Earth Orbit

The Hubble space telescope needs an orbital boost:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/hubble-really-needs-a-push-to-a-higher...

NASA will be aware of course, but probably has a funding problem that needs a strong business case despite James Webb functioning now.

Updates for the ongoing LandSat program. Further down that page, there are tributes to Virginia Norwood, the original LandSat developer, who died earlier this year at age 96:

https://twitter.com/USGSLandsat

A good summary of Earth's recent ideas about skyhooks:

https://interestingengineering.com/science/skyhooks-might-just-make-rockets-a-th...

Could the best material for building a skyhook be graphene? Link:

https://www.cnn.com/world/graphene-abu-dhabi-hnk-spc-intl/index.html

More frequent launches in China's reusable space plane program:

https://article.wn.com/view/2023/12/14/China_launches_secret_space_plane_on_3rde...

>4 MaureenRoy: The X37B space plane seems like a natural for the skyhook sling. Slung to where & for what purpose I’m not really sure however.

https://www.space.com/x-37b-military-space-plane-surprising-facts

Just launched from Florida on a triple-loaded (3 rocket cores) Falcon Heavy launch vehicle, built by Boeing for SpaceX, a US classified military mission to high Earth orbit has begun:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-militarys-secretive-spaceplane-launched-on-...

Here's that report on the Space Flight Now website:

https://spaceflightnow.com/2023/12/28/live-coverage-spacex-takes-second-swing-at...

All Science! members, please comment on the following news article:

https://thenextweb.com/news/esa-worlds-first-metal-3d-printer-space-iss

Earth's first 3D metal printer, they say. If it works safely, that could help accelerate near-Earth orbital progress in supporting the International Space Station and other investigative work beyond Earth's solar system.

If you do have a negative response to make about any of these comments on this thread, direct that comment to me so that we all have a chance to reflect on critiques without the targeting of specific group members. I promise to give fair scrutiny to any negative remarks ... number one, I can take it, number two, it's part of how we grow.

The US Space Plane:

https://www.wsj.com/video/series/shelby-holliday/inside-boeings-x-37b-space-plan...

A US startup company wants to relieve the data transfer bottleneck between Earth and space:

https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/19/disney-star-bridgit-mendler-launches-satellite-s...

Scheduled liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force/Space Force Base on the California coast Friday evening, March 29th:

https://spaceflightnow.com/2024/03/28/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-22-starlink...

It will then launch 22 Starlink satellites into Earth orbit.

These weather delays are severe. Over the last three days an atmospheric river firehose has played over SoCal. Time will tell.

The good news is that tonight in North America, the Boeing Starliner is scheduled for takeoff at 11 pm Eastern Time from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with two human test pilots at the helm. The bad news is that my time zone (PDT in Los Angeles county) will still be experiencing a local LA county electricity interruption that is scheduled to end at 8pm our time ... but if that is delayed, I will miss seeing the live launch.

Here is the NASA YouTube link for today's live NASA coverage of this launch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6HvwM-LgeM

Here is a second NASA YouTube channel that looks more like the official NASA launch channel ... live coverage there starts about five hours before tonight's scheduled launch time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb3qcR2tUQs

Not today:

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/06/world/nasa-space-launch-boeing-starliner-scn/...

It wasn't just "a valve," it was an oxygen valve. NASA will re-schedule this launch.

Progress in using wood for building space satellites:

https://interestingengineering.com/space/japan-finally-built-worlds-first-wooden...

On Saturday, June 1, 2024, the next test flight of the Boeing Starliner spacecraft with 2 human test pilots aboard is scheduled for shortly after 12 noon EST from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/boeings-1st-astronaut-flight-now-set-f...

Status of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and its payload of Starlink satellites after a launch malfunction:

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/spacex-falcon-9-second-stage-engine-ca...

NASA will launch a small artificial star:

https://www.iflscience.com/nasa-will-soon-launch-an-artificial-star-into-orbit-o...

Will this launch also give a ride home to NASA test pilots stranded on the ISS?:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/spacex-nasa-launch-crew-9-mission-next-...

The entire question of what is a safe distance or elevation of Earth orbit for fully automated spacecraft, and even more so for any orbital craft containing human beings, may have to be re-thought:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2444182-lightning-can-make-energy-waves-tha...

Last-minute update from SpaceX on their manned launch this week:

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/26/science/polaris-dawn-crew-spacex-jared-isaacm...

https://spaceflightnow.com/

Update on the X platform August 31, 2024, from Mr. Musk:

Starlink is the only high-bandwidth Internet system that covers all of Earth.

It will probably deliver over 90% of all space-based Internet traffic next year.

One of his colleagues also replied to that tweet today to say that US T-Mobile clients will have access to Starlink later this year. I am a T-Mobile client, so time will tell.

Lessons learned about the just-returned Boeing space shuttle craft:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/07/science/video/lessons-learned-boeing-starliner-la...

A Falcon 9 rocket takes off Saturday September 28, 2024, to pick up NASA test pilots from the International Space Station:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/28/science/spacex-launch-starliner-crew-9-astronauts...

Stunning video footage of a SpaceX rocket taking off, ascending to near orbit, detaching itself and returning to the Earth. It then makes a controlled landing into a grabber apparatus that Elon Musk says looks like toothpicks:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/world/boeings-starliner-returns-to-earth/20...

This is the SpaceX Super Heavy booster.

A wooden satellite has been launched into space:

https://www.dw.com/en/worlds-first-wooden-satellite-launched-into-space/a-706913...

Update on the healing hole in Earth's ozone layer:

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/videos/watch-antarctic-ozone-hole-develop-...

There will be a test of quantum navigation technology:

https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/07/a-secretive-space-plane-is-set-to-launch-a...

Successful Falcon-9 rocket launch of astronauts at Cape Canaveral, Florida on Friday, August 1, 2025:

https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/07/31/live-coverage-nasa-spacex-to-launch-crew-1...

Beyond the lifespan of the US international space station:

https://www.slashgear.com/1984453/nasa-commercial-space-stations-and-multiple-ph...

Interview on Sunday, November 16, 2025 with US astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson about current astronomical events and about his new book:

https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/15/weather/video/neil-degrasse-tyson-talks-about-nor...

Many current events listed at NASA:

https://www.nasa.gov/

My long wait for a rocket bigger than the legendary US Saturn 5 is over:

https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/20/blue-origin-reveals-a-super-heavy-variant-of-i...

New book in November 2025:

https://www.amazon.com/Launch-Rocket-Lab-Peter-Griffin/dp/0473741229/ref=v1fx_ne...

NASA's response to Russian launch site damage:

https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/12/after-key-russian-launch-site-is-damaged-n...

From Earth, viewing of the International Space Station:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/05/06/international-space-statio...

AI-powered summaries on scheduled space flights from Earth, with free options:

https://spacelaunchlive.com/