October 7, 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.
- SpaceX registers the trademark “Starfall” at the U.S. Patent Office
No real information beyond that. The tweet adds this tantalizing tidbit, stating that this action is “through the island nation of Tonga covering: launch, on-orbit, and reentry services, spaceflight travel, in-space manufacturing services, custom manufacturing & processing of pharmaceuticals.” Tonga is east of Australia in the Pacific. Is SpaceX planning Starship landings there?
- Vast’s CEO touts his company’s commitment to building an American space station
He notes that of the three stations that making real progress (Vast, Axiom, Starlab), Vast is the only one that entirely built in the U.S. Obviously this will be a big selling point to NASA, and the Pentagon.
- Video of successful suborbital test launch from Norway’s Andøya spaceport
The test was for the German space agency DLR testing “materials, cooling techniques, miniaturized non-intrusive sensors and aerodynamic properties for future reusable space vehicles.”
- Japan’s space agency JAXA says its next HTV-X cargo ship to ISS will remain in orbit as “a technology demonstration platform” after undocking
It will remain in orbit for an additional three months, carrying three experiments.
- Space station startup Axiom signs agreement with Senegal’s space agency
The details are vague, but likely involve putting Senegalese experiments on the station and maybe even an astronaut (if Senegal can pony up the cash).
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.
- SpaceX registers the trademark “Starfall” at the U.S. Patent Office
No real information beyond that. The tweet adds this tantalizing tidbit, stating that this action is “through the island nation of Tonga covering: launch, on-orbit, and reentry services, spaceflight travel, in-space manufacturing services, custom manufacturing & processing of pharmaceuticals.” Tonga is east of Australia in the Pacific. Is SpaceX planning Starship landings there?
- Vast’s CEO touts his company’s commitment to building an American space station
He notes that of the three stations that making real progress (Vast, Axiom, Starlab), Vast is the only one that entirely built in the U.S. Obviously this will be a big selling point to NASA, and the Pentagon.
- Video of successful suborbital test launch from Norway’s Andøya spaceport
The test was for the German space agency DLR testing “materials, cooling techniques, miniaturized non-intrusive sensors and aerodynamic properties for future reusable space vehicles.”
- Japan’s space agency JAXA says its next HTV-X cargo ship to ISS will remain in orbit as “a technology demonstration platform” after undocking
It will remain in orbit for an additional three months, carrying three experiments.
- Space station startup Axiom signs agreement with Senegal’s space agency
The details are vague, but likely involve putting Senegalese experiments on the station and maybe even an astronaut (if Senegal can pony up the cash).
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
Starfall really needs to have a line of artificial derricks.
SuperHeavy lifts off one –and touches down on one to the East.
Chopsticks then transfer SH to the launch dais–repeat.
These would be NAVY JMOB/Sea Base type deals. Methane from well-heads. Ocean floor mining hubs–mixed use so costs can be spread out.
Sounds like either Falcon 9 or Starship delivering factory modules to orbit where they can stay for weeks/months and then product delivered to Tonga in re-entry capsules.
It was the original twitter-poster that came to his own assumption the Starfall service-mark was being registered through Tonga. Look at the application itself.
-It’s being registered through the US Patent Office and is noted as having a foreign application (in Tonga) pending.
-Trademarks & Service Marks are essentially the same animal, but Trademarks apply to actual physical goods, while Service Marks apply to the Services provided. (And they can apply to both.)
-SpaceX has applied to register “Starlink,” as a Trademark for its satellite-constellation and all associated functions, and that is still pending and/or may have been withdrawn and resubmitted.
-Service Marks don’t necessarily have to be formally registered to be in-effect, but all Trademarks are formally registered.
I think this is all infinitely less mysterious than the Internet tends to believe.
Tangentially– I’m currently being offered “Starlink Mini” equipment for 50% off with a 12-month sign-up. In September they were offering me “free standard equipment,” with no commitment.