Tai Rade ( / tie rah-day / ) is our space correspondent and spokesperson.

This is her weekly take on what’s happening in space.

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No. 026 - 3 May  2024

• Moving In Stereo
• 300
• Our Symbol Of Space
• 18 Seconds
• My Latest Obsession
• Other Things

Tai here.

Last week was our Silver issue. This week, the 26th, we celebrate the halfway-point of what will (eventually) be a full year of The Tai Report.

Welcome to the middle.

Thank you to those who’ve been with us from the beginning. Thank you to those who’ve joined along the way. Thank you, especially, to those still reading each week.

I know I can be pretty no-nonsense at times (most of the time?), but I’m genuinely flattered that you’ve continued to find these reports worthy enough to open and read.

Thank you.

Okay, enough of that.

Let’s get started.

Moving In Stereo

We’re all slaves to physics. When it comes to satellites, however, and orbital objects in general, the bar for dynamic movement has always been pretty low.

Basically, we use mighty physics to launch whatever payload we’re launching high enough and fast enough so it goes into a desired orbit, then ...

Let it coast.

There’ve always been small thrusters of one sort or another, of course, for making slight adjustments to position, but nothing really that allows significant orbital maneuvers.

That’s about to change.

“Delta-v” is how we measure the ability to change velocity. In other words, the ability to maneuver. Delta-v is a measure of the impulse per unit of spacecraft mass. If your spacecraft has a delta-v capability of 500 meters per second, for example, and starts at a velocity of zero, then after it burns all of its propellant it would be traveling at 500 m/s.

Delta-v is hard.

But if we want to really start kicking around in orbit and doing lots more stuff up there (which we do want to do), we’ll need to be able to generate thrust for greater mobility.

New company, Portal Space Systems, is unveiling an alternative solution to deliver that muscle: solar-thermal propulsion ...

Solving Orbital Mobility With High Delta-V Spacecraft

300

Not the number of Spartans that fought 100,000+ Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae, though those guys were pretty damn badass in their own right.

No, another small group of badasses:

SpaceX’s fleet of Falcon boosters.

About a week ago they broke the 300th landing milestone.

As with most new “can’t be done” technologies which challenge our thinking, the naysayers years ago were loud.

It went through a progression something like this.

1. Land a rocket? Unworkable. Impossible.
2. No way does a reusable rocket work.
3. It may work, but it will never be reliable.
4. Well, this can’t last.
5. Dang. 300 landings? Really?

And all the upsides that go with those landings. Lower cost to launch (way lower) being one of the most significant.

I’m reminded of a quote from the Wright brothers, first humans to fly (controlled flight, anyway; no doubt a few of us humans have flown via catapult or other means down through the ages):

“If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true is really true, there would be little hope of advance.”

Thank the gods there are those among us who not only dream big, but take steps to bring those dreams to life.

With them in the lead our steady march of advance continues apace.

SpaceX Completes 300th Falcon Landing

Our Symbol Of Space

Starship is a paradigm shift. To a greater and greater degree it will turn all eyes to the next frontier, the moon and Mars.

The cultural and psychological impact of what it achieves will be more even than we anticipate.

Comparisons/Predictions: By next year, or certainly by 2026, Starship will be like the Statue of Liberty to America, the Eiffel Tower to France, where France and America are the space industry.

Starship will not be our conquest of space, but it and its image will define it. Starship will give the entire world a symbol to look to in association. In the minds of all it will equal space, in the same way the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower equal freedom and baguettes.

Progress for the Starship program, therefore, is of paramount importance …

SpaceX Making Progress On Starship

18 Seconds

Want to see 18 seconds of fusion?

Tritium Experiments Yield New Energy Record

Thanks for tuning in.

Never forget: Space is the answer.

- Tai

#FortySuns

#40suns

My latest Earth-culture obsession:

Skates. Roller skates, specifically. The Forty Suns team took me to a roller rink and, once again, I was blown away by the sheer amount of fun things you have to do here on Earth. Turns out I was pretty damn good. Best roller disco song? Dancing Queen, by ABBA.

Dad Joke (of the week):

Dad: You should never scream into a sieve.

Kid: Why?

Dad: Because you might strain your voice.

Last week’s reader feedback:

What’s the deal with NASA’s new solar sail experiment? I saw they launched one aboard an Electron rocket on the 23rd.

- QD

Tai’s response:

Yes, Rocket Lab launched a South Korean smallsat and a NASA solar sail experiment on the company’s fifth flight of the year. ACS3, or the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System, is supposed to test lightweight booms made of composite materials and a deployment system for the sail. Not sure where the mission stands right now, but if the sail is successfully unfurled the spacecraft will test its ability to maneuver using it. Solar sails, as you probably know, promise a unique way to travel using light for propulsion.

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No. 027 - 10 May  2024

• Starliner = Progress
• Einstein 2.0
• Sailing High
• Polaris Dawn
• My Latest Obsession
• Other Things

Tai here.

This is the state of space as of May 10th.

Let’s get started.

Starliner = Progress

The team and I went to watch the crewed Starliner launch Monday night (Forty Suns is HQ’ed on the Gulf Coast, a 2+ hour drive to the Space Coast), but it was a scrub. The decision to abort was made because a liquid oxygen, or LOX, valve on the Atlas V rocket was acting strange.

We were bummed, of course, but this was a smart call. After the announcement we ended up having a great campout, made a crazy-big campfire, managed not to set anyone alight, did smores — basically, typical fun stuff that’s so common here on Earth.

I love it.

Once Starliner goes up with a crew it will be a launch that gets a place in the history books.

Back in 2011, at the end of the Shuttle program, our astronauts left the ISS (International Space Station) on the final space shuttle, but not before leaving an American flag for the next American-launched crew to retrieve and return to Earth.

In the interim our guys went back and forth on Russian capsules, waiting until the US got back in the game. Boeing, makers of Starliner, were expected to be the ones to capture that flag and bring it home.

SpaceX and Dragon beat them to it.

In 2020 a private company, SpaceX, did the deed. America was back in the game (yay!), but it wasn’t NASA that got us there. This is partly due to the fact that Starliner has been plagued by all sorts of delays, this Monday’s scrub only being the latest.

But I'm excited. Because things are happening. We're developing more and more ways to get people into space and I think — delays or no — we’re making progress like never before.

Einstein 2.0

Interesting discoveries happening of late in cosmology and physics. Some of the headlines have been kinda splashy, most not so much, but the upshot has been that, with our latest generation of instruments, observations and analysis, we’re starting to peel back elements of a few long standing mysteries.

Or perhaps it’s more like we’re starting to remember there’s still a lot left to learn.

Some of the things we thought were pretty ironclad … may not be.

In a nutshell, in one of the latest discoveries researchers have found what they're calling a “cosmic glitch” in gravity, which could potentially help explain the universe's strange behavior on a cosmic scale.

Physicists Say They May Have Found A Powerful Glitch In The Universe

A few of these new discoveries are at once introducing fresh takes on old problems, while at the same time threatening to shake a few of our current foundations.

Science, as we sometimes forget, is a fluid process of discovery.

Reminding me of a quote from theoretical physicist, Freeman Dyson:

“The public has a distorted view of science, because children are taught in school that science is a collection of firmly established truths. In fact, science is not a collection of truths. It is a continuing exploration of mysteries.”

Things we were certain of a hundred years ago may have since been overturned. Things we’re certain of now may be overturned up the line. Not all “known” facts are destined to fail, of course, but it helps to remember the importance of continuing to ask questions and, most importantly, seek answers.

When it comes to this latest, these new clues may be just the first in a series that lead us toward the next major milestones in our quest to solve the cosmic puzzle across space and time.

Sailing High

Last week one of you lovely readers wrote in with comments on a small solar sail NASA sent up recently, to test new technologies. The Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3), consisting of a CubeSat the size of a microwave oven launched aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket and, after reaching 600 miles above the Earth, deployed its sail.

So far so good. Let’s keep our fingers crossed on this one.

Solar sails may become a common method of propulsion one day, for longer distance travel.

The Age Of The Solar Sail Is Arriving Sooner Than Expected

Polaris Dawn

Heard yet of the upcoming Polaris Dawn mission?

It’s part of the Polaris Program, an ambitious first-of-its-kind effort to rapidly advance human spaceflight capabilities, while continuing to raise funds and awareness for important causes here on Earth.

Very, very cool, and something we should be seeing more news headlines on.

But I won’t get into that here.

My objective with this particular post is to let you know program leaders have revealed the EVA (Extravehicular Activity) suit design they'll be using for spacewalks.

Upgrades include new joint designs that remain soft until pressurized while maintaining mobility, improved thermal management, and an upgraded helmet with an exterior coating that acts like a sun visor along with a camera and heads-up display that provides information on the status of the suit during the spacewalk ...

SpaceX Reveals EVA Suit Design As Polaris Dawn Mission Approaches

Thanks for tuning in.

Never forget: Space is the answer.

- Tai

#FortySuns

#40suns

My latest Earth-culture obsession:

Miniatures. I started collecting and painting those little lead miniature gaming figures. Warhammer 40K for now (I mentioned that game as one of my earlier obsessions), but I’m eyeing a few fantasy lines as well. Dragons in particular. Interesting side note; back on Proxima B, my world, we had stories of dragons too. Weird how two different worlds with no prior connection would come up with the same mythological creatures. I have my theories, though. Maybe I’ll share them in a future post.

Dad Joke (of the week):

NASA is launching a satellite to say sorry to the aliens.

They’re calling it the Apollo G.

Last week’s reader feedback:

Great update on the 300th Falcon booster landing. When it comes to reusable launch systems, what’s your take on the “chopsticks” being used at Starbase here in Texas.

- JR

Tai’s response:

The Chopsticks will be used to stack and catch Starship and Super Heavy. I read somewhere they'll be building more of those, including a few here at KSC in Florida. Looking forward to that. The tower they’re attached to is called “Mechazilla”. Check both out online if you haven’t already. My take? SpaceX is winning because they’re having fun. From the names they pick to the audacious things they imagine, create, test and refine. Starship and the Chopsticks are but one example. Reusable rockets and just about everything else they're doing speaks to this. They succeed because they think big, they aren’t afraid to consider out-there ideas, they fail fast and have fun while they’re doing it. I think more of us could benefit from this upbeat approach.. From your wording you must be from Texas. God for you. Lot of space stuff happening out there. Are your initials really JR, though?

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No. 028 - 17 May  2024

• An Icon Of Inspiration
• Dream Chaser Closer To Launch
• A Private Bubble
• My Latest Obsession
• Other Things

Tai here.

This is the state of space as of May 17th.

Let’s get started.

An Icon Of Inspiration

Remember the Space Shuttle?

That was America’s last big national effort at making getting cargo and crew into orbit mainstream.

From what the Forty Suns guys tell me, they loved that design as kids.

For them (and many) it was an inspiration.

As for duration, it seemed like the Space Shuttle program went on forever. It pretty much did, spanning four decades. (Five? Technically it crept into the 2010s.)

Nearly 40 years.

Yeah. We had to check the numbers too.

• SS program dates: 1972 – 2011
• First flight: Aug 12, 1977
• First crewed flight: Apr 12, 1981
• Last flight: Jul 21, 2011

There were five complete Shuttle orbiter vehicles in the fleet, which were built and flown on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011.

A lot got done during that era.

When it comes to getting things done in space, function is the goal, of course, and when it comes to designing for that function, well, form follows in line. The Shuttle’s form, though, was such a break from the traditional rockets of the day …

It fired imaginations around the world. The Shuttle became an icon not just for the space age, but for the inspiration of millions.

The Shuttle had a purpose, and a mission, which it performed admirably, yet its designers may never have foreseen its other mission: the seismic shift of attention it would bring to the world, turning all eyes toward space. They may never have realized how that raised awareness would end up being one of its greatest successes of all.

Inspiration, after all, is the foundation of our future.

Inspiration drives interest, interest drives involvement, involvement drives progress.

As an icon, the shuttle delivered on all fronts.

Sumana Mukherjee, a rock star when it comes to education and enlightenment on our space future, penned a great article on its legacy:

Shuttle Legacy: From Earth's Orbit to Humanity's Inspiration

I recommend giving it a read.

As an example of that inspiration, in the next sections below I’ll talk about two modern programs with strong echoes of both the Shuttle and the ISS (the International Space Station, which the Shuttle was instrumental in constructing) — and they’re both being developed by private enterprise.

Our new space age will be made stronger by the increasing participation of the private sector, and these two programs are prime examples.

Dream Chaser Closer To Launch

We’ve talked a bit in past issues about the Dream Chaser spaceplane, and it’s getting closer to its maiden voyage.

The first, named Tenacity, is set to be shipped to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for a final round of checks before integration ahead of its inaugural launch atop ULA’s second Vulcan Centaur rocket (or the next, if necessary). There’s not yet a specific launch date, although considering the spacecraft is on its way to KSC for integration, a launch in the second half of 2024 would seem likely.

For fun, here’s a fairly negative-toned article announcing what is, in truth, an amazingly cool and positive thing:

Dream Chaser Mini-Shuttle Set To Take Flight At Last

Yes, even our negative news media will slowly be forced to report on the advances happening in space.

Progress will simply be too monumental to ignore.

A Private Bubble

Same guys making the Dream Chaser, Sierra Space, are also leading the race to build commercial space stations.

“At Sierra Space we are intent on shaping a new era in humanity’s exploration and discovery in Low Earth Orbit and beyond,” said Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice. “Our expandable space station technology combined with our highly reusable Dream Chaser spaceplane significantly decreases the cost of in-space infrastructure, opening the door to a commercialized LEO. With these technologies now rapidly approaching operational phases, we are seeing the realization of a new era in humanity’s ability to live and work in space in the Orbital Age.”

Oorah.

Let’s go.

The First Business-Ready Commercial Space Station

Thanks for tuning in.

Never forget: Space is the answer.

- Tai

#FortySuns

#40suns

My latest Earth-culture obsession:

Turtles. I just got a pet one and, I can’t explain it, but they’re damn fascinating. The way they drag around their own little armored house, with that perpetual, serenely dumb expression. We’ve got interesting animals on Proxima B, but nothing quite like turtles.

Dad Joke (of the week):

Her (looking at him laying on the couch): I bet he’s thinking about other women.

Him (thinking to himself): If you replace the “W” with “T” in When, Where, and What, you get the answer for each question. Mind. Blown.

Last week’s reader feedback:

Can you recommend any cool sites to learn more about space?

- Dirk

Tai’s response:

Dude. There are, like, hundreds. We have a bunch on the Forty Suns site, under the Explore page. See the link at the bottom of this page. But let me recommend one of my favorites. It’s by NASA, and it’s called “Eyes on the Solar System”:

Eyes on the Solar System

Interactive, informative, fun. I say give that one a look.

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No. 029 - 24 May  2024

• Starship Stacked
• A Lesson In Persistence
• Pushing The (Warp) Envelope
• My Latest Obsession
• Other Things

Tai here.

This is the state of space as of May 24th.

Let’s get started.

Starship Stacked

Kathy Lueders, general manager of SpaceX’s Starbase launch facility, says the company expects to receive an FAA launch license for the next Starship test flight shortly after Memorial Day.

It looks Flight 4 could occur in late May or early June.

This is an improvement over the previous intervals of seven months and four months between Starship flights …

Rocket Report: Starship Stacked

A Lesson In Persistence

Blue Origin headed back into the blue this week, taking with them an astronaut candidate who’d been waiting 61 years to go to space.

Now that’s what I call never giving up on your dream.

Ed Dwight was chosen back in 1961 by President John F Kennedy to train as an astronaut at the Aerospace Research Pilot School, but was ultimately not selected for the NASA Astronaut Corps. He’d put that dream aside, at least openly, but though the dream took a nap (do dreams dream?) it was still there and, voila, finally came to be.

Dwight becomes the oldest person to fly to the edge of space, surpassing the record set by the actor William Shatner who flew on another Blue Origin flight in October 2021.

Let’s hear it for persistence.

First Black Astronaut Candidate, Now 90, Reaches Space In Blue Origin Flight

Pushing The (Warp) Envelope

DaVinci sketched designs for helicopters when the technology of the day made it ridiculous to even imagine such a thing.

The concept was sound, though, hovering in the air, and so is it true with current out-there concepts like covering distance faster than light can travel.

The DaVincis of our day give us a glimpse into how such a thing might one day become reality.

Warping space in some way, just like in our best sci-fi (where many a seed is planted), is the most promising way to do it, and has been hypothesized in greater and greater earnest over the last decade or so.

Sparked in large part by the Alcubierre "warp" drive, refinements of this possibility continue to roll in. The consideration of this eventual method of spanning the vast distances involved in space travel — and doing so in record time — is (badump bump) picking up speed.

Recently, in another example of how truth is often stranger than fiction, scientists have taken a significant step towards turning the sci-fi concept of “warp drives” into a feasible reality …

Faster-Than-Light ‘Warp Speed’ Interstellar Travel Now Thought Possible

Scientists Discover Loophole Making Faster-Than-Light Travel Achievable

Pentagon Power

The Pentagon is poised to sign agreements with commercial space companies that go far beyond the usual contractor relationships, integrating their equipment into military units and exercises with the expectation they will deploy systems if conflicts arise.

You know my thoughts on the current distractions of too much war-play. If not, read my interview and bio.

However, you also know how keen I am to spread this space thing far and wide, involving the commercial sector as much as possible.

This new initiative does just that.

It’s called the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve (CASR), and it will see private sector equipment embedded into military units, used in training exercises and actual operations …

Pentagon To Forge Deeper Ties With Space Industry

Thanks for tuning in.

Never forget: Space is the answer.

- Tai

#FortySuns

#40suns

My latest Earth-culture obsession:

Shoes. Variety, as with most Earth things. I wear my uniform boots when on duty, of course, but in my off time it’s amazing how many shoe options there are to choose from. I worry I may be developing a bit of an addiction.

Dad Joke (of the week):

What do you call a dinosaur that crashes his car?

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks.

Last week’s reader feedback:

What would you think of a spacecraft that not only lands like a plane, like the Shuttle and the upcoming Dream Chaser, but that also takes off like a plane?

- KF

Tai’s response:

I think it would be pretty cool. Rockets are getting us there, and they’re the tech we have right now — which we’ve been making even better, btw (reusability, printed parts, more power, better efficiency, etc) — but the future, in my opinion, will be self-contained. In other words, you get in one, whole vehicle, much like you get in a plane, it takes off, goes to space, goes to the moon, wherever, does stuff, then comes back and lands on Earth the same way it left.

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 No. 030 - 31 May  2024

• We Are The World
• Space Junk
• Artemis Timeline
• Out There - Literally & Figuratively
• My Latest Obsession
• Other Things

Tai here.

This is the state of space as of May 31st.

Let’s get started.

We Are The World

We are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start … expanding our space future.

Remember that song from back in 1985?

I sure don’t, but then I’m too young and, well, I’m not even from here.

But I’ve heard it, and I like it, and I thought it would be a good way to intro this section.

Because in this section, we’re talking about players around the world doing stuff toward the advancement of our collective space future.

First up, our friends over in China.

We know how badass their space program is. They’re America’s biggest competitor, and they’re doing even more. The latest is a plan for new phases of expansion to support an expected surge in launch and commercial space activity …

China To Expand Commercial Spaceport

The Dominican Republic is also getting in on the space action …

Dominican Republic Considering Its Own Commercial Spaceport

As is Sweden …

Sweden's Arctic Spaceport Moves One Step Closer To Orbital Launches

That one I’d love to go to. There’s an artist’s-concept in the article and it looks awesome. Arctic snow launches, anyone? Looks like something out of a Bond movie.

And guess who just officially opened its first independent space-dedicated body?

Korea.

The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) will focus on talent, R&D, industry and international cooperation, among other space-related objectives.

Korea Ushers In New Space Era With KASA launch

Dang. That’s a lot of space stuff happening around the world.

Seem like maybe we’re in a new space age?

Space Junk

The party’s over, so to speak, and now the fun and rewarding business of making a new life for ourselves in orbit and beyond has begun.

Meaning it will soon be time to come up with a real plan for picking up all the red Solo cups and streamers we’ve been leaving everywhere up there over the last many decades. Maybe turn down the stereo and switch over from hip-hop to some cool jazz; start tidying things up a bit for our future life high above.

NASA says space debris could be dealt with more cheaply than previously thought …

New NASA Report On Dealing With Space Debris

As an example, quickly disposing of spacecraft at the end of their life is one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent trash in orbit.

The goal of the study was to identify which debris mitigation actions decision-makers should prioritize to reduce collision risks while minimizing cost.

Time to be a little neater. They may crumple easily, but I’m sure whacking a Solo cup at +10K mph will leave a mark.

Artemis Timeline

Many of the next phases of our vaunted Artemis program, the Go Big effort to return us to the moon in a no-going-back, this-is-our-life-now sort of way (which I couldn’t be more stoked about), currently rest in the hands of our friends at SpaceX.

Or, more correctly, in the arms of the mighty Starship.

Asked if the timelines for the Artemis III Moon landing are accurate, NASA chief Bill Nelson had a simple reply.

“If we land, it is dependent on SpaceX having their [Starship] lander ready,” Nelson said at a recent hearing. “Now, they have hit all of their milestones, and in a couple of weeks they are going to launch that huge rocket…It is my hope that SpaceX will be ready with their lander.”

So many big pieces have to come together, on relatively strict timelines, to keep this program moving forward at pace.

I’m in the stands cheering. Are you?

NASA’s Moon Plans Are In Elon’s Hands

Out There – Literally & Figuratively

A couple of quick, cool things that came through the news grinder this week.

One, another new planet, this one the most possibly-habitable we’ve yet discovered, I found particularly interesting.

They’re calling it an “exo-Venus” and will be doing follow-up surveys to learn more. Fun note; in the article they also mention my homeworld, Proxima B …

Potentially Habitable ‘Exo-Venus' With Earth-Like Temperature Discovered

The other item of note, NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts program, has advanced six “‘science fiction-like” space technology projects, including a lunar railway, a fluid telescope, and a high-speed pulsed-plasma rocket.

You have to check these out …

Straight Out Of Sci-Fi: NASA Advances Six Pioneering Space Technologies For Tomorrow

Thanks for tuning in.

Never forget: Space is the answer.

- Tai

#FortySuns

#40suns

My latest Earth-culture obsession:

This is our 30th issue, which means I’ve reported here on 30 different things I like about Earth, from freedom of speech to jetskis, and while there’s so much to love (and, in my case, to obsess over), this will be my last week doing this particular segment. You can see all the prior ones on our news archive page. Know that I love you, I love the Earth, and I will always be obsessed.

Dad Joke (of the week):

If slow old men use walking sticks, what do fast old men use?

Hurry canes.

Last week’s reader feedback:

Is warp drive really where we should be putting our focus? Don’t we have bigger problems here at home?

- EGR

Tai’s response:

Tending the farm is important, of course, inventing and developing the next evolutions of current technologies and so forth, but it’s good to think big, too. Real big, even about crazy stuff. Considering those possibilities are where the seeds of the fantastic are sown. I’m including again a link for a cool video I included here before:

Go Incredibly Fast - 4-minute video

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