March 14, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Next Rocket Lab launch presently scheduled for Wednesday, March 15th, with a 6-8 pm (Eastern) launch window
The launch is from Wallops Island in Virgina, using the company’s Electron rocket.
- Axiom to build the spacesuits to be used by the next American astronauts on the Moon
This isn’t news, as the contract was issued to Axion in September 2022. The company and NASA are simply unveiling the suit to the public, with typical PR fanfare.
- Chinese scientist provides update on Zhurong, which remains silent because of dust
Apparently they have found from orbital images that its solar panels are dust-covered, the result of the heavy winter dust storm season. They remain hopeful that with time and the arrival of Martian summer the dust will be blown off and they can reactivate the rover.
- Another Twitter report of Kazakhstan’s seizure of Roscosmos’ property at Baikonur
This was first reported on in the March 8th quick links, but today’s tweet adds that the seizure is due to a Russian debt to Kazakhstan of two billion rubles. The consequences of the seizure for future Russian launches remains unclear however.
- Amazon unveils user terminals for its Kuiper satellite constellation
The terminals look “futuristic”, but maybe that’s because they will be like all of Jeff Bezos’ futuristic projects, only in the future.
- PLD touts picture of its suborbital Miuri-1 rocket on the launchpad in Spain
No launch date is mentioned, though it does appear the company is getting close.
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.
- Next Rocket Lab launch presently scheduled for Wednesday, March 15th, with a 6-8 pm (Eastern) launch window
The launch is from Wallops Island in Virgina, using the company’s Electron rocket.
- Axiom to build the spacesuits to be used by the next American astronauts on the Moon
This isn’t news, as the contract was issued to Axion in September 2022. The company and NASA are simply unveiling the suit to the public, with typical PR fanfare.
- Chinese scientist provides update on Zhurong, which remains silent because of dust
Apparently they have found from orbital images that its solar panels are dust-covered, the result of the heavy winter dust storm season. They remain hopeful that with time and the arrival of Martian summer the dust will be blown off and they can reactivate the rover.
- Another Twitter report of Kazakhstan’s seizure of Roscosmos’ property at Baikonur
This was first reported on in the March 8th quick links, but today’s tweet adds that the seizure is due to a Russian debt to Kazakhstan of two billion rubles. The consequences of the seizure for future Russian launches remains unclear however.
- Amazon unveils user terminals for its Kuiper satellite constellation
The terminals look “futuristic”, but maybe that’s because they will be like all of Jeff Bezos’ futuristic projects, only in the future.
- PLD touts picture of its suborbital Miuri-1 rocket on the launchpad in Spain
No launch date is mentioned, though it does appear the company is getting close.
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
The Chinese “remain hopeful” for what? A dust devil to happen by to blow off the dust? As one can see in your, Robert’s pic of heavily dust-devil-swept martian territory the other day, even in areas which experience a lot of dust devils (whatever the reason for that is), the vast bulk of the terrain there has a dust devil go right over it extremely seldom.
Michael McNeil: The Chinese’s hope is not unreasonable. Both Spirit and Opportunity lasted years because periodically a dust devil would blow over and clear their panels of dust. InSight failed however because in its two plus years on Mars no dust devils ever flew above it.
In fact, these facts from these rovers underlines the point of my cool image post yesterday. Dust devils appear to favor some regions of Mars over others. Whether Zhurong is in such a place remains unknown.
Due to winds, Electron Launch pushed to the 16th
https://twitter.com/NASA_Wallops/status/1635807162898210816?cxt=HHwWgICzmdT8xrMtAAAA