June 18, 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.
- Space Force awards contracts to Blue Origin, CACI International Inc., General Atomics, and Viasat to develop space laser terminals [pdf]
These are small contracts to begin design work on using lasers for satellite communications.
- ULA CEO touts photos of new Vulcan launchpad under construction at Vandenberg
The first launch at this pad is scheduled sometime next year.
- Local officials in Cameron County praise SpaceX for bring billions in economic growth to region
Who cares? Elon Musk is evil and all his efforts must be shut down! That’s the rule when someone famous won’t vote for Democrats!
- Russia hopes to revive its Molniya satellite constellation, this time using Chinese parts
The original Molniya communications satellites — first launched in the 1960s — used a clever very eccentric orbit to get the best coverage of Russia, which sits at a high latitude. Traditional geosynchronous communications satellites don’t see those high latitudes that well.
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.
- Space Force awards contracts to Blue Origin, CACI International Inc., General Atomics, and Viasat to develop space laser terminals [pdf]
These are small contracts to begin design work on using lasers for satellite communications.
- ULA CEO touts photos of new Vulcan launchpad under construction at Vandenberg
The first launch at this pad is scheduled sometime next year.
- Local officials in Cameron County praise SpaceX for bring billions in economic growth to region
Who cares? Elon Musk is evil and all his efforts must be shut down! That’s the rule when someone famous won’t vote for Democrats!
- Russia hopes to revive its Molniya satellite constellation, this time using Chinese parts
The original Molniya communications satellites — first launched in the 1960s — used a clever very eccentric orbit to get the best coverage of Russia, which sits at a high latitude. Traditional geosynchronous communications satellites don’t see those high latitudes that well.
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
Weird, I heard of this commercial company, makes lasers for intersatellite communications, and is selling them as an off the shelf component to anyone who wants them. I even heard low pricing like 30,000 a terminal (Need to find a reference for that). Even heard they have several hundred of them active and in orbit working today.
Strange, yep, better to spend our tax dollars on re-invent the wheel. Speaking of that, can I get a grant to investigate round devices that facilate motion in a plane?
Molniya Satellites
“How The Soviet Union Solved Satellite Communications Their Own Way”
Scott Manley October 2023
https://youtu.be/Nmhf2VK3xBE
20:52
A radio host this morning was talking about Elon musk announcing that he’s had 2 People attempt assassination? on his life?
Another person “legally whistle blowing” on the hospital she works for doing transgender surgeries on children and billing Medicare against the law in Texas… Déjà vu with the doctor story a few days ago, only she had visitors from the FBI told her to shut up. At first the FBI denied it but then she showed everybody the door cam.
https://slaynews.com/news/fbi-visits-nurse-blew-whistle-texas-childrens-hospitals-gender-surgery-program/
Apparently the FBI is facilitating child abuse against the state law.
The same radio host reading the news also read a story that Russian troops capturing towns recently discovered trafficked children slated for Europe and the United States. With bags of refrigerated blood… Adrenalchrome supply?
85,000 children, that have come across the border are missing. (at last count year year ago) Agents checking on the children found the addresses they were signed too either didn’t exist, or no children there.
https://oversight.house.gov/release/hearing-wrap-up-orr-director-fails-to-answer-questions-about-85000-lost-unaccompanied-alien-children-flawed-vetting-of-sponsors-and-more%EF%BF%BC/
A year later from this congressional hearing has turned up nothing, was this just political theater?