April 7, 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.
- 2001 A Space Odyssey Fail
You have to watch it to understand.
- Video of something going boom during a SpaceX static fire test at its McGregor test facility yesterday
We don’t know if it was a planned test-to-failure or an unplanned boom.
- Blue Origin touts completion of another BE-7 engine used by its Blue Moon manned and unmanned lunar landers
I just wish instead of touting things they’d just do more launches.
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.
- 2001 A Space Odyssey Fail
You have to watch it to understand.
- Video of something going boom during a SpaceX static fire test at its McGregor test facility yesterday
We don’t know if it was a planned test-to-failure or an unplanned boom.
- Blue Origin touts completion of another BE-7 engine used by its Blue Moon manned and unmanned lunar landers
I just wish instead of touting things they’d just do more launches.
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
Wow 2001 a Space Odyssey Fail was painful for my VERY amateur trombone playing self…
So the syndicated radio morning show Armstrong and Getty seem to start their Monday morning broadcast with the same or a similar recording. (Richard Strauss’s “Also sprach Zarathustra”)
Anyone who has had a child in a smaller high school band has probably heard similar efforts from time to time. Also, from time to time you are pleasantly surprised on a stellar performance.
“Play to me son, play to me…”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSbz-MXBiF8
Now, if you want a good 2001 parody
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v_suy7gARps&pp=ygUfZ2VvcmdlIGx1Y2FzIDIwMDEgc3BhY2Ugb2R5c3NleQ%3D%3D
Blue Origin is great at making announcements. Maybe they are good at hardware too, but their output of rockets pales in comparison to the PR department. I will probably Never get hired there but I’d love to consult with them on improving their image.
The good news is, Blue Origin has a launch on the schedule one week from today –April 14 at 10:45 UTC. Its the one for AST Mobile.
The bad news is, there isn’t even a vague NET date for any launch after that. I’m sure won’t be their last launch for 2026, but it’s just not clear when any future launches will happen yet.
Thanks Chris. Oh Shirley Jones, she caught my teen-age eye. I married a sweet gal just as pretty and kind.
“Anyone who has had a child in a smaller high school band has probably heard similar efforts from time to time.”
Guilty as charged. I was in a ‘smaller high school band’ smack in the middle of Tobacco Road, and the performance attempt was made. Once.
For me, “2010” was much more enjoyable than “2001”.
Richard M,
Blue has promised a Blue Moon Mk 1 mission for sometime this year, but they certainly have been playing it cagey about just when. If Blue doesn’t manage even that this year, I have no hopes it will have anything ready to go in time for Artemis 3 next year.
Tom Keener,
Shirley Jones was one of the great beauties of her era – and of more than one era since the 1950s and 60s. A very durable beauty she was – and remains.
F,
2010 was certainly less mysterious than 2001 – and it had Helen Mirren in it which ups its score quite a bit. But it hasn’t aged nearly as well. Can’t entirely blame the writer and director though. When 2010 was in production it was still conventional wisdom that the Soviet Union would be a permanent fixture on the world stage and in space as well. Sic transit gloria mundi as the old Romans used to say.
I also liked 2010 better. The Russian vessel inspired the Earth ships of Babylon 5
And credit to Jeff Wright for getting in a B5 reference; something I’ve tried to do for years. It’s just not as quotable as Firefly, or ST-TOG.