SpaceX

• Through this flight to the Moon, they will provide insights into the lunar surface environment and test technologies for future landers and Artemis astronauts.
• At 1:05 a.m. EST on Thursday, Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
• Once on the Moon, NASA instruments will focus on investigating space weather/lunar surface interactions and radio astronomy.
• The NASA science aboard will spend approximately seven days gathering valuable scientific data about Earth's nearest neighbor, helping pave the way for the first woman and first person of color to explore the Moon under Artemis.

• The earth observation segment in the optical satellite market is being driven by evolving global security dynamics.
• The Asia Pacific region is witnessing robust growth in the optical satellite market driven by key business factors.
• Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research & development activities, and new product launches in the optical satellite market
  Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative markets - the report analyses the optical satellite market across varied regions.
• Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the optical satellite market
  Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of leading players in the optical satellite market

• HOUSTON, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intuitive Machines, Inc. (Nasdaq: LUNR, LUNRW) (“Intuitive Machines”) (“Company”), a leading space exploration, infrastructure, and services company, and SpaceX have analyzed the data from the lunar lander fueling tests for the IM-1 mission and determined the testing campaign is complete.
• Liftoff of the IM-1 mission is targeted for a multi-day launch window that opens at 12:57 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 14, 2024, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
• The Intuitive Machines IM-1 mission is the Company’s first attempted lunar landing as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (“CLPS”) initiative, a key part of NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration efforts.
• The science and technology payloads sent to the Moon’s surface as part of CLPS intend to lay the foundation for human missions and a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.

• Since 2019, I’ve watched my unencumbered enthusiasm for rocket launches soften to tepid interest, and finally sour to outright dread.
• The final nail in the coffin for my love of rocket launches came with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite megaconstellations.
• Read more:
  Soon, 1 out of every 15 points of light in the sky will be a satellite

Crowded orbits

• SpaceX has launched thousands of their own Starlink communication satellites, as well as hundreds of satellites for their direct competitors.
• As an astronomer, I’m painfully aware of what these thousands of new satellites have done to the night sky worldwide.
• Starlink satellites are the most numerous and occupy some of the lowest orbits, so they make up the majority of the satellites seen in the sky.

Lost information and knowledge

• Astronomers are the canaries in the coal mine for this rapidly expanding experiment in orbit: we see these satellites increasingly affecting our research every day.
• I have watched over the past five years as satellite streaks in my own research images from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope have changed from an unusual occurrence to lost data in nearly every image.

• Astronomy is the only way to learn about the universe, the overwhelming majority of which can never be explored by humans.
• There are a handful of telescopes in Low Earth Orbit that also have to contend with light pollution from Starlink and other megaconstellations.

Government regulation needed

• Regulation on the number of satellites in orbit would force corporations toward technology improvements and service models that use fewer satellites, keeping orbit usable for future generations.
• Read more:
  It's not too late to save the night sky, but governments need to get serious about protecting it

  Ask your government representatives to support satellite regulation, and expansion of rural broadband.

• With proper regulation, our oldest form of space exploration can continue.

Samantha Lawler receives research funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.