A new mission patch just dropped at the SpaceX merch store. Just an FYI for any fellow collectors out there.

So as I understand it, Jared Isaacman is planning to postpone the two remaining Polaris flights upon confirmation as NASA Administrator until after January 2029 (to mitigate any claims of conflict of interest), and given that MZ also cancelled dearMoon, does that put Tito at the front of the line?

I haven't heard much about what he's been up to lately though, is that flight still happening? Is there a plan for who's going to take the other seats on that flight?

Dragon capsule as a remote workplace.

The gas generator housing seemed like it was glowing more brightly on tonight's Starlink 6-72 launch than usual. Comparing it to recent launches (that also had SECO at night) seems to prove that. The three most recent night launches have been after the latest camera upgrade they seem to have done, so the contrast is better than all the older ones.

Speculation: Did SpaceX intentionally push the upper stage harder than usual on this launch to squeeze performance? Maybe a leaner mixture or higher pressure? If they vary the second stage engine performance then it makes sense that the crewed flight of Fram2 might be cooler than normal. The elbow shaped pipe might be the only visible indication of variable pressure/temperature depending on the mission. This is assuming it was purposeful and not an off-nominal fuel ratio in the gas generator this time around.

What atmosphere will be maintained inside the HLS? My best estimate is 9.0 psi. Orion can operate at 14.7 to 8.3 psi and apparently will be at 9.0 psi while docked to Gateway, with a 70/30 nitrogen/oxygen ratio. But the astronauts will have to get to a low psi pure O2 atmosphere for EVAs to avoid making the suit arms and legs too stiff to move in. Apollo suits were at 3.75 psi with the LM kept at 5 psi. No nitrogen was involved so no prebreathing was required before a Moon walk. HLS will have to match to 9.0 if docking at Gateway and I figure NASA will go with that figure even if Gateway is cancelled.

ISS astronauts currently prebreathe pure O2 for over 2 hours before an EVA so they can use their 4.3 psi suits while in an airlock. They exercise to reduce this from the previous multiple hour approach, which could even be overnight. I presume there's a transition period of a reducing N2/O2 level and reducing the pressure from 14.7 to 4.3 psi. They breathe pure O2 through masks for part (most?) of this time.

If HLS is kept at 9.0 psi at a 70/30 ratio the rebreathing time will be reduced, I assume. Save 10+ minutes? So - the astronauts would need to be in the air lock on the cargo deck for <100 minutes. Not bad, not great, time on the surface is valuable. The airlock looks sizable but will be small for 2 people exercising. Could there be a separate airlock on the crew deck above? There's room to spare. That'd also help with isolating the cabin from regolith dust. But the alternative is an entire HLS filled with a pure O2 atmosphere at <5 psi. This source notes the 9.0 psi 70/30 level was chosen for Gateway because it "maintains material flammability limits within the range currently tested and approved for spaceflight." Ergo, my conclusion is HLS will be kept at 9.0 psi while on the surface. Did I make any big mistakes?

This morning I caught sight of Resilience looking like a toasted marshmallow aboard Shannon at the SpaceX dock.

Imagine that we have people in Mars and that everybody on Earth put efforts in this idea to terraform Mars. Imagine that these guys dig a huge hole near to the biggest volcano inside Mars. Imagine that this hole has like 20 km. Imagine that many nuclear bombs are exploded and the hole is covered in order to revive the volcano and it release a lot of CO2 to transform the atmosphere and thus melt the poles.

While we patiently wait for IFT-9, I'd figure we could celebrate Throwback Thursday by looking back nearly six months ago to the first Super Heavy catch (IFT-5, which also happens to be my first rocket launch.) Clearly I was very ecstatic. Just felt like sharing :>🚀

TL:DR

I’m trying get a tour for my kids (10 and 8 y/o).

I’ve been Active Duty for 13 years, and I’m about to leave for a dependent restricted tour to South Korea. I have a few weeks off this summer before I leave, and I’m trying through all channels to find a way to get my kids on a tour of the Star Factory. I know they are rare and difficult to get, so I’m hoping the community here could assist in promoting this request.

They have been watching Falcons launch and land for years, and are absolutely stoked about the Starship. They would very likely loose their minds if they got to see this monster ship in the assembly process. It would be a blessing to give them a glimpse of what the future holds for them.

Thanks for the read!

Suni and Butch talked about docking Starliner with the ISS, and about why they returned in Crew Dragon.