April 14, 2026 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.
Jay sent these to me when I didn’t have the wherewithal to post it. I am doing it now, a bit late.
- First flight of ugraded Angara-5M rocket, carrying a prototype of Russia’s new manned capsule is delayed until 2027-2028
A two to three year delay. Does anyone believe this?
- Russia cancels building a reusable version of Angara due to lack of funds
Russia should thank Putin and his incredibly stupid invasion of the Ukraine for bankrupting his country.
- Blue Origin touts its “scalable, modular system that creates purified oxygen … using Moon-extracted oxygen”
Once again, we could use less touting and more real hardware from Blue Origin.
- New comet might be visible to the naked eye this weekend
Comet C/2025 R3 (Pan-STARRS) is in an orbit that has it fly close to the Sun every 170,000 years. It will only be visible to people in the southern hemisphere.
- Vast touts its astronaut flight suit to be used on its Haven-1 single module space station launching next year.
It definitely looks more comfortable and nicer than SpaceX’s Dragon flight suits.
- Just released: NASA Moon Base User’s Guide [pdf]
Unlike past NASA releases like this — which try to paint NASA as having all the answers — this short summary is largely focused on the “gaps” in engineering and equipment needed for the Moon base. Thus, it is a guide for the private sector: “This is what we need! If you build it we will buy it!”
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
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.
Jay sent these to me when I didn’t have the wherewithal to post it. I am doing it now, a bit late.
- First flight of ugraded Angara-5M rocket, carrying a prototype of Russia’s new manned capsule is delayed until 2027-2028
A two to three year delay. Does anyone believe this?
- Russia cancels building a reusable version of Angara due to lack of funds
Russia should thank Putin and his incredibly stupid invasion of the Ukraine for bankrupting his country.
- Blue Origin touts its “scalable, modular system that creates purified oxygen … using Moon-extracted oxygen”
Once again, we could use less touting and more real hardware from Blue Origin.
- New comet might be visible to the naked eye this weekend
Comet C/2025 R3 (Pan-STARRS) is in an orbit that has it fly close to the Sun every 170,000 years. It will only be visible to people in the southern hemisphere.
- Vast touts its astronaut flight suit to be used on its Haven-1 single module space station launching next year.
It definitely looks more comfortable and nicer than SpaceX’s Dragon flight suits.
- Just released: NASA Moon Base User’s Guide [pdf]
Unlike past NASA releases like this — which try to paint NASA as having all the answers — this short summary is largely focused on the “gaps” in engineering and equipment needed for the Moon base. Thus, it is a guide for the private sector: “This is what we need! If you build it we will buy it!”
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
“Once again, we could use less touting and more real hardware from Blue Origin.”
“Talkin’ ain’t doin'” Zoe Washburn ‘Serenity’ 2005
Sad about Angara.
The individuals who want to attack spaceflight should be harshly dealt with.
Oh, and Putin needs to resign too.