Wild Birds Fly (Back To Earth)
An unexpected fuel leak sends Astrobotic’s commercial lander back home while Japan’s “moon sniper” takes a (near perfect) nosedive on the near side of the Moon.
Hello Celestial Citizens and Continuum readers,
Guess who’s back, back again? Yep, you guessed it, our team took a slightly longer than expected holiday break. But we are back you beautiful star children, tell a friend.
There has already been a flurry of space activity in 2024 and we are excited to continue being your quirky (like the Allan of the space media world, if you will) resource for all things cosmos related.
Let’s nosedive into this pile of space news...
Top Headlines
A SLIM Chance at Success — Because most of you (us included) are as stoked about the moon as this rottweiler, you’ve likely already heard about Japan’s groundbreaking lunar landing from last week many times over. If you haven't – what rock have you been living under and how do we get a spot? It sounds peaceful. Anyways! Japan made history on January 19th (or in the wee minutes of January 20th, JST), becoming the fifth country to soft-land on the moon with SLIM, or Smart Lander for Investigating Moon. While a successful landing was the primary objective, JAXA’s pomp and circumstance was clipped when the moon sniper encountered a technical snag upon arrival. Despite the “moon sniper” taking a slow and steady approach – launching in September, arriving in lunar orbit on Christmas, and finally landing near the Shioli crater mid-January – its solar panels failed to generate power and thus, the spacecraft powered down a few hours after its historic lunar rendezvous. That being said, there may be hope for SLIM yet, as its West-facing solar cells could see a glimpse of the Sun in the “lunar afternoon,” or, perhaps, sometime next week. If it does catch any rays, SLIM may be able to carry out some of its science objectives with its two robots, intended to travel across the lunar landscape. One of these robots, or Lunar Excursion Vehicles (LEVs) was designed to transform from a sphere into a roaming vehicle. And if that sounds like Transformers to you – that’s because it is. For the robot, JAXA partnered with Tomy Company, the Japanese founder of the Transformers toy brand. That LEV (LEV-2) just returned an image of SLIM, which appeared to have landed on its nose. Odd positioning aside, the SLIM team has confirmed that the spacecraft’s landing coordinates qualify the event as a high-precision landing, i.e. within 100 meters of its desired target.
Bye Bye Birdie – Not all were celebrating a lunar victory last week, though. A commercial lander from Pennsylvania-based Astrobotic that we all know as the Peregrine suffered a fuel leak after separating from its launch vehicle, ULA’s Vulcan Centaur on January 8th. We’ve gotta say, the Vulcan was really the dark horse in this race; originally slated to launch in 2019, the rocket’s debut was delayed for years while it waited for and eventually stress-tested its Blue Origin engines. No one expected Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander – which spent a year waiting in the wings for ULA to catch up – to fumble, least of all NASA who had five payloads attached to the spacecraft as part of a $108 million launch contract. That said, there’s no bad blood between the agency and Astrobotic, as the company maintained full transparency from the get-go. Plus, the rideshare mission wasn’t a total loss; as the propellant leak slowed, the Peregrine team was able to reorient the lander in order to test its systems and successfully rouse its 10 powered payloads. Alas, it wouldn’t be enough to get the spacecraft to the moon. In the end, Astrobotic opted for the safest option, which was to let the craft burn up in Earth’s atmosphere on January 18th. And with that, the private moon race is still a toss-up. Astrobotic will investigate the valve issue they predict led to the leak in preparation for an anticipated November launch of Griffin, the company’s larger lander slated to carry NASA’s $430 million VIPER rover to the lunar surface. No pressure.
Ax-3 – Back on the bright side (where we love to be), Axiom Space and SpaceX safely launched a crew of four private astronauts to the International Space Station last week. A SpaceX Dragon capsule known as Freedom separated from a Falcon 9 first stage several minutes after takeoff on January 18th, initiating the third flight to the ISS for Freedom. Also on its third flight, Axiom’s Ax-3 includes a U.S.-Spanish dual citizen Michael López-Alegría, Italian pilot Walter Villadei, Turkish astronaut Alper Gezeravcı and Swedish test pilot Marcus Wandt. An experienced former NASA astronaut and ISS commander, Lopez-Alegria will lead the crew in their 30 onsite investigations, such as software tests from the Italian Air Force and brain experiments from Sweden and the European Space Agency. While Ax-3 is another leap forward for Axiom and SpaceX in terms of reliable launch technology, it’s also a big step for Italy, Sweden and Turkey – who all sponsored their crew members on the flight. For Gezeravcı – Turkey’s first astronaut – the flight is “just the beginning of our journey - for a long growing space journey in our future."
NASA Breaks Into Bennu — That’s right, we’re not quite done with the Bennu sample from 2023’s hottest mission, OSIRIS-REx – not even close. The initially reported 8.8 oz of asteroid sample – which by itself was the biggest asteroid sample delivered to Earth to date – was only the initial dust collected upon opening the first aluminum lid. With this “bonus” material, NASA was able to establish a makeup of high carbon content and water. Now that the OSIRIS-REx team has fought with some pesky stuck fasteners for a few months to unearth the bulk of the sample – which will soon be weighed and divided between teams around the world for study – there will be a lot more material and minds to assess what Bennu might tell us about the origins of Earth and our solar system.
Artemis Update – We may have heard the soft murmurings in 2023, but now it’s official: 2024 will not see the Artemis II mission launch. The agency has formally pushed Artemis II to September 2025, and the subsequent moon landing mission (Artemis III) to 2026. While launch providers like SpaceX or Russia certainly seem comfortable with sending humans to space these days, sending a crewed mission to lunar orbit is a whole new ballgame. The mission will be the first crewed use of NASA’s Orion capsule, which has undergone analysis and repairs after its heat shield was damaged during a test run. It will also be the first crewed use of NASA’s SLS, or Space Launch System, a massive and powerful rocket which flew for the first time in 2022. While NASA is going in-house for the capsule and rocket, the agency is of course outsourcing for its lunar lander, which will deliver astronauts from orbit to the moon’s surface. In fact on January 9th, NASA made reference to the two current contractors – SpaceX and Blue Origins – developing cargo versions of their human landing systems, although the earliest these versions would come into the picture would be the 2030s, apparently.
Do Look Up – Over the weekend, an astronomer at the Piszkéstető Mountain Station in Hungary spotted an asteroid…hurtling towards Earth. The asteroid – now dubbed 2024 BXI – was not a danger to us here on Earth like one depicted in a movie. In this case, the asteroid was on track to safely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere somewhere over Berlin, Germany. While it may not have been dangerous, the discovery was not insignificant; in fact, it is only the eighth time astronomers have spotted an asteroid before Earth impact. So yes, this preemptive sighting – and subsequent “heads up” from NASA – allowed viewers to watch the fireball in all its glowing glory, but it also represents improvement in telescopes to better detect near-Earth asteroids and forecast potential collisions earlier and earlier.
NASA NIAC Selections – While some of us have been busy grinding our gears over the Academy’s poetic exclusion of a Greta Gerwig Oscar nom – others (not us…maybe us…okay definitely us) ruminated on the NIAC awards. Through the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, the agency funds innovative research from entrepreneurs around the country. This year, thirteen ventures were nominated– er, selected for Phase I awards, or up to $175,000 for a nine-month investigation period. Should the projects – which range from temperature regulating liquid hydrogen storage technology to a system that could detoxify water on Mars – move forward to Phase II, they could earn up to $600,000 for an up to 2-year research period. And while Emma (Stone) might be the belle of the Oscars ball, the NIAC starlet this year is MAGGIE, or the Mars Aerial and Ground Intelligent Explorer developed by Coflow Jet LLC. Following in the footsteps of NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter – which also got its start with the NIAC program – MAGGIE is a solar-powered, fixed-wing plane that would fly the high skies of the Red Planet in search of water, methane and intel on Mars’ weak magnetic field. Perhaps a bit jealous of all the MAGGIE buzz, Ingenuity dropped out of contact late last week, and although NASA was able to re-establish connection, the chopper suffered damage that will permanently put it out of service. After serving well beyond its intended five flights, we hope Ingenuity kicks back and enjoys its retirement.
The JWST Download
Were black holes of the young universe just born big? The Webb’s new look at an old galaxy – and its incomprehensibly bright supermassive black hole – may suggest just that.
The Hubble (don’t you forget about me) has clocked the smallest exoplanet with water vapor in its atmosphere. But with Venus-like temperatures of 800 degrees Fahrenheit, an atmosphere full of water vapor would make an inhospitably “steamy” world.
The JWST has also clarified other early galaxies’ “inexplicable light,” finding that there’s power in numbers, when it comes to hydrogen emissions.
Speaking of the early universe, a new analysis of the JWST’s Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey reveals these distant galaxies to be uniquely shaped like “pool noodles or surfboards.” That or, some astronomers just need a vacation!
Cat got your
tonguetail? Webb’s camera recently captured a sun-like star with an unusual, vaguely feline trail of dust behind it.The U.S. postal service recently released stamps featuring iconic JWST imagery. Sort of blows those still life paintings of fruit out of the water, amiright?
And no, in case anyone is wondering: the JWST is not hoarding alien secrets. Yet.
A Global Space
Iran – We don’t have to tell anyone that tensions are high in the Middle East. Amidst Israel’s continued war on Hamas in Gaza, Iran’s recent missile strike on Jaish al-Adl in Western Pakistan, and this week’s U.S. and U.K. strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, Iran has gone ahead and launched a satellite via its Qaem 100 rocket with a mysterious 50-kilogram payload. Though details are limited, footage of the launch suggests the country sent up the Soraya satellite from Shahroud, a city East of Tehran. One could also predict – and fear – that the launch could very well be a part of an effort to develop intercontinental missiles, as the U.N. sanctions on the nation’s ballistic missile program expired in October of last year. The launch follows Iran’s orbital mission from December, during which the country used (fake?) animals to test a capsule for future human use.
China – Kicking off the year with fresh infrastructure and record-breaking launches is China. First, the nation completed work on the first pad of its new commercial launch site on Hainan island. China hopes the new location will not only ease the bottlenecks at their other sites, but also decrease debris incidents, which they have experienced with inland launch pads like Jiuquan. Hainan Commercial Launch Site expects to see its inaugural launch in the first half of this year. Next, with its new all-solid launch vehicle known as Gravity-1, Chinese launch startup Orienspace delivered three global weather forecasting satellites to orbit on January 11th, breaking the record for largest payload capacity for a Chinese commercial rocket. The impressive three-stage rocket took off from the Defu 15002 sea-based platform off the coast of Shandong, painting the sky with picturesque plumes. With the monumental launch, Orienspace joins the ranks of only a few firms, such as Space Pioneer, to have reached orbit on a first attempt. Gravity-1 is also the first launch vehicle in the sector to use boosters. The nation rounds out January with a launch of five satellites aboard a Lijian-1 Y3 carrier rocket, which took off from Jiuquan on January 23rd.
India – Following in the footsteps of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), India is now making moves to develop its heaviest rocket – the LVM3 – in partnership with the commercial sector. Called the PPP model – for “public-private partnership” – the arrangement essentially establishes collaboration between the Indian space agency and private Indian firms in order to increase development speeds, bring more competition into the commercial space industry, and drive innovation. Being the ISRO’s heaviest rocket, the LVM3 holds big potential for domestic and global satellite launches – and the country hopes that private partners can help them rise to the demand.
ESA – In an oddly specific premonition, the European Space Agency recently announced November 15th as the next launch date for the slippery Vega C, which has been grounded since late 2022. While unusual to target such a specific day so far in the future, ESA director of space transportation Toni Tolker-Nielsen assures that the projection is backed by a “very detailed plan.” While the roadmap may be privy to the agency and Italian rocket manufacturer Avio, it should include a redesign of the Z40 nozzle – acknowledged as the source of the vehicle’s previous failure – along with static fire tests to confirm competency. Oh, and perhaps some Frankenstein efforts with the rocket’s missing propellant tanks, although we cannot confirm that one. In the meantime, the agency turns their attention to a newly adopted mission: LISA, or the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna, is a gravitational wave detection system developed on the other side of the pond at Northwestern University. The mission will include three triangulated spacecraft millions of miles apart, which will search for gravitational waves via an exchange of laser beams. The system is the first of its kind, and ESA will collaborate with NASA on the construction of the satellites.
Australia – Australia’s space industry may have seen some ups and downs in 2023, but the nation is starting strong this year with a proposed expansion of its Arnhem Space Centre. Domestic firm Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) recently proposed expanding the launch site – which experienced three NASA launches in 2022 – from one pad to fourteen. Some, like the native Yolŋu, fear that the expansion would only lead to controversial foreign defense contracts and missile testing on Yolŋu land and hence make the territory a target. However, the Northern Territory (NT) government doesn’t share those fears. In fact, the government has already co-invested $5 million into ELA, in hopes that the expansion could be a huge economic boost. Certainly, one thing everyone can agree on is creating more jobs for locals. Hopefully, the NT government, ELA and the native land owners will find themselves on the same page – and they have to, because the space center sits on Aboriginal land, and ultimately ELA is just a sub-lessee.
Japan – While nearly everyone is focused on the historic SLIM landing – and rightfully so – Japan has other big plans for Q1 beyond the “moon sniper.” The nation’s space agency and rocket manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are targeting February 15th for the next launch of the domestic H3 rocket. Should the departure date stick, this launch will come a year after a disheartening failed attempt in March 2023. Unlike last March’s attempt, the next launch of the H3 rocket will not contain a valuable payload, in an effort to reduce risk. The success of a domestic rocket would be monumental for Japan, allowing the country to avoid reliance on foreign providers.
And that’s a wrap on this week in space news! Keep an eye out for something extra special in your inbox tomorrow as well as this coming Monday for MOONSHOT, our paid subscriber newsletter covering the commercial space sector. A big thank you to Tess Ryan for writing this edition with me and for keeping up with the cosmos! We hope you enjoyed reading Continuum this week and will share it with your friends. And if you really, really like us, then consider becoming a paid subscriber or gifting a subscription so we can keep putting out more space content.
Keep it celestial people,
Britt
CEO of Celestial Citizen & Creator of Continuum