July 9, 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.
- Trump appoints Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as interim NASA administrator
At first glance this does NOT bode well for NASA as an agency. It suggests Trump is beginning to think of it as an after thought. Then again, it could mean he has decided action needs to be taken to help the agency. We can only wait and see.
- Starfish Space touts the nominal operations of its Otter Pup-2 robotic docking demo satellite
It will demonstrate rendezvous, proximity operations, and then a docking. The company is proving out its standardized docking system for sale to satellite companies.
- Relativity provides update of what it has accomplished in June
The company continues to move aggressively towards a first launch of its Terran-R rocket.
- Jeff Bezos wins the IAF World Space Award for 2025
For WHAT? As Jay notes, “One New Glenn launch? Best lawn outside of KSC? Biggest check to IAF?”
- Blue Origin touts the integration of propellant tanks on the first flight vehicle of its Blue Ring orbital tug
It would be nice if this damn company would finally begin actual commercial operations of something.
- On this day in 1979 Voyager-2 made its closest fly-by of Jupiter
The video provides a nice summary of what was learned, with the volcanoes of Io the biggest discovery.
- On this day in 2011 the space shuttle Atlantis was launched on the program’s last mission
It was a supply mission to ISS. Replacing the shuttle with cheaper commercial spacecraft took time. In about ten months the first cargo Dragon would launch to ISS, followed by the first cargo Cygnus in 2013, and the first manned Dragon in 2020.
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.
- Trump appoints Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as interim NASA administrator
At first glance this does NOT bode well for NASA as an agency. It suggests Trump is beginning to think of it as an after thought. Then again, it could mean he has decided action needs to be taken to help the agency. We can only wait and see.
- Starfish Space touts the nominal operations of its Otter Pup-2 robotic docking demo satellite
It will demonstrate rendezvous, proximity operations, and then a docking. The company is proving out its standardized docking system for sale to satellite companies.
- Relativity provides update of what it has accomplished in June
The company continues to move aggressively towards a first launch of its Terran-R rocket.
- Jeff Bezos wins the IAF World Space Award for 2025
For WHAT? As Jay notes, “One New Glenn launch? Best lawn outside of KSC? Biggest check to IAF?”
- Blue Origin touts the integration of propellant tanks on the first flight vehicle of its Blue Ring orbital tug
It would be nice if this damn company would finally begin actual commercial operations of something.
- On this day in 1979 Voyager-2 made its closest fly-by of Jupiter
The video provides a nice summary of what was learned, with the volcanoes of Io the biggest discovery.
- On this day in 2011 the space shuttle Atlantis was launched on the program’s last mission
It was a supply mission to ISS. Replacing the shuttle with cheaper commercial spacecraft took time. In about ten months the first cargo Dragon would launch to ISS, followed by the first cargo Cygnus in 2013, and the first manned Dragon in 2020.