| SpaceX - Starship |
Today, SpaceX successfully launched its large rocket Starship into orbit for the first time. After an engine failure in the upper stage, SpaceX still managed to reach the desired altitude of 276 km over Brazil. During this 14th test flight, 26 Starlink satellites of the new version V3 were successfully deployed halfway around the globe by 4 p.m. CEST (Video).
The upper stage was then intended to remain in orbit for six revolutions, a plan that was subsequently reduced to two orbits for safety reasons. The soft splashdown in the North Pacific was successful.
The novelty is the desired complete recyclability of both stages. No one has ever made this claim before and it requires many test flights. According to SpaceX, this means that the costs for flights into space of 48,000 US$/kg (SpaceShuttle) or 6000-8000 US$/kg (Ariane 6) to 150-200 US$/kg. Technically, this is a milestone for space travel, after approaching with 13 previous launches. After all, the launch system weighs 5,000 tons and, with 9,000 tons of thrust, is 3 times more powerful than the Apollo moon rocket Saturn V. The first stage called Super Heavy could already be picked up 2 times undamaged by the launch tower "Mechazilla" only 7 minutes after separation. 2 months ago, the first soft splashdown was successful, during which the upper stage came back undamaged. The spacecraft is currently on its way back to the starbase by sea and is expected there on October 8.
Students from the Leipzig International Space Education Institute have already followed 5 such launches directly on site (Video). Such an event has currently only been surpassed by the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano and is positively burned into the career goals of its observers. For the next test flight with Starship 15, guided trips to the Starbase are also planned again. An extensive preparatory program is available to the young scientists aged 10-16 in Leipzig.
Firine Bugenhagen joined the company at the age of 11 in 2016 and is currently completing her bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering at TU Delft. Leipzig has been an insider tip for international aerospace students for 20 years. Many of them already work in this industry. Just 2 weeks ago, the first female US astronaut, Heidemarie Stephanyshyn-Piper, visited the trade fair city of Leipzig.
In addition to the high level of commitment of the students, this is also possible because of the good contacts from Leipzig. For example, SpaceX employee William Gerstenmaier, responsible for flight safety and former NASA head of manned spaceflight (2004-2019), still stands today. He has been in contact with the Leipzig team since 2005 and celebrated his 72nd birthday yesterday with the launch.
A permanent exhibition starts today in the Hugo Junkers Museum with a man-sized model of the Starship of the most modern version 3 (1:96) and the launch tower "Mechazilla. In fact, the foundations for the Starship were laid in Dessau in the 1930s. On the one hand, this concerns the use of methane as a fuel and also the bundling of standardized engines for different performances.
Rocket pioneer Johannes Winkler, under Hugo Junkers, already used methane for his HW2 liquid rocket and worked out calculations to standardize engines in bundles. This is exactly what SpaceX is now applying to Starship: 33 so-called Raptor engines generate the thrust of 9,000 tons during launch. Then the separation takes place. The same engines (6 units) then also work in the upper stage of the rocket to reach orbit.
Pupils can report daily from 4 p.m. on campus at the reception of the Space Hotel at Wurzner Str. 4. They work together on weekends and holidays.
The Technikmuseum Hugo-Junkers in Dessau is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Tuesday, 15 September 2026 18:11 | Written by Ralf Heckel |
Leipzig, 11.09.2026, Ralf Heckel
On Friday, September 11, 2026, the same NASA astronaut became the first US astronaut ever to visit the trade fair city of Leipzig. She has now had an eventful week through the Lang and visited Berlin, Speyer, Kaiserslautern and Hohenkammer Castle.
(a small electric Cybertruck) he designed and built. He designed 60 parts for this on the Solid Works engineering program and printed them hundreds of times. The vehicle was assembled in the team in 2 years of painstaking work. The astronaut and also the US envoys were amazed by the excellent talent of the now 10-12-year-old.
Heidi started her lecture under this impression of her homeland and talked about her school, training as a combat diver in the Navy, training as an astronaut and her missions. The space shuttle took off impressively with loudspeaker thunder on the screen. For 30 minutes, the audience was captivated by the successes and small mishaps such as the tool bag flying away during the assembly of the solar modules. But this is exactly where it became clear that the ability to improvise is important. Mission accomplished. At 4:55 p.m. Edward Cox (Acting Public Engagement Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin) started his speech. His impressive words reflects the 20-year efforts of the ISEI in the context of international goals and can be viewed here. At 5 p.m., the official award-ceremony. The students of the 2026 summer camp and the 1st International Rover Challenge will be personally honored by the astronaut. The winners are: Place 1 „Range-Test“ Cyberbug Pilot Jesco Heckel 12 and Team Micronauts The Team Bellatrix from Istanbul could not be present, but we would like to send them all our warmest greetings.
At 5:10 p.m. we finally signed autographs again at the Space Hotel. The US Embassy had already prepared a pile. Everyone was hot for it. In addition, there were the photos of the campus that had just been photographed and signed. Some members also had books and first-day letters with them.
There was a bouquet of flowers and heartfelt handshakes. The students didn't want to let them go. Then the ICE was waiting. In the Tesla we went to the main train station. Heidi said "That was an extraordinary meeting" and remarked in amazement: "I also drive a Tesla" before she disappeared into the hustle and bustle of the largest terminal station in Europe. Tomorrow she flies back home, to Minnesota.
After Sigmund Jähn (Intercosmos) and Nikolai Budarin (Roscosmos), this was the third person from space in the trade fair city of Leipzig and the first US astronaut from NASA. We are glad that Heidi was able to impress our stronger teammates, the girls, with her appearance. 5 NASA engineers come from Leipzig who were instrumental in the moon landing, the Apollo-Soyuz test project, the construction of the space shuttles and the construction of the ISS. Today, the latest generation showed that they are following in these footsteps and have exceptional competencies in aerospace engineering.
Saturday, 05 September 2026 11:28 | Written by Ralf Heckel |
There are no translations available. im International Space Education Institute in Leipzig
Die Schüler des ISEI zeichnen sie für den an diesem Tag stattfindenden 20. Jahrestages Ihres ersten Dockingmanövers an die ISS aus und umgekehrt zeichnet sie die jungen Tüftler und Gewinner der International Roverchallenge 2026 aus. Aus Leipzig stammen 5 NASA-Wissenschaftler, darunter der Direktor der ISS. Seit 20 Jahren werden in Leipzig wieder junge Raumfahrtwissenschaftler ausgebildet und besetzen bereits Spitzenposten rund um den Globus. Am Montag, dem 7.9.26 sitzt die vom ISEI ausgebildete Cosma Heckel (19, aspiring Astronaut, Moonbuggy-Pilotin, Leipziger Jugendparlamentsmitglied, Mitglied des Youth Council der US-Generalkonsulates) dazu in der Paneldiskussion „Politik und Weltraum“ in Berlin zusammen mit der NASA-Astronautin und ESA-Astronaut Dr. Gerhard Thiele. Jede Schülerin und jeder Schüler mit Interesse an Raumfahrt und Naturwissenschaft ist eingeladen mit in Leipzig dabei zu sein, der Astronautin Fragen zu stellen und Neugier für solche internationalen Wettbewerbe aus Leipzig mitzubringen. Eine Anmeldung ist erforderlich. Die Konferenzsprache ist Englisch. Das International Space Education Institute ist als Verein in Leipzig firmiert und betreibt Bildungskontakte in bis zu 30 Länder. Interessierte SchülerInnen ab 10 Jahren werden in Leipzig an den Wochenenden und in den Ferien für internationale Wettbewerbe fit gemacht und dann über das Abitur, die Ausbildung, das Studium bis in den Beruf begleitet. Prof. Dr. Jesco von Puttkamer (1933-2012) war gebürtiger Leipziger, 50 Jahre im Dienst der NASA, distinguished German-American und arbeitete von Apollo bis zur ISS an der strategischen Umsetzung bemannter Missionen. Er war Gründungsvater des ISEI und zu diesem Anlass vor genau 21 Jahren in Leipzig. Heidemarie Martha „Heide“ Stefanyshyn-Piper (* 7. Februar 1963, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA) ist eine ehemalige US-amerikanische Astronautin und Marineoffizierin der United States Navy (Captain). Sie hat deutsch-ukrainische Wurzeln und ist Marine- und Bergungstaucherin. STS-115 Raumfähre Atlantis STS-126 Raumfähre Edeavour Ehrengäste: Gastgeber:
Programm 13:30 Uhr 14:00–14:15 14:15–14:45 14:46 Uhr 14:50–15:05 15:05–15:25 15:30-15:50 16:00–16:05 16:05–17:00 17:00 - 17:10 17:10–17:30 17:30 Uhr 18:00 Uhr Mitglieds- und Besucherwünsche an: +49-172-7949375 (Whatsapp) > Es gibt kostenlos offizielle Autogrammkarten der US-Botschaft für nichtkommerzielle Zwecke. Bitte keine eigenen Autogrammkarten mitbringen! Spenden für die Förderung der Projekte junger Naturwissenschaftler sind ausdrücklich erwünscht. Spendenkonto: Übernachtungswünsche bitte an das Space Hotel: www.space-hotel.de Veranstalter:
Wednesday, 05 August 2026 21:59 | Written by Ralf Heckel |
There are no translations available.
Participants TU-Istanbul: Program: Maintasks: Sponsoren: Dreherei Günter Jacob, Doerffer Sandstrahltechnik GmbH, Kindernachtrennen, MÄDLER, igus, Bosch Carservice Scheil, Sattlerei Kübler Veranstalter:
Wednesday, 23 July 2025 23:43 | Written by Ralf Heckel |
For girls and boys, ages 10-16 The International Space Education Institute (ISEI) was founded in October 2005, after a five-year preparatory phase, by the now married couple Yvonne and Ralf Heckel and friends, on the recommendation of German-American NASA scientist Prof. Dr. Jesco von Puttkamer in his hometown of Leipzig. From the very beginning, international goals and the building of bridges between international youth were pursued parallel to the construction of the International Space Station (ISS) and the establishment of private space travel. Today, the association enjoys a unique international reputation, based on many pioneering achievements for young people. Former students now reach the top of their professions, often leading to their dream careers and beyond. Space scientists, engineers, managers, entrepreneurs, teachers, and even a prospective astronaut are now members of the Almunias. They all enrich our society and the planet with their positive ways of thinking and acting. We will compile these 20 years into several books, including over 3,000 testimonies from students who were handed a silver platter during the ISS construction phase, far beyond the lines of international space travel. This also includes those who broke with patriarchal traditions in their countries and shaped the future as part of a multinational team. Above all, we will showcase the people behind them, who, then as now, accomplished what seemed impossible with courage and perseverance. Over 400,000 photos and numerous previously unpublished videos will show the future how every person can achieve an ambitious goal and thereby make the world a better place. "You have made an amazing and positive contribution towards the creation of a truly international space community. The governments of the USA and USSR utilized global space enthusiasm for space exploration only as a component of their strategic international outreach plans. You’re great works are motivated by your personal desire to uplift and educate young people and their families by introducing them the to very valuable experiences that they might not ever have had without your presence in this world." Jim McCade, University of Alabama Birmingham Our anniversary program monday, 4.8.2025 + 7 days Workshop 10:00 a.m. Arrival of the invited teams for the challenge
friday, 8.8.2025 4:00 PM Arrival for guests, former team members, supporting members, and VIPs
saturday, 9.8.2025 9:00 a.m. Breakfast in the Rocket Garden 1:00 p.m. Lunch 7:00 p.m. Barbecue and individual discussions
sunday, 10.8.2025 10:00 a.m. Start of Minibuggy construction for visiting children, crafting area 1:00 p.m. Start of Team 1 "Ganymed" Jesco / Lea HOLL GmbH 3:10 p.m. final race (4:00 p.m. at the latest)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- International Rover Challenge India Cup (Part 5)
Advertising poster for the JvP Cup in India, October 2017, graphic design by Navdeep Singh In collaboration with TecMantra Labs, World Space Council, ISRO, NNE Duration: Locations: Program: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40th Space Days in Neubrandenburg (Conference, Part 6)
ISEI Lectures: 3-Day Program from November 7-9, 2025 Invited ISEI guests, members, alumni, students, and sponsors will receive a special conference rate including accommodation and meals.
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