Tag: quick space links

Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. This post is also an open thread. I welcome my readers to post any comments or additional links relating to any space issues, even if unrelated to the links below. Sorry this is late. Life got in the way.

• Axiom, NASA, and SpaceX tout the completion of a simulated test using Axiom’s spacesuit

The test included working with Starship components (though not a full Starship).

 

• China touts images of Mars’ north and south poles, taken by its Tianwen-1 orbiter

Nothing ground-breaking in terms of science, but in terms of engineering this orbiter remains a feather in China’s cap.

 

• Russian astronaut Oleg Kononenko has now accumulated more than 1,000 days in space over five missions to ISS

He is presently on a year-long mission, due to return in September.

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.

• DARPA awards small contract to startup Momentus to study how to build large structures in space

Momentus will fly small experiments that will be flown the company’s Vigoride orbital tugs.

 

• Video of the docking on June 1st of a Progress to ISS

• Chinese pseudo-company Deep Blue touts video of leg deployment and drop test of the first stage of its proposed Nebula-1 rocket

The drop was from about 3-5 feet off the ground.

 

• Another Chinese pseudo-company touts a proposed new rocket

The company is called Fancy Space, and it apparently has nothing at this point but a cool video.

 

• On this day in 1965, Ed White performed the first American spacewalk during the Gemini-4 mission

White died in the Apollo-1 launchpad fire in 1967.

 

• On this day in 1966, the Gemini-9 mission launched, crewed by Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan

The goal was to achieve the first completely successful docking in space, but the shroud on the target spacecraft only partly released, preventing the docking. Instead, Stafford and Cernan flew in formation, taking great pictures of that spacecraft, looking like “an angry alligator.”

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.

• Video of SpaceX Raptor engine exploding during test today at McGregor facility

This could have been a test-to-failure, or an unexpected engine failure. No further information is known.

 

• New Glenn engineering dummy rolled to launchpad for more fueling tests

These tests suggest the scheduled launch later this year is actually getting real.

 

• Short video showing grid fin working as Long March 2D first stage descends

It appears China has done these tests now on five launches, reusing the grid fins at least once. The goal is to more precisely bring the stage down within a confined target zone so that inhabited areas are not threatened by its toxic hypergolic fuels.

 

• China picks a female Hong Kong police officer as new astronaut

The choice is probably to reward her for helping to squelch pro-democracy demonstrations, while also attempting to pander to the now imprisoned Hong Kong populace.

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 touts the completion of its Kuiper satellite demo mission

As Jay notes, the company still has to launch more than 1,600 satellites by July 2026. So far they have launched two, but those don’t count in the total as they are being de-orbited.

 

• Astrobotic wins two NASA studay contracts for developing a lunar electrical grid

The company in 2022 proposed such a system. I guess NASA has decided to help fund its development.

 

• Intelsat and Northrop Grumman agree to an extended satellite servicing deal

The deal means Northrop’s two MEV robots will continue to serve Intelsat satellites for an additional four years, keeping them functional by providing fuel and power.

 

• ULA’s CEO claims the company is now receiving two BE-4 engines per month from Blue Origin, and expects the pace to rise to 1.5 per week shortly

No pictures included with the tweet, and as Jay notes, “I would like to see pictures.”

 

• Viasat looking to partner with LEO constellations like Starlink and OneWeb

The company thinks the capabilities of its geosynchronous satellites complement those LEO constellations, and think a partnership would be a win-win for all. We shall see if any LEO constellations agree.

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.

• Rocket Factory Augsburg touts its proposed Argo cargo capsule

Note that RFA did NOT win a contract for developing this capsule from ESA, as announced today, suggesting ESA rejected it.

 

• ULA’s CEO shows off images of 21 Vulcan rockets in production

Only one appears to have any engines. All are in various states of assembly.

 

• Dominican Republic looking into building its own spaceport

Article at the link includes a nice map of the world’s existing and planned spaceports.

 

• Video of Kuaizhou-11 launch yesterday

Only covers the first 12 seconds. Jay asks, “Anyone else notice the weird gassing at nose cone?”

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.

• ULA to study using blimps to transport rocket sections from factory to launchsite

It signed a deal with the airship company Aeros.

 

• RFA touts video of its first static fire test of the first stage of its RFA-1 rocket

The test went off perfectly. However, one local news report stated that the company hopes to launch “by the end of the year”, which suggests a delay, caused either by development issues or red tape from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority. Previously the word had been the launch would happen by June.

 

• China to expand its commercial launchpad facilities at its Wenchang coastal spaceport

The expansion indicates the continuing growth in China’s pseudo-private launch industry. It also illustates another way the Chinese government maintains control over those pseudo-companies, which have to launch from government-run sites.

 

• On this day 50 years ago the Soviet Union ended its Moon rocket program

The rocket was the N1, which never launched successfully.

 

• On this day in 1927 Charles Lindbergh landed the Spirit of St. Louis near Paris, completing the first solo nonstop across the Atlantic

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.

• Georgia governor signs law dissolving Camden spaceport plan

The spaceport had been dead due to a voter referendum, but this seals the deal.

 

• PLD team working with French Space Agency in French Guiana, planning future launches

The Spanish company plans to launch its orbital Miura-5 rocket from there. France, which owns and now runs the spaceport, apparently wants to open it to other independent European companies.

 

• Another instrument installed on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander

The launch is presently targeting a launch this year.

 

• China’s Long March 2D launch today tested grid fins on first stage

This apparently was the third such test, aimed at simply narrowing the crash sites for these stages, not recovering the stages.

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.

• Rocket Factory Augsburg completes successful static fire test of first stage of its RFA-1 rocket

The test took place at the Saxaford spaceport on the Shetland Islands, which also suggests a launch licence from the UK bureaucracy is imminent.

 

• Eurepean company Aerospacelab breaks ground on new satellite factory in Belgium

The company says it will begin production by 2026, but it is unclear who it will be building the satellites for.

 

• China proposes mission to Jupiter and beyond by 2029

No real details, other than a single powerpoint graphic.

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.

• China touts a proposed New Shepard suborbital copycat

Tourist flights to begin in 2028.

 

• NASA touts the future assembly of its Lunar Gateway space station

Lots of details and promises here, last updated June 2023.

 

• ISRO finalizes design of its Shukrayaan Venus orbiter

They are targeting the 2026 launch window.

 

• On this day in 2011 the space shuttle Endeavour launched on its 25th and last flight

The final shuttle flight followed two months later.

 

• On this day in 1987 the Soviet Union’s Energia heavy lift rocket launched for the first time

The launch was supposed to put a large module into orbit, but failed to do so when that module’s engines got the wrong software command.

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.

• Voyager Space to work with Marshall to develop new airlock concept

The company already has a new design working on ISS. This is to develop something even better.

 

• France’s The Exploration Company hires Blue Origin’s director of human spaceflight, Mark Kirasich, to head up its US operations

Kirasich had a 40-year career at NASA, so they are possibly hiring him to help grease the wheels with the agency.

 

• Rocket Lab wants to celebrate its up-coming 50th launch by awarding three launch photographers an all-expenses paid trip to capture it

The launch is presently targeting a June launch.

 

• The launch of China’s Xuntian Hubble-class optical telescope appears delayed until 2027

This is a two year delay. Once launched the plan is to fly it near China’s space station, so that astronauts can easily go to it to do repairs or upgrades.

 

• Managers in China propose building its lunar research station in three stages

The first stage would be short-term tech development, the second mid-term expansion and collaboration, and the third long-term leadership in lunar resource utilization.

 

• China touts a new vertical static fire test stand

• OneWeb faces regulatory delays in India

Very puzzling as the company is half owned by an Indian. Jay suggests, “They forgot to pay off someone.”

Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay, who also tipped me off to the Starliner and Ispace stories earlier today.

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.

• Astrobotic touts its fully reusable suborbital rocket, Xogdor, scheduled for first flight in 2025

This is technology developed by Masten Space Systems and bought and absorbed into Astrobotic in 2022.

 

• ULA’s CEO shows off picture of upper stage for the second Vulcan flight, now being assembled

Launch date is still targeting the fall.

 

• Raw images from Juno’s 61st close fly-by of Jupiter this past weekend

It will take a week or so for citizen scientists to begin posting processed images that cull the good data from these raw pictures.

 

• Europe’s second generation Galileo GPS-type satellite design passes design review

The satellite is being built by the European company Thales Alenia.

 

• The completed hull of Northrop Grumman’s next Cygnus cargo freighter ready to final assembly and launch to ISS

Thales Alenia builds the spacecraft’s basic structure.

 

• On this day in 1973 the last Saturn-5 launched, carrying the first American space station Skylab

That was more than fifty years ago. Had we harnessed that technology then, Americans would already have viable colonies on the Moon, Mars, and the asteroids.

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.

• GOES-East weather satellite not working, possibly due to solar storm

• Op-Ed advocates giving the UN more power over everyone in space

Jay says it best, “No. Not only no, but hell no.” Sadly, I fear that the globalists running things will get what they want.

 

• ISRO tweets some proposed details about its next Mars mission

A relay communications satellite will launch first. The lander will use a sky crane like Curiosity and Perseverance, and might include a helicopter. Targeting a 2031 launch.

 

• Four-hour video on the work of ISRO’s Space Applications Centre

Have no idea if this is worth watching. Jay writes it describes “what ISRO has accomplished and all the future programs they want to do.”

 

• On this day in 1982 the first crew to U.S.S.R.’s Salyut-7 station launched

The two astronauts would set a then record of 211 days in space.

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.

• Sierra Space’s Tenacity mini-shuttle successfully completes all pre-launch testing at NASA facility in Ohio

It is now going to be shipped to Cape Canaveral for final testing before it is stacked on ULA’s Vulcan rocket. They are still targeting a launch before the end of the year.

 

• Chinese university touts the launch yesterday of the first satellite of what it claims will be internet constellation

One wonders. The constellation is dubbed Skynet, which is the same name China uses for its ground-based video surveillance network, using 600 million cameras to record and track every Chinese citizen everywhere.

 

• Chinese-French high energy space telescope being readied for June launch on a Chinese rocket

Dubbed SVOM, working it both gamma and optical wavelengths, it will attempt to identify gamma ray bursts as they happen. It is essentially a new version of the Gehrels Swift space telescope that has been doing this work since 2004.

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.

• Vast shows off the primary interior structure of its Haven-1 space station module

This is the only one of four private American space stations being built without federal funding, and it is likely going to be the first to launch.

 

• Blue Origin touts the arrival of thrusters for its Blue Moon manned lunar lander

• Video of today’s static fire test of Starship prototype #30

SpaceX continues to meet its target date of late May for the next Starship/Superheavy test flight. No word yet on if the FAA will go along.

 

• On this day in 1990 Hubble deployed from space shuttle Discovery

It was only supposed to operate in orbit for fifteen years.

 

• On this day in 1963 the private communications satellite Telstar 2 was launched on a Delta B rocket

Twas an entirely private mission, built and paid for by AT&T, with the near term goal of building in the mid-60s a satellite constellation to provide global telephone communications. That plan was shut down by Congress and President Kennedy, who restricted all American satellites for the next decade to a quasi-goverment corporation called Comsat, essentially destroying the American commercial satellite industry for about 20 years.

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.

• Rocket Lab touts its new Archimedes rocket engine

Just a picture. This methane-fueled engine will be used by its new Neutron rocket.

 

• A detailed look at the work engineers did to bring Voyager-1 back to life

• Bright light beams seen in the sky over Kansas and Oklahoma caused by Long March 6C venting fuel in orbit

• A look at two German rocket startups

An hourlong documentary on Rocket Factory Augsburg and Isar Aerospace by Tim Dodd at Everyday Astronaut.

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.

• Dick Rutan, who co-piloted the first flight around the world without refueling, has passed away at 85

His brother, Burt Rutan, who built SpaceShipOne, also partnered to design the round-the-world plane.

 

• Rocket Labs touts the on-going construction of its Neutron rocket production facility

No details except for a picture of the building’s steel frame, now built.

 

• Can India’s Space Start-ups Catch Up to Elon Musk’s SpaceX?

This is a four minute media report from India. Though somewhat superficial, it clearly is in favor of a private commercial space industry.

 

• Chang’e-6 is carrying a surprise mini-rover

The rover is very simple, and likely capable of only a few tasks and a short life span on the surface. Nonetheless, it shows that China continues to push the envelope, taking every opportunity to improve its space capabilities.

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 administrator Nelson begs Congress for more money

You could record his testimony and play it again for every budget hearing now and into the far future. NASA administrators, no matter which party appointed them, always beg for more money at budget hearings.

 

• NASA unhappy that others are reviewing its Artemis program

Good analysis by Eric Berger, though I think he gives the IG and other review agencies that look over NASA’s shoulders too much credit. Quite often in the past two decades these review agencies have couched their reports in ways that helped NASA hide the problems at Artemis. It is good they exist, but the press should be looking over their shoulders as well.

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.

• Chinese pseudo-company Landspace touts the installation of grid fins on its hopper test first stage

Gee, I wonder where they got that idea.

 

• Video of the disarming of the backup parachute on China’s just landed Shenzhou manned capsule

At least, that’s what I think this video shows, based on the tweet.

 

• Moon map showing the target landing zone for China’s Chang’e-6 sample return mission

The launch to the far side of the Moon is presently scheduled for May 3, 2024.

 

• Sierra Space gives an update on the development of its LIFE inflatable space station module

The key bit of new news is that the company intends to also market the module to others, outside its use on the Orbital Reef station Sierra is building in partnership with Blue Origin, including use as a module on interplanetary spaceships.

 

• On this day in 1979 the test shuttle Enterprise was rolled out of the VAB for launchpad fit tests

Enterprise was only used for engineering and glide tests on Earth. It never flew in space.

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.

• Shenzhou capsule safely returns three Chinese astronauts from Tiangong-3 space station

This completed their six month mission.

 

• Yahoo visits Firefly

Reasonably good short report, even if the reporter clearly only has a shallow understanding of all the issues.

 

• Video of the arrival of Rocket Factory Augsburg’s first stage to the launchpad at Saxavord

Still no word on when the CAA will issue the launch license.

 

• Dragon cargo spacecraft splashes down successfully

SpaceX’s manned program, including these cargo Dragons, has become so routine much of it no longer merits a full post.

Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay, who has returned from a weeklong work trip in “the People’s Republic of California.” 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.

• SES’s O3b mPOWER satellite constellation starts providing service

That makes at least three constellations (including Starlink and OneWeb) in orbit ahead of and operational before Amazon has launched a single satelltie in its Kuiper constellation

 

• Hyimpulse’s suborbital test launch from Southern Launch in Australia is now targeting May 2, 2024

Though I saw no announcement, they apparently got their launch licence from the Australian government.

 

• Long March 5 ready to launch China’s Chang’e-6 sample return mission to the Moon’s far side

According to the article, the core stage will not reach orbit and thus not make an uncontrolled re-entry, as the core stage of the more powerful Long March 5B varient does.

 

• China touts the engines for its new Long March 12 rocket, its first launch planned for this year

• Chinese reporter notes the increase in hotel prices near the Wenchang spaceport when a manned launch is scheduled

The communists might claim they think capitalism is bad and they are building a Marxist utopia, but the invisible hand of capitalism always rules.

 

• Drop test of Gaganyaan test manned capsule now set for tomorrow

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.

• Five engines integrated into Rocket Factory Augsburg’s RFA-1 first stage

Testing will take place at the Saxavord spaceport in the Shetland Islands

 

• Russians jam two commercial satellites for six days, disrupting 39 Ukrainian television channels

The jamming was from March 13th to March 19th, and involved SES’s Astra-4 and Eutelsat’s Hotbird 13E satellites. This suggests Russia (and China) could do the same to other commercial sateliltes.

 

• Virgin Galactic proposes reverse stock split

Such reverse splits raises the value of each share in a superficial manner, and are usually done to prevent the stock from being delisted for having too low a value.

 

• Anonymous sources say NASA is considering restructuring the entire Artemis lunar program

One idea is to insert an extra mission before the lunar landing flight, during which Orion and Starship would dock in Earth orbit to test out their systems prior to going to the Moon. Since the whole Artemis program has always been haphazardly planned, this change makes sense, as it should have been considered from the beginning. In fact, it should be flown before the second Artemis flight, which presently intends to take astronauts around the Moon, on the first flight using Orion’s environmental systems.

 

• JPL releases short video showing all of Ingenuity’s flights, on a map

Since yesterday NASA took down the interactive maps that show where the rovers and Ingenuity have been and are going, this video is kind a slap in the face. Unless the agency restores those maps, the public will no longer be able to travel along with the rovers.

 

• China reorganizes its space bureaucracy, claiming that because of the change “current launch sites may get more freedom with commercial activities”

More likely this change will give the ChiComs more control over those activities.

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.

• ULA’s CEO claims Blue Origin is ramping up production of BE-4 engines
• ULA’s CEO touts the mating of a BE-4 to a Vulcan first stage

Both tweets are devoid of any real information, so who knows? It is likely the second is real and happening, but there continue to be rumors about Blue Origin’s production rate.

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.

• Firefly installs another payload on its Blue Ghost lunar lander

The payload is an experiment to see if electromagnetic fields can be used to protect objects from lunar dust.

 

• SpaceX to build $14M rec center, sushi restaurant in Brownsville

These retail outlets are for within Brownsville itself, and are separate from the shopping center and cafe it is planning for the Boca Chica area.

 

• Musk to meet with officials from Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, Bellatrix Aerospace and Dhruva Space at New Delhi during his India visit on April 22

The first two companies are the most advanced rocket startups in India. All are central to its nascent commercial space industry.

 

• Long March 2F with Shenzhou-18 manned capsule rolled to launchpad

This next manned launch to China’s space station is target April 25th.

 

• Relativity moves forward on building its Terran-R launchpad at Cape Canaveral

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.

• Starliner now intergrated with Atlas-5 rocket

All continues to proceed to a May 6, 2024 launch.

 

• Chinese pseudo-company Deep Blue touts static fire test of its Nebula-1 test vehicle with 3 Thunder-R1 kerolox engines

Next will be a static fire test with nine engines, followed next year by hop tests and first orbital flight. Jay adds a side note: “All the pseudo-companies are showing off their engines with test footage. Are they feeling left out from the space symposium? Is it a deadline among all the pseudo-companies to show their progress to the party?” That last point could very well be true.

 

• ISRO has developed a carbon-carbon nozzle for use on its PSLV rocket

It says the nozzle is 67% lighter than the alloy nozzles presently used.

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.

• Airbus planning a giant module for the private Starlab space station that will require Starship to launch

More details here [pdf]. They are targeting a 2028 launch.

 

• Washington Post article helping astronomers push to save Chandra

It is all a lobbying game. As part of typical budget negotiations, NASA has proposed terminating Chandra, in order to force Congress to give it more money. Articles like this are part of the game.

 

• China’s own GPS-type constellation almost certainly provided Iran the location data for its Israel drone attack

The tweet suggests if so it will hurt China’s space reputation. I say the only ones who will be surprised by this are the utterly naive, or China’s fellow travelers.

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.

• Firefly touts new software available to its customers in orbit

They already have a new customer who will demonstrate this new software for them.

 

• Chinese pseudo-company Ispace to build a rocket assembly facility at China’s coastal Wenchang spaceport

Including Ispace, four pseudo-companies have similar plans at Wenchang, but the government is building only one pad for their use. Since it appears the governement is retaining control over launches, it will either have to build more pads, or decide at some point more to shutdown some of these pseudo-companies. Since this is China, the companies aren’t real, and can be confiscated or shuttered at will by the communists.

 

• FAA denies stories that it plans to tax commercial space launches

The NYTimes had reported that the Biden administration was considering these taxes. I guarantee it still is, and will push for them should it remain in power after November.

 

• On this day in 1970 Apollo 13 launched

The mission became a desperate rescue mission, not a lunar mission, when an explosion in the Apollo capsule’s service module occurred on the way to the Moon. It took some amazing improvisions in space and on the ground to get the crew home safely.

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.

Note also that your host today is under the weather, so no culture/political column. I’m posting the quick links early also so I can hit the sack.

• View of the solar eclipse from a Starlink satellite on orbit

• Vast’s Haven-1 announces its Haven-1 commercial space station will use Starlink for internet communications

Vast hopes to launch this first station module by August 2025, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Two manned missions are supposedly already scheduled to follow.

 

• Video of Angara launch abort early today

The abort was caused by “a center core oxidizer tank pressurization system anomaly,” according to Roscosmos head Yuri Borisov. You can hear some sound burst at T-2:43, but there is nothing visible, so the sound could simply be some expected venting. They are going to try again tomorrow.

 

• Astrobotic’s own mini-rover, CubeRover, is now going to fly on the company’s Griffin lunar lander

To me, this suggests they have unsold payload space. They might as well fly this rover to demonstrate its capabilities.

 

• On this day 55 years ago NASA introduced the seven astronauts it had selected for its Mercury manned space program

They were Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, Gordon Cooper, Wally Schirra, Deke Slayton, John Glenn, and Scott Carpenter.

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.

• Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata joins Axiom Space

• Sierra Space developing heat shield system designed to return small payloads from space

They are doing drop tests now. The goal is to place orbital supplies in orbit that can be delivered precisely on command to soldiers on the ground.

 

• Chinese factory set to begin producing 1,000 satellites yearly

The satellites are likely intended to compete with Starlink.

 

• China building a launchpad at its Jinquan spaceport in northwest China for pseudo-commerical companies

Related tweet here. The obvious goal is to isolate the commercial rockets from the military ones, while maintaining a tight control over the pseudo-companies. The commercial pads being built in two places in China will be where they are required to launch from, and if they don’t do as told launch access will be denied.

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.

• ULA releases 28-page comic book about the origins of the Vulcan rocket

The link lets you download or view a pdf of the comic book.

 

• Space Force reiterates its requirement that ULA fly Vulcan twice before awarding it any launch contracts

According to Jay, rumors are now suggesting that the delay for the next Vulcan launch is not due to preparing Sierra’s Tenacity Dream Chaser cargo ship, but Blue Origin’s BE-4 engines that Vulcan requires. I doubt this. Tenacity only started its environmental testing a few weeks ago, and this testing can take at minimum two months, and more if anything goes wrong and needs fixing.

 

• One of the two test smallsats launched to lunar orbit with China’s Quequao-2 communications relay satellite, Tiandu-2, has now completed two of its engineering tests

The satellite has tested “key propulsion techniques [and using] a 3D printed storage box.” That’s all they tell us.

 

• Virgin Galactic counter-sues Boeing over broken deal

A true battle of insects. Boeing had been hired by Virgin to build a new mother airplane for its suborbital flights. After doing some work, Boeing decided the job couldn’t be done, withdrew, but then sued to get paid. Virgin is now claiming Boeing’s work was “shoddy and incomplete” and so poor it doesn’t deserve any payments.

 

• SpaceX’s head Gwynne Shotwell says the federal bureaucracy is slowing their work significantly

She thus confirms what I have been saying now for several years, since Biden took power. The federal government is now a major obstacle to private enterprise and innovation.

 

• On this day in 1990, Orbital Sciences flew its air-launched Pegasus rocket for the first time

Pegasus was intended to reduce orbital costs, but it never did so, and is now defunct because its cost can’t compete with SpaceX and others.

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.

• Starlink soon to be approved for Indonesia

There appears to be a lot of red tape still in the way, but it is expected the service will be available by the end of the year.

 

• Sierra Space once again touts the environmental testing its Tenacity Dream Chaser mini-shuttle is undergoing in prepartion for launch

Meanwhile, there are rumors this testing is delaying the launch until the fall, and that ULA wants to bump Tenacity from its second Vulcan launch because of these delays. ULA needs that second launch quickly in order to begin doing military launches.

 

• Chinese pseudo-company Landspace moves up first launch of its Zhuque-3 rocket six months to mid-2025

Officials also say it might recover the first stage before the end of ’25 if “they get lucky.”