Senior Position for Israeli Researcher: This Week in Space

Above and Beyond

Dr. Shimrit Maman, a senior researcher at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, has recently been appointed to a senior position at the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). During the federation’s annual international conference held this month in Milan, Italy, Dr. Maman was selected as Vice Chair of the Earth Observation Committee. This committee oversees remote-sensing satellite activities around Earth, with a strong focus on environmental and climate change issues. “This committee addresses some of the most pressing scientific and technological topics, selects conference discussion themes, formulates recommendations, and advises policymakers,” Dr. Maman explained to the Davidson Institute's website. “It’s a committee whose members are senior professionals from space agencies, industry, and academia, and we act as a bridge between the professional level and decision-makers. It could be described as scientific diplomacy.”

Having served as a regular committee member for the past three years, Dr. Maman has now been appointed Vice Chair for the next three years, alongside Annamaria Nassisi from the European aerospace corporation Thales Alenia Space. The committee is chaired by Luis Ferreira, head of space at Airbus. “The election reflects Israel’s capabilities and standing in the field,” said Dr. Maman. “Currently, there’s no other Israeli representative at this level in the federation, and for me, it feels like a mission. Especially at times like these, where every opportunity to advance the country is, in my view, invaluable.”

Maman’s role in promoting Israel through her committee work is evident  in her efforts to foster international collaborations between Israel and the global space community. Recently, the “Venμs” environmental research satellite, developed and operated in cooperation between Israel and France, concluded its mission. Maman, head of the Earth and Planetary Image facility at the Ben-Gurion University, a multidisciplinary laboratory studying aspects of remote sensing, imaging, environmental and planetary processes, was a scientist on the Venμs project, which collected data that will continue to engage researchers for a long time. She is already setting her sights on further international collaborations, including a project for early disaster warning systems using satellite data analysis powered by artificial intelligence. Maman also heads the Israel Regional Support Office (RSO) of the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER) under the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), and a pilot for this collaboration project will be conducted in the coming months in the town of Omer, near Be'er Sheva. “The system is designed to provide early warnings mainly for natural disasters such as floods, fires, earthquakes, sinkholes, and more. It’s based on the integration and analysis of satellite data,” Dr. Maman explained. “Therefore, collaboration with countries, companies, and organizations involved in satellite activities is essential.”

Maman’s work is recognized and appreciated not only for her academic achievements and professional collaborations but also for her educational contributions. She initiated and leads the Israeli She-Space program, which encourages high school-age girls to study science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) subjects by exposing them to advanced scientific disciplines and space activities—a program adopted by other countries. For this initiative, she received the Excellence in 3G Diversity Award from the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) in 2021. Maman is also active in promoting women in space professions both in Israel and worldwide and serves on the board of the Ramon Foundation.

At the conference, the foundation presented educational projects, including the Light The Sky initiative, launched during the ongoing war conflict. This project is a broad collaboration involving Bsmch Alpha, the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the Nitzanim Program by the Benetivei Udi non-profit organization, WIX, the Mamram Alumni Association, the Afeka Academic College of Engineering, and the Carasso Science Park.  The initiative aims to provide youth with a sense of escapism during wartime and connect them to the worlds of space and technology through programming challenges.

“All activities in research, education, society, and public service ultimately intersect,”  Maman concluded. “Together, they help to build bridges and connections, using space activities to improve life on Earth.”

Dr. Shimrit Maman focuses on fostering international collaborations. Maman at the astronautics conference in Milan with UAE astronauts Hazzaa Al Mansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi, Tal Ramon (son of the late Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, center), and Gil Doron, CEO of the Ramon Foundation (right) | Photo: Ramon Foundation

The Big Blue

After years of delays, Blue Origin has finally moved the first stage of its long awaited heavy-lift rocket, New Glenn, into a series of pre-launch tests. The company aims to achieve its inaugural launch before the end of the year. Standing nearly 58 meters tall, the rocket’s first stage has been placed on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center, where it will undergo a static fire test—igniting its engines without liftoff—alongside other essential checks. The second stage has already completed a similar series of tests. If all goes as planned, Blue Origin aims to launch the new rocket as early as November. However, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launch license still pending, the mission could be postponed to December or even January 2025.

New Glenn is a heavy-lift rocket comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy and ULA's Vulcan Centaur. Designed to transport up to 45 tons to low Earth orbit or carry smaller payloads to more distant locations, it features a first stage propelled by seven BE-4 engines.  These engines, which are developed and manufactured by Blue Origin and utilized by other aerospace companies, operate on a combination of methane (CH₄) and oxygen, mirroring the fuel system used by SpaceX's Starship. Like Starship, New Glenn’s first stage is intended to be reusable, with its first test landing planned on a sea-based barge. Blue Origin is also actively developing strategies to eventually recover and reuse the rocket’s second stage, aiming to significantly boost the overall economic efficiency of the system.

Development of New Glenn began over a decade ago, with its official reveal in 2016 and an initial launch target of 2020. Despite still being in early development, the company has secured several contracts to launch communication satellites with the new rocket. However, Blue Origin lost a key contract bid from the U.S. Air Force, and the resulting lack of funding led to further delays in development. Initially, the debut launch was intended to carry small NASA satellites to Mars, but NASA ultimately opted out when it became clear the rocket would not be ready for the Mars launch window in fall 2024. Instead,  Blue Origin will launch its own mission, DarkSky-1, to demonstrate the second stage’s capabilities and performance in Earth orbit, targeting potential civilian and defense clients.

Even if New Glenn overcomes all its challenges, Blue Origin will still face tough competition from SpaceX and its Starship. However, New Glenn is slated to launch Blue Origin’s lunar lander,  which has been selected for subsequent Artemis program missions after SpaceX’s Starship handles the first crewed landings. An operational heavy-lift rocket is also key to fulfilling the vision of the company’s founder and owner, Jeff Bezos, for the Orbital Reef—a private space station intended for commercial companies and space tourists.

 45 tons to low Earth orbit, with potential launch capabilities for lunar, Mars, and deep-space missions. New Glenn's first stage preparing for its initial launch test | Photo: Blue Origin

From the Space Station to the Hospital

Four astronauts returned last weekend from the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule after 235 days in space. Following the landing, all four—Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin—appeared to be in good condition during a NASA broadcast that showed them exiting the capsule onto the recovery ship. In a briefing held about an hour and a half after the landing, NASA and SpaceX officials confirmed that the crew was in excellent health.

A few hours later, NASA announced that, following routine medical checks onboard, it was decided to send the crew to a hospital in Pensacola, Florida, near the landing site in the Gulf of Mexico. Three crew members were released shortly afterward and flew to Houston, while one remained under observation at the hospital. According to a NASA statement, that individual was discharged the next day in good condition and rejoined the rest of the crew to continue routine post-mission activities. The astronaut's identity and medical details were withheld to protect their privacy.

The crew’s return—the eighth since astronaut missions to the station began using SpaceX capsules—was delayed by nearly two months due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule and NASA’s decision to return it empty, with its two crew members joining the station’s ninth crew mission. In recent days,  stormy weather in the planned landing area caused further delays in the crew’s return. This eighth crew set a record as the longest mission in space for a full crew.

All in good condition. The crew in SpaceX's Dragon capsule shortly after landing in the Gulf of Mexico | Photo: NASA/Joel Kowsky

A Station on the Way to Expansion

Three new crew members arrived at the Chinese space station Tiangong-3 this week aboard the Shenzhou-19 mission, launched from the Jiuquan space base. The crew commander, Cai Xuzhe, 48, is on his second space mission, following a previous mission to the Chinese station in 2022. The other two crew members, Wang Haoze, 34, and Song Lingdong, also 34, are on their first space missions. The new crew is expected to remain at the station for approximately six months, during which they will conduct numerous experiments, including a complex study on the growth of flies to examine their development in microgravity and the effects of the relative distance from Earth’s magnetic field. Upon arrival, they overlapped with the outgoing crew, who concluded their six-month mission in space and returned to Earth early this week.

In the coming years, China plans to expand its space station and enhance its activities. The next phase in the program involves attaching an additional module with six docking ports to Tiangong-3. This expansion will enable international collaborations, operations by commercial companies, and even space tourism, without interfering with ongoing scientific work.

Meanwhile, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSEO) announced this week the selection of two systems to conduct unmanned supply flights to the station, out of four proposals that reached the advanced planning stage. The selected systems are the Qingzhou Cargo Spacecraft, developed by a branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Haolong Space Cargo Shuttle, developed by a research institute under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). Each system is expected to deliver at least 1,800 kilograms of cargo per mission, at a cost not exceeding 120 million yuan (approximately $17 million USD) per ton of supplies. Although the development schedule for the new spacecraft has not yet been released, the launch vehicle for the Qingzhou spacecraft is expected to undergo its first tests in the second half of 2025.

A Voice from the Past

Voyager 1, the iconic spacecraft that has been journeying through space for 47 years and exited the solar system over a decade ago, recently reactivated a radio transmitter that hadn’t been used in more than 40 years. Teams managing the spacecraft noticed a communication issue when the spacecraft failed to respond to a routine command approximately two weeks and a half ago. The command had been intended to activate a heater, crucial for protecting Voyager’s instruments from the intense cold of space. A thorough examination revealed that Voyager 1 had shut down its main radio transmitter and switched to the backup radio. The likely reason for this switch was an automatic transition to a device that consumes less power, despite no apparent energy deficit was experienced by the spacecraft when it received the command.

It appears that the main radio shutdown occurred at least three times within a few days. In response, NASA attempted to send commands through the backup radio, though there were concerns about the spacecraft’s ability to transmit data using the weaker transmitter. This transmitter was last activated in 1981, when Voyager 1 was much closer to Earth. Mission engineers were uncertain if its signals could reach Earth now, with the spacecraft located over 24 billion kilometers away, far beyond the solar system. After two tense days—owing to the vast distance, it takes almost a full day for radio signals to travel between Voyager 1 and Earth—communication with Voyager was successfully reestablished.

Researchers can now investigate the cause of the malfunction that prompted Voyager 1 to switch radio transmitters and are working to restore the veteran spacecraft to normal operation.In recent years, the Voyager spacecraft have faced multiple issues, including a software glitch and an orientation system failure. These problems are expected to increase as the aging pair continue their journey. The challenge of finding solutions will also intensify as the spacecraft move farther away, with current technology diverging significantly from the 1970s-era systems originally used to equip the Voyagers.

Accumulating issues over the years. Simulation of Voyager 1 in space | Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech