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 TPS

This 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.