October 3, 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.
- Ispace’s lunar lander passes structural ground testing
This lander is an upgrade from the two landers the company tried to land on the Moon (unsuccessfully), and is for a Japanese mission targeting a 2028 launch.
- Lunar Outpost touts its manned lunar rover proposal by showing it off at the Kennedy Space Center October 2-10
Unlike many other federal visitor centers that have been shuttered due to the government shut down, this visitor center is remaining open.
- Astronomers detect phosphine in nearby brown dwarf
This is the same molecule that astronomers thought they might have maybe detected in the atmosphere of Venus. And just like then, this brown dwarf detection has been followed immediately with joyous cries “We’ve found evidence of life!” Hardly. They have found unexpected chemistry, but that is a far cry from a biosignature.
- Europe and Japan further solidify their Ramses and Destiny+ joint mission to the asteroid Apophis
It appears Japan will launch both together, with Destiny+ doing a fly-by of the asteroid prior to Ramses’ arrival.
- Axiom extends its agreement with the United Kingdom for access to both its ISS module and future free-flying Axiom station
The UK is essentially buying space and passenger seats for future missions
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.
- Ispace’s lunar lander passes structural ground testing
This lander is an upgrade from the two landers the company tried to land on the Moon (unsuccessfully), and is for a Japanese mission targeting a 2028 launch.
- Lunar Outpost touts its manned lunar rover proposal by showing it off at the Kennedy Space Center October 2-10
Unlike many other federal visitor centers that have been shuttered due to the government shut down, this visitor center is remaining open.
- Astronomers detect phosphine in nearby brown dwarf
This is the same molecule that astronomers thought they might have maybe detected in the atmosphere of Venus. And just like then, this brown dwarf detection has been followed immediately with joyous cries “We’ve found evidence of life!” Hardly. They have found unexpected chemistry, but that is a far cry from a biosignature.
- Europe and Japan further solidify their Ramses and Destiny+ joint mission to the asteroid Apophis
It appears Japan will launch both together, with Destiny+ doing a fly-by of the asteroid prior to Ramses’ arrival.
- Axiom extends its agreement with the United Kingdom for access to both its ISS module and future free-flying Axiom station
The UK is essentially buying space and passenger seats for future missions
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
“We’ve found evidence of life!”
‘Star Maker’ Olaf Stapledon 1937
I’m still not sure that Lunar Outpost’s Rover is the best one in development. But I am glad that NASA was able to get multiple rovers into development. No matter what NASA ends up doing, it’s at least possible that other commercial clients might pursue some of these for their own missions.
Casey Handmer, a JPL alum, has a sobering X post about impending layoffs at JPL. Excerpt: “JPL, which was bursting at the seams five years ago with Psyche, Perseverance, Europa Clipper, NISAR, and MSR now has nearly nothing going on. JPL has gone through booms and busts before, but in the past its technology was advanced enough that it was critical infrastructure for military space, it had friends in Congress, and its competition from other NASA centers and private space companies was embryonic in comparison. Unfortunately, I predicted this in a series of papers and a 2021 blog on Starship. JPL got complacent and it has been surpassed in many areas.”
One can only hope that this forces reform now just in how JPL operates, but the entire model of NASA’s science directorate’s methods of procurement. They are going to have to lean more heavily on commercial capabilities whether they like it or not.
Oh, sorry, I somehow left out the link to Casey’s post:
https://x.com/CJHandmer/status/1974240270356201544
Is the phosphine in the room with us now?
Right next to the phlogiston.
Phosphine=exobiologist ectoplasm