One of the more visually remarkable examples of gravitational lensing spotted so far. Another win for STEM.
Oct 082021
Oct 062021
Yeesh. I continue to successfully get rewards out to Patrons and subscribers in a timely fashion… but I also continue to fail to publicize the fact. Last day of September, the rewards for that month were sent out. The September 2021 rewards included:
Diagram: “Early X-3 cutaway:” A large format cutaway illustration of a not-quite-final Douglas X-3 configuration
CAD Diagram: the command module of the Solem “Medusa” nuclear pulse propelled spacecraft
Document: a giant 1100+ page “Data Sheets for Ordnance Type Materiel,”1962 US Army “catalog”of pretty much all their stuff. Includes an illustration (often, though not always, including a basic diagram) and data for everything from trucks to tanks to bayonets to pistols to rockets.
Patrons should have received a notification message through Patreon linking to the rewards; subscribers should have received a notification from Dropbox linking to the rewards. If you did not, let me know.
If this sort of thing is of interest, sign up either for the APR Patreon or the APR Monthly Historical Documents Program.
Oct 012021
A 1964 Boeing design for an orbital HL-10 derivative, to be used for space station logistics. This would be launched atop a Saturn Ib. Cargo would be carried up int he adapter, which would be expended; passengers would go up and down within the body of the spaceplane. A heat shield would cover the canopy until after re-entry.
Sep 282021
My next book is slightly behind schedule, but it is coming. I was recently sent the first “proof” of the book after the graphic artists laid it out; a bit of tinkering yet, but it is nearing completion. I thought it might be interesting to post a shot of the last page.
Sep 202021
Wow.
Moebius News: New Space Clipper kits & Aries Update
Moebius Models was showing some new product at the recent IPMS National Convention in Las Vegas. The big news is an all new 2001 Space Clipper. The new model will be approximately 29 inches long and 1:72 scale. It is an all new, accurate version of the spacecraft, based on all the latest information and research. The kit will include a passenger cabin and cockpit. It will not include Pan Am decals. Final price has not been set, but is expect to be between $150 and $200.
Also forthcoming is a 1/350 scale Space Clipper and a 1/48 scale Aries Ib.
So long, bank account…
Sep 192021
So SpaceX has made history by both launching and safely recovering an orbital spacecraft containing four private citizens. By any rational measure, this is one of the best news events of the last few years. And yet, silence from a certain individual…
He’s still sleeping
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 19, 2021
Sep 152021
SpaceX just launched the “Inspiration4” flight with four passengers in a Dragon capsule. What sets this apart: all four are private citizens (space tourists), not government employees or military folk. The capsule is not rendezvousing with the ISS, just floating on its own; consequently it didn’t need a docking adapter and it was fitted with a sizable cupola so the passengers will get a hell of a view. The flight is meant to last three days and reach an altitude of 575 kilometers, higher than anyone has flown since the Apollo days.
Note: Still no “Starliner” flights…
Sep 132021
An animation of one of the Lunar Escape System concepts. The idea was that if the lunar module ran into some sort of trouble and couldn’t launch back into orbit, the ascent stage could be torn apart and jerry-rigged into a minimalist launch system… essentially a couple of lawn chairs stuck to a few propellant tanks and a rocket. Could it have worked? Sure. Would it have worked? Ehhhhhh….
If it’s “do this crazy thing or give up and die,” I can see the Apollo astronauts getting straight to work.
Sep 092021
Well, here’s terrible news:
I have terrible news.@nyrath, the creator of the Atomic Rockets website, is in hospital with a life threatening condition.
His contributions to realism in science fiction over the decades have inspired thousands of people and led to so many of the best works you enjoy today. pic.twitter.com/GNs9B7OZXi
— ToughSF (@ToughSf) September 9, 2021
I have no further info.
In case this is mystifying, Winchell Chung is the creator of the Atomic Rockets website that anyone even vaguely interested in hard sci-fi should be fully familiar with.
UPDATE: Bad news continues:
I am overwhelmed by all the well wishes from everyone. Thank you all.
But prostate cancer that has metastasized has a very poor prognosis
— Winchell Chung⚛🚀 (@nyrath) September 9, 2021
Aug 292021
This had a very “Early Atlas Test Flight Anomaly” feel to it.
This launch went wrong right form the get-go… but it did a *magnificent* job of recovering. It just wasn’t magnificent enough; seems it never did have enough thrust due to one of the five engines failing right after liftoff. Went terminally goofy at Max-Q, apparently on a command to terminate the flight due to being outside of its launch corridor.
This is the third flight for the Astra in a year… and the third failure. SpaceX also failed a lot, as did the Ranger lunar missions. if the funds and the will are there, they can fix the problems and make a success of it. *If.*
I feel like I need to apologise to Astra for this…. but it was too good a joke to ignore. pic.twitter.com/Wg8ybvhDDU
— Scott Manley (@DJSnM) August 29, 2021