July 25, 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.
- Ispace announces completion of a European mini-rover set to fly on its Hakuto-R Resilience lunar lander
The mission is targeting a launch late this year on a Falcon 9. The landing location remains unclear.
- Thales-Alenia completes design review of a proposed lunar mobile habitation module
The artist’s rendering suggests this would be like a mini-RV for use on the Moon.
- China proposes its own proposed lunar module habitation module
The Chinese graphic looks less well thought out compared to Thales-Alenia’s design.
- China university proposes building a intelligent spherical robot for use on its space station
This is essentially a copycat of similar robots already flying on ISS.
- New rocket startup New Frontier Aerospace touts first tests of a small-scale prototype of the engine for its proposed point-to-point orbital spaceplane
Though I wish them well, to say we should remain skeptical of this company at this point is an understatement.
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
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P.O.Box 1262
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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. 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.
- Ispace announces completion of a European mini-rover set to fly on its Hakuto-R Resilience lunar lander
The mission is targeting a launch late this year on a Falcon 9. The landing location remains unclear.
- Thales-Alenia completes design review of a proposed lunar mobile habitation module
The artist’s rendering suggests this would be like a mini-RV for use on the Moon.
- China proposes its own proposed lunar module habitation module
The Chinese graphic looks less well thought out compared to Thales-Alenia’s design.
- China university proposes building a intelligent spherical robot for use on its space station
This is essentially a copycat of similar robots already flying on ISS.
- New rocket startup New Frontier Aerospace touts first tests of a small-scale prototype of the engine for its proposed point-to-point orbital spaceplane
Though I wish them well, to say we should remain skeptical of this company at this point is an understatement.
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.
Your Daily Aphorism
“Never trust a man whose uncle was eaten by cannibals.”
Falcon 9 back on track.
https://x.com/sciguyspace/status/1816599544181731605?s=46
Gary: I just posted this. If someone hears whether the FAA has issued a license, please comment.
“The Chinese graphic looks less well thought out compared to Thales-Alenia’s design.”
My takeaway is that NASA has defined what they want from Thales-Alenia’s design. They have a basic idea for the power needed, the living space available, and the space available for experiments and other desired uses of the module. Its wheels may be intended for transport from the landing site to the outpost/moon-base site. Although the word “module” implies multiple parts that will make up an eventual whole, the hatch on this design does not look so compatible with additional modules, but maybe they have an idea for some form of adaptor. This design review may have generated a few desired changes from the ideas shown in this rendering.
The Chinese rendering looks like they are currently in “me too!” mode, copying yet another idea but still have to figure out how to make it different enough so that the world thinks the Chinese are ahead of everyone else.