Bennu en Ryugu, twee planetoïden. Ultima Thule, een object uit de Kuipergordel. Drie kleine werelden, drie boeiende objecten. Met de 50ste Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Texas hoge tijd om een overzicht te brengen van de recente bevindingen. Verder is het halsreikend uitkijken naar de eerste sprongetjes van Spaceship Hopper. En na het succes van de demonstratievlucht van CrewDragon is er uitstel voor die andere toekomstige Commercial Crew capsule, de Starliner van Boeing.

Bij de foto: Van dichtbij ziet het ding er niet uit, maar dit is de Starship Hopper, een prototype waarmee SpaceX de eerste kleine sprongetjes wil doen. Eerst nog met één Raptor-motor. En zonder neuskegel – want die was bij stormweer omgevallen.

Vega lanceert Italiaanse aardobservatiesatelliet.
Arianespace: Arianespace orbits 600th satellite, the PRISMA Earth observation satellite for the Italian Space Agency.
ASI: PRISMA satellite successful launched.
ESA: Vega launches PRISMA for Italy.

De persmap vind je hier (PDF).

NasaSpaceFlight: Vega launches Italy’s PRISMA Earth Observation Satellite.
Space News: Arianespace Vega launches Italian imaging satellite.
Spaceflight Now: All-Italian launch from French Guiana lofts innovative environmental satellite.

De filmpjes:
Arianespace: Flight VV14 - Mission Presentation.
Arianespace: Flight VV14 - Launch Campaign.
Arianespace: Flight VV14 / PRISMA (EN) (de live-uitzending).
Arianespace: VV14 Launch.
Arianespace: Flight VV14 – Successful Vega Launch.

Nog dit:
Space News: Vega rocket-builder Avio sees revenue jump, new rockets progressing.

ISS – Ruimtewandelaars vervangen batterijen.
NASA: Spacewalkers Working Outside to Upgrade Station Power.
NASA: Spacewalkers Complete Battery Swaps for Station Power Upgrades.

NasaSpaceFlight: Astronauts complete long-awaited spacewalk to replace station’s batteries.
Geek Wire: Space station’s crew upgrades batteries and prepares for all-female spacewalk.
SpaceCom: Spacewalking Astronauts Swap Space Station Batteries in Power Upgrade.

Filmpjes:
NASA: Expedition 59 EVA 52 & 53 Briefing March 19, 2019.
NASA: Tasks to be Performed on U.S. EVA 52.
NASA: Tasks to be Performed on U.S. EVA 53.
CSA: The crew prepares for a spacewalk.
CSA: LIVE – Two astronauts are taking part in a spacewalk to install new batteries (de volledige EVA).
NASA Johnson: Space to Ground: Stepping Out: 03/22/2019.

En om dit hoofdstukje af te ronden, een overzicht van alle ISS-gerelateerde ruimtewandelingen vind je hier.

Meer ISS-nieuws.
CSA: The International Space Station gets a “reboost” to adjust its orbit (filmpje).

TASS: New research module Nauka for ISS to undergo pre-flight tests — Roscosmos chief.
Thales Group: Thales Alenia Space reaches key milestone for NanoRacks’ airlock module.
Parabolic Arc: Space BD, JAXA Sign Agreement on Use of Kibo Exposed Platform.

New Scientist: Toilet on International Space Station gets a bacteria-killing upgrade.

Sky News: NASA issues space herpes warning as virus reactivates in astronauts.

Een volgende lancering wordt voorbereid:
Russian Space Web: Refueling of “Progress MS-11″ cargo spacecraft is completed.

Nog een filmpje:
Space Videos: SOYUZ Docking - Majestic Timelapse of MS-12 Docking with the ISS.

Commercial Crew – Uitstel eerste testvlucht Starliner.
Reuters: Boeing delays by months test flights for U.S. human space program.
SpaceCom: Boeing Delays 1st Test Flight of Crew Capsule to August.

Spaceflight Insider: First Flight of Boeing Starliner spacecraft could slip again.
Onderstaand artikel verscheen toen het uitstel nog niet bekend was.
Spaceflight Insider: With Crew Dragon’s first flight complete, where’s Boeing’s Starliner?

Commercial Crew – Crew Dragon.
Space News: Almost Ready: SpaceX has work to do before Dragon is ready to carry crew.

Teslarati: SpaceX’s Crew Dragon heat shield shown off after first orbital-velocity reentry.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s Crew Dragon could land with abort thrusters in emergencies, says Musk.

TASS: NASA astronauts arrive in Moscow for training ahead of Crew Dragon mission.

En nog dit:
NASA: Watch This Space: NASA Administrator Bridenstine Chats with Elon Musk of SpaceX (filmpje).

Commercial Crew – Russen staan klaar, mochten er verdere vertragingen zijn.
TASS: Russia will help US if trials of new manned spacecraft are delayed — Roscosmos.

SpaceX maakt zich klaar voor testen met de Starship Hopper.
Space News: SpaceX preparing to begin Starship hopper tests.
Ars Technica: SpaceX may begin testing its Starship spacecraft this week.
NasaSpaceFlight: Starhopper first flight as early as this week; Starship/Superheavy updates.
Teslarati: SpaceX will build and launch Starship/Super Heavy in Texas and Florida, says Musk.
Teslarati: SpaceX goes all-in on steel Starship, scraps expensive carbon fiber BFR tooling.
Scott Manley: Raptor Rocket Engine Analysis and Starship Testing Update (filmpje).
Teslarati: SpaceX’s first orbital Starship begins assembly as steel heat shield passes tests.

Continue live beelden van de StarShip Hopper teststand vind je hier.

Blue Origin breidt uit in Florida. Weldra nieuwe testvlucht New Shepard.
Florida Today: Blue Origin is expanding its already massive New Glenn rocket factory at Kennedy Space Center.
Geek Wire: Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has big plans to expand New Glenn rocket factory in Florida.

Parabolic Arc: New Shepard Flight Set for Next Week.

Space News: Blue Origin studying repurposing of New Glenn upper stages.

Nieuwe simulaties van langdurige ruimtemissies gestart.
TASS: European Space Agency to take part in SIRIUS experiment.
TASS: SIRIUS crew starts 4-month isolation experiment.

DLR: Flying to the Moon without taking off – SIRIUS-19 isolation experiment begins in Moscow.
Universe Today: Six People Have Begun a 122-Day Simulated Mission on the Moon.

Meer info vind je op deze NASA-pagina’s.

SLS/Orion – Exploration Mission 1 / Testing Orion Launch Abort Attitude Control Motor.
NasaSpaceFlight: Boeing reaches long awaited SLS engine section milestone as NASA makes EM-1 2020 schedule push.

The Space Review: Rethinking EM-1, and SLS.
Ars Technica: Vice President may tell NASA to accelerate lunar landings.

NASA: Orion Launch Abort System Attitude Control Motor Qualification Hot Fire Test (filmpje).
Beelden van de enkel de test vind je hier.

Houston, we have a podcast: Engage Thrusters.

Naar de maan – The Gateway / Russische plannen.
The Space Review: Pow, right to the Moon.

Parabolic Arc: Returning Astronauts to the Moon: Lockheed Martin Finalizes Full-Scale Cislunar Habitat Prototype.

The Asahi Shimbun: Japan to develop habitation unit for Gateway lunar station.
ESA: Floating ideas for an airlock near the moon.

TASS: Roscosmos promises to send manned mission to the Moon 'soon by space standards'.
TASS: Russia to start construction of habitable lunar base after 2030.
TASS: Roscosmos CEO announces new ‘era’ in space race.

Bennu en Ryugu – Twee verrassende planetoïden.
NASA: NASA Mission Reveals Asteroid Has Big Surprises.
NASA: Bennu Images Reveal Unexpected Discoveries.
Ars Technica: At Bennu, NASA finds a mysterious, boulder-strewn asteroid.
SpaceCom: Water on Asteroid Bennu Could Mean 'Pay Dirt' for Space Miners.
The Planetary Society: OSIRIS-REx sees Bennu spewing stuff into space.
SciNews: Bennu is an active asteroid (filmpje).

New Scientist: Asteroid Ryugu is so dry we may have to rethink how Earth got water.
Cosmos: Ryugu latest: asteroid is a partially dehydrated ‘pile of rubble’.
PhysOrg: Hayabusa2 helps researchers understand ingredients for life in early solar system.
Sky & Telescope: Hayabusa 2 Finds Asteroid Ryugu Is Young, Dark & Dry.
Japan Today: Hayabusa2 spacecraft to make crater on asteroid to get samples from inside.

Ultima Thule – De start van het zonnestelsel.
Science Mag: The space ‘snowman’ at the edge of our solar system is actually two lumpy pancakes.
SpaceCom: NASA's New Horizons Reveals Geologic 'Frankenstein' That Formed Ultima Thule.
Cosmos: Ultima Thule latest: an ancient red worldlet, dancing lobe to lobe.
Sky & Telescope: New Results Probe the Origin of “Ultima Thule”.
BBC: New Horizons: Ultima Thule 'a time machine' to early Solar System.

Meer nieuws uit de (inter)planetaire ruimte.

Venus:
Sputnik News: Launch of Russia-US Space Probe to Venus Possible in 2027 - Russian Scientist.

Aarde:
JHU APL: The Van Allen Probes Begin Final De-Orbit Maneuvers (filmpje).
New China TV: Satellites capture images of big Chinese projects (filmpje).
XinhuaNet: Two Chinese Earth observation satellites put into service.
ESA: Satellites key to addressing water scarcity.
SciNews: Gaofen-5 and Gaofen-6 officially in service (filmpje).

Maan:
TASS: Russia may launch Luna-Glob probe in 2022-2024.
TASS: Russia’s Luna-25 probe to ‘X-ray’ Earth’s natural satellite.
SpaceCom: Israeli Lunar Lander on Course for the Moon After Latest Engine Firing.

Mars:
The Martian Chronicles: Sol 2347-2348: Ctrl+Alt+Del.
The Martian Chronicles: Sols 2349-2351: Capturing Deimos!
Science: InSight: Surface trembling detected on Mars for the first time.
DLR: InSight mission – Diagnostic run for the 'Mole' on Mars.
ScienceMag: Cost of Mars 2020 mission may rise by up to 15%.
Space Policy Online: NASA confirms Mars2020 overrun.
NASA JPL: NASA's Mars 2020 Rover Is Put to the Test.
TASS: Russian specialists develop flight equipment for ExoMars-2020 mission.
ESA: ExoMars landing platform arrives in Europe with a name.

Meer geld voor OneWeb.
OneWeb: OneWeb Secures $1.25 Billion in New Funding After Successful Launch.
Space News: OneWeb raises $1.25 billion from returning investors.
Space News: How OneWeb plans to make sure its first satellites aren’t its last.
Aviation Week: OneWeb Raises $1.25B For Broadband Satellite Network.

NasaSpaceFlight: Ariane 6 wins OneWeb launch contract – will ride on maiden flight.

Nieuws van Starlink, de concurrent van OneWeb.
IEEE Spectrum: SpaceX Claims To Have Redesigned Its Starlink Satellites To Eliminate Casualty Risks.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s Starlink satellite lawyers refute latest “flawed” OneWeb critique.

Om af te ronden: Nieuwe postzegels – België in de ruimte.
B-Post: België in de ruimte.
Een PDF-versie van het postzegelvel vind je hier.

Veel lees- en kijkplezier,

Koen