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Intellectual dishonesty caused the experts to misread the Gaza military situation
Lies from CNN
Lies from MSNBC
Before Israel began its full scale ground assault on Gaza and the Hamas tunnels two weeks ago, the general consensus from practically every expert interviewed or writing about the attack assumed it would be long, hard, and difficult, taking many months before Israeli troops were able to take control of the Gaza strip and render Hamas impotent.
A good example of that analysis can be seen in this October 13, 2023 article. To quote:
When the huge force Israel has amassed is finally given the orders to enter Gaza and destroy Hamas, they will face a deeply dug-in, well-armed enemy with thousands of anti-tank weapons, drones, and small arms on the most complex battlefield there is. Hamas will be fighting from tunnels, sewers, and strong points set up in high-rise buildings and rubble. They will rake incoming troops with machine guns from alleyways and windows, as well as employ heavier weapons from rooftops and prepared cover, and then melt into the urban maze that makes up much of the Gaza Strip. There will be no element of surprise for this sojourn into deeply hostile territory.
Israeli troops “will face the greatest challenge of their lifetime,” John Spencer, chairman of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute (MWI) at West Point told The War Zone. “Attacking a defended city like this will be combat in hell. I do believe they can do it, but the cost will be high in urban warfare like this, since they will be attacking multiple cities.”
All the experts generally predicted the offensive would take months, and would involve huge casualties on the Israeli side.
I however predicted that the offensive, though not easy, would unfold far faster than these predictions.
This invasion will not be easy, but I also suspect it will not be as hard as many have suggested. Hamas’s power is mostly that of a bully, all threats and violence against the weak and helpless, with little real military capabilities. Israel now enraged is neither weak nor helpless. It will steadily but implacably work its way through Hamas’s tunnel system, but I think it will do so within a month.
Based on this report today, the experts now admit their pessimistic assessments were all wrong, and my analysis was right.
» Read more
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, any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, 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
The strange craters in the high northern latitudes of Mars
Click for original image.
Cool image time! The picture to the right, rotated, cropped, reduced, and enhanced to post here, was taken on August 22, 2023 by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). I have also inserted data from a July 28, 2008 context camera image into the blank strip that now exists in the center of high resolution camera images due to the failure of one sensor.
This photo is what the camera team calls a terrain sample, and was probably taken not as part of any specific request but to fill a gap in the camera’s schedule in order to maintain its proper temperature. When the camera team does this they try to find locations that either have not been observed in much detail previously or have interesting features. In this case the team accomplished both. The interesting features are the two pedestal craters, both surrounded by splash aprons. Neither has been observed in high resolution previously, and the context camera has only taken two pictures of this location in total.
» Read more
Click for original image.
Cool image time! The picture to the right, rotated, cropped, reduced, and enhanced to post here, was taken on August 22, 2023 by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). I have also inserted data from a July 28, 2008 context camera image into the blank strip that now exists in the center of high resolution camera images due to the failure of one sensor.
This photo is what the camera team calls a terrain sample, and was probably taken not as part of any specific request but to fill a gap in the camera’s schedule in order to maintain its proper temperature. When the camera team does this they try to find locations that either have not been observed in much detail previously or have interesting features. In this case the team accomplished both. The interesting features are the two pedestal craters, both surrounded by splash aprons. Neither has been observed in high resolution previously, and the context camera has only taken two pictures of this location in total.
» Read more
China’s Long March 3B rocket launches communications satellite
China last night successfully put a geosynchronous communications satellite into orbit, its Long March 3B rocket lifting off from its Xichang spaceport in southern China.
No word on where the rocket’s core stage, second stage, and four side boosters crashed inside China. All use extremely toxic hypergolic fuels, so anyone approaching any wreckage risks serious health issues.
The leaders in the 2023 launch race:
80 SpaceX
51 China
14 Russia
7 Rocket Lab
7 India
American private enterprise still leads China 92 to 51 in successful launches, and the entire world combined 92 to 80. SpaceX by itself is once again tied with the rest of the world (excluding American companies) 80 to 80, but this will probably change later today, when the company launches a cargo Dragon to ISS. NASA’s live stream is here.
China last night successfully put a geosynchronous communications satellite into orbit, its Long March 3B rocket lifting off from its Xichang spaceport in southern China.
No word on where the rocket’s core stage, second stage, and four side boosters crashed inside China. All use extremely toxic hypergolic fuels, so anyone approaching any wreckage risks serious health issues.
The leaders in the 2023 launch race:
80 SpaceX
51 China
14 Russia
7 Rocket Lab
7 India
American private enterprise still leads China 92 to 51 in successful launches, and the entire world combined 92 to 80. SpaceX by itself is once again tied with the rest of the world (excluding American companies) 80 to 80, but this will probably change later today, when the company launches a cargo Dragon to ISS. NASA’s live stream is here.
Now available in hardback and paperback as well as ebook!
From the press release: In this ground-breaking new history of early America, historian Robert Zimmerman not only exposes the lie behind The New York Times 1619 Project that falsely claims slavery is central to the history of the United States, he also provides profound lessons about the nature of human societies, lessons important for Americans today as well as for all future settlers on Mars and elsewhere in space.
Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space, is a riveting page-turning story that documents how slavery slowly became pervasive in the southern British colonies of North America, colonies founded by a people and culture that not only did not allow slavery but in every way were hostile to the practice.
Conscious Choice does more however. In telling the tragic history of the Virginia colony and the rise of slavery there, Zimmerman lays out the proper path for creating healthy societies in places like the Moon and Mars.
“Zimmerman’s ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says.” —Robert Zubrin, founder of the Mars Society.
All editions are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all book vendors, with the ebook priced at $5.99 before discount. All editions can also be purchased direct from the ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
Autographed printed copies are also available at discount directly from the author (hardback $29.95; paperback $14.95; Shipping cost for either: $6.00). Just send an email to zimmerman @ nasw dot org.
NASA awards company contract to develop new advanced solar panels
NASA has awarded the solar panel company Solestial its second development contract, with both contracts worth more than one million dollars, to develop new advanced solar panels for use on future commercial space stations.
The 18-month SBIR Phase II contract will provide funds to support development of next generation, 50-kilowatt (kW) class solar array wings. Solestial’s silicon solar blanket technology will allow for arrays larger than any ever built, while also maintaining lower mass and competitive efficiency. The array will be developed in collaboration with Opterus Research & Development, who will develop a low-cost, novel deployment system for Solestial’s ultrathin, flexible, silicon solar blankets.
These blankets will be an upgrade from the new panels presently being deployed on ISS, that unroll like a blanket rather than unfold like hard panels. The design is lighter weight, easier to deploy, and cheaper. It will thus become a valuable product that every private space station will want to buy.
NASA has awarded the solar panel company Solestial its second development contract, with both contracts worth more than one million dollars, to develop new advanced solar panels for use on future commercial space stations.
The 18-month SBIR Phase II contract will provide funds to support development of next generation, 50-kilowatt (kW) class solar array wings. Solestial’s silicon solar blanket technology will allow for arrays larger than any ever built, while also maintaining lower mass and competitive efficiency. The array will be developed in collaboration with Opterus Research & Development, who will develop a low-cost, novel deployment system for Solestial’s ultrathin, flexible, silicon solar blankets.
These blankets will be an upgrade from the new panels presently being deployed on ISS, that unroll like a blanket rather than unfold like hard panels. The design is lighter weight, easier to deploy, and cheaper. It will thus become a valuable product that every private space station will want to buy.
Federal judge throws out Justice’s discrimination lawsuit against SpaceX
A federal judge in Texas yesterday dismissed the Biden Justice Department lawsuit against SpaceX that accused the company of discrimination for not hiring illegal immigrants.
A federal judge in Texas on Wednesday halted the Justice Department’s case, after the company called it “factually and legally insupportable.” Musk has argued that SpaceX was barred from hiring foreign nationals because of restrictions placed on sharing of information related to rocket technology.
The Justice Department had been investigating SpaceX’s hiring practices since 2020 after receiving a complaint from a person who claimed he was turned down for a job after revealing during an interview that he wasn’t a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
At the present Biden’s Justice department has not responded to this decision. The lawsuit might have been idiotic on its face, but its deeper intention was simply to harass SpaceX and Elon Musk — now considered an enemy to Democratic Party rule — and in that it has so far succeeded. Appealing this decision will continue that harassment, even if it is patently obvious that the suit has no merits at all.
A federal judge in Texas yesterday dismissed the Biden Justice Department lawsuit against SpaceX that accused the company of discrimination for not hiring illegal immigrants.
A federal judge in Texas on Wednesday halted the Justice Department’s case, after the company called it “factually and legally insupportable.” Musk has argued that SpaceX was barred from hiring foreign nationals because of restrictions placed on sharing of information related to rocket technology.
The Justice Department had been investigating SpaceX’s hiring practices since 2020 after receiving a complaint from a person who claimed he was turned down for a job after revealing during an interview that he wasn’t a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident.
At the present Biden’s Justice department has not responded to this decision. The lawsuit might have been idiotic on its face, but its deeper intention was simply to harass SpaceX and Elon Musk — now considered an enemy to Democratic Party rule — and in that it has so far succeeded. Appealing this decision will continue that harassment, even if it is patently obvious that the suit has no merits at all.
Leaving Earth: Space Stations, Rival Superpowers, and the Quest for Interplanetary Travel, can be purchased as an ebook everywhere for only $3.99 (before discount) at amazon, Barnes & Noble, all ebook vendors, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big oppressive tech companies and I get a bigger cut much sooner.
Winner of the 2003 Eugene M. Emme Award of the American Astronautical Society.
"Leaving Earth is one of the best and certainly the most comprehensive summary of our drive into space that I have ever read. It will be invaluable to future scholars because it will tell them how the next chapter of human history opened." -- Arthur C. Clarke
Firefly wins Australian payload for its second Blue Ghost lunar lander mission
Firefly yesterday announced that the Australian commercial company, Fleet Space Technologies, will fly its seismometer on Firefly’s second Blue Ghost lunar lander mission, planned to land on the far side of the Moon in 2026.
Fleet Space’s SPIDER payload is part of the Australian Space Agency’s Moon to Mars initiative that’s aligned with NASA’s Artemis program to support future habitation on the Moon. Upon deployment of the payload, Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander will provide ongoing power and communications, enabling SPIDER to capture seismic data from the lunar surface for up to 14 days. This data will offer insights into the geological properties of the lunar subsurface and its mineral profile, such as water ice, that can support lunar infrastructure and further regolith exploration.
The mission also has payloads from NASA and the European Space Agency. Note that all three governments are buying the lunar landing services from this private company, rather than build the lander themselves.
Firefly yesterday announced that the Australian commercial company, Fleet Space Technologies, will fly its seismometer on Firefly’s second Blue Ghost lunar lander mission, planned to land on the far side of the Moon in 2026.
Fleet Space’s SPIDER payload is part of the Australian Space Agency’s Moon to Mars initiative that’s aligned with NASA’s Artemis program to support future habitation on the Moon. Upon deployment of the payload, Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander will provide ongoing power and communications, enabling SPIDER to capture seismic data from the lunar surface for up to 14 days. This data will offer insights into the geological properties of the lunar subsurface and its mineral profile, such as water ice, that can support lunar infrastructure and further regolith exploration.
The mission also has payloads from NASA and the European Space Agency. Note that all three governments are buying the lunar landing services from this private company, rather than build the lander themselves.
Next X-37B launch now scheduled for early December on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy
The next X-37B launch has now been scheduled for a December 7, 2023 launch, and will be sent into orbit for the first time on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket.
The mission, designated USSF-52, will conduct a wide range of tests, including operating the reusable spaceplane in new orbital regimes, experimenting with space domain awareness technologies, and investigating the radiation effects on materials provided by NASA, the Space Force said in a statement Nov. 8. “We are excited to expand the envelope of the reusable X-37B’s capabilities,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Fritschen, the X-37B program director. The NASA experiment onboard, known as Seeds-2, will expose plant seeds to the harsh radiation environment of long-duration spaceflight.
SpaceX was awarded a $130 million contract in June 2018 to launch USSF-52. The mission was originally scheduled to launch in 2021 and has been delayed by payload and range availability.
The use of the Falcon Heavy suggests the payloads on this next flight are heavier and require that rocket’s extra boost. This will be the seventh X-37B flight of the Space Force’s fleet of two reusable mini-shuttles, beginning in 2010. The previous mission lasted 908 days in orbit, and landed one year ago in November.
The next X-37B launch has now been scheduled for a December 7, 2023 launch, and will be sent into orbit for the first time on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket.
The mission, designated USSF-52, will conduct a wide range of tests, including operating the reusable spaceplane in new orbital regimes, experimenting with space domain awareness technologies, and investigating the radiation effects on materials provided by NASA, the Space Force said in a statement Nov. 8. “We are excited to expand the envelope of the reusable X-37B’s capabilities,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Fritschen, the X-37B program director. The NASA experiment onboard, known as Seeds-2, will expose plant seeds to the harsh radiation environment of long-duration spaceflight.
SpaceX was awarded a $130 million contract in June 2018 to launch USSF-52. The mission was originally scheduled to launch in 2021 and has been delayed by payload and range availability.
The use of the Falcon Heavy suggests the payloads on this next flight are heavier and require that rocket’s extra boost. This will be the seventh X-37B flight of the Space Force’s fleet of two reusable mini-shuttles, beginning in 2010. The previous mission lasted 908 days in orbit, and landed one year ago in November.
Japanese billionaire finally concedes his Starship Moon mission won’t happen in 2023
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa finally admitted publicly today that his manned Moon mission using SpaceX’s Starship/Superheavy rocket won’t happen in 2023 as first announced in 2018.
The most significant part of the announcement? “”We’re not sure when the flight will be,” Maezawa noted on X. Though SpaceX and several news sources claim that federal approval for the next test launch could occur as soon mid-November, Maezawa — as one of SpaceX’s most important customers — might have more detailed non-public information about that approval process.
Even if that second flight get approved and flies in November, it does not mean Maezawa’s manned mission will soon follow. SpaceX will certainly not be ready for manned Starship launches following this test. It will likely require at least a few more unmanned test launches, with each likely delayed months by the same federal bureaucracy that delayed the second test launch by months.
Unless something significant changes in how the federal government is regulating SpaceX at Boca Chica, the first manned flight of Starship is likely years away, no sooner than 2025, but more likely 2026 or 2027.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa finally admitted publicly today that his manned Moon mission using SpaceX’s Starship/Superheavy rocket won’t happen in 2023 as first announced in 2018.
The most significant part of the announcement? “”We’re not sure when the flight will be,” Maezawa noted on X. Though SpaceX and several news sources claim that federal approval for the next test launch could occur as soon mid-November, Maezawa — as one of SpaceX’s most important customers — might have more detailed non-public information about that approval process.
Even if that second flight get approved and flies in November, it does not mean Maezawa’s manned mission will soon follow. SpaceX will certainly not be ready for manned Starship launches following this test. It will likely require at least a few more unmanned test launches, with each likely delayed months by the same federal bureaucracy that delayed the second test launch by months.
Unless something significant changes in how the federal government is regulating SpaceX at Boca Chica, the first manned flight of Starship is likely years away, no sooner than 2025, but more likely 2026 or 2027.
Rocket Lab schedules next launch, plans 22 launches in 2024
Rocket Lab has completed its investigation into a September 2023 launch failure and has now scheduled its next Electron launch for the end of November.
More significant, it says it has 22 booked launches scheduled for 2024, a pace that would more than double its previous annual record of 9 launches in 2022.
In its third quarterly report it also revealed that it lost just over $40 million in that quarter, more than last year’s third quarter by 17%. The September launch failure impacted those numbers, though the company’s revenue in the third quarter still grew by 7% from the previous year.
To achieve 22 launches next year will require the company to launch twice a month. With three launchpads (two in New Zealand and one in the U.S.) this is possible, but challenging. Of those launches, nine will attempt to recover and reuse the first stage, and two will not be orbital but suborbital hypersonic tests for the military.
Rocket Lab has completed its investigation into a September 2023 launch failure and has now scheduled its next Electron launch for the end of November.
More significant, it says it has 22 booked launches scheduled for 2024, a pace that would more than double its previous annual record of 9 launches in 2022.
In its third quarterly report it also revealed that it lost just over $40 million in that quarter, more than last year’s third quarter by 17%. The September launch failure impacted those numbers, though the company’s revenue in the third quarter still grew by 7% from the previous year.
To achieve 22 launches next year will require the company to launch twice a month. With three launchpads (two in New Zealand and one in the U.S.) this is possible, but challenging. Of those launches, nine will attempt to recover and reuse the first stage, and two will not be orbital but suborbital hypersonic tests for the military.
November 8, 2023 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast
Embedded below the fold in two parts.
To listen to all of John Batchelor’s podcasts, go here.
» Read more
Embedded below the fold in two parts.
To listen to all of John Batchelor’s podcasts, go here.
» Read more
Berlin & Teri Nunn – Take My Breath Away
An evening pause: Performed live 2023. The sound and camerawork could be better, but her performance more than compensates.
Hat tip Alton Blevins.
November 8, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- DHL touts its deal with Astrobotic to send more than 100,000 messages to the Moon
Anyone can send a picture, which will go digitally on Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander scheduled for launch late this year.
- Lynk satellite constellation starts cell phone to satellite service in Solomon Islands
Because Lynk only has three satellites in orbit, the service is presently limited to text and emergency messages.
- ESA shifts control of Vega-C rocket from Arianespace to the private Italian company Avio
The press release at the link summarizes all the actions taken by ESA at its just ended conference, all except this story had been covered here previously. Avio essentially builds Vega-C. It will now have full ownership and control. Arianespace — the government middle-man that never made a profit — is meanwhile slowly going away.
- Three companies tout their partnership to develop nuclear power propulsion for interplanetary travel
Lockheed Martin is the lead contractor for DARPA. The contract was awarded in July 2023.
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- DHL touts its deal with Astrobotic to send more than 100,000 messages to the Moon
Anyone can send a picture, which will go digitally on Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander scheduled for launch late this year.
- Lynk satellite constellation starts cell phone to satellite service in Solomon Islands
Because Lynk only has three satellites in orbit, the service is presently limited to text and emergency messages.
- ESA shifts control of Vega-C rocket from Arianespace to the private Italian company Avio
The press release at the link summarizes all the actions taken by ESA at its just ended conference, all except this story had been covered here previously. Avio essentially builds Vega-C. It will now have full ownership and control. Arianespace — the government middle-man that never made a profit — is meanwhile slowly going away.
- Three companies tout their partnership to develop nuclear power propulsion for interplanetary travel
Lockheed Martin is the lead contractor for DARPA. The contract was awarded in July 2023.
The Democratic Party and its voters endorse bigots and murderers
Democrats: The party of genocide and bigotry
My headline could not be more blunt, but it is also an honest appraisal. Today, when the House of Representatives voted 234-188 to censure congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) for her support for Hamas and her public endorsement of its goal to kill all Israelis, 184 of those nay votes were Democrats. Only 22 were willing to condemn her actions.
What did these Democrats vote against? Here is what the House resolution [pdf] stated Tlaib was guilty of doing:
Whereas Representative Rashida Tlaib, within 24 hours of the October 7 barbaric attack on Jewish citizens of the State of Israel, representing the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, defended the brutal rapes, murders, be-headings, and kidnapping – including of Americans – by Hamas as justified ‘‘resistance’’ to the ‘‘apartheid state’’;
Whereas Representative Tlaib’s October 8 statement claimed that Hamas’ October 7 attack on the Jewish people was partly attributable to United States security aid provided to Israel, which ignores the fact that the Iron Dome, a co-developed air defense system, saved lives that day by intercepting rockets launched from the Gaza Strip against Israeli civilian targets;
Whereas on October 18, 2023, Representative Tlaib continued to knowingly spread the false narrative that Israel intentionally bombed the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital on October 17 after United States intelligence, Israeli intelligence, and President Biden assessed with high confidence that Israel did not cause the explosion;
» Read more
Strange meandering ridge amidst Martian glaciers
Cool image time! The picture to the right, cropped, reduced, and sharpened to post here, was taken on June 21, 2023 by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissence Orbiter (MRO). Its focus is the meandering ridge in the center of the picture, which the scientists intentially describe vaguely as a “ridged flow-like feature”.
The elevation difference between the high and low points within the picture is about 500 feet, though most of that slope occurs in the lighter terrain on the right. The darker area where the ridge is located has no clear elevation trend, though there are hints of depressions and rises within it.
The yellow dot on the overview map above marks this location, deep within the chaos terrain dubbed Deuteronilus Mensae, on the western end of the 2,000 long northern mid-latitude strip I dub glacier country, because practially every image from there shows glacial features.
To underline this fact, the red and white dots mark previous cool images from 2020 and 2021, with the first showing an eroded glacier and the second glacial ice sheets.
The mesa to the east of this picture rises more than 6,000 feet to its peak, as indicated by the black dot. This is also the highest point for this entire grouping of mesas. All are surrounded by a single large apron of material, likely a mixture of alluvial fill and ice.
What however caused the narrow ridge in the picture above? Is it ice or bedrock? If ice why is it so different than the glacial material that seems to surround it? If bedrock, it suggests it is instead an ancient inverted channel created when that ridge was a canyon through which ice or water flowed, compacting the canyon floor. When the terrain around it eroded away it was more resistent and became a ridge instead.
I have no answer. The colors suggest the ridge is rock, not ice, but that is not conclusive.
Cool image time! The picture to the right, cropped, reduced, and sharpened to post here, was taken on June 21, 2023 by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissence Orbiter (MRO). Its focus is the meandering ridge in the center of the picture, which the scientists intentially describe vaguely as a “ridged flow-like feature”.
The elevation difference between the high and low points within the picture is about 500 feet, though most of that slope occurs in the lighter terrain on the right. The darker area where the ridge is located has no clear elevation trend, though there are hints of depressions and rises within it.
The yellow dot on the overview map above marks this location, deep within the chaos terrain dubbed Deuteronilus Mensae, on the western end of the 2,000 long northern mid-latitude strip I dub glacier country, because practially every image from there shows glacial features.
To underline this fact, the red and white dots mark previous cool images from 2020 and 2021, with the first showing an eroded glacier and the second glacial ice sheets.
The mesa to the east of this picture rises more than 6,000 feet to its peak, as indicated by the black dot. This is also the highest point for this entire grouping of mesas. All are surrounded by a single large apron of material, likely a mixture of alluvial fill and ice.
What however caused the narrow ridge in the picture above? Is it ice or bedrock? If ice why is it so different than the glacial material that seems to surround it? If bedrock, it suggests it is instead an ancient inverted channel created when that ridge was a canyon through which ice or water flowed, compacting the canyon floor. When the terrain around it eroded away it was more resistent and became a ridge instead.
I have no answer. The colors suggest the ridge is rock, not ice, but that is not conclusive.
FCC raises questions about SpaceX’s application to link cell phones to Starlink
The FCC has responded to SpaceX’s application to link cell phones to Starlink with a set of questions, mostly centered on finding out whether the company’s system might interfere with other communications systems.
“This analysis should take into account the worst case scenario of all satellites transmitting at the same time, including different power levels required for rain fade and cloud cover as well as clear sky conditions over a particular area of coverage,” the FCC wrote.
In addition, the same analysis should look at the “possibility of loss of service by other authorized satellite and terrestrial operators in that area,” the Commission added. Another request asks SpaceX to provide “a map with projected beam coverage” for the US, showing the maximum and typical power levels of the satellite cellular service. The FCC also wants to know how the company can shut down the cellular Starlink system in the event interference arises over certain geographic areas.
The FCC’s concerns appear reasonable, but no one should dismiss the possibility that politics are involved as well. The Biden administration, which now has a majority of appointees on the FCC, has made it clear it opposes almost everything Elon Musk is doing.
The FCC has responded to SpaceX’s application to link cell phones to Starlink with a set of questions, mostly centered on finding out whether the company’s system might interfere with other communications systems.
“This analysis should take into account the worst case scenario of all satellites transmitting at the same time, including different power levels required for rain fade and cloud cover as well as clear sky conditions over a particular area of coverage,” the FCC wrote.
In addition, the same analysis should look at the “possibility of loss of service by other authorized satellite and terrestrial operators in that area,” the Commission added. Another request asks SpaceX to provide “a map with projected beam coverage” for the US, showing the maximum and typical power levels of the satellite cellular service. The FCC also wants to know how the company can shut down the cellular Starlink system in the event interference arises over certain geographic areas.
The FCC’s concerns appear reasonable, but no one should dismiss the possibility that politics are involved as well. The Biden administration, which now has a majority of appointees on the FCC, has made it clear it opposes almost everything Elon Musk is doing.
Kazakhstan introduces Starlink to its schools
As part of its effort to introduce high speed internet access to its largely rural population, Kazakhstan has now signed a deal with SpaceX to bring Starlink to 2,000 schools.
As part of this project the government has budgeted more than $3.2 billion to construct a national fiber-optic network as well as almost 500 cell towers along roads for mobile access.
As part of its effort to introduce high speed internet access to its largely rural population, Kazakhstan has now signed a deal with SpaceX to bring Starlink to 2,000 schools.
As part of this project the government has budgeted more than $3.2 billion to construct a national fiber-optic network as well as almost 500 cell towers along roads for mobile access.
Virgin Galactic trims staff and spending
Despite having completed its fifth commercial suborbital flight on November 2, 2023, Virgin Galactic announced yesterday that it is laying off staff and cutting spending.
The number of people laid off was not revealed. Supposedly the company has done this as part of its effort to develop an upgraded version of SpaceShipTwo.
The company reported having $980 million of cash and equivalents on hand at the end of the second quarter this year, when it reported a net loss of $134.4 million. The company has not disclosed its estimated costs for development of the Delta vehicles, but said it expected those vehicles to enter service in 2026. The company expects only limited revenue from VSS Unity, which is able to fly monthly carrying up to four customers at a time.
I instead suspect that demand for suborbital flights is dwindling because of the competition from orbital operations. Had this company started flying a decade ago, as promised numerous times by Richard Branson, it would have been ahead of the curve. It didn’t and thus missed the boat.
Despite having completed its fifth commercial suborbital flight on November 2, 2023, Virgin Galactic announced yesterday that it is laying off staff and cutting spending.
The number of people laid off was not revealed. Supposedly the company has done this as part of its effort to develop an upgraded version of SpaceShipTwo.
The company reported having $980 million of cash and equivalents on hand at the end of the second quarter this year, when it reported a net loss of $134.4 million. The company has not disclosed its estimated costs for development of the Delta vehicles, but said it expected those vehicles to enter service in 2026. The company expects only limited revenue from VSS Unity, which is able to fly monthly carrying up to four customers at a time.
I instead suspect that demand for suborbital flights is dwindling because of the competition from orbital operations. Had this company started flying a decade ago, as promised numerous times by Richard Branson, it would have been ahead of the curve. It didn’t and thus missed the boat.
Bulgaria to sign Artemis Accords
NASA yesterday announced that Bulgaria will sign the Artemis Accords tomorrow, becoming the 32nd nation to join the alliance.
The full list of signatories is as follows: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Columbia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, the Ukraine, and the United States.
The competing alliance of communist nations, led by China, includes only Russia, Venezuala, Pakistan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and South Africa. That former deep Soviet block nations like Bulgaria and Romania went with the west rather than China illustrates the international distrust of China and its authoritarian methods.
Regardless, we now see a rough outline of the coming cold war in space.
NASA yesterday announced that Bulgaria will sign the Artemis Accords tomorrow, becoming the 32nd nation to join the alliance.
The full list of signatories is as follows: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Columbia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, the Ukraine, and the United States.
The competing alliance of communist nations, led by China, includes only Russia, Venezuala, Pakistan, Belarus, Azerbaijan, and South Africa. That former deep Soviet block nations like Bulgaria and Romania went with the west rather than China illustrates the international distrust of China and its authoritarian methods.
Regardless, we now see a rough outline of the coming cold war in space.
Lucy: Dinkinesh’s moon is actually a contact binary
Click for original image.
As more images have arrived from Lucy’s fly-by of Dinkinesh scientists have discovered that its moon is actually a contact binary.
The Lucy picture to the right, cropped, reduced and sharpened to post here, shows that contact binary on the right.
This image shows the asteroid Dinkinesh and its satellite as seen by the Lucy Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (L’LORRI) as NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft departed the system. This image was taken at 1 p.m. EDT Nov. 1, 2023, about 6 minutes after closest approach, from a range of approximately 1,010 miles. From this perspective, the satellite is revealed to be a contact binary, the first time a contact binary has been seen orbiting another asteroid.
Data from the fly-by is still being downloaded.
Click for original image.
As more images have arrived from Lucy’s fly-by of Dinkinesh scientists have discovered that its moon is actually a contact binary.
The Lucy picture to the right, cropped, reduced and sharpened to post here, shows that contact binary on the right.
This image shows the asteroid Dinkinesh and its satellite as seen by the Lucy Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (L’LORRI) as NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft departed the system. This image was taken at 1 p.m. EDT Nov. 1, 2023, about 6 minutes after closest approach, from a range of approximately 1,010 miles. From this perspective, the satellite is revealed to be a contact binary, the first time a contact binary has been seen orbiting another asteroid.
Data from the fly-by is still being downloaded.
SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites
SpaceX last night successfully launched 23 Starlink satellites, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral.
The first stage successfully completed its eleventh flight, landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic.
The leaders in the 2023 launch race:
80 SpaceX
50 China
14 Russia
7 Rocket Lab
7 India
American private enterprise now leads China 92 to 50 in successful launches, and the entire world combined 92 to 79. SpaceX by itself once again leads the rest of the world (excluding American companies) 80 to 79.
SpaceX last night successfully launched 23 Starlink satellites, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral.
The first stage successfully completed its eleventh flight, landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic.
The leaders in the 2023 launch race:
80 SpaceX
50 China
14 Russia
7 Rocket Lab
7 India
American private enterprise now leads China 92 to 50 in successful launches, and the entire world combined 92 to 79. SpaceX by itself once again leads the rest of the world (excluding American companies) 80 to 79.
Kid Creole & the Coconuts – Stool Pigeon
November 7, 2023 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Euclid releases its first images
Euclid is designed to produce a 3D map of billions of nearby galaxies.
- Webb and Chandra detect supermassive black hole only a half billion years after the Big Bang
Lots of uncertainty here, with most now centering on the Big Bang theory itself. There shouldn’t be a supermassive black hole that soon after the bang. Not enough time for it to form, based on present models.
- Ingenuity completes its 66th flight
As noted in my last Ingenuity post, it was a short flight, 23 seconds long moving less than two feet, merely to reposition the helicopter in advance of the three-week solar conjunction when communications will be cut off.
- First data from India’s Aditya-1 solar observatory
The observatory, located a million miles closer to the Sun than the Earth, is presently undergoing its final caliberations even as its instruments begin gathering data.
- Dish’s CEO stepping down ahead of merger with Echostar
His resignation was part of the merger deal. Both companies are under severe pressure from competition, which is why they merged.
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay.
- Euclid releases its first images
Euclid is designed to produce a 3D map of billions of nearby galaxies.
- Webb and Chandra detect supermassive black hole only a half billion years after the Big Bang
Lots of uncertainty here, with most now centering on the Big Bang theory itself. There shouldn’t be a supermassive black hole that soon after the bang. Not enough time for it to form, based on present models.
- Ingenuity completes its 66th flight
As noted in my last Ingenuity post, it was a short flight, 23 seconds long moving less than two feet, merely to reposition the helicopter in advance of the three-week solar conjunction when communications will be cut off.
- First data from India’s Aditya-1 solar observatory
The observatory, located a million miles closer to the Sun than the Earth, is presently undergoing its final caliberations even as its instruments begin gathering data.
- Dish’s CEO stepping down ahead of merger with Echostar
His resignation was part of the merger deal. Both companies are under severe pressure from competition, which is why they merged.
While 100 universities condemn Hamas, the Ivy League is condemned for looking the other way
These are probably the worst colleges in the country
The one good thing that has come from the horrible slaughter of innocents by Hamas on October 7th is that it has made obvious the bankruptcy of America’s so-called elite Ivy League colleges, suggesting without question that if you are either a high school student who wants to get a real education or an employer who wants to hire the best college graduates, these are not the places to find either.
The constrast was made very clear by two letters this week. First, more than one hundred universities nationwide issued a letter harshly condemning Hamas while expressing whole-hearted support for Israel.
We Stand Together With Israel Against Hamas
We are horrified and sickened by the brutality and inhumanity of Hamas. Murdering innocent civilians including babies and children, raping women and taking the elderly as hostages are not the actions of political disagreement but the actions of hate and terrorism. The basis of all universities is a pursuit of truth, and it is times like these that require moral clarity. Like the fight against ISIS, the fight against Hamas is a fight against evil. We, the presidents and chancellors of universities, colleges and higher education associations across the United States of America and the world, stand with Israel, with the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas’ cruel rule in Gaza and with all people of moral conscience. [emphasis in original]
Not surprisingly, none of the Ivy League schools as well as Stanford and the entire California university system signed on. Apparently the torture, rape, and murder of women and children is okay with these “elite” colleges, as long as it is Jewish women and children who are tortured, raped, and murdered.
The second letter directly addressed this lack of moral commitment by these so-called “elite” colleges, and did so by attacking Harvard in particular. On November 4, Bill Ackman, a billionaire hedge fund manager and Harvard alumni, published a 3,000+ word letter directed Harvard’s president, Claudine Gay, and the Harvard Corporation Board, strongly condemning Gay’s unwillingness to unequivocally condemn the oppressive culture on Harvard’s campus, as well as its growing anti-Semitism.
» Read more
These are probably the worst colleges in the country
The one good thing that has come from the horrible slaughter of innocents by Hamas on October 7th is that it has made obvious the bankruptcy of America’s so-called elite Ivy League colleges, suggesting without question that if you are either a high school student who wants to get a real education or an employer who wants to hire the best college graduates, these are not the places to find either.
The constrast was made very clear by two letters this week. First, more than one hundred universities nationwide issued a letter harshly condemning Hamas while expressing whole-hearted support for Israel.
We Stand Together With Israel Against Hamas
We are horrified and sickened by the brutality and inhumanity of Hamas. Murdering innocent civilians including babies and children, raping women and taking the elderly as hostages are not the actions of political disagreement but the actions of hate and terrorism. The basis of all universities is a pursuit of truth, and it is times like these that require moral clarity. Like the fight against ISIS, the fight against Hamas is a fight against evil. We, the presidents and chancellors of universities, colleges and higher education associations across the United States of America and the world, stand with Israel, with the Palestinians who suffer under Hamas’ cruel rule in Gaza and with all people of moral conscience. [emphasis in original]
Not surprisingly, none of the Ivy League schools as well as Stanford and the entire California university system signed on. Apparently the torture, rape, and murder of women and children is okay with these “elite” colleges, as long as it is Jewish women and children who are tortured, raped, and murdered.
The second letter directly addressed this lack of moral commitment by these so-called “elite” colleges, and did so by attacking Harvard in particular. On November 4, Bill Ackman, a billionaire hedge fund manager and Harvard alumni, published a 3,000+ word letter directed Harvard’s president, Claudine Gay, and the Harvard Corporation Board, strongly condemning Gay’s unwillingness to unequivocally condemn the oppressive culture on Harvard’s campus, as well as its growing anti-Semitism.
» Read more
The grand Valles Marineris of Mars
Click for original image.
Time for another cool image of the grand canyon of Mars, Valles Marineris. The picture to the right, rotated, cropped, reduced, and sharpened to post here, was taken on May 24, 2023 by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). It shows a small section of the floor of this gigantic canyon, where orbital data has detected light-toned materials. From the caption:
Many of the Valles Marineris canyons, called chasmata, have kilometer-high, light-toned layered mounds made up of sulfate materials. Ius Chasma, near the western end of Valles Marineris, is an exception.
The light-toned deposits here are thinner and occur along both the floor and walls, as we see in this HiRISE image. Additionally, the sulfates are mixed with other minerals like clays and hydrated silica. Scientists are trying to use the combination of mineralogy, morphology, and stratigraphy to understand how the deposits formed in Ius Chasma and why they differ from those found elsewhere in Valles Marineris.
The picture however gives no sense of the monumental terrain that surrounds it.
» Read more
Click for original image.
Time for another cool image of the grand canyon of Mars, Valles Marineris. The picture to the right, rotated, cropped, reduced, and sharpened to post here, was taken on May 24, 2023 by the high resolution camera on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). It shows a small section of the floor of this gigantic canyon, where orbital data has detected light-toned materials. From the caption:
Many of the Valles Marineris canyons, called chasmata, have kilometer-high, light-toned layered mounds made up of sulfate materials. Ius Chasma, near the western end of Valles Marineris, is an exception.
The light-toned deposits here are thinner and occur along both the floor and walls, as we see in this HiRISE image. Additionally, the sulfates are mixed with other minerals like clays and hydrated silica. Scientists are trying to use the combination of mineralogy, morphology, and stratigraphy to understand how the deposits formed in Ius Chasma and why they differ from those found elsewhere in Valles Marineris.
The picture however gives no sense of the monumental terrain that surrounds it.
» Read more
ESA commits to a zero space junk policy
The European Space Agency (ESA) announced yesterday that it is now commited to a zero space junk policy, and has established its own standards for the end-of-life disposal of all orbiting spacecraft, to be included during the design and construction.
The policy also requires collision avoidance systems as well as engineering designed to reduce light pollution that harms ground-based astronomy.
The European Space Agency (ESA) announced yesterday that it is now commited to a zero space junk policy, and has established its own standards for the end-of-life disposal of all orbiting spacecraft, to be included during the design and construction.
The policy also requires collision avoidance systems as well as engineering designed to reduce light pollution that harms ground-based astronomy.
Three European nations sign deal with Arianegroup for use of Ariane-6
In a separate deal outside of the European Space Agency, Germany, France, and Italy have signed a deal with the private rocket company Arianegroup to use its still unlaunched Ariane-6, assuming the company can reduce costs.
The agreement will provide €340 million ($365 million) of financing a year for Arianespace’s Ariane 6 rocket in exchange for a commitment to an 11% cut in costs. The rocket will also be awarded at least four missions from public institutions a year, while the lighter Vega C launcher will get at least three.
Essentially the deal is intended to keep Ariane-6 afloat, as its high cost has made it difficult to attract customers. At the same time, the contract demands those costs be reduced, and adds pressure to that demand by noting that future and additional launches will be awarded on a purely competitive bidding process. It appears these three countries will open bidding not only to the new rocket startups being developed in Europe, but American rocket companies as well.
In a separate deal outside of the European Space Agency, Germany, France, and Italy have signed a deal with the private rocket company Arianegroup to use its still unlaunched Ariane-6, assuming the company can reduce costs.
The agreement will provide €340 million ($365 million) of financing a year for Arianespace’s Ariane 6 rocket in exchange for a commitment to an 11% cut in costs. The rocket will also be awarded at least four missions from public institutions a year, while the lighter Vega C launcher will get at least three.
Essentially the deal is intended to keep Ariane-6 afloat, as its high cost has made it difficult to attract customers. At the same time, the contract demands those costs be reduced, and adds pressure to that demand by noting that future and additional launches will be awarded on a purely competitive bidding process. It appears these three countries will open bidding not only to the new rocket startups being developed in Europe, but American rocket companies as well.
Japan delays asteroid mission due to its rocket problems
Japan’s space agency JAXA has decided to delay its Destiny+ mission to the asteroid Phaethon until 2025 due to the continuing problems getting its Epsilon-S rocket off the ground.
Epsilon-S is intended as an upgrade to Japan’s Epsilon rocket, but its development has been plagued by failures. In October ’22 there was a launch failure of Epsilon, and in July ’23 the second-stage solid-fueled motor of Epsilon-S exploded during a test.
Phaethon is the parent asteroid of the Geminid meteor shower that occurs each year in December. According to the original plan Destiny+ would have done its fly-by of the asteroid in 2029. No new arrival date has been announced.
Japan’s space agency JAXA has decided to delay its Destiny+ mission to the asteroid Phaethon until 2025 due to the continuing problems getting its Epsilon-S rocket off the ground.
Epsilon-S is intended as an upgrade to Japan’s Epsilon rocket, but its development has been plagued by failures. In October ’22 there was a launch failure of Epsilon, and in July ’23 the second-stage solid-fueled motor of Epsilon-S exploded during a test.
Phaethon is the parent asteroid of the Geminid meteor shower that occurs each year in December. According to the original plan Destiny+ would have done its fly-by of the asteroid in 2029. No new arrival date has been announced.
Two Russian satellites — one thought defunct — have been tracked in rendezvous maneuvers
The American commercial satellite tracking company has over the past two years identified two Russian satellites — one thought defunct — that have rendezvoused and done proximity maneuvers.
Resurs-P3 — a Russian Earth observation satellite — performed a large maneuver in November 2022 after years of inactivity, and approached the Russian military satellite Cosmos-2562, according to a LeoLabs briefing.
The maneuver by Resurs-P3 “placed it in an entirely new orbit shared by Russian assets with non-publicly disclosed payloads,” said the briefing. “Based on the approaches observed by LeoLabs, it’s highly likely that Cosmos-2562 has an electro-optical payload and has collected high-resolution imagery of Resurs-P3.”
This new data further documents the long-term classified Russian effort to develop such satellite maneuvering capability, both to track and inspect its own satellites as well as do the same to the satellites of others. The unstated capability also includes the ability to destroy a satellite also, once rendezvous is achieved.
The American commercial satellite tracking company has over the past two years identified two Russian satellites — one thought defunct — that have rendezvoused and done proximity maneuvers.
Resurs-P3 — a Russian Earth observation satellite — performed a large maneuver in November 2022 after years of inactivity, and approached the Russian military satellite Cosmos-2562, according to a LeoLabs briefing.
The maneuver by Resurs-P3 “placed it in an entirely new orbit shared by Russian assets with non-publicly disclosed payloads,” said the briefing. “Based on the approaches observed by LeoLabs, it’s highly likely that Cosmos-2562 has an electro-optical payload and has collected high-resolution imagery of Resurs-P3.”
This new data further documents the long-term classified Russian effort to develop such satellite maneuvering capability, both to track and inspect its own satellites as well as do the same to the satellites of others. The unstated capability also includes the ability to destroy a satellite also, once rendezvous is achieved.
Astra secures temporary investment funding to keep it afloat
Astra announced yesterday that it has secured temporary funding from private sources to cover its shortfall of cash and allow it to secure additional funds to keep it alive. From the second link:
In a statement issued after the close of trading, Astra said that JMCM Holdings LLC and Sherpa Venture Funds II, LLP, which it described as affiliates of two early investors in Astra, agreed to provide $13.4 million in “initial financing” as part of a non-binding term sheet Astra announced Oct. 23 that sought to raise $15 million to $25 million.
As part of the agreement, the investors will purchase the $8 million loan that Astra had from an unnamed institutional investor from August. Astra had defaulted on the terms of the loan agreement last week when its cash reserves dropped below $10.5 million, triggering a $3.1 million payment at a higher interest rate. The investors will also provide a $3.05 million bridge loan due Nov. 17, and purchase warrants for Astra stock.
The company is not out of the woods quite yet. It needs to obtain new investment capital by November 17th, when that bridge loan comes due.
Astra announced yesterday that it has secured temporary funding from private sources to cover its shortfall of cash and allow it to secure additional funds to keep it alive. From the second link:
In a statement issued after the close of trading, Astra said that JMCM Holdings LLC and Sherpa Venture Funds II, LLP, which it described as affiliates of two early investors in Astra, agreed to provide $13.4 million in “initial financing” as part of a non-binding term sheet Astra announced Oct. 23 that sought to raise $15 million to $25 million.
As part of the agreement, the investors will purchase the $8 million loan that Astra had from an unnamed institutional investor from August. Astra had defaulted on the terms of the loan agreement last week when its cash reserves dropped below $10.5 million, triggering a $3.1 million payment at a higher interest rate. The investors will also provide a $3.05 million bridge loan due Nov. 17, and purchase warrants for Astra stock.
The company is not out of the woods quite yet. It needs to obtain new investment capital by November 17th, when that bridge loan comes due.