This means that Virgin Galactic’s commercial manned program for the public has taken another step forward. The company expects to officially provide commercial space travel services in 2022. Figure | Virgin Galactic’s “Spaceship Two” “VSS Unity” (Source: Virgin Galactic) The mission was “Spaceship II” and “VSS Unity” (“Unity”), which was mounted by the “White Knight II” aircraft from New Mexico at 10:34, May 22, Eastern Time. After Spaceport America took off and separated from its mothership VMS Eve, the rocket pushed the “Unity” to continue to lift off. When the flight speed reached three times the speed of sound, the rocket would shut off its engine and the spacecraft would climb by inertia and finally reached 55.45 At an altitude of mile (about 89.2 kilometers), a backflip was completed at the edge of space. After that, the “Unity” glided through the atmosphere, returned to the ground, and landed at the departing spaceport at 11:43. The two pilots on board were Dave Mackay and CJ. CJ Sturckow, the two had previously completed space missions. The flight test was originally scheduled to take place in December last year, but the flight was forced to be suspended due to computer failure due to electromagnetic interference. The flight test was postponed to February this year, but it was postponed again due to technical reasons. After several months of rectification, after solving a hidden maintenance hazard of the “White Knight II” carrier aircraft, Blue Origin confirmed the date of the test flight on May 20 this year. Kolgrazier said that Virgin Galactic has found a good solution to suppress electromagnetic interference this time, and the company deliberately checked this before the test flight. Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Galactic, came to watch the spaceport in person. He was accompanied by former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and current Governor Lu Yang Gleason ( Lujan Grisham), Bill Richardson helped to establish the US spaceport. Chairman Chamath Palihapitiya did not come to the scene, but he congratulated him in a statement: “Congratulations to the entire Virgin Galactic team, they once again crossed an important milestone. After the successful completion of the flight test, Virgin Galactic’s stock price soared 22%. Figure | Richard Branson cheered and celebrated after the “Unity” was safely lifted off (Source: Twitter) Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said: “This is a flawless flight.” “Today’s flight demonstrates the inherent elegance and safety of our space flight system, and at the same time makes the manned space flight of Virgin Galactic and New Mexico a big step forward,” he said. This is not the first time Virgin Galactic has been in space. In 2018, Unity rose to an altitude of 82.7 kilometers, marking Virgin Galactic’s first entry into space. In February 2019, “Spacecraft II” flew to space again. However, according to the Washington Post, the flight in 2019 had serious safety hazards. The wings of the space plane were disbanded during the flight, and the lives of the three crew members were threatened. Fortunately, no one was injured in the end, so this test was considered a success. As early as 2014, Virgin Galactic suffered a test flight accident. At that time, the “Spaceship Two” exploded during the process of leaving the mother ship and preparing to continue to lift off. The entire spacecraft broke in half and fell quickly and crashed into the California desert. The accident resulted in the injury of one pilot and the death of another pilot. Figure | Virgin Galactic’s “Spaceship Two” “VSS Unity” (Source: Virgin Galactic) It is also reported that Virgin Galactic is expected to obtain a license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) before the end of this year to officially provide commercial passenger services in 2022. The company focused on collecting various performance and flight data during this flight, and plans to submit it to the Federal Aviation Administration. Kolgrazier said that the data collected this time “looks very critical” and said “we expect them to review the data.” “Unity” also carried three scientific research payloads sponsored by NASA in this mission. Kolgrazier revealed that these payloads have brought revenue to the company, and the specific amount will be disclosed in the second quarter earnings report. Figure | Virgin Galactic’s “Spaceship Two” “VSS Unity” (Source: Virgin Galactic) Virgin Galactic has a total of 4 space flight plans this year. Although it did not disclose the specific dates for the next three, the company said it expects to be completed before this fall. Virgin Galactic’s “Spacecraft II” can accommodate up to six passengers and two pilots. In the second flight afterwards, “Spaceship II” will also carry 4 passengers to test the spacecraft cabin and flight procedures to be followed by future customers; for the third time, the company’s founder Richard Brand Sir Mori “sent to space”; for the fourth time, it will provide a commercial flight service for the Italian Air Force, which will carry some scientific research payloads and several Italian experts. This will also be the first commercial flight of Virgin Galactic, which is expected to generate US$2 million. Revenue. The company has set a price of US$250,000 for its “ship tickets.” It is reported that Virgin Galactic has received more than 600 orders, with a total deposit of US$80 million. In addition to Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, a rocket company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, is also working on the commercialization of space travel. Blue Origin is now auctioning a spaceship seat in its first manned flight on July 20 this year on its official website, and the price of the seat has been priced at 2.8 million U.S. dollars. -End- reference: https://virginorbit.com/ https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57214988

Design of a space tug to carry Russia’s 500kW Zeus nuclear reactor. Russia’s federal space agency Roscosmo announced that a “space tug” – a term used to refer to a spacecraft that transports astronauts or equipment from one orbit to another – is expected to carry out an interplanetary mission. planet by 2030. Accordingly, the spacecraft’s power module called “Zeus” is designed to generate enough power to propel heavy cargo into deep space. It is essentially a mobile nuclear power plant. Several countries have been eyeing similar technology as a way to shorten trips in space. Currently, spacecraft still rely on solar energy or gravity to accelerate. But that means it could take more than three years for astronauts to make a trip around Mars. Meanwhile, NASA estimates a nuclear-powered spacecraft could shorten that timeline by a year. NASA’s Juno unmanned spacecraft uses solar batteries to make a journey to explore Jupiter. Photo: NASA The US hopes to put a nuclear power plant – a 10-kilowatt reactor integrated with a lander to be exact – on the Moon as early as 2027. However, NASA has only sent one so far. nuclear reactor into space, on a satellite in 1965. Other spacecraft, such as the Mars rovers Curiosity and Perseverance, also run on nuclear power, but they do not use a reactor. Meanwhile, Russia has sent more than 30 reactors into space. Those efforts will be further pushed as the “Zeus” module uses a 500 kilowatt nuclear reactor to propel itself from planet to planet. Watch a video of a Russian space tug model announced in 2020 (Source: ETF News): According to the plan announced on the Russian state news agency Sputnik, the Zeus spacecraft will approach the Moon first, then move towards Venus. From here it can use the planet’s gravity to redirect toward its final destination, Jupiter. That will help save propellant fuel. According to Alexander Bloshenko, Roscosmos Science and Long-Term Programs Executive Director, the entire mission will last 50 months (more than four years). During a presentation in Moscow on May 22, Bloshenko said that Roscosmos and the Russian Academy of Sciences are still working to calculate the trajectory of the flight, as well as the mass it can carry. Going further, this mission could be the precursor to a new frontier of Russian space. Sputnik reported that Russia is designing a space station using similar nuclear-powered technology. The Soyuz rocket launches the spacecraft to the International Orbital Station (ISS) from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Photo: Getty Images Nuclear power has advantages over solar energy Most spacecraft get their energy from some source: the sun, batteries, or unstable atoms called radioisotopes. For example, NASA’s Juno unmanned spacecraft at Jupiter uses solar panels to generate electricity. Solar energy can also be used to charge batteries in spacecraft, but this energy source becomes less efficient as the spacecraft gets further and further away from the Sun. In addition, lithium batteries can power shorter missions. For example, the Huygens probe used batteries to briefly land on Saturn’s moon Titan in 2005. Design of a NASA spacecraft using nuclear thermal propulsion. Photo: NASA NASA’s Voyager spacecraft uses radioactive isotopes (also known as “nuclear batteries”) to survive in the harsh environments outside the Solar System and interstellar space, but that’s not the same thing. bring a nuclear reactor on board. Putting nuclear reactors on spacecraft offers several advantages: They can survive in the dark, cold regions of the Solar System without sunlight. They are also stable, reliable in the long run. The Zeus nuclear reactor, for example, is designed to last 10 to 12 years. Plus, with their powerful energy, they can propel spacecraft to other planets in less time. But nuclear power also has its own set of challenges. Only certain fuels, like highly enriched uranium, can withstand the extreme heat of a reactor – and they may not be safe to use. In December 2020, the US banned the use of highly enriched uranium to propel objects into space if that mission was possible with other sources of nuclear fuel or non-nuclear energy. Russia prepares to build a nuclear-powered space station Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov returning from the ISS landed in a remote area in Kazakhstan on April 17, 2021. Photo: Reuters Russian engineers began developing the Zeus module in 2010 with the goal of getting it into Earth orbit within two decades. And they’re on track to get there. This technology could help Russia develop a new space station by 2025. In April, the BBC reported that Russia plans to stop cooperating with the International Space Station (ISS), which it currently shares with the International Space Station (ISS). America, Japan, Europe and Canada – in that year. Russia cooperated with the United States to launch the ISS in 1998. However, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov told Russia 1 state television last month that the status of the ISS “a lot of things are not yet achieved”. . Even recently, this orbiting station has experienced air leaks and oxygen supply system failures. NASA has announced that the ISS will operate until at least 2028, however, the agency will probably maintain the station for the next 10-15 years.

Apollo not only has yet to answer the questions posed, but also raises more questions about what the true origin of the Moon is. The moon has UFOs, the moon is empty, the moon is an artificial object of an advanced civilization?… All questions are still unknown. Over the decades, the outcome of the 1969 American Apollo 11 successful landing on the Moon has always been a mystery and very unpredictable. On January 3, 2019, the Chinese lunar probe Chang’e 4 (Hang’e 4, Chang’e-4) successfully landed in the Von Karman crater on the back of the Moon, open hope to solve the mysteries about this place. Has Russia 4 discovered aliens on the Moon? The original image from the moon was sent back to Earth by the Chang’e 4 probe. (Photo: Sohu) Initially, the pictures of the Moon from the Chang’e 4 probe published by Chinese scientists were very normal, there did not seem to be any signs of aliens and UFOs on the Moon. This has almost caused disappointment in the world of space science. However, recently Thuong Nga 4 sent back to Earth an unusual phenomenon that is expected to happen on Saturday (June 26, 2021). About 430 meters from the ship’s landing area, a pyramid-shaped stone block appeared, standing out among the surrounding sand and dust. The strange rock mass was discovered by the probe, raising suspicions about aliens. (Photo: Sohu) According to previous studies, due to the impact of the solar wind on the surface of the Moon for a long time, combined with the large difference in temperature between day and night, almost all the rocks on the Moon all become dust. Can we conclude the existence of aliens on the Moon based on the unusual discovery of this rock? Chinese scientists have yet to come to an exact conclusion. They need more observational information and close analysis from the Chang’e 4 probe before they can make a final statement. Thuong Nga 4 conducts close-up photography of the rock mass. (Photo: Sohu) Through the process of approaching the object and sending information from the ship to Earth, scientists make preliminary comments, they believe that this phenomenon is unusual, but certainly not caused by aliens. out. Most likely, this is the underground structure of the solar wind weathering phenomenon and the temperature difference between day and night. Over time, it grew stronger and took on a new form that appeared as it is now. Before that, Thuong Nga 4 had many times discovered an anomalous phenomenon on the Moon, but all of them were deciphered by Chinese scientists with no relation to aliens. Once, Chang’e 4 discovered that the difference in gravity under the Von Karman crater on the back was larger than the rest of the Moon, but later discovered that it was just the result of gravity changes. caused by the nickel-iron compound sinking in the Von Karman crater, not the sign of aliens. Another time, Chang’e 4 found some special material structures in the Von Karman crater. The interconnected structures form a sticky mass and look slightly shiny. Based on this, many people suspect that there are creatures on the Moon and the liquid they release will bind the lunar soil together. After Thuong Nga 4 conducted close-ups, then sent the photos back to Earth for research. Chinese scientists have come to the final conclusion that this gel-like object is actually created by a thermal layer that, if we look at it from above, will look like a liquid coating on the surface of the Moon and also completely devoid of any signs of life. This is also the reason for us to believe that the rock that Thuong Nga 4 discovered this time was only formed naturally under the impact of weathering for hundreds of millions of years of the Moon, and then one day it will also be destroyed. will return to dust. Reference: Sohu

Russia’s federal space agency Roscosmos has said that a “space tug” – a term used to refer to a spacecraft that transports astronauts or equipment from one orbit to another, is expected to be launched into space. to perform an interplanetary mission in 2030. This spacecraft is powered by a power module called Zeus. Basically, Zeus is like a mobile nuclear power plant, able to generate enough energy to operate spacecraft, transport equipment and goods in space. Currently, several countries are interested in similar technology as a way to shorten journeys in space. Design of the space tug. Photo: Roscosmos. Traditionally, spacecraft have relied on solar power or gravity to accelerate. This means that it takes astronauts more than 3 years to make the trip around Mars. NASA estimates that a nuclear-powered spacecraft could make that journey in a year. The US hopes to put a 10-kilowatt nuclear reactor integrated with the lunar lander, on the Moon as early as 2027. However, so far, NASA has only put one nuclear reactor. launched into space for the SNAP-10A satellite in 1965. Other spacecraft such as the Mars Curiosity and Perseverance probes are also nuclear-powered, but they do not use a reactor. Meanwhile, Russia has sent more than 30 nuclear reactors into space. The Zeus module is expected to further Russia’s space efforts by using a 500 kilowatt nuclear reactor to power spacecraft to travel from planet to planet. other planets, Sputnik quoted information from Roscosmos said. According to the Russian plan, the nuclear spacecraft will approach the Moon first, then head towards Venus, where it can use the planet’s gravity to move to its final destination, Jupiter. This will help save propellant. The entire mission will take 50 months (more than four years), said Alexander Bloshenko, executive director of development programs and advanced science at Roscosmos. According to the official, Roscosmos and the Russian Academy of Sciences are still working to calculate the trajectory of the flight, as well as the payload the spacecraft can carry. Ultimately, this mission could lay the groundwork for a new strategy for the Russian aerospace industry. Sputnik reported that Moscow is designing a space station using similar nuclear energy technology. The advantage of nuclear energy in the universe Most spacecraft get their energy from some source: the sun, batteries, or radioactive atoms (also called radioisotopes). For example, NASA’s Juno spacecraft at Jupiter uses solar panels to generate electricity. Solar energy can also be used to charge spacecraft batteries, however, it becomes less efficient if the spacecraft is far from the Sun. In other cases, lithium batteries could help power spacecraft for short journeys. Earlier in 2005, the Huygens probe used batteries to make a lightning landing on Saturn’s moon Titan. NASA’s Voyager spacecraft uses radioactive isotope (sometimes called a nuclear battery) to survive in the harsh environments of the solar system and interstellar space, but this is not the same thing. integrate a nuclear reactor into the spacecraft. Nuclear reactors offer several advantages as they can survive in dark and cold areas of the solar system without sunlight. They are also quite useful and quite reliable for long-term activities. The Zeus nuclear reactor is designed to last 10 to 12 years. In addition, they can propel spacecraft to other planets in less time. But nuclear power also presents some challenges of its own. Only certain fuels, such as highly enriched uranium, can withstand the extreme heat of the reactor. Furthermore, they may not be safe to use. In December 2020, the United States banned the use of highly enriched uranium to send objects into space if the operation could be made possible by other alternative sources of nuclear or non-nuclear fuel. Russia is about to build a space station in space Russian engineers began developing the “Zeus” module in 2010 with the goal of putting it into orbit within two decades, and they are on track to accomplish this goal. Production and testing commenced in 2018. By 2020, Roscosmos has signed a contract worth 4.2 billion rubles ($57.5 million) with St. Petersburg for the preliminary design of the space station. This will help Russia accelerate its efforts to develop a new space station by 2025. Earlier in April 2021, the BBC said that Russia plans to withdraw from the International Space Station (ISS) by 2025 and is ready to build its own space station. The International Space Station was established in 1998. This is an international cooperation project of 16 countries including the US and Russia, Japan, Canada, European Space Agency member states and Brazil. with a total investment capital of more than 100 billion USD.

The Starship SN15 space missile left its launch pad on May 4. Photo: Space According to Space page, on May 5, SpaceX successfully landed the Starship spacecraft during the fifth test at their base in Texas, USA. This successful experiment marks a big win for billionaire Elon Musk’s space company after four of the previous tests ended in explosions. The SN15 rocket took off from Starbase in Boca Chica, south Texas at about 17:25 local time, reached around 10km and performed a series of flight exercises before making a critical landing. Billionaire Musk happily posted on Twitter: “Starship is landing normally”. Watch the video of the Starship rocket launched and successfully landed for the first time (Source: SpaceX): The test, however, was not entirely perfect. A small fire engulfed the base of the 50-meter spaceship shortly after landing, but was quickly extinguished with a tornado. SpaceX expert John Insprucker explains this “it’s no stranger to the metal fuel we’re using,” adding that engineers are still solving design problems. SpaceX faces growing pressure to succeed with its May 4 test flight after NASA announced a version of the Starship would be used as a lander in its return to the Moon program. America. The $ 2.9 billion contract is currently on hold after two rival companies, Blue Origin and Dynetics, filed an objection. SpaceX Starship Ship Illustration on the Moon. Photo: SpaceX Along with SpaceX, the space company Blue Origin of billionaire Jeff Bezos is also expected to launch the first space travel flight in July. Previously, the four predecessor devices of the Starship SN15 ship ended in failure, broken to pieces in tests over the past five months. The most recent time in early March, the SN10, appeared to have landed safely but a fire suddenly erupted as soon as the ship touched the launch pad, causing it to explode into a fireball. A small flame also erupted at the base of the SN15 in the latest launch but was quickly extinguished. Video of Starship SN10 ship exploded after landing (source: videospace): SpaceX has learned a few lessons from other tough landings. And the SN15 has been revised with a slightly different look from the previous prototypes. “The SN15 has improvements in structures, avionics and software, and the engine will allow for increased speed and efficiency throughout production and flight: in particular, avionics. No new improvements, updated launch architecture and new Raptor engine design ”, a SpaceX representative wrote in the flight description on May 4. SpaceX is developing Starship to send people and goods to the Moon, Mars and other distant destinations. The system consists of two components, both of which are designed for fast and complete reuse. The two components are a spaceship called the Starship and a giant early stage booster booster called the Super Heavy. Both vehicles will be powered by SpaceX’s next-generation Raptor engine. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said the Starship will have six Raptor engines. Although the SN15 was just a full-scale Starship prototype in height and width, it was powered by only three Raptor engines. Future test variants will be stronger, Musk said, and we will soon see these more powerful means of carrying out space missions. Musk aims to launch the Starship into orbit before the end of the year. Three Raptor engines of the SN15 missile in successful test. Photo: Space Starship SN15 ship when about to land. Photo: Space NASA’s Artemis moon exploration program recently selected Starship as a manned lunar lander Artemis aims to establish a lasting, enduring human presence on and around the Moon by the end of the 2020s. NASA officials say the knowledge and skills gained during SpaceX’s testing efforts. will help humanity reach Mars in the 2030s. Over the past few years, NASA has worked to achieve its goal of making a human landfall on the moon by the end of 2024, at the direction of former President Donald Trump. However, this timeline is expected to be relaxed under President Joe Biden.