October 25, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Northrop Grumman and SpaceX set January 2024 as the target date for first Cygnus mission on a Falcon 9
Northrop purchased three SpaceX launches for Cygnus when its Antares rocket lost access to its Ukrainian first stage and its Russian engines. Until Firefly replaces both, it needs another launch vehicle.
- China reveals the crew for its next Shenzhou mission to its Tiangong-3 space station
Includes a short clip from the press conference, with English translation, that provides really no new information.
- Tiangong-3 solar panel hit by “small space debris”
According to this tweet, the damage was “predicted and controllable”, which really tells us nothing. All space stations in orbit experience micrometeorite hits, often very tiny. Anything larger is significant. If this impact was the latter they should release more information.
- U.S. officials have short discussions with Chinese officials coordinating the monitoring of orbiting objects, from space stations to space junk
This discussion would normally violate U.S. law, which forbids government employees and anyone using government money to initiate such discussions without much higher approval. In this case it appears the Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo likely gave her okay, as per the strong financial links that exist between Biden and the Chinese, including millions in payoffs. Remember, his loyalty is more to them than to us.
- Chinese pseudo-company Galactic Energy releases results of its investigation into its Ceres-1 rocket failure on September 21, 2023
It appears a screw was screwed in incorrectly on one nozzle, which caused it to ablate abnormally.
- Despite allowing its pseudo-companies to bid to provide cargo to Tiangong-3, China picked four government agencies to do the work
The article at Space News appears to be designed to provide China some nice propaganda, as it makes believe these pseudo-companies are somehow identical to privately owned companies in the west. China might be copying NASA’s capitalism in space approach, using competition to foster innovation and lower costs, but if any of these companies is too successful or does anything the communists don’t like, the government will take over instantly. Note too that the communists weren’t really eager to give these somewhat independent companies any business, favoring government space agencies in awarding the bids.
- NASA proposes a new framework for regulating “commercial missions not currently licensed by other agencies”
As Jay notes, “We’re the government, and we’re here to help you.”
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 stringer Jay.
- Northrop Grumman and SpaceX set January 2024 as the target date for first Cygnus mission on a Falcon 9
Northrop purchased three SpaceX launches for Cygnus when its Antares rocket lost access to its Ukrainian first stage and its Russian engines. Until Firefly replaces both, it needs another launch vehicle.
- China reveals the crew for its next Shenzhou mission to its Tiangong-3 space station
Includes a short clip from the press conference, with English translation, that provides really no new information.
- Tiangong-3 solar panel hit by “small space debris”
According to this tweet, the damage was “predicted and controllable”, which really tells us nothing. All space stations in orbit experience micrometeorite hits, often very tiny. Anything larger is significant. If this impact was the latter they should release more information.
- U.S. officials have short discussions with Chinese officials coordinating the monitoring of orbiting objects, from space stations to space junk
This discussion would normally violate U.S. law, which forbids government employees and anyone using government money to initiate such discussions without much higher approval. In this case it appears the Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo likely gave her okay, as per the strong financial links that exist between Biden and the Chinese, including millions in payoffs. Remember, his loyalty is more to them than to us.
- Chinese pseudo-company Galactic Energy releases results of its investigation into its Ceres-1 rocket failure on September 21, 2023
It appears a screw was screwed in incorrectly on one nozzle, which caused it to ablate abnormally.
- Despite allowing its pseudo-companies to bid to provide cargo to Tiangong-3, China picked four government agencies to do the work
The article at Space News appears to be designed to provide China some nice propaganda, as it makes believe these pseudo-companies are somehow identical to privately owned companies in the west. China might be copying NASA’s capitalism in space approach, using competition to foster innovation and lower costs, but if any of these companies is too successful or does anything the communists don’t like, the government will take over instantly. Note too that the communists weren’t really eager to give these somewhat independent companies any business, favoring government space agencies in awarding the bids.
- NASA proposes a new framework for regulating “commercial missions not currently licensed by other agencies”
As Jay notes, “We’re the government, and we’re here to help you.”
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.
NASA proposes a new framework for regulating “commercial missions not currently licensed by other agencies”
It’s mostly about (granting) power, (funneling) money, and (providing, personally or paid) sexual intercourse. I’ve learned my lessons. At least if they’re hot it can be fun.