Van een verrassing gesproken. Neen, dan heb ik het niet over een nieuw uitstel van de eerste SLS/Orion-lancering. Die schuift op van 2020 naar 2021. Maar de baas van de NASA – Jim Bridenstine – liet weten dat de ruimtevaartorganisatie aan het bestuderen is of die eerste Exploration Mission niet kan gebeuren met commerciële raketten. Dat moeten dan wel twee lanceringen worden om de krachtige SLS te vervangen, wat de zaak toch wat compliceert. En of het uiteindelijk tijd bespaart, is ook maar een vraag. 

De belangrijkste conclusie is dat het nu officieel is. Men is de vele vertragingen rond de ontwikkeling van SLS beu. Een echt alternatief is er (nog) niet, en voorlopig is er al minder geld voor de upgrade van SLS. En toch wil men in 2028 opnieuw op de Maan staan.

Dat en nog veel meer in het Nieuws Uit De Ruimtevaart van deze week.

Bij de foto: Op 12 maart werd de Soyuz-raket uit de assemblagehal naar het lanceerplatform gerold. De raket zou enkele dagen later Expedition 59 naar het International Space Station lanceren.

ISS – Bemanning probeert een tweede keer het ruimtestation te bereiken. Met succes deze keer.
Bij een eerste poging (op 11 oktober 2018) moest de lancering afgebroken worden, kort na liftoff.
Spaceflight Now: Crew of Soyuz launch abort set for second try.
Florida Today: Soyuz launch targets 3:14 p.m. launch on 3/14 — aka Pi Day!
NASA: Liftoff! A New Crew Heads to the Space Station.
NASA: NASA Astronauts Hague, Koch Arrive Safely at Space Station.
Collect Space: Crew of Soyuz launch abort lifts off to space station on second try.
NasaSpaceFlight: Soyuz MS-12 docks with the Space Station.
US Air Force: US Air Force Astronaut Col. Nick Hague makes second launch to ISS.
Spaceflight Insider: Gallery: Soyuz MS-12 launches into space, docks with ISS.

TASS: Roscosmos head discusses upcoming Soyuz launch with NASA administrator.
TASS: NASA astronaut Nick Hague calls Russia’s Soyuz rocket ‘technical marvel’.
TASS: Government commission at Baikonur approves crew of new expedition to ISS.
TASS: Astronauts Koch and Morgan to stay longer than planned aboard ISS — NASA official.
TASS: Soyuz MS-12 crew enters ISS after docking complete.

Space Policy Online: Soyuz MS-12 arrives at IS. NASA and Roscosmos confirm future mixed crews on Soyuz and US Commercial Crew Systems.
TASS: Roscosmos, NASA to use Russian, US spacecraft for missions to ISS.

De filmpjes:
NASA Johnson: Nick Hague Recap.
NASA: Expedition 59 Crew Members Launch to Space Station Aboard Soyuz.
NASA: NASA Television Video File Expedition 59-60 Soyuz MS 12 Launch.
NASA: NASA Television Video File Expedition 59-60 Hatch Opening / Welcome Ceremony

Roscosmos: De raket naar het lanceerplatform.
Roscosmos: Pre-flight persconferentie (Russisch en Engels)
Roscosmos: De Live uitzending van de lancering.
Roscosmos: De lancering via de “rocketcam” en animaties.
Roscosmos: De hoogtepunten: van afscheid op aarde tot verwelkoming in het ISS.

CSA: LIVE – Expedition 59 crewmembers launch to space.
CSA: LIVE – Hatch opening and welcoming ceremony of Expedition 59 crew.

SciNews: Soyuz MS-12 launch.
SciNews: Soyuz MS-12 docking.
SciNews: Soyuz MS-12 hatch opening.

Delta IV lanceert Amerikaanse militaire communicatiesatelliet.
ULA: United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches WGS-10 Mission.
Aerojet Rocketdyne: Aerojet Rocketdyne Powers WGS-10 Military Communications Satellite from Launch Pad to Orbit.
Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman Products from Across the Country Support ULA Delta IV Launch of WGS-10 Spacecraft.

Een “Mission Booklet” vind je hier (PDF), een fotogalerij vind je hier.
Een oplijsting van de gebeurtenissen tijdens de lancering vind je hier.

Spaceflight Now: Delta 4 rocket launches Air Force’s 10th WGS broadband satellite.
NasaSpaceFlight: ULA Delta IV launches WGS-10 from Cape Canaveral.
Florida Today: Delta IV rocket launches Air Force's WGS-10 communications satellite from Cape Canaveral.

De filmpjes:
ULA: WGS-10 Mission Profile.
ULA: Delta IV WGS-10 Launch Highlights.
Sci News: Delta IV launches WGS-10.
Een filmpje met de lancering van verschillende kanten bekeken vind je bij AmericaSpace.

ISS – Commercial Crew.
The Space Review: The beginning of the end of commercial crew development.
WMFE: What’s next for NASA’s commercial crew program.
SciNews: Crew Dragon, Starliner and Soyuz to be used by astronauts and cosmonauts (filmpje).
Wie de Demo-1 missie van Crew Dragon nog eens wil herbeleven, kan hier terecht.

ISS – Ruimtewandeling op 29 mei.
TASS: Ovchinin, Kononenko to make spacewalk May 29.
Houston We Have A Podcast: How to Plan a Spacewalk.

ISS – Meer nieuws uit het ruimtestation.
CSA: David Saint-Jacques: first 100 days in space.

NASA: Space to Ground: Fire in the Sky: 03/15/2019 (filmpje).
NASA: SpaceCast Weekly March 15, 2019 (filmpje).

NASA Johnson: International Space Station: Preparing For The New Era (filmpje).

Gateway.
ESA: Gateway To The Moon.
JAXA: Multilateral Coordination Board Joint Statement toward the development of the Gateway.

ESA: NASA return to the moon with Orion and the European Service Module.
ESA: Floating ideas for an airlock near the Moon.

Lockheed Martin: Returning Astronauts To The Moon: Lockheed Martin Finalizes Full-Scale Cislunar Habitat Prototype.

NASA wil in 2028 opnieuw astronauten op de Maan. 
De “verrassing” was wel het uitstel voor de ontwikkeling van de Explorer Upper Stage. De SLS met zo’n EUS moest het mogelijk maken dat elementen van  de Gateway samen met een Orion naar de Maan gelanceerd kon worden. Zonder EUS gaat dat niet. Commercieel beschikbare raketten kunnen misschien helpen. Maar de grootste verrassing moest nog komen (zie volgend hoofdstukje).

NASA: NASA Administrator Statement on NASA’s Moon to Mars Plans, FY 2020 Budget.
NASA: Go Forward to the Moon (filmpje).

Space News: NASA budget proposal targets SLS.
The NY Times: NASA Prioritizes Moon Landings Under Trump Budget Proposal.
Ars Technica: New White House budget spells trouble for NASA’s SLS rocket.

Uitgebreide informatie over het FY2020 budgetvoorstel vind je hier.

Filmpjes:
NASA KSC: NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine Addresses Moon to Mars Plans, Fiscal Year 2020 Budget.
Video From Space: NASA Chief Talks Lunar Gateway, Reusability in 2020 Budget Proposal.
Scott Manley: SLS Rocket In Trouble After New White House Budget Request.

Eerste (onbemande) Orion vlucht (EM-1) zonder SLS-raket?
Er zijn dan wel twee commerciële lancering nodig om EM-1 te kunnen realiseren.

Space News: NASA considering flying Orion on commercial launch vehicles.
Space News: Industry and lawmakers go to defense of SLS.
Space News: Bridenstine reiterates commitment to SLS.

Ars Technica: NASA to consider use of private rockets for first Orion lunar mission.
Ars Technica: Here’s why NASA’s administrator made such a bold move Wednesday.

ABC News: NASA's new rocket won't be ready for moon shot next year.
Space Policy Online: NASA studying launching EM-1 on commercial rockets, not SLS.
Parabolic Arc: Bridenstine Suggests Dumping SLS for First Orion Flight Around the Moon.
Spaceflight Now: Facing more delays, NASA opens door to launching lunar mission with commercial rockets.
NASA Watch: Ironically SLS Supporters Are Worried About Commercial EM-1 Costs.
Teslarati: SpaceX & ULA could compete to launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft around the Moon.

Enkele filmpjes:
Parabolic Arc: Video: Bridenstine Proposes Using Commercial Rockets for First Orion Mission Around Moon.
Scott Manley: Can Orion Fly Around The Moon Without SLS?

ESA: Eerste lancering Vega-C uitgesteld tot in 2020.
Space News: Vega C debut slips to 2020.
ESA: Vega-C enters qualification phase for maiden flight.
Space News: Vega rocket-builder Avio sees revenue jump, new rockets progressing.

ESA gaat verder met SABRE.
ESA: ESA greenlight for UK’s air-breathing rocket engine.
Parabolic Arc: ESA Completes Further Design Validation of Reaction Engine’s SABRE™ Rocket Engine.
Aviation Week: Reaction Engines’ Sabre Rocket Engine Demo Core Passes Review.

SpaceX nieuws.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 to launch new Starlink satellites from Florida this spring.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s Starship prototype moved to launch pad on new rocket transporter
Teslarati: SpaceX’s Elon Musk says Raptor will be installed on Starship prototype this week.
Teslarati: SpaceX begins static Starhopper tests as Raptor engine arrives on schedule.
Teslarati: SpaceX hangar packed with Falcon Heavy Block 5 boosters for early April debut.

NasaSpaceFlight: Falcon Heavy and Starlink headline SpaceX’s upcoming manifest.
Primal Space: Why hasn't SpaceX's Falcon Heavy flown again? (filmpje).

Toyoto bouwt maanrover.
JAXA: JAXA and Toyota Reach Agreement on Taking Up the Challenge of International Space Exploration —Aim is to make future lunar mobility a reality—
Futurism: See the Moon Rover Toyota Is Building for Japan’s Space Program.
Technology Org: Toyota Drives Lunar Exploration with Manned, Pressurized Rover.

NASA laat Apollo-maanstenen onderzoeken.
NASA: NASA Selects Teams to Study Untouched Moon Samples.
NASA: Untouched Apollo Moon Rocks to be Studied at NASA Ames.
Collect Space: NASA to break seal on Apollo moon rock samples for scientific study.
Florida Today: Apollo moon samples have gone untouched for 50 years. Now, NASA plans to study them.

Nieuws uit de (inter)planetaire ruimte.

Aarde:
Science Alert: The US Is Only Decades Away From Widespread Water Shortages, Scientists Warn.
CBS Evening News: Scientists use mini-satellites in effort to save the world's coral reefs.
Thales: Aireon and Thales sign a memorandum of agreement to expand heir space-based ADS-B collaboration.
NASA: Decoding Extreme Weather at the Poles.
CCTV: SuperView-1, a constellation of Chinese civilian remote sensing satellites (filmpje).

Maan:
The Planetary Society: New Chang'e-4 imagery, 04 February 2019.
Universe Today: China’s Lunar Rover Wakes Up and Gets to Work for its 3rd Lunar Day.
Space News: Chang’e-4 spacecraft enter third lunar night, Yutu-2 reaches design lifetime.
SciSpace News: Israel Is Getting Ready for Their First Moon Landing!

Mars:
NASA: Opportunity's Parting Shot Was a Beautiful Panorama.
Sky & Telescope: Mars Insight’s “Mole” Hits a Snag.
ESA: InSight Lander Among Latest ExoMars Image Bounty.
AstroBlogs: InSight legt op Mars een passage van het maantje Phobos voor de zon langs vast.
ESA: Heat sterilisation of ExoMars parachute.
The Planetary Society: Amidst Cuts to NASA, Mars Sample Return May Finally Happen.
Cosmos Magazine: Next-gen Mars rover may use wheels as feet.
SpaceRef: Pathfinder May Have Explored the Edges Of An Early Mars Sea In 1997.

Bennu:
The Planetary Society: Asteroid Bennu, target of NASA’s sample return mission, is rotating faster over time

Space Force en het FY2020 budget.
Space News: Trump’s 2020 budget increases defense spending by 5 percent, funds Space Force.
Space Policy Online: DOD wants 17 percent increase for space activities in FY2020.
Space News: HASC Chairman: Trump’s Space Force proposal ‘too expensive’.
Space News: Air Force to submit Space Force transition plan by March 22
The Verge: White House asks for $72.4 million to fund Space Force headquarters.

Wired: China and the US are locked in a crucial battle for space domination.

Veel lees- en kijkplezier,

Koen