Short Takes – 9-12-25 – Space Geek Edition

Chemists Create Next-Gen Rocket Fuel Compound That Packs 150% More Energy. SciTechDaily.com article.  Pull quote: “The compound, manganese diboride (MnB2), is more than 20% higher in energy density by weight and about 150% higher by volume compared with aluminum, which is currently used in solid rocket boosters. Despite its potency, it is remarkably stable and only ignites when exposed to an ignition source such as kerosene.”

How carrying enough water to make return-trip propellant simplifies a Starship mission to Mars. SpaceNews.com commentary. Pull quote: “Instead I propose a first human mission to Mars using the Starship with six crew members instead of 12, avoiding the need for indigenous Mars water and allowing a landing site right at the equator by having the crew ascend in a small capsule to a waiting Earth Return Vehicle in Mars orbit. Since only 40 tons of ascent propellant is needed, the crew can bring 18 tons of water from LEO and react it with 22 tons of Martian CO2 to produce 40 tons of ascent propellants. The whole mission is greatly simplified and the landing site can be at equatorial latitude.”

Musk confident Starship will start launching 100 tons to orbit next year. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: ““Unless we have some very major setbacks, SpaceX will demonstrate full reusability next year, catching both the booster and the ship, and being able to deliver over 100 tons to a useful orbit,” he said.”

Short-duration space station missions not part of NASA’s long-term plans. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Hart said NASA decided on 30 days as the length of that demonstration mission so that crews can fully test various systems on a commercial station while also doing research. “Thirty days is an adequate time for us to be able to test out all systems but also to provide a ‘minimum gap’ mission that would allow us to do certain science.””

Sending astronauts to the moon and Mars must be more than a photo op. SpaceNews.com commentary. Pull quote: “We have the opportunity to design and implement the moon and Mars programs so that they will contribute substantially to all of NASA’s goals for exploration of the solar system. We shouldn’t sell the program short by stove-piping the human program as being separate from the robotic program or by cutting science to below a viable level. If we do, we’ll get cool photographs from Mars but little else.”

Cailabs raises $67 million to scale up production of optical ground stations. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “The company also plans to support satellite laser communications in higher orbits. Morizur said its best-selling ground station, the Tilba-L10, can communicate with satellites in low Earth orbit, but it is now under contract to develop versions that can handle laser communications with satellites in medium and geostationary Earth orbits.”