January 24, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Arnhem spaceport in Australia hopes to have its first orbital rocket customer launch before the end of 2023
It appears no deal as yet been signed, but it is pushing hard to get customers. In ’22 NASA did three suborbital launches from this site.
- Boeing’s Starliner capsule mated to its service module
Boeing and NASA are still targeting April for that first manned demo mission to ISS.
- NASA and DARPA form partnership to fly and test a nuclear thermal engine in space by 2027
Whether this promised demo mission will happen is certainly uncertain, as NASA has promised such nuclear engine projects now for decades, none of which ever got past the planning stages. If it happens, however, the technology has the potential to cut travel times to the planets significantly.
- Video describing new Japanese startup rocket company
Mostly in Japanese, as is the company’s website. However, the images and some text suggests the company wants to create a range of rockets comparable to the rockets offered by SpaceX and Rocket Lab.
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 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.
- Arnhem spaceport in Australia hopes to have its first orbital rocket customer launch before the end of 2023
It appears no deal as yet been signed, but it is pushing hard to get customers. In ’22 NASA did three suborbital launches from this site.
- Boeing’s Starliner capsule mated to its service module
Boeing and NASA are still targeting April for that first manned demo mission to ISS.
- NASA and DARPA form partnership to fly and test a nuclear thermal engine in space by 2027
Whether this promised demo mission will happen is certainly uncertain, as NASA has promised such nuclear engine projects now for decades, none of which ever got past the planning stages. If it happens, however, the technology has the potential to cut travel times to the planets significantly.
- Video describing new Japanese startup rocket company
Mostly in Japanese, as is the company’s website. However, the images and some text suggests the company wants to create a range of rockets comparable to the rockets offered by SpaceX and Rocket Lab.
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 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
Has there been any further speculation or explanation as to why only two astronauts are scheduled to fly on the first Starliner manned flight? It seems initially the crew size was three!
Ray,
This is the manned demo flight so there are only two astronauts going up. SpaceX’s two manned demo flights only had two astronauts as well. Funny that Boeing only gets to do one demo flight and SpaceX had to do two. If all goes well with the Starliner, the next flight will have three astronauts scheduled in 2024. That is quite a gap between the two flights.
Jay: SpaceX only did one manned demo flight. It also only did one unmanned demo flight.
Boeing had to do two unmanned demo flights because of serious problems with the first, followed by serious problems prior to the launch of the second that caused more than a year delay.
After the second mostly successful second demo flight (it did have issues with its attitude jets), NASA approved flying the next manned.
The crew for this Starliner flight changed along the way, likely because of the delays and possibly some astronauts’ lack of confidence in the vehicle.
I must add that the reason for the long gap between the demo flight and the first operational flight is that SpaceX has the contracts for all the manned flights in between. NASA needed to fly, Starliner wasn’t ready, so SpaceX got the business.
You are right, I was looking up the stats and saw Crew-2 Demo which was the first manned flight. I saw Crew-1 and thought that was the Crew-1 Demo, but Crew-1 was the first flight with four astronauts which was after.
Jay: Don’t you know that the best source of information is right here, on BtB? :) All you had to do is run a searches for “demo” “ISS” “Starliner” “Boeing” for one set, and “demo” “ISS” “Dragon” “SpaceX” for the other.
The big news items of the day come from phys.org:
“Plasma thrusters used on satellites could be much more powerful than previously believed”
and…
“Device transmits radio waves with almost no power without violating the laws of physics.”
Ray: “Has there been any further speculation or explanation as to why only two astronauts are scheduled to fly on the first Starliner manned flight? It seems initially the crew size was three!”
Jay: “This is the manned demo flight so there are only two astronauts going up. ”
I think Ray is thinking of Chris Ferguson, who *was* originally planned to fly as a third crewmember, on behalf of Boeing. It is not clear why Boeing wanted its own astronaut on the mission; but the terms of the Commercial Crew contract with NASA allowed them to do so. (The same was true for SpaceX, which never showed any interest in flying one of its own employees on the Crew Dragon demo flight, however.)
Ferguson, however, withdrew from the mission, citing family reasons. NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore replaced him in the third seat on 7 October 2020. Last year, however, NASA clarified that it would only fly two astronauts on the demo mission (Wilmore and Sunita Williams), and Boeing apparently decided not to to put one of their people on the flight after all. So, it’s only going to be two crew on board.
Another interesting, related Commercial Crew development from Joey Montalbano, relayed by Jeff Foust of SpaceNews: Work is now underway on a crew tower at SLC-40 to support crew and cargo Dragon missions; should be ready to support missions, starting with cargo, in the fall.
This is intended chiefly to provide SpaceX (and thus, NASA) with a backup for access to ISS, if anything bad happens to LC-39A during Starship operations.
Obviously once Starliner becomes operational, that will be another backup alternative, albeit only for crew access; SpaceX will still need a way to launch the Dragon for cargo deliveries. But once SLC-40 is upgraded to handle it, that will not be a problem.
This is the (other) nice thing about using commercial vendors: you have options. You have fallbacks.
Space
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-milky-big-cosmological-wall.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-earlier-geomagnetic-storm.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-nasa-small-asteroid-earth-week.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-rubble-pile-asteroids-impossible-destroy.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-mercury-earth-massive-extinction-event.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-galaxies-early-universe.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-nasa-fermi-gamma-ray-eclipses-spider.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-solar-poorly-cake-batter-isotope.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-astronomers-technique-starspots.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-astronomers-peculiar-cataclysmic-variable-star.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-webb-spies-chariklo-high-precision-technique.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-approach-mystery-dark-energy.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-dark.html
Propulsion
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-nasa-pentagon-nuclear-powered-rocket-mars.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-plasma-thrusters-satellites-powerful-previously.html
Stress in fluids
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-stresses-complex-fluids.html
New chemistry
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-technique-hydrogen-peroxide-emitting-carbon.html
Hydropower
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-emission-energy-conflict-smart.html
Bugs
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-influenza-virus-universal-vaccine.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-propionic-acid-nerve-cells-regenerate.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-measles-virus-cooperates-fatal-encephalitis.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-uv-lamps-disinfection-impair-indoor.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-covid-vaccine-based-technology-clinical.html
Plants
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-twin-legalizing-recreational-cannabis-substance.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-uncover-potential-ancient-mint.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-bryophytes-reveals-evolution-genetic-pathways.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-mutant-disability.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-farming-seaweed-food-fuel.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-friend-foe-bacteria-algal-hosts.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-alien-species-rapidly-mountainous-areas.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-secret-recipe-limonoids-door-bee-friendly.html
AI
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-ai-bot-wharton-professor-exam.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-machine-vision-capable-king-apple.html
Tech news
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-device-transmits-radio-powerwithout-violating.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-metal-alloys-nuclear-fusion-energy.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientists-neutrons-behavior-alloys.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-recyclable-mobile-batteries-closer-rust-busting.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-images-shadow-sample.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-combining-classical-quantum-optics-super-resolution.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-physical-surface-mica-atomic-scale.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-rainbow-force-activated-pigments-stress.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientists-tweak-synthesis-high-entropy-carbides.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-shield-blocks-electromagnetic-wireless-optical.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-coating-barrier-perovskites-space-elements.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-scalable-method-thin-transistors-ultra-clean.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-detector-enable-high-speed-quantum-communication.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-coherent-electron-silicon.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-ultrafast-laser-generate-shortest-electron.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-physicists-riddle-two-dimensional-quasicrystal-formation.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-highly-lithium-sulfur-batteries-based.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-harvesting-big-energy-small-movement.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-demo-carbon-nanotube-yarn-harvests.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientists-quasiparticles-classical.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-stability-perovskite-solar-cells-milestone.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-quantum-physicists-sources.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-team-quantum-sensors-reveal-weyl.html cool graphics
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-salt-rejecting-microchannels-seawater-drinkable-power.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-temperature-sensing-material-energy.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-graphene-long-term-memory-2d-nanofluidic.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-chemists-catalyst-carbon-hydrogen-bonds.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-geothermal-battery-repurposes-abandoned-oil.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-harvesting-energy.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-farewell-destroying-pfas-additive.html
The anti-laser
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-anti-laser-device.html
Glass
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientists-window-physics-glass-formation.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-centimeter-glass-sphere-scientists-space.html
The speed of physics
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-derive-topological-limit-evolution-physical.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-law-entanglement.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-lays-chirality-flipping-theory.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-atoms-space.html
Underground river
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-nasa-underground-sierra-central-valley.html
Robots
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-person-shaped-robot-liquify-power-magnets.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-continuum-robot-elephant-trunks.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-raibo-versatile-robo-dog-sandy-beach.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-framework-four-legged-robots-leader-daytime.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-magnetic-microrobot-cell-stiffness-traction.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-click-beetle-inspired-robots-elastic-energy.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-soft-robots-harness-viscous-fluids.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-rotational-multimaterial-helical-filaments-soft.html
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-method-enable-robotic-paper-based.html
Movement and Force
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-movement-critical-visual-cues.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-links-nano-macro-aspects-everyday.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-evidence-mesoatom-symmetries-special-twin.html
anti-bubbles
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-rapid-production-antibubbles-jet.html
Oil spill max
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-oil-disrupt-global-energy.html
Brain atlas
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-unveil-human-brain-atlases-postnatal.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-pop-up-electrode-device-3d-brain.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-chronic-stress-neurons-behavioral-problems.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-abnormal-hour-cyclic-gene-schizophrenic.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-injury-mortality-long-term.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-memory.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-ai-people-empathetic-mental-health.html
Medicine
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-tool-ultrasound-tornado-blood-clots.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-scientists-drug-lifespan.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-anti-aging-gene-shown-rewind-heart.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-spray-infections-antibiotic-resistance.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-hypertension-drug-repurposed-delay-aging.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-low-cost-sensor-heavy-metals.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-characterizing-soft-biological-tissue-biomechanical.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-blood-accurate-osteoarthritis.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-ultrafast-fmri-technique-brain.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-reveals-mechanical-skeletal.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-approach-cancer-evolving-resist-treatment.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-ants-cancerous-tumors-mice.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-antidepressants-bacterial-resistance-antibacterial-drugs.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-everyday-stresses-mental-well-being.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-collateral-cell-function-mutations-play.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-cells-extra-dna.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-potential-hidden-dementia.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-brain-molecule-halt-ms.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-bioprinted-artificial-skin-cosmetics-drugs.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-french-aristocrat-golden-dental-secret.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-reveals-protein-plaques-alzheimer-stickier.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-open-source-stopwatch-interactions-molecules-cells.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-artificial-human-skin-paves-cancer.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-cancer-cells-die-scientists-explore.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-tiny-ion-crucial-hiv-replication.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-enzyme-drugs.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-method-bone-producing-cells-bone.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-insufficient-good-quality-teenage-years.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-glimpse-previously-unknown-vexas-syndrome.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-neuronal-molecule-prostate-cancer-aggressive.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-wearable-sensor-ultrasound-cardiac-imaging.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-mimicking-enigmatic-property-circadian-rhythms.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-year-old-medical-mystery-baby-deaths.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-dna-biosensor-powerful-low-cost-clinical.html MEDICAL tricorder
Uh…
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-ai-tool-speedy-gene-editing.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-ai-technology-generates-proteins.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-reveals-dynamics-dna-ligation-genome.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-software-incorporates-dendritic-properties-neural.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-strategy-root-nodule-symbiosis-important.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-boosting-efficiency-genome-procedures-inaccessible.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-covid-vaccine-clinical-trials-treasure.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-micellesthe-boosting-reactions-interactions.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-california-insulin-curb-prices-health.html
History
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-obsidian-handaxe-making-workshop-million-years.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-egypt-unveils-ancient-secret-keeper.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-golden-boy-mummy-precious-amulets.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-scientists-evolutionary-secret-animal-life.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-tonga-eruption-chances-global-temperature.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-solid-earth-atmosphere-interaction-hunga-tonga-hunga.html
Carbon capture
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-01-scientists-unveil-carbon-capture-date.html
cats and mutts, etc.
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-cat-egorizing-play-genuine-cats.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-camera-trap-evidence-pumas-ecological-impact.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-pill-diabetic-cats-daily-insulin.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-dogs-difference-unable-simply-unwilling.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-economics-trump-environment-large-carnivores.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-abilities-domesticated-dogs-pigs-human.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-humans-chimpanzee-bonobo-gestures.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-polygamous-birds-shown-mutations.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-pterosaur-species-hundreds-tiny-teeth.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-sea-spiders-regrow-body-limbs.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-neurons-threat.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-mosquito-repellents-deet.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-split-second-evolutionary-cellular-mammals-hypothesis.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-elephant-extinction-major-impact-atmospheric.html
Politics
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-high-temperatures-boost-biodiversity-arctic.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-decolonizing-global-health-checklist-equity.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-kids-outdoors-negative-effects-screen.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-urban-elites-seize-benefits-big.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-uk-sugary-taxes-cases-obesity.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-rural-residents-higher-heart-failure.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-uncovers-widespread-unethical-assigning-authorships.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-economist-debt-limit-impact.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-conspiracy-theories-simple.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-qa-bug-quinine-habanero.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-college-student-teachers-kind-gender.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-tracking-online-speech-real-world-events.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-multipronged-approach-combat-intimate-partner.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-key-weathering-rapid-sea-level-massachusetts.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-strong-political-action-millionaires-enormous.html LOOK OUT ELON
How to talk science
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-uk-survey-potential-pitfalls-science.html
Cool 3D prints
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-chaos-3d.html
language as sculpture
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-endangered-languages-3d.html
https://phys.org/news/2023-01-yall-slow-speaking-states-survey-language.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-01-music-stressful-boost-mood-stress.html