This week, off world: Japan's SLIM reaches lunar orbit, Blue Origin returns to flight, and loads more...

 Here’s where you can donate to help Ukrainian refugees and war victims... 

...and here is (one) place you can donate to help children in Afghanistan, caught under the Taliban.

   

 Pick o' the podcasts:

216: Right and wrong theories in planetary science with Prof. McKinnon — Spacepod (listentospacepod.com)

From the video store:

SLIM’s first images of the Moon

The Insane Engineering of Orbit

ADVERT

SpaceX Cargo Dragon undocks from space station for return trip

Blue Origin launches New Shepard rocket on 1st flight since 2022 failure (video) | Space

Watch Chinese astronauts get haircuts aboard Tiangong space station (video) | Space

An ULTRA-HIGH energy cosmic ray hit Earth | Night Sky News Dec 2023

Reading material:

China's space plane apparently deployed 6 'mysterious wingmen' in orbit | Space

Report outlines lessons learned from first U.K. launch - SpaceNews

China launches large classified optical satellite towards geostationary orbit - SpaceNews

Scientists praise performance of first global survey of surface water - SpaceNews

Satellite transmission power battle drags on after WRC-23 - SpaceNews

Peregrine lunar lander ready for January launch - SpaceNews

SpaceX to just miss goal of 100 Falcon launches in 2023 - SpaceNews

L3Harris gets green light to produce 16 space-based hypersonic missile trackers - SpaceNews

Artemis will land international astronaut on moon by end of 2020s, VP Harris says | Space

Finding life on Saturn's moon Enceladus might be easier than we thought | Space

Shenzhou-17 astronauts conduct first spacewalk to repair solar array - SpaceNews

NASA report studies options for a future national laboratory in orbit after ISS - SpaceNews

D-Orbit ION Space Tug Hosts In-Orbit Refueling Demo - European Spaceflight

This week, off world: A busy week for Chinese space efforts, spiders in space, and loads more....

 

Pick o' the podcasts:

 

From the video store:

What Happened to the Spiders NASA sent to Space?

iSpace Hyperbola-2 VTVL test, 10 December 2023

Rocket Lab Electron Rocket Launch 'The Moon God Awakens

Think using satellites is the province of organisations with acronyms instead of names? Nope, some of these things are public access: How to Pull Images from Satellites in Orbit (NOAA 15,18,19 and METEOR M2)

Not a directly space themed video, but part of an ongoing series that showcases just how damn useful and lifesaving to humankind satellites are:

Landspace launches third methane Zhuque-2, targets 2025 launch of new stainless steel rocket - SpaceNews

Reading material:

Chinese giant commercial rocket pulls off country's first long-distance sea-based launch - Global Times

After Hubble: This Canadian telescope could fill coming 'ultraviolet gap' (msn.com)

Startup raises $55 million for portable Starlink-dedicated data centers - SpaceNews

This week, off world: The rocket everyone forgets, tracking human emissions from space and loads more...

 Here’s where you can donate to help Ukrainian refugees and war victims... 

...and here is (one) place you can donate to help children in Afghanistan, caught under the Taliban.

   

Pick o' the podcasts:

 

ADVERT

From the video store:

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Starlink 6-33: 

Tracking human emissions from space:

Progress MS-25 launch:

Long March-2C launches MisrSat-2 and StarPool-1 02 A/B:

Progress MS-25 manual docking:

Reading material:

Satellites watch as Japan's new volcanic island continues to grow (image) | Space

Chandrayaan 3 Latest News: Isro brings back Chandrayaan-3 Propulsion Module to Earth Orbit, shows off tech to return from Moon - Times of India (indiatimes.com)

China Unveils New Air-Launched Orbital Spacecraft in Its Latest Bid to Win the Space Race - The Debrief

Industry report: Demand for satellites is rising but not skyrocketing - SpaceNews

From Earth orbit to the moon: ESA's I-Hab continues Spacelab 40-year legacy | Space

This week, off world: SpaceX have a VERY busy 2 weeks, salts and organics found on Ganymede and loads more...

  Here’s where you can donate to help Ukrainian refugees and war victims... 

...and here is (one) place you can donate to help children in Afghanistan, caught under the Taliban.

   

Pick o' the podcasts

ADVERT

From the video store:

SpaceX launches Irish, South Korean satellites, lands its 250th rocket (video) | Space

SpaceX Starlink 124 launch and Falcon 9 first stage landing, 28 November 2023

Starship/Super Heavy lifts off on second flight - SpaceNews

 

 

 

SpaceX launches Starlink batch from California, nails landing

...and again...

From Countdown to Touchdown: Flying Aboard Virgin Galactic - NASASpaceFlight.com

Reading material:

Quantum chemistry experiment on ISS creates exotic 5th state of matter | Space

NASA astronaut spots her parents' birth country Iran from space | Space

We're Entering a New Age When Spacecraft Communicate With Lasers - Universe Today

ESA inviting commercial designs for space cargo ship by early 2024 (msn.com)

Summit cites Paradigm Shift for European Spaceflight - NASASpaceFlight.com

New Tensions Loom: North Korea Claims to Have Published Satellite Images of US Bases (msn.com)

NASA instrument on ISS identifies more than 750 greenhouse gas sources | Space

More British rockets will take off after £121m boost (msn.com)

Ariane 6 Fires its Engines, Simulating a Flight to Space - Universe Today

Satellites spy remnants of hidden Bronze Age settlement in Serbia | Space

ESA sets launch date for Ariane 6 for summer of 2024 - NASASpaceFlight.com

Juno discovers salts and organic compounds on Ganymede's surface - NASASpaceFlight.com

Not well this week folks....

 ...with my apologies, I'll be back next week. Stay safe all.

This week, off world: Avoiding a Pearl Harbour in space, Virgin Galactic flies experiments to space, and loads more...

   Here’s where you can donate to help Ukrainian refugees and war victims... 

...and here is (one) place you can donate to help children in Afghanistan, caught under the Taliban.

   

 Pick o' the podcasts:

ADVERT

From the video store:

SpaceX launches O3b mPOWER communication satellites on its 84th mission of 2023 | Space

SpaceX Transporter 9 rideshare features new OTV from Tom Mueller's Impulse Space - NASASpaceFlight.com

Virgin Galactic Flies Science Experiments to the Edge of Space - Universe Today 

Reading material:

The Lunar Swirl Mystery Deepens - Universe Today

DART asteroid-smashing team and record-breaking astronaut Peggy Whitson honored for impact on space science | Space

First Dream Chaser Vehicle Ready for Final Testing - NASASpaceFlight.com

Brightest flash ever disturbed Earth's atmosphere last year (phys.org)

How U.S. satellite rules are different only for Israel : NPR

Satellites watch lava flows of Italy's Mount Etna volcano eruption (image) | Space

Lost astronaut tool bag from ISS shines in new telescope image (photo) | Space

Rocket that slammed into the moon last year ID'ed as Chinese vehicle | Space

China's BeiDou and Fengyun Satellites Elevate Global Weather Forecasting Capabilities (spacedaily.com)

ULA gearing up for first Vulcan launch - SpaceNews

Project Kuiper ready for satellite production after successful prototype tests - SpaceNews

Space Force eyes a future of speed and agility in orbit - SpaceNews

Rocket Factory Augsburg perceives historic moment for European launch industry - SpaceNews

Deterring a looming Space Pearl Harbor through better public discourse  - SpaceNews