Author: Robert Zimmerman
March 20, 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.
- New Horizons detects too much ultra-violet light coming from blank patch of sky
Or to put it more clearly, this is just another example of the uncertainty of science.
- Commercial radar satellite company Iceye assures the Ukraine it will continue to make its orbital data available
I am sure Iceye is being well paid for its data.
- Starlink competitor in the Falklands touts his company as superior
It appears he is trying to hold onto his monopoly, and failing.
- On Gemini 3 this week in 1965 astronaut John Young took out a corned beef sandwich, bought at a local restaurant, and ate it while in orbit
The NASA bureaucracy, mighty pissed off at Young for doing this, imposed new stricter rules thereafter on what astronauts could take on board their flight. Young, who was one of America’s truly great space pioneers, never suffered however, flying two Gemini missions, two Apollo missions, and two shuttle missions.
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.
- New Horizons detects too much ultra-violet light coming from blank patch of sky
Or to put it more clearly, this is just another example of the uncertainty of science.
- Commercial radar satellite company Iceye assures the Ukraine it will continue to make its orbital data available
I am sure Iceye is being well paid for its data.
- Starlink competitor in the Falklands touts his company as superior
It appears he is trying to hold onto his monopoly, and failing.
- On Gemini 3 this week in 1965 astronaut John Young took out a corned beef sandwich, bought at a local restaurant, and ate it while in orbit
The NASA bureaucracy, mighty pissed off at Young for doing this, imposed new stricter rules thereafter on what astronauts could take on board their flight. Young, who was one of America’s truly great space pioneers, never suffered however, flying two Gemini missions, two Apollo missions, and two shuttle missions.
NASA’s still undecided as to Starliner’s next flight
Starliner docked to ISS.
Though it now appears that the management at both NASA and Boeing are still committed to getting Boeing’s manned Starliner capsule certified for commercial flights, NASA remains undecided as to the scope and nature of the capsule’s next test flight.
[T]esting will be a big part of the next Starliner flight, whenever it lifts off. “We need to make sure we can eliminate the helium leaks; eliminate the service module thruster issues that we had on docking,” [said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program].
NASA has not yet decided whether the coming Starliner flight will carry astronauts or not, he added. But even if the mission is uncrewed, the agency wants it to be crew-capable — “to have all the systems in place that we could fly a crew with,” Stich said. “As I think about it, it might be there for a contingency situation, as we prepare for whatever events could happen,” he added. “One of the things that I’ve learned in my time at NASA is, always be prepared for the unexpected.”
NASA plans to certify Starliner for operational, long-duration astronaut missions shortly after this next flight, if all goes well.
Stich’s comments took place during a press conference following the return of the Starliner crew on SpaceX’s Freedom capsule.
There had been rumors last year that NASA would pay Boeing to use Starliner on a cargo mission to ISS, thus saving the company the cost of flying another demo mission on its own dime. I suspect those plans have now been squashed by the Trump administration, which is likely to insist that Boeing honor the deal in its fixed price contract. If so, the next flight will once again be a demo mission to prove the capsule’s systems, paid for by Boeing. Whether astronauts fly on it will be a political decision made by Trump, with advice from NASA management. And that decision cannot occur until NASA’s new administrator is confirmed and has had time to review the situation.
Starliner docked to ISS.
Though it now appears that the management at both NASA and Boeing are still committed to getting Boeing’s manned Starliner capsule certified for commercial flights, NASA remains undecided as to the scope and nature of the capsule’s next test flight.
[T]esting will be a big part of the next Starliner flight, whenever it lifts off. “We need to make sure we can eliminate the helium leaks; eliminate the service module thruster issues that we had on docking,” [said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program].
NASA has not yet decided whether the coming Starliner flight will carry astronauts or not, he added. But even if the mission is uncrewed, the agency wants it to be crew-capable — “to have all the systems in place that we could fly a crew with,” Stich said. “As I think about it, it might be there for a contingency situation, as we prepare for whatever events could happen,” he added. “One of the things that I’ve learned in my time at NASA is, always be prepared for the unexpected.”
NASA plans to certify Starliner for operational, long-duration astronaut missions shortly after this next flight, if all goes well.
Stich’s comments took place during a press conference following the return of the Starliner crew on SpaceX’s Freedom capsule.
There had been rumors last year that NASA would pay Boeing to use Starliner on a cargo mission to ISS, thus saving the company the cost of flying another demo mission on its own dime. I suspect those plans have now been squashed by the Trump administration, which is likely to insist that Boeing honor the deal in its fixed price contract. If so, the next flight will once again be a demo mission to prove the capsule’s systems, paid for by Boeing. Whether astronauts fly on it will be a political decision made by Trump, with advice from NASA management. And that decision cannot occur until NASA’s new administrator is confirmed and has had time to review the situation.
March 19, 2025 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast
Embedded below the fold in two parts.
To listen to all of John Batchelor’s podcasts, go here.
» Read more
Embedded below the fold in two parts.
To listen to all of John Batchelor’s podcasts, go here.
» Read more
Camille Saint-Saëns – from the Symphony No. 3
An evening pause: Performed live December 7, 2024 for the reopening of Notre Dame in Paris. Gustavo Dudamel is the conductor, leading Olivier Latry and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
March 19, 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.
- Andoya spaceport signs partnership deal with satellite packager Exolaunch
Exolaunch will act to help Andoya integrate satellites on future launches.
- Chinese pseudo-company touts its capsules for both manned and cargo flights
It claims it will begin test flights in “2027 or 2028,” but the graphic at the link mostly shows copies of Dragon and Cygnus capsules.
- Exlabs and Antares form partnership to develop spacecraft using nuclear power for operations
The idea is to create better on-board power systems so that interplanetary missions will be less reliant on solar power.
- This week in 2011 NASA’s Messenger spacecraft became the first to enter Mercury orbit
It operated for four years, collecting data and images.
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.
- Andoya spaceport signs partnership deal with satellite packager Exolaunch
Exolaunch will act to help Andoya integrate satellites on future launches.
- Chinese pseudo-company touts its capsules for both manned and cargo flights
It claims it will begin test flights in “2027 or 2028,” but the graphic at the link mostly shows copies of Dragon and Cygnus capsules.
- Exlabs and Antares form partnership to develop spacecraft using nuclear power for operations
The idea is to create better on-board power systems so that interplanetary missions will be less reliant on solar power.
- This week in 2011 NASA’s Messenger spacecraft became the first to enter Mercury orbit
It operated for four years, collecting data and images.
High ridge down the center of a big Martian crack
Click for original image.
Cool image time! The picture to the right, rotated, cropped, reduced, and sharpened to post here, was taken on January 27, 2025 by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). Labeled simply as a “terrain sample,” it was likely taken not as part of any specific research project but to fill a gap in the schedule in order to maintain the camera’s proper temperature.
Whenever the camera team needs to do this, they try to find an interesting object to photograph, and often succeed. In this case they focused on the geology to the right. I suspect that at first glance my readers will have trouble deciphering what they are looking at. Let me elucidate: This this a 2.5-mile-wide canyon, about 1,000 feet deep, that is bisected by a ridge about 500 feet high.
On the sunlight walls of this canyon you can see boulders and debris, with material gathered on the canyon floor. The smoothness of the floor suggests also that a lot of Martian dust, likely volcanic ash, has become trapped there over the eons.
» Read more
Click for original image.
Cool image time! The picture to the right, rotated, cropped, reduced, and sharpened to post here, was taken on January 27, 2025 by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). Labeled simply as a “terrain sample,” it was likely taken not as part of any specific research project but to fill a gap in the schedule in order to maintain the camera’s proper temperature.
Whenever the camera team needs to do this, they try to find an interesting object to photograph, and often succeed. In this case they focused on the geology to the right. I suspect that at first glance my readers will have trouble deciphering what they are looking at. Let me elucidate: This this a 2.5-mile-wide canyon, about 1,000 feet deep, that is bisected by a ridge about 500 feet high.
On the sunlight walls of this canyon you can see boulders and debris, with material gathered on the canyon floor. The smoothness of the floor suggests also that a lot of Martian dust, likely volcanic ash, has become trapped there over the eons.
» Read more
Firefly releases movie of lunar sunset
Click for original image.
Using imagery taken by Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander, the company today released a short movie showing sunset on the Moon, from several different angles.
I have embedded that movie below. The picture to the right, cropped, reduced, and sharpened to post here, is one of the photos from that movie. It shows the Sun on the horizon, with the Earth above it and Venus the small bright dot in between.
One alien aspect of the Moon that that while the Sun (and Venus) slowly crossed the sky during Firefly’s two week mission, going from just after sunrise in the east to sunset in the west, the Earth remained stationary in this location above the horizon. This phenomenon occurs because the length of the Moon’s day and its orbit around the Earth are the same length, so that one hemisphere always faces the Earth. Blue Ghost landed in Mare Crisium on the eastern edge of that hemisphere. At that location the Earth always hangs at this spot in the sky.
» Read more
Click for original image.
Using imagery taken by Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander, the company today released a short movie showing sunset on the Moon, from several different angles.
I have embedded that movie below. The picture to the right, cropped, reduced, and sharpened to post here, is one of the photos from that movie. It shows the Sun on the horizon, with the Earth above it and Venus the small bright dot in between.
One alien aspect of the Moon that that while the Sun (and Venus) slowly crossed the sky during Firefly’s two week mission, going from just after sunrise in the east to sunset in the west, the Earth remained stationary in this location above the horizon. This phenomenon occurs because the length of the Moon’s day and its orbit around the Earth are the same length, so that one hemisphere always faces the Earth. Blue Ghost landed in Mare Crisium on the eastern edge of that hemisphere. At that location the Earth always hangs at this spot in the sky.
» Read more
Billy Joel – The Downeaster Alexa
Freedom capsule splashes down successfully
SpaceX’s Freedom capsule has successfully splashed down off the coast of Florida, and has now been fished out of the water.
UPDATE: All four astronauts have now exited the capsule.
In watching the live stream, it is important to once again note that no one involved in this recovery operation is a government employee. The entire operation is being run by SpaceX, a private American company doing this work for profit.
It will take a bit more time before the astronauts come out of the capsule, as they must do some leak checks to make sure everything is safe.
SpaceX’s Freedom capsule has successfully splashed down off the coast of Florida, and has now been fished out of the water.
UPDATE: All four astronauts have now exited the capsule.
In watching the live stream, it is important to once again note that no one involved in this recovery operation is a government employee. The entire operation is being run by SpaceX, a private American company doing this work for profit.
It will take a bit more time before the astronauts come out of the capsule, as they must do some leak checks to make sure everything is safe.
March 18, 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.
- China touts another new rocket doing tower tests
No information other than two pictures.
- Update on the testing status of Sierra Nevada’s first Dream Chaser cargo shuttle, Tenacity
Includes almost no new information. Suggests the first launch will occur “this year,” which seems remarkable vague considering previously they thought they would launch last spring.
- On this day in 1965 Russian Alexei Leonov became the first person to do a spacewalk
The spacewalk had been quickly improvised to beat the planned American spacewalk during its Gemini program, and so the spacesuit ballooned out so much during the walk Leonov initially could not get back through the hatch. He had to literally dump some of his own air to shrink the suit enough to squeeze back in.
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.
- China touts another new rocket doing tower tests
No information other than two pictures.
- Update on the testing status of Sierra Nevada’s first Dream Chaser cargo shuttle, Tenacity
Includes almost no new information. Suggests the first launch will occur “this year,” which seems remarkable vague considering previously they thought they would launch last spring.
- On this day in 1965 Russian Alexei Leonov became the first person to do a spacewalk
The spacewalk had been quickly improvised to beat the planned American spacewalk during its Gemini program, and so the spacesuit ballooned out so much during the walk Leonov initially could not get back through the hatch. He had to literally dump some of his own air to shrink the suit enough to squeeze back in.
SpaceX launches 23 more Starlink satellites, including 13 with phone-to-satellite capabilities
SpaceX today successfully launched another 23 Starlink satellites, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The first stage completed its nineteenth flight, landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
32 SpaceX
13 China
4 Russia
4 Rocket Lab
SpaceX now leads the rest of the world in successfully launches, 32 to 24.
SpaceX today successfully launched another 23 Starlink satellites, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The first stage completed its nineteenth flight, landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
32 SpaceX
13 China
4 Russia
4 Rocket Lab
SpaceX now leads the rest of the world in successfully launches, 32 to 24.
More surprises from the Wolf-Rayet star numbered 104 and known for its pinwheel structure
Among astronomers who study such things, Wolf-Rayet 104 is one of the most well known OB massive stars in their catalog, with the infrared picture to the right illustrating why. The star is actually a binary of massive stars, orbiting each other every eight months. Both produce strong winds, and the collision of those winds results in a glorious pinwheel structure that glows in the infrared.
Such stars are also believed to be major candidates to go supernova and in doing so produce a powerful gamma ray burst (GRB) that would shoot out from the star’s poles. As the orientation of this pinwheel suggests we are looking down into the pole of the system, this star system was actually considered a potentially minor threat to Earth. Located about 8,400 light years away, this is far enough away to mitigate the power of the GRB, but not eliminate entirely its ability to damage the Earth’s atmosphere.
New research now suggests however that despite the orientation of the pinwheel, face-on, the plane of the binary star system is actually tilted 30 to 40 degrees to our line of sight. The press release asks the new questions these results raise:
While a relief for those worried about a nearby GRB pointed right at us, this represents a real curveball. How can the dust spiral and the orbit be tilted so much to each other? Are there more physics that needs to be considered when modelling the formation of the dust plume?
You can read the paper here. It is a quite refreshing read, not just because of its relatively plain language lacking jargon, but because of its willingness to list at great length the uncertainties of the data.
Among astronomers who study such things, Wolf-Rayet 104 is one of the most well known OB massive stars in their catalog, with the infrared picture to the right illustrating why. The star is actually a binary of massive stars, orbiting each other every eight months. Both produce strong winds, and the collision of those winds results in a glorious pinwheel structure that glows in the infrared.
Such stars are also believed to be major candidates to go supernova and in doing so produce a powerful gamma ray burst (GRB) that would shoot out from the star’s poles. As the orientation of this pinwheel suggests we are looking down into the pole of the system, this star system was actually considered a potentially minor threat to Earth. Located about 8,400 light years away, this is far enough away to mitigate the power of the GRB, but not eliminate entirely its ability to damage the Earth’s atmosphere.
New research now suggests however that despite the orientation of the pinwheel, face-on, the plane of the binary star system is actually tilted 30 to 40 degrees to our line of sight. The press release asks the new questions these results raise:
While a relief for those worried about a nearby GRB pointed right at us, this represents a real curveball. How can the dust spiral and the orbit be tilted so much to each other? Are there more physics that needs to be considered when modelling the formation of the dust plume?
You can read the paper here. It is a quite refreshing read, not just because of its relatively plain language lacking jargon, but because of its willingness to list at great length the uncertainties of the data.
Isar confirms March 20, 2025 for first launch
Proposed spaceports surrounding Norwegian Sea
The German rocket startup Isar Aerospace has now confirmed that it will attempt the first orbital test launch of its Spectrum rocket on March 20, 2025, lifting off from Norway’s Andoya spaceport.
Isar announced March 17 that the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a launch operator license to the company for its Spectrum rocket, launching from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway. The launch, called “Going Full Spectrum” by the company, is a test flight of Spectrum with no customer payloads on board. “Our goal is to test each and every component and system of the launch vehicle,” Alexandre Dalloneau, vice president of mission and launch operations at Isar Aerospace, said in a statement about the upcoming launch.
Isar Aerospace did not announce a specific time for the launch, noting the timing would depend on weather as well as range and vehicle readiness.
This launch is also going to be the first vertical orbital rocket launch from the European continent, and will put Andoya ahead of the three other spaceports being developed in the United Kingdom and Sweden. For the two UK spaceports this launch will be especially embarrassing, as both started years before Andoya but have been endlessly hampered by red tape, government interference, and local lawsuits. Norway meanwhile has moved with alacrity in approving Andoya’s permits and Isar’s launch licenses.
As for Isar, this launch puts it in the lead over the half dozen or so new European rocket startups as the first to attempt a launch. None of the others are close to that first launch attempt, though the German startup Rocket Factory Augsburg came close last year. During its last static fire test of the first stage prior to launch the rocket was destroyed in a fire.
Proposed spaceports surrounding Norwegian Sea
The German rocket startup Isar Aerospace has now confirmed that it will attempt the first orbital test launch of its Spectrum rocket on March 20, 2025, lifting off from Norway’s Andoya spaceport.
Isar announced March 17 that the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a launch operator license to the company for its Spectrum rocket, launching from Andøya Spaceport in northern Norway. The launch, called “Going Full Spectrum” by the company, is a test flight of Spectrum with no customer payloads on board. “Our goal is to test each and every component and system of the launch vehicle,” Alexandre Dalloneau, vice president of mission and launch operations at Isar Aerospace, said in a statement about the upcoming launch.
Isar Aerospace did not announce a specific time for the launch, noting the timing would depend on weather as well as range and vehicle readiness.
This launch is also going to be the first vertical orbital rocket launch from the European continent, and will put Andoya ahead of the three other spaceports being developed in the United Kingdom and Sweden. For the two UK spaceports this launch will be especially embarrassing, as both started years before Andoya but have been endlessly hampered by red tape, government interference, and local lawsuits. Norway meanwhile has moved with alacrity in approving Andoya’s permits and Isar’s launch licenses.
As for Isar, this launch puts it in the lead over the half dozen or so new European rocket startups as the first to attempt a launch. None of the others are close to that first launch attempt, though the German startup Rocket Factory Augsburg came close last year. During its last static fire test of the first stage prior to launch the rocket was destroyed in a fire.
Curiosity’s newest view from the heights
Click for interactive map.
Cool image time! The panorama above, cropped slightly to post here, was taken today by the right navigation camera on the Mars rover Curiosity. It looks north from the rover’s present location on the flank of Mount Sharp, with the rim of Gale Crater in the far distance about 20 to 30 miles away. Curiosity now sits about 3,000 feet above the floor of the crater.
The blue dot on the overview map to the right marks the rover’s position at this time. The yellow lines indicate the approximate view of the panorama. As with all of the images from both Curiosity and Perseverance, the main impression is a barren and lifeless landscape of incredible stark beauty.
It is now very evident that the Curiosity science team has made the decision to abandon their original route to the west. Instead, they have decided to strike south up into this canyon because it provides them the easiest and fastest route to the boxwork geology to the southwest. It also has them climbing into new geological layers rather than descending into layers that the rover has already seen.
Click for interactive map.
Cool image time! The panorama above, cropped slightly to post here, was taken today by the right navigation camera on the Mars rover Curiosity. It looks north from the rover’s present location on the flank of Mount Sharp, with the rim of Gale Crater in the far distance about 20 to 30 miles away. Curiosity now sits about 3,000 feet above the floor of the crater.
The blue dot on the overview map to the right marks the rover’s position at this time. The yellow lines indicate the approximate view of the panorama. As with all of the images from both Curiosity and Perseverance, the main impression is a barren and lifeless landscape of incredible stark beauty.
It is now very evident that the Curiosity science team has made the decision to abandon their original route to the west. Instead, they have decided to strike south up into this canyon because it provides them the easiest and fastest route to the boxwork geology to the southwest. It also has them climbing into new geological layers rather than descending into layers that the rover has already seen.
SpaceX’s manned Freedom capsule has undocked with ISS with its crew of four
SpaceX’s manned Freedom capsule tonight undocked with ISS, carrying with it the two astronauts that launched with it in September as well as the two astronauts that launched on Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June.
At 1:05 a.m. EDT Tuesday, NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov undocked from the space-facing port of International Space Station’s Harmony module aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
Splashdown is scheduled for 5:57 pm (Eastern) March 18, 2025 off the coast of Florida. I have embedded the NASA live stream below.
Normally the transfer of control of the station from the old crew to the new one takes about a week. In this case NASA cut that transfer time to only three days because of the political desire to get the Starliner astronauts home more quickly. The irony is that NASA decided to leave them up there for almost seven months more than planned in order to disturb its normal ISS launch and crew schedule as little as possible. This effort now to shorten their spaceflight by a few measly days seems quite trivial in comparison.
» Read more
SpaceX’s manned Freedom capsule tonight undocked with ISS, carrying with it the two astronauts that launched with it in September as well as the two astronauts that launched on Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June.
At 1:05 a.m. EDT Tuesday, NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov undocked from the space-facing port of International Space Station’s Harmony module aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
Splashdown is scheduled for 5:57 pm (Eastern) March 18, 2025 off the coast of Florida. I have embedded the NASA live stream below.
Normally the transfer of control of the station from the old crew to the new one takes about a week. In this case NASA cut that transfer time to only three days because of the political desire to get the Starliner astronauts home more quickly. The irony is that NASA decided to leave them up there for almost seven months more than planned in order to disturb its normal ISS launch and crew schedule as little as possible. This effort now to shorten their spaceflight by a few measly days seems quite trivial in comparison.
» Read more
Rocket Lab launches the last of five missions for French satellite company
Rocket Lab today successfully completed the last of a five missions contract for the French satellite company Kinéis, its Electron rocket lifting off from one of its two launch pads in New Zealand.
This was Rocket Lab’s second launch in only two days.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
31 SpaceX
13 China
4 Russia
4 Rocket Lab
SpaceX still leads the rest of the world in successfully launches, 31 to 24.
Rocket Lab today successfully completed the last of a five missions contract for the French satellite company Kinéis, its Electron rocket lifting off from one of its two launch pads in New Zealand.
This was Rocket Lab’s second launch in only two days.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
31 SpaceX
13 China
4 Russia
4 Rocket Lab
SpaceX still leads the rest of the world in successfully launches, 31 to 24.
Jerry Lee Lewis – No headstone on my grave
An evening pause: Performed live 1982.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Posted so late because I spent the weekend doing taxes (yuch), and forgot I needed to schedule evening pauses.
March 17, 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.
- South Korean rocket startup Innospace touts video of tests of its rocket strongback
It is targeting a July 2025 first launch attempt.
- Rocket Lab touts its fairing design for its new Neutron rocket
Rather than separating, the fairings are integral to the reusable first stage, and merely hinge open.
- China opens its Mars sample return mission to international participation
Considering the mess the NASA/ESA sample return mission is in, it might make sense for neutral countries to consider hitching a ride with China.
- China shows off graphic of its own Webb copycat space telescope
Merely a powerpoint slide. Nothing real as yet.
- NASA touts Lucy’s next asteroid rendezvous
The release cites some theories about the age of the asteroid, but mostly it touts Lucy.
- ISRO gets approval from government for joint Chandrayaan-5 mission with Japan
Includes an Indian lander and a Japanese rover landing somewhere in the south polar regions of the Moon. Expect more information by tomorrow.
- On this day in 1958 the U.S. launched its second satellite, Vanguard 1.
It was the first to be solar powered. It is also still in orbit, and is expected to remain so for at least another 150-plus years.
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.
- South Korean rocket startup Innospace touts video of tests of its rocket strongback
It is targeting a July 2025 first launch attempt.
- Rocket Lab touts its fairing design for its new Neutron rocket
Rather than separating, the fairings are integral to the reusable first stage, and merely hinge open.
- China opens its Mars sample return mission to international participation
Considering the mess the NASA/ESA sample return mission is in, it might make sense for neutral countries to consider hitching a ride with China.
- China shows off graphic of its own Webb copycat space telescope
Merely a powerpoint slide. Nothing real as yet.
- NASA touts Lucy’s next asteroid rendezvous
The release cites some theories about the age of the asteroid, but mostly it touts Lucy.
- ISRO gets approval from government for joint Chandrayaan-5 mission with Japan
Includes an Indian lander and a Japanese rover landing somewhere in the south polar regions of the Moon. Expect more information by tomorrow.
- On this day in 1958 the U.S. launched its second satellite, Vanguard 1.
It was the first to be solar powered. It is also still in orbit, and is expected to remain so for at least another 150-plus years.
The next time someone tells you Mars lacks water, show them this picture
Click for original image.
In the past decade orbital images from Mars have shown unequivocally that the Red Planet is not the dry desert imagined by sci-fi writers for many decades prior to the space age. Nor is it the dry desert that planetary scientists had first concluded based on the first few decades of planetary missions there.
No, what the orbiters Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and Mars Express have clearly shown is that, except for the planet’s equatorial regions below 30 degrees latitude, the Martian surface is almost entirely covered by water ice, though it is almost always buried by a thin layer of protective dust and debris. Getting to that ice will be somewhat trivial, however, as it is almost always near the surface.
The picture to the right, rotated, cropped, reduced, and sharpened to post here, is a perfect example. It was taken on January 31, 2025 by the high resolution camera on MRO. At the top it shows part of a small glacial-filled crater surrounded by blobby ground clearly impregnated with ice. That crater in turn sits on the rim of a much larger very-eroded ancient 53-mile-wide crater whose floor, also filled with glacial debris, can be seen at the bottom of this picture. The wavy ridge line at the base of the rim appears to be a moraine formed by the ebb and flow of the glacial ice that fills this larger crater.
None of these glacial features is particularly unique on Mars. I have been documenting their presence now at Behind the Black for more than six years. Yet, I find still that most news organizations — including many in the space community — remain utterly unaware of these revelations. Any new NASA or university press release that mentions the near-surface ice that covers about two-thirds of the planet’s surface results in news stories claiming “Water has been found on Mars!”, as if this is a shocking new fact from a place where little water is found.
It is very shameful that so many reporters and news organizations are so far out of touch with the actual state of the research on Mars.
» Read more
Webb captures infrared images of five exoplanets orbiting two different stars
Click for original image.
Using the Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have taken two different direct false-color infrared images of exoplanets orbiting the stars HR 8799 (130 light years away) and 51 Eridani (97 light years away.
The image of the four gas giants orbiting HR 8799 is to the right, cropped, reduced, and slightly enhanced to post here. From the caption:
The closest planet to the star, HR 8799 e, orbits 1.5 billion miles from its star, which in our solar system would be located between the orbit of Saturn and Neptune. The furthest, HR 8799 b, orbits around 6.3 billion miles from the star, more than twice Neptune’s orbital distance. Colors are applied to filters from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), revealing their intrinsic differences. A star symbol marks the location of the host star HR 8799, whose light has been blocked by the coronagraph. In this image, the color blue is assigned to 4.1 micron light, green to 4.3 micron light, and red to the 4.6 micron light.
The Webb false color infrared picture taken of one of the exoplanets orbiting the star 51 Eridani is also at the link, showing “a cool, young exoplanet that orbits 890 million miles from its star, similar to Saturn’s orbit in our solar system.”
The data from the HR 8799 image suggests these gas giants have a lot of carbon dioxide gas, and thus might be growing by pulling in material from the star’s accretion disk.
Click for original image.
Using the Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have taken two different direct false-color infrared images of exoplanets orbiting the stars HR 8799 (130 light years away) and 51 Eridani (97 light years away.
The image of the four gas giants orbiting HR 8799 is to the right, cropped, reduced, and slightly enhanced to post here. From the caption:
The closest planet to the star, HR 8799 e, orbits 1.5 billion miles from its star, which in our solar system would be located between the orbit of Saturn and Neptune. The furthest, HR 8799 b, orbits around 6.3 billion miles from the star, more than twice Neptune’s orbital distance. Colors are applied to filters from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), revealing their intrinsic differences. A star symbol marks the location of the host star HR 8799, whose light has been blocked by the coronagraph. In this image, the color blue is assigned to 4.1 micron light, green to 4.3 micron light, and red to the 4.6 micron light.
The Webb false color infrared picture taken of one of the exoplanets orbiting the star 51 Eridani is also at the link, showing “a cool, young exoplanet that orbits 890 million miles from its star, similar to Saturn’s orbit in our solar system.”
The data from the HR 8799 image suggests these gas giants have a lot of carbon dioxide gas, and thus might be growing by pulling in material from the star’s accretion disk.
Avio to begin testing its own Grasshopper prototype later this year
According to recent changes to its proposed plans, it appears that the Italian rocket company Avio hopes to begin tests of its own Grasshopper prototype vertical takeoff-and-landing stage later this year, with the hope of incorporating a reusable first stage in its upgraded Vega-Next rocket.
In the latest rendering shared in Avio’s 2024 full-year financial results presentation, control surfaces resembling those on a Falcon 9 booster are visible, seemingly confirming that the stage will be used to explore reusability.
In addition to the new rendering, Avio’s 2024 full-year financial results presentation included an update on the progress of the IFD1 mission. According to the company, integration of the demonstrator is ongoing, with an initial “firing test” expected in the third quarter of 2025. This test will likely be the final major milestone before the demonstrator is launched.
The company is targeting a 2032 first orbital launch of Vega-Next. Right now Avio owns the Vega-C rocket, and is the only private rocket company in Europe launching its own rocket. The only other operational European rocket, the larger Ariane-6, is operated by the European Space Agency. Another half-dozen-plus new private rockets are under development by other European rocket startups, but non have so far launched.
According to recent changes to its proposed plans, it appears that the Italian rocket company Avio hopes to begin tests of its own Grasshopper prototype vertical takeoff-and-landing stage later this year, with the hope of incorporating a reusable first stage in its upgraded Vega-Next rocket.
In the latest rendering shared in Avio’s 2024 full-year financial results presentation, control surfaces resembling those on a Falcon 9 booster are visible, seemingly confirming that the stage will be used to explore reusability.
In addition to the new rendering, Avio’s 2024 full-year financial results presentation included an update on the progress of the IFD1 mission. According to the company, integration of the demonstrator is ongoing, with an initial “firing test” expected in the third quarter of 2025. This test will likely be the final major milestone before the demonstrator is launched.
The company is targeting a 2032 first orbital launch of Vega-Next. Right now Avio owns the Vega-C rocket, and is the only private rocket company in Europe launching its own rocket. The only other operational European rocket, the larger Ariane-6, is operated by the European Space Agency. Another half-dozen-plus new private rockets are under development by other European rocket startups, but non have so far launched.
Norway awards the German rocket startup Isar Aerospace a two-satellite contract
Proposed spaceports surrounding Norwegian Sea
In what appears to be a concerted effort by Norway to cement the establishment of its Andoya spaceport on its northwest coast, last week it awarded a two-satellite launch contract to the German rocket startup Isar Aerospace, launching from that spaceport.
The launch is scheduled until 2028 and will take place from Andøya Spaceport, Europe’s first operational spaceport on the mainland. The agreement between the Norwegian Space Agency and Isar Aerospace involves launching two Norwegian satellites as part of the AOS program, a national maritime surveillance system.
Isar is now gearing up for the very first orbital test launch of its Spectrum rocket, which will also be the very first from Andoya, and the very first from the four proposed spaceports in Europe. Regulatory filings from Norway suggest it will occur during a ten-day launch window beginning on March 20, 2025, but Isar has not yet confirmed this.
Unlike the two UK spaceports, which have been delayed years due to government red tape, Norway’s government has apparently worked hard to cut red tape and help Isar get off the ground quickly. It also appears that Norway’s government is acting to stymie Sweden’s Esrange spaceport, releasing a report last week that suggested it will not give permission for launches over its territory from Esrange.
Proposed spaceports surrounding Norwegian Sea
In what appears to be a concerted effort by Norway to cement the establishment of its Andoya spaceport on its northwest coast, last week it awarded a two-satellite launch contract to the German rocket startup Isar Aerospace, launching from that spaceport.
The launch is scheduled until 2028 and will take place from Andøya Spaceport, Europe’s first operational spaceport on the mainland. The agreement between the Norwegian Space Agency and Isar Aerospace involves launching two Norwegian satellites as part of the AOS program, a national maritime surveillance system.
Isar is now gearing up for the very first orbital test launch of its Spectrum rocket, which will also be the very first from Andoya, and the very first from the four proposed spaceports in Europe. Regulatory filings from Norway suggest it will occur during a ten-day launch window beginning on March 20, 2025, but Isar has not yet confirmed this.
Unlike the two UK spaceports, which have been delayed years due to government red tape, Norway’s government has apparently worked hard to cut red tape and help Isar get off the ground quickly. It also appears that Norway’s government is acting to stymie Sweden’s Esrange spaceport, releasing a report last week that suggested it will not give permission for launches over its territory from Esrange.
Varda’s third capsule begins orbital operations
Varda’s first capsule on the ground in Utah.
The in-space commercial company Varda on March 15, 2025 confirmed that its third capsule has successfully begun orbital operations after its launch on a Falcon 9 rocket, carrying an Air Force payload that will test measuring the capsule’s re-entry speeds in connection with military hypersonic research.
W-3’s payload is an advanced navigation system called an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) developed by the US Air Force and Innovative Scientific Solutions Incorporated (ISSI). This payload will be tested at reentry speeds it was designed to withstand but has never encountered before.
This payload is part of a $48 million Air Force contract awarded to Varda in December. The company also notes in the press release that it is aiming for a monthly launch rate for its capsules, which provide customers an opportunity to do all kinds of in-space testing and manufacturing. Since this launch took place only fifteen days after the landing of its second capsule, it appears Varda is moving swiftly in that direction, thus providing more business for American rocket startups.
The capsule includes a service module built by Rocket Lab, and will stay in orbit several weeks before it returns to Earth, landing at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia, operated by the Australian commercial spaceport startup Southern Launch.
Varda’s first capsule on the ground in Utah.
The in-space commercial company Varda on March 15, 2025 confirmed that its third capsule has successfully begun orbital operations after its launch on a Falcon 9 rocket, carrying an Air Force payload that will test measuring the capsule’s re-entry speeds in connection with military hypersonic research.
W-3’s payload is an advanced navigation system called an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) developed by the US Air Force and Innovative Scientific Solutions Incorporated (ISSI). This payload will be tested at reentry speeds it was designed to withstand but has never encountered before.
This payload is part of a $48 million Air Force contract awarded to Varda in December. The company also notes in the press release that it is aiming for a monthly launch rate for its capsules, which provide customers an opportunity to do all kinds of in-space testing and manufacturing. Since this launch took place only fifteen days after the landing of its second capsule, it appears Varda is moving swiftly in that direction, thus providing more business for American rocket startups.
The capsule includes a service module built by Rocket Lab, and will stay in orbit several weeks before it returns to Earth, landing at the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia, operated by the Australian commercial spaceport startup Southern Launch.
Firefly’s Blue Ghost ends its mission, having achieved all its mission goals
Blue Ghost’s shadow on the Moon shortly
after landing, with the Earth in the background.
Five hours after lunar sunset Firefly yesterday shut down its Blue Ghost lander, ending its mission after successfully completing all its assigned tasks in carrying ten NASA research payloads to the Moon and softly placing them on the lunar surface.
Firefly also captured imagery of the lunar sunset on March 16, providing NASA with data on whether lunar dust levitates due to solar influences and creates a lunar horizon glow that was hypothesized and observed by Eugene Cernan on Apollo 17. Following the sunset, Blue Ghost operated for 5 hours into the lunar night and continued to capture imagery that measures how dust behavior changes after sunset.
“Whether lunar dust levitates” is one of the biggest scientific mysteries about the Moon. Only one person, astronaut Harrison Schmidt, has observed the phenomenon during the last Apollo mission to the Moon, and numerous attempts since to confirm and better understand it have all failed for one reason or the other. The preliminary results of Blue Ghost observations will be announced at a press conference tomorrow.
Firefly is now gearing up for annual Blue Ghost lunar missions. The next is targeting a launch next year, and will also deliver payloads for NASA, the European Space Agency, and Australia.
Blue Ghost’s shadow on the Moon shortly
after landing, with the Earth in the background.
Five hours after lunar sunset Firefly yesterday shut down its Blue Ghost lander, ending its mission after successfully completing all its assigned tasks in carrying ten NASA research payloads to the Moon and softly placing them on the lunar surface.
Firefly also captured imagery of the lunar sunset on March 16, providing NASA with data on whether lunar dust levitates due to solar influences and creates a lunar horizon glow that was hypothesized and observed by Eugene Cernan on Apollo 17. Following the sunset, Blue Ghost operated for 5 hours into the lunar night and continued to capture imagery that measures how dust behavior changes after sunset.
“Whether lunar dust levitates” is one of the biggest scientific mysteries about the Moon. Only one person, astronaut Harrison Schmidt, has observed the phenomenon during the last Apollo mission to the Moon, and numerous attempts since to confirm and better understand it have all failed for one reason or the other. The preliminary results of Blue Ghost observations will be announced at a press conference tomorrow.
Firefly is now gearing up for annual Blue Ghost lunar missions. The next is targeting a launch next year, and will also deliver payloads for NASA, the European Space Agency, and Australia.
Chinese pseudo-company launches 8 satellites
The Chinese pseudo-company Galactic Energy today successfully placed eight remote-sensing satellites into orbit, its solid-fueled Ceres-1 rocket lifting off from the Jiuquan spaceport in northwest China.
No word on where the rocket’s lower stages crashed inside China.
This was Ceres-1’s eighteenth launch, making Galactic Energy the most successful rocket pseudo-company so far in China. That its rocket uses solid-fueled shows us however that it is strongly tied to China’s military, and likely controlled tightly by it.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
31 SpaceX
13 China
4 Russia
3 Rocket Lab
SpaceX still leads the rest of the world in successfully launches, 31 to 23.
The Chinese pseudo-company Galactic Energy today successfully placed eight remote-sensing satellites into orbit, its solid-fueled Ceres-1 rocket lifting off from the Jiuquan spaceport in northwest China.
No word on where the rocket’s lower stages crashed inside China.
This was Ceres-1’s eighteenth launch, making Galactic Energy the most successful rocket pseudo-company so far in China. That its rocket uses solid-fueled shows us however that it is strongly tied to China’s military, and likely controlled tightly by it.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
31 SpaceX
13 China
4 Russia
3 Rocket Lab
SpaceX still leads the rest of the world in successfully launches, 31 to 23.
Russia launches classified satellites
Early this morning Russia successfully placed three classified satellites into orbit, its new Angara-1.2 rocket lifting off from its Plesetsk spaceport in northeast Russia.
Little information about the launch was released, and none about the satellites. This was the rocket’s fourth straight launch success from Plesetsk, beginning in 2022.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
31 SpaceX
12 China
4 Russia
3 Rocket Lab
SpaceX still leads the rest of the world in successfully launches, 31 to 23.
Early this morning Russia successfully placed three classified satellites into orbit, its new Angara-1.2 rocket lifting off from its Plesetsk spaceport in northeast Russia.
Little information about the launch was released, and none about the satellites. This was the rocket’s fourth straight launch success from Plesetsk, beginning in 2022.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
31 SpaceX
12 China
4 Russia
3 Rocket Lab
SpaceX still leads the rest of the world in successfully launches, 31 to 23.
Norway questions Sweden’s plan to launch orbital rockets from Esrange spaceport
Proposed spaceports surrounding Norwegian Sea
In the capitalist competition between Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom to establish Europe’s prime launch site, Norway’s government has now issued a long study questioning Sweden’s plan to launch orbital rockets from its Esrange spaceport, since polar launches heading north from there will have to cross Norway.
You can read the report here [pdf]. For Esrange to conduct orbital launches it will need the permission of Norway for each launch, and it appears Norway is not satisfied with Sweden’s assessments that say launches can occur safely. The report concludes:
Norway recommends that the relevant Norwegian authorities conduct an assessment of the risks a launch will pose to the people in Norway and Norwegian interests, and determine whether this risk is acceptable, taking into account the interests and safety of the Norwegian people and the severity of the risk.
…Due to the significant economic costs associated with the impact on oil and gas production in
the Barents Sea, CAA Norway recommends that no launches be permitted in areas where there
is any risk to Norwegian oil and gas installations.
The release of this report illustrates Norway’s geographic advantages. The German rocket startup Isar is gearing up to do its first launch from Norway’s new spaceport, Andoya, possibly before the end of this month. It will have a clear path to space. Meanwhile, the American rocket startup Firefly, which wants to launch from Esrange, faces serious regulatory hurdles from neighboring countries, like Norway, because any rocket must fly over their territories.
Proposed spaceports surrounding Norwegian Sea
In the capitalist competition between Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom to establish Europe’s prime launch site, Norway’s government has now issued a long study questioning Sweden’s plan to launch orbital rockets from its Esrange spaceport, since polar launches heading north from there will have to cross Norway.
You can read the report here [pdf]. For Esrange to conduct orbital launches it will need the permission of Norway for each launch, and it appears Norway is not satisfied with Sweden’s assessments that say launches can occur safely. The report concludes:
Norway recommends that the relevant Norwegian authorities conduct an assessment of the risks a launch will pose to the people in Norway and Norwegian interests, and determine whether this risk is acceptable, taking into account the interests and safety of the Norwegian people and the severity of the risk.
…Due to the significant economic costs associated with the impact on oil and gas production in
the Barents Sea, CAA Norway recommends that no launches be permitted in areas where there
is any risk to Norwegian oil and gas installations.
The release of this report illustrates Norway’s geographic advantages. The German rocket startup Isar is gearing up to do its first launch from Norway’s new spaceport, Andoya, possibly before the end of this month. It will have a clear path to space. Meanwhile, the American rocket startup Firefly, which wants to launch from Esrange, faces serious regulatory hurdles from neighboring countries, like Norway, because any rocket must fly over their territories.
Four more launches, two by SpaceX, following manned launch
Following SpaceX’s successfully launch of four astronauts to ISS yesterday afternoon, the launch industry upped the pace by completing four more launches in the next few hours, two by SpaceX, one by Rocket Lab, and one by China.
Beginning with SpaceX, it first launched another one of its Transporter missions, carrying about three dozen smallsat payloads, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Vandenberg. The first stage completed its thirteenth flight, landing on a drone ship in the Pacific. The two fairings completed their eighth and eleventh flights respectively.
Five hours later the company launched another 23 Starlink satellites, the Falcon 9 lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, with the first stage completing its eighteenth flight, landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic.
Rocket Lab meanwhile successfully placed the first of eight commercial radar satellites into orbit for the Japanese satellite company iQPS, its Electron rocket launching from one of its two launchpads in New Zealand.
China in turn used its Long March 2D rocket to place two satellites into orbit, lifting off from its Jiuquan spaceport in northwest China. Its state-run press provided little information about either satellite. Nor did it provide any information about where the rocket’s lower stages — using very toxic hypergolic fuel — crashed inside China.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
31 SpaceX
12 China
3 Russia
3 Rocket Lab
SpaceX still leads the rest of the world in successfully launches, 31 to 22.
Following SpaceX’s successfully launch of four astronauts to ISS yesterday afternoon, the launch industry upped the pace by completing four more launches in the next few hours, two by SpaceX, one by Rocket Lab, and one by China.
Beginning with SpaceX, it first launched another one of its Transporter missions, carrying about three dozen smallsat payloads, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Vandenberg. The first stage completed its thirteenth flight, landing on a drone ship in the Pacific. The two fairings completed their eighth and eleventh flights respectively.
Five hours later the company launched another 23 Starlink satellites, the Falcon 9 lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, with the first stage completing its eighteenth flight, landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic.
Rocket Lab meanwhile successfully placed the first of eight commercial radar satellites into orbit for the Japanese satellite company iQPS, its Electron rocket launching from one of its two launchpads in New Zealand.
China in turn used its Long March 2D rocket to place two satellites into orbit, lifting off from its Jiuquan spaceport in northwest China. Its state-run press provided little information about either satellite. Nor did it provide any information about where the rocket’s lower stages — using very toxic hypergolic fuel — crashed inside China.
The leaders in the 2025 launch race:
31 SpaceX
12 China
3 Russia
3 Rocket Lab
SpaceX still leads the rest of the world in successfully launches, 31 to 22.
SpaceX launches new crew to ISS
Falcon 9 first stage barreling home to Florida tonight.
After a scrub two days ago due to a ground equipment issue, SpaceX tonight successfully launched a new crew of four to ISS, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Kennedy in Florida.
The Dragon capsule is Endurance, on its fourth flight. The first stage completed its third flight, landing back in Florida.
This launch will allow the two-person crews launched by Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June and SpaceX’s Freedom capsule in September to come back home on Freedom.
When it was decided not to allow the Starliner astronauts to come home on Starliner because of thruster issues on the capsule, NASA decided to keep its ISS launch schedule as normal as possible, thus forcing that crew to complete a mission of about eight months, with a planned return in February 2025. Initially their Starliner mission was expected to last anywhere from two weeks to two months-plus, depending on how well Starliner functioned while docked to ISS.
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