{"id":17933,"date":"2019-02-22T20:00:24","date_gmt":"2019-02-23T01:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17933"},"modified":"2019-02-26T10:10:33","modified_gmt":"2019-02-26T15:10:33","slug":"space-transport-roundup-feb-22-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17933","title":{"rendered":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Feb.22.2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Another sampling of items related to traveling to and through space:<\/p>\n<p><strong>**<\/strong> <strong>SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo Mission passes review<\/strong> &#8211; NASA and SpaceX held a flight readiness review (FRR) today to determine if the Falcon 9\/Crew Dragon combo is ready for the first test flight to the ISS. The uncrewed Demo-1 mission is set for March 2nd. The FRR concluded with approval of the mission. <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/commercialcrew\/2019\/02\/22\/demo-1-flight-readiness-concludes\/\">Demo-1 Flight Readiness Concludes \u2013 Commercial Crew Program<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Following a full day of briefings and discussion, NASA and SpaceX are proceeding with plans to conduct the first uncrewed test flight of the Crew Dragon on a mission to the International Space Station. Launch is scheduled for 2:48 a.m. EST Saturday, March 2 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It\u00a0will be the first time a commercially built and operated American rocket and spacecraft designed for humans will launch to the space station.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">At\u00a06 p.m., NASA will\u00a0<a id=\"LPlnk212298\" href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/live\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">broadcast<\/a>\u00a0a post-flight readiness review briefing from Kennedy, with the following representatives:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><em>William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator, NASA Human Exploration and Operations<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Kathy Lueders, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Hans Koenigsmann, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Kirk Shireman, manager, International Space Station Program<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Norm Knight, deputy director, NASA\u00a0 Johnson Space Center Flight Operations<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[ <strong>Update<\/strong>: Here is a video of the FRR briefing:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AkOHE-LCT_s?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>]<\/p>\n<p>More at<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/02\/spacex-gains-frr-green-light-dm-1-iss\/\">SpaceX gains FRR green light for DM-1 mission to the ISS \u2013 NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/commercialcrew\/2019\/02\/22\/teams-working-through-demo-1-reviews\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Teams Working Through Demo-1 Reviews \u2013 Commercial Crew Program<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/commercialcrew\/2019\/02\/22\/demo-1-flight-readiness-review-begins\/\">Demo-1 Flight Readiness Review Begins \u2013 Commercial Crew Program<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-to-provide-coverage-of-spacex-commercial-crew-flight-test\">NASA to Provide Coverage of SpaceX Commercial Crew Flight Test &#8211; NASA<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-crew-dragon-orbital-launch-debut-ten-days-away\/\">NASA and SpaceX will determine fate of Crew Dragon launch debut this Friday &#8211; Teslarati.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Assuming this uncrewed mission goes well, there will be one more uncrewed demonstration mission before a crew flies. That demo will test the in-flight abort system with the Crew Dragon vehicle separating from the rocket at the point, a minute or so after liftoff, when the vehicle experiences maximum dynamic pressure, i.e. maximum stress from the combination of the opposing forces of the engines and atmospheric drag. The flight will use the same booster that flew on yesterday&#8217;s launch of the Indonesian comm-sat and SpaceIL lunar lander.<\/p>\n<p><strong>**<\/strong> <strong>SpaceX Falcon 9 launches comm-sat plus two secondaries including an Israeli spacecraft going to the Moon<\/strong>.\u00a0 On Thursday evening at Cape Canaveral, SpaceX&#8217;s second F9 launch of the year put the Indonesian Nusantara Satu communications satellite on track to a geostationary orbit. The two secondary payloads included the S5 USAF technology demo satellite and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spaceil.com\/\">SpaceIL<\/a>&#8216;s lunar lander spacecraft, which is named Beresheet (Hebrew for \u201cgenesis\u201d or &#8220;in the beginning&#8221;). The F9 booster, which was on its third mission, landed safely on a floating platform in rough seas after coming back from the highest altitude so far for a recovered booster.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vUva9-ZnPdI?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2019\/02\/a-lunar-lander-launches-from-florida-for-the-first-time-since-apollo-17\/\">A lunar lander launches from Florida for the first time since Apollo 17 | Ars Technica<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/2019\/02\/22\/israeli-moon-lander-hitches-ride-on-spacex-launch-with-indonesian-comsat\/\">Israeli moon lander hitches ride on SpaceX launch with Indonesian comsat \u2013 Spaceflight Now<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The SpaceIL non-profit, volunteer project began as an entry in the Google Lunar X PRIZE\u00a0 but continued after the GLXP ended. It will be the first privately funded mission to the Moon. If successful, Israel will be only the fourth country (after US, Soviet Union, and China) to put a lander onto the Moon.<\/p>\n<p><strong>****<\/strong> <strong>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spaceil.com\/mission\/\">Beresheet journey to the Moon<\/a><\/strong> will take seven weeks. As shown in this video, the Beresheet craft will use its onboard propulsion system to bring the apogee of its earth orbit closer and closer to the Moon&#8217;s orbit.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_R4zk448oPs?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Once it is close enough, the engine will fire to allow for the Moon&#8217;s gravity to capture it. This is scheduled to happen on April 4th. A week later the craft will make its landing attempt. Here is the time table:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_17952\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17952\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.spaceil.com\/mission\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17952\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=17952\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/image0011.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1477,1109\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Beresheet Timeline\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;A graphic timeline of the major events in the Beresheet mission.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/image0011-1024x769.jpg\" class=\"size-large wp-image-17952\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/image0011-1024x769.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/image0011-1024x769.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/image0011-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/image0011-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/image0011.jpg 1477w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-17952\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>A graphic timeline of the major events in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spaceil.com\/mission\/\">Beresheet mission<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I&#8217;ll be following the mission here and you can find updates from the project at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/teamspaceil\">Israel To The Moon (@TeamSpaceIL) | Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>** Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo makes second powered flight<\/strong> in 10 weeks to edge of space. See postings here on the flight:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17954\">Virgin Galactic sets new milestones on second flight to edge of space in 10 weeks<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17932\">Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo test flight \u2013 Feb.22.2019<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>**<\/strong> <strong>Soyuz 2-1B launches EgyptSat-A earth observation satellite<\/strong> successfully from the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Baikonur_Cosmodrome\">Baikonur Cosmodrome<\/a> despite a problem with the third stage booster:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">CLOSE CALL: TASS now confirms &#8220;issues&#8221; during today&#8217;s Soyuz launch, but, fortunately, Fregat space tug compensated for apparent underperformance of the third stage, successfully completing the EgyptSat-A&#8217;s orbital insertion: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4OkWrMzdv1\">https:\/\/t.co\/4OkWrMzdv1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Anatoly Zak (@RussianSpaceWeb) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RussianSpaceWeb\/status\/1098662270291374080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 21, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/02\/russia-2019-campaign-soyuz-2-1b-launch-egyptsat-a\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17962\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=17962\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Soyuz21-BLaunch-Feb23-2019.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1133,736\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Soyuz 2-1B Launch\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Soyuz21-BLaunch-Feb23-2019-1024x665.jpg\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-17962\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Soyuz21-BLaunch-Feb23-2019-1024x665.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Soyuz21-BLaunch-Feb23-2019-1024x665.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Soyuz21-BLaunch-Feb23-2019-300x195.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Soyuz21-BLaunch-Feb23-2019-768x499.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Soyuz21-BLaunch-Feb23-2019.jpg 1133w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>See also<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/02\/russia-2019-campaign-soyuz-2-1b-launch-egyptsat-a\/\">Soyuz 2-1b launches EgyptSat-A \u2013 suffers apparent issues \u2013 but deemed successful \u2013 NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/2019\/02\/21\/egyptian-observation-satellite-successfully-launched-by-russian-rocket\/\">Egyptian observation satellite launched by Russian rocket \u2013 Spaceflight Now<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>**<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/fireflyspace.com\/\"><strong>Firefly Aerospace<\/strong><\/a><strong> announced<\/strong> on Friday that it will open a rocket factory at Cape Canaveral and launch the vehicles at a nearby pad:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2019\/02\/firefly-planning-a-major-rocket-assembly-and-launch-facility-in-florida\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Firefly planning a major rocket assembly and launch facility in Florida | Ars Technica<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2019\/2\/22\/18234604\/firefly-aerospace-cape-canaveral-florida-launch-site-slc-20\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Resurrected Firefly Aerospace will take over a launch site at busy Florida spaceport &#8211; The Verge<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.orlandosentinel.com\/business\/space\/go-for-launch\/os-bz-project-maricopa-reveal-20190220-story.html\">Space startup Firefly to build $52 million rocket factory at Cape Canaveral, add 239 jobs &#8211; Orlando Sentinel<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_17939\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17939\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17939\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=17939\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CapeCanaveralAnnouncement-Feb22-2019.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1200,900\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Cape Canaveral Firefly Announcement Feb.22, 2019\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Florida officials and Firefly Aerospace announce plans for Cape Canaveral facility and launch operations.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CapeCanaveralAnnouncement-Feb22-2019-1024x768.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-17939 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CapeCanaveralAnnouncement-Feb22-2019-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CapeCanaveralAnnouncement-Feb22-2019-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CapeCanaveralAnnouncement-Feb22-2019-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CapeCanaveralAnnouncement-Feb22-2019-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CapeCanaveralAnnouncement-Feb22-2019.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-17939\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>At an event at Cape Canaveral on Feb. 22, Florida officials and Firefly Aerospace CEO Tom Markusic announce plans for the company to open a rocket factory at the Cape and to launch the vehicles there.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>From the Verge article:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Texas-based spaceflight company Firefly Aerospace is moving into a new launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida \u2014 the location of US\u2019s premier spaceport. Thanks to a deal with Space Florida, a government agency that spurs development in the state, Firefly will be taking over a pad called SLC-20 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as well as building a nearby manufacturing facility. That means the launch provider now has secured two launchpads for the rockets it has been developing: one in Florida and another at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>**<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/blackarrow-space.uk\/\"><strong>Black Arrow Technologies in the UK<\/strong><\/a> plans to use a sea-going launch platform for its smallsat rocket system:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Black Arrow Space Technologies is developing its own spaceship \u2013 a seaborne spaceport which will be used to launch satellites of up to, initially, 500 kg in to Low Earth Orbit. The \u201cspaceship\u201d 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. This CGI animation, created for us by Animated Technologies, gives a great impression of what we are aiming to achieve.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BMZ_Bi3QRmc?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The company&#8217;s rocket is powered with liquid natural gas and can put up to 500 kg into Low Earth Orbit.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6wWQQO1Xm_g?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>**<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/launcherspace.com\/\">LAUNCHER<\/a> claims it&#8217;s 3D printed rocket engine is bigger<\/strong> than the other guys&#8217; 3D printed rocket engines:\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2019\/02\/20\/brooklyn-rocket-start-up-launcher-gets-largest-single-piece-3d-printed-engine.html\">Rocket start-up Launcher gets largest single piece 3D printed engine &#8211; CNBC<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The simply-named company, Launcher, provided CNBC with a first look at the company\u2019s E-2 engine, which was made in Germany by AMCM using its specialized M4K printer. Launcher has only five full-time employees but credits its ability to develop E-2 quickly to the advances made in 3D printing.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u201cWith 3D printing, we\u2019re now in a world where a start-up like us can now access [advanced] liquid oxygen propulsion technologies,\u201d Launcher founder Max Haot told CNBC.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>**<\/strong> <strong>More <a href=\"http:\/\/www.spacex.com\">SpaceX<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><strong>****<\/strong> A profile of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/SpaceXLounge\/comments\/aslrd7\/maria_pointer_boca_chica_maria_interview\/\">Maria Pointer<\/a> who lives in Boca Chica Beach and posts photos and videos of SpaceX activities taken from her backyard:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qvwFQZnDFxY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>****<\/strong> Here are new videos of SpaceX at Boca Chica courtesy of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.Spadre.com\">South Padre Island Information<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xIazoCEfF6k?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1600\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LrAjC0BMTzc?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>**** <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/with_replies\">Elon Musk commented on Tweeter<\/a><\/strong> that the first full-scale Raptor engine underwent increasingly strenuous test firings until it reached the point where it failed as expected. A second engine will begin testing soon.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Merlins. The max chamber pressure run damaged Raptor SN 1 (as expected). A lot of the parts are fine for reuse, but next tests will be with SN 2, which is almost done.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1098653939141009408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 21, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">====<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1610398297\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1610398297&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=hobbyspace&amp;linkId=d5a5186356a0ac2412b80d64262bdb05\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong><em>The Space Barons: Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the Quest to Colonize the Cosmos<\/em><\/strong><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&amp;l=am2&amp;o=1&amp;a=1610398297\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe style=\"width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ac&amp;ref=tf_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=hobbyspace&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=1610398297&amp;asins=1610398297&amp;linkId=f7edf45d29fd89517f105c663a460fe9&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true&amp;price_color=333333&amp;title_color=0066c0&amp;bg_color=ffffff\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><br \/>\n<\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Another sampling of items related to traveling to and through space: ** SpaceX Crew Dragon Demo Mission passes review &#8211; NASA and SpaceX held a flight readiness review (FRR) today to determine if the Falcon 9\/Crew Dragon combo is ready for the first test flight to the ISS. The uncrewed Demo-1 mission is set for &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17933\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Space transport roundup &#8211; Feb.22.2019<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rockets"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-4Ff","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16495,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16495","url_meta":{"origin":17933,"position":0},"title":"Video: NASA announces astronauts for first commercial crew flights to the ISS","author":"TopSpacer","date":"August 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"NASA is announcing today the selection of astronauts who will fly to the \u00a0International Space Station\u00a0on the Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Crew Dragon transports, which are scheduled to make the first crew launches next year. The event is webcast from NASA's Johnson\u00a0 Space Center in Houston. [ Here is a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=37"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/reddit-3-1024x6831-1024x683.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":21918,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=21918","url_meta":{"origin":17933,"position":1},"title":"Videos: Launch of the first SpaceX Dragon with crew to the ISS","author":"TopSpacer","date":"May 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"6:20 pm EDT: The launch was scrubbed at about 15 minutes before liftoff time due to violations of weather constraints. The clouds were starting to clear but not in time for the instantaneous\u00a0 launch window. The next launch opportunity is on Saturday at 3:22 p.m. EDT (19:22 UTC). Followed by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Living in Space&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Living in Space","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/Aymrnzianf0\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":21195,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=21195","url_meta":{"origin":17933,"position":2},"title":"Space Adventures to fly private citizens on SpaceX Crew Dragon","author":"TopSpacer","date":"February 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Space Adventures and SpaceX announced today plans to fly four private citizens on a Crew Dragon flight. The Dragon would not go to the ISS but would be a \"free flyer\" mission in which the citizen astronauts would enjoy microgravity and views of Earth in the spacecraft. The spacecraft would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Future space&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Future space","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=82"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Dragon_Carousel_0001_81-500x281.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":21529,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=21529","url_meta":{"origin":17933,"position":3},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; March.31.2020","author":"TopSpacer","date":"March 31, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here): ** SpaceX contracted by NASA for cargo delivery services to lunar orbit station: NASA Awards Artemis Contract for Gateway Logistics Services | NASA NASA has selected SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, as the first U.S.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/spacex-xl-high-orbit_1000x562-500x281.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18167,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18167","url_meta":{"origin":17933,"position":4},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; March.8.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"March 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent items related to traveling to and through space: ** SpaceX: **** The Crew Dragon splashes down in the Atlantic off the coast of Florida: Crew Dragon Splashes Down in Atlantic Ending First Commercial Crew Mission \u2013 Space Station https:\/\/youtu.be\/4cy68OoNHF0 **** The DM-1 mission was a great\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/snaps_splashdown-about-nasa-x-on-new-nasa-tv-1-public-_ok-1024x5761-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":21383,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=21383","url_meta":{"origin":17933,"position":5},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Mar.11.2020","author":"TopSpacer","date":"March 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here): ** SpaceX planning for May launch of astronauts on Crew Dragon to the ISS: SpaceX aiming for May astronaut launch, will reuse Crew Dragon - CNBC - SpaceX is \u201cgunning for May\u201d to launch\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/BlackArrowRocket_08-1024x5761-1-500x281.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17933"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17933\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18011,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17933\/revisions\/18011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}