October 10, 2024 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay, who also deserves thanks for cluing me on the Vast, EPA, and Chinese launch stories posted earlier. 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.
- Hubble and New Horizons look at Uranus from opposite directions
By doing simultaneous observations like this, astronomers get data covering the planet’s entire globe.
- Impulse’s new Deneb rocket engine ready for testing
The company wants to use it on its Helios orbital tug as a fast way to get payloads to different locations in Earth orbit and beyond.
- Sierra Space is now targeting a May 2025 launch for its Tenacity mini-shuttle on a ULA Vulcan rocket
Only a year later than originally announced, and years behind schedule overall.
- Space Force: X-37B in orbit will next use aerobraking to change its orbit as well as “safely dispose … service module components.”
At present the mini-shuttle is in a highly elliptical orbit. By using the atmosphere during its close fly-bys of Earth to lower that orbit’s high points it save fuel for other purposes, which can extend its mission considerably.
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, who also deserves thanks for cluing me on the Vast, EPA, and Chinese launch stories posted earlier. 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.
- Hubble and New Horizons look at Uranus from opposite directions
By doing simultaneous observations like this, astronomers get data covering the planet’s entire globe.
- Impulse’s new Deneb rocket engine ready for testing
The company wants to use it on its Helios orbital tug as a fast way to get payloads to different locations in Earth orbit and beyond.
- Sierra Space is now targeting a May 2025 launch for its Tenacity mini-shuttle on a ULA Vulcan rocket
Only a year later than originally announced, and years behind schedule overall.
- Space Force: X-37B in orbit will next use aerobraking to change its orbit as well as “safely dispose … service module components.”
At present the mini-shuttle is in a highly elliptical orbit. By using the atmosphere during its close fly-bys of Earth to lower that orbit’s high points it save fuel for other purposes, which can extend its mission considerably.
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
Will the Falcon 9 fly again before the election?
Aurora tonight.
Saw pics from coastal NC. Reports Maine has a show.
I ain’t can’t see …anything.
As the X37B is an aerodynamic vehicle with control surfaces I wonder if the aerobraking test will include some attempt to alter its inclination a bit in addition to altitude and eccentricity? That would truly be new ground research IMHO.
I don’t know where to put this so that everyone sees it, but it appears that the FAA has approved SpaceX to return to normal Falcon 9 flight operations, which will resume after the Europa Clipper launch.
Some small good news: The FAA has approved the return to flight for Falcon 9. All investigations appear to be now closed.
Someone has lit a fire under ’em.
https://x.com/trevormahlmann/status/1844847408699887697
I think mkent ninja’d me!
But yes, this is important because after Europa Clipper (which NASA licenses itself, rather than the FAA), SpaceX has Starlink launches lined up for Oct. 14, 15, and 16. Time is money!
There is no official word on what the Crew-9 “observation” on the second stage deorbit burn was (nor is SpaceX obliged to tell us), but rumor has it, via Aviation Week, that it was a “fuel leak.” Stay tuned. Usually the facts get out before long.
https://aviationweek.com/space/operations-safety/space-ops-hurricane-hiatus
An interesting discussion about LOX/alcohol rockets here:
https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=61566.0
“Ethanol (or most other alcohols for that matter) almost certainly could be used for fuel-rich staged combustion…Now, how practical would that engine be? No idea. It could be that you would have to clean the engine before restarting it, making propulsive landing impossible. Or it could be more reusable than an SSME. Don’t know. But I am fairly confident you could get at least enough run time for a first stage burn (at least 4-6 minutes) out of an Ethanol-rich preburner.”
I am thinking this might be great for winged rockets so a restart is not needed.
In other news–the long missing 3-foot Enterprise has been uncovered and the mystery solved:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSFjF-Wjl70&t=1s