Collectable cards maker J2 Cards has opened a line of J2 NASA Space Missions Cards.
There are two series of cards so far and they will be “available at Amazon.com, eBay and selected card shoppes around North America”.
The first series can be ordered now at J2 USA Space Missions Series 1 set of 100 cards (Amazon.com commission link)
A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here):
** SpaceX Falcon 9 set for static firing test on the pad at Cape Canaveral. This is in preparation for a launch of Starlink satellites on Nov. 11th.
[ Update: The static firing test took place successfully. The Falcon 9 nosecone will include the first fairing to be reused.
The fairing supporting this mission previously flew on Falcon Heavy’s Arabsat-6A mission pic.twitter.com/iTgqqtl1pW
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 5, 2019
See also: SpaceX finally fires up Falcon 9 ahead of Starlink mission – NASASpaceFlight.com.
A video of the firing:
Falcon 9 static fire is complete! Await confirmation of a good test and launch date specifics from SpaceX soon. #Starlink pic.twitter.com/yjLaAOMsML
— Stephen Marr (@spacecoast_stve) November 5, 2019
]
Falcon 9 alert! There is, indeed, a Falcon vertical at LC-40 ahead of an expected static fire today. #SpaceX #Starlink pic.twitter.com/QAxK8momeb
— Julia (@julia_bergeron) November 5, 2019
See also: SpaceX’s first Falcon 9 launch in months gets a launch date- Teslarati.
More SpaceX items below.
** Boeing Starliner blasted off on Monday in a pad abort test and made a soft landing though only 2 of the 3 parachutes deployed properly:
NASA:
During the test, Starliner’s four launch abort engines, and several orbital maneuvering and attitude control thrusters simultaneously ignited to rapidly push the spacecraft away from the test stand. Five seconds into flight, the abort engines shut off as planned, transferring steering to the control thrusters for the next five seconds.
A pitcharound maneuver rotated the spacecraft into position for landing as it neared its peak altitude of approximately 4,500 feet. Two of three Starliner’s main parachutes deployed just under half a minute into the test, and the service module separated from the crew module a few seconds later. Although designed with three parachutes, two opening successfully is acceptable for the test parameters and crew safety. After one minute, the heat shield was released and airbags inflated, and the Starliner eased to the ground beneath its parachutes.
The demonstration took only about 95 seconds from the moment the simulated abort was initiated until the Starliner crew module touched down on the desert ground.
Here is the webcast of the test. Liftoff happens at around 24:55 into the video.
Scott Manley comments on the test:
** Northrop Grumman Cygnus arrives at the ISS after traveling in space for two days since its launch on an Antares rocket on Saturday.
** Chinese Long March 4B launches remote sensing satellite on Sunday:
** And a Long March 3B launched a Beidou navigation satellite on Monday:
** Report on EXOS Aerospace suborbital launch: Unsuccessful Attempt in the Desert … EXOS Aerospace Systems & Technologies Fourth Launch of a Reusable Vehicle- Satnews
Unfortunately a reusable suborbital sounding rocket launched by EXOS Aerospace malfunctioned shortly after liftoff causing the vehicle to crash back to Earth minutes later. Even though today’s attempt was unsuccessful this EXOS flight was the third time a suborbital-class rocket stage has been reused for a fourth time.
The launch took place at the Spaceport America. Spaceport America which is an FAA-licensed spaceport located on 18,000 acres of State Trust Land in the Jornada del Muerto desert basin in New Mexico, directly west and adjacent to U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range. It lies 89 miles north of El Paso, 45 miles north of Las Cruces, and 20 miles southeast of Truth or Consequences.
** Video: Review of reusable rocket engines with Matt Richardson of Univ. of Tokyo – TMRO.tv
We’re joined by Dr Matt Richardson of U Tokyo/JAXA to talk reusable rocket engines. Matt recently graduated with a PhD in aerospace engineering where he tested ways to extend the lifetime and reduce refurbishment costs of liquid-fueled rocket engines.
** SpaceX;
*** Starlink early deployment: What to expect from SpaceX Starlink broadband service next year and beyond – CIS 471
… it sounds like SpaceX is serious about pursuing the consumer market from the start. When asked about price recently, Shotwell said millions of people in the U. S. pay $80 per month to get “crappy service.” She did not commit to a price, but homes, schools, community centers, etc. with crappy service would pay that for good service, not to mention those with no service. Some customers may pay around $80 per month, but the price at a given location will be a function of SpaceX capacity, the price/demand curve for Intenet service and competition from terrestrial and other satellite service providers, so prices will vary within the U. S. and globally. In nations where Starlink service is sold by partner Internet service providers, they will share in pricing decisions.
Since the marginal cost of serving a customer is near zero as long as there is sufficient capacity, we can expect lower prices in a poor, sparsely-populated region than in an affluent, densely-populated region. Dynamic pricing is also a possibility since SpaceX will have real-time demand data for every location. “Dynamic pricing of a zero marginal cost, variable-demand service” sounds like a good thesis topic. It will be interesting to see their pricing policy.
National governments will also have a say on pricing and service. While the U. S. will allow SpaceX to serve customers directly, other nations may require that they sell through Internet service providers and some — maybe Russia — may ban Starlink service altogether.
*** SpaceX ramps up rate of Crew Dragon parachute tests: SpaceX says Crew Dragon parachute upgrade nailed more than a dozen tests in a row – Teslarati. These included single parachute tests. Elon notes that they need to do 9 more multi-chute tests of the Mk3 design:
Great work by SpaceX Dragon team & Airborne! To be clear, we’ve only done 1 multi-parachute test of Mk3 design, so 9 more left to reach 10 successful tests in a row. https://t.co/Q814zVoW4S
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2019
*** Demo Starship Mk.1 coming back together. For Elon Musk’s presentation back in September, the top nosecone and lower propulsion module were stacked atop each other and each had their respective “wings” (to provide drag during reentry, not for flying) attached. After the presentation, the two parts were de-stacked and the wing sections removed. Outfitting of the Starship modules with fuel line, wiring, misc. sub-systems, etc. then proceeded. Last week the propulsion module was moved to the launch site, presumably to prepare for static engine tests. The wing sections, or canards, are now being added back to the nosecone. SpaceX installs Starship Mk1 rocket’s flaps for the second time in build-up to flight debut – Teslarati
Sunrise with Starship 💫 🚀 livestream starting in a few minutes from launch pad ☕️ pic.twitter.com/KisdzCDl4o
— SPadre (@SpacePadreIsle) November 5, 2019
*** SpaceX and the Brownsville community: SpaceX connects Brownsville to a new world of space enthusiasts – HoustonChronicle.com
*** Starship launch pad at KSC under construction:
The Starship pad at 39A is officially going vertical! You can see just how close the new launch mount is to the ramp and operational pad. Things are about to get really exciting around here. 🏗🚀 #Starship #MK2 @SpaceX pic.twitter.com/KlLUqJ059S
— Julia (@julia_bergeron) November 4, 2019
*** Starships will eventually operate from offshore launch facilities.
That said, most Starship spaceports will probably need to be ~20 miles / 30km offshore for acceptable noise levels, especially for frequent daily flights, as would occur for point to point flights on Earth
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2019
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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):
Webcasts:
** Space Policy Edition: How a Report Can Move Mountains | The Planetary Society
How can a simple report—just words on a page—lead to creation of a spacecraft? We explore how a 2019 report on the need for a dedicated, space-based telescope to find threatening near-Earth asteroids motivated NASA to pursue that very mission. We speak with Dr. Jay Melosh, planetary scientist and chair of the National Academies committee behind that report, on how it came together and how the process works behind the scenes. We also check on NASA’s budget process in Congress and news from the International Astronautical Congress in Washington, D.C.
** November 1, 2019 Zimmerman/Batchelor podcast | Behind The Black
** Fri, 11/01/2019 – Michael Mealling and and Steven Jorgenson discuss Starbridge Venture Capital and commercial space investments.
** Hotel Mars – Wed, 10/30/2019 with John Batchelor, Dr. David Livingston – William Harwood of CBS News talks about NASA’s Artemis lunar program.
** IAC 2019 – WeMartians Podcast
The 70th International Astronautical Congress descended on Washington, DC this week, with 6300 delegates from around the world coming together to talk about space technology, policy and more. Jake is on site to report on the happenings, and connected with a range of people on robotic missions and human architectures.
Guests include Walter Cugno from Thales Alenia Space, Khaled Ali Al Hashmi from the United Arab Emirates Space Agency, and Gary Napier from Lockheed Martin.
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The guests and topics of discussion on The Space Show this week:
1. Monday, Nov. 4, 2019; 2 pm PST (4 pm CST, 5 pm EST) We welcome Dr. Melissa Trainer to discuss the Mars 2020 project.
2. Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019; 7-8:30 pm PST (9-10:30 pm CST; 10-11:30 pm EST): We welcome Dr. Hal Doiron and Dr. Tom Wysmuller, retired NASA Apollo engineers & scientists, now part of the project known as The Right Climate Stuff, to speak about climate, space, NASA and more.
3. Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019; Pre-recorded Hotel Mars Program with John Batchelor. See Upcoming Show on The Space Show website for details.
4. Friday, Nov. 8, 2019; 9:30-11 am PST (11:30 am-1 pm CST, 12:30-2 pm EST): We welcome Dr. Ella Atkins, Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan, where she is director of the Autonomous Aerospace Systems (A2SYS) Lab.
5. Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019; 12-1:30 pm PST (3-4:30 pm EST, 2-3:30 pm CST): We welcome back Dr. Christopher Morrison, and Dr. Marcelo Vazquez to discuss human spaceflight radiation concerns and medical research tests for simulating human radiation exposure in space.
Some recent shows:
** Sun, 11/03/2019 – Adam Hadhazy talked about his article, Homo sapiens astronauta in Aerospace America, which looks at modifying genes to better adapt humans to spaceflight.
** Fri, 11/01/2019 – Michael Mealling and and Steven Jorgenson discuss Starbridge Venture Capital and commercial space investments.
** Hotel Mars – Wed, 10/30/2019 with John Batchelor, Dr. David Livingston – William Harwood of CBS News talks about NASA’s Artemis lunar program.
** Tue, 10/29/2019 – Dr. Umair Siddiqui discussed the Phase Four “radio frequency plasma thruster, plasma science, Hall thrusters, LEO, comsats, mega satellite constellations and more”.
** Mon, 10/28/2019 – Anthony Longman discussed “his expandable rotating shielded space habitats”.
See also:
* The Space Show Archives
* The Space Show Newsletter
* The Space Show Shop
The Space Show is a project of the One Giant Leap Foundation.
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Moon: An Illustrated History:
From Ancient Myths to the Colonies of Tomorrow)
A sampling of recent articles, press releases, etc. related to student and amateur CubeSat / SmallSat projects and programs (find previous smallsat roundups here):
** NG Cygnus carries HuskySat-1, built by Univ. Washington students, to ISS.
HuskySat-1 is a 3U CubeSat designed, built, and tested by the Husky Satellite Lab. HuskySat-1’s goal is to test two experimental payloads, a Pulsed Plasma Thruster, and a high-frequency K-band communication system, as well as hosting an Amateur Radio Linear Transponder.
HuskySat-1 is being developed by an interdisciplinary team at the University of Washington and will be launched into Low Earth Orbit to become the first amateur satellite from Washington state. This CubeSat will demonstrate the capabilities of new technologies being developed at the University of Washington and expand the capabilities of CubeSats as a whole. In particular, a high-thrust pulsed plasma thruster (PPT), and high-gain communications system will form the core technology suite on board the satellite. The HuskySat-1 will also be flying a newly developed Amateur Radio Linear Transponder developed by AMSAT which will contribute to the worldwide communication networks built and operated by ham radio enthusiasts.
More about the project: Washington’s first student-built satellite preparing for launch | UW News
Some of the student-built parts will still be in test mode. A custom-built thruster uses sparks to vaporize small amounts of solid sulfur as a propellant. The thruster will fire about 100 times as the satellite passes over Seattle, only enough thrust to provide a slight nudge. A high-bandwidth communications system built by former graduate student Paul Sturmer, now at Blue Origin, transmits at 24 Gigahertz, allowing the satellite to quickly send reams of data. That system will send down a test packet from space.
“Usually people buy most of the satellite and build one part of it. We built all the parts,” Northway said. “It was a pretty serious undertaking.”
** Seven student built CubeSats on Cygnus in total: Seven Student-Made CubeSats Set To Fly Aboard Antares – NASA
On Saturday, seven small research satellites, or CubeSats, developed by students from eight universities across the nation will fly on Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops, Virginia, targeting a launch at 9:59 a.m. EDT.
All seven CubeSats were selected through NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) and are a part of the 25th Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) mission. CSLI enables the launch of CubeSat projects designed, built and operated by students, teachers and faculty, as well as NASA Centers and nonprofit organizations. ELaNa missions provide launch and deployment opportunities and ride-shares to space for CubeSats selected through CSLI. Students are heavily involved in all aspects of the mission from developing, assembling, and testing payloads to working with NASA and the launch vehicle integration teams. The ELaNa CubeSats are held to rigorous standards similar to those adhered to by the primary spacecraft.
Five of the CubeSats were developed through NASA’s Undergraduate Student Instrument Project or USIP.
The 5 USIP CubeSats flying on Antares are:
…
The additional two CubeSats flying through CSLI are:
More about HARP: Tiny NASA satellite will soon see ‘rainbows’ in clouds | EurekAlert.
** 300 days operating in orbit for ZACube 2 research CubeSat built at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT): South African nanosatellites will track shipping, fires | The BRICS Post
A constellation of South African nanosatellites will be put in orbit next year to monitor shipping to prevent the poaching of marine resources such as abalone and sharks, while they will also track fires so ground-based personnel can move livestock out of harm’s way and prevent the spread of the fire.
The technology for this constellation is being proven right now as the ZACube 2 research nanosatellite from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) will log its 300th day in orbit on the 23rd October 2019. ZACube 1, also known as TshepisoSat, was launched on 21st November 2013 and is still communicating with the ground station.
…
The ZACube 2 satellite is performing well in orbit and proving the technology that the university has developed,” Professor Robert van Zyl, the Director of French South African Institute of Technology (FSATI) said.
** AMSAT news on student and amateur CubeSat/smallsat projects: ANS-307 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin
General CubeSat/SmallSat info:
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