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Archive for the ‘Space News’ Category

It has been billed as China’s first emergency operation in the country’s human spaceflight program.

Crew members of the Shenzhou-20 mission recently detailed their reactions in finding cracks on their return capsule viewport.

Chen Dong, commander of the Shenzhou-20 crew, first noticed the damage to the window while conducting final checks on the return capsule. The believed culprit: a harmful hit by space debris striking the window.

For more details, go to my new Space.com story – “’Some of the cracks had penetrated through’: Chinese astronauts reveal new details about spacecraft that ‘stranded’ them in space last year” — at

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/some-of-the-cracks-had-penetrated-through-chinese-astronauts-reveal-new-details-about-spacecraft-that-stranded-them-in-space-last-year

China’s first Mars mission, Tianwen-1, landed in southern Utopia Planitia. The mission’s lander deployed the Zhurong rover following a soft landing on the Red Planet on May 14, 2021.

Zhurong was outfitted with a Mars Rover Penetrating Radar (RoPeR). Output from the ground penetrating gear indicates that a model incorporating dirty ice mixed with stones aligns most closely with RoPeR observations.

That data reveals the presence of shallow subsurface ice, a roughly 23-foot (7 meters) thick layer of low-loss material sandwiched by two high-loss layers.

Analysis of the data is consistent with water ice, suggesting its possible presence at a depth of approximately 50 feet (15 meters), representing a large reservoir of buried volatile deposits in the planet’s past or even present today.

 

 

 

 

The research work is led by Xindong Meng of the State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences at Macau University of Science and Technology in Macau, China.

The Zhurong rover covered nearly 1.2 miles (2,000 meters) over 325 martian days before entering a dormant stage. Water ice is frequently found at middle and high latitudes on Mars, but its depth in low latitudes has remained unresolved. The China rover appears to have changed that situation.

Southern Utopia Planitia is a region that shows geological evidence of an active hydrological past, “making it an ideal site for the search for subsurface water ice,” Xindong and team members explain.

“The presence of a shallow subsurface ice-bearing layer at low-to-mid latitudes would represent a valuable and readily accessible resource for future human exploration,” they report in the journal, Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To access the paper – “Evidence of shallow subsurface ice at Tianwen-1 landing site” – go to:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012821X26000154?via%3Dihub

The crew of China’s Shenzhou-20 mission has shared details regarding that space debris-created window crack on their return craft.

Originally slated to return to Earth last November 5, the crew’s landing was postponed. The taikonuat trio used an alternative spacecraft to get back to the Earth safely.

Last week, in a detailed interview with China Media Group, Shenzhou-20 crew members elaborated on how they discovered the crack on the viewport one day before their planned return.

Emergency launch

Billed as the first emergency launch mission in China’s human spaceflight program, an uncrewed, cargo-loaded Shenzhou-22 spaceship was launched on November 25.

Shenzhou-22 docked with the front port of China’s Tiangong space station’s Tianhe core module.

Flying without a three-person crew aboard, the vessel carried a cargo of space food, medical supplies, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as devices for treating the cracked window on the Shenzhou-20 spaceship.

Naked eye finding

Chen Dong, commander of the crew, said he noticed the damage while conducting final checks on the return capsule.

“I was the one who went for the checks. I was through the capsule with the naked eye, when I spotted something like a triangular on the viewport,” Chen said. “My first thought was whether a small leaf had somehow stuck to the outside of the window. But then I quickly realized that couldn’t happen because we were in space. How could there possibly be a fallen leaf there?”

Chen pointed out the anomaly to his other two crew members, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie.

Ground team support

“I wasn’t really nervous, actually,” said Wang. “The outermost layer of the viewport is a protective layer, and inside it there are two pressure-bearing layers, and we are safe as long as the cabin pressure doesn’t change.”

Wang added that he knew the mission’s ground team would go through analysis and experiments to determine whether the crew could return safely and whether the crack affected the space traveler’s safety before making a final conclusion.

“So I wasn’t too worried,” said Wang.

Cracked window inspection tools

To determine exactly what was on the viewport, the crew used every piece of equipment available inside the space station to photograph and document the abnormal find on the viewport.

Tools used included a work pad, a work phone and a magnifying glass, finally confirming the crack by use of a 40-times microscope.

“It was a pen-shaped microscope. One end is the lens, connecting to a tablet — the device we use to inspect the extravehicular suits, especially to check whether there is any damage in the sealed areas,” said Chen, the Shenzhou-20 commander.

“We could see very clearly the small cracks [with the microscope]. Several were relatively long, and one was shorter, added Chen. “We could also see that some of the cracks had penetrated through.”

Astronaut-empty return capsule

The crew returned to Earth in a Shenzhou-21 craft while the damaged Shenzhou-20 return craft remained attached to the Chinese space station, all-in-all, spending a total of 270 days in orbit.

China’s first emergency operation in its human spaceflight program came to an end when the astronaut-empty Shenzhou-20 return capsule parachuted into the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on January 19.

The debris-hit capsule safely survived the re-entry process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go to the China Media Group/CCTV video at:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1570764594032409

Also, go to my Space.com story – “Chinese capsule damaged by space-junk strike returns to Earth (video)” – at:

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/human-spaceflight/chinese-capsule-damaged-by-space-junk-strike-returns-to-earth-video

NASA is troubleshooting an Artemis II rocket upper stage issue, preparing to roll back the mammoth booster to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The problem was observed overnight Feb. 21 – an interrupted flow of helium to the Space Launch System’s Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS).

Built by Boeing and United Launch Alliance, the ICPS is a modified Delta Cryogenic Second Stage.

Artemis lunar missions – path forward

“Regardless of the potential fault, accessing and remediating any of these issues can only be performed in the VAB,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X. “We will begin preparations for rollback, and this will take the March launch window out of consideration.”

Isaacman said a more extensive briefing later this coming week should be expected, “as we outline the path forward, not just for Artemis II, but for subsequent missions, to ensure NASA meets the President’s vision to return to the Moon and, this time, to stay.”

It is a wait-a-minute, hard-hitting NASA report issued on the crewed Boeing Starliner mission to the International Space Station in 2024, in redacted form.

NASA defines the incident in the same category as the Space Shuttle Columbia and Challenger disasters.

An Anomalies Review Investigation Team identifies lessons learned in the flawed Starliner mission, focused on propulsion system anomalies experienced during the Crew Flight Test.

Troubled flight

New NASA chief, Jared Isaacman, underscored the seriousness of Starliner’s troubled crewed flight, labeling it as a “Type A mishap,” a mission that could put astronauts in danger.

 

 

Starliner was not designated a serious mishap right from the start, Isaacman said, citing internal pressure to keep Boeing on board and flights on track.

Go to the full (redacted) report — Commercial Crew Program Starliner Tests & Anomalies Review (STAR) Investigation Team and Starliner Data Review Team (SDRT) Report – at:

https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/nasa-report-with-redactions-021926.pdf?emrc=76e561

Earlier this month, SpaceX leader and his own catapult of vision, Elon Musk, advised newly acquired xAI workers that he sees need for a factory on the Moon to fabricate artificial intelligence (AI) satellites.

To churn out those spacecraft he called for a colossal catapult planted on the lunar surface to fling them into space.

The Musk 21^st century revelation is not new, but nevertheless welcomed.

 

In 1974, Princeton professor and space visionary, the late Gerard O’Neill first proposed use of an electromagnetic rail gun to lob payloads from Earth’s Moon.

Go to my new Space.com story – “Elon Musk wants to put a satellite catapult on the Moon. It’s not a new idea” – at:

https://www.space.com/astronomy/moon/elon-musk-wants-to-put-a-satellite-catapult-on-the-moon-its-not-a-new-idea

Also, go to the Space Studies Institute for detailed information on Gerard K. O’Neill’s pioneering work at: https://ssi.org/

The high-speed, safe return to Earth from lunar distance of the Artemis II crew depends on the thermal protection system of Orion’s crew module. It must endure blistering temperatures to keep crew members safe.

However, following the flight of the uncrewed Artemis I lunar flight test in late 2022, it was found that ablative thermal protective material had unexpectedly chipped away from the Orion heat shield during its plunge through Earth’s atmosphere.

Root cause

But in a post-flight analysis of the Artemis 1 heat shield, NASA identified more than 100 locations where ablative thermal protective material was liberated during its speedy reentry.

NASA, along with contractors and an independent review team, an investigation was launched to establish the technical cause of the issue. An analysis was done, including over a 100 tests at unique facilities across the country.

For more details, go to my new Space.com story — The Artemis 1 moon mission had a heat shield issue. Here’s why NASA doesn’t think it will happen again on Artemis 2 – at:

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/artemis/the-artemis-1-moon-mission-had-a-heat-shield-issue-heres-why-nasa-doesnt-think-it-will-happen-again-on-artemis-2

“Drive Me To The Moon” is a firsthand look at the Colorado-based private group, Lunar Outpost, and its inaugural mission to the lunar surface.

Their Lunar Voyage 1 mission is captured in this documentary, offering a rare look at what it truly takes to reach the Lunar South Pole.

This is the story of the Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP), an advanced robotic Moon rover.

Unfortunately, MAPP was entrapped by a faulty touchdown of the Intuitive Machines Athena lander on March 6, 2025.

The Intuitive Machines craft landed on its side, precluding recharging and deployment of payloads.

This video highlights Lunar Outpost’s MAPP, moving forward, and what’s next for the private company.

Go to this informative video at:

https://youtu.be/RJrhNDZmUBY

For more information on Lunar Outpost, go to:

https://www.lunaroutpost.com/

Also, go to my recent Space.com story – “Lunar Outpost’s Eagle Vehicle – The Drive for Mobility on the Moon” – at:

https://www.leonarddavid.com/lunar-outposts-eagle-vehicle-the-drive-for-mobility-on-the-moon/

The number of objects in orbit has surged over the past two decades, driven largely by the expansion of commercial space activity.

This critical orbital infrastructure is under threat. Congestion from space debris is rising, creating a strategic vulnerability for the entire planet.

Without mitigation, the probability of a serious collision occurring by 2032 is potentially 29% in certain altitude zones.

Those are a few observations by a new report — Clear Orbit, Secure Future: A Call to Action on Space Debris — from the World Economic Forum and the Center for Space Futures. They have jointly led several community consultations to assess the escalating risk and economic cost of space debris, particularly the growing collision risk it presents over the coming decade.

 

Economic forecast

The report is a product of a close collaboration with the Saudi Space Agency and LeoLabs to develop an orbital population model, and with Novaspace to produce an economic forecast that quantifies the potential economic impact of space debris on the global space economy.

The new forecast projects that space debris could impose a direct cost of up to $42.3 billion over the next decade, a “hidden tax” on the space economy.

To access the full report, go to:

https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Clear_Orbit_Secure_Future_2026.pdf

China rocket makers are high-fiving the recent launch of the Long March-10, seeing its flight as paving the way for future rocket reuses.

The February 11 flight of the Long March-10 is China’s first-ever rocket first-stage booster maritime salvage and recovery mission.

Meanwhile, the test flight also signaled advancement in the country’s crewed lunar exploration program.

Maximum dynamic pressure

According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO), last Wednesday’s test conducted a low-altitude demonstration and verification flight test of its Long March-10 carrier rocket and a maximum dynamic pressure abort flight test of its new-generation crewed spacecraft Mengzhou.

CMSEO said the success of the tests has provided valuable flight data and engineering experience for crewed lunar exploration.

Both the rocket and spaceship are still in their prototype phases.

Three tasks

On Wednesday, China successfully conducted a low-altitude demonstration and verification flight test of the Long March-10 carrier rocket, along with a maximum dynamic pressure abort flight test of its new-generation crewed spaceship Mengzhou, with both the rocket and spaceship still in their prototype phases.

China’s Xinhua news service reported that, during the tests, the rocket prototype undertook three tasks. According to

Yang Shutao, an expert from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) that the trio of tasks were:

• verifying the maximum dynamic pressure abort conditions during the Mengzhou spaceship’s ascent
• demonstrating the reliability of its multi-stage parallel operations, and
• testing critical return-phase technologies

Two configurations

The Long March-10 rocket series includes two configurations: the Long March-10 with three stages and “bundled boosters,” and the Long March-10A with two stages and no bundled boosters.

The prototype Long March-10 is roughly 180 feet (55 meters) in length and powered by seven liquid oxygen/kerosene engines in parallel. They produce nearly 1,000 tons of thrust. It currently has the largest single-module thrust among China’s rockets, CASC’s Yang said.

In the future, citing Yang, the Long March-10 rocket will integrate two identical boosters in parallel with its seven-engine core stage, giving it a significantly larger carrying capacity.

Net recovery

Yang told Xinhua that the Long March-10 rocket series will adopt a rocket-ground coordinated recovery solution.

That solution involves “four tethering structures onboard the rocket and a ground-based grid-shaped net recovery device,” Yang said, which will transfer the functions of capture, buffering and stabilization from the rocket to the ground-based net.

That tactic will reduce the onboard complexity while enhancing the rocket’s carrying capacity.

Return and recovery

After the Mengzhou spaceship separated, the rocket continued its flight until the first stage reached the predetermined height and speed, at which point its engines were shut down.

As reported by Xinhua, during the unpowered upward glide phase, the rocket continuously adjusted its attitude, shifting from nose-forward to tail-forward, to meet the subsequent ignition requirements.

At an altitude of about 70 miles (110 kilometers), the rocket deployed its four grid fins, getting ready for the return and recovery.

Powered deceleration

The powered deceleration phase meant use of two engines that were ignited for the second time to decelerate while correcting the rocket’s flight position and attitude.

Xinhua said when the engines shut down and the rocket entered the aerodynamic deceleration phase, it further slowed down by relying on its own drag and the aerodynamic forces generated by the grid fins, while deflecting the fins to adjust its position and attitude.

During the final landing phase, reported Xinhua, three engines ignited successively, and the rocket maneuvered toward the predicted ocean landing site.

Controlled splashdown

At about 394 feet (120 meters) above sea level, the onboard tether mechanism was deployed to simulate the capture by a ground-based recovery net system.

When the first stage reached about 16 feet (5 meters) in altitude, the rocket achieved “a quasi-hovering state,” Xinhua stated, before executing a controlled splashdown in the sea.

“Rocket reuse can significantly reduce launch costs and increase launch frequency. It is an essential path for large-scale free access to space in the future and provides important support for the progress of China’s space sector,” Yang said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go to this video that spotlights first stage recovery operations at:

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1438882360921881