The race for asteroid Apophis and China’s plans for ‘Planetary Defense’

The race for asteroid Apophis and China’s plans for ‘Planetary Defense’

Special to CosmicTribune.com, September 10, 2025 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher There is now a race involving government funded programs and universities to reach the asteroid Apophis, a 375-meter diameter asteroid only discovered in 2004 but that will reach a nearest distance of 32,000 kilometers (20,000 miles) from Earth on April 13, 2029. But it is […]

The sky, Sept. 7-14: Focus on M27, the Dumbbell Nebula

The sky, Sept. 7-14: Focus on M27, the Dumbbell Nebula

Special to CosmicTribune.com, September 7, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 ■ Full Moon (exactly full at 2:09 p.m. EDT). Saturn follows about 8° or 10° behind it across the sky through the night. By no coincidence, Saturn is just two weeks from its own opposition: When you face the full Moon and Saturn […]

Russia’s space program pain could be China’s gain

Russia’s space program pain could be China’s gain

Special to CosmicTribune.com, September 3, 2025 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher Just before his trip to the Far East, it was revealed in the Russian media that Vladimir Putin’s space program was in a financial crisis The Russian dictator went to China to help advance its ambitions for global hegemony, at the Aug. 30-31 Shanghai Cooperation […]

The sky, Aug. 31-Sept.7: Saturn in view all night

The sky, Aug. 31-Sept.7: Saturn in view all night

Special to CosmicTribune.com, September 1, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. SUNDAY, AUGUST 31 ■ Now Antares and Delta Scorpii line up to the right of the Moon. The line points the same length the other way from the Moon to the spout of the Sagittarius Teapot. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 ■ September’s arrival means that Scorpius, that […]

SpaceX Starship feeling the heat from 19 Chinese reusable SLV programs

SpaceX Starship feeling the heat from 19 Chinese reusable SLV programs

Special to CosmicTribune.com, August 27, 2025 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher On the evening of Aug. 26, 2025 the tenth test flight for Elon Musk’s massive 5,000 ton SpaceX Starship space launch vehicle (SLV) completed a just-over an hour test flight that achieved its mission agenda, but after two delays, one mechanical on Aug. 24 and […]

The sky, Aug. 25-31: Winter preview before dawn’s light

The sky, Aug. 25-31: Winter preview before dawn’s light

Special to CosmicTribune.com, August 25, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, AUGUST 25 ■ While twilight is still fairly bright, can you catch the very thin Moon, not quite two days old, very low in the west-southwest? Bring binoculars. The Moon can help guide you to increasingly elusive Spica and Mars, as shown below. For a […]

China claims successful test of Long March-10 Moon launcher

China claims successful test of Long March-10 Moon launcher

Special to CosmicTribune.com, August 20, 2025 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher On its new specially-built launch platform at the Wencheng Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island, on Aug. 15, 2024 the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) conducted the first successful static test of the first stage of the Long March-10 (LM-10) space launch vehicle […]

The sky, Aug. 18-24: Moon, Venus and Jupiter together on the 19th

The sky, Aug. 18-24: Moon, Venus and Jupiter together on the 19th

Special to CosmicTribune.com, August 18, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, AUGUST 18 ■ Titan casts its shadow on Saturn tonight. Every 15 years, Saturn’s largest moon repeatedly crosses Saturn’s face from Earth’s viewpoint — and, more visibly, casts its very tiny black shadow onto Saturn’ face. A series of these events is now under way. They will […]

U.S. advances plans for lunar nuclear power plant; China reveals lander test

U.S. advances plans for lunar nuclear power plant; China reveals lander test

Special to CosmicTribune.com, August 13, 2025 Geostrategy-Direct By Richard Fisher The second race to the Moon, this time between the United States and China, saw another step in China’s favor on Aug. 6, 2025, when a full-scale powered version of China’s manned Moon lander called Lanyue (for Embracing The Moon) reportedly achieved its first powered […]

The sky, Aug. 11-17: Jupiter and Venus in conjunction at dawn on Aug. 12

The sky, Aug. 11-17: Jupiter and Venus in conjunction at dawn on Aug. 12

Special to CosmicTribune.com, August 11, 2025 Excerpts from weekly Sky&Telescope report. MONDAY, AUGUST 11 ■ Venus and Jupiter shine in conjunction, just 0.9° apart, in the east during early dawn Tuesday morning the 12th. In fact, they rise about an hour before dawn even begins if you have a good flat horizon to the east-northeast. Brilliant celestial cat’s eyes […]