This is a deep space news update covering approximately the last two weeks of November and the beginning of December. Key topics include a high global launch cadence, with SpaceX reaching its 100th Falcon 9 booster and November having more launches than days for the first time in history. Notable events include a Russian Soyuz launchpad failure that jeopardizes future ISS missions from Baikonur, and the near-successful but ultimately explosive landing attempt of Landspace's private Zhuque-3 booster in China.
The video also discusses program updates for major US spaceflight efforts: the damaged Starship booster was successfully disassembled, the Starliner program has been effectively downgraded with its next flight being cargo-only, and Jared Isaacman's confirmation hearing for NASA administrator appears to be on a fast track. Geopolitically, the ESA received a significant budget increase likely due to Russian aggression, and a Russian cosmonaut was removed from a NASA flight over espionage concerns. The update concludes with a significant scientific finding: the discovery of bio-essential sugars in samples from the asteroid Bennu.
Deep Space Update: Launches, Failures, and Discoveries
0:00:20 Global Launch Roundup: The period saw numerous launches, including six for Starlink (featuring the 100th Falcon 9 booster), China's Shenzhou 22, a Russian Angara carrying Strela store-and-forward communication satellites, and South Korea's third successful Nuri rocket launch.
0:02:37 Critical Russian Launchpad Failure: Following a Soyuz launch to the ISS, the service cabin at the Baikonur launch site fell into the flame trench. This is Russia's only launchpad capable of sending crew and cargo to the ISS, so future Progress and Soyuz missions are likely delayed until it is repaired.
0:03:52 SpaceX Rideshare & Chinese Secrecy: SpaceX's Transporter-15 rideshare mission successfully launched over 100 satellites. In contrast, China launched the Shian 28 experimental satellite with unusual secrecy, providing no information on its purpose, which is suspicious.
0:06:10 China's Private Rocket Progress: The private Chinese company Landspace successfully launched its Zhuque-3 rocket, a Falcon 9 analog. However, the booster recovery attempt failed when the booster exploded during its landing burn. It almost hit the landing pad, which shows impressive guidance but is a terrible failure mode.
0:09:08 Starship Booster Disassembly: The damaged Super Heavy Booster 18 was safely disassembled. The failure is widely believed to have been caused by an exploding composite overwrap pressure vessel (COPV). SpaceX still appears to be on schedule for a Q1 launch next year.
0:10:21 Starliner Program Downgraded: NASA confirmed the next Starliner mission to the ISS will be a cargo-only flight to verify safety. The new contract with Boeing only includes four flights total, suggesting a significant lack of confidence in the program.
0:11:05 ISS News: A record eight visiting spacecraft are currently docked at the ISS. Northrop Grumman's Cygnus contract was extended, as it's the only US vehicle capable of using the station's Common Berthing Mechanism, which will be necessary during the station's final days.
0:12:52 ESA Budget Increase: The European Space Agency secured β¬22 billion, 99% of its requested budget. This is likely a direct response to Russian belligerence, prompting European nations to invest in independent space technology.
0:14:42 Cosmonaut Removed Over Espionage Concerns: A Russian cosmonaut was removed from the Crew-12 mission. Russian media reported this was due to him taking photos of SpaceX hardware and documents during training, which could be an ITAR violation. It's unclear if this was espionage or a misunderstanding.
0:15:59 Isaacman's NASA Confirmation Hearing: Jared Isaacman had his second Senate confirmation hearing to become NASA Administrator. As far as I can tell, he said all the right things, and the process seems to be fast-tracked for a vote next week.
0:19:53 Airbus Software Glitch: Airbus issued a software downgrade for A320 aircraft, blaming potential interference from solar flares. I find this explanation improbable. It was more likely a standard cosmic ray-induced single-event upset (bit flip) that revealed a software bug. The "solar flare" story is likely a simplification.
0:21:50 AI and Space: Sam Altman of OpenAI has reportedly been in talks with space companies like Stoke Space to build data centers in orbit. I don't care much for this, but it's a predictable development given the current AI bubble and its massive energy requirements.
0:23:11 Key Discovery in Bennu Samples: A major finding was announced: bio-essential sugars, including ribose (a key component of RNA) and glucose, were found in samples from the asteroid Bennu. This provides strong evidence that the building blocks of life can form in space and be delivered to planets, potentially giving abiogenesis a head start.