This Week in Space 219

This week we're jumping into the space headlines for the past few weeks. It's been busy, and some exciting things are happening! A couple of companies are moving into the space solar power arena--something we've long advocated--and that's welcome progress. Starship is set to fly Starship test number 13, and a lot is riding on this--the system is overdue for some proof of concept to keep up with NASA's HLS contract. An exoplanet spotted a decade ago has shown signs of a potentially habitable atmosphere; there are landslides--big ones--on Pluto, and evidence of "space candy" sugars in an interstellar cloud are in the news. Finally, SpaceX is doubling down on their big defense contracts with a well-funded US Space Force. Join us for all the latest!

Headlines:

• SpaceX Starship Flight 13 Launch Aborted Due to Engine Issue
• Meteorite Crashes Into New Jersey, Preserved Sample Fuels Origins of Life Research
• Discovery of Atmosphere Around Habitable-Zone Exoplanet LHS 1140 b
• NASA Moon Tree Planted After Artemis 1 Mission
• Reflect Orbital to Launch Mirrors in Space, Sparking Astronomer Backlash
• Landslides Found on Pluto Could Bury Entire Cities
• Rare Sugar Found in Interstellar Cloud Hints at Building Blocks of Life
• SpaceX’s Growing Military Launch Contracts and Pentagon Ties
• Space Development Agency’s Expanding Satellite Constellation for Space Force
• Starship’s Dual Focus: NASA Moon Landings vs. Mars and Satellite Deployment
• Artemis 3 Updates: New Renderings, Docking Plans, and Starlink HD Laser Payloads
• Defense Innovation Unit’s Push for Space-Based Power Beaming Technology
• Pulse Space and Laser-Based Satellite Power and Communication
• New Satellite Concept to Detect Nuclear Devices in Orbit Amid Global Security Concerns

Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!
Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit

Links

• SpaceX's Starship Flight 13 test launch aborts at last second
• Meteorite that crashed through New Jersey house could hold the clues to life's origins
• Astronomers discover 1st atmosphere around a rocky Earth-like planet in the habitable zone
• How NASA’s Artemis III Lander Test Will Pave Way for Moon Landings
• NASA Taps SpaceX’s Starlink to Deliver Artemis III Imagery from Orion
• Blue Origin continues work on lunar landers during recovery from New Glenn explosion
• SpaceX launches 21 'data transport' satellites for US military
• The FCC just gave Reflect Orbital permission to launch its 1st space mirror to orbit. Tens of thousands more could follow
• A “disaster waiting to happen”? Industry officials worry about Crew Dragon availability.
• Spacecraft Commissioning On Track for Mission to Boost NASA’s Swift
• Raspberry sugar spotted in interstellar space, a sweet discovery that could reveal clues about life's origins
• Defense Innovation Unit - Space Power Beaming
• Nature study identifies a new way to spot nuclear weapons in orbit