May 15, 2024 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. This post is also an open thread. I welcome my readers to post any comments or additional links relating to any space issues, even if unrelated to the links below.
- Voyager Space to work with Marshall to develop new airlock concept
The company already has a new design working on ISS. This is to develop something even better.
- France’s The Exploration Company hires Blue Origin’s director of human spaceflight, Mark Kirasich, to head up its US operations
Kirasich had a 40-year career at NASA, so they are possibly hiring him to help grease the wheels with the agency.
- Rocket Lab wants to celebrate its up-coming 50th launch by awarding three launch photographers an all-expenses paid trip to capture it
The launch is presently targeting a June launch.
- The launch of China’s Xuntian Hubble-class optical telescope appears delayed until 2027
This is a two year delay. Once launched the plan is to fly it near China’s space station, so that astronauts can easily go to it to do repairs or upgrades.
- Managers in China propose building its lunar research station in three stages
The first stage would be short-term tech development, the second mid-term expansion and collaboration, and the third long-term leadership in lunar resource utilization.
- OneWeb faces regulatory delays in India
Very puzzling as the company is half owned by an Indian. Jay suggests, “They forgot to pay off someone.”
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. This post is also an open thread. I welcome my readers to post any comments or additional links relating to any space issues, even if unrelated to the links below.
- Voyager Space to work with Marshall to develop new airlock concept
The company already has a new design working on ISS. This is to develop something even better.
- France’s The Exploration Company hires Blue Origin’s director of human spaceflight, Mark Kirasich, to head up its US operations
Kirasich had a 40-year career at NASA, so they are possibly hiring him to help grease the wheels with the agency.
- Rocket Lab wants to celebrate its up-coming 50th launch by awarding three launch photographers an all-expenses paid trip to capture it
The launch is presently targeting a June launch.
- The launch of China’s Xuntian Hubble-class optical telescope appears delayed until 2027
This is a two year delay. Once launched the plan is to fly it near China’s space station, so that astronauts can easily go to it to do repairs or upgrades.
- Managers in China propose building its lunar research station in three stages
The first stage would be short-term tech development, the second mid-term expansion and collaboration, and the third long-term leadership in lunar resource utilization.
- OneWeb faces regulatory delays in India
Very puzzling as the company is half owned by an Indian. Jay suggests, “They forgot to pay off someone.”
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Amateurs capture Falcon 9 video.
https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2024/05/raw-intercepted-video-of-spacex-falcon-9-upper-stage-in-orbit.html
NASA officials blocking private missions to extend Hubble lifetime?
https://x.com/sciguyspace/status/1791117722635358280?s=46
Hello Bob,
This development might deserve its own special post: NPR has gotten hold of internal emails from NASA that indicate that there is resistance among senior NASA officials to proposals by SpaceX and Jared Isaacman to undertake a servicing/reboost mission of the Hubble Space Telescope.
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/16/1250250249/spacex-repair-hubble-space-telescope-nasa-foia
Eric Berger tweets: “Great story. It appears that a few senior spaceflight officials, including John Grunsfeld, are blocking a private effort to reboost the Hubble Space Telescope and extend its lifetime.” Prodded further, Eric adds: “My sense is that there is a cadre of people at NASA who want to protect the ‘sanctity’ of instruments like Hubble and don’t think non-NASA astronauts should be allowed near them.”
https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/1791117722635358280
It does look like NASA is now saying that they will make a public statement of some kind in the coming week.
If I was Jared, I would be working on a Plan B for Polaris 2 in case NASA persists in its apparent NIMBYism where Hubble is concerned. A reasonable alternative would be to do a deal with Vast for an initial crew mission to Haven-1 that involves adding some enhancements to the station via spacewalks.
China wants their Hubble close to their station for just that reason.
When I commented on how wise it was, NSF Jim (Byeman, Charlie X Murphy) bites my throat out on the web.
A lot of folks have a bur on their behinds with regard to Hubble.