Category Archives: Space Systems

Videos: A SpaceX overview + Starship reports

Here is a sampling of videos about SpaceX and the Starship project.

** Public presentations about SpaceX are usually provided by Elon Musk or Gwynne Shotwell. However, here is an excellent overview of the company given by Kiko Dontchev, Vice President of Launch, at the Summit At Sea event last May.

Curious how SpaceX went from 13 launches in 2019 to pacing for 100 in 2023? As VP of Launch at SpaceX, Kiko Dontchev goes into work every day with the simple goal of making space travel as accessible as air travel, and he is well on his way. In this talk, Kiko will dive into SpaceX’s exponential growth approach, Elon’s problem-solving algorithm, and becoming the most prolific launcher of all time.

** Several new media sources have risen in the past couple of years that report extensively on SpaceX Starship related activities. A sampling of these include:

Here, for example, are three reports on recent Starship developments:

** The design, development, and commercial potential of Starship are presented in the SpaceX Starship report, for which I was the primary author. Initially published by NewSpace Global in March 2023, we updated it in May to include coverage of the first flight test.

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Check out the
The Lurio Report
for news and analysis of key developments in NewSpace

The latest issue:
Starships’ Second Flight, Blue HLS, Return Sustainably
Vol. 18, No. 2, July 16, 2023

Space Frontier Foundation Award for NewSpace Journalism

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Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Aug.21.2023

This week’s selection of videos about space stations and living in space including NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Mission to the Space Station (Official Trailer)NASA

An international crew is preparing to launch to the International Space Station aboard NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission.

NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov of Roscosmos will perform research technology demonstrations, science experiments, and maintenance activities aboard the microgravity laboratory.

Crew-7 is targeted to launch no earlier than 3:49 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 25 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy. As part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, Crew-7 marks the eighth human spaceflight mission supported by a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and the seventh crew rotation mission to the space station since 2020 for NASA.

You can watch the launch live on NASA TV, NASA.gov, the NASA app, and on social media (@NASA).

Learn more about the Crew-7 mission here: https://blogs.nasa.gov/crew-7/

** Gateway: A New Era of Utilization in Deep Space – ISS National Lab

** ISSRDC Day1 Fireside Chat – Getting to the Heart of the Matter in LEO – ISS National Lab

** Full Bishop Airlock AnimationNanoracks

** Progress MS-22 undocking and departureSciNews

The Progress MS-22 spacecraft autonomously undocked from the aft port of the Zvezda service module, on the International Space Station, on 20 August 2023, at 23:50 UTC. Progress MS-22 (ISS Progress 83 mission) delivered about three tons of food, fuel, and supplies for the Expedition 68 crew aboard the International Space Station.
Credit: NASA/Roscosmos

** Experiment Cabinet on China’s Space Station Versatile for Sci-Tech Verification – CCTV Video News Agency

Standing at two meters tall and one meter wide and with a design life of 15 years, the Space Basic Experiment Cabinet mounted on one of the lab modules of China’s Tiangong Space Station has served as a versatile space technology verification platform, facilitating fruitful scientific research achievements in a microgravity environment, since its launch into orbit last year.

** China Completes In-Orbit Observation of Conductive Ring Wear Debris – CCTV Video News Agency

China has completed its first in-orbit observation of the generation process and clustering phenomenon of conductive ring wear debris on the country’s space station Tiangong.

** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA

Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.

The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8

Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov

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ISS after undocking of STS-132

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Outpost in Orbit:
A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station

Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Aug.15.2023

Here is this week’s selection of videos about space stations and living in space starting with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** Expedition 69 Astronaut Frank Rubio Talks with ABC’s Good Morning America – Aug. 11, 2023NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Frank Rubio of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview August 11 with ABC’s “Good Morning America”. Rubio is in the midst of a record breaking long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration missions. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars. When Rubio returns to Earth on September 27 he will have spent a total of 371 days in space—the longest single spaceflight by a US astronaut.

** Expedition 69 Space Station Crew Answers Kingfisher, Oklahoma, Student Questions – Aug. 14, 2023  – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineers Frank Rubio and Steve Bowen of NASA answered questions about life and work on the orbiting laboratory during an in-flight event Aug. 14 with students attending Kingfisher High School in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. Rubio and Bowen are in the midst of a science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.

** ISSRDC  2023: Multiple videos of presentations and panel discussions from the 12th Annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) held July 31-August 3, 2023 in Seattle, Washington
are available on the ISS National Lab YouTube channel. Here are two samples:

*** ISSRDC Day1 Panel – Future Of R&D in Low Earth Orbit:

*** ISSRDC Day2 Panel – Pioneering Low Earth Orbit (LEO):

** Replay! Russian spacewalkers outside International Space Station [Aug.9.2023]VideoFromSpace

Streamed live on Aug 9, 2023 … Two Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin will perform a spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) today (Aug. 9). Learn more: https://www.space.com/russian-cosmona…

** China’s Space Station “Tiangong” Fly AroundHazegrayart

The Tiangong Space Station is a Chinese space station that is fully operational. It is being developed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) as a part of China’s ambitious space program. The name “Tiangong” translates to “Heavenly Palace” in English.

The Tiangong Space Station consists of multiple modules that will serve various purposes, including living quarters for astronauts, scientific research laboratories, and facilities for conducting experiments in microgravity. It is designed to be a long-term, modular space station similar to the International Space Station (ISS), but with a smaller scale.

** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA

Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.

The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8

Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov

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ISS after undocking of STS-132

=== Amazon Ads ===

Lego Ideas International Space Station
21321 Toy Blocks, Present, Space, Boys, Girls, Ages 16 and Up

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Outpost in Orbit:
A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station

 

 

Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – Aug.9.2023

A new set of videos about space stations and living in space starting with NASA’s latest Space to Ground report for the International Space Station:

** Expedition 69 Northrop Grumman Cygnus Cargo Craft Arrives at Space Station – Aug. 4, 2022 – NASA Video

Loaded with food, fuel, and supplies, the unpiloted Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo craft arrived at the International Space Station Aug. 4 where it was installed to the nadir port of the Unity module. Cygnus launched from the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Aug. 1 atop an Antares rocket and will remain docked to the space station for approximately two months on the company’s 19th resupply mission to the International Space Station for NASA. Northrop Grumman named the Cygnus spacecraft the S.S. Laurel Clark after late NASA astronaut Laurel Clark. Clark was a crew member of NASA’s STS-107 mission aboard space shuttle Columbia, successfully conducting 80 experiments while logging 15 days in space. She and her fellow STS-107 crew members tragically lost their lives when Columbia did not survive its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

** Expedition 69 Northrop Grumman Cygnus Cargo Craft Secured to Space Station – Aug. 4, 2022 – NASA Video

** Russian Spacewalk 60 Animation – Aug. 8, 2023 NASA Johnson

Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin conduct a spacewalk August 9 out of the Poisk module at the International Space Station to attach three debris shields to the nearby Rassvet module where other hardware had been stowed prior to their relocation to the Nauka Multipurpose Laboratory Module. The two cosmonauts then attached a portable workstation to the end of the European Robotic Arm, allowing Prokopyev to ride at the end of the arm to test its sturdiness as it was operated from inside Nauka by cosmonaut Andrey Fedyayev. It was the 267th spacewalk in support of space station assembly, maintenance and upgrades, the eighth in Prokopyev’s career and the sixth for Petelin.

** Astronaut Sultan Alneyadi Answers International Space University Student Questions Aug. 1, 2023NASA

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineer Sultan Alneyadi of UAE (United Arab Emirates) answered questions about life and work on the orbiting laboratory during an in-flight event Aug. 1 with International Space University students in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Alneyadi is in the midst of a science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.

** Expedition 69 Space Station Crew Answers Louisiana NASA ASTRO CAMP Student Questions – Aug. 8, 2023 – NASA Video

Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 69 Flight Engineers Frank Rubio and Woody Hoburg of NASA answered questions about life and work on the orbiting laboratory during an in-flight event Aug. 8 with students in Louisiana. Rubio and Hoburg are in the midst of a science mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies. Such research benefits people on Earth and lays the groundwork for future human exploration through the agency’s Artemis missions, which will send astronauts to the Moon to prepare for future expeditions to Mars.

** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA

Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.

The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8

Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov

====

ISS after undocking of STS-132

=== Amazon Ads ===

Lego Ideas International Space Station
21321 Toy Blocks, Present, Space, Boys, Girls, Ages 16 and Up

====

Outpost in Orbit:
A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station

 

This week’s videos about space stations and living in space including NASA’s latest ‘Space to Ground’ report for the International Space Station:

[Post URL]

Videos: “Space to Ground” & other space habitat reports – July.31.2023

Here is the latest episode in NASA’s Space to Ground weekly report on activities related to the International Space Station:

** Launch of Northrop Grumman’s 19th Cargo Mission to the Space Station (Official NASA Broadcast)NASA

Watch live as medical studies, a new water dispenser, artwork from students around the world, and other research and supplies lift off for the International Space Station on Northrop Grumman’s next rocket launch from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility at Wallops Island, Virginia.

The mission’s uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft (named S.S. Laurel Clark) is scheduled to blast off atop an Antares rocket no earlier than Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, at 8:31 p.m. EST (0031 Aug. 2 UTC), docking with the ISS on Friday, Aug. 4.

** Meet the Next Crew Members Flying to the Space Station (Official NASA Briefing) – NASA Video

Crew members from NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission, and astronaut Loral O’Hara, who will fly to space for the first time, will discuss their upcoming missions to the International Space Station.

Crew-7 will carry NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli as well as JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket to the space station no earlier than Aug. 17, 2023.

O’Hara is set to launch aboard a Soyuz rocket on Sept. 15, 2023, to join the other crew members to conduct science experiments and research aboard the orbiting laboratory.

More on Crew-7: https://go.nasa.gov/471ovnh

** Astronaut controls humanoid robot from International Space StationVideoFromSpace

The humanoid Rollin’ Justin simulates planetary operations during a ground-to-space exercise in 2018, with European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst. Gerst and Justin are both part of the German space agency (DLR). Gerst controlled the robot from the International Space Station, in a test of future lunar or Mars operations.

** Greece wildfires seen from International Space StationThe Independent

The smoke from wildfires currently littering multiple Greek Islands was filmed from the International Space Station.

The fires have forced tens of thousands of holidaymakers to evacuate the tourist hotspot islands of Rhodes and Corfu.

The evacuation order came after Jet2 and Tui cancelled all flights to Rhodes until Friday 28 July.

** Live Video from the International Space Station (Official NASA Stream) – NASA

Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.

The space station orbits Earth about 250 miles (425 kilometers) above the surface. An international partnership of five space agencies from 15 countries operates the station, and it has been continuously occupied since November 2000. It’s a microgravity laboratory where science, research, and human innovation make way for new technologies and research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. More: https://go.nasa.gov/3CkVtC8

Did you know you can spot the station without a telescope? It looks like a fast-moving star, but you have to know when to look up. Sign up for text messages or email alerts to let you know when (and where) to spot the station and wave to the crew: https://spotthestation.nasa.gov

====

ISS after undocking of STS-132

=== Amazon Ads ===

Lego Ideas International Space Station
21321 Toy Blocks, Present, Space, Boys, Girls, Ages 16 and Up

====

Outpost in Orbit:
A Pictorial & Verbal History of the Space Station