Short Takes – 6-3-25

First Axiom Space-Tested Aspera Biomedicines Drug Advances Toward Clinical Trials. AxiomSpace.com article. Pull quote: “Microgravity provides an accelerated environment for disease modeling, and the Ax-4 mission aims to generate additional preclinical data for diverse tumor types. Axiom Space and SSCI have been collaborating since 2022 to explore the potential of microgravity to accelerate cancer research. Inspired by previous NASA research, Dr. Jamieson and her team recognized the opportunity to further their research in this unique environment to obtain reliable scientific results, paving the way for a quicker clinical transition of experimental drugs. Microgravity is an environment where tumors have been shown to grow more quickly, and where better drug candidates may be selected for improved odds of working in patients, especially for those with faster disease progressions.”

Impulse Space raises $300 million for expansion and new technology development. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “He said while Impulse plans to ramp up Mira and Helios production, it has not set a target for the number of vehicles annually it plans to produce. That expansion will involve the company’s current facilities in Southern California as well as growing its current small presence in Boulder, Colorado.”

Suitability and Fitness. Federal Register OPM notice of proposed rulemaking. Summary: “The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing amendments to the Federal Government personnel vetting adjudicative processes for determining suitability and taking suitability actions. The purpose of the proposed rule is to improve the efficiency, rigor and timeliness by which OPM and agencies vet individuals for risk to the integrity and efficiency of the service, and to make clear that individuals who engage in serious misconduct while employed in Federal service are subject to the same suitability procedures and actions as applicants for employment.” Comments due: July 3^rd, 2025.

Request for Applicants for Appointment to the Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee. Federal Register, TSA request for applicants. Summary: “The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requests that qualified individuals interested in serving on the Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee (STSAC) apply for appointment. All applicants must represent one of the constituencies specified below to be eligible for appointment and complete applications submitted, as required below, to be considered for appointment. The STSAC considers risk-based approaches in the performance of its duties.” Application deadline: July 3^rd, 2025.

NASA’s future in the balance. TheSpaceReview.com article. Pull quote: “Isaacman “ran into the kind of politics that is damaging our country. Republicans and Democrats supported him as the right guy at the right time for the top job at NASA, but it wasn’t enough,” said Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), himself a former astronaut, in a post Monday. “It’s incredibly frustrating that this administration did this to him and his family but I know he’s not done yet and he has a lot left to offer space exploration and our nation.””

Deep Cuts Erode Public Health's Foundation, End Progress, Threaten Worse to Come. MedPageToday.com article. Pull quote: “Critical care can be glamorous -- surgeons, cardiologists, and cancer doctors can pull off breathtaking medical feats to save lives at the last possible moment. Prevention work is low key. It's impossible to identify who was saved because, if it goes well, the person never knows when they've fended off a mortal threat with the invisible shield of public health.”

Space assets could be held ransom. Will we have any choice but to pay? SpaceNews.com commentary. Pull quote: “Cyberattacks against satellites are the cheapest and most effective way to disable a satellite without the fuss of a debris field or the bad press. Cyberattacks on satellites can occur through complex supply chain operations prior to launch or after the asset is in orbit. In either case, an attack could cause permanent and irreparable damage to an expensive satellite that has taken years to come to market and become operational. Satellites present an attractive ransomware target that should motivate innovation in space cybersecurity technical measures and policies.”

Zelenskyy Had The Cards. StatusQuo.Substack.com article. Pull quote: “It was such a low tech plan that the very idea that it could happen has upended Russian society. The fact that an entire warehouse of attack drones was housed inside Russia has Russian military bloggers more than dismayed. It implies the SBU can operate with impunity inside of Russian territory. As one commentator noted on Telegram, “Drones made from ‘shit and sticks’ are taking out an element of the nuclear triad. A complete failure of the Russian structures responsible for protecting strategic aviation airfields.””