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The Elon Musk/SpaceX Starship’s fifth flight test from Texas could launch as soon as October 13, pending regulatory, FAA approval.

That approval has just been issued: “The FAA has issued a license modification authorizing SpaceX to launch multiple missions of the Starship/Super Heavy vehicle on the Flight 5 mission profile.”

According to the FAA in an October 12 statement, it determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental and other licensing requirements for the suborbital test flight.

“The Flight 5 mission profile involves launch of the combined Starship/Super Heavy vehicle from Boca Chica, Texas, a return to the launch site of the Super Heavy booster rocket for a catch attempt by the launch tower, and a water landing of the Starship vehicle in the Indian Ocean west of Australia,” adds the FAA determination.

The Starship’s launch window will open as early as 7:00 a.m. Central Time on October 13.

To view the action, you can watch at:

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-5

Or go to the new X TV app.

How could this possibly work?

According to SpaceX, the fifth flight test of Starship has the primary objectives of attempting the first ever return to launch site and catch of the Super Heavy booster and another Starship reentry and landing burn, aiming for an on-target splashdown of Starship in the Indian Ocean.

For a detailed review of what may take place, go to the Everyday Astronaut website that asks: “How Could This Possibly Work?!”

Go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAPt5vbr-YU

China’s first “reusable, returnable” test satellite returned to Earth, landing in the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The capsule of the Shijian-19 mission came to full stop on October 11. The craft was launched on September 27 by a Long March-2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA) the satellite performed experiments related to micro-gravity conditions, including the breeding of micro-organisms in space and the validation of new space technologies.

Payloads from five countries, including Thailand and Pakistan, were aboard the spacecraft.

The Shijian-19 satellite reportedly enhances the technical level and application efficiency of China’s returnable satellites, while also reducing operational costs.

A review of the landing site imagery would suggest the craft reenters nose first, deploying airbags to cushion its touchdown.

Space breeding

A variety of plant seeds were selected from different locations. This space breeding experimentation focused, for example, on high mutation efficiency and shorter breeding cycles.

“This effort aims to elevate China’s space breeding technology and accelerate the innovation of germplasm resources, thereby supporting the nation’s goal of technological self-reliance in seed development,” according an earlier report by China Central Television (CCTV).

“Researchers also plan to capitalize on the Shijian-19’s reusability to conduct space experiments, providing in-orbit testing opportunities for domestic components and materials,” CCTV added.

The Chinese program would appear to mirror Russia’s ongoing Bion satellite effort as well as NASA’s Biosatellite activity, now in retired status.

Go to this video showing recovery operations at:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/dyLmBjb8GkaV8631/

The Air Force has announced that the classified X-37B robo-plane is soon to start a series of “novel maneuvers” prior to reentry to a designated landing site – likely Kennedy Space Center.

This U.S. space plane was launched to a highly elliptical high Earth orbit aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket back on December 28, 2023.

That aerobraking term means that the space plane is to change its orbit around Earth and “safely dispose of its service module components,” in accordance with recognized standards for space debris mitigation, according to a Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs posting today.

In the statement, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall explained that this novel series of maneuvers by the Orbital Test Vehicle-7 (OTV-7) mission “demonstrates the Space Force’s commitment to achieving groundbreaking innovation as it conducts national security missions in space.”

Series of passes

The announcement also noted that this is the first time the U.S. Space Force and the X-37B have attempted to carry out a dynamic aerobraking maneuver, “leveraging six successful missions of operating the space plane safely, as well as decades of general lessons learned from the scientific community conducting Moon and Mars missions.”

The use of the aerobraking maneuver allows the craft to carry out a series of passes using the drag of Earth’s atmosphere. Doing so enables the spacecraft to change orbits while expending minimal fuel.

“Once the aerobrake maneuver is complete, the X-37B will resume its test and experimentation objectives until they are accomplished, at which time the vehicle will de-orbit and execute a safe return as it has during its six previous missions,” the statement adds.

There was no specific time noted as to actual return of the craft to a landing strip.

Distinctive mission

The Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office (AFRCO) has managed the X-37B program since 2010, meant to push forward the next generation of reusable space capabilities for the United States Space Force.

This OTV-7 mission of the U.S. military’s unique X-37B robotic space plane is decidedly distinctive.

For the first time, the Boeing-built craft was hurled spaceward atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy booster, “with a wide range of test and experimentation objectives,” explains a U.S. Space Force press statement. Reportedly OTV-7 is the fourth flight of this particular craft; there are believed to be only two vehicles for the program.

Service module

As explained in the Air Force statement, the last space plane flight, OTV-6, was the first mission to introduce a service module that expanded the capabilities of the spacecraft.

That module hosted more experiments than any of the previous space plane missions. In the OTV-6 flight, the service module was detached in orbit from the space plane before its landing, necessary due to the aerodynamic forces seen by the X-37B vehicle upon re-entry.

Once detached, the free-floating service module from that previous mission was disposed of “in compliance with best practices,” according to the Air Force.

First use technologies

Flight roster

Here’s a listing of previous flights of the space plane:

OTV-1: launched on April 22, 2010 and landed on December 3, 2010, spending over 224 days on orbit.

OTV-2: launched on March 5, 2011 and landed on June 16, 2012, spending over 468 days on orbit.

OTV-3: launched on December 11, 2012 and landed on October 17, 2014, spending over 674 days on-orbit.

OTV-4: launched on May 20, 2015 and landed on May 7, 2015, spending nearly 718 days on-orbit.

OTV-5: launched on September 7, 2017 and landed on October 27, 2019, spending nearly 780 days on-orbit.

OTV-6: Launched on May 17, 2020 and landed on November 12, 2022, circling Earth for 908 days.

OTV-7: Lofted on December 28, 2023. Landing date and where/TBD.

First use in space

In past Boeing-supplied information, the company says the X-37B is designed to operate in low-Earth orbit, 150 to 500 miles above the Earth.

Additionally, the vehicle makes use of several “first use in space” technologies including:

— Avionics designed to automate all de-orbit and landing functions.

— Flight controls and brakes using all electro-mechanical actuation; no hydraulics on board.

— Use of a lighter composite structure, rather than traditional aluminum.

— New generation high-temperature wing leading-edge tiles and toughened uni-piece fibrous refractory oxidation-resistant ceramic (TUFROC) tiles and advanced conformal reusable insulation (CRI) blankets.

Chief of U.S. Space Operations, General Chance Saltzman, said in the new posting that “this first of a kind maneuver from the X-37B is an incredibly important milestone for the United States Space Force as we seek to expand our aptitude and ability to perform in this challenging domain.”

China’s space plane

Considered by many as a copycat version of X-37B, China’s experimental space plane recently rolled to full stop in September on a landing strip. Little is known about the craft.

It was hurled into orbit on December 14, 2023 atop a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

The whatever it is and does spacecraft touched down after 268 days of in-orbit operation, making its touchdown on September 6, 2024.

 

NASA is faced with safely deorbiting, in one fell swoop, over 400 tons of space hardware in a few years – and ocean specialists are not keen on the move.

Sustaining operations of the International Space Station through 2030 is touch-and-go, prior to its now planned slam-dunk reentry in early 2031 into isolated ocean territory.

NASA has examined, but rejected several options for decommissioning the ISS, including disassembly and return to Earth, shoving the facility into a higher orbit, even a natural orbital decay scenario with random reentry.

Purposeful pile driving

NASA announced last June the selection of SpaceX to design the United States Deorbit Vehicle (USDV) under a contract worth up to $843 million.

In a NASA white paper on purposeful pile driving of the ISS into the ocean, a space agency analysis concluded that “using a U.S.-developed deorbit vehicle, with a final target in a remote part of the ocean, is the best option for station’s end of life.”

For details, go to my new SpaceNews story – “Ocean experts raise concerns over deorbiting the International Space Station” at:

https://spacenews.com/ocean-experts-raise-concerns-over-deorbiting-the-international-space-station/

NASA’s CAPSTONE mini-spacecraft recently marked its 100th orbit in the near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO). This Moon mission has been awarded by NASA an extension of its mission after operating in its NRHO for 670-plus days.

CAPSTONE is now funded until December 2025.

CAPSTONE stands for Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, a microwave oven-sized CubeSat weighing a modest 55 pounds.

Software smarts

Launched in June 2022 aboard a Rocket Lab Electron booster from New Zealand, CAPSTONE is owned and operated by Advanced Space of Westminster, Colorado.

The mission extension allows further demonstration of Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System (CAPS) experiments, as well as showcasing a first-of-its-kind artificial intelligence/machine learning software to detect anomalies and navigation data, and learn how to perform autonomous maneuvers.

NRHO is the locale of NASA’s cislunar Gateway space station. That outpost is to shore up long-term human exploration of the Moon, allowing crews to access the lunar south pole – an early priority zone for the space agency’s Artemis program.

Cross-link

Bradley Cheetham, Advanced Space’s President and CEO said in a statement: “In five years, CAPSTONE has gone from a bright idea by a small business to a mission that continues well past its expected end date.”

By extending CAPSTONE’s mission it also allows further collaboration with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. That partnership comes via a recently extended Space Act Agreement to evaluate, and when appropriate, conduct opportunities for cross-link data collection between the two spacecraft.

Advanced Space will work with spacecraft operations partners at Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems (a Terran Orbital Corporation).

Advanced Space is the owner and operator of CAPSTONE for NASA and prime contractor for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Oracle project – designed to develop cislunar space situational awareness capabilities.

For more information on Advanced Space and the CAPSTONE mission, go to:

https://advancedspace.com/

 

 

 

 

 

All those eye-catching, arguably clickbait headlines of bringing home stranded astronauts stuck in space underscores a worrisome reality. The United States is lacking a “go-get-em” capability for in-space rescue.

The lessons of Apollo, Skylab and the space shuttle with respect to the rescue of astronauts in space appear to have been forgotten.

That memory lapse comes at a time when more folks are flying into space from multiple nations, many tucked inside commercially provided spacecraft.

The recent Boeing Starliner escapade with conked out control thrusters and helium leaks is a case in point.

Mix in gutsy missions of private crews performing high-altitude spacewalks without a spaceship docking port or being the first to rocket into polar orbit around the Earth or heading off to the Moon.

For more details, go to my new Space.com story – “US needs ‘space rescue service’ to help astronauts in distress, experts say – ‘We’re not planning to do it, and you can’t do a rescue on the fly. You have to plan ahead of time’” at:

https://www.space.com/us-needs-space-rescue-service-astronauts-distress

Blue Origin is set to debuts its second human-rated suborbital tourism vehicle – named RSS Kármán line.

An uncrewed verification flight window opens on Monday, October 7 at 8:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time.

New Shepard (NS-27) will fly 12 payloads—five on the booster and seven inside the crew capsule. The vehicle is designed to enable “expanded flight capacity to better meet growing customer demand,” according to a Blue Origin statement.

Black monoliths

One commercial payload to be carried is a reproduction of black monoliths from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The monoliths are flying on behalf of Spacemanic for a special edition printed by Croatian publisher Amaranthine Books.

Also onboard the uncrewed test flight, a new navigation systems developed for New Shepard and the Blue Origin New Glenn booster; two different LIDAR sensors for the Lunar Permanence program; and ultra-wideband proximity operations sensors flying as part of a NASA TechFlights grant with Blue Origin’s Space Systems Development group.

Last August Blue Origin completed its 26th mission to suborbital space with six crew onboard. It was its eighth human spaceflight and the 26th flight for the New Shepard program.

The upcoming test flight will be webcast, starting 15 minutes before liftoff on: https://www.blueorigin.com/

As nations rocket forward plans to “reboot” the Moon with crews, what that celestial destination needs is real-time monitoring and emergency response.

For example, there are high-risk situations in remote areas like the lunar south pole – the currently preferred place for planting long-term expeditions.

A team of international scientists wants to make lunar exploration safer. To do so, they are proposing a distress monitoring and rescue system for that off-Earth and challenging environment.

Safety alerts

A project led by the University of South Australia (UniSA) is looking into the critical need for an emergency system capable of providing safety alerts, incident reporting, and location tracking of astronauts in distress.

At the system’s core, the idea is based on Cospas-Sarsat technology, the international humanitarian search and rescue system here on Earth. Cospas-Sarsat now includes 45 nations and two independent search and rescue (SAR) organizations.

On planet Earth, Cospas-Sarsat brings together a worldwide network of satellites, ground stations, mission control centers, and rescue coordination centers.

Network of satellites

According to Mark Rice, a UniSA adjunct researcher and founder of Safety from Space, the Moon-based distress system could allow continuous communication with astronauts for up to 10 hours, even in tough terrain, such as craters or lunar mountains.

“Our team has also developed a waveform that supports low-power emergency beacons, ensuring that communication remains possible with minimal infrastructure and energy consumption,” Rice points out in a UniSA statement.

Researchers from Adelaide and the US are designing a satellite constellation that prioritizes communication and geo-location on the Moon’s surface. Once in place, Moon exploring astronauts would be able to send distress signals to a network of satellites that will relay the information back to Earth or other lunar bases.

Frequency approvals

Safety from Space was founded in 2018 with the support of UniSA’s Innovation and Collaboration Center. The startup recently was awarded $100,000 from the South Australia government to help drive the Lunar Search and Rescue project, with an anticipated field trial with NASA in 2025.

A Safety from Space study has scoped out lunar search and rescue services. During this study, NASA’s Search and Rescue Mission Office served as a technical consultant regarding lunar distress message contents, lunar surface considerations, and insight into international frequency approvals as they evolved over the technical study.

Trial-run technology

Safety from Space is using the $100,000 for the LunaSAR project which will trial advanced satellite communications designed to be lighter and more reliable than current devices on the market, with a longer battery life.

The project will be conducted in collaboration with NASA, The Mars Society (US and Australian arms) and several Australian partners including SmartSat CRC, UniSA and Flinders University.

“This innovation is a critical advancement for space exploration. As humans venture further into space, the ability to quickly locate and rescue individuals in distress is vital,” explains Rice. “By creating a robust search and rescue system for the Moon, this research sets the foundation for similar systems on other planets, potentially revolutionizing how we approach human safety in space exploration.”

If you are wondering where is the best location to spot an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO), well it’s a roll of the dice.

But place your chips on several cities, according to BetUS, an online sports betting group.

When and where you most likely can have UFO run ins taps years of data accumulated by the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC).

Luck and rarity

“Our fascination with UFOs taps into our innate curiosity about the unknown. According to the Pew Research Center, 65% of Americans believe that intelligent life exists on other planets,” BetUS explains. The luck and rarity of a UFO sighting further fuels our obsession and curiosity, they add.

BetUS points to their one-stop guide to single out where in the U.S. you’re can likely make your own eye-encounter with an UFO.

Prime time

“By analyzing data from the National UFO Reporting Center, we were able to find the most common months, locations, and times you are most likely to see a UFO, sourcing data going all the way back to 2013,” BetUS explains.

Turns out, 9:00 pm is the prime time to spot UFO activity across the country. July is the best month to make eye contact.

“From Phoenix to New York, there is no shortage of flying saucers and flashing lights across the U.S.,” the website points out. “Why not increase your odds and test your luck with your very own extraterrestrial adventure?”

 

Take a gamble

BetUS made use of data from the National UFO Reporting Center, ranking where and when in the U.S. are you most likely to see something off-world, based on the number of sightings per city, state, and date going all the way back to 2013. The data is accurate as of June 24, 2024.

 

 

So take a gamble, visit the website to enhance your chances at: www.betus.com.pa/casino-guide/usa-ufo-encounter-2024

Be advised that BetUS also explains that “if you have a gambling problem,” they’ve got a hot line.

Also, check out the National UFO Reporting Center that has processed over 180,000 reports, distributing its information to thousands of individuals.

Visit NUFORC at:

https://nuforc.org/

The American Foreign Policy Council Space Policy Initiative co-directors have designed a series of workshops to examine near-term scenarios that could have a significant psychological impact on public perceptions of space, and thus on resourcing and policy.

The report, REACTING TO MAJOR SPACE EVENTS ON THE MOON AND IN CISLUNAR SPACE —After Action Report— asks what do we want space to look like? What policies are necessary to get there?

Among futuristic scenarios, the report addresses what if China’s lunar factory crushes U.S. ambitions?; Can a private company claim the Moon?; Are China’s Moon safety zones a massive lunar land grab?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For access to the report, go to:

https://www.afpc.org/uploads/documents/Workshop_2_-_After_Action_Report_-_9.16.24.pdf