February 1, 2024 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. I also apologize for the lack of posting today, as I have been dealing with eye doctors.
- Flight path over the ocean for Chinese launch from ocean barge tonight
The rocket is the Jielong-3, or Smart Dragon-3, on its third launch, lifting off at 7 pm (Pacific) tonight but tomorrow in China.
- Gaganyaan test capsule used for launch abort flight to be refurbished for future launchpad abort test
The launch abort test was in October 2023. The launchpad abort test is expected later this year.
- Full production of Russia’s new Angara rocket won’t begin for at least one to one-and-a-half years
That’s at least a six month delay from previous promises. It also means Russia will take more than two decades to design and build this rocket.
- New section of second Starship launch tower ready for shipment from Cape Canaveral to Boca Chica by barge
I could be wrong, but it appears SpaceX finds building the tower sections in Florida for all of its Starship/Superheavy launchpads (in both Florida and Texas) is more efficient than building tower sections in both places.
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. 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. I also apologize for the lack of posting today, as I have been dealing with eye doctors.
- Flight path over the ocean for Chinese launch from ocean barge tonight
The rocket is the Jielong-3, or Smart Dragon-3, on its third launch, lifting off at 7 pm (Pacific) tonight but tomorrow in China.
- Gaganyaan test capsule used for launch abort flight to be refurbished for future launchpad abort test
The launch abort test was in October 2023. The launchpad abort test is expected later this year.
- Full production of Russia’s new Angara rocket won’t begin for at least one to one-and-a-half years
That’s at least a six month delay from previous promises. It also means Russia will take more than two decades to design and build this rocket.
- New section of second Starship launch tower ready for shipment from Cape Canaveral to Boca Chica by barge
I could be wrong, but it appears SpaceX finds building the tower sections in Florida for all of its Starship/Superheavy launchpads (in both Florida and Texas) is more efficient than building tower sections in both places.
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
Oof. Not a good memory. I still had a clock radio in February 2003, living in Houston. I woke up that Saturday ~8 AM CST to the announcers discussing that collapse over Palestine.
There were numerous reports of large chunks of debris falling in parts of East Texas. Feds were told of the areas, or given GPS devices with the spots marked, but never bothered to investigate or return the GPS gizmos. Lots of bad feelings from people who revered and admired the Space Program and honestly wanted to help.
Dropping this in here….
“Elon Musk Denied $55 Billion in Tesla Compensation by Delaware Judge!”
Viva Frei (2-1-24)
https://youtu.be/xfPhJxfKfrQ
9:48
NYPOST had a story about one of the shareholders behind this- punk RichardTornetta, a scumbag drummer–who won’t do anything but support a beer or drug habit.
Some people earn their money on how it is spent—this is money that could have gone into futurism now in the pockets of low class nightcrawlers.
Shareholder interference is what drove Boeing in the toilet.
Had he done this to poser Bezos or Branson I would have cheered.
Musk has both the money and the interest in futurism in one package–Bill Gates money with a Gary Hudson zeal.
I hope both this drummer and the robe take a long walk off a short plank somewhere.
I got up early (in PST) to watch the landing of Columbia, and as I left the bedroom, I heard a comment on the radio that they had not yet made contact with the orbiter after reentry blackout.
I have a memory of seeing a long-distance TV shot of a line of vehicles leaving the Cape Canaveral landing strip after the Columbia did not appear overhead. It was the relatives and dignitaries who had planned to greet the astronauts. My wife came into the TV room and I told her what was happening and that it looked bad.
She said “Why don’t they wait a while longer – maybe it is just late.” I replied “Orbital mechanics doesn’t work that way… late is never.”