Twelfth Starship Launch Successful

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: SpaceX

Fortunately, the first SpaceX Starship launch of the year (and the twelfth for the rocket) went well yesterday with only a few bumps along the way. While it was not perfect, given that it was the first test of a new version of the rocket, it was a good night for the rocket-maker and NASA.

Here is SpaceX’s description of some of the bumps last night:

Following stage separation, the Super Heavy booster performed a directional flip maneuver and attempted its boostback burn. It was unable to light all planned engines and performed a partial boostback burn that ended early. Super Heavy attempted to reignite its engines for the landing burn before experiencing a hard splashdown in the Gulf of America. During its ascent burn to space, Starship lost one of the Raptor 3 vacuum engines but demonstrated its engine-out capability and achieved its planned trajectory.

This latest test is encouraging, but would be more encouraging is a solid schedule of more tests this year to ensure the Starship will be ready for the Artemis III low Earth orbit tests next year. SpaceX is still significantly behind schedule on it launches. For instance, this twelfth launch was delayed many times.

Both SpaceX and Blue Origin are racing to be part of the Artemis III test in late 2027 to see if NASA is really ready for a crewed landing on the Moon in 2028. This latest launch brings SpaceX that much closer.

Space Quote: Houston, We Have Glitter on the Moon

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Image of the three dots NASA’s Apollo 17 crew reported seeing during their lunar visit. (NASA)

“Now we’ve go a few very bright particles or fragments or something that go drifting by as we maneuver.”

“There’s a whole [bunch] of big ones on my window down there – just bright. It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron’s window.”

-Statements by Apollo 17 Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, respectively, per a recently released Department of Defense document that is part of information being released that may apply to UFOs. Of course, as you read more of the transcript, you will find that the astronauts casually discuss how these particles look like “jagged, angular fragments” that may be ice chunks or paint chips. The media is certainly playing up the various sightings and issues, but I recommend reading of the transcripts to get a better feel for what was said and the various explanations proposed.

Pic of the Week: The Crescent Earth

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): A look back at Earth by the Artemis II crew. (NASA)

This week’s image is one of more than 12,000 from the Artemis II mission recently released by NASA. This particular shot of the crescent Earth is a whole new way to look at our world from afar.

These images are currently available via the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth website, but they are not easy to locate. NASA also maintains a multimedia website with many images, videos, wallpapers, and more (shown below).

Space Stories: New Artemis II Photos, JWST Studies Exoplanet Surface, and Japanese Space Sake for Sale

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): One of the new photo from the Artemis II mission recently released by NASA. (NASA)

Here are some recent space-related stories.

—ABC News: “NASA Releases More Than 12,000 Images from Historic Artemis II Moon Mission“

Over the weekend, NASA made public more than 12,000 photos from the historic Artemis II lunar mission…Over the course of the mission, NASA released dozens of images of the astronauts, Earth, the moon and even a total solar eclipse. However, the new trove reveals some never-before-seen photos as well as new angles of objects in space, primarily using Nikon cameras and iPhone 17s.

—ZME Science: “Astronomers Determine the Surface of a Rocky Planet Beyond Our Solar System for the First Time“

A rocky planet nearly 50 light-years away appears to be airless, dark, and covered in volcanic or weathered rock, according to new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope. This is the first time that astronomers have obtained details about the surface of a rocky planet outside our solar system. The planet, LHS 3844 b, is not habitable. It is about 30 percent larger than Earth, orbits its star every 11 hours, and has one side permanently pointing towards the Sun, baked at about 725°C.

—The Korean Times: “Space-fermented Sake by Japanese Brewer Dassai Sells for $700,000“

Japanese brewer Dassai has sold a 100-milliliter bottle of sake fermented on the International Space Station for 110 million yen ($700,000). Dassai partnered with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to ferment sake ingredients in space, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported Monday. Using the space-fermented mash, or moromi, the brewery finished brewing the sake on Earth, yielding 116 milliliters. Dassai sold a 100-milliliter bottle of the final product to an unnamed Japanese buyer. The company plans to donate the proceeds to Japan’s space program.

Space Quote: NASA Budget Hearing and Artemis

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Image by Mila Okta Safitri from Pixabay

“But for all the Artemis II mission accomplished, how we arrived at it was far from perfect, and the decisions of previous administrations that led to these deficiencies deserves careful reflection. Almost the entirety of [the Space Launch System is repurposed decades-old Space Shuttle hardware. I understand why, the Shuttle program was ending, and it was important to look after the industrial base. I will also say that was at a time when we did not have a geopolitical competitor challenging America in the high ground of space, but perpetuating the past does not help us realize a better future. Even after over $100 billion of taxpayer funding to date, and this most recent and successful Artemis II mission, we would not have launched again until late 2028 with the aim of putting astronauts on the Moon under the previous plan. A plan with no hope of achieving this national imperative. You do not fly rockets like this every three plus years and expect success. Further, you do not make each vehicle a work of art by materially changing the configuration. You also do not build a base in orbit above the Moon, when the scientists, the engineers, the astronauts, and certainly the space-loving community want to be on the surface of the Moon, which is hard enough to achieve.”

-Statement by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at his hearing before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, earlier this week. He was justifying his revamping of the Artemis schedule and elimination of the Lunar Gateway. He also defended the White House’s cuts to his budget, though not everyone in the room was convinced. Ranking Member Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) was not happy with the planned cuts to the Science Mission Directorate, stating:

I think everyone in this room knows that without space science, there is no space exploration. Without space science, there is no new planetary discovery. Without space science, there is no NASA