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from the to-boldly-go-where-only-a-few-men-have-gone-before dept.
Third European Service Module for Artemis Mission to Land Astronauts on the Moon:
It's official: when astronauts land on the Moon in 2024 they will get there with help from the European Service Module. The European Space Agency signed a contract with Airbus to build the third European Service Module for NASA's Orion spacecraft that will ferry the next astronauts to land on the Moon.
NASA's Artemis program is returning humans to the Moon with ESA's European Service Module supplying everything needed to keep the astronauts alive on their trip in the crew module – water, air, propulsion, electricity, a comfortable temperature as well as acting as the chassis of the spacecraft.
The third Artemis mission will fly astronauts to Earth's natural satellite in 2024 – the first to land on the Moon since Apollo 17 following a hiatus of more than 50 years.
ESA's director of Human and Robotic Exploration David Parker said: "By entering into this agreement, we are again demonstrating that Europe is a strong and reliable partner in Artemis. The European Service Module represents a crucial contribution to this, allowing scientific research, development of key technologies, and international cooperation – inspiring missions that expand humankind's presence beyond Low Earth Orbit."
[...] The first European Service Module is being handed over to NASA at their Kennedy Space Center for an uncrewed launch next year, and the second is in production at the Airbus integration hall in Bremen, Germany.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday June 02 2020, @04:26PM (7 children)
Did anyone else get slightly nauseous the 20th time you heard the phrase "American Astronauts launched on an American made rocket from American soil"?
There was also a brief segue during the SpaceX launch coverage into the SpaceForce stuff... which made it all clear to me why Russia suddenly started saber rattling with their new submarine base killer Hbomb torpedoes shortly after the Cheeto in Chief took office.
At least there's still functional international cooperation in the major programs going forward, trampoline jokes notwithstanding.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 4, Insightful) by takyon on Tuesday June 02 2020, @04:53PM (3 children)
Space Force changes nothing about what the Air Force was already doing. U.S., Russia, and China have been working on new weapons for years, such as hypersonic missiles.
Is this the torpedo you're talking about?
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/new-russian-submarine-carries-ultimate-doomsday-weapon-155081 [nationalinterest.org]
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(Score: 4, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday June 02 2020, @05:49PM (2 children)
No, 2MT 108knots unlimited range unmanned - that's a different beast.
The one I remember from early 2017 was a 20MT "base buster" intended to neutralize targets like King's Bay submarine base. I live a bit over 50 miles from King's Bay - 20MT going off there would be... unpleasant.
I agree that "SpaceForce" is nothing new, capability wise. It's more of a PR package: emphasizing the space capabilities the same way that the Air Force emphasizes airborne capabilities, etc. However, just putting "SpaceForce" on a broadcast like the SpaceX launch seemed completely counter to the "Came in peace, for all mankind" messaging of my youth.
All these weapons programs happen all the time - lots of them (like X37) try to keep as low a profile as possible. A reorg like Space Force doesn't just invite Netflix mini-series lampooning, it's the US equivalent of a big "in your face" parade of the big guns down the capital city center street. Maybe that's why the Don visited North Korea, besides affording the CIA an opportunity to slip some poison to Kim Jong Un, he was probably looking for parade tips.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by takyon on Tuesday June 02 2020, @06:10PM (1 child)
It will look 33% prettier than Castle Bravo, at least.
It sounds like a mismatch, but I would have to see that segment. SpaceX has routinely thanked the U.S. Air Force for monitoring their launches. If Space Force is taking over that duty then it makes sense to mention them or even give them a small commercial during the broadcast (like what they do for customers, for example Qatar in Nov. 2018).
Also, Space Force participation seems to go beyond that:
Space Force rescue units prepare for ‘new era’ of commercial human spaceflight [spacenews.com]
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(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday June 02 2020, @07:15PM
It was brief - I remember being a little surprised that NASA TV didn't even show a still of T(he)rump watching the launch, but then they started spouting Space Force military capability this, control of space that, ensure the safety of our assets the other, and then they moved on.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday June 02 2020, @09:24PM (2 children)
It's probably pent up pride mixed with piss off't ness at politicians for letting America get into a situation where it had no manned launch capability. How could this happen? Politicians!
SLS will be ready any decade now!
The Lunacy of NASA’s Pretend Moon Program [insidesources.com]
The age of men is over. The time of the Orc has come.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday June 02 2020, @09:37PM
I was living next to the Houston Space Center when Bush (W) announced "his bold initiative to return to the moon." Nobody got terribly excited about it, good news to be sure, some more money, less layoffs in the near term, but hardly credible.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday June 02 2020, @09:54PM
They could definitely do it by 2024 if they wanted to. Build the dumb Lunar Gateway segments, launch them with Falcon Heavy rockets, send astronauts*, use the lander module. The technology involved is not novel.
Will it happen on time? Meh. 2028 was the original plan.
NASA no longer counting on Gateway for 2024 moon landing [spaceflightnow.com]
*Maybe they have to drop Orion [wikipedia.org] from the plan.
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