July 7, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Firefly gives sneak peek at its Miranda engine, being developed to replace the Russian engines in Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket
Not much there but an out-of-focus view partly blocked by a workman wearing a t-shirt with the engine’s schematic on its back.
- Blue Origin to launch Iranian satellite?
The article, unfortunately behind a paywall, is about Iran getting an extension from regulators to launch a long delayed communications satellite. Its headline adds “Blue Origin launch in 2024,” which is the real story. As Jay correctly notes, “What on Earth are they talking about? Using Blue Origin to launch an Iranian satellite? Are they out of their minds? Iran is our enemy.” In searching the web, I could only find one hint (which I can no longer find) that Blue Origin offered to do the launch (though it still lacks a rocket to do so), but no indication that any deal with Iran was ever signed.
- China predicts it will reach 70 launches in 2023, a new record
With only 24 launches in the first half of the year, China would almost have to do that number twice over in the second half to meet this target. Since it historically has launched at a much higher pace in November and December, this is not impossible, though still difficult.
- Rumors that Chinese pseudo-company Landspace has financial difficulties
Next week the pseudo-company will attempt for the second time the first orbital launch of a methane-fueled rocket, dubbed Zhuque-2. It sounds like a failure could shut the company down.
- Europe shifting more launches to SpaceX due to Ariane-6 delays
The article lists six payloads that have or will likely switch to the Falcon 9. That’s a lot of money suddenly flowing to SpaceX, from $200 million to $500 million, depending on price per launch. And it is all happening because Europe first denied the importance of reuseability and second moved too slowly in trying to compete. As Jay notes, “SpaceX did not choose to become a monopoly.”
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Firefly gives sneak peek at its Miranda engine, being developed to replace the Russian engines in Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket
Not much there but an out-of-focus view partly blocked by a workman wearing a t-shirt with the engine’s schematic on its back.
- Blue Origin to launch Iranian satellite?
The article, unfortunately behind a paywall, is about Iran getting an extension from regulators to launch a long delayed communications satellite. Its headline adds “Blue Origin launch in 2024,” which is the real story. As Jay correctly notes, “What on Earth are they talking about? Using Blue Origin to launch an Iranian satellite? Are they out of their minds? Iran is our enemy.” In searching the web, I could only find one hint (which I can no longer find) that Blue Origin offered to do the launch (though it still lacks a rocket to do so), but no indication that any deal with Iran was ever signed.
- China predicts it will reach 70 launches in 2023, a new record
With only 24 launches in the first half of the year, China would almost have to do that number twice over in the second half to meet this target. Since it historically has launched at a much higher pace in November and December, this is not impossible, though still difficult.
- Rumors that Chinese pseudo-company Landspace has financial difficulties
Next week the pseudo-company will attempt for the second time the first orbital launch of a methane-fueled rocket, dubbed Zhuque-2. It sounds like a failure could shut the company down.
- Europe shifting more launches to SpaceX due to Ariane-6 delays
The article lists six payloads that have or will likely switch to the Falcon 9. That’s a lot of money suddenly flowing to SpaceX, from $200 million to $500 million, depending on price per launch. And it is all happening because Europe first denied the importance of reuseability and second moved too slowly in trying to compete. As Jay notes, “SpaceX did not choose to become a monopoly.”