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Happy Tuesday, space fans!
We are inching closer to the next Starship test launch. SpaceX recently conducted a static-fire test with Starship's Super Heavy boosters, prepping the gigantic rocket for Flight Test 15 which is projected to happen soon. Speaking of new spacecraft, the company Astroscale has proposed launching a fleet of "bodyguard" satellites to protect other spacecraft in orbit. And back here on Earth, we have some sad news to report. Walter Koenig, the legendary Star Trek actor who portrayed Pavel Chekov aboard the Enterprise in the Original Series, has passed away at the age of 90. We'll certainly be rewatching some old episodes in his honor today.
Check out what's big in space below:
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The man who portrayed the U.S.S. Enterprise’s Pavel Chekov has left us after a 60-year stage and screen career
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Technologies developed to remove space junk and fix broken satellites can be repurposed to build fleets of bodyguard spacecraft to protect important assets from attacks.
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SpaceX launched 27 more Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit overnight (Oct. 27), aboard a Falcon 9 rocket that lifted off from California in the wee hours of darkness.
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This incredible composite image of Orionid meteors was captured as Earth passed through the debris trail shed by Halley's Comet.
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Astronomers have spotted a remarkable gamma-ray burst that's a real Incredible Hulk compared to other cosmic explosions of the same type.
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Rover tracks can be seen on the Martian surface, left behind by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover.
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Halloween is just round the corner, but if you hurry, you can beam down these superb Star Trek outfits, from old-school Star Trek through to The Next Generation and Discovery.
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If you only knew the power of the infinity stones!
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And that's it for our space update today.
We are getting closer and closer to SpaceX's next Starship test flight in the coming weeks. Sometime in 2027 (TBD exactly when), Starship is supposed launch on the Artemis III mission to dock with a fully crewed Orion capsule from NASA in orbit to practice a rendezvous they will need to perfect in order to land the vehicle on the moon with future missions. Following Artemis III, Artemis IV is expected to land astronauts on the moon for the first time in over 50 years. Will Starship pass these major tests and be up to the challenge of safely transporting the astronaut crew? We will have to wait and see how these tests go first. And don't forget, SpaceX isn't the only one attempting a rendezvous with Orion during Artemis III, Blue Origin will be sending their lander as well. So not only are they up against these tests, there is steep competition for the moon.
Back on Earth, we are still reeling from the news of Walter Koenig's passing. Chekov was an iconic character aboard the Enterprise, and Koenig's depiction still holds up so well all these decades later. Today, there are only two surviving members of the original main cast from aboard the Enterprise: William Shatner and George Takei. Will you be rewatching the Original Series with us in memoriam? To follow closely along and stay up to date with all things space, you can now get Space.com right in the palm of your hand with our new app available now on iOS and Android.
Ad astra, per aspera
Chelsea Gohd
Content Manager, Space.com
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