s long-anticipated Vega C rocket, which blasted to the skies on December 5th. Led by Arianespace, the launch was a valiant return to flight for the rocket, after its last attempt in 2022 ended abruptly in the loss of two Earth-observation satellites. In the years since its failure, prime contractor Avio redesigned and tested the rocket’s Zefiro-40 motor – all while withstanding mounting pressure from Europe, who was eagerly waiting for a sovereign rocket after Ariane 5’s retirement. Fortunately for all, the motor performed well: one hour and 45 minutes after launch, Vega C’s upper stage deployed its precious payload, the Sentinel-1C Earth observation satellite. Built by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency (ESA) and European Commission, the satellite is part of the continent’s Copernicus program. Not wasting any time, Sentinel-1C has already delivered its first radar images, including a high-res visual of ice coverage around a remote archipelago in Norway. All in all, a flawless flight and spacecraft deployment meant a “double win” for Europe, and we’re here for it.
A New Dawn – Earlier this month, President-Elect Donald Trump took to Truth Social to announce Jared Isaacman as his pick for NASA Administrator. Sure, why not add another billionaire to the mix? Should the Senate approve the nomination, Isaacman – the entrepreneur behind two private space missions including Inspiration4 and this year’s Polaris Dawn – will replace Bill Nelson as the next administrator for the US space agency. In regard to the President-elect’s reasoning, Trump highlighted Isaacman’s “dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration,” and this checks out: the Polaris Dawn mission not only achieved the first private spacewalk but also reached the highest altitude of any crewed mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. Maybe Isaacman doesn’t have the same government background as someone like Nelson, but he carries a wealth of industry experience that’s relevant in a time when NASA and commercial space are tightly connected. Plus, considering that Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn were both led by SpaceX, Isaacman will already have a friend at the political table. Leading the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk will join Isaacman in a seat of power, and an existing professional relationship will hopefully lead to smooth sailing. Simultaneously, while the duo could certainly enhance space progress, there is a question of “at what cost?”. With federal agencies like the FAA on the side of industry, launches will be faster – but so could environmental impacts. How does Nelson feel about it all? Well, he’s “basically optimistic.” Funny, I said the same thing about getting my Christmas shopping done before the 24th.
State of Artemis – On his exit, current NASA Administrator Bill Nelson leaves behind Artemis, the agency’s central human spaceflight program designed to return humans to the Moon. As with other NASA flagship efforts, Artemis has been plagued with cost overruns and scheduling delays, and the latest is a delay of the first crewed flight from 2025 to 2026. Three NASA astronauts and one Canadian astronaut were prepared to take off next September as part of Artemis II, a mission that would use the agency’s colossal Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion crew capsule to orbit the Moon before returning to Earth, setting the stage for a lunar landing with Artemis III. Now, largely due to problem solving around Orion's heat shield, the agency is aiming for April 2026 and mid-2027 for Artemis II and III, respectively. While this would still put US astronauts on the Moon before China plans to touch down in 2030, further delays could jeopardize that reality. Perhaps, it’s time for a change. Musk’s Starship has been considered as a more efficient and cost-effective replacement for the SLS. But, Musk could have his Starship sights set on Mars. It’s unclear if Musk’s Red Planet-colored glasses would pull focus (and funds) away from Artemis in the coming administration; the thought of surrendering the Moon’s south pole real estate to China might just be enough drive to stay on course.
This edition of Continuum is brought to you by the Space Resources program at the Colorado School of Mines.
UFDs (Unidentified Flying Drones) – In New Jersey, the past few weeks can only be described as chaos, with numerous accounts of unidentified flying objects drones lurking in the night skies. As this comes on the heels of a recent Congress hearing around secretive UAP programs in the US, the panic was quick to set in. Social media conspiracy theories have run amuck, including one that claims that the government is “testing us” to see how we’ll react to such phenomena. While state officials have assured the public that there is no immediate threat, local law enforcement and the FBI are investigating the identity and purpose of the drones. Now, when the word “UAP” comes up, NASA isn’t usually far behind. But is this a job for the agency’s UAP Independent Study Team, or is some government agency being mum about an undisclosed experiment? Surely, everyone will feel a whole lot better when the intentions of the aircraft are exposed. For now, the FAA has banned the use of drones in certain areas – like a golf course frequented by Trump – until they have control over the situation.
Honorable Mentions
Our final notable nuggets.
SALLY – A feature-length documentary about the life of astronaut Sally Ride will premiere at Sundance Film Festival next month. Directed by Cristina Costantini, the film depicts the sacrifices made by Ride in order to become the first American woman in space.
Another One – The commercial spaceflight “learning period” will be extended yet again, from January 1st to the end of 2027, punting FAA regulation three more years.
A Space Room for Everyone – Madame Tussauds New York just unveiled a new “Space Room” exhibit, welcoming an Elon Musk figure to haunt your dreams inspire celestially-inclined visitors. I’m sure if there was audio involved, it would be a recording of Musk waxing poetic about his Martian settlement.
Floodgate – On its face, a burst water pipe might not stand a chance against the Sun, but it can take down a data processing center and cut off our observation of the powerful star. With NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) processing center down due to flood damage, tracking incoming solar storms will have to wait until 2025. So, I guess we’ll just cross our fingers?
Call in the Magnetometers – Fortunately, not all hope is lost for predicting celestial storms. Under a $26.1 million contract, the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will develop magnetometers for NASA and the NOAA. These tools can measure the magnetic fields of solar winds to more accurately forecast space weather.
The JWST Download
Astrophysicists have studied two years of JWST observations to confirm that a notorious discrepancy in the universe’s expansion rate, known as the Hubble Tension, is still – well, tense. With the corroboration that the universe is expanding 8% faster than expected, scientists must now shift focus to why – and they believe the answer lies in the dark matter and dark energy that makes up 96% of the universe.
Webb and Hubble may finally be on the same page, but there’s soon to be a new lass in town – and she goes by Nancy. Set to launch in May 2027, the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope recently received its final major component, the Optical Telescope Assembly. The telescope now waits in the largest clean room in NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to be integrated with the rest of the observatory.
This edition of Continuum is supported by the Open Lunar Foundation. Open Lunar's work sets precedents, creates pathways, and builds projects that enable a peaceful, cooperative lunar presence. Learn more about Open Lunar's work by joining their upcoming events.
A Global Space
ESA & ISRO – A four-stage Indian rocket known as the PSLV-XL launched a pair of European spacecraft to orbit on December 5th. The European Space Agency (ESA) thanked the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its “picture perfect” delivery of Proba-3, a “double satellite” that will perform complex maneuvers, effectively creating an artificial solar eclipse. As you can imagine, the task is far from easy; according to the mission manager, to pull off the faux-eclipse, the spacecraft will need to achieve “positioning accuracy down to the thickness of the average fingernail while positioned one and a half football pitches apart.” It’s a tall order, but if Proba-3 succeeds, it could just deliver a radical view of the sun’s corona,
Japan – Not so lucky in the launch department this month was Japan. After a second explosion during ground combustion tests, JAXA has announced that it will likely punt its Epsilon S rocket launch beyond March of 2025, as planned. The problem lies in the second-stage solid-fuel booster, which succumbed to combustion pressure – twice. In addition to a failed test last month, the booster suffered a similar fate in July of 2023. While last year’s loss was attributed to melted igniter parts, the latest snag is still being investigated. It’s an unwelcome delay for a rocket destined for sovereign satellite launches – effectively postponing Japan’s efforts to build prominence in LEO.
China – Whether in space or in a crowded department store one week before Christmas, it’s good to be spatially aware. One country that seems to be heeding this lesson more than most is China, with the development of a comprehensive space object catalog and upcoming satellite launch for its Guowang low Earth orbit (LEO) megaconstellation. The recent rollout of a Long March 5B rocket at Wenchang spaceport along with temporarily restricted airspace – running until December 16 – suggests that the country aims to launch its Guowang satellites sometime in the coming week. These spacecraft will be the first to launch for the national network, backed by China’s central government, which will eventually consist of 13,000 satellites. The Guowang constellation is not to be confused with the Shanghai-based Thousand Sails project, which has put 54 spacecraft into orbit so far this year.
Panama & Austria – The US-led Artemis Accords hit the big 50 this week, with Panama and Austria signing the set of principles in two ceremonies held on December 11th. It’s a good sign for space collaboration, with the total number of signatures reaching 17 in 2024, more than any other year. While 50 is a solid number to go out on, departing NASA Administrator Bill Nelson might be lucky enough to squeeze in two more before he “hand[s] the baton off” to the new administration. What’s so great about two signatures? A total of 52 signatures means that a majority of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) members would be attached to the Accords.
Russia – Care packages are typically a welcome gift, but when the cosmonauts on board the Russian segment of the ISS opened the hatch for their latest cargo delivery, they were met with a notably unwelcome, “toxic” smell. Of course, the cosmonauts did the sensible thing and closed the hatch immediately. NASA activated air scrubbers and used contaminant sensors, ultimately deeming the space station as safe. That being said, the origin of “spray paint”-like smell remains a mystery. Meanwhile, Starliner smiles from its deathbed, grateful to not be the leaky ISS spacecraft everyone’s talking about.
And that’s a wrap on this week in space news! A big thank you to Tess Ryan for writing this edition and for keeping up with the cosmos!