De kleine raketten hebben het niet gemakkelijk. Na wat sukkelen heeft Rocket Lab de eerste operationele lancering voor een tijdje moeten uitstellen. “Business Time” zal nog even moeten wachten. Zo ook voor de Japanners die bij hun tweede poging hun MOMO amper van de grond zagen komen. Gelukkig zat het publiek ver genoeg. In China regent het soms letterlijk raketten. Problemen en vertragingen, je ziet het ook bij de grote traditionele ruimtevaartbedrijven. De lancering van de James Webb Space Telescope werd nog maar eens uitgesteld. Voor de Russische Proton lijkt het helemaal game over. En wat te denken over de gebeurtenissen rond Buzz Aldrin, de tweede man op de Maan. Gelukkig is er nog de tweede Hayabusa, die het heel wat beter doet dan zijn voorganger. 

Opnieuw uitstel voor James Webb Space Telescope.
NASA: NASA Completes Webb Telescope Review, Commits to Launch in Early 2021.
Het “Webb Independent Review Board Recommendations” rapport kan je hier downloaden (PDF).
AAS: AAS President Megan Donahue's Statement on the James Webb Space Telescope. 

Space News: JWST suffers another launch delay, breaches cost cap.
NasaSpaceFlight: James Webb launch slips another year to 2021 after Independent Review Board report.
Space Policy Online: Much-delayed JWST gets delayed yet again – to 2021.

En nog wat filmpjes:
NASA: Administrator Bridenstine: NASA is Committed to Webb Telescope (filmpje). 
NASA: NASA Science Leaders: Webb Telescope Complex and Unprecedented.
NASA Goddard: James Webb Space Telescope: An Overview.
NASA Goddard: James Webb Space Telescope: Worth the Wait.

De Dag Der Planetoïden – Planetaire Verdediging.
Of zoals ze in het Engels zouden zeggen, Asteroid Day en Planetary Defense.

HERA is ESA’s bijdrage aan AIDA: Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment.
ESA: Earth’s first mission to a binary asteroid, for planetary defense.
Space News: ESA plans second attempt at planetary defense mission.
The Planetary Society: Will an asteroid hit Earth? Your questions answered.

Enkele filmpjes:
ESA: Join the planetary defenders!
ESA: Hera mission.

ESA en ESO’s webcast ivm Asteroid Day vind je hier. 

Vorige week kwam president Trump en zijn verdedigingsplan al aan bod (zie ook verder).
Ook interessant is het International Asteroid Warning Network.

Nog wat gerelateerd materiaal:
SciShow Space: Move Over, Mars: We Could Farm on Asteroids! (filmpje).
PBS Space Time: How Asteroid Mining Will Save Earth.
Parabolic Arc: Planetary Resources Holding On, Seeking New Funding.

En om af te ronden:
ESO: ESOcast 168: NEOs — Near Earth Objects.

Amerikaanse ruimtevaartpolitiek.
Er gebeurt vanalles de laatste tijd. Eerst nog even de “Space Force”.
The Space Review: American dominance in space and the Space Force.
The Space Review: Space guardians.
Science Alert: The Most Important Reactions to Trump's Space Force You Need to Read.

Dan was er het regelen van het ruimteverkeer en de verdediging tegen planetoïden.
Space News: House Science Committee approves space traffic management bill.
The Space Review: Managing space traffic expectations.
Committee on Science, Space & Technology: SST Committee Approves the American Space SAFE Management Act.

En het regelen van de “commerciële ruimtevaart”.
Committee on Science, Space & Technology: House Approves Space Technology and Commercial Space Bills.
Space News: House passes two space bills.
Teslarati: SpaceX urges Congress to expedite commercial spaceflight regulation reforms.

Meer uitstel voor Electron.
Parabolic Arc: Rocket Lab Electron Launch Postponed Due to Weather.
Space News: Technical problem scrubs Rocket Lab Electron launch.
NZ Herals: Rocket Lab delays launch window for It's Business Time.

China lanceert 2 satellieten. Eerste trap valt terug vlak bij stadje.
GB Times: China's 18th space launch of 2018 carries two technology test satellites into orbit from Xichang.
NasaSpaceFlight: Mystery surrounds Chinese dual satellite launch.
GB Times: Spent rocket stage falls on town after Chinese satellite launch.

De filmpjes:
CCTV+: China Launches New-Tech Experiment Twin Satellites.
Een compilatie van beelden van de neerstortende eerste trap vind je in volgend filmpje.
GB Times: Spent rocket stage falls on town after Chinese satellite launch.

En nog dit.
CCTV English: Chinese satellites shine in the space.

Pech voor Japanse privé-raket. Mislukte lancering voor MOMO-2.
The Sun: Japanese space rocket MOMO-2 explodes in a fireball during lift-off.
PhysOrg: Maverick entrepreneur's space rocket fails at blast off.

Beelden van de mislukte lancering vind je ook hier.

Meer info over de plannen vind je op de website van Interstellar Technologies. 

ISS – SpaceX lanceert nieuwe bevoorradingsvlucht.
NASA: New NASA Research, Hardware Heading to Space Station on 15th SpaceX Resupply Mission.
NasaSpaceFlight: Final Block 4 Falcon 9 launches CRS-15 Dragon launch.
Ars Technica: SpaceX has flown its last Block 4 version of the Falcon 9 rocket.

CASIS: Upcoming SpaceX Mission to the International Space Station Loaded with Research.
GeekWire: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket sends AI robot pal and other experiments to space station.
ESA: Dragon delivers some ICE.
NASA: Could Electricity-Producing Bacteria Help Power Future Space Missions?
SpaceQ: Tomorrow’s ISS Cargo Resupply Launch Will Include A New Robotic Hand For The Canadarm2.
Science Alert: 20 Mice Were Just Launched Into Space While Their Identical Twins Stay on Earth.

En nog dit:
Collect Space: 'World's strongest coffee' set to launch off-world for space station.

De filmpjes:
SpaceX: CRS-15 Mission (de live uitzending).
NASA KSC: SpaceX CRS-15 Liftoff.
NASA KSC: Dragon SpaceX CRS-15 Spacecraft Separation.
NASA KSC: SpaceX CRS-15 Dragon Solar Arays Deployed.

NASA Johnson: Highlights of Science Launching on SpaceX CRS-15.
NASA: SpaceX's CRS-15 Mission to the Space Station: What's On Board?
NASA JPL: Science on Board CRS-15 (de persconferentie).

CSA: Animation of Canadian robots Canadarm2 and Dextre catching and unloading Dragon.

NASA KSC: CRS-15 Interview with Trent Smith (Veggie Experiment).
NASA JPL: Monitoring Plant Health from Space: NASA’s ECOSTRESS Mission.

En nog een samenvatting:
NASA Johnson: Space to Ground: Rocket's Red Glare: 06/29/2018.

ISS – De Europese Horizons-missie.
Eerst nog een terugblik op de lancering, gefilmd in de capsule zelf.
ESA: Horizons mission - Soyuz: launch to orbit (filmpje).

DLR: The first two weeks of the horizons mission.
DLR: CIMON – a 'cyber colleague' for Alexander Gerst.
DLR: Alexander Gerst – the 'horizons' mission – creating a planetary laboratory and experiments on muscle atrophy.
ESA: Horizons mission – Getting a good GRASP on gravity (filmpje).

ISS – Meer nieuws uit het ruimtestation.
CASIS: Space Worms: Unexpected pioneers of discovery & commercial services.
Meer nummers van Upward (Magazine of the ISS National Lab) vind je hier. 

NASA: Students Help Select Two of Four New Plants Heading to Space.
CSA: What is the International Space Station? (filmpje).

Live In Space: Future Astronauts Must Perform Surgery in Space — and It Will Be Gross.

Nog geen einde voor Tiangong 2.
NewsWeek: Tiangong 2: China’s new space station unexpectedly dives toward Earth, baffling experts.
Science Alert: China's Space Station Got Weirdly Close to Earth For a Few Days And The Government Isn't Talking.

Zie ook de berichten uit de NUDR van vorige week.

Commerciële “ruimtehavens”.
Politically Georgia: Planned Ga. spaceport tied to jobs, but some see threat to way of life.
WABE: Ga. Congressional Representatives Publicize Support Of Spaceport.

Rocket City Now: Huntsville home for space port?
AL.com: Space plane could make first Alabama landing in 2022.

Parabolic Arc: Generation Orbit Completes Hot Fire Test of GO1 Hypersonic Testbed Prototype at Cecil Spaceport.

Douglas Messier: Ever Wonder What Keeps Mojave Spaceport in Operation?

Vertraging voor Commercial Crew.
Space News: NASA planning revisions to commercial crew test flight schedule.
Parabolic Arc: Video: Crew Dragon Completes 16th Parachute Test.

GeekWire: Why SpaceX and Boeing can sell spots on commercial space taxis to private travelers.

Virgin Orbit klaar voor eerste testvlucht “Cosmic Girl” en “LauncherOne”.
Space News: Virgin Orbit gears up for captive carry test flight.
GeekWire: Virgin Orbit gets set to start flight tests of its LauncherOne air-launch system.
NasaSpaceFlight: Virgin Orbit readies LauncherOne rocket for maiden flight.

Parabolic Arc: FAA Grants Launch License to Virgin Orbit.

Spaceflight: Virgin Orbit’ LauncherOne to join Spaceflights growing portfolio of launch vehicles for small satellite rideshare.
GeekWire: Spaceflight launch services company adds Virgin Orbit and Cosmic Girl to its lineup.

Het einde van Proton?
SpaceCom: New Roscosmos chief prioritizes ending Proton’s reign.
Ars Technica: Russia’s Proton rocket, which predates Apollo, will finally stop flying.

Scott Manley: The Proton Rocket & Its Imminent Extinction (filmpje).

Meer Russisch ruimtevaartnieuws.
Ars Technica: Russia may lack the funds to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
Sputnik News: S7 Space Mulls Restoring Production of Heavy Soviet Rocket Engines in Russia.
TASS: Russian aerospace company to make booster for South Korean satellite.
TASS: Russian aerospace firm to test new rocket engine operating on iodine.
NasaSpaceFlight: Next generation Russian crew vehicle enters initial testing.

TASS: Female applicants fail to qualify for Russia’s cosmonaut team.

TASS: Russia’s new spaceport in Far East to switch to monthly launches no sooner than 2020.

TASS: Head of Russia's Roscosmos discusses joint projects with India and Japan.

Nog wat Amerikaans raketnieuws.
New Atlas: First Phantom Express spaceplane engine completed.
SpaceCom: Aevum's New Rocket-Drone Airplane Duo Could Launch Satellites Every 3 Hours.
Geek Wire: SpinLaunch raises $40M from Airbus, Google and others for space catapult.

Goed en slecht nieuws vanwege satellietconstellaties.
Space News: Boeing constellation stalled, SpaceX constellation progressing.
Via Satellite: Arabsat Signs MOU with Cloud Constellation for SpaceBelt Strategy.
Via Satellite: Australian Startups Team Up for Satellite IOT Security Trials.

Satellieten hacken.
Ars Technica: China-based hackers burrow inside satellite, defense, and telecoms firms.
Space News: Satellite industry doing surprisingly well against cyber threats, experts say.

LOPG.
NASA: NASA Will Seek Partnership with US Industry to Develop First Gateway Element.
GeekWire: NASA puts out the call for partners to build the first piece of Gateway space station

50 Jaar Apollo: Buzz Aldrin – Apollo 11.
Parabolic Arc: Aldrin Family Statement on Buzz’s Lawsuit.
Parabolic Arc: Update on Buzz Aldrin Lawsuit Against Children, Former Business Manager.
Spaceflight Insider: Buzz Aldrin’s children accuse astronaut’s handlers of ‘spin’.

Collect Space: Apollo 11 gantry arm lands in NASA gift shop (but not for sale).

Hayabusa 2 bij Ryugu.
EuroNews: Japan's Hayabusa 2 space probe snuggles up to odd-looking asteroid.
SciNews: Hayabusa2 approaches Asteroid Ryugu (filmpje).
The Planetary Society: Hayabusa2 arrived at Ryugu, so I can make comparisons of asteroid scales!
SpaceCom: Visions of Ryugu: The Funny (and Scary) Asteroid Predictions by Japan's Hayabusa2 Team.

Nog een filmpje.
CGTN: Japanese space probe arrives at asteroid to collect samples.

Nieuws uit de (inter)planetaire ruimte.

Zon:
STCE: The best of . . . 2017!

Mercurius:
ESA: BepiColombo launch to Mercury (filmpje).

Aarde:
GB Times: ESA astronaut spots the Great Wall of China from the International Space Station.
Earth from Space: Australian crater. (filmpje).
NASA Goddard: NASA Rainfall Data and Global Fire Weather (filmpje).
Via Satellite: Planet, Airbus Join to Develop Imagery and Sensing Solutions.

Maan.
GB Times: The Chang'e-3 lunar lander is still waking up after nearly five years on the Moon.
Space and ISRO News: ISRO will be sending a rover to the moon to research prospects of mining helium-3 and water. (filmpje).
Bloomberg: The Quest to Find a Trillion-Dollar Nuclear Fuel on the Moon.

Mars:
SpaceCom: Mars Looks Super Creepy Thanks to a Massive Dust Storm.
PhysOrg: Mars' surface hardened quickly, boosting odds of life: study.
AstroBiology Mag: A bacterium in an acidic, hot volcanic lake may hold clues to life on ancient Mars.
Astronomy: This Video Game Lets You Explore Mars’ Actual Surface.

Saturnus:
NASA JPL: Complex Organics Bubble up from Enceladus.

Pluto:
NASA: Charon at 40: The Discovery of Pluto’s Largest Moon (filmpje).

Ceres:
NASA JPL: Dawn's Engines Complete Firing, Science Continues.

Bennu:
NASA: OSIRIS-REx Executes Second Deep Space Maneuver.

Veel lees- en kijkplezier,

Koen