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China has taken another step toward its crewed lunar goals by successfully testing fairing separation for its Long March 10 moon rocket series.

The fairing separation test was conducted recently, according to a Nov. 20 statement from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT). CALT is a major rocket developer under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the country’s main space contractor.

A short clip of the separation test shows the 5.0-meter-diameter, 5.0-meter-high fairing—which is designed to protect spacecraft from the atmosphere during ascent—falling away to reveal a structural test article.

The fairing is not in a conical, nose cone-like shape, as with typical fairing for spacecraft. This is due to the Long March 10 series being designed to launch a new generation crew spacecraft. This will include an escape tower and the return module may be exposed at the tip of the launcher. The fairing is thus similar in shape to that used for the Orion spacecraft. CALT plans static and joint vibration tests in the future.

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/28406616

French launch vehicle startup Latitude has signed a multi-launch contract with Atmos Space Cargo, a company developing commercial reentry vehicles.

In a deal announced at Space Tech Expo Europe here Nov. 19, Atmos will buy a minimum of five launches a year of Latitude’s Zephyr rocket between 2028 and 2032. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Each launch will place a Phoenix spacecraft into very low Earth orbit, or VLEO. The spacecraft are designed to accommodate payloads for microgravity research in fields like pharmaceuticals and manufacturing, returning them to Earth.

Source: The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You - Chapter 195

My (non-tech savvy) friend and I have been having a weird issue where random texts show up like 2 days later. My phone is up-to-date and new and his might never have installed a system update for all I know. (I don’t let him connect to my main WiFi network for a reason.)

I don’t seem to be having this issue with anyone else. I’m on iOS and he’s on Android but a relatively modern Samsung phone. Should I sit him down and update his phone or something or is this a known issue?

Defense giant Lockheed Martin announced Nov. 19 that its new mid-size satellite platform will make its orbital debut next year aboard a Firefly Aerospace rocket.

The LM 400 satellite bus — roughly the size of a household refrigerator — represents Lockheed’s bid to capture a sweet spot in the satellite market: missions requiring more power and payload capacity than small satellites can provide, but not demanding the complexity of traditional large satellites.

https://www.oglaf.com/additions/

Smallsat launch integrator SEOPS has purchased a Falcon 9 launch for a dedicated rideshare mission to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).

SEOPS announced at Space Tech Expo Europe here Nov. 19 that it signed a contract with SpaceX for the mission, planned for late 2028 from Florida. It is also acquiring capacity on unspecified other SpaceX launches through 2028.

“With the surge demand for access to cislunar space, we’re approaching a pivotal moment where prolific access to GTO is a must,” Chad Brinkley, CEO of SEOPS, said in a statement, describing the contract as a way to “proactively generate the options the market demands” for rideshare missions.

Brinkley said at the conference that the company does not have any firm customers yet for that mission. However, the strong interest SEOPS has seen from commercial and government customers was enough to warrant signing a contract.

Artist

I’m a researcher. to my knowledge pji is a type of law firm or legal fund, unconfirmed.

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