WorldVu Satellites Ltd., which has a license to operate a global network of low-orbiting Ku-band satellites to provide Internet access to fixed and mobile terminals, on Jan. 15 said it has secured chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. and Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group as investors.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who had been in discussions with WorldVu founder Greg Wyler, is absent from the investor list, at least for now, Wyler said. But with Musk set to announce Jan. 16 that he is building a satellite production facility in Seattle, Musk may be in a position to win at least part of the business of WorldVu, now called OneWeb Ltd. (1/15)
Sniffles Delay Singer Sarah Brightman's Space Training (Source: NBC)
"Bood' zdorova, Sarah Brightman!" The Russian words for "get well" just might be one of the phrases that the world-famous soprano hears the most as she prepares for spaceflight training at Russia's Star City complex. Brightman arrived in Moscow this week to prepare for her 10-day, $52 million trip to the International Space Station in October.
However, Thursday's scheduled start of training had to be delayed until next week because she caught a cold, the Itar-Tass news agency reported. For now, Brightman's trainers will have to keep themselves in the mood by listening to her rendition of "I Will Be With You." (1/15)
Russian Cargo Spacecraft to Supply ISS With Black Caviar (Source: Sputnik)
The Russian unmanned cargo spacecraft, Progress M-26M will deliver black caviar to the International Space Station (ISS) crew, in addition to the cosmonauts' daily food rations, the chief of the ISS nutrition service said. "In the list of orders – black, sturgeon’s roe [caviar]. Besides freeze-dried products, we will deliver apples, lemons, oranges, tomatoes, condensed milk as usual. One of the cosmonauts asked for tea without sugar, which will also be delivered," Agureyev said. (1/15)
US Foods for ISS Stalled at Russian Customs to Get Clearance Soon (Source: Itar-Tass)
Russia has confirmed that a cargo of US-manufactured foods for the International Space Station (ISS), stalled at the Russian Customs, is not critically important and the delayed clearance will by no means affect the normal operation of the ISS. A NASA official in Russia said, for his part, that the US foods had been ordered by Russian cosmonauts, and not their US or European counterparts.
“It is true that the cargo of US foods, to be sent to the ISS, has not been through the Customs yet,” the spokesperson for the space rocket corporation Energia, Irina Romanova, told TASS. “But this will create no problems for the crew. Firstly, the food reserve available on the ISS is large enough. Secondly, we are certain that the issue will be settled in the routine mode in the near future.” (1/15)
Soyuz Glitches Shake European Commission’s Confidence in Vehicle (Source: Space News)
A telemetry failure during the otherwise successful Dec. 18 launch of a Europeanized Soyuz rocket — the second consecutive malfunction of the rocket’s upper stage during launch — raises questions about whether European governments will trust the vehicle to launch Europe’s Galileo positioning, navigation and timing constellation, European government and industry officials said. (1/15)
Rocky Planets Around Cool Stars May Have Earthlike Climates (Source: Science News)
There may be more Earthlike environments in the universe than previously thought. Warm, rocky planets that orbit close to their stars might not end up with one side in perpetual daylight as suspected, allowing such planets to sustain an environment hospitable to life.
For the first time, researchers have shown that the gentle tug of a star’s gravity on a relatively thin atmosphere can keep a planet spinning even when other forces threaten to slow it down. While planetary scientists have long suspected that this process keeps Venus slowly turning, the mechanism could also work on a planet without Venus’ massive atmosphere, Jérémy Leconte says. (1/15)
Bitterman Abruptly Leaves ULA after Three Years as Head of Government Affairs (Source: Space News)
Veteran space lobbyist Mark Bitterman abruptly left United Launch Alliance Jan. 14 after just more than three years as vice president of government affairs for the Denver-based launch company.
“Today was my last day at ULA,” Bitterman wrote in a short email to colleagues titled “Moving on,” a copy of which was obtained by SpaceNews. “It has been a pleasure working with you over the past several years. I look forward to reconnecting in the not-too-distant future.” (1/15)
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