On today’s show:
- Launch delays,
- China dreams of rocket reusability
- And, these SpaceBees!
Click on the link below to listen to the podcast:
https://tmrr.podbean.com/e/episode-10-i-know-what-you-did-last-gdp/
Intro background music POD Dreams by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/56307 Ft: Debbizo, Michael Bacich.
China in space
OneSpace test launch out of Northwest China (likely the Jiuquan launch range)
OneSpace is pursuing small satellite launch services
Commercial rocket
- OS-X is a very small rocket, probably comparable to Rocket Lab’s Electron in capability
- Only went 40 km (25 miles) into the air–not even space
Questions about provenance of the OS-X and OneSpace
- Military in origin?
China also talked about the Long March 8 (Chang Zheng 8)
- CZ-8 is supposed to be reusable
- Very small–again small sat-focused
- Looks like some other company’s reusable rocket
- Also, right now only in CAD–not real yet
- Will the CZ-8 be “embiggened?”
Satellites and “true GDP”
Nighttime lights correlate with a nation’s GDP?
Governments probably have been doing this for a long time
However something has changed
- Small satellite costs
- Launch costs?
More SpaceBees
From The Atlantic, the FCC was investigating Swarm’s misconduct and concluded the investigation early this month
Nothing definitive.
The article makes a few assumptions:
- First they need the government’s blessing
- Second, the satellites pose a danger
Addressing the first:
- There’s evidence the unpredictability, slowness, and costs of getting FCC permission to launch are too much for some
- Some are leaving the country to work within laws of other countries, that are a bit more accommodating
The second–the danger might be technical talent leaving the U.S., which is ironic considering the political environment regarding immigrants taking jobs
But nothing else on this.
Russian Naval Space Fleet
And by fleet, we mean ships on the ocean
Just some interesting pictures of the ships Russia used to track and talk with satellites and spacecraft
Show links
Launch schedule: https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
China OneSpace launch: https://qz.com/1280638/onespace-says-it-launched-the-chinas-first-privately-built-rocket/
China reusable rocket: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/heres-chinas-plan-to-compete-with-spacex-and-blue-origin/ar-AAxhtYY
Shining light on GDP:
More SpaceBees: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/05/rogue-satellites-launch-fcc/555482/
Russian Space Navy: https://www.rbth.com/science-and-tech/328318-soviet-naval-space-fleet
The Mad Spaceball 