Space News and Discussions

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

China plans to inhabit a space station on the moon by 2030
https://www.earth.com/news/china-plans- ... n-by-2030/
ByEric Ralls
Earth.com staff writer

China, despite its late entry into the realm of space exploration, has recently unveiled an ambitious vision that could potentially make it the first nation to establish a lunar base on the moon.

With aspirations of putting Chinese astronauts on the moon’s surface within the next seven years, Beijing may even outpace the United States in creating a permanent lunar outpost.

NASA has disclosed plans for its own Artemis Base Camp, aiming for establishment in the 2030s. This timeline sets up the tantalizing prospect of an intense 21st-century space race between the two countries. Wu Weiren, the physicist leading China’s moon mission, shared with state media that Beijing’s goal is to build a lunar research station before the end of the decade.

[weatheriscool]

China plans full reusability for its super heavy Long March 9 rocket
Andrew Jones April 27, 2023
https://spacenews.com/china-plans-full- ... -9-rocket/

HELSINKI — China is planning to make a fully reusable version of a rocket designed to launch infrastructure and deep space missions.

Presentations at events marking China’s national space day in the city of Hefei, Anhui province this week reveal that plans for the Long March 9 rocket include developing an apparently Starship-inspired fully reusable version.

China is now targeting 2033 for first flights of a three-stage Long March rocket powered by numerous full flow staged combustion methane engines on the first stage, capable of carrying 50 tons to lunar transfer orbit, or 35 tons when the first stage is recovered.

The rocket is being developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). The initial version will be 114 meters long, have a mass at liftoff of 4,400 tons and generate 6,100 tons of thrust.

This will be followed by a two-stage variant capable of carrying 150 tons of payload to low Earth orbit (LEO), or 100 tons when landing the first stage. A fully reusable, 80 tons to LEO variant will be the ultimate objective, expected to fly in the 2040s.

[weatheriscool]

NASA's Voyager will do more science with new power strategy
https://phys.org/news/2023-04-nasa-voya ... ategy.html
by Calla Cofield, NASA

The plan will keep Voyager 2's science instruments turned on a few years longer than previously anticipated, enabling yet more revelations from interstellar space.

Launched in 1977, the Voyager 2 spacecraft is more than 12 billion miles (20 billion kilometers) from Earth, using five science instruments to study interstellar space. To help keep those instruments operating despite a diminishing power supply, the aging spacecraft has begun using a small reservoir of backup power set aside as part of an onboard safety mechanism. The move will enable the mission to postpone shutting down a science instrument until 2026, rather than this year.

Voyager 2 and its twin Voyager 1 are the only spacecraft ever to operate outside the heliosphere, the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields generated by the Sun. The probes are helping scientists answer questions about the shape of the heliosphere and its role in protecting Earth from the energetic particles and other radiation found in the interstellar environment.

"The science data that the Voyagers are returning gets more valuable the farther away from the Sun they go, so we are definitely interested in keeping as many science instruments operating as long as possible," said Linda Spilker, Voyager's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the mission for NASA.

[firestar464]

https://www.space.com/saturns-rings-dis ... -telescope

Hopefully as more measurements are released we will be able to update the timeline

[weatheriscool]

Russia's decision to remain on ISS til 2028 saves it from early demise
By David Szondy
May 02, 2023
https://newatlas.com/space/russia-remain-iss-til-2028/

NASA has announced that Russia will remain a participant aboard the International Space Station (ISS) until 2028, ensuring the station's safe operation until it is finally vacated by all 15 international partners in 2030 before its deorbiting.

In July 2022, as relations with Russia and the West reached a new low over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Roscosmos Chief Yury Borisov caused a major stir in space circles when he declared that his country would no longer be a part of the ISS partnership after 2024.

Citing costs and the safety of Russian cosmonauts as the primary reason, the decision was not just one that further damaged East/West diplomacy, it also put the ISS in peril because Russia is a major contributor of hardware to the space station and Russian Progress cargo ships provide the thrust needed to keep it in the proper orbit. In addition, Russia's Zvezda module contains the station's primary life support systems.

Another concern was that Russia would follow its abandoning of the ISS by removing its modules to build a new station of its own – a risky operation at best. In the worst-case scenario, Russia leaving the 15-nation partnership might have resulted in the ISS being deorbited and burning up in a controlled reentry five years earlier than planned.

Though the unstable geopolitical situation makes the remainder of the ISS's lifespan about as secure as that of a salmon at a bear convention, the recent decision does introduce an element of hope.

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

Rocket Lab launches NASA’s TROPICS satellites from New Zealand
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/05 ... -launch-1/
written by Justin Davenport May 7, 2023

NASA’s Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) constellation, having switched launch vehicles after losing two satellites aboard an Astra Rocket 3.3 last year, has launched — this time aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket on a mission titled “Rocket Like A Hurricane” from Launch Complex 1B (LC-1B) in Mahia, New Zealand. Liftoff from LC-1B was on schedule at 13:00 NZST (1:00 UTC) on May 8.

Electron and TROPICS were originally set to launch during the week prior to the May 8th launch attempt. However, inclement weather delayed the launch to the following week.

The flight lofted the two TROPICS cubesats to a 550 km circular low Earth orbit inclined 32 degrees to the Equator. Therefore, Electron followed a trajectory slightly inclined to the northeast of the Mahia Peninsula. First-stage engine cutoff and separation occurred at around two minutes and 33 seconds after liftoff. Electron’s first stage was not recovered following stage separation.

The two TROPICS satellites and the Curie kick stage deployed at around nine minutes and 31 seconds after liftoff, with the kick stage igniting its engine just after T+30 minutes. The two satellites then deployed at T+33 minutes.

[weatheriscool]

China’s mystery reusable spaceplane lands after 276 days in orbit
Andrew Jones May 8, 2023
https://spacenews.com/chinas-mystery-re ... -in-orbit/

HELSINKI — China’s secretive reusable spaceplane completed its second mission Monday, landing after 276 days in orbit.

China state media and the spacecraft’s maker, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. (CASC), announced the spacecraft had landed late May 8 Beijing time.

The apparently successful mission was stated to be an important breakthrough in the country’s research on reusable spacecraft technology. No images, landing time nor location were revealed by the terse announcements.

The project will provide a more convenient and inexpensive way to access space for the peaceful use of space in the future, according to the statement.

[weatheriscool]

OHB expects first Ariane 6 launch in early 2024
Jeff Foust May 11, 2023
Ariane 64

WASHINGTON — A key Ariane 6 supplier expects the rocket to make its first launch within a year, but ruled out any chance the vehicle could fly before the end of 2023.

In a May 10 earnings call, executives with German aerospace company OHB predicted that the rocket will make its long-delayed debut within the first several months of 2024, the strongest indication yet by those involved with the rocket’s development that it will not be ready for launch before the end of this year.

https://spacenews.com/ohb-expects-first ... arly-2024/


ULA prepares for new round of Vulcan tests
https://spacenews.com/ula-prepares-for- ... can-tests/
The investigation of Vulcan’s upper-stage testing anomaly has not yet been completed. The company is hoping to launch the rocket this summer
Sandra Erwin May 11, 2023

WASHINGTON — United Launch Alliance plans to resume tanking tests of its Vulcan Centaur rocket and test fire its main engines as early as next week, the company announced May 11.

“Vulcan is in position atop SLC-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to undergo a full launch day rehearsal tomorrow and flight readiness firing test of its main engines planned for next week,” ULA said.

ULA rolled the rocket on Thursday to Space Launch Complex 41 in preparation for tests.

[weatheriscool]

Stratolaunch successfully releases test vehicle ahead of hypersonic flights
By Ben Coxworth
May 15, 2023

California aerospace company Stratolaunch has taken a major step closer to the realization of its planned hypersonic flight launch system. Last weekend, the firm successfully released the TA-0 test vehicle from its Roc carrier aircraft.

Sporting two side-by-side fuselages, six Boeing 747 engines, 28 wheels, and wings that stretch 385 ft (117 m) from tip to tip, the Roc is the world's largest aircraft by wingspan.

Stratolaunch plans on using the plane to carry its smaller uncrewed Talon-A (TA-1) hypersonic aircraft to an altitude of 35,000 ft (10,000 m), at which point it will be released from the underside of the Roc to fly on its own. The rocket-powered TA-1 will proceed to reach speeds of over Mach 5 before autonomously landing on a runway.

https://newatlas.com/aircraft/stratolau ... t-vehicle/

[Time_Traveller]

The Milky Way galaxy may be a different shape than we thought

about 6 hours ago

New measurements suggest that the Milky Way galaxy may have a different shape than we thought.

Over the past few years, astronomers have increasingly discovered that galaxies seem to come in three main shapes: Elliptical, irregular and spiral. The majority of known galaxies that fit in this last category seem to have two prominent "arms" that branch out and split into lesser arms.

But the traditional portrayal of the Milky Way is that of a galaxy with four major spiral arms extending out from a thick centralized bulge of stars. This makes our spiral galaxy stand out as an extremely rare outlier with an odd shape that must have some very unique properties to grant it four major arms.

That portrayal could be wrong, however. A team of astronomers has published new research that suggests we have been wrong about the shape of the Milky Way for decades, with our galaxy instead having two main arms just like its contemporary spiral galaxies.

The revelation that could reshape our understanding of the Milky Way came about when space scientists with the Chinese Academy of Sciences based at the Purple Mountain and National Astronomical Observatories analyzed multiple sources of astronomical data to get a better understanding of our galaxy's true shape.

https://www.space.com/milky-way-galaxy- ... ium=social

[weatheriscool]

Second Private Mission to Space Station Set to Launch May 21
Axiom Space is preparing to send its second group of private astronauts to the ISS.
By Ryan Whitwam May 19, 2023
https://www.extremetech.com/aerospace/s ... nch-may-21

Axiom Space is gearing up for another launch in partnership with SpaceX. Axiom Mission 2, or Ax-2, will be the second private launch to send a crew to the International Space Station (ISS). The Falcon 9 rocket is slated to lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center with a crew of four on May 21. The crew will return home a week later, marking another milestone in the emerging private spaceflight industry.

The Ax-2 crew will be led by former astronaut Peggy Whitson, Axiom's Director of Human Spaceflight. While with NASA, Whitson spent 665 total days in space, including three extended stays on the ISS. The crew also includes pilot and self-described space enthusiast John Shoffner, who purchased a ticket to space from Axiom in 2021. The last two slots go to Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, both from Saudi Arabia.

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

China plans to land astronauts on moon before 2030, expand space station, bring on foreign partners
Source: NBC News/AP

BEIJING — China’s burgeoning space program plans to place astronauts on the moon before 2030 and expand the country’s orbiting space station, officials said Monday. Monday’s announcement comes amid against the background of a rivalry with the U.S. for reaching new milestones in outer space, reflecting their competition for influence on global events.

That has conjured up memories of the space race between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s, although American spending, supply chains and capabilities are believed to give it a significant edge over China, at least for the present. The U.S. aims to put astronauts back on the lunar surface by the end of 2025 as part of a renewed commitment to crewed missions, aided by private sector players such as SpaceX and Blue Origin.

The deputy director of China’s space agency confirmed the twin objectives at a news conference but gave no specific dates. The agency also introduced three astronauts who will head to the country’s space station in a launch scheduled for Tuesday morning. They’ll replace a crew that’s been on the orbiting station for six months. China is first preparing for a “short stay on the lunar surface and human-robotic joint exploration,” Deputy Director of the Chinese Manned Space Agency Lin Xiqiang told reporters at the rare briefing by the military-run program.

“We have a complete near-Earth human space station and human round-trip transportation system,” complemented by a process for selecting, training and supporting new astronauts, he said. A schedule of two crewed missions a year is “sufficient for carrying out our objectives,” Lin said.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/c ... -rcna86654

[weatheriscool]

UAE announces groundbreaking mission to asteroid belt, seeking clues to life's origins
https://phys.org/news/2023-05-uae-groun ... -belt.html
by Nick El Hajj

The United Arab Emirates unveiled plans Monday to send a spaceship to explore the solar system's main asteroid belt, the latest space project by the oil-rich nation after it launched the successful Hope spacecraft to Mars in 2020.

Dubbed the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt, the project aims to develop a spacecraft in the coming years and then launch it in 2028 to study various asteroids.

"This mission is a follow up and a follow on the Mars mission, where it was the first mission to Mars from the region," said Mohsen Al Awadhi, program director of the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt. "We're creating the same thing with this mission. That is, the first mission ever to explore these seven asteroids in specific and the first of its kind when it's looked at from the grand tour aspect."

[weatheriscool]

China sends first civilian astronaut to space as Shenzhou-16 blasts off
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/29/chin ... index.html
By Simone McCarthy
Updated 10:07 PM EDT, Mon May 29, 2023

China sent its first civilian astronaut into orbit on Tuesday, as it launched the Shenzhou-16 mission to its space station for its second in-orbit crew rotation, marking another step forward for the country’s ambitious space program.

The three Shenzhou-16 astronauts blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the desert of China’s Gansu province at 9:31 a.m. on Tuesday morning, headed for the Tiangong space station orbiting earth.

The crew – Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu, and Gui Haichao – will take over from the Shenzhou-15 astronauts, who have been abroad China’s newly completed Tiangong space station since November, to start their own five-month stint aboard the station.

[raklian]

[wjfox]