December 1, 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.
- Chinese pseudo-company Landspace has apparently postponed indefinitely the first launch of its Zhuque-3 rocket
Jay says Landspace claims “they canceled because of ‘improper paint on the landing pad.'” Neither he nor I believe that tale. I suspect this delay is related to the creation by the Chinese government of a new agency to supervise all of its pseudo-rocket companies. When rumors of that agency appeared in late October, it was speculated that it would delay this launch as the new bosses stepped in a take over.
- The marine platform to recover the first stage of China’s Long March 10 rocket was delivered yesterday
The tweet includes a video claiming that first stage will be captured on this platform using a complex “cable-catching” system that made no sense, as described.
- On this day in 1955 Neil Armstrong completed the first of his seven X-15 flights
He was a most unusual man, at that time a civilian test pilot working for whoever would hire him to test radical airplane designs. The X-15 was then the most radical, only to be superseded soon thereafter by rockets, which Armstrong then transitioned to as a NASA astronaut.
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.
- Chinese pseudo-company Landspace has apparently postponed indefinitely the first launch of its Zhuque-3 rocket
Jay says Landspace claims “they canceled because of ‘improper paint on the landing pad.'” Neither he nor I believe that tale. I suspect this delay is related to the creation by the Chinese government of a new agency to supervise all of its pseudo-rocket companies. When rumors of that agency appeared in late October, it was speculated that it would delay this launch as the new bosses stepped in a take over.
- The marine platform to recover the first stage of China’s Long March 10 rocket was delivered yesterday
The tweet includes a video claiming that first stage will be captured on this platform using a complex “cable-catching” system that made no sense, as described.
- On this day in 1955 Neil Armstrong completed the first of his seven X-15 flights
He was a most unusual man, at that time a civilian test pilot working for whoever would hire him to test radical airplane designs. The X-15 was then the most radical, only to be superseded soon thereafter by rockets, which Armstrong then transitioned to as a NASA astronaut.
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
This is interesting: Eric Berger interviews Dylan Taylor, chairman and chief executive officer of Voyager Technologies about the prospects for commercial space stations. Voyager is the corporation developing the Starlab space station.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/12/space-ceo-explains-why-he-believes-private-space-stations-are-a-viable-business/
Interesting information revealed: 1) Taylor says that they estimate Starlab will cost approximately $2.8 to $3.3 billion; 2) Starlab’s critical design review is coming on Dec. 15-18; they have reached 27 of 31 milestones; 3) they have moved fabrication from Germany to Louisiana; 4) he expects final NASA selections in June or July. He insists they have loads of customer interest (“advanced discussions”), especially from sovereign clients (national space agencies). Also intriguingly, Voyager just hired away Vast’s business development manager.
One more interesting item, also space station related: For the first time in International Space Station history, all eight docking ports aboard the orbital outpost are occupied following the reinstallation of Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft to the Earth-facing port of the station’s Unity module.
https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/spacestation/2025/12/01/space-station-first-all-docking-ports-fully-occupied-8-spacecraft-on-orbit/
I hope that isn’t the Zenith of Men into space, but I fear it won’t be.
On spaceflight control
https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-advances-spacecraft-algorithm-precision-extreme.html
Nozzle flow
https://phys.org/news/2025-12-faucet-jet-breakup-angstrom-scale.html
Richard M,
I think this interview with Taylor provides additional evidence for our host’s case that Vast is the leader in the Commercial LEO space station race. Despite Taylor’s very complimentary remarks about competitor Axiom, it is Vast from which his own organization chose to poach a key executive. As with SpaceX, which also disproportionately loses people to competitors and start-ups, it is people who work for the leading organizations in their fields that attract the most headhunters.
The Chinese cable catching concept could make sense depending on details. Lighter and simpler than the SpaceX chopsticks under some assumptions. I vaguely recall discussion of this sort of thing mumble decades back.. The margin of error on vertical speed should be much higher as well as a bit more horizontal leeway. The devil, as always, is in the details.
Hello Dick,
Oh, I agree on all points (of course). Vast is, quite obviously, the company closest to deploying an actual space station into orbit. Haven-1’s construction is basically complete now!
But it is worth keeping in mind that its follow-on station, Haven-2 — the one that NASA is actually evaluating using — requires a NASA CLD award to close its business case, just as Starlab does. Even so I have the sneaky suspicion that Vast can get Haven-2 built faster than Voyager can build Starlab. That said, it’s interesting that Taylor says that Voyager has made a dramatic change in their fabrication process, switching it to Vivace in Louisiana. I don’t know how fast Vivace works, but it will reduce the big supply chains from over the Atlantic, if nothing else.
Taylor says he expects at least two stations to receive NASA CLD awards (possibly three). If so, I kinda wonder if I wouldn’t give those awards now to Vast and Starlab, and not Axiom, if I were making that decision. I have the sense that these are the two best run companies.
Jeff,
Yes, Progress 93 is docked at the Zenith port. But as I understand it, NASA’s astronauts now close the Zarya hatch whenever the cosmonauts are accessing the progress at that port, in the interests of caution.
Just saw multiple reports of a startling development regarding the Crew-12 mission, NET 15 February 2026. Several Russian sources claim that a cosmonaut, S. Artemyev was replaced due to ITAR violations, (photographing restricted SpaceX documentation with his phone). The official Roscosmos reason is “due a transfer to another job”. Cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev was expelled from the United States for violating ITAR.
t.me/prostinas/3438
Sorry, got the name wrong: the expelled cosmonaut name is Oleg Artemyev.
His replacement will be Andrey Fedyaev, who will be the first Russian to fly on a Dragon twice.
Does not look like NASA has made a statement about this. Yet.
Richard M,
Thank you for that information. There were rumors that he was removed due to his religion, a Russian version of Scientology, but this makes sense about an ITAR violation. As punishment, they will probably stick him with cleaning up the pad 31/6 at Baikonur
Richard M,
Vast has stated that it plans to have at least the first module of the initial Haven-2 configuration on-orbit by 2028. Just when it expects to complete the full four-module initial Haven-2 configuration, I don’t know. Probably no sooner than 2029. That is also the year Taylor says Starlab will launch as a single Starship payload. Vast intends to reconfigure Haven-2 to a cruciform configuration and add four additional modules at some point. I don’t know the intended timing of these upgrades either. What does seem likely is that the US will have at least two new LEO space stations on-orbit by the time ISS is splashed.
Perhaps Axiom will make it three. Vast’s big advantage is its vertical integration. It builds all of its large structural components itself in its own facility. Axiom and Starlab get their major structural components from contractors. The fabrication progress of Axiom’s modules can only be described as leisurely. Perhaps that is an intrinsic characteristic of Thales-Alenia and perhaps it has to do with the rate at which Axiom has proven able to pay for the work.
Starlab’s contractor, Vivace, is US-based. It is one of several outfits, including Boeing and Lock-Mart, that rent parts of the Michoud Assembly Facility. That will certainly de-complicate the logistics of getting Starlab from fab shop to launch pad as the path between Michoud and KSC is well-worn.
As to how much faster Vivace can actually crank out Starlab’s main hull module than could the now-spurned German contractor, we have this from the Vivace website:
“Once requirements are developed, Vivace can design, analyze, build, test, and deliver primary structures up to 7 meters (23 feet) in diameter. Vivace has successfully built and tested aluminum pressure vessels for spaceflight up to 5.5 meters (18 feet) in diameter.”
“Vivace has developed innovative and proven approaches to the design and fabrication of space station modules that radically reduces lead time and cost while preserving reliable performance to rigorous human spaceflight requirements.”
Sounds good, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Saw something about the Russian cosmonaut-spy on X just before coming back here. I can’t say I’m greatly surprised. It would be interesting to know if he was operating entirely for Russia’s benefit or whether the Russians intended to pass along whatever he got to the PRC in return for some additional war-related goods. I’m inclined to think it was the latter as the Russian space infrastructure doesn’t strike me as being able to take much advantage of SpaceX trade secrets these days – certainly not as much as the PRC. In any case, it’s just one more large-ish bump on an ISS “cooperation” road that is rapidly devolving into a rutted cart track as ISS enters its hospice care era.
If I were a spy, I would just turn in a burner phone and wear glasses with one of those chip cameras in it.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they still used burst transmission and a Minox.
I think that cosmonaut was just taking touristy snaps because:
1.) Putin has wrecked Russia Space.
2.) Raptor and glass-cockpit pix don’t reveal tech secrets found on the inside.
3.) There are other ways to get information.
4.) RD-270 predated Raptor by decades.
I think it was the United States that dismantled a Luna probe once…I don’t think it was much of an intelligence boon, in that Russians just put heavier, less sophisticated tech atop larger rockets.
Warhead secrets need protecting against Third World nations (Russia and China already know how and might help other nations.
The Norks are proving that even a broke nation can build an ICBM.
NGAD they could not match, but an ICBM allows warheads to fly higher faster and further than any plane.
From the Eric Berger interview of Dylan Taylor of Voyager Technologies, linked by Richard M, above:
I am not as surprised as Taylor was. I expected that commercial space stations, such as Bigelow was developing, combined with commercial manned spacecraft would attract many nations that could not afford full blown space programs. I expected those nations would go with lighter versions that did not develop their own launch vehicles, manned spacecraft, and space stations. Rather than spend billions per year on a space program, these nations can spend tens of millions a year, renting time on various types of commercial hardware.
The current government-run space stations have limited availability. Only so many astronauts can go aboard them, and only so much research can be performed. Axiom’s private astronaut missions had to be short, while the government missions could last for months or even a year. The priorities that governments put on the use of their space stations was for their own benefit, not ours.
The Outer Space Treaty says that space should be used for the benefit of all mankind, but government uses space for their own benefit. Commercial space uses space for the benefit of all mankind, the customers of commercial space.