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The Week in Space — #1
Suborbital flight could soon open up a new era of rapid transport across the planet. The idea has already been explored in concept designs for spaceplanes — notably the X-20 DynaSoar and the SpaceLiner. In theory sub-orbital flight could drastically cut travel times — only an hour from London to New York, or just three hours to Australia, for example. Intrigued by the possible military applications, the US Transportation Command has now signed an agreement with SpaceX and XArc to investigate the idea further.
NASA is securing international cooperation for its new Moon program. This week the space agency signed agreements with eight other nations governing the rules of participation in the Artemis program. The rules express common principles and aims of the project, including commitments to share scientific data and to preserve space heritage. NASA hopes that other nations will soon sign on as well, though China and Russia are notable exceptions.
Blue Origin made their first suborbital flight since the start of the pandemic. The NS-13 mission just touched the edge of space, reaching an altitude of 105 kilometers before returning safely to Earth. The unmanned vessel carried a series of scientific payloads, including some developed by NASA. For now Blue Origin maintain their lead in rocket reusability — they have flown the same vehicle seven times, compared to the six flights…
