January 9, 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.
- Blue Origin now targeting January 12, 2025 1 am (Eastern) for first launch of New Glenn
Just stay up late Saturday night to watch. I will try to post the live stream here. [Note: Link fixed! My error. Sorry.]
- Astra touts testing of its Rocket-4 upper stage tank
Very puzzling, as the company had said it was delaying construction of Rocket-4 for several years as rebuilds the company from its almost bankruptcy. Maybe now that it is in private hands again things are moving. Or not. We shall see. [Note: Link fixed. My error. Sorry.]
- Rocket Lab touts its progress as prime contractor to build eighteen satellites for the military
My how things have changed. In the old days, it would take almost a decade for the Pentagon to build and launch one satellite, and it would cost billions. Buying the product from the private sector now means they get it fast many times over, and for far less.
- The orbital debris that fell in Kenya possibly identified as coming from an Ariane-5 launch in 2008
Nothing is confirmed as yet.
- Vast installs hatch on the “primary qualification unit” for its Haven-1 space station
It remains unclear whether this unit will become the station module itself, or act merely as a testing unit. If the latter, I wonder if it will be possible for Haven-1 to be launched before the end of 2025, as the company promises.
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 or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. 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.
- Blue Origin now targeting January 12, 2025 1 am (Eastern) for first launch of New Glenn
Just stay up late Saturday night to watch. I will try to post the live stream here. [Note: Link fixed! My error. Sorry.]
- Astra touts testing of its Rocket-4 upper stage tank
Very puzzling, as the company had said it was delaying construction of Rocket-4 for several years as rebuilds the company from its almost bankruptcy. Maybe now that it is in private hands again things are moving. Or not. We shall see. [Note: Link fixed. My error. Sorry.]
- Rocket Lab touts its progress as prime contractor to build eighteen satellites for the military
My how things have changed. In the old days, it would take almost a decade for the Pentagon to build and launch one satellite, and it would cost billions. Buying the product from the private sector now means they get it fast many times over, and for far less.
- The orbital debris that fell in Kenya possibly identified as coming from an Ariane-5 launch in 2008
Nothing is confirmed as yet.
- Vast installs hatch on the “primary qualification unit” for its Haven-1 space station
It remains unclear whether this unit will become the station module itself, or act merely as a testing unit. If the latter, I wonder if it will be possible for Haven-1 to be launched before the end of 2025, as the company promises.
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 or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. 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
The diameter of rocket bodies I expect are, while often similar, also quite specifically unique. So since the Kenyan debris is a full structural ring I would expect its dimensions to be a pretty specific indicator of its source.
My opinion for what it is worth.
ZimmerBob,
I can open the other links in this post, but the Blue Origin and Astra links yield only blank pages with a “block” status.
I’m also unable to see most of the comments reported to be accompanying some other posts that are now several days old. For example, the post entitled “NASA is considering two options for getting Perseverance’s Mars samples to Earth” from Jan. 7 shows 11 comments as existing, but when I open the post in a separate tab or window, I see only the first two comments. Similarly, the post entitled “Trump administration considering major positive changes at NASA” from Jan. 6 shows 17 comments as existing, but when I open the post I see only the first comment.
I added a comment to each of these and they have since not been visible. The same might well happen with this comment as well as any reply comment you make. If that happens, I will try corresponding via e-mail after a reasonable interval.
Just wrote a Comment confirming what Dick noticed, and when I posted it, I immediately received the “Posting Too Fast” notice.
I’m going to post this, clean out my browser cache, and come back later and see what happens next.
EagleDick: Your comments are all approved. The issue with comments not appearing is related to the theme my webpage uses, which is old. My webguy is planning an upgrade. Stay tuned. In the meantime, try using different browsers to see if that makes a difference.
As for the blank links, I get that now also. Jay will have to provide working links. When he does I will fix.
Dick Eagleson and all: Those two links have been fixed. Sorry about the error.
Re: On this day in 1972 the Soviet Union launched Luna 21, carrying its second lunar rover, Lunikhod-2
The Soviets didn’t get a man on the Moon, but their Lunokhod rovers remain a very impressive feat for their day, too often overlooked. Lunokhod 2 actually lasted a full four months on the lunar surface, so it lasted through 5 lunar nights, all while covering 37km in distance. Not too shabby!
Today, Richard Garriott owns the rover (he won it in a Sotheby’s auction when Russia put it up for sale). Unless he’s able to hire a Starship to land there to pick it up in the next decade or so, however, his ownership is more or less notional.
Dick Eagleson: Both I and my webguy have emailed you directly about this. Shane needs some questions answered for him to address the problem. Will you please respond to him?