Twee uitschieters deze week: de NASA had een belangrijke mededeling over oceanen elders in ons zonnestelsel (en bijgevolg dus ook over mogelijk leven buiten de Aarde) en een nieuw onderzoek waaruit blijkt dat de lancering van SLS/Orion wellicht opnieuw uitstel zal kennen.

Oceanen elders in het zonnestelsel.
NASA: NASA Missions Provide New Insights into 'Ocean Worlds' in Our Solar System.
NASA: Illustration of Cassini Spacecraft Diving Through Plume of 'Ocean World' Enceladus.
The Planetary Society: Another smoking gun in the search for life in Enceladus’ ocean.
Space Policy Online: Evidence Mounts for Hydrothermal Vents on Enceladus, Plumes on Europa.
SpaceCom: Enceladus' Subsurface Energy Source: What It Means for Search for Life.

Enkele filmpjes:
NASA JPL: NASA: News Conference on Oceans Beyond Earth.
Science At NASA: ScienceCasts: Ocean Worlds.
NASA Goddard: Europa Water Vapor Plumes - More Hubble Evidence.
NASA JPL: NASA: Ingredients for Life at Saturn’s Moon Enceladus.

China lanceert belangrijke comsat.
GB Times: China launches experimental Shijian-13 satellite via Long March 3B from Xichang.
NasaSpaceFlight: Long March 3B launches experimental ChinaSat-16 satellite.
Spaceflight101: China’s Long March 3B Lofts Shijian-13 Satellite to Test High-Throughput Communications & Ion Drive.

En een paar filmpjes.
CGTN: China launches first high-throughput communications satellite.
CCTV: China Launches First High-throughput Communications Satellite Shijian-13.

Lancering Tianzhou-1 in voorbereiding.
Tianzhou-1 is een test van het onbemande bevoorradingsschip van het Chinese ruimtestation.
GB Times: Tianzhou-1: Long March 7 vertically assembled ahead of launch.
GB Times: China deploys Yuanwang-7 space tracking ship ahead of Tianzhou-1 cargo mission.

Nieuwe bevoorradingsvlucht staat klaar om te vertrekken. Met heel wat Europese Cubesats.
Spaceflight101: Repeatedly-Delayed Cygnus Cargo Mission cleared for Liftoff after clean Launch Readiness Review.
NASA KSC: Orbital ATK Cygnus Cargo Module Ready for Delivery to International Space Station.

Drie filmpjes:
NASA KSC: What Is A CubeSat?
NASA KSC: What Does A Cubesat Do?
NASA KSC: How Do CubeSats Get Into Orbit?

Bemanning Expedition 50 terug op Aarde.
NASA: NASA Astronaut Shane Kimbrough, Space Station Crewmates Return to Earth.
Collect Space: Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft lands from space station with 50th expedition crew.
Spaceflight101: Afternoon Soyuz Touchdown Caps Half-Year Space Mission for Russian-American Crew Trio.
Spaceflight101: Photos: Soyuz Parachutes to Safe Landing with ISS Expedition 49/50 Crew.

Enkele filmpjes.
NASA: Expedition 50 Crew Hands Over the Space Station to Expedition 51.
NASA: Expedition 50 Crew Lands Safely in Kazakhstan to Complete Six Month Mission
NASA: Expedition 50 Crew Receives a Warm Welcome in Kazakhstan.
CBS News: Peggy Whitson nears, but downplays, space record.

Extra vertraging voor SLS/Orion?
Space News: NASA inspector general foresees additional SLS/Orion delays.
Ars Technica: The Journey to Mars has a price tag, and it will give US Congress sticker shock.

Het rapport vind je hier (PDF). 
Een video over het rapport vind je hier.

Commercial Crew – Toewijzen bemanningen wellicht deze zomer.
Space News: Commercial crew flight assignments could come this summer.

Blue Origin.
The Space Review: Blue Origin’s status update.
SpaceCom: Beyond Space Tourism: Jeff Bezos Sees Many Uses for Blue Origin Rocket.
The Space Review: The small launch industry is about to be Amazoned.

Het overige nieuws uit de (inter)planetaire ruimte.

Aarde: 
NY Times: Scientists Fear Climate Data Gap as Trump Aims at Satellites.
Parabolic Arc: Radiation Experiment to Ride to Moon on Team Indus Lander.

Maan:
Science Alert: The American Flags on the Moon Are Disintegrating.

Mars:
NASA: NASA's MAVEN Reveals Mars Has Metal in its Atmosphere.

Jupiter:
Universe Today: Juno sees overlapping colliding clouds on Jupiter.

Saturnus:
EurekAlert: SwRI scientists discover evidence for a habitable region within Saturn's moon Enceladus.
Cassini: Cassini Sees 'Flying-Saucer' Moon Atlas Up Close.

Uranus:
The Science Times: Hubble Sends Spectacular Images Of Intense Auroras On Uranus.

Pluto:
NH Website: Nap Time for New Horizons: NASA Spacecraft Enters Hibernation.
Universe Today: A Bored New Horizons Spacecraft Takes Part Time Job To Fill The Time.

Om af te ronden: Orion EFT-1 op het KSC tentoongesteld.
Collect Space: Orion EFT-1 flown spacecraft joins display in 'NASA Now' exhibit.

Veel lees- en kijkplezier,

Vanwege een door griep gevelde Koen.