In this comprehensive roundup of early August space news, Scott Manley covers a wide array of recent events, from a flurry of international rocket launches to significant policy shifts at NASA and major commercial space milestones. The update details launches by Europe's Vega C, multiple Chinese Long March rockets carrying Guowang satellites, and the failed but memorable first flight of Australia's Gilmore Space. Key commercial developments include Rocket Lab's successful launch featuring new high-quality cameras, Firefly Aerospace going public after securing a new NASA lunar mission, SpaceX's static fire tests of its Starship V2, and ULA's progress on the Vulcan rocket. NASA is highlighted for the bold moves of its new acting administrator, including a revised plan for commercial space stations and a proposal for a lunar nuclear reactor. The segment concludes with a poignant tribute to the life and legacy of legendary Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell, who passed away at the age of 97.
Deep Space News Roundup: Launches, Policy Shifts, and a Legend's Farewell
0:00:28 European Vega C Launch: On July 26th, a Vega C rocket successfully launched the CO3D satellite constellation, designed for high-resolution 3D world mapping, and the Microcarb satellite, which will study carbon dioxide sinks on Earth.
0:01:18 China's Guowang Constellation: China conducted multiple launches (July 27, July 30, Aug 4) carrying numerous Guowang satellites for its planned 13,000-satellite low Earth orbit communications constellation, a government-sponsored competitor to Starlink.
0:02:07 Gilmore Space's Failed Maiden Launch: On July 29th, Australian company Gilmore Space's first launch attempt ended after 14 seconds due to engine failures. The rocket performed an unplanned "vertical touchdown" before falling over. The payload, a jar of Vegemite, was successfully recovered.
0:03:08 NASA & India Launch NISAR: In a major collaboration, a GSLV Mk II rocket launched the NISAR satellite on July 30th. The satellite combines a NASA-built L-band radar and an ISRO-built S-band radar to image the entire Earth with synthetic aperture radar every 12 days.
0:04:46 Crew-11 Launches to the ISS: On August 1st, a Falcon 9 launched the Crew-11 mission. The crew composition was heavily influenced by delays in Boeing's Starliner program. This mission also marked the final booster landing at Landing Zone 1, as the site will be repurposed.
0:06:27 Rocket Lab's "Harvest God Thrives" Mission: Rocket Lab launched a satellite for customer iQPS on August 5th. The launch was notable for its stunning new high-quality onboard cameras and audible audio from the second stage's electrically-driven impellers.
0:09:00 Firefly Aerospace's Lunar Contract and IPO: NASA awarded Firefly its fourth lunar mission under the CLPS program, set to deliver two rovers to the Moon in 2029. Shortly after, the company went public on the stock market under the symbol "FLY."
0:11:05 SpaceX Tests Starship V2: SpaceX conducted static fire tests of its new Starship V2 vehicle on the orbital launch mount, first with one engine and later with all six. A flight is anticipated within the month.
0:13:13 Astronaut Butch Wilmore Retires: The commander of the Starliner test flight, Butch Wilmore, has retired. He had a diverse career, flying on four different launch vehicles (Shuttle, Soyuz, Starliner, Dragon) and wearing five different types of spacesuits.
0:14:51 New NASA Administrator Makes Bold Moves: Acting Administrator Shawn Duffy has made significant changes, including:
0:15:05 Commercial LEO Program Overhaul: Shifting from fixed-price contracts to a "fly-to-buy" model for the ISS successor, where companies must have a station in orbit to win a contract. This could potentially end the continuous presence of US astronauts in orbit.
0:17:29 Lunar Nuclear Reactor: Announcing plans to place a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the Moon to support a future moon base.
0:19:52 China Tests Full-Scale Lunar Lander: China is actively testing a one-to-one scale model of its Lanyue lunar lander on a massive gravity-offset rig, demonstrating progress towards its goal of landing humans on the Moon.
0:22:08 Rocket Lab Tests Neutron's Archimedes Engine: The company shared video of a successful full-duration test fire of the Archimedes engine for its upcoming reusable Neutron rocket, keeping it on track for a potential launch by the end of the year.
0:25:08 A Legend Passes: Jim Lovell: Legendary astronaut Jim Lovell has died at age 97. He flew on Gemini 7 & 12, was part of the first crew to orbit the Moon on Apollo 8, and famously commanded the Apollo 13 mission. He is the only person to have flown to the Moon twice without ever landing on its surface.