September 29, 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.
- Northrop Grumman successfully tests autonomous rendezvous and docking using planned Starlab port
It used a Cygnus docking interface to do this, demonstrating that when Starlab launches Cygnus can deliver cargo to this commercial station.
- Blue Origin’s CEO shows off the first stage booster to be used in New Glenn’s second launch
Now tentatively targeting a late October or early November launch date.
- Blue Origin’s CEO touts a vacuum test of its BE-7 engine
Intended for the company’s Blue Moon lunar lander, both manned and unmanned.
- Rocket Lab to acquire Mynaric for $75 million in cash or stock
Mynaric specializes in laser communication technology, a field that is only now beginning to take off in space.
- Scientists find proof that an asteroid hit the North Sea over 43 million years ago
Interesting, with the uncertainties less than usual for these kinds of stories.
- In 2008, SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon 1 rocket, its first orbital launch vehicle
And the rest is history.
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.
- Northrop Grumman successfully tests autonomous rendezvous and docking using planned Starlab port
It used a Cygnus docking interface to do this, demonstrating that when Starlab launches Cygnus can deliver cargo to this commercial station.
- Blue Origin’s CEO shows off the first stage booster to be used in New Glenn’s second launch
Now tentatively targeting a late October or early November launch date.
- Blue Origin’s CEO touts a vacuum test of its BE-7 engine
Intended for the company’s Blue Moon lunar lander, both manned and unmanned.
- Rocket Lab to acquire Mynaric for $75 million in cash or stock
Mynaric specializes in laser communication technology, a field that is only now beginning to take off in space.
- Scientists find proof that an asteroid hit the North Sea over 43 million years ago
Interesting, with the uncertainties less than usual for these kinds of stories.
- In 2008, SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon 1 rocket, its first orbital launch vehicle
And the rest is history.
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
I should have posted this here, not the other thread.
Firefly lost the booster for their upcoming launch.
https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/after-another-fiery-setback-it-seems-fireflys-alpha-rocket-is-still-in-beta/
Meanwhile, over at Spacex.com, they have posted their article about the next Starship/SuperHeavy test on Oct 13th.
https://www.spacex.com/launches/starship-flight-11
The reason I mention this are these two excerpts.
“”The booster on this flight test previously flew on Flight 8 and will launch with 24 flight-proven Raptor engines. Its primary test objective will be demonstrating a unique landing burn engine configuration planned to be used on the next generation Super Heavy.””
AND
“”Super Heavy will ignite 13 engines at the start of the landing burn and then transition to a new configuration with five engines running for the divert phase. Previously done with three engines, the planned baseline for V3 Super Heavy will use five engines during the section of the burn responsible for fine-tuning the booster’s path, adding additional redundancy for spontaneous engine shutdowns. The booster will then transition to its three center engines for the end of the landing burn, entering a full hover while still above the ocean surface, followed by shutdown and dropping into the Gulf of America.””
All of this involves a vehicle (Booster) that is 20 stories tall! TWENTY STORIES that will “”enter a full hover while still above the ocean surface.!!!
If all goes well, there will be a buoy and a camera to record the 20 story rocket hovering for a moment.
Good move by Rocket Lab. Mynaric has been having the “Tiger tank problem” of being unable to build very many of a technically sophisticated object despite robust demand. One thing Rocket Lab seems to have been consistently able to do with acquisitions is sort out production problems and boost output.
Good move on NorGrum’s part to upgrade Cygnus to enable autonomous docking to ISS-type ports. That should allow Cygnus to haul freight to any of the prospective post-ISS commercial LEO space stations, not just Starlab.
Some recent findings
The THOR Project (Tensors for High-dimentional Object Representation) is available on GitHub. This is helpful for phase transitions in materials science.
Metallic conductors can now have a new reach in terms of light/optics
https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.5c7812
Additive Manufacturing today
“3D printing becomes stronger and more economical with light and AI”
“Light-triggered process let’s 3D printers create custom glass structures without glue or high temperatures”
“Tiny nanoparticles conquer the big three in polymer glasses: strength, toughness and process ability”
“AI could automate up to 26% of tasks in art design, entertainment and the media”
“Scientists find proof that an asteroid hit the North Sea over 43 million years ago.”
“Initial studies suggested it was an impact crater. The scientists who found it pointed to its central peak, circular shape and concentric faults, characteristics often associated with hypervelocity impacts.”
“In 2009, geologists put the crater’s formation to a vote, as reported in that year’s December issue of Geoscientist magazine – a majority voted against the impact crater hypothesis.
New evidence has proved them wrong.”
So much for ‘settled Science’.