July 17, 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.
- SpaceX touts an artist’s illustration of its proposed ISS de-orbit spacecrat
The tweet notes the vehicle will have ” 6x more propellant and 4x the power of today’s Dragon spacecraft.”
- Rocket Factory Augsburg releases video of full duration static fire test of its rocket’s third stage engine
The test duplicated the two firings that would occur on the flight, with a 40 minute coasting phase in between. It is now ready for launch.
One thing I found fascinating was that the engineers doing the test did it in English, even though this is a German company working in Germany.
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.
- SpaceX touts an artist’s illustration of its proposed ISS de-orbit spacecrat
- Rocket Factory Augsburg releases video of full duration static fire test of its rocket’s third stage engine
The tweet notes the vehicle will have ” 6x more propellant and 4x the power of today’s Dragon spacecraft.”
The test duplicated the two firings that would occur on the flight, with a 40 minute coasting phase in between. It is now ready for launch.
One thing I found fascinating was that the engineers doing the test did it in English, even though this is a German company working in Germany.
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
I wonder if that hoss’ could make it to Gateway
You may already have seen this, but last evening, NASA announced it was cancelling VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover). Official reason: Cost overruns.
NASA press release: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-ends-viper-project-continues-moon-exploration/
Jeff Foust story at Space News: https://spacenews.com/nasa-cancels-viper-lunar-rover/
A lot of people in the lunar science community (and beyond) are deeply unhappy this morning. Homer Hickam, for example : “Of the awfulest ideas NASA has lately come up with, this is one of the awfulest.” https://x.com/realhomerhickam/status/1813625948299804904
One other item: “Space Policy in a Second Trump Term” with a number of observations from Greg Autry.
https://payloadspace.com/space-policy-in-a-second-trump-term/
English is what Europeans typically speak to one another when people from multiple European nations are involved in a project. RFA is a German company, but it won’t be launching exclusively for German clients. Also, RFA will be doing launches from Saxavord which is in Scotland where the natives speak a sort of English too.