AstrotalkUK

Not for profit website/blog on astronomy, space and my writing

Episode 84: NASA after the Shuttle. SLS and The Gateway

By Leave a Comment

David Baker

David Baker has been involved with the USA since childhood. First attending a US school in England and then studying in the US under a scholarship program sponsored by Senator Clinton P Anderson. He returned to the USA and worked for NASA on various programs from Gemini to the SpaceShuttle. He was present in mission control in 1970 and witnessed the drama of Apollo 13 first hand.

He joined the British Interplanetary Society in 1965, published his first article in the society’s journal Spaceflight in 1969 and since 2011 has been the editor of that very journal -Spaceflight. To date, he has published a remarkable 110 books by the close of 2018 with a few more in the pipeline for 2019 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Apollo 11.

(Note – following questions on the veracity of his Phd, David Baker resigned from the BIS as the editor of Spaceflight on 25th March 2021.)

In this episode, we talk about the current status of the space programme in the US and the changing role of NASA.

  • The USA has not been able to launch US astronauts from the USA since the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011. NASA found itself in a similar position between 1975 (Apollo Soyuz Test programme) and the first Space Shuttle in 1981.
  • Why NASA dropped the Ares programme and why its replacement, the Space Launch System (SLS) schedule remains unclear. The first SLS mission, uncrewed – Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1) by 2020 and the second crewed mission, Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2) by 2023.
  • The successor to the ISS, the “Gateway” is an international project for a space station in lunar orbit. Only about a third of the size of the ISS and it will have fewer international partners.
  • The gateway is seen by Russia as an American lead programme. Will Russia participate with the gateway or consider a joint Russia/China human spaceflight programme?
  • China/USA cooperation in space has been prohibited ny US law. What prospects that this will change?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:55 — 24.8MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS | More

Heads of National Space Agencies plenary session – IAC2018. Bremen, Germany.

By Leave a Comment

Heads of Space Agencies: Plenary Session IAC2018

This is my recording of the Heads of Space Agency plenary session on 1st October – the first day of the IAC2018. It was not recorded with the intention to publish online. However, here it is unedited – for anyone who may benefit from it.

In Attendance:

  • Dmitry Loskutov in place of Dmitry Rogozin – (Roscosmos)
  • Hiroshi Yamakawa – (JAXA)
  • Johann-Dietrich Woerner – (ESA)
  • Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Moderator – BBC)
  • Jim Bridenstine – (NASA)
  • K. Sivan – (ISRO)
  • Sylvain Laporte – Canadian Space Agency
  • ZHANG Kejian China National Space Administration

Some of my notes below – Timeline (mins:Sec)

04:50    Jan Woerner – ESA  
10:28    K Sivan – ISRO
15:16    Zang Kejian – CNSA (speaking via translator)
26 Launches since Jan 2018
Chang-e-4 Lunar rover before end of year (Relay sat already
launched)
5 More GNSS satellites before the end of year
Willing to collaborate internationally
Social, economic, climate change – support Asian – Asia and African
nations
China joint projects – Brazil, France, ESA, (Chang-e4 Sweden,
Germany, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia)
An announcement of opportunity 10kg payload available for
international partners on the Chang’e6 Sample return mission
CSS will be completed by 2022. Also, welcome international
cooperation on the CSS
Welcome international partners in its growing commercial space
market.
Established “Space Day” in China to encourage the younger generation
25:40 Hiroshi Yamakawa (JAXA)
Hayabusa 2 – Rover Minerva landed on Ryugu.  Lander Mascot (built
by DLR/CNES)
MMX Mission to Mars
Asia Specific Forum – 25th anniversary in Singapore
JAXA welcomes international partners.
The combined budget of all space agencies around the world. 42.5
Billion (21.5=NASA).
30:18 Dmitry Loskutov (Roscosmos)
35:05 Sylvain Laporte Canadian Space Agency
44:10 Jim Bridenstine (NASA)
 Hope to get 10k attendance in Washington IAC2019
Lunar gateway – Back to the Moon to stay. Sustainable open architecture open to commercial and international partners. It will also serve as a deep space transport to Mars.

53:10 Q&A

1:18:26 End

Heads of National Space Agencies Press Conference: IAC2018 Bremen, Germany

By Leave a Comment

Heads of Space Agency Press Conference IAC2018

This is my recording of the Heads of Space Agency press conference 1st October – the first day of IAC2018. This video was not initially intended to be published. But here it is unedit – some may find it of interest.

In Attendance:Left to right

  • Dmitry Loskutov in place of Dmitry Rogozin – (Roscosmos)
  • Hiroshi Yamakawa – (JAXA)
  • Johann-Dietrich Woerner – (ESA)
  • Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Moderator – BBC)
  • Jim Bridenstine – (NASA)
  • K. Sivan – (ISRO)
  • Sylvain Laporte – Canadian Space Agency (not present)
  • Zhang Kejian China National Space Administration (not present)

Some notes

Head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin – prevented by sanctions against Russia to travel to Germany. Replaced by Dmitry Loskutov.

Bridenstein:

  • Experiments on ISS from 103 countries
  • Gateway – Open architecture, a fraction of the size of the ISS. is not in LEO so has no radiation protection from the Van Allen Belts
  • Reduced electromagnetic radiation from Earth. May allow new experiments in astrophysics
  • Multiple trips to lunar surface from the Gateway and hence potential for new science experiments on the surface.
  • Question: Is NASA subsidising SpaceX?  Did not deny it outright at the outset.
  • Nasa’s goal is in establishing a capability, lower cost and enhanced innovation. Ultimately more customers for SpaceX not just Nasa and more service providers – not just SpaceX.
  • My question on when the US law that prohibits US/China collaboration in space will end? 
  • Answer: The law expires and is renewed every year. (Left it open ended really). 
  • Question: Is China space programme is too close to Chinese military? Answer: This is a concern for US government and Nasa will do what its government permits it to do 

Sivan

  • Indi ahs no plans for human missions to the Moon.
  • Regarding India cooperating with China on human spaceflight training, he left it open-ended. I think he was aware of the deal for Modi administration was making with Russia (announced a few days later) but could not say anything at this press conference.

Woerner:

  • ESA Astronauts are learning Chinese. Will fly with China in the future but no date yet.

National Astronomy Meeting 2012 – A great success

By Leave a Comment

Nationl Astronomy Meeting - Manchester 2012Although I did not manage to speak to everyone I had hoped to, no one ever said no to my request. Thanks to all of you especially Professor Natalie Batalha  with whom I could not find a matching time slot. Also thanks to Robert Massey and the RAS, all the individuals in the NAM2012 t-shirts and especially JBCA staff including  Professor Phillipa Browning  who as I saw at the last plenary session – pretty much exhausted.

It was also great to see so many familiar faces from Manchester Astronomical Society and Liverpool Astronomical Society who brought their solar telescopes to take advantage of the now typical Mancunian sunny skies. A great week for astronomy and Manchester congratulations to all who made it happen.

I did some recordings on Thursday and Friday as listed below.  I will put out the podcasts in coming weeks.

 

* * *

Thursday 29th 

Nik Szymanek One of the country’s most familiar names in astrophotography.  For someone who spends much of his time staring at the heavens Nik is a very down to Earth kind of guy.  Amongst other things, Nik spoke about his new adventure, a remote telescope based in Spain. I first spoke to Nik back in 2008 in episode two.

 

Friday 30th

Professor David Southwood as a former ESA director of Science is a familiar face in UK space and astronomy meetings. I first came across him in 2008 to for this video interview.

My chat with him this time was equally unplanned and unrehearsed. Now that he has retired, I thought it would be fun to play a game of Dessert Island Space Discs, celestial bodies that perhaps he has been in some way associated with during his carrier, where he may wish to be shipwrecked. He played along. We only had time for four, his first choice.. was Enceladus. Great fun.

Professor Albert Zijlstra :  Although he is the director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics over 20 miles away, I recorded the interview in his office in a new building on Upper Brook street. We spoke about the very broad approach of NAM2012. Schools, amateur astronomers and the public seemed to be an integral element from the start.

Mark Purver from the Jodcast team provided a brief overview of how the Jodcast got started. If you missed NAM2012 altogether, check Jodcast archive  for a flavour of the whole week. Mark and the team put together an episode per day during the meeting.  There is a whole lot else there too.

Professor Mike Bode  has been the driving force behind the Liverpool Telescope project from the beginning. A huge telescope built and operated to professional standards is also available to school kids and amateur astronomers.