The Space Race - Weekly Roundup Sept 3rd

Author

Juan Fernández
September 03, 2024

Hi, dear space fans! 👋🏻

Welcome to this week's recap of all things space in The Space Race Weekly Roundup

🏠 Boeing’s Starliner Set for Return

Boeing is preparing to bring its CST-100 Starliner capsule back to Earth on September 6th after a long series of delays caused by several thruster issues and other problems with valves and software. The spacecraft is designed to carry up to seven astronauts or a mix of crew and cargo to the ISS, but this mission raises important questions about Boeing’s role in NASA’s commercial crew program.

💪🏻 Blue Origin Moves Forward with New Glenn

Blue Origin is rolling out the second stage of its New Glenn rocket, which is equipped with the BE-3U engine optimized for high-efficiency vacuum operations using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. This rollout marks a significant milestone as the rocket prepares for its inaugural launch, the ESCAPADE mission to Mars, scheduled for no earlier than October 13th. The rocket’s massive first stage, powered by seven BE-4 engines, is designed for reusability and can carry up to 45 metric tons to low Earth orbit. The first stage will be mated to the second stage after final testing.

💵 Cost-Effective Satellites Are Ready for Mars Mission

The ESCAPADE Mars mission will deploy two 180kg spacecraft to study the Martian magnetosphere. These probes, developed by Rocket Lab, will carry specialized instruments to gather data on Mars' magnetic fields, ion and electron distributions, and plasma densities, focusing on the interaction between the solar wind and the Martian atmosphere.

As part of NASA's SIMPLEx program, ESCAPADE demonstrates how valuable planetary science can be conducted more cost-effectively, with a total mission budget capped at $80 million. ESCAPADE aims to begin its primary science mission in April 2026

✅ Intuitive Machines Wins NASA Lunar Contract

Intuitive Machines has secured a $116.9 million NASA contract to deliver payloads to the lunar surface as part NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The company will use its Nova-C lander, which employs a methane-powered VR900 engine, capable of delivering 130 kg of cargo to the Moon. The contract includes multiple missions, enhancing NASA’s capabilities in deploying scientific instruments and technologies for lunar exploration.

🔧 ESA’s Lunar Drill and Lab Ready for Moon Mission

ESA’s PROSPECT drill and mini-laboratory are now secured for a lunar mission aboard Machines’ Nova-C lunar lander on 2027, as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The drill, capable of penetrating up to 1 meter below the surface, will collect samples for analysis in the ProSPA lab, focusing on the chemical composition, especially volatile elements like water ice.

🚀 Falcon 9 Cleared for Launch After FAA Investigation

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has received FAA clearance to resume flights after being temporarily grounded due to a booster failure during a landing attempt. The incident occurred on August 28th when a Falcon 9 booster was lost while attempting to land. The FAA's decision to allow the rocket to return to flight was made while the investigation into the anomaly remains ongoing.

🌌 Europa Clipper Gears Up with Massive Solar Arrays

NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft is now equipped with two massive solar arrays, each solar array is approximately 8.8 meters in length and providing a combined surface area of about 90 square meters. These arrays will generate 600 watts of power at Jupiter, sufficient to operate the spacecraft’s nine scientific instruments in the extreme radiation environment around Europa. The Clipper is on track for its October 2024 launch to investigate Europa’s subsurface ocean.

🤩 Webb’s New View of Perseus Galaxy Cluster

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured stunning infrared images of the NGC 1333 star-forming cluster in the Perseus molecular cloud. Using the Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS), Webb has identified young stars, brown dwarfs, and free-floating objects with masses similar to giant planets. The images reveal Herbig-Haro objects, which indicate active star formation, and young stars surrounded by potential planet-forming disks.

🔥 ESA’s Cluster Satellite Approaches Reentry

One of ESA's Cluster satellites, named Salsa, is set to reenter Earth's atmosphere in early September 2024. Part of a four-satellite mission launched in 2000, Cluster has been studying Earth's magnetosphere and its interactions with the solar wind.

This controlled reentry marks the end of Salsa's 24-year mission, during which it significantly contributed to our understanding of space weather. The reentry is part of ESA's efforts to ensure a clean and safe end to the mission, setting a precedent for reducing space debris.

🚀 New Shepard Boosts Science and Space Tourism

Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket successfully launched on August 29th carrying a NASA-funded scientist and five space tourists on a suborbital flight.

The flight reached a peak altitude of 105.3 kilometers, providing valuable microgravity research time for plant gene expression experiments and demonstrating the growing role of commercial spaceflight in both scientific research and space tourism.

🛰️ BepiColombo’s Arrival at Mercury Delayed

ESA’s BepiColombo mission has encountered a delay due to problems with one of its ion thrusters, extending its journey to Mercury by 11 months. The spacecraft, equipped with solar-electric propulsion, uses xenon-fueled ion thrusters for its long journey.

Despite the setback, the mission continues to gather critical data during its gravity assists and flybys, ensuring the mission stays on course for a late 2026 arrival. Its fourth flyby of Mercury is scheduled for next Wednesday, September 4th.

🛰️ Lockheed Martin’s Inflatable Space Structures Progress

Lockheed Martin has successfully tested an inflatable airlock made from Vectran fabric and other advanced materials, marking a significant milestone in the development of space habitats for future lunar and Mars missions. The airlock underwent rigorous pressurization and depressurization tests, demonstrating its ability to maintain structural integrity under extreme conditions.

This technology, offering greater volume for less mass compared to traditional metal structures, is expected to play a crucial role in long-duration missions, providing safe and scalable solutions for crewed space exploration.

📹 Our latest videos

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

🚀 Upcoming Rocket Launches

Mark your calendars! Here are the upcoming rocket launches

  • Tuesday, September 3rd: Long March 4B (CASC, China) - Unknown Payload

  • Wednesday, September 4th: Vega (Arianespace, French Guiana) - Sentinel-2C satellite

  • Wednesday, September 4th: Falcon 9 (SpaceX, USA) - Polaris Dawn mission 👀

  • Wednesday, September 4th: Falcon 9 (SpaceX, USA) - Starlink Group 8-11 mission

  • Thursday, September 5th: Falcon 9 (SpaceX, USA) - NROL-113 mission

  • Thursday, September 5th: Long March 6 (CASC, China) - Unknown Payload

  • Tuesday, September 10th: Falcon 9 (SpaceX, USA) - Galileo L13 (FOC FM26 & FM32) satellites

And that’s all for this week! 

Stay tuned for more space updates :)

Juan from The Space Race team