August 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.
- Canadian rocket startup Reaction Dynamics gets a mulit-launch contract for its proposed Auroro-8 rocket
The customer, is a new satellite company Galaxia, which wants to put up its own constellation.
- Stoke Space announces the first launch of its new completely reusable two-stage Nova rocket is set for 2026
No specific date is set but it appears 2026 is the year.
- The next Cygnus freighter has been named after Columbia STS-107 astronaut Willie McCool
McCool was the pilot on Columbia’s last mission that broke up upon re-entry. The launch is tentatively scheduled for mid-September on a Falcon 9 rocket.
- On this day in 1960 film reconnaissance satellite Discoverer 14 was launched
Its re-entry capsule was successfully recovered, bringing back the first orbital reconnaissance film photographs every produced.
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.
- Canadian rocket startup Reaction Dynamics gets a mulit-launch contract for its proposed Auroro-8 rocket
The customer, is a new satellite company Galaxia, which wants to put up its own constellation.
- Stoke Space announces the first launch of its new completely reusable two-stage Nova rocket is set for 2026
No specific date is set but it appears 2026 is the year.
- The next Cygnus freighter has been named after Columbia STS-107 astronaut Willie McCool
McCool was the pilot on Columbia’s last mission that broke up upon re-entry. The launch is tentatively scheduled for mid-September on a Falcon 9 rocket.
- On this day in 1960 film reconnaissance satellite Discoverer 14 was launched
Its re-entry capsule was successfully recovered, bringing back the first orbital reconnaissance film photographs every produced.
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
Here we go:
“A Point in Time: The Corona Story”
CIA Directorate of Science & Technology (1972)
Synthetic image enhancement by Retro Space (2024)
https://youtu.be/l2hnYFBzM1M?t=233
(57:42)
Naming a Cygnus cargo stage that will burn up on re-entry after Willie McCool is pretty crass or something.
Who does things like this? Sounds like something 4chan or South Park would do.
Did they even ask his family?
Good grief..
Wayne, no “Ice Station Zebra” clips?
“The Russians put our camera made by our German scientists and your film made by your German scientists into their rocket made by their German scientists “
Every time I hear departed hero Willie McCool’s name, I am reminded of the NPR host Tavis Smiley’s faux pas when interviewing him live on-orbit, an interview I heard live, while commuting.
Tavis, a noted black radio personality, fell into the stereotype trap of assuming that Willie was black, and asked him if he hoped to be a role model for black youth!
Now, I knew Willie McCool was a Scots-Irish redhead, and I realized immediately that Tavis had him confused with Payload Commander Mike Anderson, LtCol USAF, who was indeed black.
Willie handled the question with aplomb. He said something like “Well, I hope I can be a role model for ALL youth, but Mike Anderson might be especially effective for black youth, seeing as how he’s black himself! Would you like to talk to him about it?”
I don’t remember how Smiley extricated himself from that flub, which he would have savaged anyone else for! I was probably too busy trying to get my car out of the ditch where I had driven it, while convulsed with laughter!
“German scientists” never made Russian rockets! Some of them were taken to Russia for their knowledge, but were soon returned. (most went to the US). The Germans were not trusted or liked. Korelev & others built Russian rockets.
David M. Cook,
It is Hollywood. They get all kinds of things wrong in their movies, then we take them as gospel. Garbage in, gospel out.
It makes a good story within the story, so go with it.
____________
Mitch S.,
Here is the clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ht_Z_Dn3Uc (2 minutes)
Mitch–
Totally forgot about Ice Station Zebra!
Edward–
Thank you!