May 17, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Tori Bruno outlines his thinking about the problems of future Mars exploration
A lot of blather, but his discussion of the radiation problem was interesting. I also found it most amusing that his NASA slide showing how NASA intends to return to the Moon very specifically did not include Starship as the manned lunar lander.
- Virgin Orbit is in negotiations to sell off its aircraft assets, including its 747 carrier
If true, this indicates that the company is dead, since no one has stepped forward to buy it whole and take it out of bankruptcy.
- An outline describing Ariane-6’s future from ArianeGroup suggests the company is moving fast to replace it with Prometheus, a proposed reusable first stage
The PowerPoint slide at the link however provides no timeline at all.
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.
- Tori Bruno outlines his thinking about the problems of future Mars exploration
A lot of blather, but his discussion of the radiation problem was interesting. I also found it most amusing that his NASA slide showing how NASA intends to return to the Moon very specifically did not include Starship as the manned lunar lander.
- Virgin Orbit is in negotiations to sell off its aircraft assets, including its 747 carrier
If true, this indicates that the company is dead, since no one has stepped forward to buy it whole and take it out of bankruptcy.
- An outline describing Ariane-6’s future from ArianeGroup suggests the company is moving fast to replace it with Prometheus, a proposed reusable first stage
The PowerPoint slide at the link however provides no timeline at all.
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
On topic of NASA Mars exploration: make way for the next SLS mission-devouring boondoogle. The “Sample Return” mission –
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nasas-interplanetary-plans-may-be-lurching-toward-disaster/
Tori Bruno speaks as if he is an expert on the subject of reusability. Considering his proposed concept is un-implemented technically, unproven economically, and not even planned for deployment on the initial Vulcan missions, he certainly demonstrates chutzpah!
The chapter 11 term of art used was Stalking Horse Bid. Not to worry too much, it is still common enough to see an operational asset sale after the horse stimulates the other bidders.
On the other hand laying off everybody is not helpful.
ULA engineers have determined that the hydrogen leak that caused the explosion of the Centaur V test came from the test article, not the test rig.
Next question is, will this require additional tests / mods to the Centaur flight article at the Cape?
https://twitter.com/SpaceflightNow/status/1659181267236057090?s=20
NASA also has a very tough time finding jpgs of Starship for its Artemis PowerPoint presentations. I wonder why…
SLS would have simplified MSR
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/05/mars-msr-gains-traction-sls-had-eye-involvement/
The current plan is too Rube Goldberg.
Jeff Wright wrote: “SLS would have simplified MSR”
It is too bad that they are made at such a slow rate that NASA has to choose between using them for manned or unmanned missions. If they could be built fast enough (probably cheeper, too) then NASA could use SLS for both kinds of missions without missing a beat.