February 13, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay, who also clued me into to the updates on the Russian spacecraft leak situation on ISS.
- Blue Origin says it has made both solar cells and electricity transmission wires from simulated lunar soil
The article claims this is a major breakthrough, but I am sincerely underwhelmed. Though eventually such technology might be important for lunar colonists, right now it makes no sense to spend private capital on it. For at least the next two decades, power on the Moon is going to from solar panels shipped there. Other companies such as Astrobotics are developing cheap and easy-to-ship-and-install panels for those first missions, and they, not Blue Origin, are going to reap the profits.
- Pseudo Chinese rocket startup Space Pioneer gearing up for first launch of Tianlong-2 rocket by end of March
If successful, it would be the first liquid fueled rocket by a Chinese pseudo company to reach orbit. Others have tried and failed.
- Graphic of Chinese pseudo-company DeepBlue Aerospace’s fleet of rockets under development
Jay sums this up well: “Names of the rockets: Copy#1, Copy#2, Copy#3, Copy-Heavy#4, and of course Super Heavy Copy#5.” I will add that this is all fantasy at this moment.
- China’s FAST radio telescope discovers 740 pulsars
The claim is made by the telescope’s chief engineer, which suggests China has still not found a high quality astronomer to manage its science operations.
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
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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, who also clued me into to the updates on the Russian spacecraft leak situation on ISS.
- Blue Origin says it has made both solar cells and electricity transmission wires from simulated lunar soil
The article claims this is a major breakthrough, but I am sincerely underwhelmed. Though eventually such technology might be important for lunar colonists, right now it makes no sense to spend private capital on it. For at least the next two decades, power on the Moon is going to from solar panels shipped there. Other companies such as Astrobotics are developing cheap and easy-to-ship-and-install panels for those first missions, and they, not Blue Origin, are going to reap the profits.
- Pseudo Chinese rocket startup Space Pioneer gearing up for first launch of Tianlong-2 rocket by end of March
If successful, it would be the first liquid fueled rocket by a Chinese pseudo company to reach orbit. Others have tried and failed.
- Graphic of Chinese pseudo-company DeepBlue Aerospace’s fleet of rockets under development
Jay sums this up well: “Names of the rockets: Copy#1, Copy#2, Copy#3, Copy-Heavy#4, and of course Super Heavy Copy#5.” I will add that this is all fantasy at this moment.
- China’s FAST radio telescope discovers 740 pulsars
The claim is made by the telescope’s chief engineer, which suggests China has still not found a high quality astronomer to manage its science operations.
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.
” . . . China has still not found a high quality astronomer . . .”
1.4B people, and they can’t come up with one?
I’m just as prone to look at the lack of visible progress from Blue Origin and say “where’s the beef?” as anyone else. But if, in fact, they have decided that New Glenn is not the important long pole, and have been quietly working on industrial processes, habitats, and all the other things that people will actually DO in space, that’s a big deal. If, five to ten years from now, a bunch of people leave BO and take their knowledge, experience, and ideas to form spin-off companies making habitats, mining, refining and manufacturing gizmos, etc. for orbital or lunar use, then that could be as least as important as what SpaceX is doing for lift right now.
One of the things that has always bothered me about SpaceX is that for a company supposedly intending to colonize Mars, they don’t seem to be doing anything other than making rockets. That’s hugely important, and enough for one small company to bite off, but it’s not even a thin slice of the whole pie.
Some speculation on Star Ships 26 and 27.
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-rolls-naked-starship-prototype-to-test-site/
David, I’ve always been surprised about how applicable SpaceX’s non-rocket projects and Elon’s other ventures are to planetary settlement. #1 are the spacesuits SpaceX is developing, making use of their Polaris program for EVA testing, and I also expect to see Starlink-like systems around other globes for robust communication and navigation there. In addition to solar power and battery systems, Tesla is working on autonomous driving and humanoid robots, which can only help in the early low-manpower days of off-world development. The Boring Company may end up digging tunnels on Mars or the Moon at some point. Elon’s brother Kimball is heavily involved in hydroponic farming systems housed in mobile shipping containers, which will be a very necessary technology for colonisation. Twitter… is of no use, I’d bet.
With Twitter the question is as much ‘Would the Agarwal/Gadde/Roth Twitter have been an impediment?’ as it is ‘How does it help?’
David Eastman wrote: “One of the things that has always bothered me about SpaceX is that for a company supposedly intending to colonize Mars, they don’t seem to be doing anything other than making rockets.”
I think that Robert’s point rings true. Unlike Blue Origin, SpaceX is concentrating on what is needed now. They will be able to concentrate on Martian infrastructure once they are closer to needing it. They may even be able to buy much of that infrastructure from other companies that work on it earlier than it is needed, like Blue Origin may be doing now.
When creating a schedule, it is important to prioritize the things that are needed sooner rather than than later. Things that are needed later can be worked on later, unless they are long pole items, in which case they should be started earlier (the long pole holds up the circus tent or holds up the show or schedule). Perseverance’s experiments on O2 generation are important to prove the concept that we can make air out of the Martian atmosphere, as that means it is reasonable to proceed with plans to settle the planet with bases or colonies. Designing the Martian-gravity drinking fountain can probably wait a while.
Robert,
From the article:
Blue Origin may already have a customer for this. It may become a revenue source sooner instead of later. Or it will be later, as NASA may not need this tech for a few years — maybe even after the patents expire.
On the other hand, if they could do this in two years, then maybe they can do some rapid development after all.
Space travel and the brain
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02-space-brain.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02-brain-fighter-experienced-astronauts-space.html
Four classes of systems…and the Euler Class
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-classes-planetary.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-mathematicians-spheres-4d-spaces-scope.html
Mars Dust storms
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-quantifies-global-impact-electricity-storms.html
The perfect explosion
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-astrophysicists-explosion-space.html
Ice-proof your rocket and roads
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-supercooled-droplet-superhydrophobic-ice-repellent-surfaces.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-02-drivers-safe-road-ice.html
Ice core samples rethought?
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-method-accurate-analysis-ice.html
Carbon nano-tubes
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-cost-effective-strong-composite-carbon-fiber.html
Compassion
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02-children-compassion.html
From nowhere?
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-evolution-mini-proteins-human.html
Coral in better shape
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-coral-reefs-eastern-pacific-survive.html
Anti-biotics not at fault?
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-antibiotic-consumption-main-driver-aminoglycoside.html
Vegans are wrong
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-veganism-planet-limited-meat-consumption.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-antioxidants-beef-chicken-pork.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-tundra-surface-trigger-runaway-permafrost.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-dont-blame-climate-south-american.html
Consumer advocates—not libertarians–are right
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02-high-drug-prices-industry-experts.html
Zinc works
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-zinc-armor-metal-combat-common.html
Bionic fingers
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-02-bionic-fingers-3d-human-tissue.html
Hydrogen from seawater
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-02-hydrogen-straight-seawater-desalination-required.html
Beer
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-beer-features.html
Covid discrimination
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02-covid-discrimination-psychological-distress-impairment.html
On risk
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02-men-decisions-prospects-financial-unknown.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-selfishness-fairness-dynamics-groups-selfish.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-global-capitalism-law-threatens-democracy.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-asset-wage-debtors-tough-economy.html
Leonardo’s gravity
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-leonardo-da-vinci-forgotten-explored.html