September 1, 2026 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.
- Scientists: Craters as launchpads can shield nearby facilities from launch and landing clouds
The researchers looked at 238 craters and found the rims of many could work quite well for protecting a rover or facility already established nearby.
- Blue Origin breaks ground on new payload processing facility at former launch complex 18 at Cape Canaveral
The facility will cost $160 million, of which half is being paid for by the government. The location is close to its New Glenn launchpad, so this conversion makes great sense.
- On September 1, 1979 the American probe Pioneer 11 became the first spacecraft to visit Saturn
It zoomed past at a distance of 13,000 miles. Among its discoveries it found the gas giant had a powerful magnetic field, its rings were thinner than predicted, and that a previously unknown ring, now named the F ring, existed outside the known rings.
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
Microwave assisted manufacturing
https://phys.org/news/2026-09-nanoparticles-real-uncovers-link-microwave.html
On dark matter
https://phys.org/news/2026-09-result-dark.html
The ISW’s Russian campaign update talks about how “none of the 16 Rassvet satellites from the second batch launched on July 19 have reached their anticipated altitude of 550 kilometers as of August 31.” And two may be coming down early.
https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-august-31-2026/
Rassvet could be trouble for Ukraine. Makes me think that if we were fighting Russia or China, their military satellites would have to be destroyed. They would think the same about ours.
Meanwhile, back in Nova Scotia:
Deadline extended
Real Soon Now.
” Craters as launchpads can shield nearby facilities from launch and landing clouds.”
May be, but everything has to be hauled into, and out of, of a hole. Landing zones can be moved some economically-feasible distance from the settlement. Not Denver airport distant, but far enough to avoid the plume. Screens may need be erected; but likely still easier than developing and building the infrastructure to launch out of craters.
Seems as though it would make more sense just to tunnel through the crater wall in order to run propellant lines and a road out to the middle of the crater. Build the base infrastructure around the outside of the crater wall. Repeated landings and takeoffs would soon enough clear loose regolith from the landing zone and then it could be paved with something suitably resistant to rocket exhaust.
Crater chains (catenae) may be useful as flame trenches.
A ramp leads to the top of a berm, with engines far below.
That still sounds like more work than just placing operations at some reasonable distance. I don’t know. People on the ground will make those decisions; and I will likely be in the ground when those decisions are made.