In Case You Missed It/Podcast: Retelling the Story of the Mission to the Moon

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image: Chesley Bonestell art printed in “The Conquest of the Moon” (1953). Mr. Bonestell’s art is mentioned in the Moonrise podcast.

If you are looking for a good story that you to listen to during your next car trip, you cannot do better than the Washington Post’s Moonrise podcast. It has a bit of everything, including science fiction stories, Nazi war machines, Russian persecution, American post-WWII politics, and a bit of astronomy as well.

Here is how the program sells itself:

Want to uncover the real origin story behind the United States’ decision to go to the moon? In the 50 years since the moon landing, as presidential documents have been declassified and secret programs revealed, a wild story has begun to emerge. “Moonrise,” a Washington Post audio miniseries hosted by Lillian Cunningham, digs into the nuclear arms race of the Cold War, the transformation of American society and politics ⁠— and even the birth of science fiction ⁠— to unearth what really drove us to the moon. Come along with us on a fascinating journey from Earth to the moon.

You can learn how President Kennedy tried to get the Soviet Union to join the Apollo program – twice. You can also hear about the Apollo 11 mission competing with a Soviet spacecraft trying to land on the Moon at the same time. And have you heard about the civil rights protests at the Apollo 11 launch site?

The podcast is a well crafted story trying to weave together many threads in a mostly successful way. It is still astonishing that the early Space Race was really lead by a former Nazi representing the United States and a former political prisoner representing the Soviets. Today the Apollo story is mostly a warm blur from the past, but I believe it is worth your time to listen to the full story. It is the foundation of our space exploration efforts, for better or worse.

Artemis I: If at First You Don’t Succeed…

Posted on by onespaceman2000

NASA is ready to try the uncrewed Artemis I mission again next month. The planned date is November 14, with November 16 and 19 as back up dates.

Should you need it, here is a quick summary of the Artemis I mission again:

Artemis I will be the first integrated flight test of NASA’s deep space exploration system: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The first in a series of increasingly complex missions, Artemis I will be an uncrewed flight that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration, and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human existence to the Moon and beyond. During this flight, the uncrewed Orion spacecraft will launch on the most powerful rocket in the world and travel thousands of miles beyond the Moon, farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown, over the course of about a three-week mission. 

I am tired of crossing my fingers, so let’s just hope these launch dates work.

Image (Credit): Artemis I mission map. (NASA)

Space Stories: Venusian Balloons, Sun Observations, and a Private Moon Trip

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Test of the one-third scale prototype aerobot designed to withstand the corrosive chemicals in Venus’ atmosphere. (Near Space Corporation)

Here are some recent stories of interest.

—NASA.gov: “JPL’s Venus Aerial Robotic Balloon Prototype Aces Test Flights“

A scaled-down version of the aerobot that could one day take to the Venusian skies successfully completed two Nevada test flights, marking a milestone for the project…The shimmering silver balloon ascended more than 4,000 feet (1 kilometer) over Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to a region of Earth’s atmosphere that approximates the temperature and density the aerobot would experience about 180,000 feet (55 kilometers) above Venus. Coordinated by Near Space, these tests represent a milestone in proving the concept’s suitability for accessing a region of Venus’ atmosphere too low for orbiters to reach, but where a balloon mission could operate for weeks or even months.

—SkyandTelescope.org: “‘Chinese Observatory Will Study Violent Events on the Sun“

China has launched a solar observatory to study solar flares and eruptions, and their connection with the Sun’s magnetic field…[the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory (ASO-S)] is planned to operate at 720 kilometers (447 miles) above Earth’s surface in a Sun-synchronous orbit that will allow it to observe the Sun at all times. Its primary, four-year mission is timed to make the most of the 2024–2025 solar maximum, when the Sun is at its most active during its 11-year cycle.

—Space.com: “‘SpaceX Says its 2nd Private Starship Trip Around the Moon will Help Make Humanity Multiplanetary“

SpaceX’s newly announced tourist mission to the moon could help humanity extend its footprint far beyond Earth, company representatives say. That mission, which was revealed today (Oct. 12), will send wealthy entrepreneur Dennis Tito, his wife Akiko and 10 other people on a weeklong journey around the moon aboard SpaceX’s huge Starship vehicle, which is still in development. Who those 10 other passengers will be is unknown; only the Titos have reserved seats at the moment.

Artemis I Launch Set for September 27th

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Artemis I mission patch. (NASA)

This time of year the weather tends to be troublesome in the Florida region, but NASA still hopes to try again with its Artemis I uncrewed launch to the Moon on September 27th.

Here are the updated mission facts:

  • Launch date: Sept. 27, 2022
  • Mission duration: 38 days, 23 hours, 49 minutes
  • Total distance traveled: 1.3 million miles
  • Re-entry speed: 24,500 mph (Mach 32)
  • Splashdown: Nov. 05, 2022

CNN reports that “Concerns over the weather system forming in the Caribbean put the weather conditions at only 20% favorable for a launch.” So don’t get your hopes too high, but at least NASA has resolved the hydrogen leak.

Fingers crossed.

Update: You can uncross those fingers. The launch is being delayed due to weather.

Moon World Resort: Why Leave Earth?

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Artist’s rendition MOON Dubai, depicted close to the Palm Jumeriah and Burj Al Arab. (Moon World Resort)

It is quite the slogan to sell the Moon to the masses: “12 people have been there, 7 billion want to visit.” But this is not Elon Musk talking. This is a new real estate project aiming to bring the Moon to Earth in multiple locations in order to push shopping malls, spas, and condos. And maybe even conduct some space training, but I would not hold your breath (in your luxury pool).

On its Facebook page, Moon World Resort has a bold vision:

Moon World Resorts Inc. is proud to introduce the reinvention of the famed Las Vegas strip; unveiling MOON, the next giant leap for Hospitality, Entertainment, Technology and Attraction Tourism.

As a futuristic “building of global significance”, MOON will be heralded as an Architectural, Engineering and Design icon; delivering an additional 10 million annual tourists to Las Vegas, during its inaugural year!

So what is it exactly? Here are some details:

  • 735 feet (224 meters) high;
  • 5.5 million square feet (516 thousand square meters);
  • a lunar sphere 650 feet (198 meters) in diameter;
  • 4000 luxury hotel suites within the sphere;
  • various commercial endeavors, including a Convention Center, Event Center, Holistic Wellness Spa, Fitness Center, Arena, Beach Club, Night Club, Star Chef Restaurants, Boutique Plaza, E-Sports Center, Aquatic Center, Lagoon, Ballrooms, Meeting Space, Casino, Show Theater, Discovery Center, Amphitheater, Planetarium, Observatory and various Sports Facilities; and
  • a Lunar Colony attraction.

The cities targeted for this “shoot for the moon” project include one in North America (USA, with Las Vegas already named in the press release), South America (Brazil), Europe (Spain), MENA (UAE) and three in the Asia Pacific Region (China, Japan, India).

All the project needs now is investors to drop about $5 billion on this idea. Until this idea becomes a reality, you can spend your hard earned money on pretend Star Wars adventures in Florida. I guess it’s better than sending tourists to the International Space Station where they will only get in the way.

You can always find a customer for this stuff, and Las Vegas does seem like a logical place to start. Water is already in short supply in the Las Vegas desert, as it is on the Moon. Hence, this may be the perfect time to test lunar water recycling ideas with or without the lunar sphere.