September 4, 2024 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.
- Blue Origin says it is about to conduct a static fire test of New Glenn’s upper stage
Good news in that the company is getting done what needs to be done to fly that first launch. The picture at the tweet however makes me really doubtful it can meet the October 13-21 launch window of its payload of two Mars orbiters.
- Tonight BepiColumbo does its fourth flyby of Mercury
It will dip down to within 103 miles of the surface. Images will be released within the next day.
- China touts an image taken by its Tianwen-1 Mars Orbiter
The location is in the high latitudes of the southern cratered highlands, and not surprisingly shows a scattering of craters. It was spring when the picture was snapped, so the mantle of CO2 dry ice that covers these high latitudes in the winter is beginning to sublimate away. The terrain itself looks like it is heavily impregnated with ice as well.
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.
- Blue Origin says it is about to conduct a static fire test of New Glenn’s upper stage
Good news in that the company is getting done what needs to be done to fly that first launch. The picture at the tweet however makes me really doubtful it can meet the October 13-21 launch window of its payload of two Mars orbiters.
- Tonight BepiColumbo does its fourth flyby of Mercury
It will dip down to within 103 miles of the surface. Images will be released within the next day.
- China touts an image taken by its Tianwen-1 Mars Orbiter
The location is in the high latitudes of the southern cratered highlands, and not surprisingly shows a scattering of craters. It was spring when the picture was snapped, so the mantle of CO2 dry ice that covers these high latitudes in the winter is beginning to sublimate away. The terrain itself looks like it is heavily impregnated with ice as well.