October 30, 2024 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.
- Blue Origin rolls the first stage of the first New Glenn rocket to launchpad
The upper stage still needs to be stacked. Also, a dress rehearsal countdown with static fire test needs to be done. Still no word on launch date, though it finally appears within sight.
- Chinese pseudo-company AZSpace plans first launch of its cargo capsule to Tiangong-3 in November
It also has unveiled its own New Shepard copycat suborbital capsule. I will consider both real, when they fly.
- Thailand’s government approves signing Artemis Accords
If this happens (it remains unconfirmed from NASA), Thailand would be the first nation to sign on to both Artemis and China’s lunar base project. I wonder if that will fly with the next president.
- Lockheed Martin completes acquisition of smallsat manufacturer Terran Orbital
The final acquisition price was $450 million. Lockheed has been a major investor of Terran since 2017, so the deal made sense in many ways.
- According to Russian officials, Europe has returned its ExoMars lander, minus European components
ESA kicked Russia off the mission to land the Franklin rover on Mars when it invaded the Ukraine. That decision however delayed the rover’s launch now until 2028.
- Short video panning across what the tweet claims is the sharpest image yet taken of the Andromeda galaxy
I think this is a Hubble image, but the tweet provides no information.
- Watch Comet ATLAS (C/2024 S1) evaporate in its close approach to the Sun
This is not Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which has provided a nice show for viewers, but a different comet that astronomers hoped would be even brighter. Instead, the Sun destroyed it.
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.
- Blue Origin rolls the first stage of the first New Glenn rocket to launchpad
The upper stage still needs to be stacked. Also, a dress rehearsal countdown with static fire test needs to be done. Still no word on launch date, though it finally appears within sight.
- Chinese pseudo-company AZSpace plans first launch of its cargo capsule to Tiangong-3 in November
It also has unveiled its own New Shepard copycat suborbital capsule. I will consider both real, when they fly.
- Thailand’s government approves signing Artemis Accords
If this happens (it remains unconfirmed from NASA), Thailand would be the first nation to sign on to both Artemis and China’s lunar base project. I wonder if that will fly with the next president.
- Lockheed Martin completes acquisition of smallsat manufacturer Terran Orbital
The final acquisition price was $450 million. Lockheed has been a major investor of Terran since 2017, so the deal made sense in many ways.
- According to Russian officials, Europe has returned its ExoMars lander, minus European components
ESA kicked Russia off the mission to land the Franklin rover on Mars when it invaded the Ukraine. That decision however delayed the rover’s launch now until 2028.
- Short video panning across what the tweet claims is the sharpest image yet taken of the Andromeda galaxy
I think this is a Hubble image, but the tweet provides no information.
- Watch Comet ATLAS (C/2024 S1) evaporate in its close approach to the Sun
This is not Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which has provided a nice show for viewers, but a different comet that astronomers hoped would be even brighter. Instead, the Sun destroyed it.
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
ref- Andromeda galaxy image tweet.
Yes, Hubble, released January 2015; Comprising 69,536 x 22,230 pixels,
with a file size of 4.3GB’s.
https://esahubble.org/images/heic1502a/
Full page article on SpaceX in printed NY Times today. Article is about the Defense Dept growing use and dependance on SpaceX for its satellite and space warfare needs.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/30/us/politics/spacex-spy-satellites-elon-musk.html
Then a 2nd article which lauds Kamala for serving as chair of the national space council.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/30/science/kamala-harris-space-nasa-moon.html
The space council article is kind of comical in that it says Mike Pence did an excellent job as chair to setup the Space force and give NASA the focus of landing people on the Moon. The praise for Kamala is for pretty much continuing the Trump/Pence space initiatives. The article says Harris has taken a “steady approach” to space policy. Then it says this:
“… Over the past three and a half years, the space council under Ms. Harris has been more low-key, with just one yearly public meeting. It has issued no new space policy directives. …”
No new space policy directives?
I think she’s leaving that job up to the other people who are in the UN, taking a vote to take over that position this weekend.
“Agreement to strengthen international frameworks that govern outer space, including a clear commitment to prevent an arms race in outer space and the need to ensure all countries can benefit from the safe and sustainable exploration of outer space.”
Press Release | United Nations adopts ground-breaking Pact for the Future to transform global governance
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2024/09/press-release-sotf-2024/
“ The President of the General Assembly noted that the Pact would “lay the foundations for a sustainable, just, and peaceful global order – for all peoples and nations.”
“we cannot create a future fit for our grandchildren with a system built by our grandparents.”
“The Pact covers a broad range of issues including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance.”
A commitment to consider ways to introduce a global minimum level of taxation on high-net-worth individuals.
On climate change, confirmation of the need to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
On digital cooperation;
The Global Digital Compact, annexed to the Pact, is the first comprehensive global framework for digital cooperation and AI governance.
Strong signals on the importance of engagement of other stakeholders in global governance, including local and regional governments, civil society, private sector and others“
Stakeholders are public private partnership‘s which will take over local governments and rule our lives… We will be working for the corporation that governs how we live and what freedom we have and enforce the laws in the community we live. Didn’t the Nazis try this?
This is the result of tear it all down, and build back better.