Episode 288: Sample Bonanza

Spaceflight news— Chang’e-5 lunar sampling (spacenews.com) (spacenews.com) (theverge.com) (spaceflight101.com) — Sample transfer happened shortly after docking (HT Sam in the chat: youtube.com) (twitter.com/050644zf)— Hayabusa2 sample returns (spacenews.com) (hayabusa2.jaxa.jp) (twitter.com/haya2e_jaxa) — Extended mission (smh.com.au) (hayabusa2.jaxa.jp) Short & Sweet— A new plane-launched rocket appears. (spacenews.com) (youtu.be) (thedrive.com) (twitter.com/thesheetztweetz)— ESA signs the world’s first contract for space debris removal. (spacenews.com)— First real-time link between high- and low-Earth orbits. (smallsatnews.com)Questions, comments, corrections— Espen via email: Speculation on Electron interstage TPSThis week in SF history— 9 Dec, 1978. Pioneer Venus Multiprobe enters atmosphere. (adsabs.harvard.edu) (adsabs.harvard.edu) (nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov) (hughesscgheritage.com)— Next week (12/15 through 12/21) in 2004, I get gas when you push me too hard.