# The Great Ongoing Space Exploration Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** science-math\ **Created:** [November 16, 2020, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703 "2020-11-16T12:18:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 121
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2026, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2403 "2026-06-18T11:41:42Z")
JWT has discovered a black hole that’s SIX BILLION times the mass of the sun. > **[James Webb Space Telescope weighs 'sleeping giant' black hole from 10 billion...](https://www.space.com/astronomy/james-webb-space-telescope/james-webb-space-telescope-weighs-sleeping-giant-black-hole-from-10-billion-light-years-away-and-its-6-billion-times-our-suns-mass)** > > "We can now undertake a more complete census of how black holes develop over time and infer their role in shaping galaxy evolution." What’s also mind blowing to me is that scientists measured the size of the very distant black hole through observations of the host galaxy of the black hole made possible by the gravitational lensing provided by a galaxy that sits directly in front of it from our perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2404 "2026-06-19T00:30:33Z")
The industrial processes themselves aren’t so big a factor on the Earth’s ecology as the number of humans living on Earth, their agriculture, and the support infrastructure for both. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2026, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2405 "2026-08-06T22:29:12Z")
> [Blue Origin CEO] Limp said the company’s path forward is “clear” as it works toward returning the New Glenn rocket to flight before the end of this year. > > “We’re making small modifications to the valve that can be quickly retrofitted to existing engines,” he said. “We’re manufacturing the updated hardware, which will be ready by the end of this month. In parallel, we’re working through the remaining fault tree analysis.” > **[Blue Origin narrowing in on root cause of catastrophic rocket accident](https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/08/blue-origin-narrowing-in-on-root-cause-of-catastrophic-rocket-accident/)** > > The anomaly originated at the main oxygen valve on one of the BE-4 engines." ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2026, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2406 "2026-08-07T13:30:31Z")
> **[‘Big Bang’ fix boosts Voyager 2’s mission in interstellar space | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/06/science/voyager-2-big-bang-fix)** > > A clever swap has extended the historic Voyager 2’s mission in interstellar space. Engineers are hoping to do the same for Voyager 1. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2026, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2407 "2026-08-12T18:26:40Z")
> **[Astronomers discover a new kind of cosmic object – a black hole ‘star’](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/12/astronomy-discovery-new-cosmic-object-black-hole-star?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other)** > > The body is the size of the entire solar system and glows with a brilliant red light billions of light years from Earth At first i read this and thought “isn’t that just an accretion dish around a black hole?” But it turns out the material around the black hole is in a state of equilibrium with the black hole at its core. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2408 "2026-08-30T02:58:26Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > In less exciting news, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is likely to be cancelled, even though it’s almost complete: But it wasn’t and now it is scheduled to be launched in a few hours: **NASA is about to launch a space telescope that could change how we see the universe** [https://www.npr.org/2026/08/28/nx-s1-5905370/nasa-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-dark-energy-supernova](https://www.npr.org/2026/08/28/nx-s1-5905370/nasa-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-dark-energy-supernova) > **[Nancy Grace Roman Telescope live updates: Roman and Falcon Heavy delivered to...](https://www.space.com/news/live/nancy-grace-roman-telescope-live-updates-nasa-readies-roman-for-launch-august-29-2026)** > > Aug. 29: The Roman Telescope is progressing as scheduled toward a launch on Aug. 30. Remember: > SpaceX will launch Roman on a [Falcon Heavy](https://www.space.com/39779-falcon-heavy-facts.html) rocket from NASA’s [Kennedy Space Center](https://www.space.com/17705-nasa-kennedy-space-center.html) (KSC) in Florida. **Liftoff is scheduled for no earlier than 7:26 a.m. EDT (1126 GMT) on Sunday, Aug. 30.** from [Launch Complex-39A](https://www.space.com/35736-nasa-greatest-space-launches-from-pad-39a.html) (LC-39A). ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2409 "2026-08-30T03:29:50Z")
From the cite above the Roman telescope has similar resolution to Hubble but can process information in a month that would take the Hubble a century to process. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2410 "2026-08-30T12:23:53Z")
> **[NASA's Roman Space Telescope Flying on Its Own](https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/roman/2026/08/30/nasas-roman-space-telescope-flying-on-its-own/)** > > NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope separated from the SpaceX Falcon Heavy's second stage. But remember the process will take months before the telescopes have been tested and shown to be working, so there are many points along the way things can go wrong. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2026, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2411 "2026-08-30T18:25:30Z")
AI is telling me first light is expected early 2027, but I can’t find a solid cite (I can’t find one in the links AI gave me), but that seems reasonable (maybe late 2026) Brian ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2412 "2026-08-31T02:45:07Z")
Sky&Telescope article here: > **[NASA Launches Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope](https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/nasa-launches-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope/)** > > Launched on August 30th, NASA’s newest flagship space observatory will go a long way toward filling in our understanding of questions on the forefront of astronomy and cosmology such as the nature of dark matter and dark energy. > [@](#): > > Roman will begin to loop around its L2 destination in late September, and begin its 90-day commissioning phase enroute. We’re looking forward to seeing the first science images by early 2027! Ninety days from some time in Sept will be in December. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2026, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2413 "2026-08-31T14:01:36Z")
Does it have a tracking site like the JWST did ? That was fun. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2026, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2414 "2026-09-03T12:07:17Z")
BepiColombo’s Mercury Transfer Module (MTM) will separate from the rest of the stacked spacecraft (this is the 1st maneuver, it will be a while before stable orbit) > **[BepiColombo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BepiColombo)** > > BepiColombo is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to the planet Mercury. The mission comprises two orbiters: the Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO), built and operated by ESA, and Mio (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, MMO), built and operated by JAXA. Together the satellites will perform a comprehensive study of Mercury, including characterization of its magnetic field, magnetosphere, and both interior and surface structure. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oC7lQngNG3o/maxresdefault.jpg "BepiColombo’s Mercury arrival begins (Official ESA broadcast)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC7lQngNG3o) Brian ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2026, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2415 "2026-09-05T12:09:56Z")
Very cool. Thanks for the update; I’d forgotten about this one. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2026, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2416 "2026-09-05T12:31:25Z")
Ars technica article: > **[After 8 years, Europe's BepiColombo mission is on final approach to Mercury](https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/after-8-years-europes-bepicolombo-mission-is-on-final-approach-to-mercury/)** > > Fundamentally, we want to learn about the origins of this planet and how it came to be like it is." Brian ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2026, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2417 "2026-09-05T23:13:01Z")
They successfully reached orbit in the second attempt! > **[Isar Aerospace reaches orbit on second Spectrum launch](https://spacenews.com/isar-aerospace-reaches-orbit-on-second-spectrum-launch/)** > > Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket reached orbit Sept. 5 on the rocket’s second flight, the first successful orbital launch from Western Europe. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2418 "2026-09-06T03:21:10Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Very cool. Thanks for the update; I’d forgotten about this one. I’m not sure that’s how I would describe a Mercury mission. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2419 "2026-09-06T12:28:29Z")
Factoid in Ars Technica article: > Spectrum also supplants the V-2, the World War II weapon of terror, as the largest German rocket in history. > **[German company becomes first in Europe to launch fully commercial orbital rocket](https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/09/german-company-becomes-first-in-europe-to-launch-fully-commercial-orbital-rocket/)** > > We achieved within a few years what had taken the European space industry decades before." Brian ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2420 "2026-09-06T12:38:27Z")
Ha! Took me a minute…and got me wondering. > **[How we heat-proofed ESA’s Mercury mission](https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/How_we_heat-proofed_ESA_s_Mercury_mission)** > > The BepiColombo mission to Mercury, closest planet to the Sun is currently millions of kilometres from Earth in deep space, more than a year into its seven year journey. If you could see it, the spacecraft would be shining brightly – just one of... > Multi-layer insulation – the metallic wrapping that makes satellites look like Christmas presents – played an essential role in keeping BepiColombo’s cool. ‘A typical spacecraft might have a single multi-layer insulation blanket,”” says Heiko, “BepiColombo uses three to four stacked blankets of 10 to 20 layers, adding up to 94 kg on its Mercury Planetary Orbiter alone.” > > Standard materials were put aside for layers containing titanium, ceramic fabric 3M Nextel – normally used in ovens and spacecraft heat shields – plus multiple layers of aluminium. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2026, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2421 "2026-09-06T16:07:42Z")
Here’s CNN on the BepiColombo mission: > **[Mercury’s enduring mysteries are ready for an unprecedented close-up | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/03/science/bepicolombo-esa-mercury-mission-arrival)** > > After nearly eight years, a mission to reveal Mercury’s secrets is arriving at its destination. But what lies ahead will not be easy. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2026, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703/2422 "2026-10-13T23:35:43Z")
Percy has surpassed Opportunity in distance driven: > **[NASA’s Perseverance Sets Off-World Record for Total Distance Driven - NASA...](https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/perseverance-mars-rover/2026/10/12/nasas-perseverance-sets-off-world-record-for-total-distance-driven/)** > > NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has driven farther than any vehicle ever has on the surface of another world. On Oct. 11, the rover’s odometer reached Lunokhod 2 held the record from 1973 to 2015(ish, not exactly sure when Opportunity broke Lunokhod’s record) Curiosity will likely pass Lunokhod Brian [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-space-exploration-thread/925703.md?page=120)