January 31, 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.
- Boeing’s VP Mark Nappi has left his Starliner position for an advisory role before retiring later in February
This is only one of many management changes that have been going on in Boeing’s space division. Expect more to come.
- Rocket Lab ships its newest Archimedes engine for testing at Stennis
The new engine is for its new Neutron rocket, which the company hopes to launch for the first time this year.
- SpaceX installs the chopsticks on its second launch tower at Boca Chica
It appears they want this second tower available soon to support Starship/Superheavy test flights.
- Another new Chinese pseudo-company, Astronston, that is going to use chopsticks to catch its rockets
It also apparently stole SpaceX artwork created by Alex Svan
- ISRO completes preliminary design of new methane-fuel engine
It plans to use it on its new larger NGLV rocket, necessary for its planned manned space station program.
- Modified to fix the issues that caused the Apollo 13 failure, the mission initially had its own problems
They had difficulty docking the Apollo capsule to the lunar module, requiring six attempts and firing the thrusters to force the docking latches to catch.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. 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.
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.
- Boeing’s VP Mark Nappi has left his Starliner position for an advisory role before retiring later in February
This is only one of many management changes that have been going on in Boeing’s space division. Expect more to come.
- Rocket Lab ships its newest Archimedes engine for testing at Stennis
The new engine is for its new Neutron rocket, which the company hopes to launch for the first time this year.
- SpaceX installs the chopsticks on its second launch tower at Boca Chica
It appears they want this second tower available soon to support Starship/Superheavy test flights.
- Another new Chinese pseudo-company, Astronston, that is going to use chopsticks to catch its rockets
It also apparently stole SpaceX artwork created by Alex Svan
- ISRO completes preliminary design of new methane-fuel engine
It plans to use it on its new larger NGLV rocket, necessary for its planned manned space station program.
- Modified to fix the issues that caused the Apollo 13 failure, the mission initially had its own problems
They had difficulty docking the Apollo capsule to the lunar module, requiring six attempts and firing the thrusters to force the docking latches to catch.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. 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.
Re: SpaceX second tower chopsticks – I CANNOT WAIT for the day that two SuperHeavy / Starship launches occur, simultaneously, or just close together. As always, Robert Heinlein is smiling.
Not clear on what launch this is from but Russian rocket parts falling to the ground and knocking out power
https://x.com/MarioNawfal/status/1885685998660772173
The piece of space debris that fell on Russia might have been Russian, but could easily have had some other national origin. Perhaps there was enough of the object left to settle that issue. If the object was of Western or Japanese origin, we’ll likely hear about that. If it was Russian or PRC, not so much.
From the first piece, a missing verb: it ought to be either “that are going on” or “that have been going on,” depending on your preferred tense.
Boobah: Thank you. Fixed.
“Astronston” has got to be the worst name ever for a space-related company! Terrible!
David M. Cook: Agreed. “Astronston” is even harder to pronounce than the names of most of those pharmaceuticals advertised endlessly on TV and the Web these days.
I hope there is some truth to this:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o6S9CKdLBi4&t=2s&pp=2AECkAIB