In Today’s Deep Space Extra… Space entrepreneur Jeff Bezos proposes a commercial cargo service for the re-supply of a human lunar base.
Human Deep Space Exploration
Washington Post (3/2): Jeff Bezos has proposed that the Trump Administration assess a future space cargo delivery service initiated by Blue Origin, the launch services company he founded, that would re-supply a human settlement at Shackleton Crater on the moon’s South Pole. Launching atop NASA’s Space Launch System, or a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5, the Blue Moon delivery service would descend to the base with a 10,000 pound cargo and be operational by the mid-2020s. “It is time for America to return to the Moon, this time to stay,” said Bezos.
Money won’t save SpaceX’s Moon tourists if something goes wrong
Gismodo.com (3/2): After Elon Musk’s Monday announcement, many are questioning the safety of sending untrained civilians into space especially given that SpaceX has yet to send any humans into space. “There’s one thing I know about human space flight, and that is that the unexpected happens all the time,” explains Mark Shelhamer, former Chief Scientist for the NASA Human Research Program. “That’s why we send professional astronauts, who are highly skilled and extensively trained. Especially with new hardware, which this flight would make use of, you need people who can deal with anomalies and emergencies. That’s what professionals do. That’s why the first astronauts were test pilots.”
Space Science
Some active process is cracking open these faults on Mars. But what is it?
Universe Today (3/2): Strange markings at the poles of Mars may signal that something dynamic is underway. What sorts of natural processes, though, that are responsible for fractures and pitting on the polar caps is a mystery.
China focus: Riding an asteroid: China’s next space goal
Xinhuanet of China (3/2): China’s space program plans a combined Mars orbiter, lander and rover mission in 2020. Next comes a series of asteroid explorations, including a robotic lander to sample the surface of an asteroid. This year, Beijing plans a robotic lunar sample return mission.
We still don’t know where cosmic rays are coming from
Ars Technica (3/2): Scientists have narrowed down the source of powerful cosmic rays. They come from everywhere, it seems, according to scientists associated with NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope.
Moon casts shadow over Patagonia in stunning ‘ring of fire’ eclipse photo
Space.com (3/2): Patagonia in Argentina was well positioned for observations of last weekend’s annular solar eclipse. As the moon moved in front of the sun as seen from regions of the Earth, a ring of fire appeared. The eerie eclipse was also imaged from space.
Low Earth Orbit
What I discovered after my year in space
Time (3/2): Scott Kelly, who set a U.S. record with a 340-day voyage in orbit aboard the International Space Station, reflects on the adventure that concluded with his return to Earth on March 1, 2016. The words come from his memoir, Endurance, which is to be published later this year. “I’ve learned that following the news from space can make Earth seem like a swirl of chaos and conflict, and that seeing the environmental degradation caused by humans is heartbreaking,” he writes. “I’ve also learned that our planet is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen and that we’re lucky to be here.” The long mission was shared with Russian cosmonaut Michail Kornienko. The two men as well as Scott’s Earth bound twin, retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, served as subjects in dozens of experiments intended to further the human exploration of deep space.
China to launch space station core module in 2018
Xinhuanet of China (3/2): China’s new Long March-5 heavy lift rocket will be prepared to launch the core module for China’s manned space station in 2018. Assembly of the multi-module station, which will be smaller than the International Space Station, should be complete in 2022.
Commercial to Low Earth Orbit
Virgin Galactic unveils spin-off Virgin Orbit for small-satellite launches
Space.com (3/2): Virgin Galactic, the suborbital space passenger company, is spinning off LauncherOne, a launch service tailored for the growing small satellite market. Former Boeing executive Dan Hart will serve as president of the new company, Virgin Orbit.
China launches experiment satellite “TK-1”
Xinhuanet of China (3/3): The first satellite developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp reached orbit early Friday. Operations include remote sensing, telecommunications and small satellite technology development, according to the report.