The Space Race - Weekly Roundup Aug 13th

Hi, space fans! 

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Space Race Weekly Roundup, our totally biased selection of awesome space news.

🚀 Blue Origin to Carry NASA’s Lunar Science Payload

Blue Origin's first lunar lander, set to launch by 2025, will carry a NASA payload to study how rocket plumes interact with lunar soil. This data is crucial for future Artemis missions. The lander, powered by the BE-7 engine, marks Blue Origin's entry into NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.

Read more 👉 NASA payload to fly on first Blue Origin lunar lander mission

🌍 First Human Spaceflight Over Earth's Polar Regions

SpaceX is set to launch the Fram2 mission as early as late 2024, marking the first human spaceflight to orbit over Earth's polar regions. Named after the historic exploration ship, the mission will be commanded by Chun Wang from Malta, with a crew of international adventurers. During their 3-5 day mission, they will study unique auroral phenomena and conduct pioneering space research, including capturing the first human x-ray images in space. Exciting!

Read more 👉 First Human Spaceflight to Fly Over Earth’s Polar Regions

🌕 Boeing’s Quality Woes: NASA SLS Faces New Hurdles

NASA's Office of Inspector General has highlighted quality control issues in Boeing’s work on the Space Launch System (SLS). The report reveals problems with hardware that could delay Artemis missions. NASA and Boeing are working to address these challenges to ensure the SLS meets its performance targets.

Read more 👉 NASA Watchdog Finds Quality Control Problems with Boeing SLS Work

🔥 Rocket Lab Successfully Fires New Archimedes Engine

Rocket Lab has fired its new Archimedes engine for the first time, marking a key milestone in its development of the Neutron rocket. This engine will be crucial for the rocket’s reusability and performance, pushing Rocket Lab closer to competing with other medium-class launch vehicles (such as SpaceX’s Falcon 9).

Read more 👉 Rocket Lab Fires Archimedes Engine for the First Time

🌠 Space Junk Alert: Chinese Rocket Debris Sparks New Concerns

A Chinese Long March 5B rocket stage has fragmented in orbit, producing more than 700 pieces of debris. This event raises concerns over space traffic management and the growing risk of collisions in space. The debris will be closely monitored to mitigate potential impacts on other spacecraft.

Read more 👉 Chinese Rocket Stage Breaks Up Into Cloud of More Than 700 Pieces of Space Debris

😱 AI Uncovers Hidden Stars Devouring Their Planets

Astronomers have used artificial intelligence to identify stars that are in the process of devouring planets. This discovery sheds light on a previously elusive phase of planetary system evolution, offering insights into the fate of planetary systems, including our own.

Read more 👉 Astronomers Use Artificial Intelligence to Find Elusive Stars Gobbling Up Planets

🛠️ Astrobotic Wins NASA Contract for Space Communications

Astrobotic has been selected by NASA to develop the VSAT-XL, a larger version of its communication terminal for deep space missions. The VSAT-XL will support high-data-rate communications for lunar and planetary missions, enhancing NASA's ability to gather data from distant spacecraft.

Read more 👉 Astrobotic Selected by NASA to Develop the New VSAT-XL

🌑 ESA’s Reusable Space Rider Completes Successful Drop Test  

The European Space Agency's Space Rider, a reusable spaceplane designed for in-orbit missions, has completed its drop test campaign, bringing it closer to its first flight in 2025. This milestone confirms the vehicle's aerodynamics and flight capabilities, marking a significant step toward operational readiness.

Read more 👉 ESA’s Space Rider Successfully Completes Drop Test Campaign

🌌 European Startup Secures $770M in Contracts

The Exploration Company, a European space startup, has secured €770 million in contracts, advancing its plans to develop reusable space capsule. These contracts, which include agreements with major aerospace players, will fund the company's work on its Nyx spacecraft, which aims to provide affordable access to space.

Read more 👉 The Exploration Company Has Secured $770M in Contracts

🌌 Gaia Discovers Moons Orbiting Hundreds of Asteroids

ESA's Gaia mission has potentially discovered moons orbiting hundreds of asteroids in the solar system. This breakthrough enhances our understanding of asteroid-moon systems and could inform future missions to these celestial bodies. The findings also open up new research opportunities in planetary science.

Read more 👉 Gaia Spots Possible Moons Around Hundreds of Asteroids

🌕 Komatsu and iSpace to Pioneer Lunar Construction Tech

Komatsu has been selected for Japan's "STARDUST Programs," aiming to develop unmanned construction equipment for the lunar environment. Partnering with ispace, Komatsu will leverage ispace’s expertise in space-tested equipment and materials. This collaboration, supported by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, seeks to advance autonomous construction technologies for future lunar projects, accelerating space exploration efforts.

Read more 👉 Komatsu and iSpace’s Strategic Consulting Agreement

📹 Our latest videos

In case you missed them, here are the latest videos we've published on our YouTube channel

• How NASA Reinvented The Toilet

• Boeing and NASA Have A BIG Problem With Starliner...

• Everything You Need To Know About India's Moon Missions

🚀 Upcoming Rocket Launches

Mark your calendars! Here are the upcoming rocket launches:

• Friday, August 11th: Electron (Rocket Lab, New Zealand) - Acadia 3 satellite ("A Sky Full Of SARs" mission)

• Tuesday, August 15th: Falcon 9 (SpaceX, USA) - WorldView Legion 3 & 4 satellites

• Wednesday, August 16th: Falcon 9 (SpaceX, USA) - Transporter-11 rideshare mission

• Monday, August 26th: Falcon 9 (SpaceX, USA) - Polaris Dawn crewed mission

And that’s all for this week! Stay tuned for more updates :)

Juan from The Space Race team