Behind The Black – Robert Zimmerman

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.

• Amazon requests temporary authority from FCC to operate one of its two Kuiper test satellites in a lower orbit for six month [pdf]
  The original plan was to lower the orbits of both satellites just prior to de-orbiting. Amazon now wants to do additional orbital communications testing with one satellite at this lower orbit for six months.

• Stoke Space touts its new vertical engine static fire test stand
  The company is doing final tests of the stand before actual engine tests.

• Russia touts mock-ups of its Oryol manned capsule intended to replace Soyuz
  Note that these are “mock-ups”, not the real thing. Oryol was first proposed in 2009 and isn’t supposed to launch until 2028. In other words, Russia is taking about as long as it took NASA to create a new manned capsule. And both are demonstrating their incompetence as they do so.

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.

• Varda has gotten okay from Australia to land its capsules at the commercial Southern Launch range/spaceport
  The company did this I am sure because of the hassles the FAA and Army gave it in returning its capsules in the U.S.

• Another pseudo-Chinese rocket company appears, dubbed “CosmoLeap”
  The graphic is hilarious. They plan to use this new idea of using launch tower chopsticks to catch their first stage. What originality! And I’m sure they have this working in no time!

• Someone takes a close look at the cost overruns by Bechtel in failing to build the SLS 2nd mobile launcher
  His conclusion: “With the right attitude and cost plus contract structures there are no limits to how expensive something can become.”

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.

• NASA officials hint it might no longer maintain a continuous human presence in space after ISS
  They say this is because they are unsure the commercial stations will be ready for continuous occupation when ISS is retired. While that is likely a factor, a more important factor is NASA itself. When those commercial stations are flying private customers, NASA’s presence — which for decades has accomplished far less than it should have — will become increasingly irrelevant. A permanent human presence in orbit might not be continuous initially in the 2030s, but that gap won’t last long, as long as freedon and competition is allowed to flourish.

• The countries who have signed the Artemis Accords are compaigning for new countries to join
  These comments were made by representatives from Estonia, Canada, Italy, Australia, and NASA. While expanding the alliance has advantages, the comments all indicate no interest in the accords’ initial purpose, to get around the limitations to private ownership imposed by the Outer Space Treaty. Instead, they seem focused on “building on the treaty,” a very bad sign for the future of capitalism and private enterprise in space.

  And to prove my analysis, NASA’s official even said that China could sign the accords if it wished. So much for defending freedom, capitalism, and private ownership.