The Space Race - Weekly Roundup Jan 13th

Hi, space fans! 🚀 

Welcome to this week's space news roundup! We've got updates on the scrubbed launch of Blue Origin's New Glenn, SpaceX's latest record with Falcon 9, and NASA's upcoming Lunar PlanetVac mission. Also catch up on new findings from BepiColombo's Mercury mission, China's advances in satellite tech, and more insights on NASA's Mars mission preparations.

Let's dive into all the details now! 😊

🛑 New Glenn Launch Scrubbed!

Blue Origin had to delay the maiden flight of its New Glenn rocket due to a technical issue after the rocket was already fueled. With no new launch date provided (as of the time of this writing on Monday night), Blue Origin is troubleshooting the issues that arose just before the launch window closed. We'll have to wait a bit more for the launch!

Read more 👉🏻 Blue Origin scrubs maiden flight of New Glenn due to technical issue 

🔁 Record-Breaking Falcon 9 Launch

SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket with a record-setting 25th flight, carrying 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral. This booster, first used in 2021, has supported so many critical missions, including cargo and crew to the ISS. Completing another recovery landing, this launch highlights SpaceX's dominance in reusable rocket technology.

Read more 👉🏻 SpaceX launches again with booster on record 25th flight

🪐 Stunning Detail: BepiColombo’s Mercury Flyby

The BepiColombo mission's latest flyby has gifted us with stunning, high-resolution images of Mercury, showcasing the planet's beauty and geological complexity in an amazing level of detail. These images reveal the heavy contrasts of Mercury's icy craters and vast, sunlit plains, captured with such clarity that they nearly transport the viewer to the planet's rugged surface.

Read more 👉🏻 Top three images from BepiColombo's sixth Mercury flyby 

🧹 Next Week: Vacuum Cleaner Heads to Moon!

Yes, you read it right! NASA is launching the Lunar PlanetVac (LPV) to the Moon next week, utilizing the Blue Ghost 1 lander. This innovative device, designed to function like a vacuum cleaner, will autonomously collect lunar soil with compressed gas technology, enabling efficient sample acquisition.

Read more 👉🏻 NASA is Sending a Vacuum Cleaner to the Moon

🛰️ China To Test Satellite Refueling Tech

China has successfully launched the Shijian-25 satellite, a significant step towards advancing on-orbit refueling and satellite lifespan extension technologies. Launched aboard a Long March 3B rocket, this mission aims to verify technologies that can maintain and prolong satellite operations efficiently. Such innovations are key to lower space operation costs and improve sustainability.

Read more 👉🏻 China launches Shijian-25 satellite to test on-orbit refueling and mission extension technologies

🌿 NASA's Dual-Mode Propulsion Test

Rubicon Space Systems has delivered a cutting-edge propulsion system for NASA's upcoming Green Propulsion Dual Mode (GPDM) mission, scheduled for launch in October 2025. This mission will be the first to test a combined chemical and electric propulsion system in space, featuring ASCENT, a non-toxic, high-efficiency green propellant developed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory.

Read more 👉🏻 Rubicon delivers propulsion for NASA dual-mode mission 

🌕 Moon as Mars Mission Prep

After Elon Musk declared the Moon a distraction and expressed a preference to focus directly on Mars, NASA has emphasized the Moon's critical role as a proving ground for technologies vital to future manned missions to Mars. By conducting trials of life support systems, logistics, and fission power on the lunar surface, NASA aims to address the significant challenges of long-duration space travel and complex operations. These lunar missions are essential for ensuring the success and safety of future expeditions to Mars, serving as a necessary intermediate step to prepare for the complexities of interplanetary travel.

Read more 👉🏻 NASA emphasizes role of the moon as testbed for future human Mars missions

🌀 Planet Formation in Hostile Conditions

A recent study using the ALMA observatory reveals that planets can form in environments previously thought too extreme. Observations of eight protoplanetary disks in the Sigma Orionis cluster, intensely bombarded by UV radiation, show clear signs of planet formation, such as gaps and rings. This challenges previous beliefs and suggests that the processes behind planet formation are robust enough to occur even under the most extreme conditions.

Read more 👉🏻 Planets Can Form in Even the Harshest Conditions

🚀 NASA Explores New Mars Sample Return Options

NASA is assessing two different possible approaches for the Mars Sample Return mission, both aimed at bringing back samples from Mars by 2035. The primary difference lies in the landing technology: one option uses the proven "sky crane" method previously deployed in rover missions, while the other considers employing commercial heavy landers, potentially enhancing cost-efficiency and leveraging new aerospace partnerships. Which one will be the winner?

Read more 👉🏻 NASA to study alternative architectures for Mars Sample Return 

📹 Our latest videos

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

• What Actually Happened To Virgin Galactic

• SpaceX Is Launching Starship Block 2 This Weekend!

• Everything Discovered By The James Webb Space Telescope (since launch)

🚀 Upcoming Rocket Launches

Gear up for a cool week of launches! 🌍🚀

• Tuesday, January 14th: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Transporter 12 (Dedicated SSO Rideshare). SpaceX. Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
  

• Wednesday, January 15th: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Blue Ghost Lunar Lander Mission 1 & Hakuto-R M2 “Resilience”. SpaceX. Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA
  

• Wednesday, January 15th: Starship | Flight 7. SpaceX. SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA
  

• Saturday, January 18th: Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 11-8. SpaceX. Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA
  

And that wraps up this week's newsletter. Stay curious!

Juan and the team at The Space Race