SpaceX is adding laser crosslinks to Starlink satellites. These links allow satellites to transfer information to one another and communicate in other ways as well. SpaceX will use lasers to communicate between satellites in space and reduce the use of ground stations. This will allow satellite internet coverage to reach areas where ground stations cannot …
Caltech has disclosed that in 2013, Donald Bren, chairman of Irvine Company and a lifetime member of the Caltech Board of Trustees, donated over $100 million to form the Space-based Solar Power Project (SSPP). Space-based solar power will generate solar power in space and beaming it back to Earth. Donald Bren made his fortune with …
Isaac Asimov’s classic science fiction series Foundation will debut globally September 24, 2021, exclusively on Apple TV+. Hari Seldon is the hero of the series. Hari is played by Jared Harris. Harris played Moriarty in the Sherlock Holmes movies and was in the Expanse for half a season. He is the son of Richard Harris. …
SpaceX needs to complete the following to launch the Super Heavy Starship Orbital Flight * complete the launch tower * the Starship SN20 heatshield must be complete and each tile verified * Both the SN20 and the BN4 prototypes must complete ground tests * the fueling tank farm must be completed All of these things …
Momentus has built two Vigoride vehicles, which have completed flight qualification where the satellite is tested under the conditions it will experience during launch and while in space. The first Vigoride vehicle was built was ready to fly with customer payloads onboard earlier in 2021. It was integrated onto a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in …
Elon Musk has said each SpaceX Starship should last for 25-30 years which mean they would be able to make about 12 missions between Earth and Mars. When will Starship production become cost effective? Booster 20? Booster 200? — SPEXcast (@SPEXcast) August 14, 2021 Starship will be crushingly cost-effective for Earth orbit or moon missions …
Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, had the third part of his interview with Elon Musk. What comes through is the intense focus Elon Musk and his teams have. They are focused and operating with extreme urgency to make humanity a multi-planetary species. Elon needs to get to Mars, colonize Mars and then make Mars self-sustaining. …
Sending a rocket into space typically requires about 90% of the rocket’s initial weight to be fuel. This limitation could be overcome by wirelessly transmitting the needed power to the rocket through a beam of microwave radiation. A research team from Japan has investigated the viability of using such microwave-powered propulsion for real-world applications. In …
Rapidly iterating on versions rockets and rocket engines is a huge advantage for SpaceX. Elon said he expects that the fifth version of the Raptor engine should be an A+ version of that engine. The second version of the Raptor is testing soon and should be about B+. SpaceX is not only make more versions …
This is the first time we are seeing the orbital Starship with heatshield on the launch pad. This is the first time we are seeing the Starship stacked onto the Super Heavy booster. In 2022, this could be a weekly sight with new or reused boosters and Starships. In 2023 and beyond, this could be …
In 2014, Blue Origin said the BE-4 engine would be ready by 2017 but it is likely slipping to 2022. ULA need BE-4 for its new Vulcan rocket and Blue Origin needs it for the New Glenn rocket. Blue Origin did not have enough components to build development engines, and this has led to long …
