The hottest Space Exploration Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

The Stars, Our Destination?

Everything Is Amazing • 1425 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🔬 Science Space Exploration Physics Fiction Technology Astrophysics
  1. Space exploration faces challenges like the vastness of space and technological limitations.
  2. JPL has a track record of extending mission goals for spacecraft, showcasing innovation and efficiency.
  3. Theoretical concepts like FTL drives and warp drives may be intriguing, but the feasibility remains uncertain due to scientific principles and practical challenges.

OpenAI in Davos…Looking Back on 10 Years of Unicorns With Aileen Lee...Stripe and SpaceX’s Secondary Pricing

Newcomer • 1238 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Startups Cybersecurity Venture Capital Space Exploration
  1. OpenAI has faced challenges as a 'big tech' company early in its life, including raising significant funds and experiencing executive drama.
  2. OpenAI removed its 'Don't Be Evil' slogan and is now collaborating with the Department of Defense on cybersecurity projects.
  3. Aileen Lee's research on unicorns reveals that strong unicorns are more involved in enterprise tech than consumer tech, with many 'papercorns' yet to prove their value.

Some True Innovation

startupdreams • 211 implied HN points • 16 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Space Exploration
  1. SpaceX's successful launch of Superheavy/Starship for the third time has proven its capability to carry 120 tons and burn stages for orbit insertion.
  2. SpaceX's use of Starlink for communication with spacecraft moving at orbital speeds is a groundbreaking feat, providing reliable high-speed communication in space.
  3. The ability of Starlink to communicate with moving objects at incredible speeds, like orbital spacecraft, showcases a major advancement in digital radio communication technology.

Is Ariane 6 the last European launcher?

Europe in Space • 727 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Space Exploration
  1. Europe may face challenges in maintaining cooperation for developing future heavy launch vehicles.
  2. New players like The Exploration Company could potentially disrupt the European space industry by offering innovative solutions.
  3. European Space Agency is exploring the idea of a launcher challenge to involve commercial actors in the development of a successor to Ariane 6.

The Man-Made Miracle of SpaceX

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 125 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Space Exploration Entrepreneurship Innovation Economics Telecommunications
  1. SpaceX follows a strategy of learning from failures to achieve success, as seen from their history with Falcon rockets.
  2. SpaceX's Starship program has promising advancements like successful stage separation, in-orbit fuel transfers, and potential for deep space missions.
  3. SpaceX's success and profitability are driven by innovations like reusable rockets and the Starlink satellite constellation, reshaping the space industry.
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Weekly Dose of Optimism #85

Not Boring by Packy McCormick • 106 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Space Exploration Artificial Intelligence Renewable Energy Blockchain Biotechnology
  1. SpaceX successfully launched Starship into orbit, showcasing the power of moonshots to make people feel part of something bigger and optimistic about the future.
  2. Cognition AI, built by gold-medalist coders, can code based on requests, marking a significant advancement in AI technology.
  3. Extropic AI's thermodynamic chips could revolutionize computing by leveraging nature's randomness for energy efficiency, potentially accelerating the next era of computing.

SpaceX's Texas Rocket is Going To Cause A Lot More Damage Than Anyone Thinks

ESG Hound • 3637 implied HN points • 16 Apr 23
🔬 Science Space Exploration Environmental Impact Risk Assessment
  1. FAA granted SpaceX a license for the Starship orbital test, but the potential damage could be catastrophic.
  2. The noise levels from SpaceX's testing were higher than predicted, impacting the environment and wildlife.
  3. SpaceX's launch facility in Texas lacks essential safety features, raising concerns about the safety of the operation.

Who should be the first to set foot on the Moon?

Europe in Space • 196 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🔬 Science Space Exploration
  1. European Astronaut Corps was formed in 2002 to centralize astronaut efforts from various European countries.
  2. ESA recruited a new class of astronauts in 2021, including career astronauts and reserve astronauts with a unique designation.
  3. Countries like the UK, Poland, and Sweden have accepted offers from Axiom Space for commercial spaceflights, while ESA manages and promotes crewed missions to the ISS.

Photo of the Day

Photo of the Day • 157 implied HN points • 27 Jan 24
💾 History Space Exploration Presidents Achievements Speeches
  1. President Kennedy set the ambitious goal of putting a man on the Moon before the end of the decade, and it was achieved in 1969 by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
  2. Kennedy believed in unifying US agencies towards a common goal in space exploration.
  3. Kennedy's vision for space exploration highlighted the importance of American pre-eminence and exploring new frontiers.

Europe’s mission to the Moon

Europe in Space • 137 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🔬 Science Space Exploration Logistics Services
  1. European Space Agency is developing a sustainable human presence on the Moon with innovative concepts and technology.
  2. European startups like Spartan Space and ASI are contributing to the development of lunar habitats and outposts.
  3. Efforts by ESA and European companies in developing lunar landers, OTVs, training centers, and communication services are crucial for establishing a sustained presence on the Moon.

What will we discover by 2050?

Europe in Space • 98 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🔬 Science Space Exploration Astrophysics Technology Research
  1. ESA's Voyage 2050 missions will focus on exploring habitability potential, understanding exoplanets, and probing the early universe.
  2. The process of selecting missions involves public submissions, evaluation meetings, and expert committees.
  3. New missions like ARRAKIHS, CALICO, and THESEUS are pushing boundaries in deep imaging and studying high-energy events.

Mass Value Report for January 2024

Planetocracy • 58 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Space Exploration
  1. SpaceX may not reach its target of 144 launches for the year due to January's setbacks.
  2. Weather delays impacted SpaceX missions from SLC-4E and Vandenberg Space Force Base in January.
  3. Estimates suggest that SpaceX might not reach 300 flights per year until the 2030s.

STRAWBERRY MOON 2023

The Lunar Dispatch • 609 implied HN points • 05 Jun 23
🔬 Science Astronomy Space Exploration Health
  1. The Strawberry Moon reached peak fullness recently, even though it was 98% full the next night.
  2. NASA has been trying to grow strawberries in space to provide astronauts with fresh produce and prevent psychological issues.
  3. NASA continues to support innovative projects to cultivate berries in orbit.

A Future Without ULA?

Ill-Defined Space • 67 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
💼 Business Space Exploration Competition Company strategy
  1. ULA's future is uncertain as it is up for sale and faces challenges from potential competitors.
  2. Vulcan's successful launch is a significant achievement for ULA, but uncertainties arise with Blue Origin's BE-4 engine supply.
  3. Potential acquisition by Blue Origin may bring more challenges than benefits, raising doubts about the survival of both companies.

A Cult of Lost Technology

ᴋʟᴀᵾs • 393 implied HN points • 16 May 23
🔬 Science Archaeology Physics Space Exploration
  1. Ancient structures like Stonehenge and the pyramids across the world raise questions about lost technology and potential ancient civilizations' advanced knowledge.
  2. Nazi scientists explored antigravity technology based on different physics approaches than the West, leading to speculation on advanced tech development during World War II.
  3. The concept of a cargo cult relates to ancient cultures integrating advanced technologies into their beliefs, like indigenous tribes using airdrops as inspiration for rituals.

Time To Get Serious About Gravity

Planetocracy • 255 implied HN points • 22 Jul 23
🔬 Science Space Exploration
  1. Understanding the effects of partial gravity on humans in space is crucial for future space settlements.
  2. Creating artificial gravity through rotation is a viable solution, but requires specific conditions like radius and spin rate.
  3. Past experiments with rotational gravity in space show promise but more studies are needed, especially in preparation for Mars missions.

The Great NewSpace Shovel Pile

Planetocracy • 216 implied HN points • 18 May 23
🕹 Technology Space Exploration
  1. In the commercial space industry, there's a risk of relying on others' folly for profit.
  2. Success in commercial space goes beyond imitating SpaceX; unique challenges and markets must be addressed.
  3. The value of space exploration goes beyond immediate financial returns and requires broadening industry scope and creating incentives.

Alchemy on the Moon

Planetocracy • 196 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Space Exploration Rocket Technology Space Industry
  1. Blue Origin's Blue Alchemist project aims to develop methods to manufacture goods from lunar materials, starting with producing silicon for solar panels.
  2. Blue Origin's focus on efficiency in their method of Molten Regolith Electrolysis could impact the future space economy by reducing the need for frequent vessel swaps and minimizing the weight of supplies sent to the moon.
  3. Blue Origin faces competition from SpaceX in the race to establish lunar industry, with SpaceX currently holding an advantage in cost-effectiveness and launch capabilities.

Europe should develop crewed launch capabilities

Europe in Space • 196 implied HN points • 27 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Space Exploration
  1. A recommendation for Europe to develop crewed launch capabilities for ambitious space missions like a Moon landing.
  2. The need to adopt a commercially-oriented procurement policy to engage the private sector in space exploration.
  3. Europe faces challenges in achieving a Moon landing within 10 years, requiring increased funding and structural changes.

Everything you need to know about Themis

Europe in Space • 137 implied HN points • 26 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Space Exploration Rocket Technology Innovation
  1. The Themis project is a reusable rocket initiative developed by ArianeGroup and CNES, featuring the Prometheus engine for cost-efficient rocket production.
  2. Themis has gone through various stages of development, including engine tests, hop tests, and Prometheus engine hot-fire testing.
  3. The project has future implications for upgrades to the Ariane 6 rocket, development of the Ariane Next launcher family, and the creation of MaiaSpace's microlauncher.

Reusability efforts of European launch startups

Europe in Space • 137 implied HN points • 19 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Space Exploration Rocket Technology Innovation
  1. European launch startups are developing innovative methods for recovering and reusing launch vehicle components.
  2. Different startups are exploring varied approaches like using parachutes, grid fins, and deployable blimps for recovery.
  3. Challenges exist in balancing reusability efforts with maintaining payload capacity, especially for microlaunchers.

The Bear Case for Mars

Planetocracy • 176 implied HN points • 20 Apr 23
🔬 Science Space Exploration
  1. Space colonization, particularly on Mars, may face insurmountable barriers and challenges.
  2. Alternative solutions like creating gravity trains on Mars or colonizing its moons, Phobos and Deimos, could be considered.
  3. Exploring cislunar space and developing free-floating habitats might be a viable alternative or backup plan to Mars colonization.

Mass Value Report for May 2023

Planetocracy • 137 implied HN points • 31 May 23
🔬 Science Space Exploration Astronomy Technology Research Innovation
  1. SpaceX has won the race to send mass to low Earth orbit, but the race to send mass to the lunar surface continues.
  2. Blue Origin's 'National Team' has been chosen by NASA to build a human landing system for the Artemis program, showing promise for future lunar missions.
  3. Analyzing mass value helps compare space development progress, like evaluating efficiency between Blue Origin's lunar lander and SpaceX's Starship system.

Mass Value Report for April 2023

Planetocracy • 157 implied HN points • 30 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Space Exploration Rocket Technology
  1. Starship's growth curve must pick up Falcon 9's momentum to support SpaceX's Mars colonization goal.
  2. Elon Musk sets ambitious goals for Starship flights, aiming for 100 flights by 2025 and 1 megatonne to Mars.
  3. Maintaining a growth rate to meet mass demands for Mars colonization likely to challenge the pace of Artemis missions.