Hello, hello my dear space lovers! What a crazy week in the space sector: I don’t even know what to start with!
Well, before I get started I just wanted to thank once again my patrons for supporting this project month after month: you rock! 🙂
Now, are you ready? 5,4,3,2,1...lift-off!
ISS’s fun
We started the week with the Russian new module Nauka successfully arriving and docking to the ISS. But then, because of a software error, it fired its thrusters by mistake, tilting the whole station about 45º. Oops!
Also, the Zvezda module keeps having problems maintaining the module pressure due to constant leaks. Yikes...
This all caused Boeing’s Starliner test flight to be delayed because all these issues at the ISS are not the “ideal” environment for a test flight like Boeing's.
SpaceX & Blue Origin
SpaceX keeps making crazy progress towards the August(?) orbital test flight. The speed of development in their Starbase is amazing. They have reached the 100th Raptor engines milestone and they keep flying in engineers to Boca Chica to keep making progress.
In the meantime, Blue Origin is unsuccessfully trying to convince NASA to get the HLS contract they lost against SpaceX, by lowering their bid to $2 billion and offering several “extras”, while also starting to explore full rocket reusability for its New Glenn vehicle as part of a secret project “Jarvis”, basically following SpaceX’s plans not to be born obsolete.
Exciting launches
Rocket Lab had a successful launch this week with a military satellite onboard after its previous lost rocket, while Ariane 5 launched two satellites on the first mission in almost a year. It carried the first commercial re-programmable satellite, which unlike the rest of “normal” satellites, can be re-purposed in orbit. Very interesting!
China also launched a new survey satellite onboard its Long March 2d rocket.
Experiments
This was more of an experimental launch, but also very interesting. Japan successfully tested a rocket engine propelled by shock waves. You can read more about it here.
And talking about experiments, Israeli company Helios is planning to launch their Lunar Extractor-1 reactor to the Moon onboard an iSpace lander to extract oxygen and metal from the lunar soil. Imagine the relevance of this experiment if it works as expected. We’ll have to wait a couple more years to find out!
Astronomers have been asking this question for a while: How to feed a black hole? - After several key observations, scientists now have a better understanding of how black holes “eat” matter and grow.
Mars!
Yes, Mars! Don’t forget Mars! The most relevant update this week is from the Chinese rover. China's Zhurong rover reached a very complex terrain on Mars, full of rocks and dunes. Let’s hope the team knows how to handle the situation.
Goodnight Moon Base! Almost there!
Remember the crowdfunded book for kids I shared with you last week? Well, a couple of days before the deadline it’s already over 70% of its funding goal. Take your last chance to participate and help it become a reality! Click here to support it.
Extra: more Interesting stuff from the web
"10+1 Things” - here’s a newsletter with interesting things curated by a human, not algorithms. For the curious minds out there!
“To the stars with data” - this is the futurism-themed newsletter I’ve talked about in the past. Keeps sharing cool stuff every week.
Pic of the week
This was the Ariane 5 launched this week … rocket launches are always amazing! :)
Launches of the week
Tuesday, August 3rd - Atlas 5 • CST-100 Starliner Orbital Flight Test 2
Thursday, August 5th - CNSA Long March 3B/E | Zhongxing-2E
And that’s it for today!
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Cheers from sunny Spain! :)
Juan, the Curious Astronaut
PS: If you want to sponsor this newsletter, drop me an email.
The Space Roundup - Aug 1st, 2021
Thanks a lot for the mention!
Thanks a lot for the mention!