April 21, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Cygnus departs ISS
This was the Cygnus that had a solar panel deployment issue in November.
- Astra gets a tentative Space Force launch contract for its Rocket-4
The Space Force program is designed to encourage new companies. Astra still has to demonstrate its new Rocket-4 will fly to get full payment.
- China touts its proposed Long March 9 copy of Superheavy/Starship
As Jay says, “Wow! Wait that looks familiar….. 30 Raptor…err…YF-79 engines?”
Next, a whole bunch of post-flight items relating to the Starship/Superheavy test launch:
- Picture of launchpad damage
- Another picture of launchpad damage
- Update from Musk about launchpad damage
- Someone shows off a Starship tile that he found washed up on the beach
- Someone else shows off a Starship tile that she found washed up on the beach
- NEXTRAD weather radar data showing the flight
- FAA grounds SpaceX’s Starship rockets after explosion minutes into launch
The last story from Politico suggests first that the Biden administration and the federal bureaucracy fully intends to treat SpaceX and Starship/Superheavy differently than all other rocket startups, and second Politico is all-in on that effort.
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Cygnus departs ISS
This was the Cygnus that had a solar panel deployment issue in November.
- Astra gets a tentative Space Force launch contract for its Rocket-4
The Space Force program is designed to encourage new companies. Astra still has to demonstrate its new Rocket-4 will fly to get full payment.
- China touts its proposed Long March 9 copy of Superheavy/Starship
As Jay says, “Wow! Wait that looks familiar….. 30 Raptor…err…YF-79 engines?”
Next, a whole bunch of post-flight items relating to the Starship/Superheavy test launch:
- Picture of launchpad damage
- Another picture of launchpad damage
- Update from Musk about launchpad damage
- Someone shows off a Starship tile that he found washed up on the beach
- Someone else shows off a Starship tile that she found washed up on the beach
- NEXTRAD weather radar data showing the flight
- FAA grounds SpaceX’s Starship rockets after explosion minutes into launch
The last story from Politico suggests first that the Biden administration and the federal bureaucracy fully intends to treat SpaceX and Starship/Superheavy differently than all other rocket startups, and second Politico is all-in on that effort.