Chuck Yeager noticed that when flying a F-104 Starfighter and the motor failed because of lack of oxygen:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rDARfprCww

A Falcon9 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Station in California has put in orbit 10 Iridium satellites for communication. The first stage landed in a barge in the Pacific ocean.
Tullio

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SpaceX Dragon has returned to Earth and splashed Sunday in the Pacific Ocean, to be recovered and brought to a port.
Tullio

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Another successful launch. Now we wait and see whether they can put the lander on the moon.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

According to "Nature" the Beresheet mission will reach the Moon on April 4 and deposit a lander on April 11.
Tullio

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Beresheet looks an interesting project:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47313486
Remember it's the job of the launch vehicle to get the payload to its destination - in this case into Lunar orbit. It's the job of the lander to get to the Lunar surface in one, functioning, lump.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.— SpaceX is counting down toward a historic test flight early Saturday of its first spaceship designed to carry astronauts, and you can watch the action live online.

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Live feed: SPACEx will soon dock at the ISS ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJV5uMM0PBM

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Apr 3, 1999 - May 3, 2020

It was safely captured and plugged in the International Docking Station. Canada is joining with NASA on the Moon program with a new Canadarm.
Tullio

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SpaceX Crew Dragon Splashes Down after Historic Test Flight.

The first mission of SpaceX’s new astronaut taxi is in the books.
The Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast today (March 8) at 8:45 a.m. EST (1345 GMT), wrapping up a historic mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

Cheers.

SpaceX should have tested a TestHopper in Chica Boca, Texas, as part of a rocket intended to go to Mars. But I don't have any detail on it.
Tullio

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Elon Musk's SpaceX might launch 'Test Hopper' — a prototype for a giant Mars rocket ship — for the first time this week
https://nordic.businessinsider.com/spacex-test-hopper-raptor-engine-static-fire-boca-chica-texas-elon-musk-starship2019-3?r=US&IR=T

SpaceX Crew Dragon has exploded with no casualties on the test site witth what was was called an "anomaly" by the NASA Administrator. It seems the the Draco and SuperDraco rockets which should support an abort did not work as expected. The whole Crew Dragon program is now delayed until the reasons are found. Also the Boeing program for a crew launch vehicle is delayed. NASA is still relying on the Russian Soyuz workhorses, one of which performed a perfect abort. The Northrop Grumman Cygnus arrived at the ISS and was latched to the Unity module, where it will stay until July after delivering its precious load. At least this program worked.
Tullio

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The road to space is bumpy, as many new entrants have learned, like the Israeli Beresheet, which crashed on thr Moon. And nothing was heard more of the second Chinese Jade Rabbit, a rover on the Moon. JPL is still in a class by itself, and Insight has recorded the first Mars quake.
Tullio

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I watched on NASA TV a Blue Origin New Shepard rocket starting from West Texas and carrying a capsule above the Karman height at 100 km. The booster landed back stable and the capsule landed on parachute. SpaceX Dragon should launch tomorrow carrying the OCO-3 Orbital Carbon Observatory to the ISS.
Tullio

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Falcon9 hs launched the CRS17 mission to the ISS. Arrival on Monday.

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Dragon is now safely bolted to the ISS. The process of grasping and bolting is made by the Canadarm2 robotic arm.

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I know that NASA is working on a Space Launch System, probably meant for the Moon Space Gateway
Tullio

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What bit them in the behind is the part of the system that may allow them to make a soft landing without the aid of parachutes. The recovery of the boosters with a soft landing is a major achievement but powered landing of the crew capsule is a horse of a different color. In order to get enough thrust with a minimum amount of fuel so far requires the use of hypergolic chemicals which are still unstable and can lead to failures such as happened last month. I'm betting that if Musk, for the time being, switches totally to a parachute system his capsules will be man rated not too far behind schedule.

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.