October 17, 2025 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. 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.
- Intuitive Machines touts its proposed Zephyr returnable capsule
It already has a deal with Space Forge to use the capsule to produce both pharmaceuticals and semiconductors for sale on Earth.
- Minor damage to Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket’s second stage during transport
The damage is not expected to impact the scheduled launch now targeting November 9, 2025.
- Citizen scientists discover the most powerful and first double ‘odd radio circle’
Lots of uncertainty, but a truly intriguing discovery that remains unexplained.
- Astronomers detect what they think is a black hole tearing apart a star
At least, that’s their best explanation for the strong radio flares coming from the black hole.
- Axiom marks 700 hours of crewed pressurized time in its spacesuit
This suit is designed for the Moon, but will be quickly adapted by the company for use on both ISS and Axiom’s own station. It also will be available for sale to the other commercial stations under construction.
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. 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.
- Intuitive Machines touts its proposed Zephyr returnable capsule
It already has a deal with Space Forge to use the capsule to produce both pharmaceuticals and semiconductors for sale on Earth.
- Minor damage to Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket’s second stage during transport
The damage is not expected to impact the scheduled launch now targeting November 9, 2025.
- Citizen scientists discover the most powerful and first double ‘odd radio circle’
Lots of uncertainty, but a truly intriguing discovery that remains unexplained.
- Astronomers detect what they think is a black hole tearing apart a star
At least, that’s their best explanation for the strong radio flares coming from the black hole.
- Axiom marks 700 hours of crewed pressurized time in its spacesuit
This suit is designed for the Moon, but will be quickly adapted by the company for use on both ISS and Axiom’s own station. It also will be available for sale to the other commercial stations under construction.
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
“It will buff out”.
-Jeff Bezos, probably.
Perhaps those Odd Radio Circles will turn out to be visual evidence of the existence – or previous existence – of multiple Kardashev Level 4 civilizations.
“Yeah….we kinda sorta…dropped your rocket…”
Oh-that’s just great! Now I have to call the paint guys again! I was going to use that money to buy Bubbles a gold-plated—never mind [CLICK]
Today, acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy announced that he is….opening up the contract for the Artemis III landing to contractors besides SpaceX, because….it seems he is unhappy with SpaceX’s Starship development delays, and by God we simply must beat the Chinese back to the Moon. He specifically invites Blue Origin to bid:
https://x.com/SecDuffyNASA/status/1980257227760955637
Elon responds: “Blue Origin has never delivered a payload to orbit, let alone the Moon.” (Elon adds: “(Useful payload.)”
I think the Blue Ring demonstrator on that first New Glenn flight technically counts as “payload to orbit.” But it is also true that it failed to separate from the second stage. Either way, not exactly an overwhelming flight record.
Eric Berger comments: “Internally, Duffy is talking about a 30-month plan to get humans to the Moon. Among the alternatives are Blue Origin (I recently reported on a Mark I-only plan) and an old-space, cost-plus proposal. Only a fool would believe the latter is a viable option this decade.”
https://x.com/SciGuySpace/status/1980268686805020893
From Richard M’s linked Duffy Twit:
Isn’t this a self-declared race? Does China know that it is in a race? And if we are in a race, why did the government wait so long after deciding to go back to the Moon to send out a request for proposals for the Human Landing System (HLS)? And if they were in such a hurry, why did the government slow-walk the paperwork for all those Starship developmental tests?
Best companies? Which companies does Duffy consider to be the best?
Starship is still ahead of any of the other prospective HLS companies, so why be unhappy with the leader? Especially after [*cough*]ing them so hard for so long during development. SpaceX has demonstrated that it is one of the rapid development companies, and it already has an aggressive development and test regimen.
And where is Duffy going to get the budget?
Pix
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDC4YnzQ-pw&t=3s