Short Takes – 4-21-25 – Space Geek Edition

NASA's Lucy probe flies by the asteroid Donaldjohanson on Easter Sunday. Space.com article. Pull quote: “"We're going to observe [Donaldjohanson] as if it was one of the Trojan asteroids, because we wanted to have a complete practice run," Arizona State University professor Phil Christensen, who designed L'TES, said in a video interview prior to the scheduled flyby. The goal, he shares, is to figure out the asteroid's composition.”

Firefly Aerospace’s launch of Lockheed Martin’s FLTA006 Message in a Booster mission is ‘to be determined’. SatNews.com article.  Pull quote: “Alpha FLTA006 is the second mission Firefly is launching for Lockheed Martin and the first of Firefly’s multi-launch agreement with Lockheed Martin that includes up to 25 missions over the next five years. This mission will launch Lockheed Martin’s LM 400 tech demo to prove out the risk-reduction and pathfinding efforts the company has done for its multi-mission satellite bus. Launching the mid-size satellite to low Earth orbit, FLTA006 will further validate Alpha’s robust performance to take customers directly to their preferred orbits as the only operational 1 metric ton rocket.”

Sidus Space’s LizzieSat®-powered vessel detection enables Little Place Labs near real-time maritime intelligence. SatNews.com article. Pull quote: “By processing data directly onboard LizzieSat® satellites, OrbitfyEdge is expected to eliminate the delays traditionally associated with downlinking and ground-based analysis. This solution not only detects and classifies vessels but also cross-references onboard AIS (Automatic Identification System) data to identify or flag “dark” vessels engaged in illegal activities such as piracy or illegal fishing. The insights will be delivered in near real-time, supporting rapid response to maritime security threats and supply chain disruptions.”

NASA faces critical issue that could jeopardize all future SpaceX missions. JasonDeegan.com article. Pull quote: “Creating timekeeping devices that work accurately across different planetary environments is no easy task. These devices must maintain precision despite varying gravitational forces, extreme temperatures, and other operational conditions. Engineers are currently exploring solutions like miniaturized atomic clocks and advanced materials that can handle the tough space conditions. Ensuring the reliability of these devices is paramount for the success of long-duration missions.” Interesting look at the scope of the interplanetary time keeping issues.

Why are two Texas senators trying to wrest a Space Shuttle from the Smithsonian? ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: “The bottom line is that two Texas senators want taxpayers to spend at least $1 billion to remove the most historic Space Shuttle from the most historic spaceflight museum in the world, possibly break it in an across-the-country move, and then put it in a nondescript warehouse in Houston. I am a huge space buff who lives just a few minutes away from Space Center Houston. Even I can recognize this for the colossally stupid idea that it is.”