Short Takes – 9-2-25 – Space Geek Edition

Ted Cruz reminds us why NASA’s rocket is called the “Senate Launch System”. ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: “The reality is that, if Congress wants a sustained presence on the Moon, it needs one or both of SpaceX's Starship and Blue Origin's Mark II landers to work, along with their companion Starship and New Glenn rockets. Because these rockets are reusable, NASA could fly more frequent missions to the Moon. By itself, the SLS rocket is expected to have a flight rate of once every other year, or annually at best.”

An economic strategy for American space supremacy. SpaceNews.com commentary. Pull quote: “The Space Force’s Commercial Space Strategy explicitly calls for integrating commercial partners into national security operations, recognizing companies like SpaceX as effective national champions. Up-and-coming firms like Firefly and Axiom Space represent the next wave of this commercial revolution. This partnership offers tremendous benefits: rapid innovation, cost reduction and an entrepreneurial vigor that rivals simply cannot match.”

NASA advances lunar nuclear plan with commercial focus. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “The reactor would operate in the lunar south polar region for at least 10 years. A cover letter accompanying the draft [Announcement for Partnership Proposals] seeks input on issues including cybersecurity, physical security and reactor fuel.”

Space Force goes commercial for space domain awareness. DefenseOne.com article. Pull quote: “The U.S. Space Force has, through SpaceWERX [link added], spent recent years working with the private investment community to foster relationships with newer companies and keep up with the rapid development of commercial space technology.”

What's next for SpaceX's Starship Mars rocket after Flight 10 success? Space.com article. Pull quote: “Some of those V3 flights will head to Mars, if all goes to plan: SpaceX is targeting 2026 for its first-ever Starship Red Planet missions, which will be uncrewed, stripped-down test flights. "They're just going to put minimally viable landers on the surface — land right on the skirt, no [landing] legs," SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot said during a Flight 10 webcast on Monday evening. (A launch attempt that day was scrubbed due to weather.)”