May 11, 2026 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. Reader Nate P also sent me the second link. 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.
- SpaceX ends its Starlink reseller program
Apparently a lot of those resellers were “bad actors.”
- Rocket startup Aetherflux renames itself Cowboy Space
It wants to build both its own rocket and its own orbiting data centers, and has raised $275 million in private investment capital to do so.
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. Reader Nate P also sent me the second link. 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.
- SpaceX ends its Starlink reseller program
Apparently a lot of those resellers were “bad actors.”
- Rocket startup Aetherflux renames itself Cowboy Space
It wants to build both its own rocket and its own orbiting data centers, and has raised $275 million in private investment capital to do so.
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
“Rocket startup Aetherflux renames itself Cowboy Space”
“Space Cowboys” 2000 Eastwood (multiple production companies)
Is someone going to ride a booster down?
“Building data centers in space for artificial intelligence.” I hope that doesn’t come back to bite them. Or, us.
Also, when did ‘compute’, replace ‘computing’?
I guess they want that Wild West mojo.
Their old name too synth-pop ;)
Dark matter studies
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-unexplored-interactions-electrons-atomic-nuclei.html
New materials
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/what-new-materials-are-there.18181/page-27#post-907948
Prepare for protests about trash on Venus.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/mangled-remains-probes-sent-venus-110000816.html
Interesting design for the birds. Looks as though the 2nd stage is integrated with the payload and will stay in orbit. Not having to allow for de-orbit prop allows maximizing revenue-producing mass per launch.
Good to see a start-up realizing that vertical integration including the launch vehicle and launch infrastructure will be essential to have any prayer of being able to be price-competitive with SpaceX in this market.
Ride ’em Cowboy!
They got that from HEXAGON I suppose
https://www.collectspace.com/news/news-091811a.html
That was part of the Titan rocket body.
An alternate theory for gravity that doesn’t rely on dark matter
https://x.com/i/status/2052979686398116251?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
CO2-to-gasoline on a bigger scale
https://techxplore.com/news/2026-05-gasoline-kilograms-day.html
This might be a good way to leverage American coal, in that tailings can supply the chip market…the jobs of miners protected, and exhaust products go to our car’s fuel tanks.
I have always believed that we needed to not drill or use our oil…sitting on it instead as part of the great game.
I had hoped Peak Oil would have drained the Middle East first such that America could take over.
Iran has been bombed back further into Third World status, and they still cause trouble with the Strait….and American’s are not getting their money’s worth from the War Department.
Infrastructure should be #1.