The Artemis I rocket is due to launch Monday, carrying an empty Orion capsule to the moon and back to Earth, with a couple of long-loop 40,000-mile lunar orbits intended to send a "crew capable" craft farther from Earth than ever before.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Monday, September 26, 2022 - 02:34 am: Edit

Well, the BBC used 'Armageddon' to support the article, so I'll go with 'Deep Impact' (the less famous film which came out about 6 months earlier).

NASA is due to crash the spacecraft Dart onto a very remote asteroid orbiting another larger asteroid, in an attempt to measure what sort of deflection they can get on it.

Seems like the chance of a modest Asteroid hitting us is pretty small but likely with smaller ones (like the 2013 one which broke up over Russia and was videoed by Car dash cams etc) - and the smaller ones are likely once every 50 to 60 years - larger ones are less likely, but one between something like 2180 to 2290 might occur.

So, if we can find a danger, are we now nearly at the point we can protect the Earth?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, September 26, 2022 - 03:12 pm: Edit

Ask after the test.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Monday, September 26, 2022 - 04:56 pm: Edit

We might be able to deflect a tiny asteroid (like 50 feet wide or something). Something big though? No.

By Will McCammon (Djdood) on Monday, September 26, 2022 - 07:21 pm: Edit

NASA and JPL's DART spacecraft nailed the long shot and impacted just a few moments ago. The imagery on the final approach was amazing.

Can't wait for the reports on the data and what it will mean for our ability to do planetary defense, should it come to that someday.

We'll learn a lot from this test. Not least of which is additional confirming data on density of this type of object, which frames how to influence their movement and how much and which ways we can.

Big can be moved too, it just takes longer, which means more notice, more prep time, and not just whacking it. We would need to get something on a big one with a constant, long-term acceleration into a different vector (ion thrusters are great for that).

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Monday, September 26, 2022 - 09:26 pm: Edit

Agree with Will.

My father was a professional astrophysicist before he retired. He studied asteroids and comets in particular. He said it is possible to deflect a large asteroid, it just takes more notice and possibly a constant thruster. We have demonstrated the ability to land on asteroids, so it's possible.

You do not need a large delta-V. It just needs to miss.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Thursday, November 10, 2022 - 04:54 pm: Edit

The History Channel, while searching for WW2 aircraft near Florida discivered a large piece from the Challenger. Episode to air on 22 November.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 - 03:18 pm: Edit

The SLS rocket sent Orion towards the moon this morning, looks like everything is going well so far.

Other than the 4B price tag per rocket and capsule and 40B or so spent on development.

But like it or not, they finally launched it.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 - 03:25 pm: Edit

Make Rocket go!!!

Fingers crossed, we shall be back on the moon by the end of this decade.

Definitely boots and may be a small base too?

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 - 04:08 pm: Edit

Certainly we'll land someone there sooner or later.

The base won't happen unless we get a better way of getting to the moon. SLS is going to have a slow launch cadence (we'll be lucky if we see one launch per year). If, at 4B+ per launch you call that 'lucky'.

But a base might happen if SpaceX gets their Superheavy/Starship combo working right.

SpaceX has focosed on a much better launch cadence for it's much cheaper launches of reusable (mostly) rockets. If they get it working right, it may be that we'll stop building SLSs and have a true sustainable moon program. SpaceX may do an orbital test as soon as December of this year of a prototype.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Thursday, November 17, 2022 - 07:52 am: Edit

It certainly is good to have these multiple options for competing launch systems (in particular in case something goes wrong), but SLS just seems really really expensive.

--Mike

By Daniel Eastland (Democratus) on Thursday, November 17, 2022 - 08:45 am: Edit

The number of sites on the moon that are perfect for a base is very limited. In fact there is only one "perfect" location where both constant sunlight (for solar power) and frozen water (for lots of things) is available.

This is a "first come first served" situation. I wouldn't be surprised if a race with China evolves.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, November 17, 2022 - 03:41 pm: Edit

The whole premise of FOR ALL MANKIND was two bases at Shackleton crater with the ice mine, one Russia and one American. Hence the US Space Marines, since all Marine pilots are trained as rifle platoon leaders.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Monday, November 21, 2022 - 04:31 pm: Edit

FYEO Space: Breaking Records In Orbit

November 19, 2022: The American X-37B space finally landed on November 12th after a record breaking 908 days in orbit. This was the sixth orbital mission for the X-37B and it began on May 17, 2020. The previous mission was 780 days and the ones before that 718, 675, 469, and 225.

Mission 6 was originally scheduled for late 2019, using the disposable Atlas 5 launch vehicle normally employed but probably on its way out. SpaceX is cheaper and has a growing list of successful landings including twelve successes in a row, including all ten in 2017. The SpaceX landing tests began in 2010 and the first orbital mission was launched in April 2010.

The X-37B was developed by NASA as the X-37A but in 2004 that project was turned over to DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). In 2006 the U.S. Air Force announced it was developing a larger X-37B and this replaced the DARPA X-37A project.

The X-37B is unmanned and operated by earth-based controllers. It does have automatic landing software that has been used several times without any problems. While the air force reports few details about the X-37B, it was difficult to hide the fact that mission 5 used a different launch vehicle; the SpaceX booster. This was important because the SpaceX rocket itself is reusable; its first stage returns to earth and lands upright for refurbishing and reuse. Air force officials noted that the SpaceX design is a fitting match for X-37B which was designed for multiple reuse and autonomous operation. How many times an individual X-37B can be used is unclear. There are two X-37B space planes so they are not putting the same one back into orbit soon after it returns. While one X-37B is in orbit the other one is being prepared for the next mission. This may include modifications so new equipment and capabilities can be used.

In effect, the X-37B is a remotely controlled mini-Space Shuttle that was inspired by the original manned Space Shuttle program which was so much more expensive than originally planned that it was given up as not worth the cost. The last shuttle mission was in 2011. It was cheaper just to send new satellites up although the U.S. Air Force has had its X-37B unmanned mini-space shuttle launched for the first time in 2010. The X-37B has shown it remain operational in orbit for (so far) over two years before returning. The air force won’t say exactly what it is doing up there.

The official endurance of the X-37B was originally about nine months (280 days). The real endurance appears to be 3-4 times that, at least. The long endurance is largely because the X-37B carries a sizable solar panel, which is deployed from the cargo bay, unfolded and produces enough power to keep the X-37B going up there for a long time. The air force has not made public much about what the X-37Bs have been doing up there for over a total of 3,775 days so far.

The Space Shuttle was more ambitious and much more expensive, costing about $220 billion in current dollars and carrying out 135 orbital missions. The Space Shuttle program began in 1972 and ended in 2011 with the last launch in July 2011. Each manned Space Shuttle mission did not stay in orbit for long and the longest mission lasted 17 days (17 days, 15 hours). Six Space Shuttles were built and they carried out 135 launches and spent a collective 1331 days in orbit. Two Space Shuttles were lost in accidents, along with 14 crew. The first loss was in 1986 and the second in 2003. The manned Shuttle program did develop many of the features X-37B can now confidently use without a lot of orbital testing.

The X-37B space vehicle, according to amateur astronomers (who like to watch spy satellites as well), appears to be going through some tests much of the time. The X-37B is believed to have a payload of about 227-300 kg (500-660 pounds). The payload bay is 2.1x1.4 meters (7x4 feet). As it returns to earth, it is designed to land by itself after being ordered to use a specific landing area. The X-37B weighs five tons, is nine meters (29 feet) long and has a wingspan of 4 meters (14 feet). In contrast, the manned Space Shuttle was 56 meters long, weighed 2,000 tons and had a payload of 24 tons and a crew of up to eight people.

The X-37B has been in development since 2000 but work was slowed down for a while because of lack of money. Whatever the X-37B is now doing up there has been convincing enough to get Congress to spend over a billion dollars on it. What makes the X-37B so useful is that it is very maneuverable, contains some internal sensors (as well as communications gear), and can carry mini-satellites, or additional sensors, in the payload bay. The X-37B is believed capable of serving as a platform for attacks on enemy satellites in wartime. Using a remotely controlled arm, the X-37B could refuel or repair other satellites. All this is speculative because, as a classified project, there is little confirmed information about its payload or mission, other than testing the system on its first mission. It is likely that future missions will involve intelligence work, and perhaps servicing existing spy satellites which use up their fuel to change their orbits. For regular satellite refueling missions a larger “X-37C” would probably be used. This is a scaled-up X-37B that would have a much larger (probably over a ton) payload. The X-37C could be quickly switched between cargo and passenger configurations. The X-37C would still be robotic and not require anyone onboard to control it. Work on the X-37C has apparently been halted because there are similar alternative designs that are closer to service.

The X-37B also demonstrated that it could not be easily tracked while in orbit. An international collection of amateur sky watchers proved remarkably adept at spotting orbital objects in the past, including classified ones like the X-37B. The amateur orbital observer community has concluded that one thing the X-37B tested was how well it could change orbits and stay hidden. In that respect, the X-37B was a resounding success. That's because these amateur observers are generally very good at tracking what's up there.

The X-37B has proved elusive and sometimes became a frustrating challenge to the amateur sky watchers. This is pleasing to American air force officials, who designed the X-37B to be elusive to terrestrial observation, and the dedicated (and quite effective) amateur satellite watchers gave the X-37B quite a workout. China apparently seeks to do the same with their new Space Plane.

In the first week of August the Chinese Space Plane completed its second successful launch and is still in orbit. The first flight took place in early September 2020. China has yet to release any photos of what they call a reusable test spacecraft. There were satellite photos of the Chinese space plane after landing that showed a space plane similar in size to the American X-37B. The second launch and orbital activity was more closely observed. As of November, the Chinese UOV (unmanned orbital vehicle) is still in orbit.

The Chinese version of the U.S. Air Force X-37B UOV lands at a 5,000-meter (16,000 foot) landing strip near their Lop Nor nuclear test site in the Gobi Desert. The Chinese mentioned the X-37B when they first announced their effort in 2017. During its first flight, the Chinese UOV was spotted by an American space surveillance system releasing a smaller object into orbit. The Chinese UOV apparently released two such objects before returning to earth. The Chinese UOV remained in a 350-kilometer-high orbit for over 40 hours on its first flight and is using a similar orbit during its second mission.

The Chinese UOV was not a complete surprise as Chinese space officials mentioned such a project in 2017. It was believed they would test their UOV in 2020 and they did, but without any publicity until it landed safely. The only other nation to develop and use a spaceplane was Russia. The Buran project was similar to the American manned Space Shuttle and made one unmanned flight in 1988. This was for only two orbits before Buran was landed. The Soviet Union dissolved in 1991 and there was no money for further work on Buran. The one working Buran vehicle was stored in a hanger and destroyed in 2002 when the hanger collapsed. The European Space Program is developing a space plane as is India. The Chinese mentioned that their UOV as designed for at least 20 missions each.

One unanswered question is; what does X-37B or the Chinese UOV do up there? The X-37B operations are classified and little information about what happens in orbit is released. China seems to be equally secretive. The most recent X-37B mission caused a problem when the air force mentioned that the X-37B had carried and released three cubesats (very small satellites) that were not registered with the UN. That X-37B was known to be carrying ten cubesats to be released into orbit to perform various experiments. The Chinese appear to have done the same during their two days in orbit. The latest X-37B in orbit was reported to be carrying more items to put into orbit than any previous X-37B. The Chinese UOV released similar small satellites during its first flight, apparently to test the cargo launch system.

Cubesats are technically U Class spacecraft that can be no larger than 10 cm (about four inches) square and weigh no more than 1.33 kg (2.9 pounds). Cubesats are increasingly popular for science experiments by smaller organizations, or even individuals, who cannot afford a multi-million-dollar satellite that is ten or more times larger and heavier than a cubesat. Over 1,200 cubesats have been launched since 1998, with about 93 percent reaching orbit. That number is expected to double in the next few years because more and more commercial satellite launchers are providing unused space and weight on their launcher rockets for carrying and launching some cubesats. In some cases, the cubesat owners pay for this service while in other cases some cubesats are taken up for free, as a public service.

The U.S. is accused of using the unregistered cubesats launched from the X-37B as a test of a new anti-satellite weapon. A cubesat placed in the proper orbit could intercept and destroy or disable a much larger satellite. Or so the theory goes. The U.S. Air Force has no comment although two senior air force officials did mention, in 2019, that there were some secret anti-satellite projects underway. An anti-satellite weapon that is kept secret is more effective when used because the enemy doesn’t know what to prepare for.

Eventually some details emerge about older X-37B missions. It was eventually revealed that X-37B mission 4 tested a new thruster system for mobile satellites that needed to be tried out while in orbit. Also carried were dozens of different materials, possibly including some new spy satellite components to see what the harsh environment in orbit, especially radiation, can do. Such exposure can have unpredictable effects on materials and microelectronics after prolonged time in space.

By GeraldVef on Monday, December 26, 2022 - 05:24 pm: Edit

Authentication Error

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 - 11:03 am: Edit

Although the Virgin Orbiter 'rocket' system worked yesterday - it seems the 2nd Stage of the Rocket didn't and so the Rocket and 9 satellites were lost.

Fingers crossed the next launch from Newquay Space Port will be successful.

By John Wyszynski (Starsabre) on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 - 01:10 pm: Edit

The Soyuz MS-22 at the International Space Station has been damaged and cannot be used to return the crew to earth. Soyuz MS-23 is to be launched with a single cosmonaut in February. This will be the first solo launch since 1969. The MS-22 crew's stay will be extended; the two cosmonauts transfer to the MS-23. In a few months the Crew Dragon 6 will launch with 3 astronauts and an empty seat. The astronaut from MS-22 will return on that Dragon.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Friday, February 10, 2023 - 06:53 pm: Edit

Super Heavy in Boca Chica seems to have successfully performed a static test fire involving 31 of it's engines, for a full test duration of 10 seconds with a thrust reportedly twice that of the Saturn V. It is by far the most engines lit at once on any rocket (and by far the most powerful rocket ever).

Right now they're (apparently) waiting on FCC approval for a test launch, hoping to do so in March or early April.

Go SpaceX!

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Saturday, February 11, 2023 - 11:33 am: Edit

FCC or FAA?

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Saturday, February 11, 2023 - 12:18 pm: Edit

My memory said FCC but these days it is not as reliable as I would like.

Getting old age in my senile, perhaps.

By Alan De Salvio (Alandwork) on Monday, February 13, 2023 - 04:38 pm: Edit

According to Wiki
Starship 16.7 million pound-feet of thrust (sea level)
Saturn V 7.8 million pound-feet

Confirmed with FCC

By John Wyszynski (Starsabre) on Thursday, February 23, 2023 - 10:20 am: Edit

The Soyuz MS-23 is schedule to launch unmanned later today to replace the MS-22 at the ISS. The plan to send it with a single cosmonaut was scrapped.

The Crew Dragon 6 is going up in a few days with a crew of 4.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 - 05:37 pm: Edit

FYEO Space: Roscosmos Dies In Ukraine
March 22, 2023: The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February resulted in severe economic sanctions on Russia which the Russian government was collecting less money for national programs. Military spending took priority, but that did not extend to the Russian space program. This became evident six months after the invasion when Russia confirmed that it was not withdrawing from the ISS (International Space Station) program by 2024 but would scale back its support because of the economic sanctions. That means other members of the ISS consortium will have to provide the transportation services to and from the space station. The Americans are already doing that via the SpaceX passenger and cargo capsules. Other American and European firms have developed similar capabilities. Currently the ISS is supposed to remain operational until 2030.
Even without the sanctions the Russian space program (Roscosmos) was in financial trouble, and sanctions only added to the many problems the Russian space program has had in the last decade. Roscosmos is responsible for maintaining the Russian GPS (GLONASS) satellites as well as all other military communications and surveillance satellites. Roscosmos has been receiving between $3.4 billion and $3.9 a year. This also has to cover the cost of maintaining the Plesetsk military launch site and other military related space program infrastructure. Roscosmos also handles commercial launches at the old Soviet Baikonur launch center in Kazakhstan. Russia rents this site from Kazakhstan and has fallen behind in rent payments. In response Kazakhstan seized Roscosmos assets at Baikonur. Russia is not getting foreign commercial launch business because of the sanctions. Because of the Ukraine war sanction, Russia has less cash in general and can’t even muster enough troops to threaten Kazakhstan. There is also a problem with Russia referring to Kazakhstan as one of many areas, like Ukraine, that should be absorbed back into Russia. Kazakhstan agrees with Ukraine on that issue and is standing up to Russia to show its determination.
The current Russian government wants to eliminate all cooperation with Western nations (the United States and Europe). Roscosmos officials point out that is not economically possible or technically preferable. Cooperation with the West has increased the capabilities of the Russian space program and provided economic opportunities for Russia. A much larger space program budget would be required and the loss of Western tech and markets for satellite launch services and satellite manufacturing would hurt Russia more than the West. There are other problems, some needing immediate attention. For example, 14 of the 25 GLONASS satellites have exceeded their expected useful life and have to be replaced to keep GLONASS operational. Roscosmos has developed a new generation of GLONASS -K satellites to replace the older GLONASS-Ms that are past their replacement date. Russia has been producing 15 to 17 new satellites a year and in the next few years many of those will be GLONASS -Ks. Russia cannot afford to replace the aging GLONASS birds quickly enough to prevent shrinkage in the number of satellites required for global coverage. The sanctions mean Russia losing sales of satellites and launch services (putting foreign satellites into orbit). The Russian government insists that Roscosmos can survive without Western nations as partners and customers. Roscosmos officials know better and quietly dismiss government plans to put a Russian space station into orbit after 2030.
The reality is that the current financial crisis ends a long Russian history with space stations. The Mir space station was the last of eight Russian built space stations and the one that remained occupied the longest (4,594 days). The 130-ton Mir was brought down in 2001 after Russia joined the ISS consortium. The 420-ton ISS has been in orbit since 1998, when the first of 17 modules was operational. Other nations have built similar, and rather temporary space stations. That effort began in the 1970s with the Russian Salyut 1 but since the 1990s most nations with space programs have put their resources into supporting the ISS. Now the development of commercial space stations will dominate simply because it’s cheaper and more efficient than government run operations. This has already happened, again without much media fanfare, to the design, launch and operation of space satellites.
While Roscosmos fades away it is replaced by the expanding Chinese space program, which is expected to become dominant by the 2030s. The most obvious aspect of this is space stations. There are only two in orbit. The ISS is the largest (419 tons) occupied (usually by a crew of six), the longest in orbit (over 23 years) and the longest occupied (21 years). The ISS was initially expected to have a useful (occupied) life of fifteen years. The ISS was not completed until 2011. The longer it was up there the more space station tech was developed. That led to extensions to the useful life of space stations. Until recently the ISS was to be used until 2028 but it is proposed to extend that to 2030. Without any new government proposals for a new space station, the only one up there after 2030 would be the Chinese Tiangong 3, which has been occupied since 2021 and will be completed in 2022 as a 66-ton unit with a useful life of 15 years. Tiangong 3 was designed to easily be doubled in size and extend useful life to 30 years.
China's new space station could be built so quickly because space tech has advanced over the years. For that reason, there are several proposals by Western firms to finance, build and operate commercial space stations. This development is no surprise to veteran space program engineers and administrators. Most of these new developments go unnoticed by the public because it is kind of boring tech stuff. One exception was commercial firm SpaceX with its revolutionary SLV (Satellite Launch Vehicle) tech which greatly reduced the cost of putting anything into orbit. The Chinese didn’t use SpaceX tech to build their new space station.
The ISS cost about $150 billion to build and operate so far. The Tiangong 3 is expected to cost much less (as in over 50 percent less) because it's now cheaper to build and launch satellite components and China plans to include lots of space for profitable science experiments. The large number of such experiments carried out in the ISS demonstrated that there is a market for this and that’s the motivation behind commercial space stations, especially those using SpaceX SLV tech and similar new tech developed by SpaceX and a number of other firms. Space stations no longer have to be government funded science experiments. Few noticed how much the costs were coming down at the same time income sources increased. Current plans are to have the first commercial space station operational before ISS retires in 2030. More commercial stations will follow.
China seemed to sense this trend when, without much fanfare, they put their first space station into orbit in 2011, This was the eight-ton Tiangong 1. It lasted two years and provided practical experience for the construction and launch of the 8.6-ton Tiangong 2 in late 2016. This one was built to last longer and in early 2017 a Chinese cargo vehicle made an automated docking with the Tiangong 2. This was a major step for the Chinese, who could now maintain two or three people in the Tiangong 2 for up to 30 days with the supplies from one cargo vehicle. China put the first 22 t0n module of the Tiangong 3 in orbit during April 2021 and it has been occupied since September, 2021. Two laboratory modules, each weighing the same as the first, are planned for 2022. The first of these was launched in July with the second one scheduled for October. This will make the initial Tiangong 3 complete. Three more modules can be added to double the crew size to six.
China wanted to join the consortium (United States, Russia, European Union, Japan and Canada) that built and managed the ISS. There was opposition within the U.S. government about Chinese espionage efforts that had obtained data from the United States for peaceful use of space but had used that information for military purposes. The U.S. passed the Wolf Act in early 2011 prohibiting the American space agency NASA from cooperating with China on the ISS. That ended Chinese efforts to participate in the ISS. Later in 2011 China launched, on schedule, Tiangong 1, its first space station.

By Paul Howard (Raven) on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 - 07:38 am: Edit

Well Virgin Orbiter looks like it will go bust.

It's single launch from 'Space port Newquay' failed and I am guessing it can't afford the insurance for another launch (and/or there is no current customers to launch for)?

Shame - a real backwards step for the UK Satellite business.

By Richard Eitzen (Rbeitzen) on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 - 09:13 am: Edit

It's no guess. They stopped paying most of their employees and declared bankruptcy.

The whole idea was a terrible business model in the first place, that's probably why they can't get more investors.

(This is the case with almost all lifht lift upcoming rocket companies).

It's also the case that there are too many companies aiming at the light lift market compared to the amount of actual customers there are. This is exacerbated by the fact that two existing companies will be REALLY hard to compete with (SpaceX and rocket lab).

Alternatively, some are aiming at the space tourism industry. Good luck to them with that, as again there are existing companies that do that which will be hard to compete with (Blue Origin for suborbital space trips, and much more impressively and expensively) SpaceX for orbital space trips, including the ISS and in the not too distant future, the moon).