November 6, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander will carry seeds that also flew on Apollo 14
The Apollo 14 trees, dubbed the Moon Trees, came back to Earth and were planted in many places. It is unclear from the link whether the seeds now going to the Moon are the same seeds, or seeds from a Moon tree subsequently grown on Earth.
- ESA head endorses using private enterprise for sending European cargo to ISS and other stations
In other words, the Europe Space Agency has no rocket or capsule to do the job, has no capacity to build either, but sees from America that private enterprise can do it better.
- French space agency head blames the government mostly for the failure of ArianeGroup to launch Ariane-6 on schedule
Like the ESA story above, European space leaders are finally beginning to realize the benefits of freedom and capitalism. It just took them a decade longer than it should have.
- Chinese pseudo-company rolls its Zhuque-2 methane-fueled rocket to launchpad
The pseudo-company is Landspace, this will be its rocket’s third launch. The first failed, the second was the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit. In related news, the company’s CEO claims it will be doing 100 launches per year within five years.
- Video of crashed Long March 6 solid-fueled strap-on booster, which landed in farm country in Ji County of Shanxi Province
Shanxi province is in the middle of China, and to the immediate southwest of Beijing. I am surprised the Chicoms didn’t censor this video.
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.
- Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander will carry seeds that also flew on Apollo 14
The Apollo 14 trees, dubbed the Moon Trees, came back to Earth and were planted in many places. It is unclear from the link whether the seeds now going to the Moon are the same seeds, or seeds from a Moon tree subsequently grown on Earth.
- ESA head endorses using private enterprise for sending European cargo to ISS and other stations
In other words, the Europe Space Agency has no rocket or capsule to do the job, has no capacity to build either, but sees from America that private enterprise can do it better.
- French space agency head blames the government mostly for the failure of ArianeGroup to launch Ariane-6 on schedule
Like the ESA story above, European space leaders are finally beginning to realize the benefits of freedom and capitalism. It just took them a decade longer than it should have.
- Chinese pseudo-company rolls its Zhuque-2 methane-fueled rocket to launchpad
The pseudo-company is Landspace, this will be its rocket’s third launch. The first failed, the second was the first methane-fueled rocket to reach orbit. In related news, the company’s CEO claims it will be doing 100 launches per year within five years.
- Video of crashed Long March 6 solid-fueled strap-on booster, which landed in farm country in Ji County of Shanxi Province
Shanxi province is in the middle of China, and to the immediate southwest of Beijing. I am surprised the Chicoms didn’t censor this video.
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
SpaceX is optimistic that they will be able to get the second launch of starship completed in November..
“SpaceX announced on Friday that the company is targeting “mid-November” for the second flight test of the Super Heavy rocket and its Starship upper stage.
“The company said the launch date is pending regulatory approval, which means that the Federal Aviation Administration and US Fish and Wildlife Service have yet to complete the environmental review process for the rocket and its launch site, which is surrounded by wetlands, in South Texas.
“Even so, the SpaceX announcement indicates that the company believes it may soon receive this regulatory approval. This is consistent with what sources have told Ars—that federal approval for the second launch of Starship is close to wrapping up.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/11/its-almost-showtime-for-spacexs-massive-starship-rocket/
Paul Revere: This story is essentially a cut and paste of stories from September and October. All said “SpaceX is optimistic it will get permission for a second launch in [Sept] or [Oct].”
SpaceX has to play nice so as to not antagonize the paper-pushers that now control its life. What I find annoying are the reporters who play nice too, treating these bureaucrats like gods, when they are nothing more than interfering busybodies making believe they are gods. What’s worse is that they are simply not qualified to judge the safety of anything SpaceX is doing.
It could be the launch will happen in November. I remain doubtful, though I know SpaceX is ready to go the instant it gets an okay. Won’t change anything I’ve written. SpaceX was ready to go in early September. The government pushed that launch back more than two months, and without any public pressure I am certain would have pushed it back longer.
Under these conditions SpaceX cannot develop Starship in a manner that is practical or cost effective.
A funny thing about the China methane fueled engine is that it is just a gas generator cycle, so it gains nothing special over using RP1 fuel. Like it is a stunt.
GeorgeC:
They got it up there, and proved the technology. A stunt, perhaps, but a useful one.