exploration

I’m losing faith in SpaceX

- The author says they’ve started losing faith in SpaceX, citing recent developments despite previously admiring Falcon 9’s reliability and launch cadence. - They accept Starship’s expected failures but criticize SpaceX for repeatedly making unrealistic promises about Starship’s capabilities. - The post cites a Raptor 3 failure on flight 12 and disputes claimed Block 3 LEO payload of 100+ tonnes, estimating ~91 tonnes from back-of-envelope calculations. - The author also mentions concerns about SpaceX’s IPO and overall messaging, asking for others’ views.

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Photo by @spacex / Unsplash

ESA Eyes Ariane 6 For Human Spaceflight

- ESA is evaluating adapting the Ariane 6 launch vehicle for human spaceflight, studying necessary modifications and certification for crewed missions. - Assessment focuses on safety upgrades, human-rating requirements, and design changes to support astronauts and crewed spacecraft. - The initiative aims to provide Europe with an independent crew access capability to

Why Orbital Data Centers Are Harder Than Silicon Valley Thinks

- Orbital data centers promise lower latency and global coverage but face major engineering challenges. - Heat rejection in vacuum, radiation shielding, and reliability without physical maintenance are significant hurdles. - High launch and deployment costs, limited power availability, and strict mass constraints complicate designs. - Economic and regulatory uncertainties, plus competition from improving

Eric Berger on Ars Technica: "We managed to glean some interesting details about the Artemis III mission"

- Eric Berger wrote an Ars Technica piece reporting newly gleaned details about NASA’s Artemis III mission. - The article summarizes emerging information on mission timeline, spacecraft/hardware and planned lunar operations. - It discusses landing location and surface activities in the context of program goals. - Berger notes implications for NASA’s

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