Short Takes – 7-25-24 – Space Geek Edition

Elon Musk revived L.A. aerospace with SpaceX. Will it thrive without him? LATimes.com article. An interesting look the history of aerospace industry in LA Basin. Pull quote: “SpaceX hasn’t commented on how many jobs will be affected by the relocation, and industry observers say it’s likely the company will maintain significant manufacturing operations in Los Angeles County, where it employed about 6,000 people in 2023, according to an annual survey by the Los Angeles Business Journal.”

Polaris Dawn crew completes final milestones ahead of historic spacewalk mission. FoxWeather.com article. Pull quote: “The Polaris Dawn team recently shared an update after completing testing at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The team used a JSC test chamber, which previously supported testing America's first spacesuits and spacecraft during the Gemini and Apollo programs. The facilities are part of the National Register of Historic Places and remain in use today.”

NASA delays ISS spacewalks indefinitely to investigate spacesuit coolant leak. Space.com article.  Pull quote: “NASA's and private industry's newer generations of spacesuits are emphasizing better flexibility with updated materials, alongside improved sizing to accommodate all genders. The EMU is biased towards larger and male sizes, due to being designed in an era when most astronauts were male recruits from the then nearly single-gender armed forces. In June, Collins Aerospace backed out of its contract to design newer ISS suits, saying its schedule for development "would not support the space station's schedule and NASA's mission objectives."”

China plans to deflect near-Earth asteroid in 2030. NewAtlas.com article. Pull quote: “These observations will take place over three to six months after the spacecraft goes into orbit around the asteroid in 2030. After the observation is completed, a kinetic impactor will be fired at the asteroid and the spacecraft will remain on station for six to 12 months to measure the effects of the impact. This includes assessing changes in the asteroid's orbit, studying the impact crater, and analyzing the ejected materials.” Journal article link.

 

Russia unveils timeline for building its new space station, starting in 2027. Space.com article. Pull quote: “The first module of the X-shaped outpost, a research and power node, is expected to be launched into a near-polar orbit in 2027, TASS reported. By 2030, it plans to have docked its four major modules, with two "special-purpose" modules scheduled for attachment by 2033. Roscosmos plans to send the first cosmonauts to the station in 2028 and has suggested the station can be operated without crew.”

 

Rolls Royce’s 120-inch-long mini space nuclear reactor gets funding boost. InterestingEngineering.com article. Pull quote: “The tiny reactor, which is claimed to be 3.3 feet (40 inches) in width and 10 feet (120 inches) in length, is not yet able to generate any electricity. If all goes as planned, it will take roughly six years and several million dollars to prepare the reactor for its first space flight.”