Spaceflight news

— Raptor issues (spacenews.com) (twitter.com/thesheetztweetz) (spaceexplored.com)

— Neutron, a 2050 rocket (youtube.com) (spacenews.com)

— Electron thermal protection system is aerogel/graphite composite! (HT Andrew Z: twitter.com/Peter_J_Beck)

Short & Sweet

— ESA tests tanks for its reusable launch vehicle (esa.int)

— Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin select future astronauts (spacenews.com)

— Northrop Grumman wins SLS booster contract (spacenews.com)

— Fatigue, debris, and rumors of debris (spacenews.com) (spacenews.com)

Questions, comments, corrections

— Pangea tests an aerospike! (HT Andrew Z: youtube.com)

This week in SF history

— 10 Dec, 1974. Launch of Helios A, a West German/NASA collaboration (en.wikipedia.org) (bernd-leitenberger.de)

— Next week (12/14-12/20) in 1976: Two tickets, I mean, just one ticket to space, please!