Almost a dozen space stakeholders signed the Net Zero Space Declaration today, agreeing to take action to avoid the creation of new hazardous space debris and remediate what is already there. This initial group includes actors from across the space ecosystem including a launch company, satellite operators, companies offering tracking/servicing/debris removal services, a space agency, and a university.
SpaceX took another step forward in the development of its Starship system to take people and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Today’s static fire test of the Starship second stage with all six engines was successful according to SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
Glen de Vries, who just flew to space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard-18 four weeks ago, was killed in the crash of a private airplane in New Jersey today. He was 49.
As part of her ongoing visit to France, Vice President Harris and French President Macron have agreed on additional space cooperation. It includes initiation of regular bilateral meetings and a partnership on a Space Climate Observatory to make space data accessible to local communities to help mitigate climate change.
Four astronauts on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endurance are in orbit tonight, headed to the International Space Station. The launch was delayed by weather and a minor medical issue afflicting one of the crew, but everything went smoothly today. They will dock tomorrow evening.
NASA officials conceded today that 2025 is the earliest possible date U.S. astronauts will return to the Moon, not 2024 as promoted by the Trump Administration and adopted by the Biden Administration earlier this year. That will be the third mission in the Artemis series and the first two also have slipped. Meanwhile the development cost for the spacecraft that will transport the crew, Orion, has grown from $6.7 billion to $9.3 billion.
The second operational flight of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon for NASA, Crew-2, splashed down safely in the Gulf of Mexico tonight. It is actually the fourth Crew Dragon splashdown carrying astronauts if a test flight and a privately sponsored mission are included. SpaceX has seven places off the coast of Florida in the Atlantic and the Gulf where Crew Dragon can return, but so far the Gulf is providing the more welcoming environment.
Wang Yaping has become the first Chinese woman to make a spacewalk. She along with two male colleagues are in the first month of a six month stint aboard the Tianhe space station module where they will set a new duration record for Chinese astronauts. While still far behind the 15-nation International Space Station (ISS) that just celebrated 21 years of permanent occupancy, China’s space station program is ramping up. Experts are urging the U.S. government to quicken its pace in deciding what comes after ISS.
Here is SpacePolicyOnline.com’s list of space policy events for the week of November 7-13, 2021 and any insight we can offer about them. The House and Senate are in recess this week except for pro forma sessions, although it is a “committee work week” in the House and a few committees are meeting virtually.
Weather permitting, four astronauts aboard the International Space Station will begin their return to Earth tomorrow even though their replacements are still on the ground. One American astronaut who is using Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft for transportation will remain on the space station, but the U.S. segment will be short staffed for at least a few days. [UPDATE, November 7: Crew-2’s return is delayed till Monday, November 8, due to high winds in the recovery area.)