May 1, 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.
- Chinese pseudo-company Landspace touts the installation of grid fins on its hopper test first stage
Gee, I wonder where they got that idea.
- Video of the disarming of the backup parachute on China’s just landed Shenzhou manned capsule
At least, that’s what I think this video shows, based on the tweet.
- Moon map showing the target landing zone for China’s Chang’e-6 sample return mission
The launch to the far side of the Moon is presently scheduled for May 3, 2024.
- Sierra Space gives an update on the development of its LIFE inflatable space station module
The key bit of new news is that the company intends to also market the module to others, outside its use on the Orbital Reef station Sierra is building in partnership with Blue Origin, including use as a module on interplanetary spaceships.
- On this day in 1979 the test shuttle Enterprise was rolled out of the VAB for launchpad fit tests
Enterprise was only used for engineering and glide tests on Earth. It never flew in space.
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 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.
- Chinese pseudo-company Landspace touts the installation of grid fins on its hopper test first stage
Gee, I wonder where they got that idea.
- Video of the disarming of the backup parachute on China’s just landed Shenzhou manned capsule
At least, that’s what I think this video shows, based on the tweet.
- Moon map showing the target landing zone for China’s Chang’e-6 sample return mission
The launch to the far side of the Moon is presently scheduled for May 3, 2024.
- Sierra Space gives an update on the development of its LIFE inflatable space station module
The key bit of new news is that the company intends to also market the module to others, outside its use on the Orbital Reef station Sierra is building in partnership with Blue Origin, including use as a module on interplanetary spaceships.
- On this day in 1979 the test shuttle Enterprise was rolled out of the VAB for launchpad fit tests
Enterprise was only used for engineering and glide tests on Earth. It never flew in space.
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 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
Sierra Space would be competing with https://getmaxspace.com/ in the inflatable-module, er, space.
The pioneering work was done by Bigelow, with the Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) on the ISS: https://bigelowaerospace.com/pages/beam/
… but Bigelow haven’t updated their “news” since 2019.
Tried to post this, but had some odd message.
Ashlee Vance, writer of When the Heavens Went on Sale, is co-producing a documentary film to be released in June.
https://dcdoxfest.com/films/wild-wild-space/
Being shown at a film festival. No word on when it is released to for general public.
I recently finished the book. I am not a fan of the writing style, but it still had good info on several companies other than SpaceX, (but still talks a bit about their early days) and some of the personalities behind them.
Mr Z
Side note, some of your links in the lower right are no longer valid.
Parabolic Arc, for instance, is dead.
At least one other as well.
sippin_bourbon: Thank you. I will review those links and fix or delete. This is one of those tasks that should be done regularly, but easily slips through the cracks.