Interesting, it seems the X-37B recovery team has been running ground ops training on the SLF at KSC mid October...
DutchSpace
@dutchspace.eurosky.social
Multipurpose spacecraft wrangler for @esa.int Opinions my own.
I started looking at this over on the other site, but I'll continue here. This is the X-37B GN2 purge port, the thinking is that, like shuttle, it needs its payload bay purged with GN2. After a bit of photo digging, indeed the label on the port seems to read "GN2 GSE PORT" & "LOW PRESSURE PORT"
As Bluesky has finally added a place to put links in your profile properly, I've added mine and took the opportunity to update my X-37B Mission Data page a bit, no new data (yet) just lots of cleanups x37b.nl
Very interesting DSP (and processing) photos, and until better quality photos get released here an attempt to clean them up a bit.
The Space Review@thespacereview.com · 2d agoThe last of the Defense Support Program satellites were recently retired by the Space Force, but the program still has many unanswered questions. That includes mysteries created by newly discovered photos of one DSP satellite. www.thespacereview.com/article/5337/1
And Vantor (formerly Maxar) captured this shot just after the closest pass of KOSMOS 2612 and ICEYE-X36
DutchSpace@dutchspace.eurosky.social · 2d agoVery interesting analysis by COMSPOC using additional sensors KOSMOS 2612 (68762) walks up to ICEYE-X36 (59103) First pass: 14:02:59 UTC 16 October: 219 m (max uncertainty 490 m) Closest pass: 14:18:10 UTC 17 October: 59 m (uncert. 950 m) Third pass: 01:57:42 UTC 18 October: 262 m (uncert. 159 m)
Very interesting analysis by COMSPOC using additional sensors KOSMOS 2612 (68762) walks up to ICEYE-X36 (59103) First pass: 14:02:59 UTC 16 October: 219 m (max uncertainty 490 m) Closest pass: 14:18:10 UTC 17 October: 59 m (uncert. 950 m) Third pass: 01:57:42 UTC 18 October: 262 m (uncert. 159 m)
Given the fact that the amount of Starships it takes to get to the Lunar surface is still unknown, depending on who you believe, it ranges from 6 to 22 starship launches, the real problem is that this is STILL unknown, Destin of Smarter Every Day did a video about this, 2 (!) years ago excerpt below
To those that observe, the SAQ Grimeton 17.2 kHz VLF signal will be up starting at 12:30 UTC Source: alexander.n.se/en/saq-grime...
High-level milestones schedule overview that will probably be discussed in the Artemis update from NASA later today. Source: ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citation...
Some more pretty pics from back in the day. With the removal of Soyuz from CSG, that book is firmly closed, but the memories remain... #VS01 #IOV #Galileo #ESA
DutchSpace@dutchspace.eurosky.social · 5d ago15 years ago today I was doing something else... Tempus fugit, in this case literately, with PHM clocks on-board :) #VS01 #CSG #IOV #IOVM1 #ESA
Meanwhile, it is that time again... Patch y0 sh!t ! cert.europa.eu/publications...
Critical Vulnerabilities in PHP
Critical Vulnerabilities in PHP
cert.europa.eu
Re-entry vehicles and para-foils, not as easy as it sounds I'll leave it that...
The old Dutch Dish that could :)
Radiotelescoop Dwingeloo@radiotelescoop.bsky.social · last wk.We bounced a radio signal off Venus' surface! On 17+18 Oct the Dwingeloo Radio Telescope transmitted and Astropeiler Stockert received the echoes, 42 million km each way. We decoded a 10-character message from the echo. We're not finished yet: more echos on 24+25 Oct. www.camras.nl/en/blog/2026...
Meanwhile, we finally get hi-res images of the Artemis II Heat Shield on Orion Sources: images.nasa.gov/details/KSC-... images.nasa.gov/details/KSC-...
Short time-lapse of part of this morning’s first pass of ICEYE-X36 (59103) and COSMOS 2612 (68762) over South America under partly cloudy skies.
Good reason to get off my lazy ass and play more with SGP4 and make it more accurate (ie implement it properly) in my app/plot...
Marco Langbroek@marcolangbroek.bsky.social · last wk.New blogpost: "KOSMOS 2612 and ICEYE-X36: a worrisome cat-and-mouse-game in Space" sattrackcam.blogspot.com/2026/10/kosm...
I was curious about this Tesla Roadster Copperfield-esque show, so just leaving this here... There were 2 cars, 1 stunt car and 1 show car (interiors shots) ? The stunt car was some sort of shell with the extra tank on the passenger side ? Questions....
A little timeline reminder of what was said about this second generation tesla roadster previously: Prototype unveil November 2017 with production to start in 2020 Then in 2025, after 5 years of delay, said to start production in 2027 Then this week, updated model and production start in 2028...
Well that's new, a nice satellite image of a B-21 at Edwards on Google Earth
Good detailed update, more companies should provide updates like these... And if you are wondering why voids in carbon composites are bad, ask OceanGate... www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wAc...
Rocket Lab | Neutron Update
YouTube video by Rocket Lab
youtube.com
Rocket Lab@rocketlabcorp.com · 2w agoToday we shared an update on Neutron's development, including adjusting the schedule for flight one to 2027. Full details: investors.rocketlabcorp.com/events-prese...
Meanwhile the FAA has opened a review on the request from SpaceX to increase Starship launches to 456 per year from Boca Chica... Source: public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-20963.pdf
Mini-Me's Sarcastic "Right..." Reaction
ALT: Mini-Me's Sarcastic "Right..." Reaction
static.klipy.com
So, lets see what this object is after all these years...place your bets :) (for the uninitiated, one camp thinks it's an Lockheed Electra, yes THAT L-10 Electra of a certain Mrs. Earhart, others think not so much..) Source: www.archaeologychannel.org/taraia/ More: heritagetac.org/programs/tar...
Meanwhile at KSC, I see some familiar Dutch people testing the Artemis III / ESM solar array :) ELM testing on-going Source: images.nasa.gov/details/KSC-...
Meanwhile, in the SR-71 rumor-mill... "Hey...pssst... you....yeah you....wake up.....did you hear that 844 is getting powered-up ?....so like we are next right ?....right ?" 😇
During the IAC SpaceX had a presentation on Starlink and public ephemeris (location) data to help traffic coordination, (one could of course launch less crap but I digress..) it showed interesting on-orbit shots detailing some of the close approaches Source: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6gE...
So we have a little bit of a timeline, NASA Admin visits SR-71 844 on January 25th. Checking our little Sentinel friends, it seems that 844 has been moved between 21 and 26th of February (!) so several months earlier then previously reported (May)
DutchSpace@dutchspace.eurosky.social · 3w agoNow I understand this pic from January of the NASA admin and SR-71 844 ;-) Source: images.nasa.gov/details/NHQ2...
Now I understand this pic from January of the NASA admin and SR-71 844 ;-) Source: images.nasa.gov/details/NHQ2...
Well that was fun, can we get Malaysia back on the calendar please ? And well done Alonso #MalaysianGP #F1 #Sepang
DutchSpace@dutchspace.eurosky.social · 3w agoThe crowd cheering the medical car doing a lap at a soaked track is epic already lol I'll be eating nasi goreng today in honor of the track being back :) #MalaysiaGP #F1 #Sepang
The crowd cheering the medical car doing a lap at a soaked track is epic already lol I'll be eating nasi goreng today in honor of the track being back :) #MalaysiaGP #F1 #Sepang