{"id":22569,"date":"2020-08-21T11:11:14","date_gmt":"2020-08-21T15:11:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=22569"},"modified":"2020-08-21T11:11:14","modified_gmt":"2020-08-21T15:11:14","slug":"space-transport-roundup-aug-21-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=22569","title":{"rendered":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Aug.21.2020"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5\">previous roundups here<\/a>):<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>SpaceX launches Falcon 9 with 58 Starlink broadband sats and 3 earth imaging sats for Planet<\/strong>. The first stage booster flying on its 6th flight made a successful landing on an ocean platform. One nosecone fairing was caught in\u00a0 a net (see below) and the other was recovered after setting down on the water.<\/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\/jTMJK7wb0rM?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 fairing from the Starlink 10 launch makes a leisurely return onto a calm summer sea:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>SpaceX\u2019s fairing recovery vessel Ms. Tree catches a Falcon 9 fairing half after launch of SpaceX\u2019s eleventh Starlink mission on August 18, 2020. The fairing used on this mission previously flew in support of SpaceX\u2019s fourth Starlink mission.<\/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\/oTH3mq7SsK4?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\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Fairing chute control &amp; ship control are closing the loop locally. Both operating on (SpaceX) autopilot.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1295837513987305474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 18, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" async=\"\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The landing is so gentle it&#8217;s easy to see why even the fairings that miss the net are often reusable as well.<\/p>\n<p>See also:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2020\/08\/spacex-will-attempt-to-launch-same-falcon-9-for-the-sixth-time\/\">SpaceX flies the same, sooty booster for the sixth time [Updated] | Ars Technica<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/2020\/08\/18\/spacex-adds-more-satellites-to-ever-growing-starlink-network\/\">SpaceX adds more satellites to ever-growing Starlink network \u2013 Spaceflight Now<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/2020\/08\/20\/images-spacex-launches-more-starlink-satellites-catches-rockets-payload-fairing\/\">Images: SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites, catches rocket\u2019s payload fairing \u2013 Spaceflight Now<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2020\/08\/spacex-break-record-sixth-flight\/\">SpaceX Breaks Record with Booster&#8217;s Sixth Flight &#8211; NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>More <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5#SpaceX\">SpaceX activities listed below<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>** <a href=\"http:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\"><strong>Blue Origin-<\/strong><\/a><strong>led <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\/blue-moon\/national-team\">National Team<\/a> delivers engineering model of human lunar landing system<\/strong> to NASA: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\/news\/national-team-delivers-lunar-lander-engineering-mockup-to-nasa\">Blue Origin-Led National Team Delivers Lunar Lander Engineering Mockup to NASA &#8211; Blue Origin<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Today, the Blue Origin-led Human Landing System (HLS) National Team \u2013 comprised of Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper \u2013 delivered an engineering mockup of a crew lander vehicle that could take American astronauts to the Moon. The lander is set up in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF), NASA Johnson Space Center\u2019s (JSC) iconic Building 9.<\/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\/J6kb5YYVges?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 style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The full-scale engineering mockup showcases two elements of the National Team\u2019s multi-element architecture \u2013 the Ascent Element (AE) and Descent Element (DE). Standing at more than 40 feet, it is the Blue Origin National Team\u2019s update to Apollo\u2019s Lunar Module (LM) and will be used to validate the National Team\u2019s approaches for getting crew, equipment, supplies, and samples off and on the vehicle. The team will collaborate with NASA organizations including JSC\u2019s Astronaut Office to perform engineering and crew operations tests with astronauts aiming to fly the final system within several years.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>\u201cTesting this engineering mockup for crew interaction is a step toward making this historic mission real,\u201d said Brent Sherwood, vice president of Advanced Development Programs, Blue Origin. \u201cThe learning we get from full-scale mockups can\u2019t be done any other way. Benefitting from NASA\u2019s expertise and feedback at this early stage allows us to develop a safe commercial system that meets the agency\u2019s needs.\u201d<\/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\/xRaGIKqnDpA?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 style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The National Team HLS design leverages significant prior work, flight heritage, and a modular solution. Modular solutions help to enable faster progress due to the independent development and testing of each element, which permits ongoing improvements and evolution without impacting the full system. This also provides flexibility in the use of different launch vehicles and different concepts of operations.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The Descent Element is based on Blue Origin\u2019s Blue Moon cargo lander and BE-7 LOX\/hydrogen engine, both in development for more than three years. The Ascent Element incorporates avionics, software, life support hardware, crew interfaces, and mission operations from Lockheed Martin\u2019s human-rated, deep-space Orion vehicle that will fly on the Artemis I and II missions. A consistent cockpit experience and training from Orion to the AE makes the end-to-end mission safer for Artemis. The Transfer Element, a propulsive stage that starts the lander on its descent trajectory from lunar orbit, is based on Northrop Grumman\u2019s Cygnus vehicle that provides logistics resupply to the International Space Station; and Draper provides descent guidance and avionics to the National Team.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_22589\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22589\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\/blue-moon\/national-team\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"22589\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=22589\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/hls_integrated_docking_new_web_1000x562.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1000,562\" 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=\"Human Landing System (HLS)_new_web_1000x562\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;The Human Landing System (HLS) includes the Transfer Stage (left), Descent Stage (middle), and the Ascent  Stage. Credits: Blue Origin&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/hls_integrated_docking_new_web_1000x562.jpg\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-22589\" src=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/hls_integrated_docking_new_web_1000x562-500x281.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/hls_integrated_docking_new_web_1000x562-500x281.jpg 500w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/hls_integrated_docking_new_web_1000x562-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/hls_integrated_docking_new_web_1000x562.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-22589\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Human Landing System (HLS) includes the Transfer Stage (left), Descent Stage (middle), and the Ascent Stage. Credits: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blueorigin.com\/blue-moon\/national-team\">Blue Origin\/National Team<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>See also: <a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/blue-origin-team-delivers-lunar-lander-mockup-to-nasa\/\">Blue Origin team delivers lunar lander mockup to NASA &#8211; SpaceNews<\/a><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Ariane V rocket launches two comm-sats and Northrop Grumman&#8217;s Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV-2):<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\">On Saturday, August 15 at <\/span><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\">22:04<\/span><span class=\"style-scope yt-formatted-string\" dir=\"auto\"> UTC, Ariane 5 Flight VA253 was successfully performed from the Guiana Space Center, orbiting two satellites produced by Northrop Grumman: Galaxy 30 for Intelsat, and MEV-2 for SpaceLogistics LLC, a 100% subsidiary of Northrop Grumman; along with BSAT-4b, built by Maxar Technologies for the Japanese operator B-SAT.<\/span><\/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\/67l8Tua1Xn4?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:\/\/linkspace.com.cn\/\">LinkSpace<\/a> of China flies <a href=\"https:\/\/linkspace.com.cn\/rlv.html\">RLV-T5<\/a> vertical takeoff and landing rocket<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">300m hop test of Newline Baby reusable rocket from LinkSpace China <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4qapiHKiA3\">pic.twitter.com\/4qapiHKiA3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Linkspace (@Linkspace_China) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Linkspace_China\/status\/1295888996367654912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 19, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>See also: <a href=\"https:\/\/news.cgtn.com\/news\/2019-08-10\/Chinese-startup-successfully-launches-a-reusable-rocket-to-new-height-J2FWXoChxe\/index.html?from=timeline&amp;isappinstalled=0\">Chinese startup successfully launches a reusable rocket to new height &#8211; CGTN<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The rocket, named RLV-T5 (NewLine Baby), blasted off at 10:35 am Beijing time at Linkspace&#8217;s launch base in Lenghu Town, Mangya City, northwest China&#8217;s Qinghai Province.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>With a total length of 8.1 meters and a diameter of 65 centimeters, RLV-T5 has a takeoff weight of about 1.5 kilograms.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>It reached a new height of 300 meters before landing steadily and accurately at the designated area with little deviation. The whole process lasted for 50 seconds.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Today marked the third successful trial conducted by the company. Before this, RLV-T5 made two quick jumps experiments at a relatively low height in China&#8217;s Shandong Province this year.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>According to the company, as China&#8217;s largest recyclable rocket, RLV-T5 is designed to serve as an initial sample, providing experience for further suborbital reusable rocket and on-orbit reusable rocket development.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a proposed vehicle for suborbital commercial services:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">A new project: suborbital reusable rocket (SRV-1, Test prototype code: RLV-T6). It is a 100% reusable launch vehicle, powered by a LOX-Methane pump-fed engine. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JTY4L1GCcR\">pic.twitter.com\/JTY4L1GCcR<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Linkspace (@Linkspace_China) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Linkspace_China\/status\/1296670760828719107?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 21, 2020<\/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:\/\/www.skyrora.com\/\">Skyrora<\/a> of Scotland launches sounding rocket from Iceland<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.skyrora.com\/post\/skyroras-skylark-micro-rocket-launches-from-iceland\">Skyrora\u2019s Skylark Micro rocket launches from Iceland | Skyrora<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icelandreview.com\/sci-tech\/first-rocket-launch-in-iceland-in-fifty-years\/\">First Rocket Launch in Iceland in Fifty Years &#8211; Iceland Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Skyrora has successfully launched its two-stage, four-metre tall sub-orbital rocket, Skylark Micro from the company\u2019s mobile launch complex set up within a few days at Langanes Peninsula, Iceland. The rocket climbed to 26.86km in altitude before both stages were parachuted back down to sea.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>The launch is part of Skyrora\u2019s de-risking program leading up to the building and launching of its orbital vehicle, Skyrora XL, scheduled for 2023. The launch of Skylark Micro was to test onboard electronics and communications that will also be used in the larger Skylark-L and Skyrora XL launch vehicles. Before launch, the team undertook a number of weather procedures to learn more about the mid and upper-level wind speeds and altitudes. In addition, the mobile launch complex allowed the team to collect a large amount of data of telemetry, GPS tracking, and weather conditions during the flight to which they are currently analysing. The test also allowed the Skyrora crew to practice launch procedures and marine recovery operations.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Despite the ongoing heroic efforts of the Langanes Search and Rescue and Skyrora Recovery teams, Skyrora has unfortunately been unsuccessful in their efforts of locating the Skylark Micro booster and sustainer stages. However, they are still continuing search operations for the next few days as well as learning how to improve future recovery operations. Creating another test of our suborbital mobile launch complex in a different location demonstrates the immense speed and flexibility of Skyrora for launching its test rockets.<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Here&#8217;s footage of Skyrora launching its Skylark Micro rocket from Iceland on Sunday, reaching 26.86km \u2013 the company&#8217;s highest altitude yet by about 20km. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jTWzW8Ekfa\">pic.twitter.com\/jTWzW8Ekfa<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jonathan O\u2019Callaghan (@Astro_Jonny) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Astro_Jonny\/status\/1295690075309838336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 18, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>** <a href=\"https:\/\/hyimpulse.de\/en\/\"><strong>HyImpulse<\/strong><\/a><strong> of Germany using <a href=\"https:\/\/hyimpulse.de\/en\/technology\">hybrid propulsion system<\/a><\/strong> to power small orbital rocket: <a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/dlr-spinoff-hyimpulse-plans-small-launcher-debut-in-2022\/\">DLR spinoff HyImpulse plans small launcher debut in 2022 &#8211; SpaceNews<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>A startup formed by rocket engineers from the German space agency DLR is targeting late 2022 for the first flight of a small launch vehicle designed around hybrid engines.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>HyImpulse is developing a three-stage rocket capable of sending 500 kilograms to a 400-kilometer low Earth orbit. The 40-person company is bankrolled by Rudolf Schwarz, chairman of German technology company IABG, and has a 2.5 million-euro ($3 million) grant from the European Commission to advance its launcher technology, Christian Schmierer HyImpulse co-CEO, said in an interview.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>HyImpulse is seeking to differentiate itself by using hybrid engines that run on a paraffin-based fuel and liquid oxygen. The combination of fuels should result in a rocket with simpler hardware than a liquid-fueled system and greater safety than solid fuels, Schmierer said.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>** <a href=\"http:\/\/www.firefly.com\"><strong>Firefly<\/strong><\/a><strong> testing booster of <a href=\"https:\/\/firefly.com\/launch-alpha\/\">Alpha<\/a> rocket<\/strong> that is to launch this autumn:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Alpha Stage 1 Flight Acceptance testing has begun. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2ZLoGfuwCU\">pic.twitter.com\/2ZLoGfuwCU<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Firefly Aerospace (@Firefly_Space) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Firefly_Space\/status\/1295383702437015553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 17, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Briefs<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/denver\/news\/2020\/08\/20\/united-launch-alliance-space-force-spacex-contract.html\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ULA CEO Tory Bruno: Here&#8217;s how we beat SpaceX for Space Force&#8217;s big contract &#8211; Denver Business Journal<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2020\/08\/final-h-ii-bids-farewell-to-iss\/\">Final JAXA H-II Transfer Vehicle bids farewell to ISS &#8211; NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/science\/2020\/08\/could-a-dragon-spacecraft-fly-humans-to-the-moon-its-complicated\/\">Could a Dragon spacecraft fly humans to the Moon? It\u2019s complicated | Ars Technica<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2020\/08\/19\/dynetics-racing-against-spacex-and-blue-origin-in-nasas-hls-program.html?fbclid=IwAR1K_w4itN1uxrOZ8dhZMcuyatgwZYo8CRr5eIsbeGGADcv9me9ijCi_DXs\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dynetics racing against SpaceX and Blue Origin in NASA&#8217;s HLS program &#8211; CNBC<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/japanese-lunar-lander-company-ispace-raises-28-million\/\">Japanese lunar lander company ispace raises $28 million &#8211; SpaceNews<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/rocket-lab-private-venus-mission-2023.html\">Rocket Lab aims to launch private Venus mission in 2023 | Space.com\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2020\/08\/scotland-approves-highlands-spaceport\/\">Scottish spaceport formally approved by Highland Council &#8211; NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alaskapublic.org\/2020\/08\/17\/after-canceled-launch-attempts-kodiak-launch-port-asks-for-longer-window\/\">After canceled launch attempts, Kodiak launch port asks for longer window &#8211; Alaska Public Media<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theengineer.co.uk\/reaction-engines-rolls-royce-supersonic-and-hypersonic\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reaction Engines and Rolls-Royce to develop supersonic and hypersonic systems &#8211; The Engineer<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">==================<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Check out the<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thelurioreport.com\/\"><strong>The Lurio Report<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nfor news and analysis of key developments in NewSpace<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The latest issue:<br \/>\n<em><strong>Changes Here, Starliner Analysis, OneWeb-A UK View<br \/>\nVol. 15, No. 5, July 24, 2020<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Space Frontier Foundation Award for NewSpace Journalism<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">==================<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"SpaceX\"><\/a>** <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.spacex.com\">SpaceX<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>** <strong>Reusing the Falcon 9 booster fairings pays off in just 2 to 3 flights<\/strong> according to Elon Musk:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Payload reduction due to reusability of booster &amp; fairing is &lt;40% for F9 &amp; recovery &amp; refurb is &lt;10%, so you\u2019re roughly even with 2 flights, definitely ahead with 3<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1295883862380294144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 19, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>This refutes the long held claims of ULA managers and many others in the space industry that numerous re-flights are required to make reusable launch vehicles pay off financially.\u00a0 The RLV skeptics believe, in turn, that they cannot justify investment in RLVs without first seeing a demand from customers for high numbers of launches.<\/p>\n<p>However, without a drop in launch prices by a factor of 10 to 100 (i.e. to low $100s per kg rather than several $1000s), which\u00a0 is only feasible with reusability, high-launch rate markets such as orbital space tourism cannot emerge. This chicken and egg dilemma has been a persistent impediment to progress in space development.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX took advantage of expendable flights for paying customers to enable the testing of returning a stage from high altitudes and hypersonic speeds and executing a powered landing. This cost-saving approach plus a willingness to learn from multiple failures and persist with the effort, let SpaceX break through this impediment.<\/p>\n<p>Elon also refutes the belief inspired by the Space Shuttles that recovery\/refurbishment must necessarily be tremendously costly. The Shuttle program employed a standing army of about 10,000 people who toiled for at least two months to return an orbiter to the launch pad. Although the shortest time between re-flights of an F9 booster so far is 51 days, the 10% cost number from Elon implies that there is a fairly limited number of people involved with the turnaround activities. The current turnaround times may have as much to do with scheduling and logistics issues as they do with the degree of refurbishment work required.<\/p>\n<p>Elon has long claimed that a turnaround of a day or two could eventually be achieved with the F9 boosters. However, with the emphasis now on the fully reusable, fast turnaround Starship\/Heavy Booster system, we are unlikely ever to see a super-short turnaround of a F9 booster.<\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>Merlin engine refurbishment is the most difficult challenge to flying F9 stages multiple times<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">I don\u2019t want be cavalier, but there isn\u2019t an obvious limit. 100+ flights are possible. Some parts will need to be replaced or upgraded. Cleaning all 9 Merlin turbines is difficult. Raptor is way easier in this regard, despite being a far more complex engine.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1296158590646939649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 19, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Not having long chain hydrocarbons &amp; lowering preburner combustion temperature make a big difference<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1296170277899055110?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 19, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>See also: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-next-falcon-rocket-reusability-goals-elon-musk\/\">SpaceX&#8217;s Elon Musk talks next goals for Falcon rocket reusability &#8211; Teslarati<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>An important military launch coming in September<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-military-gps-satellite-us-space-force-launch-date\/\">SpaceX targets September launch of military GPS satellite for US Space Force &#8211; Teslarati<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>On July 14, just two weeks after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-first-us-military-satellite-launch-landing\/\">successful SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of the Lockheed Martin-built GPS III Space Vehicle 03 (SV03) satellite<\/a> for the United States Space Force, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station took delivery of the GPS III Space Vehicle 04 (SV04) GPS satellite from The U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC). The GPS III SV04 satellite, like its predecessor GPS III SV03, is scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 no earlier than September.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>In a statement provided by the U.S. Air Force, SMC\u2019s Medium Earth Orbit Space Systems Division chief, Col. Edward Byrne, said that \u201cthe delivery of SV04 marks the start of our third GPS III launch campaign on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and brings us another step closer in advancing the GPS constellation with more capable satellites.\u201d The SpaceX Falcon 9 previously lifted the GPS III SV01 and SV03 satellites to orbit in December 2018 and June 2020 respectively.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>*** <strong>SpaceX receiving more launch contracts<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/ses-taps-spacex-for-two-additional-falcon-9-launches\/\">SES taps SpaceX for two additional Falcon 9 launches &#8211; SpaceNews<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenational.ae\/business\/technology\/kleos-space-to-launch-cluster-of-four-satellites-on-elon-musk-s-spacex-1.1063347\">Kleos Space to launch cluster of four satellites on Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX &#8211; The National<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teslarati.com\/spacex-predasar-swarm-satellites-starlink\/\">SpaceX Starlink rideshares to launch entire small satellite constellations &#8211; Teslarati<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/2020\/08\/07\/ula-spacex-win-landmark-launch-agreements-with-pentagon\/\">ULA, SpaceX win landmark multibillion-dollar launch agreements with Pentagon \u2013 Spaceflight Now<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/spacenews.com\/spaceflight-planning-three-sherpa-launches-in-2021\/\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Spaceflight planning three Sherpa launches in 2021 &#8211; SpaceNews<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>*** <strong>SpaceX raises cash to fund Starlink, Starship, etc<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/sergeiklebnikov\/2020\/08\/18\/billionaire-elon-musk-raises-19-billion-in-new-funding-for-spacex\/#75104aa72404\">Billionaire Elon Musk Raises $1.9 Billion In New Funding For SpaceX &#8211; CNBC<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2020-08-14\/spacex-is-said-to-increase-latest-funding-round-to-2-billion\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Elon Musk\u2019s SpaceX Is Said to Increase Latest Funding Round to $2 Billion &#8211; Bloomberg<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">The nearly $2 billion in fresh capital was oversubscribed and is the largest fundraising round yet for SpaceX, according to PitchBook.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>News of the funding was <a title=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2020-08-14\/spacex-is-said-to-increase-latest-funding-round-to-2-billion\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2020-08-14\/spacex-is-said-to-increase-latest-funding-round-to-2-billion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-ga-track=\"ExternalLink:https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2020-08-14\/spacex-is-said-to-increase-latest-funding-round-to-2-billion\" aria-label=\"first reported\">first reported<\/a> by Bloomberg, which said that the private company will now have a valuation of $46 billion, citing people familiar with the matter.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"Starship\"><\/a>**** <strong>Starship<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The SN6 prototype Starship passed its pressure tests last weekend and since then a Raptor engine has been installed. A test firing of the Raptor is expected early next week. If that goes well, a hop to 150 meter or so, similar to the one flown by SN5, could soon follow. The goal is to do many short flights to debug the hardware and software, and become adept at operational tasks.<\/p>\n<p>For more on the upcoming prototype tests, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/2020\/08\/sn6-campaign-future-starships-hatch-next-leap\/\">SN6 begins test campaign as future Starships hatch plans for SpaceX&#8217;s next leap &#8211; NASASpaceFlight.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The SN8 prototype is rapidly coming together. It is expected to be fully fitted out with nosecone section and body flaps. Here is a current sketch of the state of its assembly:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Update! SN8&#8217;s forward dome stack has been stack on top of the common dome stack. Now only 4 pieces left, plus fins, until we have a full 20km worthy Starship!<\/p>\n<p>&#x1f4f8;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RGVaerialphotos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@RGVaerialphotos<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nomadd13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@nomadd13<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BocaChicaGal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BocaChicaGal<\/a> for <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NASASpaceflight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NASASpaceflight<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/jSQQ4Q0GU8\">pic.twitter.com\/jSQQ4Q0GU8<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Brendan (@brendan2908) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brendan2908\/status\/1296545993756798976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 20, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\nThe SN8 could be the first prototype Starship to go on a high altitude flight like the one simulated in this animation:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Very impressive render. Note, legs will be bigger &amp; there\u2019ll be way more stuff in engine bay. Main engines actually do majority of work in turning ship vertical before landing.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1295473111081447424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 17, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>***** <strong>Enhancements continue with the Raptor engines,<\/strong> which will power both the Starship and the Super Heavy booster:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Raptor engine just reached 330 bar chamber pressure without exploding! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kVKRWksvaB\">pic.twitter.com\/kVKRWksvaB<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1295495834998513664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 17, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Max demonstrated Raptor thrust is ~225 tons &amp; min is ~90 tons, so they\u2019re actually quite similar. Both Merlin &amp; Raptor could throttle way lower with added design complexity. Raptor preburner &amp; Merlin gas generator flameout are what limit lower bound.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1295553672454311941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 18, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">SN40 is about to be tested &amp; has several upgrades over 330 bar engine. For reference, 330 bar on Raptor produces ~225 tons (half a million pounds) of force.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1295498964205068289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 17, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n****** <strong>Boca Chica could be where humans first leave Earth to go to Mars<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">This little spit of dirt will take us to Mars<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1295602704073609216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 18, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>****** <strong>Aug. 14<\/strong>: SpaceX Boca Chica &#8211; High Bay Level 4 and Super Heavy Pad Work &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCSUu1lih2RifWkKtDOJdsBA\">NASASpaceflight &#8211; YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Level 4 of the High Bay begins to go up and the work on the Orbital Launch Pad picks up speed. SpaceX is laying the foundations for its future in Boca Chica and that future is all about Super Heavy. Deliveries of huge pipes to the launch site foreshadow the scale of the coming construction, while SN6 is prepared for cryo proofing. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Theo Ripper (@TheoRipper).<\/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\/PXlVrdF08xo?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>Aug.15:<\/strong> SpaceX Boca Chica &#8211; Introducing Starship SN9, while SN8 is flipped &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCSUu1lih2RifWkKtDOJdsBA\">NASASpaceflight &#8211; YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Two new SpaceX Starships are being assembled in Boca Chica with SN8&#8217;s Aft Section flipped while SN9 made its first public appearance in the form of its Common Dome. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer).<\/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\/wm_1YPo7-E4?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>Aug. 16<\/strong>: SN6 Pressure Testing &amp; Launch Pad Time Lapse &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/LabPadre\/videos\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LabPadre &#8211; YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>08.16.2020 SN6 was tested with what looks like ambient and cryo pressure. Another spectacular sunrise along with what seemed to be clean pressure testing. Sunrise at 6:50 AM. Pressure testing at 1:00 PM.<\/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\/19Rk4YEln7A?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>Aug.16<\/strong>: SpaceX Launch Site Super Heavy and SN6 Flyover Update &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/RGVAerialPhotography\/videos\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RGV Aerial Photography<\/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\/iYEDVMcsDKA?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>Aug. 18<\/strong>: SpaceX Boca Chica Site Aerial Update! &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/RGVAerialPhotography\/videos\" target=\"_d\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RGV Aerial Photography<\/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\/gkaTFA7y9DQ?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>Aug. 18: <\/strong>SpaceX Boca Chica &#8211; Starship SN6 receives Raptor SN29 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCSUu1lih2RifWkKtDOJdsBA\">NASASpaceflight &#8211; YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>As work continued at both the Production Facility and the Launch Sites, Starship SN6 has received Raptor SN29, with installation ahead of next week&#8217;s Static Fire test. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer).<\/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\/OK87zJ3c7uE?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>Aug.20: <\/strong>SpaceX Boca Chica &#8211; Launch Site Build Out and SN6 Static Fire Prep &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCSUu1lih2RifWkKtDOJdsBA\">NASASpaceflight &#8211; YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>SpaceX furiously preps the launch site ahead of SN6&#8217;s static fire test. Work on the High Bay, SN7.1, SN8 and on Nosecones continues. More unknown work at the Old Gas Well Lot. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer)<\/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\/1WAicgMQKlI?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>Aug.21<\/strong>: SpaceX Boca Chica &#8211; 4 Starships and a Test Tank &#8211; SN5, 6, 7.1, 8, and 9 all in work &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCSUu1lih2RifWkKtDOJdsBA\">NASASpaceflight &#8211; YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Full speed ahead at SpaceX Boca Chica, with SN6 at the pad and several Starships being worked &#8211; SN9 Fwd Dome, SN8 sections being stacked next to SN5 in the midbay, and Test Tank SN7.1 undergoing preps. Video and Pictures from Mary (@BocaChicaGal). Edited by Jack Beyer (@TheJackBeyer) and Theo Ripper (@TheoRipper).<\/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\/wmjE4DB2gwU?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>**** Other Starship and space transport reports<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p>***** <strong>Aug.18: What is SpaceX actually building in Boca Chica?<\/strong>\u00a0 &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC1XvxnHFtWruS9egyFasP1Q\">What about it!?<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Welcome to Episode 113 of What about it!? Today, amongst other things, I\u2019ll explain to you, what SpaceX is doing very differently with Starships in Boca Chica than we all expected and why!<\/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\/mF20WgelPjU?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 style=\"text-align: center;\">=====<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>===<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/fineartamerica.com\/featured\/spacex-delivers-the-goods-c-sergent-lindsey.html\"> The Art of C. Sergent Lindsey<\/a><\/strong> <strong>===<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_22155\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22155\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/fineartamerica.com\/featured\/spacex-delivers-the-goods-c-sergent-lindsey.html?product=iphone-case-cover&amp;orientation=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"22155\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?attachment_id=22155\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/SpaceXDelivers-PhoneCase_2.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"573,327\" 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=\"SpaceX Delivers -Phone Case\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/SpaceXDelivers-PhoneCase_2.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-22155 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/SpaceXDelivers-PhoneCase_2-500x285.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"285\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/SpaceXDelivers-PhoneCase_2-500x285.jpg 500w, https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/SpaceXDelivers-PhoneCase_2.jpg 573w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-22155\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/fineartamerica.com\/featured\/spacex-delivers-the-goods-c-sergent-lindsey.html\">SpaceX Delivers the Goods<\/a>&#8221; by <a href=\"http:\/\/csergentlindsey.com\/\">C. Sergent Lindsey<\/a> printed on phone cover. Available at <a href=\"https:\/\/fineartamerica.com\/featured\/spacex-delivers-the-goods-c-sergent-lindsey.html?product=iphone-case-cover&amp;orientation=2\">Fine Art America<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here): ** SpaceX launches Falcon 9 with 58 Starlink broadband sats and 3 earth imaging sats for Planet. The first stage booster flying on its 6th flight made a successful landing on an ocean platform. One nosecone fairing was caught &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=22569\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Space transport roundup &#8211; Aug.21.2020<\/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":[5,106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-rockets","category-space-transport-roundup"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p34aWK-5S1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20225,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=20225","url_meta":{"origin":22569,"position":0},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Nov.10.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"November 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here): ** SpaceX Falcon 9 set to launch 60 Starlink satellites on Monday at 9:56 am EST, 14:56 UTC. [ Update: The launch was a success. The booster landed right on target and the satellites\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=1524742414","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20076,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=20076","url_meta":{"origin":22569,"position":1},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Oct.30.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"October 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here): ** Northrop Grumman Antares on pad for launch of Cygnus cargo module to the ISS. Liftoff currently set for 9:59 am EDT on Saturday Nov. 2nd from Wallops Island, Virginia. The Cygnus module is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Rockets&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Rockets","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?cat=5"},"img":{"alt_text":"Northrop Grumman Antares CRS-12 Rollout","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/48980275608_dec6675aae_k1-500x347.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19168,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=19168","url_meta":{"origin":22569,"position":2},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; July.2.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"July 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport: ** Rocket Lab'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\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\/07\/Polar-BoosterLanding-June2019.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":21722,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=21722","url_meta":{"origin":22569,"position":3},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Mar.27.2020","author":"TopSpacer","date":"April 27, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here): ** Starship prototype SN4 heads for low altitude test flight after passing propellant tank pressure testing. According to Elon Musk, a single Raptor engine will be attached to SN4 this week. After a static\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\/04\/WingComponents-img_7519_1000x751-500x376.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20279,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=20279","url_meta":{"origin":22569,"position":4},"title":"Space transport roundup &#8211; Nov.16.2019","author":"TopSpacer","date":"November 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"A sampling of recent articles, videos, and images dealing with space transport (find previous roundups here): ** SpaceX executes successful static firing of Crew Dragon launch escape system.\u00a0 A similar firing last April led to an explosion caused by leaks and other problems in the propellant plumbing. Assuming the data\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\/11\/E2Card2Final-2x-500x287.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20961,"url":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=20961","url_meta":{"origin":22569,"position":5},"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":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22569","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=22569"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22569\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22594,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22569\/revisions\/22594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}