Short Takes – 11-9-26 - Space Geek Edition

Starship Flight 15. SpaceX.com update. Pull quote: “Starship’s initial return to launch site mission is expected to orbit the Earth at an altitude of ~275 km and complete approximately 14 orbits around the planet over the course of a more than 22-hour flight. Similar to Starship’s first orbital mission, the flight profile has been designed with the opportunity to insert into a passively safe suborbital trajectory or safely deorbit at multiple pre-determined areas over the ocean after raising to an orbital altitude. Read more about the testing, mission design, and safety measures for first planned Starship catch.” 

Swift has fallen: NASA's 22-year-old space telescope burns up over Sumatra. LiveScience.com article. Pull quote: “Weighing approximately 3,200 pounds (1,450 kilograms), the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory was initially designed for a two-year mission, but it far exceeded expectations. Over two decades, Swift became an important tool in the study of gamma-ray bursts, supernovas, black holes and other cosmic phenomena.” 

This space company is betting its future on a propellant available everywhere. ArsTechnica.com article. Pull quote: “The propulsion system is basically a small rocket that uses hydrogen and oxygen as propellants. However, instead of launching with separate tanks of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, Chiron starts with liquid water. In space, the vehicle uses solar power to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases and burns them to generate thrust.” 

NASA's Artemis II moon launch tore a hole in Earth's upper atmosphere so huge it disrupted GPS signals. Space.com article. Pull quote: “The measurements found that the ionospheric disturbances resulting from the sheer power of the Artemis II launch were more significant than any caused by other rocket launches to date and up to ten times more intense than those observed following the test launches of SpaceX's Starship, which is twice as powerful as the SLS based on liftoff thrust.” 

Earth has captured a new mini moon — but it won't stick around for long. Space.com article. Pull quote: “Scientists have recreated the orbital path of QQ8, finding that it takes 359 days, or about 0.98 of an Earth year, to orbit the sun. QQ8 closely approaches Earth around once every ten years, but this time the object came so close that Earth has been able to gravitationally seize it." 

'We got it done!' Spacewalking astronauts finish installing next-gen ISS solar arrays. Space.com article. Pull quote: “After releasing two bolts, Kutryk and Menon watched as the array started to unfurl to its full 63-foot (19 meters) length. No motor was needed; the iROSA, as designed, used only the potential energy stored by its rolled-up carbon composite booms to extend itself. The entire process took about 10 minutes.” 

PRISM: The Coming Wave of New Lunar Science Missions. Starbench.substack.com article. Pull quote: “Since Apollo, scientists have been building up a list of nagging questions about how the Moon formed and how it’s evolved since then. Was there an early cataclysm where the impact rate spiked up suddenly? What’s the state of the Moon’s core? Why does its polar ice seem so much different than that on Mercury or Ceres?” 

The cost of operating amid debris. SpaceNews.com article. Pull quote: “And while the total cost of dodging debris may still pale in comparison to the several hundred billion dollars the industry generates a year, Deville said “it is undeniable that space congestion is rapidly turning into the biggest factor of risk and uncertainty for satellite operators.”” 

How Do You Land on a Moon with Almost No Gravity? Spedtrum.ieee.org article. Pull quote: “Once back in Mars orbit, the exploration module will resume its observations of Phobos and make several flybys of Mars’s other diminutive moon, Deimos, to gather data on its surface, structure, and composition. In November 2030, during a favorable alignment of Mars and Earth, MMX will begin the homeward leg of its trip. The return module will separate from the exploration module and power the voyage home, its sole objective to bring the dust of Phobos to Earth.”