{"id":19226,"date":"2019-07-14T21:45:57","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T01:45:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19226"},"modified":"2019-07-15T14:34:34","modified_gmt":"2019-07-15T18:34:34","slug":"space-transport-roundup-july-14-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19226","title":{"rendered":"Space transport roundup &#8211; July.14.2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport:<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>SpaceX Starhopper demo vehicle prepared for first un-tethered low altitude flights<\/strong> at the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/SpaceX_South_Texas_Launch_Site\">SpaceX South Texas Launch Site<\/a>. More in <a href=\"#SpaceX\">SpaceX section below<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>India scrubs today&#8217;s launch of the Chandrayaan-2 lunar lander<\/strong> on a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.isro.gov.in\/launchers\/gslv-mk-iii\">GSLV Mk.3<\/a>).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/07\/india-moon-isro-launch-nations-first-lunar-landing-mission\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ISRO scrubs launch of India\u2019s first lunar landing mission \u2013 NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/2019\/07\/14\/gslv-mk3-chandrayaan-2-mission-status-center\/\">Live coverage: Indian moon launch scrubbed \u2013 Spaceflight Now<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">A technical snag was observed in launch vehicle system at 1 hour before the launch. As a measure of abundant precaution, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Chandrayaan2?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Chandrayaan2<\/a> launch has been called off for today. Revised launch date will be announced later.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 ISRO (@isro) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/isro\/status\/1150520298761936896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 14, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>More about the mission:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isro.gov.in\/gslv-mk-iii-m1-chandrayaan-2-mission\/watch-live-launch-of-gslv-mkiii-m1-chandrayaan2-july-15-2019\">Watch Live Launch of GSLV MkIII-M1\/Chandrayaan2 on July 15, 2019 from 02:30 hrs IST onwards &#8211; ISRO<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isro.gov.in\/launcher\/gslv-mk-iii-m1-chandrayaan-2-mission\">GSLV-Mk III &#8211; M1 \/ Chandrayaan-2 Mission &#8211; ISRO<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isro.gov.in\/gslv-mk-iii-m1-chandrayaan-2-mission\/launch-kit-glance\">Launch Kit at a glance &#8211; ISRO<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/2019\/07\/13\/india-seeks-to-join-exclusive-company-with-ambitious-moon-mission\/\">India seeks to join exclusive company with ambitious moon mission \u2013 Spaceflight Now<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_19243\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19243\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.isro.gov.in\/gslv-mk-iii-m1-chandrayaan-2-mission\/chandrayaan-2-mission-gallery\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"19243\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=19243\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/psk28261.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"2048,1744\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;5.6&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;NIKON D810&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1563026784&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;44&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;200&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.033333333333333&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"GSLV MkIII-M1 \/ Chandryaan 2 vehicle\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The GSLV MkIII-M1 \/ Chandryaan 2 vehicle on the launch pad.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/psk28261-1024x872.jpg\" class=\"size-large wp-image-19243\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/psk28261-1024x872.jpg\" alt=\"GSLV MkIII-M1 \/ Chandryaan 2 vehicle\" width=\"520\" height=\"443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/psk28261-1024x872.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/psk28261-300x255.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/psk28261-768x654.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/psk28261.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-19243\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The GSLV MkIII-M1 \/ Chandryaan 2 vehicle on the launch pad.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>From SFN:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>If everything goes according to plan, the three-in-one spacecraft will arrive in orbit around the moon around Aug. 5, then detach the landing craft around Sept. 2 or 3 to begin lowering its altitude in preparation for a final descent to the lunar surface as soon as Sept. 6.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u201cWe are landing at a place where nobody else has gone,\u201d said K. Sivan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Indian scientists are targeting landing of the Chandrayaan 2 lander at an unexplored site located on the near side of the moon at 70.9 degrees south latitude, closer to the moon\u2019s south pole than any previous mission. The landing module is named Vikram for Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India\u2019s space program, and will deploy the Pragyan rover, named for the Sanskrit word for \u201cwisdom.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Russian Proton-M rocket launched the Spektr-RG<\/strong> astrophysical x-ray observatory from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/07\/russian-proton-m-spektr-rg-observatory\/\">Russian Proton-M launches Spektr-RG observatory \u2013 NASASpaceFlight.com<\/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\/FJ4ngeQMdCw?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>An <a href=\"http:\/\/www.arianespace.com\/vehicle\/vega\/\">Arianespace Vega<\/a> rocket failed<\/strong> during the launch of UAE&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.arianespace.com\/mission-update\/vv15-falconeye1-preparations\/\">Falcon Eye-1<\/a> earth observation satellite:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.esa.int\/Our_Activities\/Space_Transportation\/Vega_Flight_VV15_failure_Arianespace_and_ESA_appoint_an_independent_inquiry_commission\">Vega Flight VV15 failure: Arianespace and ESA appoint an independent inquiry commission &#8211; ESA<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/07\/vega-gap-weather-falcon-eye-1-launch\/\">Vega suffers her first failure during Falcon Eye-1 launch \u2013 NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arianespace.com\/mission-update\/flight-vv15-mission-failure\/\">Flight VV15: Mission failure \u2013 Arianespace<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\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\/jJd7-0GDaBU?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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spaceintelreport.com\/at-400-million-vega-launch-failure-with-uaes-falconeye-1-may-be-biggest-ever-space-insurance-loss\/\">$400M payout<\/a> for the failure will be a real blow to the space insurance industry.<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>A Russian Soyuz 2-1v launched four military satellites<\/strong> with little prior public notification: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/07\/soyuz-2-1v-surprise-military-launch\/\">Soyuz 2-1v conduts surprise military launch \u2013 NASASpaceFlight.com<\/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\/xXLhDeDIKbA?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>Virgin Orbit executes successful drop test of LauncherOne rocket<\/strong> from the &#8220;Cosmic Girl&#8221; 747 carrier aircraft:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/virginorbit.com\/virgin-orbit-completes-key-drop-test-ahead-of-orbital-test-flight\/\">Virgin Orbit Completes Key Drop Test Ahead of Orbital Test Flight | Virgin Orbit<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2019\/07\/cosmic-girl-successful-drop-test-launcherone\/\">Virgin Orbit\u2019s Cosmic Girl conducts successful drop test with LauncherOne \u2013 NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/virginorbit.com\/wait-for-the-drop\/\">Wait for the Drop | Virgin Orbit<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\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\/wWaW3IzVGBw?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><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\/3cNaxx91gpo?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 href=\"https:\/\/exosaero.com\/blog\/\"><strong>EXOS Aerospace<\/strong><\/a><strong> posts videos from recent launch<\/strong> in which the SARGE reusable rocket suffered a guidance glitch shortly after liftoff but still manages to return for a landing via paraglider:<\/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\/GlgN1bJWO48?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><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\/2qYF-0SwM94?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 class=\"companyName__9bd88132\">** <strong>China&#8217;s Galactic Energy Aerospace Technology, Ltd wants to challenge SpaceX<\/strong> in reusable rocketry: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ecns.cn\/news\/sci-tech\/2019-07-10\/detail-ifzkvtrv5570467.shtml\">Chinese rocket start-up aims at &#8216;SpaceX dominance&#8217; &#8211; ecns.cn<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Beijing-based private rocket start-up Galactic Energy Aerospace Technology Co has made a breakthrough in its &#8220;Pallas&#8221; medium liquid-propellant rocket, a step closer to the firm&#8217;s goal of forging a Chinese version of the Falcon 9 rocket manufactured by U.S. spaceflight company SpaceX.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">&#8230;<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The gas generator, which helps provide thrust to the rocket&#8217;s 40-ton engine that is powered by reusable liquid oxygen and kerosene, has completed seven ignition tests over the weekend, with an accumulated operation time of 380 seconds, according to Galactic Energy. The maximum single operation time lasted 100 seconds.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The company started developing the main rocket engine for the Pallas in December 2018, and it is the first Chinese rocket with engines that run on reusable liquid oxygen and kerosene.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Galactic Energy&#8217;s products include the Pallas family of medium-sized liquid rockets, named Pallas, and small solid rockets named Ceres.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The Ceres-1 is aimed at the low-orbit commercial small satellite market and is expected to fly in March 2020. The Pallas-1 is expected to launch in December 2022.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <a href=\"http:\/\/spaceflight.com\"><strong>Spaceflight<\/strong><\/a><strong> takes advantage of two cargo spacecraft and the ISS<\/strong> to put six smallsats into their designated orbits : <a href=\"http:\/\/spaceflight.com\/seops-mission-preview\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SEOPS Mission Preview &#8211; Spaceflight<\/a><br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Spaceflight is all about getting to space, in the most cost effective and reliable way. That\u2019s why we\u2019re so excited about our upcoming SEOPS-1 mission. This will be a ground breaker in several ways. We\u2019ll be launching six cubesats for three different customers, using two different launch vehicles, the International Space Station and several intrepid astronauts.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The International Space Station (ISS) uses two vehicles for resupplying the astronauts: Northrup Grumman\u2019s Cygnus, which launches on their Antares launch vehicle, and SpaceX\u2019s Dragon Capsule, which launches using their Falcon 9. Both Cygnus and Dragon berth with the ISS and offload supplies and experiments. After completing its on-station mission, Dragon is deberthed from the ISS, it re-enters and returns back to Earth for reuse. Cygnus is loaded with trash and disposables from the ISS, is deberthed, conducts extended mission operations, and ultimately deorbits and burns up in the atmosphere. For this mission, during the extended mission operations of Cygnus it will serve as a deployment platform for our customers\u2019 cubesats.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_19242\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-19242\" style=\"width: 520px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/spaceflight.com\/seops-mission-preview\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"19242\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=19242\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/SEOPSgraphic-1024x6601.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1024,660\" 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=\"SEOPS graphic\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;SEOPS mission will fly satellites to the ISS on a SpaceX Dragon and then a Northrop Grumman Cygnus will deploy the satellites into orbit.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/SEOPSgraphic-1024x6601-1024x660.jpg\" class=\"size-large wp-image-19242\" src=\"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/SEOPSgraphic-1024x6601-1024x660.jpg\" alt=\"SEOPS-1 diagram\" width=\"520\" height=\"335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/SEOPSgraphic-1024x6601.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/SEOPSgraphic-1024x6601-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/SEOPSgraphic-1024x6601-768x495.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 520px) 100vw, 520px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-19242\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Spaceflight&#8217;s SEOPS-1 mission will fly satellites to the ISS on a SpaceX Dragon and then a Northrop Grumman Cygnus will deploy the satellites into orbit.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>** <strong>College teams win grants from the <a href=\"http:\/\/base11spacechallenge.org\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Base11 Space Challenge<\/a><\/strong> to support their continued participation in the competition to send a liquid-fuel powered rocket to 100 kilometers: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pasadenanow.com\/main\/next-generation-of-rocket-scientists-blast-off-at-caltech\/#.XSYBE-hKh9M\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Next Generation of Rocket Scientists Blasts Off at Caltech &#8211; Pasadena Now<\/a><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The Base 11 Space Challenge is a $1 million-plus prize for a student-led university team that successfully designs, builds, and launches a liquid-propelled, single-stage rocket to the edge of outer space\u2014an altitude of 100 kilometers, known as \u201cthe Karman Line\u201d\u2014by December 30, 2021.<\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>When the presentations\u00a0 were over, and the judging completed, Landon Taylor, chairman and CEO, Base 11, announced the winners. The Michigan Aeronautical Science Association (MASA) from the University of Michigan, lifted off with the day\u2019s biggest prize, a $25,000 check to continue their work and competition in the Base 11 challenge.<\/em><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Winning $15,000 for their work was Concordia University in Montreal. The third place prize of $10,000 went to Portland State University.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>See also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.herox.com\/spacechallenge\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Base 11 Space Challenge | HeroX<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>** <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\/\"><strong>Blue Origin<\/strong><\/a><strong>&#8216;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\/engines\/be-4\">BE-4<\/a> engine will power the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\/new-glenn\/\">New Glenn<\/a> rocket<\/strong>, which will be used to put satellites into orbit and send the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\/blue-moon\">Blue Moon<\/a> spacecraft to the lunar surface: <a href=\"https:\/\/spectrum.ieee.org\/aerospace\/space-flight\/blue-origins-next-rocket-engine-could-send-the-first-settlers-to-the-moon\">Blue Origin\u2019s Next Rocket Engine Could Send the First Settlers to the Moon &#8211; IEEE Spectrum<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Blue Origin is also working on two other engines, including one (the BE-7) destined for the company\u2019s Blue Moon lunar lander. But the BE-4 is the largest of the three, designed to generate as much as 2,400 kilonewtons of thrust at sea level. That\u2019s far less than the 6,770 kN provided by each of the five F-1 engines that sent men to the moon a half century ago. Even so, 2,400\u00a0kN is quite respectable for a single engine, which in multiples can produce more than enough oomph for the missions envisioned. For comparison, the Russian RD-171M engine provides a thrust of 7,257 kN, and <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rocketdyne\">Rocketdyne<\/a>\u2019s RS-68A, which powers the Delta IV launch vehicle, can generate 3,137 kN.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a name=\"SpaceX\"><\/a>** <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spacex.com\"><strong>SpaceX<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Update<\/strong>: An item about the preparations for the Starhopper hop: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-wiggles-starhopper-raptor-engine-hover-test-debut\/\">SpaceX wiggles Starhopper&#8217;s Raptor engine, tests parts ahead of hover test debut &#8211; Teslarati<\/a><\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>Raptor engine installed in Starhopper<\/strong> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-starhopper-raptor-installation-first-hover-tests\/\">SpaceX ships Raptor to Texas for first Starhopper hover tests after fixing vibration bugs &#8211; Teslarati<\/a>. A static test firing is expected on Monday. On Tuesday there could be the first attempt to lift off the ground and move a short distance sideways.<\/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\/3pD5CZZfnYk?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<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Starhopper&#8217;s SN6 Raptor during TVC (Thrust Vector Control) checks in Boca Chica. This is how Hopper will &#8220;steer&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Mary (<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BocaChicaGal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BocaChicaGal<\/a>) was on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/WiggleWatch?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#WiggleWatch<\/a>:<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/svVjmxK80Y\">https:\/\/t.co\/svVjmxK80Y<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kEg6eoR9uR\">pic.twitter.com\/kEg6eoR9uR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Chris B &#8211; NSF (@NASASpaceflight) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NASASpaceflight\/status\/1150048167678885889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 13, 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-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">~20m up &amp; sideways for first flight. Mk1 Starship hopefully 20km up in a few months.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1149550157068812290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 12, 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-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Unconfirmed <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Starhopper?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Starhopper<\/a> schedule for this week. Mon 2pm testing begins w possible static fire. Tues 2pm testing begins w possible static fire and or first untethered hop. Wed thru Fri backup dates. NOTAM and road closure ending times differ at 8 or 10pm. Best of luck <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/SpaceX?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#SpaceX<\/a>!&#x1f680;<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 SPadre (@SpacePadreIsle) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SpacePadreIsle\/status\/1150485958489518080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 14, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>There will be live video of the Starhopper activity:<\/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\/fhl6KJnj1yE?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>Latest on the construction of the 2nd demo Starship<\/strong> at the company&#8217;s Cocoa Beach facilities: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-florida-starship-grows-texas-starhopper-prep\/\">SpaceX&#8217;s Florida Starship shown off in aerial footage as Texas prototype grows rapidly &#8211; Teslarati<\/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\/U-scr6FsddY?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>Falcon 9 launch of the CRS-18 Cargo Dragon<\/strong> is set for July 21st at 7:35 pm EDT (2335 GMT) from Cape Canaveral AFB.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.nasa.gov\/spacestation\/2019\/07\/12\/new-crew-new-science-experiments-launching-next-weekend\/\">New Crew, New Science Experiments Launching Next Weekend \u2013 Space Station\/NASA<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission_pages\/station\/research\/news\/spx18-research\">Science Soars to the Space Station on SpaceX CRS-18 | NASA<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>** <strong>CRS-18 Falcon 9 will re-use the booster<\/strong> from the launch of the the CRS-17 mission on May 4th.<\/p>\n<p>**<strong> Launch of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amos-spacecom.com\/satellite\/amos-17\/\">Amos 17<\/a> communications satellite<\/strong> for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amos-spacecom.com\/\">Spacecom Ltd.<\/a> of Israel appears to be set for sometime in early August. Not clear yet what booster the Amos-17 mission will use: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-fan-spots-sooty-falcon-9-booster-39a\/\">SpaceX fan spots sooty Falcon 9 Block 5 booster at Kennedy Space Center &#8211; Teslarati<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Misc. items:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-crew-dragon-response-maligned-by-nasa\/\">SpaceX&#8217;s response to Crew Dragon explosion unfairly maligned by head of NASA &#8211; Teslarati<\/a> &#8211;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>In a bizarre turn of events, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine has offered harsh criticism of SpaceX\u2019s response to Crew Dragon\u2019s April 20th explosion, suffered just prior to a static fire test of its eight Super Draco abort engines.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The problem? The NASA administrator\u2019s criticism explicitly contradicts multiple comments made by other NASA officials, the director of the entire Commercial Crew Program, and SpaceX itself. Lest all three of the above sources were either blatant lies or deeply incorrect, it appears that Bridenstine is \u2013 intentionally or accidentally \u2013 falsely maligning SpaceX and keeping the criticism entirely focused on just one of the two Commercial Crew partners. The reality is that his initial comments were misinterpreted, but an accurate interpretation is just as unflattering.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-falcon-fairing-upgrade-foiled-by-ula\/\">SpaceX&#8217;s attempts to buy bigger Falcon fairings complicated by contractor&#8217;s ULA relationship &#8211; Teslarati<\/a> &#8211; SpaceX needs a larger nosecone for a handful of USAF payloads than the current 5.2 meter nosecone design that it uses for both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches. They may buy it from fairing specialist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ruag.com\/en\/products-services\/space\/launchers\">RUAG<\/a> of Switzerland but this may get complicated since RUAG worked with ULA in development of the fairings.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insider.co.uk\/news\/edinburgh-trust-invests-elon-musks-16512090\">Edinburgh trust invests in Elon Musk&#8217;s SpaceX project &#8211; Business Insider<\/a> (link <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rocketeers.co.uk\/node\/5968\">via Rocketeers<\/a>) &#8211; SpaceX gets investment from all over the world.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">====<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1633885348\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=1633885348&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=hobbyspace&amp;linkId=7ec96ebea81491302a758ed76d152d6a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Case for Space:<br \/>\nHow the Revolution in Spaceflight Opens Up<br \/>\na Future of Limitless Possibility<\/a><\/strong><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=1633885348\" 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=1633885348&amp;asins=1633885348&amp;linkId=dc008bd5d89e31bff68df4b9cbebab8a&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: ** SpaceX Starhopper demo vehicle prepared for first un-tethered low altitude flights at the SpaceX South Texas Launch Site. More in SpaceX section below. ** India scrubs today&#8217;s launch of the Chandrayaan-2 lunar lander on a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mk.3). ISRO &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19226\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Space transport roundup &#8211; July.14.2019<\/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-19226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rockets"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-506","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":19309,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19309","url_meta":{"origin":19226,"position":0},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; July.23.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"July 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport: ** LightSail-2 unfurled today: Live Coverage: LightSail 2 Sail Deployment | The Planetary Society #LightSail2 pass 3 is complete. The spacecraft was successfully commanded into solar sailing mode, and the momentum wheel spun up as expected! The team\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=hobbyspace&l=am2&o=1&a=1944648453","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18710,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=18710","url_meta":{"origin":19226,"position":1},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; May.9.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"May 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport: [ Update: A message from Blue Origin today points to a video of the Blue Moon unveiling yesterday. On May 9, 2019, our founder discussed his vision to go to space to benefit Earth. Watch the full replay\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"Blue Moon with Ascent Vehicle","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/blueorigin_bluemoon_ascent1-1024x576.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":21746,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=21746","url_meta":{"origin":19226,"position":2},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; May.3.2020","author":"TopSpacer","date":"May 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here): ** NASA selected three commercial teams for the design of a human lunar lander:\u00a0 NASA Names Companies to Develop Human Landers for Artemis Missions | NASA NASA has selected three U.S. companies to design\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\/05\/blueorigin_hls_lander_de_ae_moon-500x281.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":21529,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=21529","url_meta":{"origin":19226,"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":20961,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=20961","url_meta":{"origin":19226,"position":4},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; June.29.2020","author":"TopSpacer","date":"January 29, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here): ** SpaceX successfully launched a fourth batch of 60 Starlink satellites today from Cape Canaveral. The first stage booster landed safely and one of the two nosecone fairings was caught in a net on\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\/01\/200128-F-F3456-10021-500x281.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22956,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=22956","url_meta":{"origin":19226,"position":5},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Oct.14.2020","author":"TopSpacer","date":"October 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here): ** A Soyuz launched a new ISS crew early this morning US time and the spacecraft reached the ISS just three hours later. A few hours later the crew, including NASA astronaut Kate Rubins,\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\/10\/50409544708_5465f65f8c_o1-500x333.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\/19226","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=19226"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19252,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19226\/revisions\/19252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}