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Chinese Launchers / Re: Maiden - CZ-12 - Hainan - Nov-Dec, 2024
« Last post by mikezang on Today at 01:06 pm »
Is "Nov-Dec 2024" just guesswork, or is the any official or inofficial launch schedule?
It is said the launch will be on November 30.
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...
So yes, it does contradict the narrative that Musk is pro-Putin and anti-Ukraine.

Way OT, which is why I've cut this down to this:

Nothing about that reporting talks about how to characterize the purported calls to Putin1, and I'll point out that a business like Starlink can benefit from both sides of a war (just pointing out a possibility, not a reality). In other words, you can't look at this as a math equation that balances out, with "pro-" on one side and "anti-" on the other.

And a general observation that may have nothing to do with this, but it is a harsh reality in human history that war is something that allows businesses to flourish while people suffer.


1 Though unlikely Musk would be making unfriendly calls, right?

The WSJ said that Musk and Putin spoke recently but this hasn't been confirmed. But both Musk and Russia have said that Musk and Putin spoke about space-related issues years ago (before Starlink). Musk talks to a lot of the World leaders and he even spoke to the pope but that doesn't make him pro-every leader that he speaks to.
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Space Science Coverage / Re: NASA - Voyager 1 and 2 updates
« Last post by zeke01 on Today at 12:54 pm »
Madrid in communication with Voyager 1 again this morning on X band frequency at 40 bps.
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Signet Warhorse III departed PC on Oct 28 @ 11:51am ET

Signet Warhorse I returned to PC on Oct 28 @ 3:52pm ET

Signet Warhorse III + JRTI + B1069 returned to PC on Oct 28 @ 6:12pm ET

Corinne C + JRTI departed PC on Oct 31 @ 5:48pm ET

Corinne C + JRTI + B1085 returned to PC on Nov 10 @ 8:23am ET
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Chinese Launchers / Re: Maiden - CZ-12 - Hainan - Nov-Dec, 2024
« Last post by PM3 on Today at 12:14 pm »
Is "Nov-Dec 2024" just guesswork, or is the any official or inofficial launch schedule?
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NRO has released a new podcast associated with their 60th anniversary:

https://soundcloud.com/user-553105389/sitting-down-with-the-center-for-the-study-of-national-reconnaissance

At the 19-minute mark they say that the NRO is publishing a book with 60 key innovations and 60 key innovators.

Lightweight optics, CCDs, space firsts (like first manmade object recovered from space), management techniques.

Innovators and contractors.


Has this book appeared yet ?
Didn't find it on their web site. There is a page on "Pioneers" and "Leaders". I would guess at least some overlap with their list of 60 "key innovators":
https://www.nro.gov/History-and-Studies/Center-for-the-Study-of-National-Reconnaissance/Leaders-Pioneers-and-Artifacts/

Thanks @hoku for mentioning in the DSP thread that the book boldfaced in Blackstar's post above has now appeared. See "NRO Innovations & Innovators:  1961-2021" at
https://www.nro.gov/About-NRO/history/more-historical-programs/
and attached (large) pdf.

A handy document, and tidies some loose ends, including some stuff on KH-11's use of CMGs which I will put in appropriate thread. Has at least one oddity though, seems to give impression that relay satellite was in GEO, which I think may just have resulted from confusion among the 8 or so names credited as editors. Though of course there was at least one SDS launch into GEO eventually.

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Berger’s take:

Quote

......
The key function the SLS rocket and the Orion spacecraft currently provide in Artemis is transporting astronauts from Earth to lunar orbit and back. There are ways to address this.
......


This is actually the key point.
SLS/Orion function is to transport the crew from Earth to NRHO and back.
HLS function is to transport the cargo from Earth to Lunar Surface and crew from NRHO to lunar surface and back.
In my opinion HLS is much more capable system and it will be easy to expand it to include SLS/Orion functionality. When this happens, the future of SLS/Orion is done.

This could happen for exaple by launching the crew to LEO by Dragon, tranfering to HLS, going to The gateway and resupplying there. Or there can be other ways...
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Andrew Jones
@AJ_FI
Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft undocked from Tiangong space station at 0830 UTC today, Nov. 10, China's human spaceflight agency announced. It will re-enter the atmosphere in a controlled manner in the near future. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/NRJhA5J5mA3l4fml6Acxdg

https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1855582952253464978
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If you launch fleet0 in 10/2026, you want the learnings to be implemented in fleet1 in  12/2028, which needs to start being manufactured probably at least 18 months before being launched...

18 months to manufacture and test seems like a long time.

Kathy Lueders just said they're aiming for 100 Starship launches per year within the next few years (link here @ 35:30).
That should allow them to test any changes very quickly.

The Boca Chica manufacturing site is also ramping up to build things much faster.
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SpaceX Starship Program / Re: Catching Starship's upper stage
« Last post by Dave G on Today at 11:18 am »
https://www.youtube.com/live/zt8WrIAa2Ok

At 35:30 Kathy Lueders was asked when Starship will be caught and how long until there are weekly launches from Starbase.

Quote
The next few missions are critical for understanding flight dynamics of the Starship in particular. Want to make sure they can really control an orbital vehicle before we have it go orbital. If they go well they're aiming for Starship catch within the next 6 months.

Elon "would love" to have 25 Starship missions next year and a 100 launches within the next few years. Eventually aiming for a couple of times a day.
Excellent find!

So now we know SpaceX hopes to catch the upper stage around May 2025
and we know IFT-6 will be removing some of the TPS tiles on each side to help see how they may catch it.

Interesting times ahead :)
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