Short Takes – 11-24-25 – Space Geek Edition

China launches TJS-21 towards Molniya [highly elliptical, high inclination] orbit, lofts trio of Shijian-30 spacecraft. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Shijian is a series of satellites used to conduct experiments, test new technologies and verify operational practices on orbit. While the Shijian series spans diverse missions, the Shijian-30 triplet initially appears similar to earlier multi-satellite deployments focused on formation flying and broad “space environment” characterization.”

Blue Origin advances Blue Ring spacecraft toward 2026 national security mission. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Blue Ring is built to deliver, host and transport payloads in orbit and shift between orbits as missions require. Those movements fall under what the U.S. military calls “dynamic space operations,” a term used to describe spacecraft that can reposition themselves on demand — to gain a better sensor angle, avoid a threat, support another spacecraft or relocate payloads. Such maneuvering has become a priority for the Space Force as it eyes more resilient satellite architectures.”

ESA unveils Thales Alenia Space-led consortium for its Argonaut lunar lander. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “Intended to place Europe on the moon for the first time, Argonaut was initially proposed and received its first round of funding at the 2022 ESA Ministerial Council in Paris. The spacecraft consists of three main elements: the LDE, the Cargo Platform Element and the payload. The LDE is the landing module and is responsible for transporting and delivering the payloads to the lunar surface.”

Newest Starship booster is significantly damaged during testing early Friday. ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: “The likely loss of this vehicle, “Booster 18,” is significant for SpaceX. Although the company is hardware-rich—it has built a massive factory in South Texas to churn out such vehicles—it nonetheless had a lot riding on this rocket. This is the first Starship Version 3, which was intended to have many design fixes and upgrades from the previous iterations of Starship vehicles to improve the reliability and performance of the massive rocket.”

Blue Origin announces New Glenn upgrade plans. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “The upgrades include increasing the thrust of the seven BE-4 engines on the rocket’s first stage from a combined 3.9 million pounds-force to 4.5 million pounds-force. The two BE-3U engines on the upper stage will increase their total thrust from 320,000 to 400,000 pounds-force.”

SSC introduces streamlined ground station service. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “SSC Go is designed to compete with similar services such as Kongsberg Satellite Services’ KSATlite and Leaf Space. The emphasis is on streamlined, simplified service for customers of smaller satellites who, company officials said, don’t need the “white glove” support of SSC’s traditional offerings.”

Backlog List

• Rocket Lab delays first Neutron launch to 2026,

• Key antenna in NASA’s Deep Space Network damaged,

• Irradiated Comet 3I/ATLAS glows green and hides its tail in new image,

• Isaacman’s second chance,

• The First Radio Signal From Comet 3I/Atlas Ends the Debate About Its Nature, and

• New 'nearly interstellar' comet — wrongly linked to 3I/ATLAS — will reach its closest point to Earth on Tuesday (Nov. 11) .