Het wordt een belangrijk weekend voor de terugkeer naar de Maan. Bij het schrijven van deze intro is het nog enkele uren voor wellicht de belangrijkste test in het SLS-programma. Vannacht worden de 4 RS-25 motoren van de SLS Core Stage acht minuten lang in werking gesteld. Verloopt de test zonder problemen, dan zien we wellicht dit jaar nog de lancering van de eerste SLS/Orion. Zoniet . . . Updates over de test vind je zondagochtend ongetwijfeld in “onze” Facebookgroep ruimtevaartnieuws. En uiteraard in de volgende NUDR.

En de strijd voor het suborbitale ruimtetoerisme is plots in een eindversnelling terecht gekomen. Virgin Galactic had eind vorig jaar bij de eerste van de twee laatste testvluchten een probleempje met SpaceShipTwo. Afgelopen week testte Blue Origin in een eerste van (eveneens) twee testvluchten met succes raket en capsule.

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

Bij de foto: Liefst 114 tankwagens waren nodig om de zes brandstoftanks van de B-2 Test Stand van het NASA’s Stennis Space Center te vullen met vloeibare brandstof en vloeibare zuurstof. Dat was nodig voor de Wet Dress Rehearsal van de SLS Core Stage, een test om na te gaan dat het tanken zonder problemen verliep en vooral dat de brandstoftanks van deze rakettrap geen lekken vertoonde. Alhoewel niet alles naar wens verliep, werd de Core Stage goed bevonden voor de laatste test in de Green Run. De foto werd op 4 december 2020 genomen. Foto: NASA.

ISS – Cargo Dragon CRS21 vertrekt met enige vertraging. Splashdown.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s first Cargo Dragon 2 recovery delayed by Atlantic Ocean weather.

Spaceflight Now: Cargo Dragon heads for splashdown off Florida’s west coast.
Florida Today: Weather forces SpaceX Cargo Dragon to splashdown off coast of Tampa instead of Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceCom: SpaceX Cargo Dragon supply ship makes 1st autonomous undocking from space station.
SpaceCom: SpaceX's upgraded Cargo Dragon supply ship makes 1st Atlantic splashdown.

Space News: Next-generation Dragon cargo spacecraft returns from space station.
NasaSpaceFlight: CRS-21 Dragon completes mission with splashdown off Tampa.
ISS National Lab: SpaceX CRS-21 Safely Splashes Down Off the Coast of Florida, Returning Science From the Space Station Back to Earth.

ESA: Muscles, metals, bubbles and rotifers – a month of European science in space.
Spaceflight Now: French wine, live rodents among 2 tons of cargo returned from space station.

Filmpjes:
NASA: Expedition 64 SpaceX Cargo Dragon CRS 21 Undocking Delayed - January 11, 2021.
NASA: Expedition 64 SpaceX CRS 21 Undocking - January 12, 2021.
SciNews: CRS-21 Dragon’s departure rescheduled.
SciNews: SpaceX CRS-21 Dragon undocking and departure.

Blue Origin – New Shepard – Eerste succesvolle (onbemande) testvlucht. Weldra bemande lancering?
Blue Origin: Mission NS-14 successfully demonstrates crew capsule upgrades.

Space News: Blue Origin preparing for next New Shepard flight.
Space News: Blue Origin launches New Shepard vehicle intended for crewed flights.
NSS: NS-14: Blue Origin Successfully Tests Human-Rated New Shepard System.
NasaSpaceFlight: Blue Origin tests New Shepard capsule upgrades on NS-14 mission.
Spaceflight Now: Blue Origin tests passenger accommodations on suborbital launch.

Filmpjes:
Blue Origin: Replay - New Shepard Mission NS-14 Webcast.
SciNews: Blue Origin NS-14: New Shepard launch and landing, 14 January 2021.
America Space: Blue Origin Engine Production Facility Tour.

Virgin Orbit – LauncherOne / Virgin Galactic.
Parabolic Arc: Virgin Orbit Delays Flight Test to Sunday.
Parabolic Arc: The Virgin Updates: Orbit Resets Launch Date, Galactic Finds Cause of In-flight Abort.

Raketnieuwtjes.
Space News: Aerojet Rocketdyne completes assembly of its first AR1 rocket engine.

Via Satellite: FCC Allows SpaceX to Launch 10 Starlink Sats into Polar Orbit.
Space News: Iceye to launch three SAR satellites on SpaceX rideshare flight.
Space News: SpaceX wins contracts for lunar lander, environmental satellite launches.
Universe Today: With Funding From Jeff Bezos, MethaneSAT Picks Elon Musk’s SpaceX for 2022 Launch.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s first Starlink launch of the year up next after schedule shuffle.

SpaceCom: Space startup bluShift to launch its 1st biofuel rocket Friday. (uitgesteld tot 20.01.2021).

CCTV: Engine Test of China’s Long March-5B Rocket Completed (filmpje).
SciNews: YF-77 Rocket Engine Completes 500-Second Test (filmpje).
Space News: China moves to next stage of super heavy rocket development.

CNES: Arianegroup et le CNES signent un contrat pour les assais de Prometheus.

Scott Manley: The Nuclear Salt Water Rocket - Possibly the Craziest Rocket Engine Ever Imagined. (filmpje).

Parabolic Arc: Groups Protest FAA’s Curtailing of Spaceport Camden Review.

ISS – Commercial Cargo – Dream Chaser eerst in 2022.
SpaceCom: Dream Chaser space plane's first flight slips to 2022 due to pandemic-related delays.

ISS – De blogentries, Daily Summary Reports en Science Highlights.
NASA Space Station Blog: SpaceX Waves off Undocking of Cargo Dragon.
NASA Space Station Blog: Cargo Dragon Undocks from Station and Heads for Splashdown.
NASA Space Station Blog: Astronauts Relax After Sending Off U.S. Cargo Ships.
NASA Space Station Blog: SpaceX Cargo Dragon Splashes Down Loaded With Science Experiments.
NASA Space Station Blog: Human Research, Space Combustion on Station Science Schedule Today.

NASA: ISS Daily Summary Report – 01/08//2021.
NASA: ISS Daily Summary Report – 01/11//2021.
NASA: ISS Daily Summary Report – 01/12//2021.
NASA: ISS Daily Summary Report – 01/14//2021.

NASA: Space Station Science Highlights: Week of January 11, 2021.

ISS – Meer nieuws uit het ruimtestation
ISS National Lab: CASIS Releases International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory 2020 Annual Report
Het rapport kan je hier lezen of via deze link als PDF downloaden.

TASS: Roscosmos chief believes future space station to be temporarily crewed.

Roscosmos: ISS routine orbit correction scheduled for January 21.
Roscosmos: ISS-65 backup crew changes.

Boeing: Boeing to Provide Six More Solar Arrays for International Space Station.
Collect Space: Boeing to boost space station power supply with new solar arrays.
Spaceflight Now: Boeing says assembly complete on first set of new space station solar arrays.

TASS: Russian cosmonauts from Expedition 65 to ISS vaccinated against coronavirus.
Russia Today: Symbolic moment as Russian cosmonauts get jabs of Sputnik V – named for first space satellite – ahead of latest ISS mission.

Business Insider: A private astronaut explains why his next flight — likely with Tom Cruise — is 'setting the bar for commercial human spaceflight forever'.

Filmpjes:
NASA: Space to Ground: Science Splashdown: 01/15/2021.
NASA: Expedition 64 Inflight with CNBC - January 15, 2021.

CSS – Nog eens het Chinese ruimtestation.
Spaceflight Now: China to begin construction of space station this year.
Global Times: Construction of China’s space station construction nears implementation stage: CMS.

Artemis – SLS Green Run.
NASA: NASA Accelerates SLS Rocket Hot Fire Test, Invites Media to Pretest Briefing.
NASA: NASA TV to Air Hot Fire Test of Rocket Core Stage for Artemis Moon Missions.
NASA: Green Run Update: Preparations for Hot Fire Test Continue on Schedule.

SpaceCom: NASA is finally ready to test-fire the engines of its SLS megarocket.
Space News: SLS core stage ready for Green Run test firing.

NASA: Green Run Update: Start of Avionics Power Up for Hot Fire Test.

Filmpjes:
NASA: Jan. 16: Artemis I Hot Fire Test.
SciNews: SLS Core Stage Hot Fire Test Explained.
NASA: NASA Stages Manager Discusses Space Launch System Green Run Hot Fire Testing.
NASA: NASA Prepares for Space Launch System Green Run Hot Fire.
NASA: How NASA Will Test Its SLS Rocket’s Core Stage.
Deep Space Podcast: Workforce of the Future: Episode 1 Featuring Boeing and Aerojet Rocketdyne.

Artemis – Gateway – Ook Japan doet mee.
Space Policy Online: Japan and NASA formally agree to Gateway cooperation.
Space News; NASA and Japan finalize Gateway agreement.

Artemis – Human Landing System.
Lockheed Martin: National Team Completes Astronaut Day-in-the-Life Testing for Human Landing System (HLS) (filmpje).

Artemis – Naar de Maan en Mars – Allerlei nieuwtjes.
ESA: The end of 2020, looking at Artemis and the European Service modules.
ESA: 2021: What’s to come for Artemis and the European Service modules.

RoomEU: Orion now ready for its Moon mission later this year.
SatNews: Orion Artemis I Spacecraft Assembly + Testing By Lockheed Martin Completed.

SpaceQ: The Artemis program and the future of lunar surface manufacturing.

TASS: Russia in six months’ time to draft program for crewed mission to the Moon by 2030.

Filmpjes:
NASA: Watch Crews Build the Launch Vehicle Stage Adapter for Artemis II.

SpaceX  – Starship SN9.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s next Starship launch still waiting on a successful Raptor test.
Teslarati: SpaceX aborts third Starship static fire attempt minutes before ignition.
Teslarati: SpaceX Starship fires up Raptor engines three times in one day.
Teslarati: SpaceX returns to Starship program roots with new ‘test tank’ prototype.

In afwachting van het grote werk:
Teslarati: SpaceX is building a futuristic bar at its Starship factory in Texas.

Filmpjes:
NasaSpaceFlight: Weekly Update: Starship SN9 Needs 2nd Static Fire Before Test Flight - Upgraded Starship Leaps Ahead Of Old Designs.
NasaSpaceFlight: SpaceX Boca Chica: Complete Launch Site Tour - SN9 Ready to Static Fire for a Second Time.
NasaSpaceFlight: SpaceX Boca Chica: New 3mm Thick Test Tank Stacked - Starship SN6 Scrapped.
NasaSpaceFlight: ABORT: Starship SN9 Static Fire Test.
Lab Padre: Starship SN9 Completes Three Static Fires In One Day.
NasaSpaceFlight: Starship SN9 Static Fires - Three Raptor Engine Tests in One Day.
NasaSpaceFlight: SpaceX Boca Chica: SN9 Looks Great After Triple Static Fire - SN10 Aft Flaps Mounted.
NasaSpaceFlight: SpaceX Boca Chica - Starship SN9 undergoing Raptor Replacement Tasks.

What About It: SpaceX Starship SN9 Launch – Heat Shield Trouble – NASA Perseverance Landing.
What About It: SpaceX Starship SN9 Triple Static Fire & Super Heavy Landing!
Engineering Today: SpaceX Starship SN9 needs Raptor Engines repair | Expected to Launch on Monday.

Mars InSight – Het einde van de “mol”.
NASA: NASA InSight's ‘Mole' Ends Its Journey on Mars.

Space News: NASA ceases efforts to deploy Mars InSight heat flow probe.
FNW: RIP: Mars digger bites the dust after 2 years on red planet.
Ars Technica: NASA gives up on taking Mars’ temperature.
Business Insider: NASA has given up on its 'Mars mole,' a revolutionary experiment designed to burrow 16 feet and take the planet's temperature.

Nieuws uit de (inter)planetaire ruimte.

Aarde:
Astropreneurs H2020 Project: Space technologies used in Agriculture (filmpje).
Space News: NGA wants faster access to commercial geospatial data.

Maan:
Appel.NASA: VIPER: Progress Continues on Rover to Explore for Water Ice on Moon.
NASA: NASA's Lunar Instruments 'Shake Hands' with Commercial Moon Lander (CLPS).
NASA: Tiny NASA Cameras to Watch Commercial Lander form Craters on Moon (CLPS).
Via Satellite: SpaceX to Launch Second Intuitive Machines’ Moon Mission .
RoomEU: Evolution of volatiles on the Moon.

Mars:
NASA Curiosity Status Report: Sols 2999-3000: 3000 Sols of Exploration!
NASA Curiosity Status Report: Sols 3001-3002: Hold Up!
Picanol.BE: Is there life on Mars? Our customer Heathcoat Fabrics in the UK is helping NASA to find out!
NASA: Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover to Capture Sounds From the Red Planet.
Space: NASA's InSight Mars lander may 'hear' Perseverance rover's landing next month.

Jupiter:
Ars Technica: NASA extends Juno, turning spacecraft into an Io, Europa, and Ganymede explorer.
Spaceflight Now: NASA mission extension enables first flybys of Jupiter’s moons in 20 years.
NasaSpaceFlight: Juno illuminates 25 year old Jovian mystery, mission extended to 2025.
The Planetary Society: Jupiter Mission by China Could Include Callisto Landing.
The Hill: NASA's Europa Clipper has been liberated from the Space Launch System.

2001 CC21:
SpaceCom: Japanese asteroid-sampling probe begins long trek to next space rock.

Nog dit:
New Horizons Website: New Horizons Helps Answer the Question: How Dark Is Space?

OneWeb beperkt het aantal satellieten in zijn netwerk.
Space News: OneWeb slashes size of future satellite constellation.
Via Satellite: OneWeb Adjusts Target Constellation Size Down to 7,000 Satellites.

Space News: OneWeb raises $400 million.
Parabolic Arc: OneWeb Secures $400 Million Investment from SoftBank, Hughes Network Systems.

SpaceX – Starlink onzichtbaar maar niet voor de beroepsastronomen.
Science Alert: Starlink Satellites Are Now Invisib.
Gizmodo: Darkened SpaceX Satellites Can Still Disrupt Astronomy, New Research Suggests.

SpaceX – Starlink niet voor de Russen.
Ars Technica: Russia may fine citizens who use SpaceX’s Starlink Internet service.

Nog dit – Voyager Station.
Universe Today: Gateway Foundation Gives a Detailed Update on its Voyager Station Concept.

Filmpjes:
The Gateway Foundation: Save the Date: Don't Miss our History-Making Event on Jan 29!
The Gateway Foundation: The Voyager Station by Orbital Assembly Corp.

Veel lees- en kijkplezier,

Koen