In blijde verwachting, dat zijn we. Hayabusa 2 is gearriveerd bij Ryugu (met op de foto het geselecteerde landingsgebied voor MASCOT), OSIRIS-REx bij Bennu en New Horizons bij Ultima Thule moeten dat bij hun doelwit nog doen. De kleintjes uit het zonnestelsel krijgen de volgende maanden alle aandacht. Niet vergeten dat er ook nog de pas gelanceerde Solar Parker Probe is, dat later dit jaar BepiColombo naar Mercurius gelanceerd wordt, dat China met Chang’e 4 de Maan opnieuw in de belangstelling zal zetten en dat Juno rond Jupiter draait. En dan vergeet ik nog een rits Marssondes die dra versterking krijgen van InSight. Het wordt nog leuk dit jaar.

Europese Vega lanceert Aeolus, ESA’s windsatelliet.
VRTNWS: Aftellen naar de lancering van Aeolus: de satelliet die onze weersvoorspellingen nauwkeuriger moet maken.
Een eerste lanceerpoging werd uitgesteld wegens – toch wel grappig – te sterke winden op grotere hoogte.
Arianespace: Flight VV12: Vega – Aeolus: 24-hour postponement.

ESA: ESA’s Aeolus Wind Satellite Launched.
NasaSpaceFlight: Arianespace’s Vega rocket launches ESA’s Aeolus.
Spacepage: Europa brengt 'windsatelliet' succesvol in de ruimte.

GovUK: British built laser spacecraft due to be launched into orbit.
Futura Sciences: Aeolus : à quoi vont servir ses premières mesures directes de vent depuis l’espace.

ESA: ESOC Takes Control Of Aeolus.
ESA: Wind Mission Ready For Next Phase.

De “Launch Kit” voor VV12 vind je hier (PDF).
ESA’s website over Aeolus vind je hier.
Een brochure “Aeolus – ESA’s Wind Misison” vind je hier (PDF).
Een wat oudere brochure (maar met meer info) vind je hier (PDF).

Uiteraard zijn er nu ook een reeks filmpjes.
ESA: Aeolus: of weather and winds.
ESA: Why measure wind?

Arianespace: Flight VV12 – Launch Campaign Presentation.
Arianespace: Flight VV12 – Customer Presentation.
Arianespace: Flight VV12 – Mission Presentation.

ESA: Aeolus liftoff replay.
ESA: Aeolus highlights.
En zoals het de gewoonte is bij Arianespace:
Arianespace: Flight VV12 - Aeolus - Official Speeches.

ISS – Progress verlaat het ruimtestation.
TASS: Cargo spacecraft Progress MS-08 leaves ISS, deorbiting due August 30.
NASA: Russian Cargo Ship Leaves Station After Six-Month Stay.

NASA: Robot Science, Spacewalk Preps Ahead of Japanese Cargo Mission.

China lanceert alweer nieuwe navigatiesatellieten.
NasaSpaceFlight: Long March 3B launches latest Chinese GPS satellites.

Beelden van o.a. de lancering vind je hier en hier.

EXOS Aerospace test suborbitale raket.
Parabolic Arc: Reusable Booster to Conduct Test Flight at Spaceport America.

En gisteren was het zover. Je vindt twee filmpjes in volgende bijdrage:
Parabolic Arc: EXOS Aerospace Launches SARGE Booster in New Mexico.
Op de website van EXOS Aerospace is nog niet veel terug te vinden over deze test, maar uiteraard wel over hun plannen.

Stratolaunch maakt nieuwe plannen bekend.
Stratolaunch: Stratolaunch Announces New Launch Vehicles.
SpaceCom: Stratolaunch Unveils New Rockets, Space Plane to Launch from World's Largest Airplane.
Aviation Week: Stratolaunch Unveils Launch Family Plan Details.
Reuters: Paul Allen's space firm details plans for rockets, cargo vehicle.
Teslarati: Ex-SpaceX engine expert to help design rockets built for launch on world’s largest jet.
Wired: 385 Feet Of Crazy: The Most Audacious Flying Machine Ever.

Video From Space: World's Largest Aircraft to Launch Fleet of Rockets (filmpje).

Record-vlucht voor Zephyr, een pseudo-satelliet.
Airbus: Zephyr S set to break aircraft world endurance record.
Live Science: Pseudo-Satellite Drone Flies for 25 Days Straight, Sets Endurance Record.
Air & Cosmos: Zephyr S sets flight record.

SpaceX Boeing en Blue Origin.
Teslarati: SpaceX gears up for Crew Dragon’s first recovery with a giant inflatable cushion.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft recovery ship gets a helipad prior to launch debut.
Mashable: This tricked-out SpaceX helmet is nearly all 3D printed.
Everyday Astronaut: SpaceX's Spacesuit, up close and personal (filmpje).
Spaceflight Now: Crew walkway arrives at launch pad 39A in Florida.
SpaceCom: SpaceX's New Astronaut Walkway Represents a Step Toward Crewed Flight.
Collect Space: SpaceX adds new astronaut walkway to historic NASA launch pad.

NasaSpaceFlight: Boeing’s Ferguson on Starliner – no touch screens, but far simpler than Shuttle.

Teslarati: Florida wants to build SpaceX and Blue Origin three extra rocket landing pads.
Teslarati: Blue Origin continues SpaceX-competitive rocket R&D with hot-fire engine tests.

Lanceerbasissen en aanverwante.
AstroBlogs: Aantal Space Ports in de VS stijgt gestaag.
AstroBlogs: Van Space Port naar Moonbase.

Space News: Colorado airport receives FAA spaceport license.
US News: FAA Grants Spaceport Colorado Operator License.

Parabolic Arc: Mojave Spaceport Accepts $1.36 Million From FAA for Taxiway B Extension.

TASS: Russia launches 2nd stage of Vostochny spaceport construction.
TASS: Russia's Progress expects to carry out 3-4 launches from Guiana Space Centre in 2019.

TASS: Russian space agency to set up new Flight Control Center for lunar missions.

Na China ook India en Japan weldra klaar voor bemande ruimtevaart.
Over de Indische aankondiging kon je in vorige NUDR al meer lezen.
BBC: Is India ready to send someone to space?

En volgt Japan?
Japan Today: Japanese space agency to build manned lunar craft.

Orion / SLS.
SpaceCom: NASA's Orion Spacecraft Gets Heat Shield for Daring Test Flight to the Moon.
NasaSpaceFlight: Lockheed Martin readies Orion EM-2 Pressure Vessel for trip to KSC.

Maan / Mars.
Universe Today: Lockheed Martin Shows Off Its New Space Habitat.
Sierra Nevada Corporation: SNC Completes Key Step For NASA’s NEXTSTEP-2 Long-Duration Space Travel Study.

Ars Technica: How the White House plans a return to the Moon during Trump’s presidency.

ESA: Spaceship EAC – studying lunar regolith (filmpje).
ESA: Bricks From Moondust.

Science Alert: Space 101: Here's How Hard It's Going to Be to Grow Food on Mars.

NASA KSC: Rocket Ranch Podcast E01: Mars.

SpaceCom: Why We Can't Depend on Robots to Find Life on Mars.

Waterijs op de Maan bevestigd.
NASA: Ice Confirmed at the Moon’s Poles.
National Academy of Sciences: Direct evidence of surface exposed water ice in the lunar polar regions.

The Hindu: Chandrayaan-1 data confirms presence of ice on Moon.

Nieuws uit de (inter)planetaire ruimte.

Zon:
NASA KSC: Rocket Ranch Podcast E02: Some Like It Hot.

Mercurius:
ESA: Inside the cleanroom with BepiColombo.

Venus: 
Amaze Lab: Weather on Venus is Wacky... It Actually Snows Metal.

Aarde: 
NASA: A World On Fire.
NASA: Space Station Flight Over Hurricane Lane.
NASA Goddard: Dangerous Hurricane Lane approaches Hawaii (filmpje).
NASA: NASA Launching Advanced Laser to Measure Earth’s Changing Ice.
NASA Goddard: ICESat-2 Adds the Third Dimension to Earth (filmpje).

Maan:
SpaceCom: China's Bold Moon Sample-Return Mission Will Target a Young Volcanic Plain.
SpaceCom: China's Sending a Probe to the Moon's Far Side. Here's Where It Will Land.

Mars: 
NASA JPL: NASA Mars Report: August 20, 2018 (filmpje).
CBS News: NASA still hopeful Mars rover will phone home.
The Planetary Society: False alarm: Here's why people thought Opportunity phoned home last week.
NASA: NASA's InSight Passes Halfway to Mars, Instruments Check In.
SpaceCom: NASA's InSight Mars Lander Snaps a Selfie at Halfway Mark to Red Planet.
AGU: The ghost dunes of ancient Mars (filmpje).
BBC: When flying to Mars is your day job (InSight).

Bennu:
NASA: NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Begins Asteroid Operations Campaign.
SpaceCom: NASA Spacecraft Begins Final Approach to Big Asteroid Bennu.
Meer info op de website van OSIRIS-REx. 
NASA Goddard: NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Approaches Asteroid Bennu (filmpje).
NASA Goddard: OSIRIS-REx Approach Trailer (filmpje).

Ryugu.
DLR: Landing site on the asteroid Ryugu determined.
SpaceCom: Landing Site on Asteroid Ryugu Chosen for Japan's Hayabusa2 Mission.
The Planetary Society: Hayabusa2 Team Announces Ryugu Landing Sites, Initial Science Survey Results.
CNES: Choosing a landing site for MASCOT proves “a real challenge”.

Pluto:
NH Website: New Horizons Begins Its Approach to Ultima Thule.
SpaceCom: 2014 MU69: Next Target for New Horizons.

En ook nog:
National Academies of Scences, Engineering, Medicine: Visions into Voyages for Planetary Sciences in the Decade 2013-2022 – A Midterm Review (2018).
(PDF gratis te downloaden).
The Planetary Society: National Academies: NASA needs a plan for Mars.
Space News: Committee praises NASA’s planetary science program but raises some concerns.

Spitzer 15 jaar / Kepler / Plack / JWST.
NASA: 15 Years in Space for NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
NASA: 15 Years in Space: NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope (filmpje).

Space News: Kepler spacecraft back in safe mode as fuel runs low.

ESA: The legacy of Planck (filmpje).

NASA NTRS: The JWST – Observatory Status and Preparations for Launch (PDF).

Nog dit – Tennis in het ISS.
Er was al golf op de Maan en in allerlei ruimtestations werden er al marathons gelopen, er werd uiteraard gefietst, en recentelijk nog gevoetbald.
En nu dus ook tennis.
Ruptly: ISS: Love all! ISS crew play space tennis (filmpje).

Veel lees- en kijkplezier,

Koen