October 10, 2022 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s very own stringer Jay, trolling Twitter so none of us have to.
- Chart documenting the status of SpaceX’s full fleet of Falcon 9 first stages
At present, the company’s fleet comprises 14 boosters, two of which have flown 14 times. If they can eventually fly all of these boosters 14 times and keep the fleet at about that size, they can launch almost 200 times without replacing one first stage.
- ULA gets one BE-4 engine, the 2nd expected in November
The company is targeting its first static fire tests of its Vulcan rocket in December, with the first launch in “early 2023”. Don’t bet on it. I expect ULA will not be able to get off the ground before March.
- PR commercial for China’s anti-ballistic missile system
Shows a simulation of the command center launching a missile to destroy an in-coming ICBM.
- Mengtian, the next module for Tiangong-3, is now fueled for its launch on October 31
The tweet shows a nice picture of the module. The fuel is to be used to guide the module to Tiangong-3 once in orbit.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID 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. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
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.
Courtesy of BtB’s very own stringer Jay, trolling Twitter so none of us have to.
- Chart documenting the status of SpaceX’s full fleet of Falcon 9 first stages
At present, the company’s fleet comprises 14 boosters, two of which have flown 14 times. If they can eventually fly all of these boosters 14 times and keep the fleet at about that size, they can launch almost 200 times without replacing one first stage.
- ULA gets one BE-4 engine, the 2nd expected in November
The company is targeting its first static fire tests of its Vulcan rocket in December, with the first launch in “early 2023”. Don’t bet on it. I expect ULA will not be able to get off the ground before March.
- PR commercial for China’s anti-ballistic missile system
Shows a simulation of the command center launching a missile to destroy an in-coming ICBM.
- Mengtian, the next module for Tiangong-3, is now fueled for its launch on October 31
The tweet shows a nice picture of the module. The fuel is to be used to guide the module to Tiangong-3 once in orbit.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID 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. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
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.
The Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022 episode of The Space Show is a must. Frank Slazer’s viewpoint refreshing.
Can’t tell whether the ICBM is coming from the East, or West.
Wondering if part of the conversation before firing was: “Hey, you know this system was built by the lowest bidder.”