A little about me: I'm an older guy who grew up reading great science fiction by such masters as Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, and Robert Heinlein. My favorite current authors are Neal Stephenson and Alastair Reynolds. I started writing a few years ago to try to create a book (and now series) that I think my younger self would have loved to read. Hopefully you will, too! And if you have any comments, I promise to always read your emails to me, and provide a response. I love hearing from my readers!
After last month's successful Artemis II mission, sending four astronauts around the Moon and back, what's next?
The next Artemis, in late 2027, will test Orion docking with either or both Moon landers (more on that in a sec) while in Earth orbit. Then in 2028, Artemis IV will finally put people on the Moon once again.
So what's this about two different landers? NASA is still deciding whether to go with SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System (HLS) or Blue Origin’s Blue Moon. The contrast is stark: massive, reusable, high-capacity vs. more traditional, incremental. Here's a brief comparison:
SpaceX HLS
The SpaceX HLS is a specialized variant of the giant Starship spacecraft (the next version is due to launch next week). It's fully reusable with a payload capacity of 100 tons to the lunar surface with orbital refueling. It’s designed not just for landing but for building a sustained lunar presence (cargo, habitats, rovers). The challenges include orbital re-fueling necessary to get that payload to the Moon, and the schedule is aggressive.
Blue Origin Blue Moon
Blue Moon is simpler than HLS, with a more traditional design, which means it has the schedule advantage. It will be much easier to certify for crewed flight. Blue Origin just finished an important environmental test on the MK1 version (MK2 will be the crewed version). The downsides are much less payload capacity and reduced reusability.
So how will NASA decide between the two? Both companies have committed to the 2027 schedule for Artemis III, so if both are ready, Orion will test dock with each lander in low Earth orbit. Whichever one does better will probably be the one chosen for Artemis IV. Each have critical milestones between now and then: SpaceX will test their orbital refueling, and Blue Origin will do a cargo-only landing of the Mk1 version on the Moon.
Which lander do you think will be the one to return to the Moon in 2028?
I'm reading Countdown, the first in a new series from "cozy apocalyptic fiction" writer Millie Copper. The main character is an astronomer who works for a shadowy government/conspiracy outfit. She discovers an asteroid is on its way to wreak havoc on us, and must evade hitmen from her employer, who is trying to keep her quiet so they can shelter all the "important people" before chaos ensues. I'm very interested to see how this evolves into a series, since I'm assuming this book ends with the world-changing catastrophe.
Check out The Survivors, by Richard Rimington, a FREE prequel to the Infinite Void, an epic space opera/adventure series. The series is described by readers as fast-paced and impossible to put down. Give it a try!
Happy Reading!
Rick A. Allen
The Star Riders series:
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A little about me: I'm an older guy who grew up reading great science fiction by such masters as Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, and Robert Heinlein. My favorite current authors are Neal Stephenson and Alastair Reynolds. I started writing a few years ago to try to create a book (and now series) that I think my younger self would have loved to read. Hopefully you will, too! And if you have any comments, I promise to always read your emails to me, and provide a response. I love hearing from my readers!
View in browser A Great Month for Space Travel Dear Reader, Two great space-related things happened since my last newsletter, and I debated which one to write about, so I decided to write about both. First up: the amazing return to the Moon by the crew of Artemis II, flying the Orion spacecraft to the Moon and using it for a slingshot trajectory to return to Earth. I'm sure you've read all about the historic firsts (and seconds), so I won't bother repeating that. Click here for more Artemis...
View in browser A Horological Challenge Dear Reader, Horology is the study of the measurement of time (not quite what they meant in Pirates of the Caribbean in this gag). I'm interested in ancient methods of measuring time, as I need to come up with an organic timer for my current book (more on that later). We're pretty familiar with sundials and sand in hourglasses, but did you know that in ancient times people used bowls of water, one leaking out into another, to measure time passing? The...
View in browser How Far is Far? Dear Reader, We're accustomed in science fiction to throwing around the term "light-year," but do we really have a good feel for just how far that is? I was reminded of this fact recently when I read an article saying that Voyager 1, after nearly 50 years, is almost 1 light-day from home (it will pass that point in November). At that pace, a light-year would take just under 18,000 years. A light-year is 16 billion miles, but how far is that? Our minds don't...
