The Orbital Mechanics Podcast

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Natural Sciences
**The Orbital Mechanics Podcast**

Every week we cover the latest spaceflight news, discuss past, current and future exploration efforts, and take a look at upcoming events. Tune in to hear about how humans get to space, how they stay in space and how unmanned craft reach farther and farther into the universe around us.

Latest Episodes:

Episode 293: Spacebots, Roll Out! Jan 20, 2021

Show notes

Spaceflight news

— ISS to get more solar panels! (space.com) (spacenews.com) (americaspace.com) (nasa.gov)

— 2017 Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) demo (americaspace.com) (en.wikipedia.org) (jettison GIF)

— Cassidy and Behnken removed H-fixtures from the base of two port-side arrays Last July (youtu.be)

Short & Sweet

— InSight’s mole is finally retired. (spacenews.com) (airspacemag.com)

— SLS test fire shuts down early. (americaspace.com) (twitter.com/waynehale) (blogs.nasa.gov) (nasa.gov)

— China proposes Jupiter mission that may include Callisto landing. (planetary.org)

This week in SF history

— 20 Jan, 1967. S-IVB-503 explodes at Douglas due to incorrect weld fill material. (astronautix.com) (uah.contentdm.oclc.org)

— Next week (1/26 - 2/1) in 1990: Like a маятник.

Episode 292: Ungoogleable Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

Spaceflight news

— NASA selects four small-scale missions to further develop (nasa.gov) (spacenews.com)

— Pioneers program (science.nasa.gov)

— Aspera (news.arizona.edu)

— Pandora (twitter.com/elsisrad)

— StarBurst (twitter.com/Dr_ThomasZ)

— PUEO - Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PDF: arxiv.org)

Short & Sweet

— Dynetics submits details for its HLS bid. (executivebiz.com)

— NASA extends Juno and InSight (nasa.gov)

— DARPA satellites damaged (HT Mike Stewart: spacenews.com)

This week in SF history

— 17th January, 1997: Loss of GPS-IIR-1 on Delta II (en.wikipedia.org) (youtube.com) (youtube.com)

— Richard Gariott’s interview on Off-Nom (HT Ben Hallert: youtube.com)

— Next week (1/19 through 1/25) in 1967: simulated launch, not-so-simulated conflagration

Episode 291: Loss of Legs Jan 06, 2021

Show notes

Spaceflight news

— Landing Super Heavy (twitter.com/elonmusk) (reddit.com/r/SpaceXLounge)

— Scott Manley covered this technique (youtube.com)

— Possible claw-on-cables steadying mechanism (youtube.com)

— Small SN9 update (nasaspaceflight.com)

Short & Sweet

— Long March 8 successfully debuts (spaceflightnow.com)

— Protection of lunar heritage sites signed into law. (spacepolicyonline.com)

This week in SF history

— 7 Jan, 1985: launch of Sakigake (isas.jaxa.jp) (solarsystem.nasa.gov)

— Next week (1/12 through 1/18) in 1997, Rip, or R.I.P.

Episode 290: Get Out and Push Dec 23, 2020

Show notes

Spaceflight news

— Astra makes it to space! (twitter.com/lorengrush) (spacenews.com) (space.com)

— Orbital parameters (HT Mike Stewart twitter.com/planet4589)

— Chang’e-5 sample recovery (spacenews.com)

— Now headed to L1 (with DSCOVR) (HT Sam in the chat: twitter.com/AJ_FI)

Short & Sweet

— Project Kuiper reaches a milestone (parabolicarc.com)

— CSA is sending two astronauts to the Moon (asc-csa.gc.ca) (spacenews.com)

Questions, comments, corrections

— Call for help reconstructing Apollo 10 software (github.com/virtualagc)

— Quick software setup guide and code structure/syntax overview (youtube.com)

This week in SF history

— 25 Dec, 2003. Beagle 2 lands on Mars (nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov) (wikipedia.org) (PDF: sci.esa.int)

— Next week (1/5 - 1/11) in 1985: Headed for a first close to home.

Episode 289: Fierce Flip Dec 16, 2020

Show notes

Spaceflight news

— SN8 high-altitude flight (spacenews.com) (youtube.com) (youtube.com)

— SNM analysis/discussion (youtube.com)

— Accomplished all four main goals (twitter.com/elonmusk) (twitter.com/elonmusk) (twitter.com/elonmusk)

— Reduced goal altitude due to high atmosphere winds (HT Mike Stewart: nasaspaceflight.com)

Short & Sweet

— Artemis astronauts announced! (spacenews.com) (spacenews.com)

— Two smallsats selected for 2025 NASA mission. (americaspace.com)

— Space RIDER’s construction contracts awarded. (spacenews.com)

This week in SF history

— 21 Dec, 2004. Maiden flight of Delta IV Heavy (spacedaily.com) (spaceref.com) (PDF: ulalaunch.com) (space.com)

— Launch footage (youtube.com)

— Next week (12/22 - 12/28) in 2003: 11 years and 5 kilometers.

Episode 288: Sample Bonanza Dec 09, 2020

Show notes

Spaceflight news

— Chang’e-5 lunar sampling (spacenews.com) (spacenews.com) (theverge.com) (spaceflight101.com)

— Sample transfer happened shortly after docking (HT Sam in the chat: youtube.com) (twitter.com/050644zf)

— Hayabusa2 sample returns (spacenews.com) (hayabusa2.jaxa.jp) (twitter.com/haya2e_jaxa)

— Extended mission (smh.com.au) (hayabusa2.jaxa.jp)

Short & Sweet

— A new plane-launched rocket appears. (spacenews.com) (youtu.be) (thedrive.com) (twitter.com/thesheetztweetz)

— ESA signs the world’s first contract for space debris removal. (spacenews.com)

— First real-time link between high- and low-Earth orbits. (smallsatnews.com)

Questions, comments, corrections

— Espen via email: Speculation on Electron interstage TPS

This week in SF history

— 9 Dec, 1978. Pioneer Venus Multiprobe enters atmosphere. (adsabs.harvard.edu) (adsabs.harvard.edu) (nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov) (hughesscgheritage.com)

— Next week (12/15 through 12/21) in 2004, I get gas when you push me too hard.

Episode 287: Okay With the Hat Dec 02, 2020

Show notes

Spaceflight news

— Rocket Lab recovery (twitter.com/ChrisG_NSF)

— A list of direct quotes from the press conference (twitter.com/Erdayastronaut)

Short & Sweet

— Phobos rover begins landing tests. (space.com)

— The first H3 launches face delays. (spacenews.com)

— Starship prepares to hop (twitter.com/elonmusk)

— Carbice and Relativity raise millions in investment. (spacenews.com) (news.satnews.com) (theorbitalmechanics.com/show-notes/baratunde-cola) (theorbitalmechanics.com/show-notes/jordan-noone)

Questions, comments, corrections

— Ben Hallert: SN8 burst disc (twitter.com/chairboy)

This week in SF history

— 2 Dec, 1988. Launch of STS-27, the mission we almost lost Atlantis (youtube.com) (en.wikipedia.org) (spacefacts.de) (americaspace.com) (americaspace.com) (PDF: spaceflight.nasa.gov) (PDF: ntrs.nasa.gov)

— Next week (12/8-12/14) in 1978 - zero seconds, zero seconds, two seconds, 4,057 seconds, and N/A.

Episode 286: Rock Blade Nov 25, 2020

Show notes

Spaceflight news

— SN8 follow-up (twitter.com/elonmusk) (twitter.com/elonmusk) (youtube.com)

— Martyte is a ceramic-filled epoxy, used to coat the flame trench (ntrs.nasa.gov)

— Vega launch failure linked to human error (spacenews.com)

Short & Sweet

— Russian spacewalk completed to prepare for science module. (space.com)

— Loverro exit illuminated (washingtonpost.com)

— Skyrora test fires third-stage engine (satnews.com)

— Rocket Lab successfully recovers booster. (spaceflightnow.com)

Questions, comments, corrections

— Andy Z.: Moose, F9 delay for recovery zone weather by NASA or DOD, and Crew Dragon capacity (astronautix.com)

— Ben Hallert: VIF at Vandenberg? (twitter.com/chairboy) (spacenews.com)

— Don’t forget! 2800-2900 UTC, Dec 5, is the Hayabusa2 capsule reentry (smh.com.au) (hayabusa2.jaxa.jp)

This week in SF history

— 26 Nov, 1965. Launch of Astérix, the first French satellite (en.wikipedia.org)

— Next week (12/1 through 12/7) in 1988: A quarter degree to spill the tea

Episode 285: Trench-rich Combustion Nov 18, 2020

Show notes

Spaceflight news

— Starship SN8 fires a second (and third) time. (space.com) (youtube.com) (twitter.com/elonmusk)

— Crew-1 certified (spacenews.com) (spacenews.com) (americaspace.com) (two parter: americaspace.com / americaspace.com)

Short & Sweet

— Upgraded version of Sherpa tug to fly in mid-2021. (spacenews.com) (satnews.com)

— Bridenstein expected to turn down a continued position. (spacenews.com) (aviationweek.com)

— Mars Sample Return may be delayed. (spacenews.com)

— First Falcon Heavy Extended Fairing sold. (spacenews.com)

Questions, comments, corrections

— Ben Hallert: Gnome Chompski is 15 cm, not 15 mm (twitter.com/chairboy)

— From the intro: Congress does not authorize SOFIA sunset (spacenews.com)

This week in SF history

— 21 November 2000: Launch of EO-1, Earth Observing 1 (phys.org) (en.wikipedia.org) (earthobservatory.nasa.gov) (space.skyrocket.de)

— Lots of thanks to Emory Stagmer for presenting this week’s topic! (twitter.com/vaxheadroom)

— Next week (11/24 - 11/30) in 1965: Medaille de Bronze

Episode 284: DOWNLINK--Mark Lester Nov 11, 2020

Show notes

Spaceflight news

— Rocket lab aims to recover booster (spacenews.com) (aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org) (rocketlabusa.com)

Short & Sweet

— Spacebit doesn’t hate wheels, but does love sharing data. (spacenews.com)

— Galactic Energy reaches orbit. (spacenews.com)

— Virgin Galactic enters final testing phase before operations. (spacenews.com)

— The Curse of Scrubtober Ends. (americaspace.com) (spacenews.com)

Interview--Mark Lester, President & CEO, Alaska Aerospace Corporation

— akaerospace.com

— witter.com/alaskaaerospace

— linkedin.com/in/mark-d-lester

This week in SF history

— 11 Nov, 1982. STS-5, the first operational Shuttle mission, and the first to deploy satellites. (newspapers.com) (wikipedia.org) (PDF: spacepresskit.files.wordpress.com)

— Next week in 2000: Hyper carbon-carbon plasma

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