August 26, 2025 Quick space linksCourtesy 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.
- The Miura-5 rocket’s second-stage engine for the Spanish rocket startup PLD is now ready for qualification testing
The company had been targeting the first launch of Miura-5 before the end of 2025. It appears that launch will likely slip to early 2026.
- On this day in 1989, Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Neptune
It passed within 3,000 miles of the planet, and to this day is still the only spacecraft to get a close look.
- On this day in 2003, NASA launched the Spitzer Space Telescope, the fourth in the Great Observatory program
An infrared telescope, Spitzer was a precursor to the Webb Space Telescope. It was named after Lyman Spitzer, who conceived the Hubble Space Telescope and was central in getting it built.
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 or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. 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.
- The Miura-5 rocket’s second-stage engine for the Spanish rocket startup PLD is now ready for qualification testing
The company had been targeting the first launch of Miura-5 before the end of 2025. It appears that launch will likely slip to early 2026.
- On this day in 1989, Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Neptune
It passed within 3,000 miles of the planet, and to this day is still the only spacecraft to get a close look.
- On this day in 2003, NASA launched the Spitzer Space Telescope, the fourth in the Great Observatory program
An infrared telescope, Spitzer was a precursor to the Webb Space Telescope. It was named after Lyman Spitzer, who conceived the Hubble Space Telescope and was central in getting it built.
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 or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. 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
Starship launched today! It is now 1712 PDT. About 40 minutes into flight. They deployed 8 starlink satellites. No problens so far AFAIK.
SpaceX Starship flight test 10 seems to have completed well. Deployed 8 simulated starlink satellites. Congratulations to the SpaceX team.
One more piece of news to add…
Of course I hoped the Starship/SH flight would go well but I would not have bet on them hitting all their targets this way. Impressive (and exciting).
Was that a range safety charge that cooked off?
Or does only SuperHeavy have those?
Buoy-cam needs drone with go pros pointed up.
Dang, I missed it. So far so good?
https://www.nbcnews.com/video/spacex-launches-its-10th-test-flight-of-starship-spacecraft-245834309758
There was a tiny explosion off to one side, but it didn’t seem to imping the three sea-level Raptors used for landing.
The blast seemed to occur behind a vac Raptor screen right. Re-entry heating looked to have a sealed some of the casing–shoving metal into the bell of that engine’s nozzle.