Een tiental dagen geleden keerden drie ISS-bemanningsleden met hun Soyuz-capsule terug naar de Aarde. Het ruimtestation was klaar om een nieuwe crew te ontvangen. Met slechts twee waren ze, de nieuwe bewoners. Want de Russen gingen het even rustiger aan doen, in afwachting van nieuwe lang verwachte Russische modules. Maar de lancering verliep fout. Gelukkig werkte het reddingssysteem naar behoren en de twee stonden korte tijd later ongedeerd weer op de begane grond.

De huidige bewoners, waaronder de Duitser Gerst, blijven nog tot in januari aan boord van het ISS. Dan moeten ze terug. Of de Russen hun raketprobleem dan hebben opgelost, blijft nog een vraag. Mogelijk gaat het ruimtestation voor het eerst sinds lange tijd onbemand achter blijven.

Een ongeluk komt nooit alleen. Zo doken er ook problemen op met de Hubble Space Telescope en het Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

Gelukkig was er nog Hayabusa 2 die met succes de Frans/Duitse MASCOT op Ryugu neerzetten.

Soyuz keert zonder problemen weer naar de Aarde.
Voor alle duidelijkheid, dit is niet de Soyuz met het “lek”.
TASS: Soyuz MS-08 with three-man crew on board separates from ISS.
TASS: Russian spacecraft with 3 crewmembers starts orbital descent to return to Earth
TASS: Russian spacecraft with ISS crew lands in Kazakh steppe.

NASA: Space Station Crew Returns to Earth, Lands Safely in Kazakhstan.
NasaSpaceFlight: Soyuz MS-08 lands as Station crew to reduce to five people.
Collect Space: Soyuz MS-08 returns station crew to Earth after 197 days in space.
CBS News: Soyuz capsule brings three station fliers back to Earth after 6 months in orbit.

De filmpjes:
NASA Johnson: Space to Ground: Hello, Goodbye: 10/05/2018.
SciNews: Soyuz MS-08 hatch closure.
SciNews: Soyuz MS-08 undocking and departure.
SciNews: Soyuz MS-08 landing.
En met de eerder gearriveerde HTV-7 arriveerde er ook vers voedsel in het ISS. Meer beelden in dit filmpje.

SpaceX laat voor het eerst eerste trap terugkeren bij een lancering vanop Vandenberg.
NasaSpaceFlight: SpaceX conducts static fire test ahead of SAOCOM-1A mission, first west coast RTLS.

Teslarati: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Block 5 ready.
Teslarati: SpaceX lights up California sky in successful West coast landing zone debut
Vandenberg AFB: Vandenberg launches SpaceX Falcon 9 (met foto’s).

NasaSpaceFlight: SpaceX Falcon 9 launches with SAOCOM 1A and nails first West Coast landing.
Mashable: SpaceX lands its first rocket on West Coast ground.
Mashable: SpaceX's rocket launch created a beautiful effect on California's night sky.

Ars Technica: A rocket goes up, a rocket comes down. The photos are something else.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 returns to Earth in first on-site media photos of rocket recovery.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s Mr. Steven returns with Falcon fairing half in net after drop test practice.

Filmpjes:
SpaceX: SAOCOM 1A Mission.
SpaceX: Falcon 9 launches SAOCOM 1A & Falcon 9 first stage landing at Vandenberg
SciNews: SAOCOM 1A deployment.
SciNews: Falcon 9 launch and landing at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Scott Manley: SpaceX's Spectacular Twilight Launch of SAOCOM.

De persmap vind je hier (PDF).

China lanceert twee verkenningssatellieten.
GB Times: China to launch Yaogan reconnaissance satellites on Tuesday.
GB Times: China launches two Yaogan-32 series reconnaissance satellites from Gobi Desert.
NasaSpaceFlight: Long March 2C launches Yaogan Weixing-32 Group-1.

Beelden van de lancering vind je hier. 

Soyuz-lancering met nieuwe ISS-bemanning loopt fout. Bemanning gered.
TASS: Russian spacecraft suffers setback in 165th second of flight, crew lands safely.
TASS: Roscosmos holds talks with International Space Station partners.
TASS: Some of Soyuz carrier rocket wreckage found in Kazakh steppe — source.
TASS: Roscosmos reveals cause for Soyuz launch failure.

NASA: NASA Statement on Soyuz MS-10 Launch Abort.
NASA: Expedition 57 Crew Returns to Baikonur.

NasaSpaceFlight: Soyuz FG fails during ascent – Soyuz MS-10 crew safe after ballistic entry abort.
Aviation Week: Booster Problem Causes Soyuz Mission Abort, Ballistic Re-entry.
Ars Technica: A Soyuz crew makes an emergency landing after rocket fails.
Reuters: Soyuz crew will spend one night in hospital for medical checks – Interfax.
Reuters: Soyuz emergency landing could result in major payout for insurer Soglasie - Interfax
SpaceCom: Here's What the Failed Soyuz Rocket Launch Looked Like to an Astronaut in Space.

PhysOrg: Russia's history of aborted manned space launches.
Parabolic Arc: Soyuz Launch Failure Leaves ISS Program in a Lurch, Spotlights Commercial Crew Delays.

SpaceCom: Here's What Today's Soyuz Launch Failure Means for Space Station Astronauts.
ABC News: The Latest: NASA exploring flying space station without crew.
Space News: NASA to look at options to keep crew on ISS while Soyuz grounded.
Aviation Week: NASA: Impact Of Soyuz Launch Abort On ISS Unclear.
Space News: Soyuz investigators hone in on booster separation, promise conclusions Oct. 20.
Space Policy Online: Bridenstine Confident Next Soyuz Flight Will Take Place As Planned.

Reuters: Russia may delay cargo flight to ISS after accident: space agency.

Space News: Soyuz failure to affect ISS utilization.

Space News: Arianespace assessing impact of crewed Soyuz failure on satellite-launching variant.

SpaceNews: Safety panel fears Soyuz failure could exacerbate commercial crew safety concerns.

Filmpjes.
NASA: Crew Safe After Soyuz Launch Abort.
Russia Today: Soyuz MS-10 malfunction: Chronicle of events
Russia Today: Rescue mission after Soyuz MS-10 crew emergency landing in Kazakh steppe.
SciNews: Soyuz MS-10 crew safe after booster failure.
Russia Today: Cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin and NASA astronaut Nick Hague following emergency landing.
Ruptly: Russia: Cosmonaut’s wife thanks rescuers for bringing guys back safe and sound.
Ruptly: Kazakhstan: Touching scenes as relatives welcome cosmonauts back to Baikonur.
EuroNews: Astronauts make emergency landing as engine fails on Soyuz rocket.
EuroNews: The two astronauts who survived the Soyuz rocket failure to return to ISS in spring.

Beelden van het opbergen van de capsule in de neuskegel vind je hier.

Eerste officiële commentaren, persconferentie:
NASA: Soyuz Crew Returns to Baikonur After Launch Abort; Heads of NASA and Roscosmos React.
NASA: Expedition 57 International Space Station Status Briefing.

Commentaren:
EuroNews: Soyuz rocket carrying ISS crew fails in mid-air.
EuroNews: Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield talks to Euronews.
Scott Manley: Astronauts Escape Failing Rocket - Soyuz Did Not Go To Space Today.
Scott Manley: Soyuz MS-10 Failure - Updates & Answers To Your Questions.

En nog een vier uur durende live verslaggeving via Russia TV na de problemen.

ISS – Het ondertussen beruchte lek in de Soyuz.
SpaceCom: NASA Confident Air Leak on Space Station Won't Affect Future Soyuz Capsules
The Guardian: Nasa casts doubt on Russian theory ISS air leak was sabotage.
Space News: NASA plays down Soyuz investigation controversy.

TASS: Spacewalk to inspect hole in Soyuz spacecraft’s hull cancelled over aborted rocket launch.

Uitstel voor Commercial Crew.
Space News: NASA confirms new delays in commercial crew test flight schedule.

NASA KSC: Commercial Crew: Dawn of a New Space Age (filmpje).
EuroNews: 360 Video: Inside Boeing's Starliner space capsule.

Virgin Galactic weldra in de ruimte (?)
The Verge: Richard Branson suspends Saudi Arabia’s investment in space ventures over missing journalist.
BBC: Virgin Galactic to reach space in 'weeks not months'.

Space News: Virgin Galactic preparing for next phase of SpaceShipTwo test flight program.

En ook:
Virgin Orbit: Virgin Orbit - 2018 Highlights (So Far) (filmpje).

Taxi-testen voor Stratolaunch.
GeekWire: Paul Allen’s giant Stratolaunch plane gets closer to first flight with 80 mph taxi test.

SpaceCom: Stratolaunch Releases New Details About Rocket Engine Work.

Stevige kritiek op Boeing en NASA i.v.m. SLS.
OIG NASA: NASA's Management of the Space Launch System Stages Contract (filmpje).
Het rapport vind je hier (PDF). 

Ars Technica: There’s a new report on SLS rocket management, and it’s pretty brutal.
SpaceCom: NASA's SLS Megarocket Over Budget, Behind Schedule, Report Finds.
Space Policy Online: NASA IG slams NASA, Boeing for poor SLS managemnt; EM-1 to slip past june 2020.

En er is kritiek op de kritiek.
Forbes: Inspector General Attack On NASA Super-Rocket Marred By Mistakes, Omissions.

SLS / Orion.
NasaSpaceFlight: Navigating the twists and turns steering SLS Development.
Space News: Boeing plans changes to SLS upper stages.
NasaSpaceFlight: Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems readies SRBs for first SLS flights.
Een overzicht van de SLS werken in september vind je in deze PDF.
Ondertussen werd een nieuwe test uitgevoerd met de SLS RS-25 motor. Het filmpje vind je hier.

Space News: First Orion service module ready for shipment to the U.S.
Lockheed Martin: Lockheed Martin Solicits Ideas For Commercial Payloads On Orion Spacecraft.
Ars Technica: The Orion spacecraft may carry more than NASA missions to the Moon.

Opnieuw naar de Maan – Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway.
Thales: Thales Alenia Space will lead studies for two European elements of the Lunar Orbital Platform – Gateway
Space News: Russian official sounds skeptical note about Gateway.

Opnieuw naar de Maan – Meer en meer aandacht voor landingstuigen.
Geek Wire: Moon Express brings in $12.5M in backing for its lunar lander and Florida facilities.
Parabolic Arc: Moon Express Signs MOU with Canadian Space Agency.

Lockheed Martin: Lockheed Martin Reveals New Human Lunar Lander Concept.
SpaceCom: Lockheed Martin Unveils Plans for Huge Reusable Moon Lander for Astronauts

Space News: Draper bids on NASA commercial lunar lander competition
Parabolic Arc: Draper Laboratory Unveils Team for NASA’s Next Moonshot.

Geek Wire: Blue Origin works on Blue Moon lunar trip with Germany’s OHB and MT Aerospace.

NASA: NASA, Israel Space Agency Sign Agreement for Commercial Lunar CooperationESA: Moon Engine Now In Development.

GB Times: ESA looking at deeper cooperation with China on Moon Village concept, human spaceflight.
NewsWeek: Russia and China want to build a base on the moon together.

Opnieuw naar de Maan – ‘The Moon Race’.
GeekWire: Blue Origin and Airbus back ‘The Moon Race,’ a space contest yet to be defined.

Mars nog niet vergeten (?).
SpaceCom: Five Reasons to Forget Mars for Now and Return to the Moon.
SpaceCom: NASA Wants the Moon Again (and Mars, Too!) As Agency Turns 60.

The Telegraph: Why astronauts might not have the stomach for a mission to Mars.

US Air Force ondersteunt ontwikkeling van drie nieuwe raketten.
Space News: Air Force awards launch vehicle development contracts to Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman, ULA.
Defense News: SpaceX left out of next stage in Air Force’s next-generation rocket program.
Via Satellite: ULA, Northrop Grumman, and Blue Origin Awarded Air Force Launch Service Agreement Contracts.

Uitstel voor Blue Origin.
GeekWire: Blue Origin resets schedule: First crew to space in 2019, first orbital launch in 2021

Hubble Space Telescope in de problemen door defecte gyroscoop. Ook Chandra in safe mode.
NASA Watch: Hubble Space Telescope Is In Safe Mode After Gyro Failure (Update).
ABC News: Hubble in Safe Mode as Gyro Issues are Diagnosed.

De NASA kwam als laatste met een persbericht.
NASA: Hubble in Safe Mode as Gyro Issues are Diagnosed.
NASA: Update on the Hubble Space Telescope Safe Mode.

Space News: NASA addressing problems with Hubble and Chandra space telescopes.
SpaceCom: Hubble Space Telescope Should Be Back in Action Soon.

Scott Manley: Hubble Space Telescope Gyroscope Failure - How Scientists Will Keep It Alive (filmpje).

ABC News: Another NASA space telescope shuts down in orbit.

Kepler loopt op zijn laatste “benen”.
SpaceCom: NASA's Aging Planet-Hunting Kepler Telescope Is Struggling to See Straight.
Space News: NASA’s Dawn and Kepler missions near their ends.
Science Alert!: NASA's Kepler Probe Is Almost Out of Fuel, And Has Gone Into Sleep Mode.
SpaceCom: NASA's Kepler Planet-Hunting Space Telescope Wakes Up Again.

Ook Duits/Franse MASCOT landt op Ryugu.
DLR: Descent into the unknown: MASCOT starts the final countdown for its asteroid landing.
DLR: MASCOT – Just hours before separation.
DLR: MASCOT lands safely on asteroid Ryugu.
DLR: Three hops in three asteroid days – MASCOT successfully completes the exploration of the surface of asteroid Ryugu

The Planetary Society: MASCOT landing on Ryugu a success.
GeekWire: MASCOT lander sends back otherworldly views of asteroid Ryugu’s rugged terrain.
SpaceCom: RIP, MASCOT: Hopping Lander Meets Its End on Asteroid Ryugu.
SpaceCom: These Photos of Asteroid Ryugu from the Successful MASCOT Landing Are Amazing.
DLR: Numerous boulders, many rocks, no dust: MASCOT's zigzag course across the asteroid Ryugu.
Sky & Telescope: MASCOT Deploys from Hayabusa-2, Lands on Ryugu.

SpaceCom: MASCOT 2.0? Mars Moon Rover to Fly on Japanese Mission to Phobos in 2024.

Filmpjes:
EuroNews: Euronews Tonight: Space probe aims to land on an astroid.
DLR: Pressekonferenz zur Landung von MASCOT.
(Dit filmpje duurt bijna 8 uur, maar het bevat meestal enkel een testbeeld, afgewisseld met stukjes persconferentie).

Het ophalen van een bodemmonster werd ondertussen uitgesteld.
Japan Today: Japan delays touchdown of Hayabusa2 probe on asteroid: official.

Nieuws uit de (inter)planetaire ruimte.

Zon:
PhysOrg: NASA's Parker Solar Probe swinging by Venus on way to sun.
SpaceCom: NASA Solar Probe Flies By Venus on Its Way to 'Touch' the Sun.
NASA: Parker Solar Probe Changed the Game Before it Even Launched.
SpaceTech: Facing the heat: the amazing engineering of the Parker Solar Probe.

Mercurius:
ESA: BepiColombo mission to Mercury (filmpje).
ESA: Practising for BepiColombo’s Epic Escaope To Mercury.
EuroPlanet: EPSC 2018 Mercury BepiColombo Press Briefing (filmpje).
Arianespace: COMING SOON | Arianespace Flight VA245 – BepiColombo

Venus:
SpaceCom: Should We Land on Venus Again? Scientists Are Trying to Decide.

Aarde:
Cosmos: Jupiter and Titan findings underpin troubling news about Earth methane emissions.
NASA: NASA, NOAA Convene GOES 17 Mishap Investigation Board.
Space News: NOAA and NASA establish board to investigate GOES-17 instrument problem.
ESA: METOP-C: Getting ready to fuel.
Ars Technica: ICESat-2 successfully starts lasering Earth, telling us about it.
NasaSpaceFlight: Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems updates ICON launch status.

Maan:
GB Times: Radio enthusiasts receive new Earth and Moon images from Chinese microsatellite in lunar orbit
GB Times: Chang'e-4: Pre-launch tests at Xichang, rover upgraded, launch and landing predictions.
NasaSpaceFlight: Israel’s first mission to the moon – to launch on a Falcon 9 – delayed a few weeks.
PhysOrg: Israel's maiden moon launch delayed to 2019.

Mars:
NASA: Curiosity Rover to Temporarily Switch 'Brains'.
SpaceCom: Curiosity Rover Activates Backup 'Brain' on Mars.
The Planetary Society: MAVEN, in orbit around Mars, snaps anniversary selfie.
NASA JPL: Painting Cars for Mars: Prepping NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover.
Thales: Mission To Mars: To Be Continued.

Jupiter:
The Verge: Future spacecraft landing on Jupiter’s moon Europa may have to navigate jagged blades of ice.
Science Daily: Icy warning for space missions to Jupiter's moon.

Saturnus: 
NASA: Groundbreaking Science Emerges from Ultra-Close Orbits of Saturn.
Ars Technica: The deserts of Titan have organic dust storms.

Ceres:
Astro Biology: Polar wandering on dwarf planet Ceres revealed.

Bennu:
NASA: NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Executes First Asteroid Approach Maneuver.

Pluto: 
NH Website: New Horizons Sets Up for New Year's Flyby of Ultima Thule.

67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko:
ESA: Rosetta, the story continues.

En nog dit:
NASA: Voyager 2 Could Be Nearing Interstellar Space.

Veel lees- en kijkplezier,

Koen