October 25, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Northrop Grumman and SpaceX set January 2024 as the target date for first Cygnus mission on a Falcon 9
Northrop purchased three SpaceX launches for Cygnus when its Antares rocket lost access to its Ukrainian first stage and its Russian engines. Until Firefly replaces both, it needs another launch vehicle.
- China reveals the crew for its next Shenzhou mission to its Tiangong-3 space station
Includes a short clip from the press conference, with English translation, that provides really no new information.
- Tiangong-3 solar panel hit by “small space debris”
According to this tweet, the damage was “predicted and controllable”, which really tells us nothing. All space stations in orbit experience micrometeorite hits, often very tiny. Anything larger is significant. If this impact was the latter they should release more information.
- U.S. officials have short discussions with Chinese officials coordinating the monitoring of orbiting objects, from space stations to space junk
This discussion would normally violate U.S. law, which forbids government employees and anyone using government money to initiate such discussions without much higher approval. In this case it appears the Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo likely gave her okay, as per the strong financial links that exist between Biden and the Chinese, including millions in payoffs. Remember, his loyalty is more to them than to us.
- Chinese pseudo-company Galactic Energy releases results of its investigation into its Ceres-1 rocket failure on September 21, 2023
It appears a screw was screwed in incorrectly on one nozzle, which caused it to ablate abnormally.
- Despite allowing its pseudo-companies to bid to provide cargo to Tiangong-3, China picked four government agencies to do the work
The article at Space News appears to be designed to provide China some nice propaganda, as it makes believe these pseudo-companies are somehow identical to privately owned companies in the west. China might be copying NASA’s capitalism in space approach, using competition to foster innovation and lower costs, but if any of these companies is too successful or does anything the communists don’t like, the government will take over instantly. Note too that the communists weren’t really eager to give these somewhat independent companies any business, favoring government space agencies in awarding the bids.
- NASA proposes a new framework for regulating “commercial missions not currently licensed by other agencies”
As Jay notes, “We’re the government, and we’re here to help you.”
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.
- Northrop Grumman and SpaceX set January 2024 as the target date for first Cygnus mission on a Falcon 9
Northrop purchased three SpaceX launches for Cygnus when its Antares rocket lost access to its Ukrainian first stage and its Russian engines. Until Firefly replaces both, it needs another launch vehicle.
- China reveals the crew for its next Shenzhou mission to its Tiangong-3 space station
Includes a short clip from the press conference, with English translation, that provides really no new information.
- Tiangong-3 solar panel hit by “small space debris”
According to this tweet, the damage was “predicted and controllable”, which really tells us nothing. All space stations in orbit experience micrometeorite hits, often very tiny. Anything larger is significant. If this impact was the latter they should release more information.
- U.S. officials have short discussions with Chinese officials coordinating the monitoring of orbiting objects, from space stations to space junk
This discussion would normally violate U.S. law, which forbids government employees and anyone using government money to initiate such discussions without much higher approval. In this case it appears the Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo likely gave her okay, as per the strong financial links that exist between Biden and the Chinese, including millions in payoffs. Remember, his loyalty is more to them than to us.
- Chinese pseudo-company Galactic Energy releases results of its investigation into its Ceres-1 rocket failure on September 21, 2023
It appears a screw was screwed in incorrectly on one nozzle, which caused it to ablate abnormally.
- Despite allowing its pseudo-companies to bid to provide cargo to Tiangong-3, China picked four government agencies to do the work
The article at Space News appears to be designed to provide China some nice propaganda, as it makes believe these pseudo-companies are somehow identical to privately owned companies in the west. China might be copying NASA’s capitalism in space approach, using competition to foster innovation and lower costs, but if any of these companies is too successful or does anything the communists don’t like, the government will take over instantly. Note too that the communists weren’t really eager to give these somewhat independent companies any business, favoring government space agencies in awarding the bids.
- NASA proposes a new framework for regulating “commercial missions not currently licensed by other agencies”
As Jay notes, “We’re the government, and we’re here to help you.”
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
NASA proposes a new framework for regulating “commercial missions not currently licensed by other agencies”
It’s mostly about (granting) power, (funneling) money, and (providing, personally or paid) sexual intercourse. I’ve learned my lessons. At least if they’re hot it can be fun.