The Space Thread - Launches, Events, Live Streams, Governments, Corporations, drama in Spaaaaaaaaaaaace

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Are they getting anywhere with the two stranded astronauts?
 
Ars Technica: Long-time advocate of SLS rocket says it’s time to find an “off-ramp” (archive)
"We need an off-ramp for reliance on the SLS," said Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, in written testimony. He issued the statement in advance of a hearing about US space policy, and the future of NASA's Artemis Moon program, before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

A physicist and influential policy expert, Pace has decades of experience researching and writing space policy. He has served in multiple Republican administrations, most recently as executive secretary of the National Space Council from 2017 to 2020. He strongly advocated for the SLS rocket after Congress directed NASA to develop it in 2011.
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At some point they really need to stop pretending those flights are missions to space.

I went down a little pointless rabbit hole.

I saw a story the other day about Australia's first female in space. It was a fluff piece about when she was a kid in Syndey, an Astronaut visited her school. She was inspired and went on to learn all the sciences and train her whole life to achieve her dream. She's a physicist and a business woman. Yet all she did was take a tourist flight. It was packaged as if she was a trained and qualified astronaut on a mission, the culmination of a lifetime's hard work.

I typed in Australian female astronaut and information came up about Katherine Bennell-Pegg. Decent looking woman who is the first qualified Australian female astronaut. Yet to fly, though. Endless photoshoots and images of her holding space helmets and larping as if she has been to space. I understand you do need to train before flying. I also saw her listed as Australia's first astronaut.

The qualification would be the Australians who have been astronauts like Andy Thomas were dual nationalities with America or the UK. Didn't technically fly as Australian astronauts. Yet Katherine is a dual national with the UK and that's how she got selected by the ESA for consideration for astronaut training. For which she didn't make it to the final round.

It was the 2022 ESA Astronaut Group. She was considered but was not selected as part of the 17-person crew.

It then seems Australia then just paid the ESA to give her basic training. So now she's potentially the first Australian astronaut who may fly under an Australian flag... even though there's no Australian capability or plans or missions or anything for her to do so. She works for the Australian Space Agency and is trotted out to inspire little girls. I'm sure she's smart and capable and does good stuff, but it's just interesting how it is all kind of symbolic and meaningless.

Then I look a little further and come across Meganne Christian. She is also an Australian and UK dual citizen. She actually made it to the 17-person crew selected in the 2022 ESA Astronaut group. Actually is a reserve astronaut who could fly.

Then I'll circle back to the original first Australian female to go to space. She was born in Singapore.
 
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Ironically, Australia could have a really good Space program. It's position in the Southern Hemisphere with great weather and clear skies most of the year is ideal for a launch facility. Would require however spending the huge amounts of money up front though.
 
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mindlessobserver said:
Ironically, Australia could have a really good Space program. It's position in the Southern Hemisphere with great weather and clear skies most of the year is ideal for a launch facility. Would require however spending the huge amounts of money up front though.
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funny you say that, i made a post about one of their space programs recently in the Aus thread
company set up on Aboriginal land, so anything they wanted built needed their Aboriginal councils approval approval
the The Northern Land Council made promises and gave deadlines they did not stick to, then blamed the space program for "rushing" them by demanding they stick to their own schedule
it took so long to approve any further expansions they could no longer operate their business so they fired the locals and shut their doors
there is good news though
QLD saw this massive opportunity and offered the space program company a deal to set up their space program in QLD which they agreed to
they have been given the green light to move their operations as soon as they are able
 
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Australia could soon be the seventh country in the world sending its own rockets into space from home soil, with a mid-March window open for a launch from the Whitsundays in north Queensland.

Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space Technologies has announced a launch window, starting “no earlier” than March 15, for the maiden flight of Eris, the first Australian-designed and built rocket aiming for orbit.
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https://newsreel.com.au/article/business/countdown-on-for-australias-first-rocket-launch/
 
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Ars Technica: When Europe needed it most, the Ariane 6 rocket finally delivered (archive)
"The return of Donald Trump to the White House, with Elon Musk at his side, already has significant consequences on our research partnerships, on our commercial partnerships," Baptiste said. "Should I mention the uncertainties weighing today on our cooperation with NASA and NOAA, when emblematic programs like the ISS (International Space Station) are being unilaterally questioned by Elon Musk?
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Starship launch watch (~T-01:19:00): https://kiwifarms.st/threads/spacex...n-starlink-starship-mars.163830/post-20766149
 
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