Het hoogtepunt van deze week? De aankondiging dat Blue Origin gaat beginnen met bemande lanceringen. Tot SpaceX besloot Starship SN15 te lanceren wat gevolgd werd door een eerste geslaagde landing (d.w.z. zonder bijkomende ontploffing). Of was het dan toch die Chinese rakettrap die uiteindelijk zonder problemen is neergestort in de Indische Oceaan. Dat en nog veel meer in het Nieuws Uit de Ruimtevaart van deze week.

Bij de foto: SpaceX slaagde er in om Starship SN15 met succes te lanceren én met succces te landen. Zonder bijkomende ontploffing. Foto: SpaceX (uit de livestream).

SpaceX lanceert 60 Starlink-satellieten. De 9de lancering en landing van een eerste trap.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s next Starlink launch to cross major rocket reusability milestone.

Space News: SpaceX continues Starlink deployment with latest launch.
NasaSpaceFlight: SpaceX resumes parallel pad operations with Starlink v1.0 L25 mission.
Spaceflight Now: Starlink launch marks 100 missions since an in-flight Falcon rocket failure.

Filmpjes:
SpaceX: Starlink Mission.
SpaceX: Starlink Mission Control Audio.
SciNews: SpaceX Starlink 26 launch & Falcon 9 first stage landing, 4 May 2021.

China lanceert remote sensing satellieten.
ECNS: China launches new remote-sensing satellites.
ECNS: China launches new remote-sensing satellites (foto’s).

Spaceflight Now: China launches four satellites on Long March 2C rocket.

Filmpjes:
CCTV: China Launches New Remote Sensing Satellites.

Blue Origin – Wie het hoogste bedrag biedt, kan mee met de eerste bemande New Shepard lancering.
De aankondiging had plaats op 5 mei, de verjaardag van de (suborbitale) lancering van de eerste Amerikaan – Al Shepard – in de ruimte.
Blue Origin: Bid for the very first seat on New Shepard.

Een week eerder wist men al dat er een dergelijke aankondiging op komst was:
The Verge: ‘It’s time’: Blue Origin teases ticket sales for its New Shepard rocket.
Geek Wire: Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin promise details coming next week for how to buy first seat on spaceflight.

The Verge: Blue Origin targeting July for first crewed flight, opens auction for a seat.
Geek Wire: Blue Origin puts its first passenger seat on suborbital spaceship up for charity auction.

Space News: Blue Origin to fly first people on New Shepard in July.
Collect Space: Blue Origin sets date, auctions seat on New Shepard crewed launch.

Parabolic Arc: Bezos vs. Branson: Blue Origin Ticket Announcement to Follow Virgin Galactic’s Quarterly Earnings Call.

Filmpjes:
Blue Origin: Bid for the very first seat on New Shepard.
Blue Origin: Launch. Land. Repeat.

Virgin Galactic nieuwtjes.
Ars Technica: Will Virgin Galactic ever be successful? A new book provides insights.

Parabolic Arc: Another Law Firm Investigates Virgin Galactic Over Possible Securities Laws Violations.

Parabolic Arc: Virgin Galactic Delays Quarterly Earnings Report as Blue Origin Ticket Sales Announcement Looms.

Virgin Orbit Virgin nieuwtjes.
Virgin Orbit: Virgin Orbit to launch hypersepctral constellation for QinetiQ, Hypersat.
QinetiQ: QinetiQ to lead development of Hypersat’s next generation hyperspectral satellites, due for launch by Virgin Orbit in 2023.

Virgin Orbit: Virgin Orbit selected to bring orbital launch capabilities to Brazil.

Parabolic Arc: Branson Wants to Take Virgin Orbit Public Through SPAC.

Virgin Orbit: Virgin Orbit selects AVS to build key infrastructure for launches from Cornwall, UK.
Spacepage: Virgin Orbit gaat raketten lanceren vanuit Brazilië.

Virgin Orbit: Introducing our next mission: Tubular Bells, part one.
Space News: Virgin Orbit schedules next LauncherOne mission for June.

CZ-5B rakettrap komt uiteindelijk zonder problemen in de Indische Oceaan terecht.
Spacepage: Chinese rakettrap dreigt op aarde te vallen.

SatTrackCam Leiden: Reentry predictions for the Chinese CZ-5B rocket stage 2021-035B [UPDATED].

Space News: Chinese rocket stage predicted to reenter atmosphere around May 8.
Ars Technica: World waits to see where a Chinese booster will come down.
Inside Outer Space: China’s Falling Rocket Body – High Sign of Bigger Problem.
Sky & Telescope: Tianhe booster to reenter this weekend.
SpaceCom: Falling Chinese rocket debris spotted in space as White House weighs in (photo).
Space Policy Online: Austin: No plans to shoot down errant Chinese rocket stage.
EuroNews: Everything we know about the out-of-control Long March rocket – except where it will land.
The Planetary Society: This Is What Legally Happens If An Uncontrolled Rocket Damages Something.
Space News: China acknowledges Long March 5B situation as rocket heads for weekend reentry.

Inside Outer Space: China’s Falling Rocket Body – High Sign of Bigger Problem.
Inside Outer Space: Fall of China Booster: Down-to-Earth Factoids.

Uiteindelijk werd het de Indische Oceaan.
Space News: Long March 5B falls into Indian Ocean after world follows rocket reentry.
NASA: NASA Administrator Statement on Chinese Rocket Debris.
The Hindu: China says remnants of Long March rocket landed in Indian Ocean.

Filmpjes:
SciNews: Long March-5B - the “one-and-half stage” rocket.
Space Thoughts: Episode 36: Thoughts on Long March 5B Reentry.
SciNews: China's statement on the Long March-5B Y2 deorbit.
Scott Manley: Why It's So Hard To Predict Where China's Latest Piece Of Space Junk Will Land.

Commercial Cargo – SNC’s Dream Chaser mag landen op het KSC.
SNC: SNC’s Dream Chaser spaceplane cleared for Florida runway landing.
SpaceCom: Private Dream Chaser space plane to land on NASA's former shuttle runway.
RoomEU: Dream Chaser cleared for Florida runway landing from 2022.

Nasa Watch: Sierra Nevada Needs A Fact Checker For Its PR Hype.

Twee filmpjes:
SNC: Sierra Space Intro - 15s.
SNC: Sierra Space Intro - 30s.

Commercial Crew – Starliner OFT-2 vervroegd naar eind juli.
Space News: Starliner test flight scheduled for July 30.
SpaceCom: Boeing, NASA target July 30 for 2nd test flight of Starliner capsule.
Space Daily: Starliner completes full space station mission simulation.

ISS – De terugkeer van Crew Dragon Crew 1.
NASA: Crew-1 Astronauts Safely Splash Down After Space Station Mission.
NASA: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 Astronauts to Answer Questions after Return to Earth.

Teslarati: SpaceX Dragon carries four astronauts home after record-breaking voyage.

Collect Space: SpaceX's Crew-1 make night splashdown after record-setting mission.
Spaceflight Now: Crew Dragon brings four astronauts back to nighttime splashdown.
Ars Technica: Four astronauts make first nighttime landing in the ocean since 1968.

Filmpjes.
SpaceX: Crew-1 Mission | Hatch Closing.
SpaceX: Crew-1 Mission | Return.
NASA: NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 Flight Day Highlights.
NASA: Post-Splashdown News Update on NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 Mission.
NASA: NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 Astronauts Answer Questions After Return to Earth.
SciNews: SpaceX Crew-1: “Resilience” Crew Dragon Hatch Closure.
SciNews: SpaceX Crew-1: “Resilience” Crew Dragon Undocking and Departure.
SciNews: SpaceX Crew-1: “Resilience” Crew Dragon Splashdown.
SciNews: SpaceX Crew-1: “Resilience” Crew Dragon recovery operations and astronauts egress.

Inspiration4 is nieuwe missie voor Crew Dragon Resilience.
SpaceCom: SpaceX's next flight for Crew Dragon Resilience is a private launch of 4 civilians.
SpaceCom: Inspiration4: The first all-civilian spaceflight on SpaceX Dragon.

NASA: NASA, Axiom Space to Host Media Briefing on Private Astronaut Mission.

ISS – De blogentries, Daily Summary Reports en Science Highlights.
NASA Space Station Blog: Crew Dragon Hatch Closed, Undocks Soon on NASA TV.
NASA Space Station Blog: Crew-1 Undocks From Station and Heads for Splashdown.
NASA Space Station Blog: Crew-1 Astronauts in Final Hour Before Splashdown.
NASA Space Station Blog: Crew Dragon Fires Braking Engines, Begins Earth Descent.
NASA Space Station Blog: Crew-1 Makes Nighttime Splashdown, Ends Mission.
NASA Space Station Blog: Crew Staying in Space Until October for Research Mission.
NASA Space Station Blog: Crew-1 Takes Questions Thursday, Station Busy with Human Research.
NASA Space Station Blog: Life Science, Cargo Packing Midweek Aboard Orbital Lab.
NASA Space Station Blog: Astronauts Study how Space Affects Immune System, Exercise.
NASA Space Station Blog: Crew Ends Week on Human Research and Space Physics.

NASA: ISS Daily Summary Report – 05/03/2021.
NASA: ISS Daily Summary Report – 05/04/2021.
NASA: ISS Daily Summary Report – 05/05/2021.
NASA: ISS Daily Summary Report – 05/06/2021.

NASA: Space Station Science Highlights: Week of May 3, 2021.

ISS – Meer nieuws uit het ruimtestation.
SpaceCom: How do you clean a space station? Astronaut Thomas Pesquet shares orbital spring cleaning tips.

De Standaard: Coldplay lanceert single in de ruimte: ‘Kunnen het voor niemand op aarde spelen’.
Collect Space: Coldplay connects with astronaut to debut 'Higher Power' on station.

ISS National Lab: New Technology Demonstration and Facility Installed on the Space Station to Enable Future Research.
NASA: Space Station Images Trace Bird Migrations (filmpje).

Space News: NASA increases prices for ISS private astronaut missions.
Bloomberg: Could the Next Space Station Be a Hotel?

Collect Space: '2 Funny Astronauts': Massimino and Reisman launch new podcast.

Filmpjes:
NASA: Space to Ground: Astro Beekeeping: 05/07/2021.
NASA: SpaceCast Weekly - May 7, 2021.
ESA: Higher Power in space | Thomas Pesquet & Coldplay.
NASA: Expedition 65 inflight with Georgia Tech and WXIA-TV, Atlanta - May 4, 2021.
NASA: Expedition 65 Education Inflight with Shine On Project - May 6, 2021.
NASA: Expedition 65 Inflight with UCLA - May 7, 2021.
ESA Explores (podcast): The space doctor is in.

Het Chinese ruimtestation (CSS).
United Nations – Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOS) selecteerde in 2019 een aantal experimenten die in het Chinese ruimtestation uitgevoerd gaan worden. Bij twee van die experimenten zijn Belgen betrokken (No. 3: Behaviour of Partially Miscible Fluid in Microgravity  – No. 5: Tumours in Space). Meer detail in dit document (PDF).
Bij het UNOOS vind je ook een “handboek” over het Chinese ruimtestation (daterend van mei 2018). Klik hier voor de PDF.

Filmpjes:
CCTV: Superb Welding Skill Guarantees Successful Launch of China's Space Station Core Module.
SciNews: International scientific experiments onboard the China Space Station.
CGTN: Reasons for China to build its own space station.
CGTN: Live: Another space station - China's space program a cause for concern or celebration?

Artemis – SLS.
NasaSpaceFlight: Ten month schedule to ready SLS for Artemis 1 launch after Core Stage arrives at KSC.

NASA: NASA Barge Crew Describes What It’s Like to Transport Moon Rocket (filmpje).

NASA: NASA Continues RS-25 Engine Testing for Future Artemis Missions.
Beelden vind je hier.

Artemis – HLS.
RoomEU: NASA tells SpaceX to halt HLS development after protest by rivals.

Ars Technica: For lunar cargo delivery, NASA accepts risk in return for low prices.

Filmpje: 
Engineering Today: SpaceX Starship Update: NASA suspends SpaceX $2 9 billion moon lander contract after rivals protest.

SpaceX – Starship – SN15 – Lanceren en landen – Deze keer zonder vuurwerk.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s upgraded Starship set for test flight despite sore NASA contract losers.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s upgraded Starship tracking towards Wednesday launch.
Teslarati: SpaceX nails first Starship landing weeks after NASA Moon lander contract [updated].
Teslarati: Elon Musk says SpaceX might refly Starship after historic landing.
Teslarati: Elon Musk references Starship SN15’s successful test in SNL preview.

Ars Technica: Starship flight attempt for Tuesday afternoon is scrubbed [Updated].
SpaceCom: SpaceX may try to launch its Starship SN15 rocket in Texas today.

Space News: Starship survives test flight.
Spaceflight Now: Upgraded Starship prototype makes first soft landing after test flight.
Ars Technica: SpaceX successfully lands a Starship test flight.

Spacepage: Starship maakt voor het eerst geslaagde testvlucht.

Gizmodo: Elon Musk's SpaceX Is Reportedly Trying to Gobble Up This Small Texas Community.

Filmpjes:
NasaSpaceFlight: Starship SN16 Fully Stacked | SpaceX Boca Chica.
NasaSpaceFlight: Starship SN15 Waits for its Test Flight Date | SpaceX Boca Chica.
NasaSpaceFlight: Starship SN15 Test its Flaps as Test Flight Scrubs.

SpaceX: Starship | SN15 | High-Altitude Flight Test.
Lab Padre: SpaceX Nails Starship SN15 Launch And Landing.
NasaSpaceFlight: Starship SN15 Test Flight & Landing.
smallstars: SpaceX Starship SN15's Historic Flight.
Scott Manley: SpaceX's Starship Prototype Takes To The Skies And Returns Safely.

NasaSpaceFlight: SpaceX Prepares to Build More Cryo Tank Shells | SpaceX Boca Chica.
NasaSpaceFlight: Starship SN15 Recovery Begins | SpaceX Boca Chica.
Lab Padre: SN15 Preps For Movement.
What About It: SpaceX Starship Landing Achieved! – Why Did It Work This Time?
NasaSpaceFlight: Starship SN15 Moved - Booster Common Dome Flipped | SpaceX Boca Chica.

Ingenuity vindt nieuwe staanplaats.
The Space Review: The little Mars helicopter that could.
Sky & Telescope: NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter enters new phase of flight.

NASA: NASA's Perseverance Captures Video, Audio of Fourth Ingenuity Flight.

SpaceCom: NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity will head to new airfield today on 5th flight.
NASA: NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Completes First One-Way Trip.
SpaceCom: NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity lands at new airfield after 5th flight.

Filmpjes:
NASA: With Much Ingenuity, We Soar Together.
NASA: NASA Science Live: Mars Helicopter and the Future of Extraterrestrial Flight.
NASA: NASA’s Perseverance Rover Hears Ingenuity Mars Helicopter in Flight.
NASA: NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Fifth Flight Lands in New Airfield.

Nieuws uit de (inter)planetaire ruimte.

Venus:
NASA: NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Discovers Natural Radio Emission in Venus’ Atmosphere.
NASA: NASA's Parker Solar Probe Discovers Natural Radio Emission in Venus' Atmosphere (filmpje).
SciShow Space: Why We Didn't Know How Long a Venus Day Was (filmpje).

Mars:
NASA Curiosity Status Report: Sol 3108: Once More, with Feeling.
NASA Curiosity Status Report: Sol 3109: Oh, 'Caneda!'.
NASA Curiosity Status Report: Sols 3110-3111: A New Workspace!
NASA Curiosity Status Report: Sols 3112-3114: Always a silver lining!
NASA: Curiosity Mars Rover's View Atop 'Mont Mercou' (360 View) (filmpje).
SpaceCom: UAE Hope Mars orbiter: The Arab world's first interplanetary mission.
SciShow Space: The First Time We Landed on Mars.
SETI Institute: Take a Tour of Mars (filmpje).

Jupiter:
the making of JUICE: JUICE hits the night roads from Airbus to ESA.
ESA: Juice arrives at ESA’s technical heart.
ESA: Unpacking JUICE (filmpje).

Trojanen:
NASA: NASA's Lucy High Gain Antenna Up Close.

Saturnus:
JHU APL: Dragonfly: Journey of a Lifetime (filmpje).

Bennu:
NASA: OSIRIS-REx Departure from Bennu Trailer (filmpje).

Didymos:
JHU APL: DART Behind the Scenes: Electromagnetic Testing (filmpje).

Starlink – Gewijzigde plannen goedgekeurd door FCC – En andere nieuwtjes.
Teslarati: SpaceX Starlink competitor OneWeb misled the FCC, media with false “near-miss” narrative.
Teslarati: SpaceX’s Starlink deployment plan receives FCC approval despite rivals’ objections.

Space News: FCC approves Starlink license modification.
The Verge: SpaceX wins approval for lower Starlink orbits, overcoming rival objections.
Ars Technica: FCC lets SpaceX cut satellite altitude to improve Starlink speed and latency.

Space Thoughts: Episode 35 FCC NEPA Ruling on Space X Starlink Constellation (filmpje).
GeekWire Podcasts: How Starlink, Project Kuiper and other satellite broadband providers could change society.

Gizmodo: SpaceX's Starlink Satellite Internet Orders Reportedly Already Exceed 500,000.
Ars Technica: Starlink can serve 500,000 users easily, several million “more of a challenge”.

Wat oudere nieuwtjes:
Spacepage: Starlink internet dit jaar nog in België en Nederland.
Teslarati: Elon Musk’s Starlink is coming to a country with one of the world’s worst internet connections.
Teslarati: Starlink in talks with UK to become part of $6.9B “Project Gigabit” program.
Teslarati: Elon Musk’s Starlink could make Earth visible to alien civilizations: paper.
Space IT Bridge: SpaceX Starlink news: Beta still ongoing, terminal now “under $1500”.
Teslarati: Starlink to power efforts to bring high-speed web access to Australia’s rural students.

De nieuwe NASA Administrator is Bill Nelson.
NASA: Statements on Bill Nelson’s Senate Confirmation as NASA Administrator.
NASA: Sen. Bill Nelson Statement on National Space Council.
NASA: Vice President Harris Swears in NASA Administrator Sen. Bill Nelson.

Space News: Nelson sails through NASA administrator confirmation hearing.
Space News: Senate unanimously confirms Nelson as NASA administrator.
Space Policy Online: Harris will chair National Space Council, swear in Bill Nelson on Monday.
SpaceCom: Vice President Kamala Harris to lead National Space Council under Biden administration.
Space News: Nelson sworn in as NASA administrator.

Filmpje:
NASA: Vice President Harris Swears in NASA Administrator Sen. Bill Nelson.

Ook dat nog – Een fles Petrus 2000 uit het ISS één miljoen dollar waard (?)
Space Daily: Space aged: wine matured aboard ISS expected to sell for $1mn.
SpaceCom: Red wine in space may age faster than on Earth, study finds.

Filmpje:
EuroNews: Space-aged wine could sell for $1 million after spending 14 months on International Space Station.

Veel lees- en kijkplezier,

Koen