Short Takes – 6-24-25 – Space Geek Edition

Isaacman interested in privately funded science missions. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “That was something he said he might be interested in pursuing outside the agency. “I wouldn’t mind maybe trying to put that to a test and see if you could fund an interesting robotic mission, just to show that it can be done, and try and get some of the top tier academic institutions who want to perform. So that’s on my mind.””

The Exploration Company claims partial success of Mission Possible reentry spacecraft. SpaceNews.com article. Lost contact just before ocean landing. Pull quote: ““We have been pushing boundaries in record time and cost, but this partial success reflects both ambition and the inherent risks of innovation,” the company stated. “Leveraging the technical milestones achieved yesterday and the lessons we will extract from our ongoing investigation, we will then prepare to re-fly as soon as possible.””

Varda to launch its first in-house built spacecraft for on-orbit manufacturing. SpaceNews.com article. Mission launched yesterday on SpaceX Transporter 14. Pull quote: “The company expects growing demand from pharmaceutical firms and defense agencies, as well as organizations that would otherwise rely on the International Space Station to conduct experiments, he said. With the station set to retire as early as 2030 and uncertainty around commercial replacements, Varda is positioning its autonomous platform as a more accessible alternative for microgravity research.”

Laser rangefinder problems blamed for second ispace lunar lander crash. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Those changes will have no impact on the schedule for the next two missions: Mission 3, featuring a lander built by ispace U.S. for Draper flying a NASA mission, and Mission 4, a Japanese-built lander. Both remain scheduled for launch in 2027. Ispace expects to incur about 1.5 billion yen ($10.3 million) in additional costs for those missions from measures like obtaining a better laser rangefinder and improved testing.”

Two spacecraft created their first images of an artificial solar eclipse. ScienceNews.org article. Pull quote: “The sun’s light is completely blocked by the moon somewhere on Earth just once every 18 months, with an event lasting for a few minutes at most. The spacecraft duo, however, will replicate the phenomenon on demand. Every 20 hours, it can create an eclipse that may last up to six hours.”