Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 10, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher A major Chinese aerospace journal has “suggested” a date for China’s first manned Moon landing while on Jan. 8, the United States launched the Perigrine-1 commercial robotic Moon lander built by the Astrobotic Corporation, due to reach the Moon in February. The December 2023 issue […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 8, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, JANUARY 7 ■ Sirius and Procyon in the balance. Sirius, the Dog Star, sparkles low in the east-southeast after dinnertime. Procyon, the Little Dog Star, shines in the east about two fists at arm’s length to Sirius’s left. ■ On Monday morning the 8th, the waning crescent […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 3, 2024 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher The year 2023 was significant for China’s space program on a number of levels, starting with the largest number of space launches — 65 — one more than 2022, while 17 were from new “commercial” space companies (CAS Space, Galactic Energy, Landspace, Space Pioneer, Expace, […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, January 1, 2024 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, JANUARY 1 ■ After the noise and celebration at the turning of midnight tonight, step outside into the silent, cold dark. The waning gibbous Moon will be shining high in the east, with the Sickle of Leo floating about a fist at arm’s length above it. […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, December 26, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26 ■ Full Moon tonight (exact at 7:33 p.m. EST). Now shining above the feet of Gemini in the evening, the Moon forms a deeper triangle with Capella and Aldebaran than it did last night. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27 ■ As the stars come out, face due […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, December 20, 2023 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher China’s expected 3rd mission for its new small space plane was launched on Dec. 12, and on Dec. 15 China launched its largest optical intelligence satellite, Yaogan-41. Meanwhile, the expected 7th launch for the United States Space Force’s X-37B for Dec. 11 was postponed to […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, December 17, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17 ■ This evening, spot Saturn about 3° upper right of the Moon. The Moon is 1.3 light-seconds from us. Saturn is currently 84 light minutes away in the background, almost 4,000 times farther from us. ■ Algol dips to its minimum brightness, magnitude […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, December 13, 2023 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher China has tried mightily in the last decade to control emerging 5G digital communication networks by using Chinese Communist Party (CCP) controlled companies like Huawei and ZTE to gain access and then to try to dominate market share in both Western and developing countries But […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, Decemer 11, 2023, 2023 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, DECEMBER 11 ■ Tonight, the brilliant orange-red supergiant Betelgeuse will be covered by a faint little asteroid, 319 Leona, for up to a second or two. But only if you’re located near the middle of the narrow occultation track. It runs from central Asia across the […]
Special to CosmicTribune.com, December 6, 2023 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher China may have a new command dedicated to combat in “Near Space,” which is usually defined as between 20 kilometers and 100 kilometers in altitude, or just below Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This is significant because for decades, the United States and China have researched […]
