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Space Archive

Archives for July 2023

Europe’s dark matter-hunting space telescope nabs its first test imagesEurope’s dark matter-hunting space telescope nabs its first test images
Jacob Kastrenakes
Jacob Kastrenakes
The guy who runs Twitter is worrying military leaders across the globe.

The New York Times has a deep dive into Starlink, the internet satellites deployed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX — and how they’ve become crucial to communication in war zones like Ukraine.

Just like the rest of us, it turns out military leaders are also concerned about Musk’s somewhat erratic decision making.

In Ukraine, some fears have been realized. Mr. Musk has restricted Starlink access multiple times during the war, people familiar with the situation said. At one point, he denied the Ukrainian military’s request to turn on Starlink near Crimea, the Russian-controlled territory, affecting battlefield strategy.

Elon Musk’s Unmatched Power in the Stars

[The New York Times]

Alex Cranz
Alex Cranz
Voyager 2 can’t talk to Earth again.

The 45-year-old interstellar probe lost contact after a “routine sequence of commands,” according to Gizmodo. Its antenna currently isn’t facing Earth, which makes it impossible to communicate across the approximately 12.4 billion miles between us. But fortunately, Voyager 2 is programmed to reorient itself toward Earth a few times a year, so we should presumably regain contact in October.

That’s a few months from now, and if NASA regains contact it won’t be the longest we’ve gone without communicating with the probe. That record was established back in 2020 when Voyager 2 went over 8 months without contact during a necessary communications update.

Stay safe out there, little buddy.

NASA’s Voyager 2 Is Experiencing an Unplanned ‘Communications Pause’

[Gizmodo]

NASA Plus is the latest streaming competitorNASA Plus is the latest streaming competitor
Umar Shakir
Umar Shakir
SpaceX might break a record tonight.

The US Space Force’s SLD 45 unit says a 10:20PM Falcon 9 launch and a 11:04PM Falcon Heavy one could be the quickest back-to-back Earth to orbit launches in the Eastern Range (via CNBC). The launches would beat NASA’s Gemini 11 mission in 1966 which launched two rockets one hour and 37 minutes apart.

If you want to watch the launches, check out the livestreams for the Falcon 9 Starlink mission and the Falcon Heavy Hughes Jupiter 3 Mission.

SpaceX aims to break a 56-year rocket record with back-to-back launches

[CNBC]

Wes Davis
Wes Davis
How I learned to stop worrying and love the nuclear spaceship?

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract from DARPA to “develop and demonstrate a nuclear-powered spacecraft” for the joint DARPA and NASA DRACO project. The first demonstration will “take place no later than 2027.”

What is nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP)?

[NTP] uses a nuclear reactor to quickly heat hydrogen propellant to very high temperatures... then funnels that gas through the engine nozzle to create powerful thrust... The reactor will not be turned on until the spacecraft has reached a nuclear safe orbit, making the NTP system very safe.

That last bit is important — see the 1978 Kosmos 954 accident that spread radioactive debris all over the Canadian wilderness.

Amazon is spending $120 million on a building for its internet satellitesAmazon is spending $120 million on a building for its internet satellites
Rocket Lab successfully retrieves its reusable rocket after splashdownRocket Lab successfully retrieves its reusable rocket after splashdown
Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Rocket Lab tried catching rocket boosters with helicopters, but now it’s going “all-in” on marine recovery.

For years, Rocket Lab has been trying to catch falling boosters with a helicopter, and now that’s done.

Tonight’s “Baby Come Back” mission launching at 9:27PM ET will attempt to deploy customer satellites and test a new parachute design that slows the booster on its return before it goes into the water for recovery, and according to the broadcasters on the stream, the company is “all in” on this method.

In addition to the primary mission of deploying customer satellites, Rocket Lab will attempt a marine recovery of Electron’s first stage. This will see Electron’s first stage return to Earth under parachute for a soft splashdown in the ocean before it is collected by vessel. The stage will be transported back to Rocket Lab’s production complex and analyzed to inform future recovery and reuse missions.

Umar Shakir
Umar Shakir
India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is on its way to the moon.

The ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) successfully launched its third lunar mission on Friday with the goal of getting a research rover onto the moon’s surface. India’s last attempt was a successful launch as well, but its lander ended up crash landing.

A successful landing this time would make the country the fourth to land an object on the moon.

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
JWST celebrates its first year of science with another incredible image and a new head of science.

We’ve been following the story of NASA’s next-gen James Webb Space Telescope for years, but now it’s been in operation for an entire year.

You can watch Loren Grush talk through those first images, check out the first Earth-sized exoplanet it discovered, or check out our breakdown of major highlights from its first year.

Also, Space.com notes NASA recently announced Jane Rigby is the JWST’s new senior project scientist. Named the 2022 LGBTQ+ Scientist of the Year by Out to Innovate, Rigby was one of three commissioning scientists for JWST and replaces John Mather, who had been in the role since 1995.

An active star-forming region. Red dual opposing jets coming from young stars fill the darker top half of the image, while a glowing pale-yellow, cave-like structure is bottom center, tilted toward two o’clock, with a bright star at its center. The dust of the cave structure becomes wispy toward eight o’clock, trailing off and allowing stars and distant galaxies to show through. Above the arched top of the dust cave three groupings of stars with diffraction spikes are arranged.
The subject is the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, the closest star-forming region to Earth.
Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Klaus Pontoppidan (STScI)
NASA shows off new Canoo EVs that will shuttle its Artemis crew aroundNASA shows off new Canoo EVs that will shuttle its Artemis crew around
Canoo, struggling EV startup, is trying to stay afloat on government largesseCanoo, struggling EV startup, is trying to stay afloat on government largesse
Thomas Ricker
Thomas Ricker
Starlink and Telstra to connect remote Australians.

The top telecom provider will be using Elon Musk’s network of over 3,500 low-Earth SpaceX satellites to augment coverage by the end of 2023. The “world’s first offering” bundles voice and fixed broadband service, installation, and tech support.

A Telstra exec says the company is looking for other partners, too, due to Musk’s unpredictability.

We’re working with Starlink to connect more people in remote Australia

[Telstra Exchange]

The space telescope surveying the entire universe to understand dark matter and dark energyThe space telescope surveying the entire universe to understand dark matter and dark energy

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