Kenneth_2003 said:

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Leaving one American... Any consideration that doing so could be to keep the Russians in line?

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Chris Williams flew up on a Soyuz. There is no consideration given to 'keeping the Russians in line'.

Mathguy64 said:

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Kenneth_2003 said:

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Leaving one American... Any consideration that doing so could be to keep the Russians in line?

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That's a very polite way of saying "intentionally breaking something that doesn't belong to them".

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Keep your hands where I can see them, Ivan!

lb3 said:

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Kenneth_2003 said:

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Leaving one American... Any consideration that doing so could be to keep the Russians in line?

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Chris Williams flew up on a Soyuz. There is no consideration given to 'keeping the Russians in line'.

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Ok... When I saw something to the effect of one American along with the the Russian crew, I wasn't sure show all flew on what. I knew there weren't any Russian on the SpaceX capsule... But I get they can't leave someone without a ride, and without the ship specific suit, either.

A Russian cosmonaut went up on Crew 11.

Kenneth_2003 said:

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lb3 said:

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Kenneth_2003 said:

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Leaving one American... Any consideration that doing so could be to keep the Russians in line?

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Chris Williams flew up on a Soyuz. There is no consideration given to 'keeping the Russians in line'.

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Ok... When I saw something to the effect of one American along with the the Russian crew, I wasn't sure show all flew on what. I knew there weren't any Russian on the SpaceX capsule... But I get they can't leave someone without a ride, and without the ship specific suit, either.

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We split Americans and Russians across vehicles for this very reason. Same reason if the Soyuz had to come home early.
Soyuz MS-28:
Chris Williams - USA
Sergey Kud-Sverchkov- Russia
Sergey Mikayev-Russia

Dragon Crew-11:
Zena Cardman - USA
Michael Fincke - USA
Kimiya Yui - Japan
Oleg Platonov - Russia

Well, there are some more reasons, but yes. Spaceflight is dangerous, but one of the few things I'd concede Nasa themselves do pretty well at is contingency/safety management planning etc.

One of the reasons SpaceX saw a need to partner with them on human spaceflight from the get-go, and really an outstanding concern for others as we look to private space stations becoming a reality over the next 3 to 5 years.

New marcus video:

Russians were slow to accept putting cosmonauts on SpaceX flights, but then saw they needed to be a part of that. I don't think they have expressed much interest in Boeing Starliner.

Pretty solid op-ed by Spuds Vogel on the need for civil and military space to work more closely together in order to maintain US leadership in the space domain moving forward.
https://spacenews.com/the-u-s-will-seize-space-leadership-or-china-will-take-it/

Some cool rideshare Sats on this one:

Some very intriguing spacecraft are flying on the Falcon 9 rideshare mission out of Vandenberg shortly.https://t.co/OONZqfqbUg

By Justin Davenport.

— NSF - NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) January 11, 2026

I like the German Exolaunch one.

Quote:

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The Twilight mission also features the Exolaunch deployer and 22 associated customer payloads that will be released during the flight. Exolaunch, a company based in Berlin, Germany, has deployed satellites on every Transporter and Bandwagon rideshare missions aboard the Falcon 9 to date, and has deployed 653 satellites across 41 missions in total before Twilight.

Among the 22 Exolaunch customer payloads are nine satellites for Spire Global. Spire's Hyperspectral Microwave Sounder 16U CubeSat satellite demonstrator will capture detailed internal views of the Earth's atmosphere, while seven of its satellites are for customers, and one constellation replacement satellite.

Exolaunch is also flying four Connecta satellites for the Turkish company Plan-S Satellite and Space Technologies, which will provide Internet of Things connectivity, as well as three observation satellites for HawkEye 360. In addition, Exolaunch has manifested the Araqys-D1 manufacturing experiment satellite, the Vyoma Flamingo-1 surveillance telescope, and other payloads.

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Couple of interesting articles about NASA's decision to fly Artemis 2 manned:

https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/isaacman-okays-flying-artemis-2-manned-despite-heat-shield-questions/

https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/former-astronaut-once-again-blasts-nasa-decision-to-fly-artemis-2-manned/

I still think he is misguided about the safety concerns of the heat shield, and NASA's response/analyses alike, but respect the opinion.

Interesting that SpaceX critically contributed to the Iranian people's ability to communicate despite the regime employing Russia's best-available jammers.

Quote:

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To understand why Iran achieved degradation rather than denial, and why this outcome is structurally inherent to ground-based electronic warfare against low-earth orbit constellations, one must examine the physics of the engagement with the precision that institutional capital requires.

Starlink terminals operate in the Ku-band, transmitting on frequencies between 14.0 and 14.5 gigahertz for uplinks and receiving on frequencies between 10.7 and 12.7 gigahertz for downlinks. These frequencies were chosen for their balance between atmospheric propagation characteristics and data throughput capacity. They also happen to fall within the engagement envelope of standard military electronic warfare systems designed to counter airborne radars and communications satellites in geostationary orbit.

The Russian Krasukha-4, which imagery intelligence confirms Iran deployed beginning in August 2025, represents the high end of ground-based electronic warfare capability currently in service. It is a broadband jamming platform mounted on an eight-wheel-drive BAZ-6910-022 tactical truck, designed primarily to counter airborne early warning systems like the E-8 JSTARS and synthetic aperture radar satellites. Its design philosophy prioritizes overwhelming power across a wide frequency range, creating a wall of electromagnetic noise intended to saturate receivers and deny them the ability to distinguish signal from interference.

Against conventional point-to-point communications or static geostationary satellite links, this approach can achieve complete denial. The geometry favors the jammer because geostationary satellites orbit at thirty-six thousand kilometers, meaning their signals arrive at ground receivers with substantial path loss. A ground-based jammer located much closer to the target receiver can achieve a favorable jamming-to-signal ratio with manageable power output.

Against Starlink, the geometry works entirely differently.

Low-earth orbit satellites move at approximately twenty-seven thousand kilometers per hour relative to the ground, completing an orbit every ninety minutes. From a terminal's perspective, an individual satellite is visible for only a few minutes before disappearing over the horizon, requiring handoff to the next satellite in the constellation chain. This constant motion means that jamming geometry changes continuously. A Krasukha-4 positioned to optimize interference against the satellite currently serving a terminal will be suboptimal against the satellite that takes over minutes later. The constellation's more than ten thousand operational satellites present a constantly shifting target set that static ground-based jammers cannot track efficiently.

Furthermore, Starlink terminals employ electronically steered phased array antennas containing over one thousand individual elements. These arrays can shape their reception pattern mathematically, focusing sensitivity into a narrow beam pointed at the current satellite while placing "nulls," zones of near-zero sensitivity, in directions where interference originates. A jammer positioned on a hilltop south of Tehran can be largely canceled out by a terminal that detects its bearing and adjusts the phase relationships across its antenna elements accordingly.

The result is a fundamental asymmetry that favors the defender.

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Long thread with analyses of impacts;

Bottom line up front:

Star Link's secure digital text communications mean the Mullah's are facing a sustained guerilla revolution (level 2), not unrest.

A revolution they are facing with crippling corruption and hyperinflation with 1.4 million Rial to a single U.S. Dollar.

4/ pic.twitter.com/jNX466Gp1D

— Trent Telenko (@TrentTelenko) January 12, 2026

Bruno eating hat.

Those people are so smart! Elon is on another level!

hph6203 said:

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Bruno eating hat.

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Pretty magnanimous of Elon to say "industry experts" there

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that final, system-wide testing for Artemis Il, the first crewed lunar spaceflight mission by the United States since Apollo 17 in 1972, will begin in roughly two weeks, with the earliest launch date scheduled… pic.twitter.com/M2ccHLYF34

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 3, 2026

They're scheduled to roll out on the 17th with launch no earlier than Feb 6th

The crew is:
Cdr Reid Wiseman - 168 days on the ISS, multiple spacewalks
Plt Victor Glover - 168 days on the ISS, multiple spacewalks
Mission Specialist Christina Koch - 328 days on ISS, science experiments & system ops
Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen - Rookie Canadian with extensive training in lunar geology

TexAgs91 said:

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that final, system-wide testing for Artemis Il, the first crewed lunar spaceflight mission by the United States since Apollo 17 in 1972, will begin in roughly two weeks, with the earliest launch date scheduled… pic.twitter.com/M2ccHLYF34

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 3, 2026

They're scheduled to roll out on the 17th with launch no earlier than Feb 6th

The crew is:
Cdr Reid Wiseman - 168 days on the ISS, multiple spacewalks
Plt Victor Glover - 168 days on the ISS, multiple spacewalks
Mission Specialist Christina Koch - 328 days on ISS, science experiments & system ops
Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen - Rookie Canadian with extensive training in lunar geology

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The SLS/Artemis drama has been dragging on for years. As someone who generally follows most things space-related, I was surprised to learn a couple of months ago that the Artemis II mission was scheduled for February. I figured it was still a couple of years away, the can constantly getting kicked further and further down the road.

While interesting, I'm not entirely sure what this mission is accomplishing. It seems like any sort of future Moon landing will move away from SLS and Orion. This feels largely like a chance to say NASA! or MOON!, but soon to be overshadowed by SpaceX.

torrid said:

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TexAgs91 said:

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that final, system-wide testing for Artemis Il, the first crewed lunar spaceflight mission by the United States since Apollo 17 in 1972, will begin in roughly two weeks, with the earliest launch date scheduled… pic.twitter.com/M2ccHLYF34

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 3, 2026

They're scheduled to roll out on the 17th with launch no earlier than Feb 6th

The crew is:
Cdr Reid Wiseman - 168 days on the ISS, multiple spacewalks
Plt Victor Glover - 168 days on the ISS, multiple spacewalks
Mission Specialist Christina Koch - 328 days on ISS, science experiments & system ops
Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen - Rookie Canadian with extensive training in lunar geology

---

The SLS/Artemis drama has been dragging on for years. As someone who generally follows most things space-related, I was surprised to learn a couple of months ago that the Artemis II mission was scheduled for February. I figured it was still a couple of years away, the can constantly getting kicked further and further down the road.

While interesting, I'm not entirely sure what this mission is accomplishing. It seems like any sort of future Moon landing will move away from SLS and Orion. This feels largely like a chance to say NASA! or MOON!, but soon to be overshadowed by SpaceX.

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Welcome to the world of government contracting. Everybody knows that SLS/Artemis is not the future of the US lunar exploration and colonization program. "But we have all these approved and funded contracts with SLS, so it would be a shame to not go ahead and spend the money, right?"

Wasn't sure where to ask this question, so I thought this place is as good as any. Does anyone have any insight as to what caused the medical evacuation of the ISS this week? Supposedly it is not life-threatening, but it was important enough to bring someone back early.

They have kept that under wraps for privacy reasons, which I guess is fair. I've seen zero solid speculation really. Theories about appendicitis etc. but it's all just guesses. This is the first real serious astronaut health event and it will be interesting to see if it impacts the planning/statistical analyses for Martian/lunar missions, where it would/will be a lot harder/longer to bring back sick folks to Earth vs. LEO, and realistically the humans in/on those stations will be less 'exceptionally healthy' vs. ISS astronauts.

In about 3 years or so, Starship will launch more than once per hour

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 15, 2026

Another interesting claim. He followed up and said it could take up to 4 years for this cadence.

Ducks4brkfast said:

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Need that IPO sooner than later!

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You're telling me. Going to dump so much in it.

Burdizzo said:

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Wasn't sure where to ask this question, so I thought this place is as good as any. Does anyone have any insight as to what caused the medical evacuation of the ISS this week? Supposedly it is not life-threatening, but it was important enough to bring someone back early.

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The joke here was the gal was pregnant, but I don't really see how that could be requiring ending a mission roughly a month early. If she were further along already her suit wouldn't fit. I doubt that is/was the case.

If it was appendicitis, it truly would have been an emergency as you've got a small window for removal prior to rupture which untreated aggressively is fatal. My father's ruptured, and even post removal, the required antibiotics kicked his butt.

My guess was a potential heart issue or suspected cancer diagnosis. I'm pretty sure the have capability to do basic blood work and analysis onboard the station and possibly even some basic imaging capability.

Does anyone know when the next starship launch is expected to be? Trying to plan a 2 week trip down to the valley but want to go right before starship if possible

fullback44 said:

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Does anyone know when the next starship launch is expected to be? Trying to plan a 2 week trip down to the valley but want to go right before starship if possible

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Looking like late March at the moment.

And no, nobody really knows. SpaceX says 1st Quarter but from watching nasaspaceflight updates it sounds like that time frame will be pushing it.

txags92 said:

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torrid said:

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TexAgs91 said:

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has announced that final, system-wide testing for Artemis Il, the first crewed lunar spaceflight mission by the United States since Apollo 17 in 1972, will begin in roughly two weeks, with the earliest launch date scheduled… pic.twitter.com/M2ccHLYF34

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 3, 2026

They're scheduled to roll out on the 17th with launch no earlier than Feb 6th

The crew is:
Cdr Reid Wiseman - 168 days on the ISS, multiple spacewalks
Plt Victor Glover - 168 days on the ISS, multiple spacewalks
Mission Specialist Christina Koch - 328 days on ISS, science experiments & system ops
Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen - Rookie Canadian with extensive training in lunar geology

---

The SLS/Artemis drama has been dragging on for years. As someone who generally follows most things space-related, I was surprised to learn a couple of months ago that the Artemis II mission was scheduled for February. I figured it was still a couple of years away, the can constantly getting kicked further and further down the road.

While interesting, I'm not entirely sure what this mission is accomplishing. It seems like any sort of future Moon landing will move away from SLS and Orion. This feels largely like a chance to say NASA! or MOON!, but soon to be overshadowed by SpaceX.

---

Welcome to the world of government contracting. Everybody knows that SLS/Artemis is not the future of the US lunar exploration and colonization program. "But we have all these approved and funded contracts with SLS, so it would be a shame to not go ahead and spend the money, right?"

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I don't care if it's the best and most efficient way to get to the moon or not. We need to make sure it's successful and we need to get humans back to the surface of the moon with future missions. Lower Earth Orbit isn't pushing humanity forward.

Thanks

600 https://t.co/Zt5GwTEqWR

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 17, 2026

Nice.
Roundup of space stuff here.
Felix provides a nice sitrep here;

TLDW: they want 2 successful flights/returns with V3 ships before trying an upper stage catch. COPV tank discussion, nice that they are taking those seriously now.

Humans for scale pic.twitter.com/cHTcxEWkzI

— Andrew McCarthy (@AJamesMcCarthy) January 17, 2026

Pretty cool that there is moon rocket currently rolling out to the pad.

Burdizzo said:

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Wasn't sure where to ask this question, so I thought this place is as good as any. Does anyone have any insight as to what caused the medical evacuation of the ISS this week? Supposedly it is not life-threatening, but it was important enough to bring someone back early.

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Dont ask. It's not important.

I've learned not to be curious. I haven't asked about which crew it was or their diagnosis. I have asked about flight controller performance and how our hardware performed to see if there are lessons that I can apply to Artemis.

There was an alleged leak of the medical details. If you seek that information and bring that info here it will elevate the number of people who see it and possibly turn a career limiting act into a criminal one.