October 10, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Sierra Space reiterates its commitment to Orbital Reef and its contracts with NASA
Based on the statement, which makes no mention of Blue Origin, this suggests that the rumors about a break-up between Sierra Space and Blue Origin on this project were really referring to Blue Origin getting kicked out, which will be especially embarrassing for Jeff Bezos as he and his company were the originators of the Orbital Reef space station concept.
- Mission team for UAE’s Al-Amal Mars orbiter get award at 2023 International Astronautical Congress
Well deserved, though in this day and age one can’t help wondering how much of this award was given for political reasons beyond the team’s actual achievement.
- A news source other than BtB notices China dropping any mention of Russia in its latest presentation about its lunar base
Jay and I both noted this change by China in the October 4, 2023 quick space links, one week ago. Nor was this a surprise, as from the beginning I predicted Russia would not contribute much of anything to this partnership, and China began leaving Russia out of its presentations as early as September 2022.
- China’s Hubble-class space telescope to enter “final prototype phase” in April 2024
This date suggests that the telescope is delayed, and will not launch next year as previously announced as recently as February 2023.
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.
- Sierra Space reiterates its commitment to Orbital Reef and its contracts with NASA
Based on the statement, which makes no mention of Blue Origin, this suggests that the rumors about a break-up between Sierra Space and Blue Origin on this project were really referring to Blue Origin getting kicked out, which will be especially embarrassing for Jeff Bezos as he and his company were the originators of the Orbital Reef space station concept.
- Mission team for UAE’s Al-Amal Mars orbiter get award at 2023 International Astronautical Congress
Well deserved, though in this day and age one can’t help wondering how much of this award was given for political reasons beyond the team’s actual achievement.
- A news source other than BtB notices China dropping any mention of Russia in its latest presentation about its lunar base
Jay and I both noted this change by China in the October 4, 2023 quick space links, one week ago. Nor was this a surprise, as from the beginning I predicted Russia would not contribute much of anything to this partnership, and China began leaving Russia out of its presentations as early as September 2022.
- China’s Hubble-class space telescope to enter “final prototype phase” in April 2024
This date suggests that the telescope is delayed, and will not launch next year as previously announced as recently as February 2023.
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.
Perseverance records Phobos transit of the Sun.
https://x.com/nasamars/status/1711772383043060147?s=46
I want whatever station gets put up there to have a profile of a house with a steep roof and chimney…to make the transit more surreal.
Robert wrote: “Based on the statement, which makes no mention of Blue Origin, this suggests that the rumors about a break-up between Sierra Space and Blue Origin on this project were really referring to Blue Origin getting kicked out, which will be especially embarrassing for Jeff Bezos as he and his company were the originators of the Orbital Reef space station concept.”
To be fair, the statement also did not mention any of the other members of the team, which my list contains: Boeing, Redwire Space, Genesis Engineering Solutions, and Arizona State University in addition to Sierra Space and Blue Origin.
I am pondering the ability of Sierra Space to take the lead in this space station. They are already working on their cargo version of Dream Chaser, and their manned version cannot be far behind. With the ISS resupply contract, they should have the revenues needed to stay in business long enough to develop their manned Dream Chaser, and maybe they can also afford to lead the Orbital Reef space station. If not, then my next choice would be Boeing, based upon their long history, deep pockets, and previous leadership positions, but they have not been stellar performers, lately. If Dream Chaser performs well, then I may have confidence in Sierra Space’s ability to develop space hardware.
In the meantime, I am glad that there are still two other competitors for the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations (CLD) contracts and at least one other space station company that is not participating in the CLD contracts. Vast’s Haven-1 space station has been mentioned, and I have heard of Gravitics’s Starmax space station in a couple of reports.
Reports are also coming out that NASA is looking at the possibility of turning a Starship into a space station, or maybe they are urging SpaceX to do it on their own or as a partnership with NASA. It isn’t quite clear to me, at this time.
Gary: That Perseverance footage is old, from 2022. Do a search here on BtB for “Perseverance” and “Phobos” and you see it.
Another Quick Link Candidate: The always interesting Stoke Space today has a new promotional video out. And it features . . . on orbit refueling and moon landings.
These guys are getting ambitious. Gotta get to orbit first, though!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcLuugmHV90&t=70s
Bob,
Thanks. I attempted that, but must have fat-fingered the search.