April 24, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay, who sent them on time but are being posted late because the creator of this website dropped the ball.
- A detailed analysis of Amazon’s proposed Kuiper constellation
Lots of great potentialities, but as always with Bezos space-related companies, little actual achievement, as yet.
- Global map of Mars produced by Tianwen-1 orbiter images
More significant is the announcement that Zhurong remains in hibernation mode.
- China’s space agency makes three rocket engines available for its pseudo-companies to buy
It also claims it can produce 300 engines per year.
- Another outsider’s perspective on the Starship/Superheavy test launch
I agree with Jay, her analysis is very refreshing, with exactly the right outlook.
- NASA considering shifting New Horizons from Kuiper Belt observations to solar observations, sooner that expected
The article is written entirely against this change, which if approved would occur in October 2024 instead of 2025. Though the New Horizons team is doing good research, they have not yet found another Kuiper asteroid target that New Horizons can get close to, and NASA management might be thinking the spacecraft could be better used studying the Sun from these distances.
- Celebrating the anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, 33 years ago today
The link shows video of the launch of Discovery, carrying Hubble.
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. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
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, who sent them on time but are being posted late because the creator of this website dropped the ball.
- A detailed analysis of Amazon’s proposed Kuiper constellation
Lots of great potentialities, but as always with Bezos space-related companies, little actual achievement, as yet.
- Global map of Mars produced by Tianwen-1 orbiter images
More significant is the announcement that Zhurong remains in hibernation mode.
- China’s space agency makes three rocket engines available for its pseudo-companies to buy
It also claims it can produce 300 engines per year.
- Another outsider’s perspective on the Starship/Superheavy test launch
I agree with Jay, her analysis is very refreshing, with exactly the right outlook.
- NASA considering shifting New Horizons from Kuiper Belt observations to solar observations, sooner that expected
The article is written entirely against this change, which if approved would occur in October 2024 instead of 2025. Though the New Horizons team is doing good research, they have not yet found another Kuiper asteroid target that New Horizons can get close to, and NASA management might be thinking the spacecraft could be better used studying the Sun from these distances.
- Celebrating the anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, 33 years ago today
The link shows video of the launch of Discovery, carrying Hubble.
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. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. 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
I am grateful to have found this site as it is filled with interesting space news. My primary interest is astrophotography but everything space grabs my fancy! Over 5000 exoplanets have been discovered and the James Webb Telescope continues to throw a spanner in the works of Scientists the world over. Let’s continue boldly going…..
I’m surprised you haven’t made any mention of the Hakuto-R lunar landing attempt today. There is a live stream which just went active a few minutes ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpR1UUnix3g
David Eastman: Thank you. I will post immediately. Completely forgot.
RE: “Another outsider’s perspective,”
I think what Jessica Kirsh means by: “6) Concrete and rebar debris is no big deal” is the debris left on the pad, not the debris that flew all over the place, possibly including into the engines and engine compartment of the Super Heavy booster 7.
Her comment about SpaceX moving forward despite not having perfection is correct. This is how they get things done quickly. Robert recently reminded us that Starlink’s first demonstration and test satellites were launched despite the Starlink managers warning that they were not the latest and up-to-date design. Musk wanted them flown anyway so that the other concepts and designs could be confirmed (my recollection is that these managers were looking for other work, because their attitude for test and development was wrong for SpaceX’s philosophy). It is why they launched various Starships for landing tests even though SpaceX had next iteration Starships under construction or even completed. SpaceX is willing to learn from what they have right now rather than sit around waiting for the perfect development test unit to be available. This is how they are able to rapidly develop their hardware and methods. It is how, as she noted, “@SpaceX moves fast.”
It is, after all, a development phase of the project.
Jessica spiel is vintage Twitter Muskovite, as expected…’spinning like a press secretary. Who said anything about a fence?
I, personally, view the hole beneath the OLM as *less digging* they’ll need to do for the flame diverter trench and water deluge system installation.
Where did I hear this first?