Every week we cover the latest spaceflight news, discuss past, current and future exploration efforts, and take a look at upcoming events. Tune in to hear about how humans get to space, how they stay in space and how unmanned craft reach farther and farther into the universe around us.
https://theorbitalmechanics.com/show-notes/
Episode 243: Ad Astra Per DARPA
Spaceflight news
— Astra Space obtains launch permits
— Three polar launches from Kodiak (apps.fcc.gov) (www.faa.gov)
— DARPA launch from Wallops (apps.fcc.gov)
— Challenge seeks two launches from different locations with little foreknowledge of payload (darpalaunchchallenge.org
— Downselected to only candidate (spectrum.ieee.org)
Short & Sweet
— Virgin Galactic’s second spaceship passes important milestone. (satellitetoday.com)
— Another lunar lander is in the running. (spacenews.com)
— Starliner joint investigation announced (spacenews.com)
Questions, comments, corrections
— twitter.com/chairboy: Gridfins hydraulics
— The hydraulic system is closed loop since ~2015 (twitter.com/elonmusk)
This week in SF history
— 14 Jan 1977: first SCA, N905NA, delivered to Edwards (PDF: nasa.gov) (nationalgeographic.org) (PDF: nasa.gov)
— Next week in 2004: no need for TIRS