Het was de week van de grote aankondigingen: Terwijl BEAM aan het ISS werd vastgekoppeld, wil Bigelow tegen 2020 de grote versie van zijn opblaasbare module in de ruimte hebben, en Hawkings kondigde een vloot van door laserlicht aangedreven zeiltjes richting Alpha Centauri aan. Van een andere aard is NASA's voorstel voor e-sailing.

Cosmonautics Day of de verjaardag van de vlucht van Yuri Gagarin, de eerste mens in de ruimte valt op 12 april. Naast allerlei feestjes verspreid over heel de wereld is het elk jaar ook weer een gelegenheid om allerlei nieuwtjes te verspreiden. U vindt in deze NUDR alvast een selectie.

Na een gelukte landing op een platform te midden van het water is de terug gekeerde eerste Falcon 9-trap weer terug op vaste grond. Verder zijn er deze week heel wat berichten over het Space Launch System, Orion, de Asteroid Redirect Mission en onze dromen om mensen naar de Maan en/of Mars te sturen.

De Kepler-satelliet is weer in orde. Qua (inter)planetair nieuws was het ook deze week een eerder rustige periode.

Bigelow grootste opblaasbare module tegen 2020 in de ruimte (?)
ULA: Bigelow Aerospace and United Launch Alliance Join Forces to Foster a New Era of Sustainable Commercialization in Low Earth Orbit.
SpaceCom: Private Space Habitat to Launch in 2020 Under Commercial Spaceflight Deal.
Space Policy Online: Bigelow Wants Bigger B330 Module, XBASE, Attached to ISS.
Popular Science: Inflatable space baron Bigelow says he wants a Disney space station.
Aviation Week: Bigelow, ULA Team to Launch B330, Possibly Berth At ISS.
Aviation Week: Commercial Competition Finding Way Onto ISS.

Dragon en BEAM arriveren bij het ISS.
NASA Space Station: SpaceX Dragon Mated to Harmony.
NASA: NASA to Attach, Test First Expandable Habitat on International Space Station
Spaceflight101: First human-rated Expandable Module installed on Space Station for two-year Test Run.
CBS News: Expandable crew module attached to space station.

Aviation Week: Commercial Competition Finding Way Onto ISS.
Space Daily: Concept's success buoys Commercial Crew's path to flight.

Nog wat filmpjes:
NASA: SpaceX Dragon Reaches ISS with New Supplies.
NASA: Let the Unloading Begin Aboard the ISS.
NASA: Expanding Possibilities Aboard The ISS.
NASA: Space to Ground: Six Pack of Spaceships: 04/15/2016.

Laserzeilen naar Alpha Centauri: Breakthrough Starshot.
De website van Breakthrough  Initiatives vind je hier.
SpaceCom: Stephen Hawking Helps Launch Project 'Starshot' for Interstellar Space Exploration.
SpaceCom: Breakthrough Starshot in Pictures: Laser Sail Nanocraft to See Alpha Centauri.
Space Policy Online: StarChips, Not Starships, Proposed for Trips to Alpha Centauri.
ABC News: Stephen Hawking and Billionaire Team Up on $100 Million Quest to Find Alien Life.
New Scientist: Billionaire pledges $100m to send spaceships to Alpha Centauri.
Parabolic Arc: Stephen Hawking Announces Plans for 100 Million MPH Interstellar Space Probes.

Popular Science: So how exactly do we get to Alpha Centauri ?
Popular Science: Why go to Alpha Centauri ?
Popular Science: Stephen Hawking answers our questions on the Breakthrough Starshot Initiative.
SpaceCom: Stephen Hawking's 'Starshot': 5 Fun Facts About Alpha Centauri.

NPR: Stephen Hawking's Plan For Interstellar Travel Has Some Earthly Obstacles.
Wired: How Breakthrough Starshot's Tiny Spacecraft Can Hack Physics To Go Interstellar.

Ondertussen bij NASA: E-Sailing.
Physics-Astronomy: NASA Begins Testing of Revolutionary E-Sail Technology.
TechnologyOrg: NASA Begins Testing of Revolutionary E-Sail Technology.

Mislukte lancering in Noord-Korea ?
De Standaard: ‘Raketlancering van Noord-Korea mislukt’.
TASS: North Korea makes abortive attempt to launch medium-range missile — Kyodo.

Cosmonautics Day.
Op 12 april was het alweer 55 jaar geleden dat Yuri Gagarin de eerste mens in de ruimte werd. Het is en blijft een belangrijke verjaardag voor de Russen en de Russische ruimtevaart. En dat was ook te zien aan de stortvloed aan berichten. Een selectie:

Over Gagarin:
TASS: Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space.
Russia Today: The real Gagarin: Busting three major myths about the Soviet space pioneer.
Russia Today: How much do you know about the first manned flight into space? (QUIZ).
Sputnik News: Unknown Parts of Cosmonaut Gagarin's Conversations With Ground Control.
Energia: Bronze busts of pilot-cosmonauts were unveiled at the Cosmonauts Alley.
TASS: Bronze bust of Yuri Gagarin to be installed at Buenos Aires planetarium
The Guardian: Space travel: cosmic train launches in Moscow as Yuri Gagarin tribute.

Over raketten:
Space Daily: Russia working on new generation of space rocket engines.
TASS: Russia working on new space technology — Putin.
TASS: Russia may set up orbital stations on Moon, Mars in half a century — official.
Sputnik News: Russia to Begin Building New 'Federation' Spacecraft This Summer.
TASS: Head of space agency: Russia is undisputed leader in launch services market.
Sputnik News: Development of Two US Engines to Replace Russian RD-180 Going as Planned.

Over Vostochny:
TASS: Second launch from Russia's new spaceport set for 2017 — space corporation.
TASS: Russia to make launches under lunar program from Vostochny spaceport in Far East.
Space Daily: Russia to use Baikonur for space launches at least until 2023.

Over samenwerking:
TASS: Russia, US to continue space partnership despite political disputes — space corporation.
TASS: US experts view outer space cooperation as main achievement after Gagarin’s flight.
Sputnik News: EU, Russia Explore Future Joint Space Projects - European Space Agency.
Sputnik News: ‘Iranian Space Success Result of Close Contact With Russian Scientists’.

Falcon-rakettrap terug op land.
Na een succesvolle landing op een platformpje in de oceaan, is de rakettrap terug op land.
Spaceflight101: Recovered Falcon 9 Booster pulls into Port.
NasaSpaceFlight: Falcon 9 first stage sails into Port Canaveral atop ASDS – ahead of big plans.
Foto's van de landing vind je hier. 

Nog een bedenking.
Ars Technica: Without NASA there would be no SpaceX and its brilliant boat landing.

O ja, ere wie ere toekomt.
Parabolic Arc: Rogozin: Barge Landing of Rocket Was Russian Invention.
Het filmpje waarvan sprake vind je hier. 

SLS – Orion – ARM – Maan en Mars.
NASA: NASA's 'Spaceport of the Future' Reaches Another Milestone.
NASA Commercial Space: Water System Tested on Crew Access Arm. 
NASA KSC: Crawler-Transporter 2 Takes Trip to Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
NASA: New Test Structures Will Have NASA SLS Rocket Hardware Feeling the Force.
Aviation Week: Lockheed Evaluates Orion Test Articles For Mars Mission
Aviation Week: Lockheed’s In-Space Habitat Leverages Orion Work.
Observer: With Mars in Mind, Lockheed Martin Designs Human Habitat to Orbit Moon.

Europa naar de Maan ?
The Space Review: A major role for the EU in lunar development.
Sputnik News: Out of This World: European Space Agency Sets Sights on Lunar Tourism.
Universe Today: Moonbase by 2022 for $10 billion, says NASA.
Sputnik News: s NASA Dead? Chinese Likely to Colonize Moon, But US May Never Return.
The Conversation: Here’s how we could build a colony on an alien world.

Naar Mars ?
Universe Today: Mars Colony will have to wait, says NASA scientists.
SpaceCom: Permanent Mars Colony Is 'Long Way Down the Road,' NASA Says.
Time: Here’s What NASA Needs If We’re Really Going to Mars.
Ars Technica: Make Mars great again: Can the 2016 election save NASA’s Journey to Mars?

Over Mars One.
The Space Review: Review: Mars One: Humanity’s Next Great Adventure.

Over ARM.
NasaSpaceFlight: NASA looks to test planetary defense options on ARM mission.
Parabolic Arc: Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission Continues to Move Forward.

Over (o.a.) geld.
Parabolic Arc: GAO: NASA’s Deep Space Exploration Programs Face Serious Challenges.
Parabolic Arc: NASA Spending $23.8 Billion Developing Deep Space Exploration Programs.
Het rapport in kwestie vind je bij GAO. 

Kepler weer in orde.
SpaceCom: Kepler Planet-Hunting Spacecraft Bounces Back After Glitch.
Time: NASA’s Kepler Spacecraft Fixed After Going Into Emergency Mode in Deep Space

Het (inter)planetaire nieuws.

Mars:
SpaceCom: Mars Global Surveyor: A New Generation of Space Probes.
ESA: First light for ExoMars.

Saturnus.
ESA: Interstellar dust intercepted at Saturn.

Pluto:
NASA: NASA’s New Horizons Fills Gap in Space Environment Observations.
NH Website: The Icy ‘Spider’ on Pluto.

En nog dit: Interplanetair geld.
AstroBlogs: Duitsland komt met 5 euro munt mét het zonnestelsel erop.

Veel lees- en kijkplezier.

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