The band Suzerain released a cover of David Bowie’s song Space Oddity in honour of Astronaut Tim Peake‘s launch to the International Space Station on Tuesday: Space Oddity (David Bowie Cover) by SUZERAIN

Peake is the first “official” UK government supported astronaut to go to space. Here is a video of his Soyuz rocket lifting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. In the Soyuz spacecraft with Peake were Expedition 46-47 Soyuz Commander Yuri Malenchenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) and NASA Flight Engineer Tim Kopra

And here is a video of the Soyuz spacecraft approaching and docking with the ISS six hours after launch:

General

Carnival of Space #436 – Next Big Future

December 16, 2015 TopSpacer

Next Big Future hosts the latest Carnival of Space.

General, Space Policy, SpaceCasts

Video – TMRO 8.36: Where did all this space love come from?

December 16, 2015 TopSpacer

The latest TMRO.tv program is now available on line: Where did all this space love come from? – TMRO

This week we ask the question, “Is there a sudden influx in space interest and where is it coming from?”

Space news topics discussed:

* Soyuz 2-1v launch with Kanopus ST Earth observing satellite
* Atlas V launch of Cygnus
* Long March 3B with Chinasat 1C satellite
* Zenit launch with Elektro-L 2 weather satellite
* Aerojet Rocketdyne wins propulsion contracts worth nearly $1.4 billion
* Angry McCain Demands Answers on ULA No-bid Decision
* Japan looking to further their relationship with the US… in Space!
* Soyuz TMA-17M Returns with three astronauts from the ISS
* SpaceX eyes Dec. 19 for first launch since June
* Motion Tracking = Better Space Station?

TMRO.tv is supported by viewers:

TMRO Live is a crowd funded show. If you like this episode consider contributing to help us to continue to improve. Head over to http://www.patreon.com/tmro for information, goals and reward levels. Don’t forget to check out our SpacePod campaign as well over at http://www.patreon.com/spacepod

Mars, Space Science, Space Systems

Video: Curiosity rover report – Dec.15.15

December 16, 2015 TopSpacer

The latest report from NASA JPL on what’s happening with the Curiosity rover on Mars:

Curiosity performs the first investigation of active sand dunes on another planet. Studying the Bagnold Dunes on Mars will help scientists understand the physics of Martian dunes and how they move.