Een rare week. Niet zozeer omdat zes vrouwen samen naar de ruimte gaan, maar wel omdat men blijkbaar moet benadrukken dat ze geen “astronauten” zijn. De eerste lancering voor Project Kuiper moet blijkbaar wachten (maar niet omwille van technische problemen of de weersomstandigheden. Waarom dan wel ? Goeie vraag. Europa ging met IRIS2 een Europese versie bouwen van Starlink. Ondertussen denken Italië en Duitsland elk aan hun eigen systeem. Dat en nog veel meer in het Nieuws Uit De Ruimtevaart van deze week.

Bij de foto: Deze week rolde de Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage voor Artemis 2 naar de VAB. Daar wordt deze Upper Stage op de Core Stage geplaatst. Ondertussen blijft de status van het Artemis-programma onder de Trump-administratie onduidelijk. Voorlopig blijft dus alles met het oog op Artemis 2 (en de volgende vluchten) doorgaan. Foto: NASA/Cory S. Huston

Belgisch ruimtevaartnieuws. 

Methaan op Mars. Een illusie ?
BIRA: Methaan op Mars: louter een illusie?

Redwire Belgium bouwt koppelingssysteem voor Lunar I-hab – Gateway.
Redwire: Redwire Awarded Contract From Thales Alenia Space to Provide Docking System for European Habitation Module on the Gateway Lunar Space Station.

Redwire Belgium en Phantom – Een artikel over VLEO-satellieten.
BBC: Sky skimmers: The race to fly satellites in the lowest orbits yet.

Space Applications Services en SCHUMANN.
SAS werkt mee aan het SCHUMANN-project (een Horizon EU project). Zie deze linkedin-post.
SCHUMANN staat voor: Satellite Construction Kit For Highly Unified Modular Assembly In NewSpace Applications.

Space Applications Services en LUVMI / LPSR, twee maanrovers.
Space Applications Services: Space Applications Services Expands Lunar Rover Development with New Commercial and ESAFunded Missions.

Space Applications Services en IceQubes.
M4PM staat voor Microgravity For Personalised Medicine. Zie de website voor meer info.

SAS doet ook mee aan PULSE, een project rond bioprinting.

Enkele IceQube-gebaseerde experimenten die weldra met Dragon SpX31 of Axiom 4 naar het ISS gebracht zullen worden.
University of Oxford: Oxford space lab experiment heads to International Space Station.
Prenetics: Prenetics’ IM8 and University of Oxford Begin Groundbreaking Space Experiment to Study Accelerated Aging and Longevity on the ISS with SpaceX, Supported by Space Applications Services.

IceCubes: Kirara high-quality protein crystallisation service.

JAMSS: Kirara#6 will be launched to the ISS in April 2025.

KP Labs: LeopardISS Heads to the International Space Station as Part of the IGNIS Mission.

Caeleste en de Hera / Mars flyby.
Caeleste zorgde voor de FaintStar2 sensor, ondergebracht in de Asteroid Framing Camera. Zie deze linkedin-post.
ESA: Hera asteroid mission tested self-driving technique at Mars.

Caeleste en FLAMES – Flash/LIDAR.
Voor meer info zie deze linkedin-post.

Antwerp Space en het opvolgen van infrastructuur.
De firma werkt mee aan IIMEO – Instantaneous Infrastructure Monitoring by Earth Observation.

De stralingsharde chips van Magics.
Magics: Magics Secures €5.7M to Advance Product Development and Strengthen Strategic Growth.

PROBA 3 – In afwachting van die eerste zonsverduistering.
ESA (filmpje): Two spacecraft. One shadow. Zero ground control.

Werken fabriek Aerospacelab schieten goed op.
Voor een kort verslag en wat foto’s, zie deze linkedin-post.

De lanceringen van de afgelopen week.

12.04.2025 – SpaceX lanceert NROL-192.
NRO: NROL-192. - De informatie kan je hier in PDF vorm downloaden.
NRO: NRO Launches Ninth Proliferated Architecture Mission with NROL-192 (pdf).

Spaceflight Now: SpaceX launches Starshield satellites for the NRO on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg.
SpaceCom: SpaceX launches 9th batch of 'proliferated architecture' spy satellites for US government.

Filmpjes:
SpaceX via X: Watch Falcon 9 launch the NatReconOfc’s NROL-192 mission from pad 4E in California.
SciNews: NROL-192 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing.

13.04.2025 – SpaceX lanceert Starlink-satellieten – Group 12-17 (KSC).
De lancering werd eerder tijdens de countdown uitgesteld van 11 naar 12 april en later naar 13 april.
SFN: SpaceX launches 400th flight-proven Falcon booster with Saturday Starlink mission.

SpaceCom: SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket, lands booster on ship at sea.

Filmpjes:
SpaceX via X: Watch Falcon 9 launch 21 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities.
SciNews: SpaceX Starlink 247 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing, 13 April 2025.

14.09.2025 – SpaceX lanceert Starlink-satellieten – Group 6-73 (CCSFS).
SatNews: SpaceX’s launch of Starlink Group 6-73 smallsats rescheduled to Monday.
SpaceCom: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 27 Starlink satellites to orbit on record-breaking 27th flight.

Filmpje:
SpaceX via X: Watch Falcon 9 launch 27 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida.
SciNews: SpaceX Starlink 248 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing, 14 April 2025.

14.09.2025 – NS-31 – New Shepard laat zeskoppige vrouwelijke bemanning kennis maken met de ruimte.
Meer over NS-31 vind je op de website van Blue Origin.
SpaceCom: Blue Origin’s all-female spaceflight urges women to shoot for the stars — but astronaut memoirs reveal the cost of being exceptional.

SpaceCom: Blue Origin set to launch all-female spaceflight with Katy Perry on April 14.
SpaceCom: 'I'm really excited about the engineering of it all.' Katy Perry is psyched for her Blue Origin launch on April 14.
SpaceCom: Katy Perry and Blue Origin's all-female rocket crew get Monse designer flight suits.
SpaceCom: Meet the crew for Blue Origin's upcoming all-female spaceflight with Katy Perry.

BBC: Katy Perry set for space with all-women crew on Blue Origin rocket.

Collect Space: Popstar Katy Perry and crew's Blue Origin spaceflight souvenirs.

Space News: Blue Origin launches all-woman New Shepard suborbital flight.
NPR: 'Welcome back to Earth:' Blue Origin sends a star-studded, all-female crew into space.
Space Policy Online: All-woman NS-31 crew praise teamwork, sisterhood.

SpaceCom: Not just Katy Perry: Here are the celebrities Blue Origin has launched to space.
SpaceCom: Katy Perry just became the 1st pop star to sing in space — but Lance Bass, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Sarah Brightman and Justin Bieber had their chance.
Space Explored: Are suborbital tourism flights getting old?

SpaceCom: Gayle King just conquered her fears with Blue Origin's all-female space launch. Here's how she did it.
SpaceCom: 'I've never been more proud of my friend than today,' Oprah Winfrey says as she watches Gayle King launch on Blue Origin rocket.

Ars Technica: Trump official to Katy Perry and Bezos’ fiancée: “You cannot identify as an astronaut”.

Filmpjes:
Blue Origin: Replay: New Shepard Mission NS-31 Webcast.
Blue Origin: Replay: New Shepard Mission NS-31 Press Conference.
Blue Origin: The Journey of NS-31.
SciNews: Blue Origin NS-31 New Shepard launch and landing.

16.04.2025 – Minotaur IV lanceert NROL-174.
NRO: NROL-174.
De informatie in PDF-vorm kan je hier vinden.

Space News: Minotaur IV rocket launches spy payloads for National Reconnaissance Office.
Spaceflight Now: Northrop Grumman launches first Minotaur 4 rocket from Vandenberg in 14 years.
SpaceCom: Rocket repurposed from intercontinental ballistic missile launches secret US spy satellites to orbit from California.

Filmpje:
SciNews: Minotaur IV launches NROL-174.

Te verwachten lanceringen.

China klaar om nieuwe bemanning naar Tiangong te lanceren – Shenzhou 20.
ECNS: China's next manned mission gets ready for launch.
ECNS (foto’s): China ready to launch Shenzhou-20 manned mission.
SpaceCom: China rolls out rocket for Shenzhou 20 astronaut launch to its Tiangong space station.

Filmpjes:
CCTV: Shenzhou-20 Engineers Prepare for Launch.
SciNews: Long March-2F Y20 ready to launch Shenzhou-20.

28.04.2025 – ULA en Project Kuiper moeten wachten, maar niet omwille van de weersomstandigheden.
SatNews: ULA’s Amazon Project Kuiper now set for April 28 launch.
SatNews: ULA’s launch of Amazon Project Kuiper now is YTBD.
Ars Technica: There’s a secret reason the Space Force is delaying the next Atlas V launch.

Raketnieuws.

Nieuws vanwege de Europese Space Rider.
ESA: Space Rider’s smart ALEK passes bumpy, noisy, shocking testing.
ESA: Space Rider's ALEK in LEAF.

European Spaceflight: ESA Concludes Key Testing Phase for Space Rider Service Module.

Nieuws vanwege het Duitse Rocket Factory Augsburg – RFA One.
NSF: RFA and SaxaVord target UK’s first vertical orbital launch.

Nieuws vanwege het Spaanse PLD Space – Miura 5.
European Spaceflight: PLD Space to Launch D-Orbit Missions Aboard Miura 5.

Filmpje:
PLD Space: This is how we build Europe's most reliable rocket: MIURA 5.

Nieuws vanwege het Spaanse Pangea Aerospace.
European Spaceflight: Pangea Aerospace Secures €7.27M to Develop its Aerospike Engine.
ESA (filmpje): Pangea’s methalox aerospike engine – first in the world!

RocketLab krijgt contract voor hypersonische testen met HASTE.
SpaceCom: US and UK militaries pick Rocket Lab's HASTE launcher to help test hypersonic tech.

RocketLab ziet vraag voor Electron stijgen.
RocketLab: Rocket Lab Onramped To Multi-Billion Dollar U.S. and U.K. Defense Contracts To Expand Hypersonic Technology Development with HASTE.
Space News: Rocket Lab sees demand for Electron despite rideshare competition.
Space Daily: Rocket Lab tapped for major defense contracts to advance hypersonic testing.

Een explosie bij Northrop Grumman.
Air & Space Forces: Explosion Destroys Building at Northrop Grumman Solid Rocket Motor Facility.
SpaceCom: Explosion destroys building at Northrop Grumman rocket test site in Utah.

Bemande ruimtevaart / Ruimtestations.

Dream Chaser.
Sierra Space: Sierra Space Partners with Honda and Tec-Masters to Enhance Space Energy Solutions.
Payload: Honda Will Hitch a Ride on Dream Chaser to the ISS.

ISS – De risico’s stijgen.
NASA: NASA's Virtual Insight: April 2025 Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Meeting Highlights.
Space News: NASA safety panel warns of increasing risks to ISS operations.
Space Policy Online: NASA Safety Panel worried about agin ISS, need for successor.
Space News: Multilateral coordination will be needed for commercial space stations.

NASA blijft private missies naar ISS ondersteunen. En wil er meer.
Zie ook vorige NUDR.
Space News: NASA extends seat barter agreement with Roscosmos into 2027.

ISS – De blogentries.
NASA ISS Blog: Crew Studies Space-Caused Eye Changes as Trio Preps for Departure
NASA ISS Blog: Astronauts Prep for May Spacewalk Amid Human Research and Crew Departure
NASA ISS Blog: Crew Departure, Dragon Mission, and Spacewalk Preps Fill Crew’s Day
NASA ISS Blog: Crew Swaps Command on Friday Before Soyuz Departure and Dragon Launch
NASA ISS Blog: Station Has New Commander; Soyuz Trio Ready for Saturday Departure

ISS – Meer nieuws uit het ruimtestation.
SpaceCom: 'Take care of our station. It's our everything.' Russian cosmonaut hands control of ISS over to Japanese astronaut.
Space Daily: How next-gen wearables support astronaut health monitoring.
NASA: NICER Status Update.
SpaceCom: NASA Glenn to Test Air Quality Monitors Aboard Space Station.

European Spaceflight: ALTEC Receives €61M Contract to Support ESA Space Station Activities.

Filmpjes:
NASA: International Space Station Change of Command Ceremony – Friday, April 18, 2025.
NASA: Space to Ground: One in a Million: April 18,2025.
NASA: NASA Astronaut Don Pettit Talks with KOIN-TV, Portland, Oregon - Wednesday April 16, 2025.
NASA: Don Pettit Aurora Borealis Timelapse.
NASA: NASA Astronaut Don Pettit Turns the Camera on Science.
NASA: Why Do We Grow Plants in Space? We Asked a NASA Expert.

Commerciële ruimtestations.
Space Explored: Vast welcomes new Haven-1 payload partners, eyes 2026 launch.

NASA: NASA Sees Progress on Blue Origin’s Orbital Reef Design Development.

CSS – Meer nieuws uit het Chinese ruimtestation.

Filmpjes:
CCTV: China's Shenzhou-19 Crew Continues in-Orbit Scientific Experiments.

Naar de Maan (en Mars).

ESA en de Luna Analogue.
ESA: LUNA’s virtual leap towards the Moon.
ESA: VR training in LUNA.

Artemis 2 – Mensen rond de Maan.
NASA: NASA Artemis II Moon Rocket Gets New Addition.

Artemis 4 – Gateway.
Ars Technica: Lunar Gateway’s skeleton is complete—its next stop may be Trump’s chopping block.

SpaceCom: Moon-orbiting Gateway space station's habitat module arrives in the US.
SpaceCom: A gateway to the Gateway around the moon.

Filmpje:
NASA: Up, Up, UP! Building the Mobile Launcher 2 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Artemis 5 – Lunar Terrain Vehicle.
Aerospace America: Comparing the Artemis moon buggy contenders.

Artemis – Naar de Maan en Mars.
NASA: Can Solar Wind Make Water on Moon? NASA Experiment Shows Maybe.
Ars Technica: Should we settle Mars, or is it a dumb idea for humans to live off world?

NASA – Houston we have a podcast: Commercial Lunar Tools and Science.

Filmpje:
Evernyday Astronaut: How did the Apollo astronauts survive the Van Allen Radiation belts? #apollo #moonlanding.

Starship – Wachten op IFT 9.
NSF: Cape launch sites bustling with activity, New Glenn and Starship preparations underway.

Reuters: Bahamas suspends SpaceX rocket landings pending post-launch probe.
SpaceCom: Bahamas puts SpaceX rocket landings on hold pending review: report.

Filmpjes:
NSF: SpaceX Florida Starship Launch Mount AND Flame Trench Spotted!

Op ontdekking door het zonnestelsel.

Hayabusa2 in “safe mode”.
SpaceCom: Glitch forces Japan's asteroid-sampling Hayabusa2 probe into protective 'safe mode' in deep space.

Lucy maakt zich klaar voor Donaldjohanson.
NASA: New Modeling Assesses Age of Next Target Asteroid for NASA’s Lucy.
NASA: NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Prepares Second Asteroid Encounter.

Filmpje:
NASA: NASA’s Lucy Mission Will Explore Asteroid Donaldjohanson.

China’s DRO-satellieten (eindelijk) operationeel.
ECNS: Three-satellite system deployed in orbit.
Space News: Mission team details complex rescue of Chinese lunar spacecraft.

Filmpje:
SciNews: China’s Distant Retrograde Orbit constellation.

Een terugblik op de Mars-flyby door Hera.
ESA (filmpje): Hera's Mars flyby - Asteroid Framing Camera (colourised).
ESA (filmpje): Hera's Mars flyby - simulation vs real images.

Blue Ghost en de Maan.
Payload: Voyager’s Dust-Repellent Coating Tested On the Moon.
Aerosapce America: What’s next for this prototype computer that survived 14 days on the moon.

AstroForge en het falen van Odin.
Payload: A Post-Mission Debrief with AstroForge’s CEO.

Nieuws uit de (inter)planetaire ruimte.

Zon:
SpaceCom: NASA's sun-studying PUNCH mission captures its 1st-light images. Everything looks great so far.

Aarde:
Space Daily: Heavy methane leaks found in Swedish crater lake puzzle scientists.
ESA: Sea surface warming faster than expected.

Maan:
Payload: Lunar Cubesat Constellation to Search for Ancient Cosmic Signal.

Mars:
NASA: NASA’s Curiosity Rover May Have Solved Mars’ Missing Carbonate Mystery.
NASA Curiosity Status Report: Sols 4507-4508: “Just Keep Driving”.
NASA Curiosity Status Report: Sols 4509-4510: A weekend of long drives.
NASA Curiosity Status Report: Sols 4511-4512: Low energy after a big weekend?
JPL (filmpje): Fact Check: What Mars Rovers Really See
NASA – Perseverance (filmpje): Meet the Mars Samples: Sapphire Canyon (Sample 25)
SpaceCom: NASA's Perseverance rover hits the Mars rock gold mine: 'It has been all we had hoped for and more'.
SpaceCom: Could Mars volcanoes have supported ancient life on the Red Planet? Well, maybe.
Times of India: How Mangalyaan-2 will land on Mars: ISRO chief reveals plan.

Saturnus:
PhysOrg: Scientists probe the mystery of Titan's missing deltas.

Planetoïden (NEO’s).
NASA Documentary: Planetary Defenders – We find astroids before they find us.

En dan ook nog:
PhysOrg: Mysterious objects from other stars are passing through our solar system. Scientists are planning to study them.

Meer ruimtevaartnieuws.

Over IRIS2, Starlink en nog andere kandidaten voor Europa.
Teslarati: Italy’s Starlink Debate: Minister Calls for Focus on Tech, Not Musk’s Politics.
European Spaceflight: Italy Moves Ahead With Study for 100-Satellite Constellation.
SpaceCom: Germany's military wants its own Starlink-like satellite constellation.
Europe in Space: Is the IRIS2 programme already on life support?
Financial Times (via archive.today): Top Trump official tells Europe to choose between US or Chinese communications tech.

Russische satelliet(en) zetten een mysterieus object uit.
SpaceCom: Secretive Russian military satellites release mystery object into orbit.
MSM: Secretive Russian military satellites release mystery object into orbit.

Satellite Servicing.
Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman Achieves First-Ever Undocking Between Two Commercial Spacecraft in Geosynchronous Orbit.
SatNews: Northrop Grumman achieves 1st undocking between 2 commercial spacecraft in GEO.
Via Satellite: Intelsat, Northrop Grumman Complete 5-Year IS-901 Life-Extension Mission.
Satellite Pro ME: Intelsat completes satellite life-extension mission.
SpaceCom: 2 private satellites undock after pioneering life-extension mission.

Breaking Defense: Space Force picks up pace of on-orbit refueling experiments.
Payload: Astroscale, Orbit Fab Pair to Gas Up DoD.
SpaceCom: Private Astroscale probe will refuel Space Force satellites high above Earth on landmark 2026 mission.

Indiërs willen propulsiesystemen voor satellieten maken in de USA.
Space News: Indian propulsion maker joins US expansion push.

Space Force – Nieuws.
Breaking Defense: Contracts for SSC’s next iteration of MEO missile tracking satellites delayed – MEO MW/MT.

Breaking Defense: Space Force takes ownership of first Meadowlands satellite jammer.
Air & Space Forces: In Pursuit of ‘Space Control,’ USSF Gets First Upgraded Jammer.
SpaceCom: Satellite jamming is a real and growing threat. How can we protect our space infrastructure?

Space News: Why Resilient GPS (R-GPS) Matters for US Military Superiority: We Must Address GPS Vulnerabilities.

Defense One: Space Force releases vision for fighting in space.
Zie het document “Space Warfighting – A Framework for Planners” (PDF).

Trump –  Golden Dome – Missile Defense Shield.
Teslarati: SpaceX pitches subscription model for Trump’s Golden Dome.
Space News: L3Harris expands space manufacturing as companies vie for position in ‘Golden Dome’.
Payload: We Have Some Space Questions About The Golden Dome.
Reuters: Exclusive: Musk's SpaceX is frontrunner to build Trump's Golden Dome missile shield.

Trump, Musk en Isaacman.
Payload: Trump Team Plans To Push TraCSS Out of Government.
Ars Technica: NOAA scientists scrub toilets, rethink experiments after service contracts end.
Payload: Leaked NASA Budget Spotlights Isaacman’s Challenge.

Om af te ronden – Kindjes (maken) in de ruimte.
RoomEu: Pioneering human reproduction in space.
RoomEU: A bun in the (space) oven - Reasons not to get pregnant while going around Earth at 7.8 kilometres per second.

Veel lees- en kijkplezier,

Koen