August 14, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Safran, Terran Orbital to explore joint production of satellite propulsion systems
- BWXT to begin work on cislunar nuclear rocket engine and fuel
These two stories are from June and July. Though I thought I had covered them, I can’t find them on BtB. They both illustrate the growing diversification occurring within the new commercial space industry.
- Australian company Hypersonix wins contract to build 20 scramjet test vehicles for hypersonic test flights
The vehicles are for a U.S. company, Kratos, which is doing hypersonic test flights for the Pentagon.
- Sierra Space wins $22 million Pentagon contract to develop upper stage rocket engine
The new engine is based on Sierra’s Vortex engine that has already been successfully tested, and uses hydrogen as its fuel.
- Luna-25 successfully completed its last mid-course correction burn today
It will enter lunar orbit in two days, with the landing tentatively planned for August 21.
- First photos from Luna-25 released
Taken yesterday, the images confirm the camera and spacecraft are functioning as planned.
- Another image from China’s Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter
The region of fissures shown, Sacra Sulci, is part of Kasei Valles, one the long valleys draining Mars’ giant volcanoes. See this post from May 2021 for more information.
- Rocket Lab will use the facility it obtained from the Virgin Orbit bankruptcy for scaling up production of its new Neutron rocket
The facility will mainly be used to build Neutron’s Archimedes engines. The target date for first launch of Neutron remains 2024.
- A list of the major meteor showers each year
Also includes an interesting animation showing the debris trail and orbit of the Perseid meteor shower, which comes from Comet Swift-Tuttle.
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.
- Safran, Terran Orbital to explore joint production of satellite propulsion systems
- BWXT to begin work on cislunar nuclear rocket engine and fuel
These two stories are from June and July. Though I thought I had covered them, I can’t find them on BtB. They both illustrate the growing diversification occurring within the new commercial space industry.
- Australian company Hypersonix wins contract to build 20 scramjet test vehicles for hypersonic test flights
The vehicles are for a U.S. company, Kratos, which is doing hypersonic test flights for the Pentagon.
- Sierra Space wins $22 million Pentagon contract to develop upper stage rocket engine
The new engine is based on Sierra’s Vortex engine that has already been successfully tested, and uses hydrogen as its fuel.
- Luna-25 successfully completed its last mid-course correction burn today
It will enter lunar orbit in two days, with the landing tentatively planned for August 21.
- First photos from Luna-25 released
Taken yesterday, the images confirm the camera and spacecraft are functioning as planned.
- Another image from China’s Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter
The region of fissures shown, Sacra Sulci, is part of Kasei Valles, one the long valleys draining Mars’ giant volcanoes. See this post from May 2021 for more information.
- Rocket Lab will use the facility it obtained from the Virgin Orbit bankruptcy for scaling up production of its new Neutron rocket
The facility will mainly be used to build Neutron’s Archimedes engines. The target date for first launch of Neutron remains 2024.
- A list of the major meteor showers each year
Also includes an interesting animation showing the debris trail and orbit of the Perseid meteor shower, which comes from Comet Swift-Tuttle.
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
FYI, I picked up a copy of When the Heavens Went on Sale, by Ashlee Vance. About 1/3 of the way through.
His style is different, and a little distracting at first. But you will here some familiar notes in his theme.