2. Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019; 7-8:30 pm PST (9-10:30 pm CST, 10-11:30 pm EST): No show today due to this being New Year’s Eve. Happy New Year Everybody.
3. Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020: Pre-recorded Hotel Mars Program with John Batchelor. See Upcoming Show on The Space Show website for details. NO SHOW FOR NEW YEARS DAY.
4. Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020; 7-8:30 pm PST (9-10:30 pm CST, 10-11:30 pm EST): No special program today.
5. Friday, Jan. 3, 2020; 9:30-11 am PST (11:30 am-1 pm CST, 12:30-2 pm EST): We welcome Dr. George Church regarding human spaceflight gene modification. Dr. Church is a faculty member of the Consortium for Space Genetics at Harvard.
6. Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020; 12-1:30 pm PST (3-4:30 pm EST, 2-3:30 pm CST): We welcome back Michael Belfiore, award winning author and technology specialist to discuss new technologies including those for space.
Some recent shows:
** Sun, 12/29/2019 – Thomas A. Olson returned “again for his annual review of all things space for 2019 and a look ahead as to what we might expect from some areas of the space industry for 2020. This was a two segment 122 minute program”.
“Kim Holder of Moonwards was our primary guest for the first 45 minutes to update us on Moonwards 2019 and for what is planned in the New Year. I then turned to reviewing TSS 2019 year, Kim offered insights and words of wisdom and I explained why it was so important to fund The Space Show during our annual campaign through the end of the year.”
Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:
** Down to Earth Swimming in the Universe – “I’d give a lot to see that view again” – Mike Fossum. I don’t understand why people doubt the economic value of space tourism. Many people will pay a lot to go to space to see the sights Fossum and other astronauts have been lucky see.
In anticipation of the space station 20th anniversary, NASA astronaut Mike Fossum shares how he experienced the universe differently during his time in low-Earth orbit in this episode of “Down to Earth – Swimming in the Universe.” This shift is known as “the Overview Effect,” a term coined by space philosopher Frank White.
** Christina Koch Record Breaking Spaceflight Interviews – December 27, 2019
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 61 Flight Engineer Christina Koch of NASA discussed her record-setting mission and life on the orbital outpost during a series of media interviews Dec. 27. Koch, who launched to the station back in March, will pass former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson’s mark of 288 days in space for the longest single spaceflight by a woman on Dec. 28. Koch is scheduled to return to Earth Feb. 6 on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft with a total of 328 days in space, second only to former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly’s record of 340 days in space as the longest single flight by an American astronaut.
** #AskNASA┃ How Will Astronauts Live at the Moon?
NASA is working with its partners to design and develop a small spaceship that will orbit the Moon called the Gateway. This spaceship will be a temporary home and office for astronauts, just about a five-day, 250,000-mile commute from Earth. NASA’s Gateway Program Logistics Element Manager Mark Weiss answers questions about the Gateway’s development’s for the Artemis Missions. The first logistics service to the orbital outpost is expected to deliver science, cargo and other supplies in support of the agency’s new Artemis lunar exploration program, which includes sending the first woman and the next man to the surface of the Moon by 2024.
A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here):
** China’s Long March 5 heavy lifter set to launch on Friday. The vehicle design has undergone major upgrades following the failed second launch in 2017.
A video report from CGTN about the Wenchang spaceport where the LM-5 will lift off:
Located in south China’s Hainan Province, Wenchang Space Launch Center is the fourth launch site in China, being specially selected for its low latitude. CGTN takes you on a tour the space site and China’s aerospace history.
The space center will witness the launch of China’s Long March 5 carrier rocket. In the next few days, the final checks and preparations for the launch will be carried out by the engineers. This year’s launch is the third after two unsuccessful launches in 2016 and 2017.
Hyperbola-2 orbital rocket with reusable first stage.
** Taiwan’s TiSPACE plans to launch orbital Hapith-V rocket in 2020 powered by hybrid motors:
Our Hapith I launch vehicle is standing on the launch pad and getting ready for its maiden flight. The flight test will usher in a very cost-effective cutting-edge hybrid rocket technology for fast access to space. pic.twitter.com/JeeVxsQMfu
Based in Miaoli County, TiSPACE was established in 2016 by Chen Yen-sen (陳彥升), who served at the NSPO [National Space Organization] for 11 years after leaving his job as a researcher at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, where he had worked for 21 years.
After returning to Taiwan in 2005, Chen was responsible for directing sounding rocket projects at the NSPO.
Chen said that he left the NSPO to start the company because he hopes to pursue the commercial applications of hybrid rockets and he has become familiar with official procedures to receive approval to launch rockets.
The firm has 104 employees, averaging 34.5 years old, including many engineers who previously worked at information and communications technology firms, the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, or Australian rocket firms, he said. The firm earlier this year improved the efficiency of hybrid rockets to achieve Class-I rocket propulsion as defined by NASA, while keeping the cost much lower than similar products, he added.
** Boeing Starliner landed successfully last Sunday at White Sands after abbreviated test flight
Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft completed the first touchdown on land of a human-rated space capsule in U.S. history Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, wrapping up the uncrewed Orbital Flight Test as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Starliner settled gently onto its air bags at 7:58 a.m. EST in a pre-dawn landing that helps set the stage for future crewed landings at the same site. The landing followed a deorbit burn at 7:23 a.m., separation of the spacecraft’s service module, and successful deployment of its three main parachutes and six airbags.
Post-landing briefing:
One hour after landing, NASA and Boeing held a news conference at NASA Johnson Space Center with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, Jim Chilton, senior vice president of Boeing’s Space and Launch Division, and Steve Stich, deputy manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
Paul Williams is the Executive Director of the British startup Black Arrow Space Technologies. Black Arrow is developing a sea-borne launch capability based on their current expertise in developing composite propellant tanks for satellites. The launching of rockets from ships has a previous history in America, and as an island nation, the concept is clearly suited for a UK launch provider. Paul and I talk about the heritage of the Black Arrow name, the advantages of a sea-borne launch approach, and the importance of audacious technical challenges in galvanising and inspiring the next generation of engineering talent.
Black Arrow Space Technologies is developing its own spaceship – a seaborne spaceport which will be used to launch satellites of up to, initially, 500 kg in to Low Earth Orbit. The “spaceship” will be based in a South Wales port, along with its support vessels, and will enable rockets to be launched North or South without overflying populated areas. We are creating a flexible British launch capability to support the thriving British satellite industry which will allow launches to take place from the best place to achieve the required orbit.
Most recently, SpaceX announced on December 4th that it had completed the 7th consecutively successful multi-chute drop test, leaving three additional tests to go before reaching its goal of at least 10 consecutive successes.
Now, a bit less than three weeks after that 7th test, SpaceX says it has completed the 10th multi-chute drop test of Crew Dragon’s upgraded Mk3 parachutes, achieving the tentative goals set by CEO Elon Musk and NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine just two months ago. By the numbers, since Bridenstine first announced his expectation of “as many as 10 drop tests between now and the end of the year”, SpaceX alone has completed at least 20 successful tests in a row in the last eight weeks, averaging more than one test every three days.
Yesterday the team completed the 10th successful multi-chute test in a row of Crew Dragon’s upgraded Mark 3 parachute design – one step closer to safely launching and landing @NASA astronauts pic.twitter.com/nfFjnKygB4
SpaceX has completed its 13th and final launch and landing of the year and decade, marked by a Falcon 9 booster’s successful return to Port Canaveral and subsequent processing to prepare it for another orbital-class mission.
Over the course of that recovery, SpaceX broke the record for the fastest Falcon 9 processing by several hours, a small but significant step towards the company’s ultimate goal of launching and landing the same Falcon 9 booster in less than 24 hours. Additionally, SpaceX appears to have finished processing booster B1056 on December 21st, the 4th anniversary of Falcon 9’s first successful landing after an orbital-class launch.
Video of the processing of B1056:
Booster 56 has retracted and loaded with landing legs on, three times in a row. SpaceX redesigned the struts on each leg to collapse under equal pressure beginning with B1056. This puts SpaceX much closer to the 24hr turnaround. Amazing engineering! Thanks for Subscribing! We are a US disabled veteran run, non-profit video production company whose mission is to bring other disabled US Veterans to witness a launch, experience US Space History and become part of our report. Our nonprofit 501(c)(3) is 100% tax deductible, just go to our webpage www.USLaunchReport.com which is merged with www.VeteransSpaceReport.com and find our Donate button. You can help change the life of a US Veteran.
Filmed by Chris Gebhardt using Jay DeShetler’s specialist remove camera and audio set up, Falcon powered the CRS-19 Dragon into the Florida sky. Launch article: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/…
SpaceX teams across the United States are readying for what the company’s chief operating officer predicts will be a record number of launches in 2020.
Before the end of January, SpaceX aims to perform four Falcon 9 launches from Florida’s Space Coast — three for the company’s Starlink broadband network, and a crucial in-flight abort test for the Crew Dragon spacecraft no earlier than Jan. 11.
SpaceX has performed its final launch of 2019, finishing the year with 13 missions — 11 using the “single-stick” Falcon 9 and two employing the Falcon Heavy with three booster core connected together. All 13 of the missions were successful.
The company accomplished 21 launches in 2018, and 18 in 2017.
**** Starship
****** Recent scenes at Boca Chica:
As numerous deliveries continue into SpaceX Boca Chica, the expansion of the new production facility is still taking place. This will give birth to Starship Mk3, before being assembled and welded into the tall windbreak building. Footage and photos from Mary (@bocachicagal) for NSF.
Starship’s bulkhead was flying again, but this time on the end of a crane at SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility as more Steel rings are being produced. Footage and photos from Mary (@bocachicagal) for NSF.
After appearing unexpectedly at SpaceX’s Port Canaveral docks last month, several large pieces of Starship flight and manufacturing hardware were successfully shipped from Florida to Texas, arriving at the company’s Boca Chica build and launch site two weeks ago.
Previously discussed on Teslarati, the hardware transfer signals a significant shift in the development strategy for SpaceX’s next-generation Starship-Super Heavy launch vehicle. Most notably, SpaceX has chosen to prioritize Texas in the near term while the company’s Florida facilities instead aim for longer-tail milestones like the first Super Heavy-capable launch site and a new production facility located much closer to that launch site.
While the hardware SpaceX has sent over is relatively minor in the scope of producing a brand new Starship prototype, it will at least somewhat expedite the process thanks to the inclusion of what appears to be a completed propellant tank dome. Additionally, it’s possible that this December 8th hardware delivery will not be the last – a large amount of hardware remains at SpaceX’s Cocoa, Florida Starship production facility, including several ring sections and a nearly finished nose section, among a number of other parts.
****** Activity at the Florida Starship assembly facility has scaled down substantially:
Not much happening. The MK2 remains virtually untouched. The grey header tank (removed from MK2 a while ago) has been moved outside into the elements. Site has almost been cleared of all extra parts, moving pipes and fixtures now.
A sampling of recent articles, press releases, etc. related to student and amateur CubeSat / SmallSat projects and programs (find previous smallsat roundups here):
WVU was the research partner of the STF-1 mission. The four science experiments WVU developed included a low-powered characterizer of III-V Nitride based materials, a Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) swarm, the testing of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Receiver for precise orbit determination, and an environment and space weather investigation which was split into two separate experiments lead by Dr. Dimitris Vassiliadis worked as a research associate professor in the WVU Physics Department at the early stages of the STF-1 mission.
“STF-1 was quite successful in operating nearly flawlessly in terms of spacecraft performance for about 6 months and also meeting several science goals including those pertaining to the plasma experiment and the energetic-particle experiment,” Vassiliadis said. “This is somewhat remarkable for a CubeSat built by a first-time team with varying levels of expertise, but it is one more demonstration that modern CubeSats are becoming increasingly reliable.”
The CubeSat, funded by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative program, was launched on Dec.16, 2018 on a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from New Zealand: LIFTOFF! – STF-1 News
STF-1 ready for integration in to the Electron rocket. Credits: WVU STF-1 team
The hands-on training spans every step of developing a space mission, from initial design to building, testing, launching and operating the CubeSat in orbit, says Ian Mann, a professor of physics at U of A and faculty advisor for his university’s entry, the Ex-Alta 2 CubeSat project. The CSA hopes to inspire interest in STEM fields and give students the opportunity to round out their technical knowledge with business, project management and communications skills, says Dean Sangiorgi, senior engineer with the CSA and project manager for the CubeSat project. The latter is achieved in part through an outreach plan each team is required to include.
“It’s the exact kind of stuff that you don’t quite get to do in your classes. You learn theory about how to do this, but maybe don’t get to actually carry it out,” says Callie Lissinna, an undergraduate mechanical engineering student at U of A and the Ex-Alta 2 project manager.
[ Update 19:33 pm EST: Sorry, this post was accidentally published prematurely and in a partially completed state. It’s now fully updated.]
A sampling of links to recent space policy, politics, and government (US and international) related space news and resource items that I found of interest (find previous space policy roundups here):
Bob Stephens from California tracks and characterizes dangerous near-Earth asteroids. The equipment needed for such a task doesn’t last forever. With help from our members, asteroid hunters can upgrade their equipment to make sure we find asteroids before they find us. Support the work of these heroes at https://planetary.org/neogrants
