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.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
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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.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
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.