Met vijf lanceringen afgelopen week werd het alweer een drukke ruimtevaartweek. Verder trekt de mist rond de ontploffing van de Crew Dragon capsule heel langzaam op. Net hetzelfde kan gezegd worden rond “Moon 2024”. Veel zal afhangen van het kostenplaatje of er voldoende steun zal zijn voor de uitdaging om al in 2024 terug een Amerikaan op de maan te laten rondwandelen.

Bij de foto: Opnieuw een geslaagde lancering van New Shepard.

Firefly test met succes motor upper stage Alpha raket.
Ars Technica: Firefly has successfully tested the upper stage of its Alpha rocket.

Beelden van de test vind je hier.

China lanceert twee satellieten voor wetenschappelijke doeleinden.
China Daily: China launches two satellites for scientific experiments.
Spaceflight Now: China launches mapping satellites.

Filmpje:
SciNews: Long March-4B launches two Tianhui II-01 satellites.

Testvlucht New Shepard opnieuw een succes. Klaar voor de eerste bemande lancering?
Blue Origin: New Shepard Mission NS-11 Updates.
NASA: NASA and Blue Origin Help Classrooms and Researchers Reach Space.
NasaSpaceFlight: New Shepard conducts science mission ahead of upcoming passenger flights.
The Verge: Blue Origin successfully launches and lands its New Shepard rocket during 11th test flight.
Space News: Blue Origin reaches space again on latest New Shepard test flight.
MIT News: Six suborbital research payloads from MIT fly to space and back.

De filmpjes:
Blue Origin: Replay of NS-11 Webcast.
Blue Origin: NS-11: New Shepard Opening Access to Space (de hoogtepunten van de vlucht).
SciNews: Blue Origin NS-11: New Shepard launch & landing, 2 May 2019.

Nog wat nieuws van Blue Origin:
GeekWire: Construction is well under way for Blue Origin space venture’s expanded HQ.
En we kijken uit naar volgende week:
SpaceCom: Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin May Have Big (Possibly Moon-Related) News Next Week.

Japanse privé-raket bereikt dan toch de ruimte.
Er was eerst nog uitstel omwille van de weersomstandigheden (zie dit Twitter-bericht).

The Japan Times: Momo-3 is nation's first private rocket to reach space.
ABC News: Japan's private rocket reaches outer space for first time

Beelden van de lancering vind je hier.

Probleem aan boord ISS doet Dragon-lancering uitstellen.
NASA ISS Blog: Crew Waits for Dragon Mission While Teams Troubleshoot Power Issue.
NASA ISS Blog: Robotics Work Successful, Station Returned to Full Power.
NASA ISS Blog: Station Back At Full Power While Crew Continues Important Research Studies

Aviation Week: ISS Electrical Issue Delays SpaceX Launch.
Teslarati: SpaceX set to launch reused Dragon on a new Falcon 9 as NASA requests delay.
Space News: ISS power glitch delays Dragon launch.

NasaSpaceFlight: Electrical issues resolved to allow CRS-17 Dragon launch.
SpaceQ: Canadian robot Dextre fixes space station power issue.

SpaceX lanceert ISS-bevoorradingsschip.
Teslarati: SpaceX scrubs Cargo Dragon, Falcon 9 launch due to drone ship power issue.
NASA: SpaceX Dragon Heads to Space Station with NASA Science, Cargo.
NasaSpaceFlight: SpaceX Falcon 9 conducts Saturday launch of CRS-17 Dragon.
Space News: Falcon 9 launches Dragon cargo spacecraft to ISS.
Teslarati: SpaceX gives infrared glimpse of Falcon 9 landing after successful Dragon launch.

BBC: Nasa instrument heads to space station to map CO2.
NASA: New Mission Ready to Extend NASA's Study of Carbon.
NASA: OCO-3 Ready to Extend NASA's Study of Carbon.
Parabolic Arc: Techshot Research Equipment Launching Aboard SpaceX Mission CRS-17.
Meer over de wetenschap aan boord van Dragon vind je hier.

De persmap vind je hier (PDF).

Spaceflight Now: Launch timeline for SpaceX’s 17th space station resupply mission.

De filmpjes:
NASA: NASA Hosts Prelaunch News Conference for SpaceX CRS-17.
SciNews: Falcon 9 aborted launch with the CRS-17 Dragon.
SciNews: Falcon 9 launches CRS-17 Dragon & Falcon 9 first stage landing.
NASA Kennedy: SpaceX CRS-17 Dragon Spacecraft Separation.
NASA Kennedy: SpaceX CRS-17 Dragon Solar Arrays Deployed.
De SpaceX live-uitzending kan je hier integraal bekijken.

NASA: Highlights of Science Launching on SpaceX's Dragon Spacecraft.
NASA: What is SpaceX Launching to the International Space Station?
Seeker: This Is What the Next NASA and SpaceX CRS-17 Mission Has On Board | Countdown To Launch.

Met enige vertraging succesvolle lancering Electron-raket van Rocket Lab.
SpaceCom: Rocket Lab Delays Electron Launch for US Air Force.

GeekWire: Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket launches 3 U.S. military satellites from New Zealand.
NasaSpaceFlight: Rocket Lab launches STP-27RD test satellite trio for the DoD.
Spaceflight Now: Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches three U.S. military smallsats.

De persmap voor deze lancering vind je hier (PDF).

Beelden van de lancering vind je hier.
De volledige live-uitzending kan je hier herbekijken.

SpaceX geeft (eindelijk) toe: Crew Dragon ontplofte wel degelijk. Maar net voor de SuperDraco’s ontstoken zouden worden.
Parabolic Arc: Leaked Memo Confirms Obvious: Crew Dragon Capsule Blew Up.
Ars Technica: Dragon was destroyed just before the firing of its SuperDraco thrusters.
PhysOrg: SpaceX confirms crew capsule destroyed in ground test.
Aviation Week: SpaceX Accident Probe May Exonerate Thruster.
Space Policy Online: SpaceX confirms Crew Dragon capsule destroyed during test.

The Space Review: A dark cloud on commercial crew’s horizon.

SLS/Orion.
NasaSpaceFlight: NASA weighing SLS Green Run versus EM-1 schedule risks.

Naar de Maan in 2024.
Space News: NASA outlines plan for 2024 lunar landing.
PBS: How NASA is preparing to launch another mission to the moon.
Ars Technica: Facing 2024 deadline, NASA issues a report defending the Lunar Gateway.

Ars Technica: High cost, lack of support spell trouble for 2024 Moon landing.
Space News: Bridenstine plays down costs of 2024 moon landing.
Parabolic Arc: Bridenstine: NASA Needs Funding Surge to Land on Moon by 2024.

NASA: Gravity Assist Podcast: Where Could We Go on the Moon? With Steve Mackwell.

US Air Force op zoek naar opvolgers EELV.
US Air Force: Air Force releases proposal request for the Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement Contract.
Space News: Air Force requests bids for space launch services, will select two companies in 2020.

ULA: Vulcan Centaur: Purpose-Built for National Security Space (filmpje).

Eindelijk oorzaak gevonden van twee mislukte Taurus-lanceringen.
NASA: NASA Investigation Uncovers Cause of Two Science Mission Launch Failures.
Scott Manley: NASA And DOJ Investigation Reveals Why Two Taurus Rockets Failed (filmpje).

Nasa Watch: NASA Needs A Decade To Figure Out Launch Failures.

SpaceX – Starlink en StarShip.
Spaceflight Now: FCC approves SpaceX’s plan to operate Starlink satellites at lower altitude.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s first batch of Starlink satellites already in Florida for launch debut.
Ars Technica: SpaceX cuts broadband-satellite altitude in half to prevent space debris.

Teslarati: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk teases steel Starship on the Moon and Mars.
GeekWire: SpaceX’s Elon Musk shows off a shiny Starship in landscapes of moon and Mars.
Teslarati: SpaceX wants to unleash Starhopper but longer Raptor test fires come first.

X-37B al meer dan 600 dagen in de ruimte.
SpaceCom: X-37B Military Space Plane's Latest Mystery Mission Passes 600 Days.

Nieuws uit de (inter)planetaire ruimte.

Aarde:
TASS: Armenia to gain access to Russian remote sensing satellite data.
NASA: NASA Instrument to More Accurately Measure Ozone Discovered by “Accident”.
Spacewatch Asia Pacific: South Korean government approves funds for development of three Earth observation satellites.
ESA: Preparing for an Earth Observation satellite mission (filmpje).
Air & Space Mag: First Photo From Space.
SpaceQ: Radarsat constellation mission launch date set.
NASA: Radiation Belts & Plasmapause (filmpje).
ESA: Earth From Space: Ries Crater (filmpje).

Maan:
CCTV English: China's Chang'e 4 Moon Lander, Yutu 2 Rover Awake for 5th Lunar Workday (filmpje).
Space Daily: China's Chang'e-4 probe resumes work for fifth lunar day.
The Planetary Society: Chandrayaan-2 Launch Delayed until July.

Mars:
NASA: NASA’s MAVEN Uses Red Planet’s Atmosphere to Change Orbit.
InSight: InSight Captures Sunrise and Sunset on Mars.
The Martian Chronicles: Sols 2390-2393: Confirmation of another taste of the "Clay-Bearing Unit", as good as the first?
The Martian Chronicles: Sol 2393-2394: Putting the L in MSL.
The Martian Chronicles: Sols 2395-2396: Powering through.
NASA: Opportunity's Final Traverse Map.
NASA Podcast: Small Steps, Giant Leaps: Episode 9, Mars Opportunity Rover Mission.
Los Alamos National Lab: SuperCam One Step Closer to Mars.

Ryugu:
SpaceflightNow: Hayabusa 2 locates artificial crater on asteroid.
Universe Today: Here’s the Video of Hayabusa2 Bombing Asteroid Ryugu.
The Planetary Society: Here’s an Update on Hayabusa2’s Crater-Creating Explosion.

Bennu:
NASA: OSIRIS-REx: First Sights of Asteroid Bennu (filmpje).
NASA: OSIRIS-REx: Teamwork (filmpje).
NASA: OSIRIS-REx: Mission Operations (filmpje).
NASA: OSIRIS-REx’s Two Spectrometers (filmpje).

Meer over het gevaar van planetoïden:
ESA: Asteroid impact 2028: Protecting our planet (filmpje).
Live Science: How Do You Stop a Hypothetical Asteroid from Hitting Earth? NASA's On It.
NASA: Scientists Planning Now for Asteroid Flyby a Decade Away.

Rosetta:
DLR: Rosetta 'post-mission' – new findings relating to the temperature and nature of the comet's surface.

Nieuws van Gaia en Hubble.
ESA: Gaia’s first asteroid discoveries.
ESA: Observing Gaia from earth to improve its star maps.
ESO: Animation of Gaia's Orbit (filmpje).

NASA: Hubble Astronomers Assemble Wide View of the Evolving Universe.
NASA: Hubble Legacy Field Zoom-Out (filmpje).

Als afsluiter: Enkele interessante boeken in PDF-vorm.
NASA: Reference Guide to the International Space Station (Assembly Complete Edition)
NASA: Reference Guide to the International Space Station (Utilization Edition).
NASA: ISS L.A.B.S. Educator Resource Guide.

NASA: NASA’s First 50 Years – Historical Perspectives.

NASA HST: Hubble – An Overview of the Space Telescope.

US Army Center of Military History: Space Warriors – The Army Space Support Team.
US Army Center of Military History: Seize the high ground: The Army in Space and Missile Defense.

Veel lees- en kijkplezier,

Koen