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.
Now available in hardback and paperback as well as ebook!
From the press release: In this ground-breaking new history of early America, historian Robert Zimmerman not only exposes the lie behind The New York Times 1619 Project that falsely claims slavery is central to the history of the United States, he also provides profound lessons about the nature of human societies, lessons important for Americans today as well as for all future settlers on Mars and elsewhere in space.
Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space, is a riveting page-turning story that documents how slavery slowly became pervasive in the southern British colonies of North America, colonies founded by a people and culture that not only did not allow slavery but in every way were hostile to the practice.
Conscious Choice does more however. In telling the tragic history of the Virginia colony and the rise of slavery there, Zimmerman lays out the proper path for creating healthy societies in places like the Moon and Mars.
“Zimmerman’s ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says.” —Robert Zubrin, founder of founder of the Mars Society.
All editions are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all book vendors, with the ebook priced at $5.99 before discount. The ebook can also be purchased direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and I get a bigger cut much sooner.
Autographed printed copies are also available at discount directly from me (hardback $24.95; paperback $14.95; Shipping cost for either: $5.00). Just email me at zimmerman @ nasw dot org.
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.
Now available in hardback and paperback as well as ebook!
From the press release: In this ground-breaking new history of early America, historian Robert Zimmerman not only exposes the lie behind The New York Times 1619 Project that falsely claims slavery is central to the history of the United States, he also provides profound lessons about the nature of human societies, lessons important for Americans today as well as for all future settlers on Mars and elsewhere in space.
Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space, is a riveting page-turning story that documents how slavery slowly became pervasive in the southern British colonies of North America, colonies founded by a people and culture that not only did not allow slavery but in every way were hostile to the practice.
Conscious Choice does more however. In telling the tragic history of the Virginia colony and the rise of slavery there, Zimmerman lays out the proper path for creating healthy societies in places like the Moon and Mars.
“Zimmerman’s ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says.” —Robert Zubrin, founder of founder of the Mars Society.
All editions are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all book vendors, with the ebook priced at $5.99 before discount. The ebook can also be purchased direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and I get a bigger cut much sooner.
Autographed printed copies are also available at discount directly from me (hardback $24.95; paperback $14.95; Shipping cost for either: $5.00). Just email me at zimmerman @ nasw dot org.
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