April 24, 2025 Quick space links
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.
- Senate committee schedules April 30, 2025 for its vote on Jared Isaacman’s nomination for NASA administrator
If approved, his nomination will then advance to the full Senate for a vote. Expect this to proceed with little opposition.
- Sierra Space touts the micrometeorite impact testing it is doing for its LIFE inflatable manned modules
Unlike its Orbital Reef space station partner, Blue Origin, Sierra Space continues to cut metal and do testing of hardware in developing its part of that proposed station.
- Boeing reports progress on Starliner
Not really. This article as well as the company’s conference call provided little real information, other than the company does appear to be committed to getting Starliner finally operational.
- Rocket Lab wins another contract for its HASTE suborbital version of its Electron rocket
The contract is for doing a hypersonic test for the Defense Department, and I suspect it is part of a larger Pentagon award announced earlier this week.
- Blue Origin touts a successful 15-second static fire test of an upgraded New Glenn upper stage
This is in preparation for the second New Glenn launch, tentatively scheduled for May.
- China touts a viewgraph outlining the plan for its Mars sample return mission
An additional propaganda video provides more information in the text on the screen. All this is part of the PR push China initiated today in conjunction with the launch of three astronauts to its Tiangong-3 station.
- FAA reschedules virtual meeting for public comment on SpaceX’s request to increase launches in Florida from 50 to 120 per year
The previous meeting was scrubbed due to a major Zoom outage. The meeting relates to the FAA’s environmental reassessment, which though still delaying things somehow seems to be less of a threat with Trump in office. At a minimum the FAA is no longer delaying things simply because it needs to fill out some paperwork.
- ESA/NASA release some new Hubble Space Telescope images to celebrate the telescope’s 35 anniversay in space
Some very cool images at the link. However, in truth the telescope didn’t start to really do its thing until three years later, after astronauts installed equipment to correct its out-of-focus mirror.
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.
- Senate committee schedules April 30, 2025 for its vote on Jared Isaacman’s nomination for NASA administrator
If approved, his nomination will then advance to the full Senate for a vote. Expect this to proceed with little opposition.
- Sierra Space touts the micrometeorite impact testing it is doing for its LIFE inflatable manned modules
Unlike its Orbital Reef space station partner, Blue Origin, Sierra Space continues to cut metal and do testing of hardware in developing its part of that proposed station.
- Boeing reports progress on Starliner
Not really. This article as well as the company’s conference call provided little real information, other than the company does appear to be committed to getting Starliner finally operational.
- Rocket Lab wins another contract for its HASTE suborbital version of its Electron rocket
The contract is for doing a hypersonic test for the Defense Department, and I suspect it is part of a larger Pentagon award announced earlier this week.
- Blue Origin touts a successful 15-second static fire test of an upgraded New Glenn upper stage
This is in preparation for the second New Glenn launch, tentatively scheduled for May.
- China touts a viewgraph outlining the plan for its Mars sample return mission
An additional propaganda video provides more information in the text on the screen. All this is part of the PR push China initiated today in conjunction with the launch of three astronauts to its Tiangong-3 station.
- FAA reschedules virtual meeting for public comment on SpaceX’s request to increase launches in Florida from 50 to 120 per year
The previous meeting was scrubbed due to a major Zoom outage. The meeting relates to the FAA’s environmental reassessment, which though still delaying things somehow seems to be less of a threat with Trump in office. At a minimum the FAA is no longer delaying things simply because it needs to fill out some paperwork.
- ESA/NASA release some new Hubble Space Telescope images to celebrate the telescope’s 35 anniversay in space
Some very cool images at the link. However, in truth the telescope didn’t start to really do its thing until three years later, after astronauts installed equipment to correct its out-of-focus mirror.