June 27, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Virgin Galactic announces the passengers on its first commercial suborbital flight scheduled for June 29, 2023
This flight is only about two decades later than promised by the company’s founder Richard Branson, who very successfully pumped and dumped his stock before the price crashed. It certainly doesn’t rate a full post, since suborbital flights so relatively boring compared to the increasing number of orbital passenger flights taking place these days.
- The modifications to Vulcan’s upper stage due to the test explosion in March
They will have to destack the first Vulcan to make the changes, which will delay the first Vulcan launch an undisclosed amount, possibly months.
- Egypt and China partnership delivers first jointly built satellites
The two satellites, built in China, will be assembled, integrated, and tested in Egypt, using facilities built with Chinese funding. More here.
- ESA and European companies endorse “zero debris” policy for satellites and orbital spacecraft
According to this commitment, by 2030 no European satellites or spacecraft will launch without a plan to de-orbit or be removed by an orbital removal company.
- Astronomers think they have discovered the heaviest black hole ever, 30 billion times the mass of the Sun
All together now: “The uncertainty of science!”
- PLD delays its next suborbital launch attempt until the fall to avoid the risk of forest fires at its Spanish launch site
The last launch aborted less than a second before launch because the umblical lines did not detach as planned.
- India names its Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover Vikram and Pragyan, due to launch in mid-July
These are the same names given to the lander and rover on the failed Chandrayaan-2 mission.
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.
- Virgin Galactic announces the passengers on its first commercial suborbital flight scheduled for June 29, 2023
This flight is only about two decades later than promised by the company’s founder Richard Branson, who very successfully pumped and dumped his stock before the price crashed. It certainly doesn’t rate a full post, since suborbital flights so relatively boring compared to the increasing number of orbital passenger flights taking place these days.
- The modifications to Vulcan’s upper stage due to the test explosion in March
They will have to destack the first Vulcan to make the changes, which will delay the first Vulcan launch an undisclosed amount, possibly months.
- Egypt and China partnership delivers first jointly built satellites
The two satellites, built in China, will be assembled, integrated, and tested in Egypt, using facilities built with Chinese funding. More here.
- ESA and European companies endorse “zero debris” policy for satellites and orbital spacecraft
According to this commitment, by 2030 no European satellites or spacecraft will launch without a plan to de-orbit or be removed by an orbital removal company.
- Astronomers think they have discovered the heaviest black hole ever, 30 billion times the mass of the Sun
All together now: “The uncertainty of science!”
- PLD delays its next suborbital launch attempt until the fall to avoid the risk of forest fires at its Spanish launch site
The last launch aborted less than a second before launch because the umblical lines did not detach as planned.
- India names its Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover Vikram and Pragyan, due to launch in mid-July
These are the same names given to the lander and rover on the failed Chandrayaan-2 mission.
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
Perhaps this is Virgin Galactic’s response to the recent tragedy with the Titan submersible as the space industry’s equivalent of getting back on the horse. Blue Origin is not yet ready for another flight, but Virgin Galactic is.