December 28, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Shanghai produces first of more than 100 satellites in new production facility
The government there says it wants private companies to build up to 50 rockets and 600 satellites by 2025.
- The Exploration Company completes first technical review of its proposed Nyx cargo freighter
French-based, this company hopes to provide ferrying services to the private space stations being built by private consortiums, most of which are coming from U.S. companies.
- Juno will make its closest flybys of Io on December 30th and February 3rd
At a distance of only 930 miles, these two approaches will be the closest in over 20 years, since Galileo orbited Jupiter.
- Dragonfly team completes 25 subscale drop tests of aeroshell & main parachute system prototypes
It remains to be seen whether this mission will ever get to Saturn’s moon Titan, considering the serious budget issues at NASA.
- Another storage tank arrives at Boca Chica
This is for storing prior to the launch of a Starship/Superheavy, either methane or oxygen, I’m not sure which. Jay wonders “when they will start producing their own fuel.”
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.
- Shanghai produces first of more than 100 satellites in new production facility
The government there says it wants private companies to build up to 50 rockets and 600 satellites by 2025.
- The Exploration Company completes first technical review of its proposed Nyx cargo freighter
French-based, this company hopes to provide ferrying services to the private space stations being built by private consortiums, most of which are coming from U.S. companies.
- Juno will make its closest flybys of Io on December 30th and February 3rd
At a distance of only 930 miles, these two approaches will be the closest in over 20 years, since Galileo orbited Jupiter.
- Dragonfly team completes 25 subscale drop tests of aeroshell & main parachute system prototypes
It remains to be seen whether this mission will ever get to Saturn’s moon Titan, considering the serious budget issues at NASA.
- Another storage tank arrives at Boca Chica
This is for storing prior to the launch of a Starship/Superheavy, either methane or oxygen, I’m not sure which. Jay wonders “when they will start producing their own fuel.”
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
Jay wonders “when they will start producing their own fuel.”
Well, does Musk own any cows, yet? (Of all the possible people to actually try a cow-fart-capturing system, you know Elon might take an actual run at it. And name the associated company something silly/interesting.)
Mr. Zimmerman: You may correct the following small error: ” Chinese pseudo-company touts video of the first in-space firing of its kypton ion engine”. Correct is: ” … its krypton ion engine …”
Questioner: Typo fixed. Thank you.