{"id":19168,"date":"2019-07-02T15:03:14","date_gmt":"2019-07-02T19:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19168"},"modified":"2019-07-02T15:03:14","modified_gmt":"2019-07-02T19:03:14","slug":"space-transport-roundup-july-2-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19168","title":{"rendered":"Space transport roundup &#8211; July.2.2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport:<\/p>\n<p>**<strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rocketlabusa.com\">Rocket Lab<\/a>&#8216;s seventh Electron rocket launch successfully carried seven payloads<\/strong> into orbit last Saturday:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rocketlabusa.com\/\">Rocket Lab successfully launches seventh Electron mission, deploys seven satellites to orbit | Rocket Lab<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/2019\/06\/29\/rocket-lab-flies-again-from-new-zealand-as-construction-advances-at-virginia-launch-pad\/\">Rocket Lab flies again from New Zealand as work progresses at Virginia launch pad \u2013 Spaceflight Now<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/06\/rocket-lab-electron-spaceflight-inc-rideshare-mission\/\">Rocket Lab conducts Spaceflight Inc. Rideshare Mission with Electron launch \u2013 NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The liftoff is at about 18:55 into this webcast video:<\/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\/idKCy8LdyKo?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:\/\/exosaero.com\/\">EXOS Aerospace<\/a>&#8216;s SARGE reusable sounding rocket suffers guidance anomaly<\/strong> shortly after liftoff but successfully returns via parasail for a soft landing. <a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/exos-suffers-setback-in-reusable-suborbital-launch-attempt\/\">Exos suffers setback in reusable suborbital launch attempt &#8211; SpaceNews.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Liftoff is at about the 2:57:30 point in this webcast video. The miscue in the trajectory is visible just before the rocket goes out of view of the camera.<\/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\/MkcB6s65Gu8?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>A problem with the engine gimbal is mentioned in the video. Haven&#8217;t seen any update since then from the company giving more details about the problem. The vehicle appears to be undamaged so the next launch could happen relatively soon. You can follow EXOS at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/exosaerosystech\">EXOS (@exosaerosystech) | Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>A SpaceShipTwo hybrid moter is tested in Mojave<\/strong> by <a href=\"http:\/\/thespaceshipcompany.com\/\">The SpaceShip Company<\/a>, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.VirginGalactic.com\">Virgin Galactic<\/a> subsidiary in charge of manufacturing the <a href=\"http:\/\/thespaceshipcompany.com\/what-we-build\/spaceshiptwo\/\">SS2<\/a>\/<a href=\"http:\/\/thespaceshipcompany.com\/what-we-build\/whiteknighttwo\/\">WhiteKnightTwo<\/a> vehicles.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Another day, another test milestone complete. A full duration hotfire of the HRM-2500 motor on the Vertical Test Stand. Valuable data gathered for our propulsion team to study. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/virgingalactic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@virgingalactic<\/a> &#x1f680; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UjFLwH9VCH\">pic.twitter.com\/UjFLwH9VCH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 TheSpaceshipCompany (@TheSpaceshipCo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheSpaceshipCo\/status\/1145804358828863490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 1, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>**<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/blushiftaerospace.com\/#blog\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bluShift Aerospace<\/a> of Main wins <a href=\"https:\/\/sbir.nasa.gov\/SBIR\/abstracts\/19\/sbir\/phase1\/SBIR-19-1-Z9.01-3259.html\">NASA SBIR funding<\/a><\/strong> for development of the MAREVL (Modular Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch): <a href=\"https:\/\/www.journaltribune.com\/articles\/front-page\/maine-rocket-company-wins-nasa-grant\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Maine rocket company wins NASA grant | Journal Tribune<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Modern orbital rockets are made up of two or more stages. Different stages use different engine types, each optimized for a specific part of the ascent. With MAREVL, each stage will have different numbers of the same engine type and it uses a hybrid rocket, in which liquid oxidizer combines with a solid fuel, to reduce the complexity, weight, and cost of the engine.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u201cWe are developing a modular hybrid rocket engine that will use a bio-derived solid fuel to launch cubesats into low-Earth orbit,\u201d Lockman said.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The goal is development of a <a href=\"https:\/\/blushiftaerospace.com\/#rockets\">smallsat launcher<\/a>. Here is a recent presentation by Seth Lockman of bluShift: <em>5 Minute Genius: Seth Lockman &#8211; From Maine to the Stars. Maine Science Festival 2019<\/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\/KIqJ-yvGVww?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>And another intro video about the company:<\/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\/rCmRaqrJoXw?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>Find updates at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/blushiftaero\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bluShift Aerospace (@bluShiftAero) | Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Another article about Spinlaunch<\/strong> and its catapult launch system: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/jonathanocallaghan\/2019\/06\/27\/this-startup-plans-to-throw-satellites-directly-into-space-with-a-hypersonic-catapult-by-2022\/#73cd87fd1a31\">This Startup Wants To Use A Hypersonic Catapult To Throw Satellites Directly Into Space By 2022 &#8211; Forbes<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The company was founded back in 2014 but only emerged into the public eye in 2018 after spending four years in stealth mode. The company raised $40 million in Series A funding in April last year from Airbus Ventures, Google Ventures, and Kleiner Perkins. They are touting launch costs of $250,000, and up to five launches per day. It\u2019s unclear what the weight limit is per launch.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <a href=\"http:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\"><strong>Blue Origin<\/strong><\/a><strong> is preparing the ship on which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\/new-glenn\/\">New Glenn<\/a> boosters will land<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Funnels are chopped and the deck is flat on the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/blueorigin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@blueorigin<\/a> recovery ship being modified in Pensacola! The loading ramp on the stern has also been shortened flush with the deck. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UGY0MInBge\">pic.twitter.com\/UGY0MInBge<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dakota The Astrowolf (@DakotaAstroWolf) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DakotaAstroWolf\/status\/1145111583254884352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 29, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Chinese commercial launch companies<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>Polar Space Exploration Technology Ltd. developing\u00a0 vertical takeoff and landing launch system<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/m.weibo.cn\/detail\/4388673396874638#&amp;video\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">&#8220;Tianmeng&#8221; rocket project &#8211; Weibo<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The landing looks similar to concepts for the government Long March 8 VTVL medium-lift rocket, which retains side boosters for landing. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7Jl9e7tK2l\">pic.twitter.com\/7Jl9e7tK2l<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AJ_FI\/status\/1146014035189653504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 2, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-cards=\"hidden\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Tianmeng will target international launch sector and launch from an island (likely Hainan). Video from a press conference last week: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/m5Bc6MuBm0\">https:\/\/t.co\/m5Bc6MuBm0<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MOGqYKlN2f\">pic.twitter.com\/MOGqYKlN2f<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AJ_FI\/status\/1146014062725275648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 2, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_19170\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19170\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/m.weibo.cn\/detail\/4388673396874638#&amp;video\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"19170\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=19170\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Polar-BoosterLanding-June2019.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"883,715\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" 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=\"Polar Booster Landing\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Polar-BoosterLanding-June2019.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-19170\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Polar-BoosterLanding-June2019.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Polar-BoosterLanding-June2019.jpg 883w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Polar-BoosterLanding-June2019-300x243.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Polar-BoosterLanding-June2019-768x622.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-19170\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Booster landing from <a href=\"https:\/\/m.weibo.cn\/detail\/4388673396874638#&amp;video\">animation of Tianmeng launch system<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>*** <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.onespacechina.com\/en\/\">OneSpace<\/a> tests two thrusters<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Thumbs up for our colleagues\uff01We successfully completed 2500N bipropellant thruster hot fire test at 21st of May, this thruster is designed for precision attitude, trajectory and orbit control. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ona9HuFCac\">pic.twitter.com\/ona9HuFCac<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 OneSpace (@OneSpace01) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OneSpace01\/status\/1133296376182272000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 28, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Again! We successfully completed 300N bipropellant thruster hot fire test on 25th of June&#x1f61c; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GdH61iyahR\">pic.twitter.com\/GdH61iyahR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 OneSpace (@OneSpace01) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OneSpace01\/status\/1145873700094300160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 2, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>** <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.SpaceX.com\">SpaceX<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>The first Starship operational orbital launch set for 2021<\/strong> according to SpaceX VP: <a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/spacex-targets-2021-commercial-starship-launch\/\">SpaceX targets 2021 commercial Starship launch &#8211; SpaceNews.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The first commercial mission for SpaceX\u2019s Starship and Super Heavy launch system will likely take place in 2021, a company executive said June 26.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Jonathan Hofeller, SpaceX\u2019s vice president of commercial sales, said the company is in talks with prospective customers for the first commercial launch of that system roughly two years from now.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u201cWe are in discussions with three different customers as we speak right now to be that first mission,\u201d Hofeller said at the APSAT conference here. \u201cThose are all telecom companies.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>Falcon 9 standard launch price is now $50M<\/strong> according to Hofeller in the same presentation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Hofeller said the discounted pricing SpaceX gave to early customers of Falcon 9 missions with pre-flown first-stage boosters is now the company\u2019s normal pricing. SpaceX Founder Elon Musk said last year that previously flown booster missions were priced \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/spacex-targeting-24-hour-turnaround-in-2019-full-reusability-still-in-the-works\/\">around $50 million<\/a>,\u201d down from $62 million. Musk said SpaceX\u2019s prices would continue to decline, too.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Hofeller reiterated that prices would keep dropping through the introduction of Super Heavy and Starship. The fully reusable nature of the launch system enables those lower prices, he said.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>According to the official <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spacex.com\/falcon9\">SpaceX Falcon 9 specs<\/a>, the $50M price makes for $2193\/kg ($995\/lb) to LEO, $6024\/kg ($2732\/lb) to GEO, and $12440\/kg ($5643\/lb) to Mars.<\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>We may see a Falcon booster fly for its 6th time<\/strong> this year: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-teases-new-falcon-9-block-5-reusability-milestones\/\">SpaceX sets new Falcon 9 Block 5 reusability milestones for second half of 2019 &#8211; Teslarati<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Speaking at 2019\u2019s Asia-Pacific Satellite (APSAT) Conference, SpaceX Vice President of Commercial Sales Jonathan Hofeller \u2013 squeezed into a sea of breaking-news updates \u2013 announced that the company plans to launch the same Falcon 9 Block 5 booster for the fifth (or sixth) time by the end of 2019.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Just an add-on at the end of a number of updates focused on SpaceX\u2019s next-generation Starship\/Super Heavy rocket, the phrasing reported by SpaceNews.com technically means that there are plans for a Falcon 9 booster to launch for the sixth time in the second half of 2019. The demonstration of such an extreme level of operational reusability barely 18 months after Falcon 9 Block 5\u2019s debut would make it clear that SpaceX\u2019s latest Falcon upgrade has been a resounding success. In line with those positive signs, Hofeller also noted that SpaceX is already starting to transfer the fruits of those labors to its customers by permanently lowering the base price of Falcon 9 launch contracts.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>Great views of the most recent Falcon Heavy launch<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/2019\/06\/30\/more-photos-from-spacex-first-falcon-heavy-night-launch\/\">More photos from SpaceX\u2019s first Falcon Heavy night launch \u2013 Spaceflight Now<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The the Air Force Research Laboratory had two spacecraft on the flight: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.af.mil\/News\/Article-Display\/Article\/1892191\/afrl-puts-new-technologies-into-space-aboard-worlds-most-powerful-launch-vehicle\/\">AFRL puts new technologies into space aboard world\u2019s most powerful launch vehicle &#8211; U.S. Air Force<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8230;the Green Propellant Infusion Mission spacecraft, which enables the first ever on-orbit demonstration of the AFRL developed Advanced Spacecraft Energetic Non-toxic Propellant.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Space demonstration of this new propellant, ASCENT, formerly known as AF-M315E, marks a major milestone in a national effort to develop new energetic propellants to replace hydrazine, the current established chemical propellant of choice for nearly all current satellite propulsion. Not only is ASCENT 50% higher performing than hydrazine, it is also a vastly safer alternative, allowing for streamlined ground operations relative to legacy propellants. While hydrazine is flammable, toxic and requires the use of Self Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensemble suits for handling operations, ASCENT propellant requires minimal Personal Protective Equipment such as a lab coat and a splash guard for the face.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Also part of the STP-2 mission was AFRL\u2019s Demonstration and Science Experiments (DSX) spacecraft. The first of its kind globally, the DSX flight experiment will conduct new research to advance DOD\u2019s understanding of the processes governing the Van Allen radiation belts and the effect they have on spacecraft components. DSX\u2019s elliptical path in medium Earth orbit will increase understanding of this orbital regime, and advance understanding of the interplay between waves and particles that underlie radiation belt dynamics, enabling better specification, forecasting and mitigation. This will ultimately enhance the nation\u2019s capability to field resilient space systems, AFRL officials say.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>DSX\u2019s mission is different from most other Air Force flight experiments as it is a purely scientific mission. The spacecraft is equipped with a unique suite of technologies such as space weather sensors and graphite antenna booms used to conduct experiments with very-low frequency radio waves. DSX has two sets of immense deployable booms due to the large antenna requirements of these experiments. One set extends 80 meters tip-to-tip and the other extends 16 meters tip-to-tip, making the DSX spacecraft one of the largest deployable structures in orbit.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Despite the third launch success, there are no FH missions listed on the public manifest till the end of 2020:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/2019\/06\/30\/barring-a-surprise-spacexs-next-falcon-heavy-flight-is-planned-in-late-2020\/\">Barring a surprise, SpaceX\u2019s next Falcon Heavy flight is planned in late 2020 \u2013 Spaceflight Now<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-next-falcon-heavy-launch-late-2020\/\">SpaceX&#8217;s next Falcon Heavy launch and landing could be more than a year away &#8211; Teslarati<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>*** <strong>Turning the return and capture of a Falcon fairing into a physics lesson<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/spacex-recovered-its-first-rocket-fairing-lets-crunch-the-numbers\/\">SpaceX Recovered Its First Rocket Fairing. Let\u2019s Crunch the Numbers! | WIRED<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>A SpaceX fairing is falling from an altitude of 50 km and falls with a constant terminal velocity of 20 m\/s. You are the captain of the fast boat Ms. Tree. Mission control has just determined that the fairing will land a distance of 12.3 km from your location. Since you are trying to impress everyone, you decide to wait until the last possible moment to travel to the rendezvous site. How long should you wait?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>A Falcon\u00a0 9 booster may join the <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kennedyspacecenter.com\/explore-attractions\/heroes-and-legends\/rocket-garden\"><strong>Rocket Garden<\/strong> at Kennedy Space Center<\/a> at Cape Canaveral: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/kennedy-space-center-wants-a-spacex-falcon-core-for-its-rocket-garden\/\">Kennedy Space Center wants a SpaceX Falcon 9 core for its Rocket Garden &#8211; Teslarati<\/a><\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>57 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.starlink.com\/\">Starlink<\/a> satellites have reached operational orbit while 3 are not in contact<\/strong> with the controllers.\u00a0 These first-generation spacecraft were inserted into orbit at 440 km in May and then used on-board ion thrusters to reach 550 kilometers. Since they are in the lower orbit, the three failed satellites will reenter the atmosphere within a year or two.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.geekwire.com\/2019\/spacex-reports-milestone-starlink-satellite-links-sparks-debate\/\">SpaceX reports milestone for Starlink satellite links \u2014 and sparks a debate \u2013 GeekWire<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2019\/6\/28\/19154142\/spacex-starlink-60-satellites-communication-internet-constellation\">SpaceX is in communication with all but three of 60 Starlink satellites one month after launch &#8211; The Verge<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>** <strong>Some info about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/exploration\/commercial\/crew\/index.html\">NASA&#8217;s commercial crew program<\/a><\/strong> from <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sciguyspace\">Eric Berger<\/a> including an item about the investigation into the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dragon_2#Explosion_during_testing\">explosion during the test<\/a> of the abort system on a Dragon spacecraft on April 20th:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">2. SpaceX has been working well with NASA after April&#8217;s Crew Dragon explosion in Florida. Two sources confirm issue is not with Super Draco thrusters, and probably will cause a delay of months, rather than a year or more.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SciGuySpace\/status\/1145677592579715075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 1, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>*<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">====<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1944648453\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1944648453&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=hobbyspace&amp;linkId=58e1458b47a9ea2c9a71199c1a657964\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Space 2.0: How Private Spaceflight, a Resurgent NASA,<br \/>\nand International Partners are Creating a New Space Age<\/a><\/strong><\/em><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=1944648453\" 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=1944648453&amp;asins=1944648453&amp;linkId=4d5a69f3ddec04646e1ac0c549848ed6&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\"> <\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport: ** Rocket Lab&#8216;s seventh Electron rocket launch successfully carried seven payloads into orbit last Saturday: Rocket Lab successfully launches seventh Electron mission, deploys seven satellites to orbit | Rocket Lab Rocket Lab flies again from New Zealand as work progresses at Virginia launch &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19168\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Space transport roundup &#8211; July.2.2019<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","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-19168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rockets"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-4Za","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":17320,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17320","url_meta":{"origin":19168,"position":0},"title":"Videos: Rocket Lab launches Electron rocket with NASA sponsored CubeSats","author":"TopSpacer","date":"December 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Rocket Lab today successfully launched an Electron rocket from the Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. The vehicle reached low earth orbit and its kick stage later circularized its orbit and then deployed 13 small satellites sponsored by NASA, including several university built CubeSats: https:\/\/youtu.be\/KZwLJMPuos8 Here is a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Amateur\/Student Satellite&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Amateur\/Student Satellite","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Trevor-Launch-71-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17050,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=17050","url_meta":{"origin":19168,"position":1},"title":"Lots of rocket launches planned for next 10 days","author":"TopSpacer","date":"November 10, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Several rocket launches around the world are scheduled for the next couple of weeks. Most of these will be webcast. ** Rocket Lab Electron - Nov.10\/11, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. EST (0300-0700 GMT on 11th) - Rocket Lab is ready to put several commercial smallsats into low earth orbit on the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Events&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=37"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&l=ur2&o=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20196,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=20196","url_meta":{"origin":19168,"position":2},"title":"Rocket Lab to launch ALE Sky Canvas &#8211; &#8220;Shooting stars. On demand&#8221;","author":"TopSpacer","date":"November 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Spaceflight has arranged a Rocket Lab Electron launch for the Sky Canvas spacecraft owned by the Japanese company ALE Co., Ltd. Sky Canvas will create \"Shooting stars. On demand\". Spaceflight\u2019s Third Rideshare Mission with Rocket Lab to Launch ALE\u2019s Space-related Entertainment Satellite Man-made shooting stars to provide both entertainment and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Space industry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Space industry","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=94"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ManMadeMeteors.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":23898,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=23898","url_meta":{"origin":19168,"position":3},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Part 2: Everybody Else &#8211; May.18.2021","author":"TopSpacer","date":"May 18, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is a sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here). Today's Part 1 Roundup focused on\u00a0 SpaceX. Part 2 here reports on other companies and organizations. ** Rocket Lab Electron second stage fails in launch attempt; First stage recovered from sea. Two\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\/2021\/05\/RecoveredFirstStage-May2021_750x1000-375x500.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24572,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=24572","url_meta":{"origin":19168,"position":4},"title":"Space transport roundup: Part 1 &#8211; Orbital Launches &#8211; Oct.27.2021","author":"TopSpacer","date":"October 27, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport from late July till today (find previous roundups here). The roundup is split into three postings: Part 1 Orbital launches Part 2: Light orbital lift development, suborbital, space transport articles, news, videos, etc. Part 3 SpaceX Falcon 9, Dragon,\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\/2021\/10\/LV0007_11.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/LV0007_11.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/LV0007_11.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/LV0007_11.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/LV0007_11.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/LV0007_11.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16234,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=16234","url_meta":{"origin":19168,"position":5},"title":"Video: Rocket Lab prepares for 3rd Electron launch from New Zealand","author":"TopSpacer","date":"June 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The company Rocket Lab plans to launch an Electron rocket\u00a0from the Mahia Peninsula\u00a0on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island during a two week long launch window that opens on\u00a0June 23rd. This will be the company's third launch and, they hope, the second one to successfully put payloads into\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19168","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=19168"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19171,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19168\/revisions\/19171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}