August 31, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- China’s pseudo-company Galactic Energy targets September 5th for the first sea platform launch of its Ceres-1 rocket
The tweet says the platform will take off from “Haiyang Spaceport”, but I think all that means is its an ocean platform. Where it will be located at launch is at the moment unclear.
- NASA: “Our Deep Space Network (DSN) is dying because of budget cuts!”
There is no link above because this whining has been amplified by two articles that Jay sent, one in Space News and the other in Ars Technica. Both articles naively buy NASA’s pitch with little or no skepticism, even though NASA has successfully completed some major upgrades of the DSN in recent years, and its own budget will remain stable next year despite deep cuts being pushed by the House in almost all other government agencies. Note too that NASA’s budget now is about 30% higher than just ten years ago, an increase well above inflation.
- Perseverance team touts macro image of “cool textures and green crystals”
The tweet doesn’t say where this image was located, other than to note that this was at one of the core sample locations.
- Short 4-second movie of large impact on Jupiter, captured by an astronomer
No other details provided, such as when this happened, who took the images, were they professional or amateur, and what kind of telescope did they use. It would be useful to know these pertinent facts.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either. IMPORTANT! If you donate enough to get a book, please email me separately to tell me which book you want and the address to mail it to.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
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3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
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You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- China’s pseudo-company Galactic Energy targets September 5th for the first sea platform launch of its Ceres-1 rocket
The tweet says the platform will take off from “Haiyang Spaceport”, but I think all that means is its an ocean platform. Where it will be located at launch is at the moment unclear.
- NASA: “Our Deep Space Network (DSN) is dying because of budget cuts!”
There is no link above because this whining has been amplified by two articles that Jay sent, one in Space News and the other in Ars Technica. Both articles naively buy NASA’s pitch with little or no skepticism, even though NASA has successfully completed some major upgrades of the DSN in recent years, and its own budget will remain stable next year despite deep cuts being pushed by the House in almost all other government agencies. Note too that NASA’s budget now is about 30% higher than just ten years ago, an increase well above inflation.
- Perseverance team touts macro image of “cool textures and green crystals”
The tweet doesn’t say where this image was located, other than to note that this was at one of the core sample locations.
- Short 4-second movie of large impact on Jupiter, captured by an astronomer
No other details provided, such as when this happened, who took the images, were they professional or amateur, and what kind of telescope did they use. It would be useful to know these pertinent facts.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either. IMPORTANT! If you donate enough to get a book, please email me separately to tell me which book you want and the address to mail it to.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
You are correct – “haiyang” (海洋) means “ocean”
The Perseverance shot is from work during Sols 872 – 876. On Aug 9, UMSF member “Tau” combined a series of shots from many different instruments.
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?showtopic=8706&view=findpost&p=261233
His processed micro image shows much more than the tweeted image.
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=53671
UMSF member “kymani76” has the rover’s Sol 872 location mapped here:
http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=53701
I will get more information today about the sea launch. A few months ago they said they were going off shore to launch, but within the territorial waters of the PRC.
How Many People Are Needed to Establish a Colony on Mars? Read this report on a just published study https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scientists-reveal-how-many-people-you-d-need-to-colonize-mars/ar-AA1g7dV0?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=e7496326c6f44a3eb6ad032b68880843&ei=21