Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 23: II Adagio
An evening pause: Performed in 2020 by the National Orchestra of France with a piano solo by Khatia Buniatishvili and a ballet duet by Jordan Kindell and Verity Jacobson.
Hat tip Judd Clark.
Tag: commercial
Boeing replaces the head of its defense/space/security division
Ted Colbert
Boeing today announced that the head of its defense/space/security division, Ted Colbert, has been removed, effective immediately.
New Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg in his first significant move since taking over in August, said Ted Colbert would be leaving and Steve Parker, the unit’s chief operating officer, would assume Colbert’s responsibilities until a replacement is named at a later date.
One project that Colbert was in charge of was Starliner, a program that has cost the company at least $1.6 billion in overruns because of numerous faulty engineering problems.
Colbert might not be to blame for the endless problems at Starliner, but the fish stinks from the head. He also might be very qualified, but sadly, as his picture shows, he is a minority, and since Boeing went all in on DEI racist hiring quotas a few years ago, which makes the skin color and gender of an applicant a major qualification in hiring, one can’t help wondering if he was a DEI (Didn’t Earn It) hire. At Boeing that policy created a goal to increase black staffing by 20%. Its full report [pdf] makes it very clear it no longer made talent, experience, or skill the primary qualification for getting hired, but skin color and sex took precedence.
As I said, one cannot help wondering if Colbert was hired not because of his great management and engineering knowledge, but because he happened to born with a dark skin color. If so, that might help explain the failures in this paricular division.
Ted Colbert
Boeing today announced that the head of its defense/space/security division, Ted Colbert, has been removed, effective immediately.
New Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg in his first significant move since taking over in August, said Ted Colbert would be leaving and Steve Parker, the unit’s chief operating officer, would assume Colbert’s responsibilities until a replacement is named at a later date.
One project that Colbert was in charge of was Starliner, a program that has cost the company at least $1.6 billion in overruns because of numerous faulty engineering problems.
Colbert might not be to blame for the endless problems at Starliner, but the fish stinks from the head. He also might be very qualified, but sadly, as his picture shows, he is a minority, and since Boeing went all in on DEI racist hiring quotas a few years ago, which makes the skin color and gender of an applicant a major qualification in hiring, one can’t help wondering if he was a DEI (Didn’t Earn It) hire. At Boeing that policy created a goal to increase black staffing by 20%. Its full report [pdf] makes it very clear it no longer made talent, experience, or skill the primary qualification for getting hired, but skin color and sex took precedence.
As I said, one cannot help wondering if Colbert was hired not because of his great management and engineering knowledge, but because he happened to born with a dark skin color. If so, that might help explain the failures in this paricular division.
A review of Firefly’s new launch facilities in both the U.S. and Sweden
Link here. The company already has leases for launchpads at both Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral, though only the Vandenberg pad is presently operational. It now building new pads in Viriginia at Wallops Island and in Sweden at the commercial Esrange spaceport.
Regarding the purpose of offering a launch site in Europe, Firefly stated to NSF, “The launch cadence will largely be driven by customer demand. With the inaugural Alpha launch from Esrange as early as 2026, the new complex can support commercial customers in the broader European market and enable tactically responsive space missions to further advance national security for NATO countries.”
The company has already completed five launches from Vandenberg, with a sixth upcoming.
Link here. The company already has leases for launchpads at both Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral, though only the Vandenberg pad is presently operational. It now building new pads in Viriginia at Wallops Island and in Sweden at the commercial Esrange spaceport.
Regarding the purpose of offering a launch site in Europe, Firefly stated to NSF, “The launch cadence will largely be driven by customer demand. With the inaugural Alpha launch from Esrange as early as 2026, the new complex can support commercial customers in the broader European market and enable tactically responsive space missions to further advance national security for NATO countries.”
The company has already completed five launches from Vandenberg, with a sixth upcoming.
SpaceX finds a way to extend the launch window for Europa Clipper
The launch window for SpaceX’s launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper to Jupiter has now been extended a full week because the company has revised the launch process and made hardware changes.
The new launch window runs from October 10th to November 6th.
Usually the two side boosters come back to land at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station so they can be reused and sometimes the core booster is recovered at sea, but not this time. All their fuel will be used to get Europa Clipper on its way to Jupiter. Piloto said SpaceX “made some hardware modifications that enable the launch vehicle to utilize all the fuel in the boosters,” but couldn’t go into detail about what they are because the information is proprietary.
[The NASA official] added that SpaceX has gained experience in flying this configuration — it’s the 11th Falcon Heavy launch — and the company has “come up with a strategy to optimize throttling of the launch vehicle to get more performance out of it.”
NASA and SpaceX have also decided to use NASA’s orbiting communications constellation during the launch instead of ground stations, which increases their flexibility and margins.
I wonder if the FAA has approved these changes. Or even if anyone there even understands them.
The launch window for SpaceX’s launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper to Jupiter has now been extended a full week because the company has revised the launch process and made hardware changes.
The new launch window runs from October 10th to November 6th.
Usually the two side boosters come back to land at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station so they can be reused and sometimes the core booster is recovered at sea, but not this time. All their fuel will be used to get Europa Clipper on its way to Jupiter. Piloto said SpaceX “made some hardware modifications that enable the launch vehicle to utilize all the fuel in the boosters,” but couldn’t go into detail about what they are because the information is proprietary.
[The NASA official] added that SpaceX has gained experience in flying this configuration — it’s the 11th Falcon Heavy launch — and the company has “come up with a strategy to optimize throttling of the launch vehicle to get more performance out of it.”
NASA and SpaceX have also decided to use NASA’s orbiting communications constellation during the launch instead of ground stations, which increases their flexibility and margins.
I wonder if the FAA has approved these changes. Or even if anyone there even understands them.
SpaceX and Elon Musk blast the FAA’s red tape again
Fight! Fight! Fight! Yesterday both SpaceX and Elon Musk renewed their attack on the FAA’s apparent arbitrary harassment of the company, both by slowing down development of Starship/Superheavy as well as imposing fines and delays on the company for petty issues relating to Falcon 9 launches.
First, Elon Musk sent out a tweet on X, highlighting a successful static fire launchpad engine test of the Starship prototype the company plans to fly on the sixth Starship/Superheavy orbital flight. As he noted with apparent disgust, “Flight 5 is built and ready to fly. Flight 6 will be ready to fly before Flight 5 even gets approved by FAA!”
Second, and with more force, the company released a public letter that it has sent to the leading Republican and Democratic representatives of the House and Senate committees that have direct authority over space activities, outlining its issues with the FAA’s behavior. The letter details at length the irrational and inexplicable slowdown in FAA approvals that caused two launches last summer to occur in a confused manner, with SpaceX clearly given the impression by the FAA that it could go ahead which the FAA now denies. In one case the FAA claims SpaceX removed without its permission a poll of mission control during its countdown procedure. SpaceX in its letter noted bluntly that the regulations do not require that poll, and that the company already requires two other polls during the count.
In another case involving SpaceX’s plan to change to a new mission control center, the company submitted its request in June, and after two months the FAA finally approved the control center’s use for one launch, but had still not approved it for a second. The first launch went off, so SpaceX thus rightly assumed it could use the control center for the second. Yet the FAA is now trying to fine SpaceX for that second launch.
The third case of FAA misconduct appears to be the most egregious. » Read more
SpaceX launches 21 more Starlink satellites
SpaceX this morning successfully launched another 21 Starlink satellites, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Vandenberg in California.
The first stage completed its thirteenth flight, landing on a drone ship in the Pacific.
The leaders in the 2024 launch race:
93 SpaceX
39 China
11 Russia
10 Rocket Lab
American private enterprise now leads the rest of the world combined in successful launches 108 to 61, while SpaceX by itself now leads the entire world, including American companies, 93 to 76.
SpaceX this morning successfully launched another 21 Starlink satellites, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Vandenberg in California.
The first stage completed its thirteenth flight, landing on a drone ship in the Pacific.
The leaders in the 2024 launch race:
93 SpaceX
39 China
11 Russia
10 Rocket Lab
American private enterprise now leads the rest of the world combined in successful launches 108 to 61, while SpaceX by itself now leads the entire world, including American companies, 93 to 76.
Mireille Mathieu – La Marseillaise
An evening pause: Performed live in 1989, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower. What I especially like are the English subtitles, because for some reason this song is rarely translated. Knowing the meaning of what they are singing in the scene in the movie Casablanca makes that scene even more moving.
Hat tip Tom Biggar.
FCC commissioner slams FCC for its partisan hostility to SpaceX
The FCC proves its partisan hostility to SpaceX
Even as the FAA has increasingly appeared to be harassing SpaceX with red tape, FCC commissioner Brendan Carr this week slammed his own agency for what appears to be clearly partisan hostility to SpaceX in its recent decisions and public statements.
Carr noted how only last year the FCC had canceled an almost $900 million grant that it had previously awarded to SpaceX for providing rural communities internet access. When it did so, the FCC claimed that the company had failed to “demonstrate that it could deliver the promised service.”
That claim of course was absurd on its face, considering that Starlink was the only available commercial system that was actually doing this, directly to individual rural customers.
Carr noted however that this absurd FCC decision was made even more ridiculous this week by the FCC’s chairperson, Jessica Rosenworcel, who accused SpaceX of being a “monopoly” because of its success in launching Starlink satellites and providing this service ahead of everyone else.
» Read more
The FCC proves its partisan hostility to SpaceX
Even as the FAA has increasingly appeared to be harassing SpaceX with red tape, FCC commissioner Brendan Carr this week slammed his own agency for what appears to be clearly partisan hostility to SpaceX in its recent decisions and public statements.
Carr noted how only last year the FCC had canceled an almost $900 million grant that it had previously awarded to SpaceX for providing rural communities internet access. When it did so, the FCC claimed that the company had failed to “demonstrate that it could deliver the promised service.”
That claim of course was absurd on its face, considering that Starlink was the only available commercial system that was actually doing this, directly to individual rural customers.
Carr noted however that this absurd FCC decision was made even more ridiculous this week by the FCC’s chairperson, Jessica Rosenworcel, who accused SpaceX of being a “monopoly” because of its success in launching Starlink satellites and providing this service ahead of everyone else.
» Read more
Sierra Space successfully tests equipment for extracting oxygen from the lunar soil
In a press release this week Sierra Space revealed that it has successfully tested an extraction system that can gather up the abrasive lunar regolith and then heat it to high temperatures in order to extract and use the oxygen contained in that soil.
Temperatures in which the Sierra Space Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor were tested ranged from minus 45 degrees Celsius to 1,800 degrees Celsius. In addition to the challenges of functioning from sub-zero to hotter-than-lava temperatures, the hardware was required to move the simulated lunar regolith – a very abrasive and jagged material because it does not have the weathering processes found on Earth – through its system. The potentially damaging particles were handled effectively by the hardware and gasses were successfully sealed inside the reactor, thanks to Sierra Space’s use of a patent-pending valve design that previously demonstrated functionality to greater than 10,000 cycles.
The tests confirmed that Sierra Space’s system can successfully handle regolith that would be delivered from a lunar rover or robotic arm and automatically bring it into the reaction chamber, perform the carbothermal reduction reaction process to extract the oxygen from the minerals in the regolith, and remove the processed regolith from the system so the operation can be repeated.
This research is similar to the extraction system the Chinese are developing, though it appears Sierra’s system appears considerably closer to a finished product, as it is already being tested.
In a press release this week Sierra Space revealed that it has successfully tested an extraction system that can gather up the abrasive lunar regolith and then heat it to high temperatures in order to extract and use the oxygen contained in that soil.
Temperatures in which the Sierra Space Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor were tested ranged from minus 45 degrees Celsius to 1,800 degrees Celsius. In addition to the challenges of functioning from sub-zero to hotter-than-lava temperatures, the hardware was required to move the simulated lunar regolith – a very abrasive and jagged material because it does not have the weathering processes found on Earth – through its system. The potentially damaging particles were handled effectively by the hardware and gasses were successfully sealed inside the reactor, thanks to Sierra Space’s use of a patent-pending valve design that previously demonstrated functionality to greater than 10,000 cycles.
The tests confirmed that Sierra Space’s system can successfully handle regolith that would be delivered from a lunar rover or robotic arm and automatically bring it into the reaction chamber, perform the carbothermal reduction reaction process to extract the oxygen from the minerals in the regolith, and remove the processed regolith from the system so the operation can be repeated.
This research is similar to the extraction system the Chinese are developing, though it appears Sierra’s system appears considerably closer to a finished product, as it is already being tested.
Eutelsat awards multi-launch contract with Mitsubishi
The French communications satellite company Eutelsat has awarded the Japanese company Mitsubishi a multi-contract using its H3 rocket.
The company did not reveal the contract amount or the number of launches involved. The first launches however will begin in 2027, with company officials explaining why they signed the deal.
The operator already has launches mostly covered for deploying its next-generation OneWeb broadband satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), CEO Eva Berneke recently told SpaceNews. However, these launches include 3D printing specialist Relativity Space’s Terran R vehicle and Europe’s next-generation launcher Ariane 6, which have both already experienced development delays.
Ariane 6 is also part of the multi-billion-dollar launch campaign Amazon plans to kick off this year for its LEO constellation. “Given that Amazon has acquired Ariane 6 rockets, if we wanted to use it in, say, 2027, are we going to fit into their launch manifest or not?” Berneke told SpaceNews in the interview.
There are two interesting aspects to this deal. First, Eutelsat decided it needed to diversify its launch providers. The status of Relativity’s Terran-R rocket remains uncertain, and if it goes under Eutelsat would be left with just Ariane-6, which has its own issues and might not be able to meet the demand.
Second, Eutelsat clearly decided it did not want to give this business to SpaceX. I guarantee SpaceX’s price was less than Mitsubishi’s since the H3 is entirely expendable and very expensive, developed by Mitsubishi primiarly for the Japanese government (which paid the bills) and not as a player in the international launch market. Eutelsat made this choice for probably good and bad reasons. The good reason: All satellite companies need to encourage the success of as many launch providers as possible, to increase its options and competion. Giving business to Mistubishi serves that purpose.
The bad reason? Among many in Europe and elsewhere there is a childish resentment of SpaceX, simply because. No one will say so publicly, and if asked everyone will deny it, but the evidence clearly suggests that this silly emotional factor exists.
The French communications satellite company Eutelsat has awarded the Japanese company Mitsubishi a multi-contract using its H3 rocket.
The company did not reveal the contract amount or the number of launches involved. The first launches however will begin in 2027, with company officials explaining why they signed the deal.
The operator already has launches mostly covered for deploying its next-generation OneWeb broadband satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), CEO Eva Berneke recently told SpaceNews. However, these launches include 3D printing specialist Relativity Space’s Terran R vehicle and Europe’s next-generation launcher Ariane 6, which have both already experienced development delays.
Ariane 6 is also part of the multi-billion-dollar launch campaign Amazon plans to kick off this year for its LEO constellation. “Given that Amazon has acquired Ariane 6 rockets, if we wanted to use it in, say, 2027, are we going to fit into their launch manifest or not?” Berneke told SpaceNews in the interview.
There are two interesting aspects to this deal. First, Eutelsat decided it needed to diversify its launch providers. The status of Relativity’s Terran-R rocket remains uncertain, and if it goes under Eutelsat would be left with just Ariane-6, which has its own issues and might not be able to meet the demand.
Second, Eutelsat clearly decided it did not want to give this business to SpaceX. I guarantee SpaceX’s price was less than Mitsubishi’s since the H3 is entirely expendable and very expensive, developed by Mitsubishi primiarly for the Japanese government (which paid the bills) and not as a player in the international launch market. Eutelsat made this choice for probably good and bad reasons. The good reason: All satellite companies need to encourage the success of as many launch providers as possible, to increase its options and competion. Giving business to Mistubishi serves that purpose.
The bad reason? Among many in Europe and elsewhere there is a childish resentment of SpaceX, simply because. No one will say so publicly, and if asked everyone will deny it, but the evidence clearly suggests that this silly emotional factor exists.
Sam and Dave – Hold On I’m Coming
Musk: We will sue the FAA for “regulatory overreach” and “improper, politically-motivated behavior”
In a series of tweets yesterday Elon Musk announced that SpaceX is going to sue the FAA for its recent actions that have delayed development of Starship/Superheavy and have also fined the company for what appear to be petty reasons.
In the second case, the FAA threatened to fine SpaceX $633K because it had not gotten some minor approvals prior to successfully completing two launches safely. The agency gave SpaceX 30 days to respond.
Musk responded bluntly in a tweet, stating that “SpaceX will be filing suit against the FAA for regulatory overreach.” In a second tweet immediately thereafter Musk added that that the fines were “More lawfare.”
In a third tweet he stated unequivocally, “I am highly confident that discovery will show improper, politically-motivated behavior by the FAA.”
As noted in the first link above, the agency took no action against SpaceX for more than a year after those two launches, only issuing the threat to fine the company now, just before the election, and just after the company had publicly criticized the agency for its delays in issuing a launch license for the fifth Starship/Superheavy test flight. I suspect Musk has some good information of solid evidence that some officials either in the FAA or at the White House instigated this action for political reasons. An honest appraisal of the FAA’s actions sure suggests it.
In a series of tweets yesterday Elon Musk announced that SpaceX is going to sue the FAA for its recent actions that have delayed development of Starship/Superheavy and have also fined the company for what appear to be petty reasons.
In the second case, the FAA threatened to fine SpaceX $633K because it had not gotten some minor approvals prior to successfully completing two launches safely. The agency gave SpaceX 30 days to respond.
Musk responded bluntly in a tweet, stating that “SpaceX will be filing suit against the FAA for regulatory overreach.” In a second tweet immediately thereafter Musk added that that the fines were “More lawfare.”
In a third tweet he stated unequivocally, “I am highly confident that discovery will show improper, politically-motivated behavior by the FAA.”
As noted in the first link above, the agency took no action against SpaceX for more than a year after those two launches, only issuing the threat to fine the company now, just before the election, and just after the company had publicly criticized the agency for its delays in issuing a launch license for the fifth Starship/Superheavy test flight. I suspect Musk has some good information of solid evidence that some officials either in the FAA or at the White House instigated this action for political reasons. An honest appraisal of the FAA’s actions sure suggests it.
NASA awards Intuitive Machines $4.8 billion contract to build Moon communication satellite constellation
NASA yesterday awarded Intuitive Machines a contract worth as much as $4.8 billion to build the communication relay infrastructure necessary to support bases and research on the Moon.
This Subcategory 2.2 GEO to Cislunar Relay Services is a new firm-fixed-price, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order contract. The contract has a base period of five years with an additional 5-year option period, with a maximum potential value of $4.82 billion. The base ordering period begins Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2029, with the option period potentially extending the contract through Sept. 30, 2034.
Lunar relays will play an essential role in NASA’s Artemis campaign to establish a long-term presence on the Moon. These relays will provide vital communication and navigation services for the exploration and scientific study of the Moon’s South Pole region. Without the extended coverage offered by lunar relays, landing opportunities at the Moon’s South Pole will be significantly limited due to the lack of direct communication between potential landing sites and ground stations on Earth.
According to the company’s own press release, this relay system will include a “lunar satellite constellation,” though the number of satellites was not revealed. The system will provide not just communications but will include GPS-type location data for ground operations.
NASA yesterday awarded Intuitive Machines a contract worth as much as $4.8 billion to build the communication relay infrastructure necessary to support bases and research on the Moon.
This Subcategory 2.2 GEO to Cislunar Relay Services is a new firm-fixed-price, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order contract. The contract has a base period of five years with an additional 5-year option period, with a maximum potential value of $4.82 billion. The base ordering period begins Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2029, with the option period potentially extending the contract through Sept. 30, 2034.
Lunar relays will play an essential role in NASA’s Artemis campaign to establish a long-term presence on the Moon. These relays will provide vital communication and navigation services for the exploration and scientific study of the Moon’s South Pole region. Without the extended coverage offered by lunar relays, landing opportunities at the Moon’s South Pole will be significantly limited due to the lack of direct communication between potential landing sites and ground stations on Earth.
According to the company’s own press release, this relay system will include a “lunar satellite constellation,” though the number of satellites was not revealed. The system will provide not just communications but will include GPS-type location data for ground operations.
French rocket startup signs deal to use Australian spaceport
Australia’s commercial spaceports. Click for original map.
The French rocket startup Sirius Space has signed a lease agreement with the Australian spaceport Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) for launching its rockets.
On 18 September, the company announced that it had concluded an agreement with ELA during World Space Business Week in Paris to secure its Australian launch facility. The company will take up residence at Arnhem Space Centre’s Launch Complex Number 3, which the company has renamed “Le Mans.”
Construction will begin next month, with the first launch in 2026. The company is developing three different rockets of different sizes, with the two largest, Sirius 13 and Sirius 15, intended to be reusable. At the moment however it has launched nothing.
Australia’s commercial spaceports. Click for original map.
The French rocket startup Sirius Space has signed a lease agreement with the Australian spaceport Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) for launching its rockets.
On 18 September, the company announced that it had concluded an agreement with ELA during World Space Business Week in Paris to secure its Australian launch facility. The company will take up residence at Arnhem Space Centre’s Launch Complex Number 3, which the company has renamed “Le Mans.”
Construction will begin next month, with the first launch in 2026. The company is developing three different rockets of different sizes, with the two largest, Sirius 13 and Sirius 15, intended to be reusable. At the moment however it has launched nothing.
SpaceX launches two more Galileo GPS-type satellites for Europe
SpaceX this afternoon successfully launched two Galileo GPS-type satellites for Europe, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral.
The first stage completed its 22nd flight, landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic. The fairings flew their for their 3rd and 8th times respectively. The launch was the second launch by SpaceX for Europe’s Galileo constellation. The European Commission was forced to award this multi-launch contract to SpaceX because Europe’s Ariane-6 rocket was four years behind schedule and not available when needed.
The leaders in the 2024 launch race:
92 SpaceX
38 China
11 Russia
10 Rocket Lab
American private enterprise now leads the rest of the world combined in successful launches 107 to 60, while SpaceX by itself still leads the entire world, including American companies, 92 to 75.
SpaceX this afternoon successfully launched two Galileo GPS-type satellites for Europe, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Cape Canaveral.
The first stage completed its 22nd flight, landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic. The fairings flew their for their 3rd and 8th times respectively. The launch was the second launch by SpaceX for Europe’s Galileo constellation. The European Commission was forced to award this multi-launch contract to SpaceX because Europe’s Ariane-6 rocket was four years behind schedule and not available when needed.
The leaders in the 2024 launch race:
92 SpaceX
38 China
11 Russia
10 Rocket Lab
American private enterprise now leads the rest of the world combined in successful launches 107 to 60, while SpaceX by itself still leads the entire world, including American companies, 92 to 75.
ZZ Top – Sharp Dressed Man/Tush
An evening pause: This was their first live appearance on television, on the Tonight Show in 1986. Note in the second song they mispronounce the yiddish word “tush,” which translates as ass. Mike Nelson, who suggested this pause, thought they did it to avoid problems with the FCC.
An evening pause: This was their first live appearance on television, on the Tonight Show in 1986. Note in the second song they mispronounce the yiddish word “tush,” which translates as ass. Mike Nelson, who suggested this pause, thought they did it to avoid problems with the FCC.
FAA fines SpaceX $633K for acting without its permission
The FAA to SpaceX “Nice company you got here.
Sure would be a shame if something happened to it.”
The FAA today revealed that it wants to fine SpaceX a total of $633,009 for two different actions where the company did something without the agency’s express permission.
In May 2023, SpaceX submitted a request to revise its communications plan related to its license to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The proposed revisions included adding a new launch control room at Hangar X and removing the T-2 hour readiness poll from its procedures. On June 18, 2023, SpaceX used the unapproved launch control room for the PSN SATRIA mission and did not conduct the required T-2 hour poll. The FAA is proposing $350,000 in civil penalties ($175,000 for each alleged violation).
In July 2023, SpaceX submitted a request to revise its explosive site plan related to its license to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The proposed revision reflected a newly constructed rocket propellant farm. On July 28, 2023, SpaceX used the unapproved rocket propellant farm for the EchoStar XXIV/Jupiter mission. The FAA is proposing a $283,009 civil penalty.
To understand the absurdity and abuse of power going on here, one must look at the dates. » Read more
The FAA to SpaceX “Nice company you got here.
Sure would be a shame if something happened to it.”
The FAA today revealed that it wants to fine SpaceX a total of $633,009 for two different actions where the company did something without the agency’s express permission.
In May 2023, SpaceX submitted a request to revise its communications plan related to its license to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The proposed revisions included adding a new launch control room at Hangar X and removing the T-2 hour readiness poll from its procedures. On June 18, 2023, SpaceX used the unapproved launch control room for the PSN SATRIA mission and did not conduct the required T-2 hour poll. The FAA is proposing $350,000 in civil penalties ($175,000 for each alleged violation).
In July 2023, SpaceX submitted a request to revise its explosive site plan related to its license to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The proposed revision reflected a newly constructed rocket propellant farm. On July 28, 2023, SpaceX used the unapproved rocket propellant farm for the EchoStar XXIV/Jupiter mission. The FAA is proposing a $283,009 civil penalty.
To understand the absurdity and abuse of power going on here, one must look at the dates. » Read more
France’s space agency aims to standardize its French Guiana commercial launchpad
France’s space agency CNES has announced a project to standardize its French Guiana commercial launchpad, which France owns and CNES now manages, for many different customers.
Launch facilities and launch pads in particular are generally specifically built for a single rocket. This will, however, not be the case with the Guiana Space Centre’s new commercial launch facility. As a result, a set of standardized ground systems will be utilized to ensure that the facility can manage a number of different rockets.
At the moment, those rockets include seven different European rocket startups — Avio, HyImpulse, Isar Aerospace, MaiaSpace, PLD Space, Rocket Factory Augsburg, and Latitude — none of which has yet launched a rocket. CNES is telling them all that if wish to use French Guiana, they must design their rocket to fit its facilities.
This project will accomplish two things. First, it will limit use of the pad to these European companies. CNES is essentially establishing French Guiana as a European-only facility. Second, like China’s commercial launchpads — run by that government so that all its pseudo-companies are dependent on it for launches — CNES (and France) is attempting to establish some control and power over these new independent and competing rocket companies, most of which have no facilities or operations in France. Three are German (Hyimpulse, Isar, and Rocket Factory), one is Spanish (PLD), and one is Italian (Avio). Only two are French-based (Latitude and MaiaSpace), with MaiaSpace a subsidiary of ArianeGroup which means it has facilities in many places in Europe. This project will force all these companies to cater their designs to the demands of France.
The American approach I think is far better. Government spaceports lease specific launchpads to specific companies, which then build the facilities to their needs, not the government’s. They can then each work fast and efficiently without consultation with others. CNES’s effort here will likely slow development in Europe, as all these companies will have to meet with CNES and work out some common engineering.
France’s space agency CNES has announced a project to standardize its French Guiana commercial launchpad, which France owns and CNES now manages, for many different customers.
Launch facilities and launch pads in particular are generally specifically built for a single rocket. This will, however, not be the case with the Guiana Space Centre’s new commercial launch facility. As a result, a set of standardized ground systems will be utilized to ensure that the facility can manage a number of different rockets.
At the moment, those rockets include seven different European rocket startups — Avio, HyImpulse, Isar Aerospace, MaiaSpace, PLD Space, Rocket Factory Augsburg, and Latitude — none of which has yet launched a rocket. CNES is telling them all that if wish to use French Guiana, they must design their rocket to fit its facilities.
This project will accomplish two things. First, it will limit use of the pad to these European companies. CNES is essentially establishing French Guiana as a European-only facility. Second, like China’s commercial launchpads — run by that government so that all its pseudo-companies are dependent on it for launches — CNES (and France) is attempting to establish some control and power over these new independent and competing rocket companies, most of which have no facilities or operations in France. Three are German (Hyimpulse, Isar, and Rocket Factory), one is Spanish (PLD), and one is Italian (Avio). Only two are French-based (Latitude and MaiaSpace), with MaiaSpace a subsidiary of ArianeGroup which means it has facilities in many places in Europe. This project will force all these companies to cater their designs to the demands of France.
The American approach I think is far better. Government spaceports lease specific launchpads to specific companies, which then build the facilities to their needs, not the government’s. They can then each work fast and efficiently without consultation with others. CNES’s effort here will likely slow development in Europe, as all these companies will have to meet with CNES and work out some common engineering.
Monteverdichor Würzburg Orchestra – Finale from Handel’s Israel in Egypt
Investigation into upper stage failure during Ariane-6’s first launch completed
The Ariane-6 rocket investigation team, including people from the European Space Agency (ESA), CNES (France’s space agency), ArianeGroup (which built and owns the rocket), and Arianespace (which presently manages the rocket), has identified the issue that caused the rocket’s upper stage failure during the rocket’s first launch in July.
In a 16 September update, the Task Force announced that the investigation had identified a single temperature measurement that “exceeded a predefined limit” as the root cause of the anomaly. The tripped limit caused the software to trigger a shutdown of the APU which ensured the rocket’s Vinci upper stage engine could not be restarted for the final burn.
In order to remedy this issue and ensure a similar shutdown does not occur in the future, the ignition preparation sequence, specifically the APU chill-down sequence, has been changed. The updated flight software is already being tested as teams prepare for the rocket’s first commercial flight which is set to take place before the end of the year.
Because of that incorrect temperature, the upper stage did not do its final burn, thereby stranding the stage and two demonstration return capsules in the wrong orbit. This prevented the test return of both capsules, as well as the test planned de-orbit of the stage over the ocean.
The Ariane-6 rocket investigation team, including people from the European Space Agency (ESA), CNES (France’s space agency), ArianeGroup (which built and owns the rocket), and Arianespace (which presently manages the rocket), has identified the issue that caused the rocket’s upper stage failure during the rocket’s first launch in July.
In a 16 September update, the Task Force announced that the investigation had identified a single temperature measurement that “exceeded a predefined limit” as the root cause of the anomaly. The tripped limit caused the software to trigger a shutdown of the APU which ensured the rocket’s Vinci upper stage engine could not be restarted for the final burn.
In order to remedy this issue and ensure a similar shutdown does not occur in the future, the ignition preparation sequence, specifically the APU chill-down sequence, has been changed. The updated flight software is already being tested as teams prepare for the rocket’s first commercial flight which is set to take place before the end of the year.
Because of that incorrect temperature, the upper stage did not do its final burn, thereby stranding the stage and two demonstration return capsules in the wrong orbit. This prevented the test return of both capsules, as well as the test planned de-orbit of the stage over the ocean.
Resilience splashes down safely, ending Polaris Dawn commercial manned orbital mission
SpaceX’s Resilience capsule has just splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico, ending the five-day Polaris Dawn private manned orbital mission, commanded by billionaire and jet pilot Jared Isaacman.
As of posting the capsule is still in the water with divers and boats on the way.
This completes the first mission in Isaacman’s planned three mission Polaris program. It was a complete success, doing a great deal of medical research on the effects of high orbit radiation on the human body as well as the first private spacewalk using SpaceX’s first EVA spacesuits. For Isaacman’s next mission he has already proposed doing a Hubble repair mission. NASA has had mixed feelings about this idea, but after this success it will be interesting if that attitude changes.
I must comment that the coverage by SpaceX employees on this mission was somewhat annoying. For the first time, they spent a lot of time giggling and focusing on PR and how “cool” and “incredible” and “wonderful” everything was, from amusing new decals in the capsule to the spacewalk to Sarah Gillis’ violin performance.
All of this was as great as they kept saying, which is why they didn’t need to say it, over and over and over and over and over again. It would have been better if they had done what SpaceX has generally done on previous broadcasts and missions, focused on describing the technical aspects and then staying silent otherwise. Gushing like this is more like a NASA or Blue Origin broadcast, and does not do SpaceX credit.
SpaceX’s Resilience capsule has just splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico, ending the five-day Polaris Dawn private manned orbital mission, commanded by billionaire and jet pilot Jared Isaacman.
As of posting the capsule is still in the water with divers and boats on the way.
This completes the first mission in Isaacman’s planned three mission Polaris program. It was a complete success, doing a great deal of medical research on the effects of high orbit radiation on the human body as well as the first private spacewalk using SpaceX’s first EVA spacesuits. For Isaacman’s next mission he has already proposed doing a Hubble repair mission. NASA has had mixed feelings about this idea, but after this success it will be interesting if that attitude changes.
I must comment that the coverage by SpaceX employees on this mission was somewhat annoying. For the first time, they spent a lot of time giggling and focusing on PR and how “cool” and “incredible” and “wonderful” everything was, from amusing new decals in the capsule to the spacewalk to Sarah Gillis’ violin performance.
All of this was as great as they kept saying, which is why they didn’t need to say it, over and over and over and over and over again. It would have been better if they had done what SpaceX has generally done on previous broadcasts and missions, focused on describing the technical aspects and then staying silent otherwise. Gushing like this is more like a NASA or Blue Origin broadcast, and does not do SpaceX credit.
Sarah Gillis – Rey’s Theme
An evening pause: The music is by John Williams. The lead violinist is space-walking Sarah Gillis, playing from the Resilience capsule in orbit right now.
Hat tip Gary.
HARMONY OF RESILIENCE: Recorded in space and sent to Earth via @SpaceX’s @Starlink constellation, Polaris Dawn crewmember and violinist @Gillis_SarahE invites you to enjoy this music moment in support of @StJude & @ElSistemaUSA → https://t.co/My8cUwAWzg pic.twitter.com/OoxTllCZNP
— Polaris (@PolarisProgram) September 13, 2024
Intuitive Machines targeting January 2025 for launch of its next lunar lander
The landers either at or targeting the Moon’s south pole
The company Intuitive Machines is now aiming to launch its second Nova-C lunar lander, dubbed Athena, during a January 1-5, 2025 launch window.
The landing site is indicated on the map to the right, on the rim of Shackleton crater and almost on top of the south pole. While Chang’e-7 is targeting the same crater rim, it is not scheduled for launch until 2026.
The lander will not only include a drill for studying the surface below it, it will release a small secondary payload, the Micro-Nova Hopper, which will hopefully hop down into the permanently shadowed craters nearby.
The launch will also carry a lunar orbiter, dubbed Lunar Trailblazar, which will not only do spectroscopy of the lunar surface, looking for water, it will also be used as a communications relay satellite with Athena. That orbiter, designed to demonstrate the ability to build a smallsat at low cost, was previously threatened with cancellation because its builder, Lockheed Martin, went way over budget.
The landers either at or targeting the Moon’s south pole
The company Intuitive Machines is now aiming to launch its second Nova-C lunar lander, dubbed Athena, during a January 1-5, 2025 launch window.
The landing site is indicated on the map to the right, on the rim of Shackleton crater and almost on top of the south pole. While Chang’e-7 is targeting the same crater rim, it is not scheduled for launch until 2026.
The lander will not only include a drill for studying the surface below it, it will release a small secondary payload, the Micro-Nova Hopper, which will hopefully hop down into the permanently shadowed craters nearby.
The launch will also carry a lunar orbiter, dubbed Lunar Trailblazar, which will not only do spectroscopy of the lunar surface, looking for water, it will also be used as a communications relay satellite with Athena. That orbiter, designed to demonstrate the ability to build a smallsat at low cost, was previously threatened with cancellation because its builder, Lockheed Martin, went way over budget.
Boeing employees reject deal of union and company and go on strike
In another blow to the company, Boeing’s employees have gone on strike after overwhelming voting to reject a new deal their union officials had negotiated with the company that had called for a 25% salary increase across the board.
Members of the International Association of Machinists District 751, which represents about 33,000 Boeing workers in Washington state, walked off the job when their contract expired at midnight on Thursday night. Almost 95 per cent rejected the deal endorsed by their bargaining team on Sunday and 96 per cent voted to strike, easily exceeding the two-thirds majority needed to trigger a walkout.
Many of the union’s members expressed anger on social media, criticising the deal and accusing IAM leaders of settling for too little. Many had been ready to strike, partly fuelled by residual anger from a 2014 deal that eliminated defined-benefit pensions.
Boeing on Thursday said it was ready to renegotiate a deal to halt a crippling strike.
Right now Boeing’s credit rating is “one notch above junk” and if the strike isn’t settled quickly that rating could drop more. It will also prevent the company from taking any action to recover from its numerous problems that are limiting sales of its airplanes and its military and space products.
In another blow to the company, Boeing’s employees have gone on strike after overwhelming voting to reject a new deal their union officials had negotiated with the company that had called for a 25% salary increase across the board.
Members of the International Association of Machinists District 751, which represents about 33,000 Boeing workers in Washington state, walked off the job when their contract expired at midnight on Thursday night. Almost 95 per cent rejected the deal endorsed by their bargaining team on Sunday and 96 per cent voted to strike, easily exceeding the two-thirds majority needed to trigger a walkout.
Many of the union’s members expressed anger on social media, criticising the deal and accusing IAM leaders of settling for too little. Many had been ready to strike, partly fuelled by residual anger from a 2014 deal that eliminated defined-benefit pensions.
Boeing on Thursday said it was ready to renegotiate a deal to halt a crippling strike.
Right now Boeing’s credit rating is “one notch above junk” and if the strike isn’t settled quickly that rating could drop more. It will also prevent the company from taking any action to recover from its numerous problems that are limiting sales of its airplanes and its military and space products.
SpaceX launches 21 more Starlink satellites
SpaceX last evening successfully placed another 21 Starlink satellites into orbit, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Vandenberg in California.
The first stage completed its eighteenth flight, landing on a drone ship in the Pacific.
The leaders in the 2024 launch race:
91 SpaceX
38 China
10 Rocket Lab
10 Russia
American private enterprise now leads the rest of the world combined in successful launches 106 to 58, while SpaceX by itself leads the entire world, including American companies, 91 to 73.
SpaceX last evening successfully placed another 21 Starlink satellites into orbit, its Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Vandenberg in California.
The first stage completed its eighteenth flight, landing on a drone ship in the Pacific.
The leaders in the 2024 launch race:
91 SpaceX
38 China
10 Rocket Lab
10 Russia
American private enterprise now leads the rest of the world combined in successful launches 106 to 58, while SpaceX by itself leads the entire world, including American companies, 91 to 73.
Leonid & Friends – One Fine Morning
An evening pause: This Russian band does a fine cover of the Lighthouse hit. It is also the third different Leonid & Friends cover that I have posted over the years, all suggested by different people (see here and here for the previous two).
Hat tip Alex Gimarc.
Italian rocket company Avio outlines its future rocket plans
Link here. The plans include steady upgrades to its Vega-C rocket, including replacing the upper stage engine presently provided by a Ukrainian company with an engine built by Avio itself.
The bigger development will be a more powerful rocket, the Vega-E, to replace the Vega-C in 2027.
This version of the rocket will retain the first and second stages of the Vega C+ rocket and substitute the third and fourth stages for a single liquid fuel stage powered by the company’s new M10 methalox rocket engine.
The company is also hoping to begin test flights in 2026 of a Grasshopper-type small-scale demonstration rocket leading to the development of a reusable two-stage rocket that would eventually replace Vega-E.
Link here. The plans include steady upgrades to its Vega-C rocket, including replacing the upper stage engine presently provided by a Ukrainian company with an engine built by Avio itself.
The bigger development will be a more powerful rocket, the Vega-E, to replace the Vega-C in 2027.
This version of the rocket will retain the first and second stages of the Vega C+ rocket and substitute the third and fourth stages for a single liquid fuel stage powered by the company’s new M10 methalox rocket engine.
The company is also hoping to begin test flights in 2026 of a Grasshopper-type small-scale demonstration rocket leading to the development of a reusable two-stage rocket that would eventually replace Vega-E.
NASA receives 11 VIPER proposals from the private sector
NASA is now evaluating eleven different proposals from private companies to take over the agency’s canceled VIPER lunar rover.
Equipped with three scientific instruments and a drill, the rover was to be delivered to the Moon by a commercial lander, Griffin, built by Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Astrobotic and several other companies have CLPS contracts to deliver NASA science and technology experiments to the Moon. NASA pays for delivery services for its payloads. The companies are expected to find non-NASA customers to close the business case.
NASA is paying Astrobotic $323 million for landing services on top of the cost of VIPER itself. NASA’s commitment to Congress was that VIPER would cost $433.5 million with landing in 2023. By the beginning of this year, that had become $505.4 million with landing in 2024.
It appears NASA canceled the VIPER mission because the agency had doubts Astrobotic would launch Griffin on time. The rover cost overruns, plus additional costs from that launch delay, made NASA management back out.
Though NASA has not revealed any details about the new eleven proposals, we know that Astrobotic’s competitor, Intuitive Machines, is one of those proposals. How it can get it launched to the Moon for less than it would have cost to launch on Astrobotic’s Griffin however is a mystery to me.
Meanwhile, Griffin is still going to launch, with Astrobotic now able to sell that VIPER payload space to others and NASA paying for the flight.
NASA is now evaluating eleven different proposals from private companies to take over the agency’s canceled VIPER lunar rover.
Equipped with three scientific instruments and a drill, the rover was to be delivered to the Moon by a commercial lander, Griffin, built by Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Astrobotic and several other companies have CLPS contracts to deliver NASA science and technology experiments to the Moon. NASA pays for delivery services for its payloads. The companies are expected to find non-NASA customers to close the business case.
NASA is paying Astrobotic $323 million for landing services on top of the cost of VIPER itself. NASA’s commitment to Congress was that VIPER would cost $433.5 million with landing in 2023. By the beginning of this year, that had become $505.4 million with landing in 2024.
It appears NASA canceled the VIPER mission because the agency had doubts Astrobotic would launch Griffin on time. The rover cost overruns, plus additional costs from that launch delay, made NASA management back out.
Though NASA has not revealed any details about the new eleven proposals, we know that Astrobotic’s competitor, Intuitive Machines, is one of those proposals. How it can get it launched to the Moon for less than it would have cost to launch on Astrobotic’s Griffin however is a mystery to me.
Meanwhile, Griffin is still going to launch, with Astrobotic now able to sell that VIPER payload space to others and NASA paying for the flight.
The UK awards space removal contract to Astroscale/Clearspace partnership
The United Kingdom yesterday awarded a new $3 million contract to a partnership of the Japanese company Astroscale and the Swiss company Clearspace to further develop a mission to de-orbit two satellites in 2026.
The British subsidiaries of Japan-based Astroscale and Switzerland’s ClearSpace announced about 2.35 million British pounds ($3 million) each in funding before tax Sept. 11 to continue de-risking their robotic arm capture system and debris de-tumbling capabilities. The grants enable the ventures to continue working on their technologies until March, when the UK Space Agency is expected to decide which will conduct the demonstration mission.
Both consortiums passed preliminary design reviews for their mission earlier this year.
Both companies are positioning themselves as space junk removal operations, with Astroscale having already flown a partly successful mission to demonstrate rendezvous and capture technologies using its own proprietary magnetic capture system.
The United Kingdom yesterday awarded a new $3 million contract to a partnership of the Japanese company Astroscale and the Swiss company Clearspace to further develop a mission to de-orbit two satellites in 2026.
The British subsidiaries of Japan-based Astroscale and Switzerland’s ClearSpace announced about 2.35 million British pounds ($3 million) each in funding before tax Sept. 11 to continue de-risking their robotic arm capture system and debris de-tumbling capabilities. The grants enable the ventures to continue working on their technologies until March, when the UK Space Agency is expected to decide which will conduct the demonstration mission.
Both consortiums passed preliminary design reviews for their mission earlier this year.
Both companies are positioning themselves as space junk removal operations, with Astroscale having already flown a partly successful mission to demonstrate rendezvous and capture technologies using its own proprietary magnetic capture system.
Ispace targeting a December launch for its second attempt to softland on the Moon
At a press conference yesterday officials of the Japanese company Ispace announced that they are now targeting a December 2025 launch of their second Hakuto-R lunar lander, dubbed “Resilience”, with the landing site located in the high mid-latitudes of the near-side of the Moon.
The map to the right indicates that location, inside Mare Frigoris. Atlas Crater is where Ispace attempted but failed to soft land its first lunar lander, Hakuto-R1, in April 2023.
This new lander will be launched on a Falcon 9 rocket. It carries six commercial payloads. It also appears the company decided to go for an easier landing site on this second mission. Rather than try to land inside a crater, it is targeting a very large and flat mare region, thus reducing the challenges presented to its autonomous software.
Ispace already has contracts both with NASA ($55 million) and Japan’s JAXA space agency ($80 million) for two more future landers, so a successful landing this time is critical to the company’s future.
At a press conference yesterday officials of the Japanese company Ispace announced that they are now targeting a December 2025 launch of their second Hakuto-R lunar lander, dubbed “Resilience”, with the landing site located in the high mid-latitudes of the near-side of the Moon.
The map to the right indicates that location, inside Mare Frigoris. Atlas Crater is where Ispace attempted but failed to soft land its first lunar lander, Hakuto-R1, in April 2023.
This new lander will be launched on a Falcon 9 rocket. It carries six commercial payloads. It also appears the company decided to go for an easier landing site on this second mission. Rather than try to land inside a crater, it is targeting a very large and flat mare region, thus reducing the challenges presented to its autonomous software.
Ispace already has contracts both with NASA ($55 million) and Japan’s JAXA space agency ($80 million) for two more future landers, so a successful landing this time is critical to the company’s future.