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  1. DocM
    A few years ago the US Space Force proposed extending space situational awareness beyond geostationary orbit. The main reason; China has published their long-range goals, which included the domination of activities in cislunar (and even Mars) space like they have tried to do with the South China Sea (link...). This is being taken seriously because they are actively developing a Starship-like vehicle, Long March-9, and the Chinese military runs their space program. At first the US effort was given a whimsical name, Cislunar Highway Patrol (CHPs), but now things are getting more serious. Both DoD and NASA are working on nuclear propulsion for both robotic and human missions in cislunar space, and now the satellites to monitor that domain are on the way; Oracle..
  2. zikalify
    TWIRL 94: Private mission to the Moon will launch this week instead by Paul Hill Last week, a private mission to the Moon involving a lunar lander and two rovers was supposed to take off. Unfortunately, it got delayed, but the mission looks set to go ahead on Wednesday this week. Other than that, there are a few other satellite launches from several countries around the world. Tuesday, December 6 The first launch this week is a SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying 40 OneWeb satellites. OneWeb is a competitor to SpaceX’s own Starlink network, but since OneWeb no longer has access to Russian rockets, it has been looking for other methods to get its satellites to space. The mission will launch at 10:37 p.m. UTC from Florida. It might be streamed live on SpaceX’s website. Wednesday, December 7 On Wednesday, there are two launches. The first launch is the private Chinese firm ExPace’s Kuaizhou KZ-11 rocket carrying Xingyun satellites 4 and 5. These satellites will sit in a low Earth orbit and act as a “constellation for Internet-of-Things communications”. This mission will launch at 1:15 a.m. UTC from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and is unlikely to be streamed, but footage will be available after. The second launch is a Falcon 9 carrying the Hakuto-R M1 mission to the Moon. This was delayed from last week. A lunar lander tech demo will be carrying commercial and governmental payloads, including two rovers that will explore the Moon’s surface. It’s due for launch at 8:04 a.m. UTC from Cape Canaveral and is already being streamed on YouTube. Friday, December 9 Rocket Lab is due to launch an Electron rocket carrying some small radio frequency monitoring satellites to space for Hawkeye 360. In typical Rocket Lab fashion, the launch has an interesting name, this time it’s “Virginia is for Launch Lovers”. The launch is scheduled for between 11:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. UTC from Wallops Island and may be shown on Rocket Lab’s website. Sunday, December 11 The final mission of the week is the launch of a Chinese Long March 11 rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center. It will be carrying the Shenjian 2013 satellite to space at 7:20 a.m. UTC, but it’s not clear what the satellite will do. Check next week’s recap for footage of the launch. Recap The first launch we got last week was a Long March 2F carrying three taikonauts to the Chinese Space Station. The three crew members were Junlong Fei, Qingming Deng, and Lu Zhang. They took off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Once they reached the station, they had to dock, you can see that below. Finally, the taikonauts entered the Chinese Space Station and met those already aboard. That’s all we’ve got this week, be sure to check in next time!
  3. zikalify
    Here's how to watch NASA's historic Artemis I mission [Update] by Paul Hill Update September 3: The mission has been scrubbed. There could be chances to try for launch on the 5th and 6th of September, but after that it'll have to return to the Vehicle Assembly Building until October. In a statement about the launch failure, NASA said: "The launch director waived off today’s Artemis I launch attempt at approximately 11:17 a.m. EDT. Teams encountered a liquid hydrogen leak while loading the propellant into the core stage of the Space Launch System rocket. Multiple troubleshooting efforts to address the area of the leak by reseating a seal in the quick disconnect where liquid hydrogen is fed into the rocket did not fix the issue. Engineers are continuing to gather additional data." We will update this post as necessary and bump it to the top of the news if a launch is likely to go ahead. NASA is due to launch its Artemis I mission in a little while. Its new Space Launch System (SLS) rocket will take the Orion spacecraft to space before the latter begins its journey to the Moon for an orbit. Aboard Orion will be some mannequins wearing the new spacesuits and a bunch of sensors just to make sure the suits are adequate. While there are no people aboard this mission, it finally marks the beginning of NASA's path back to the Moon. In 2024, Artemis II will send astronauts on a lunar flyby and in 2025 astronauts will go down to the lunar surface. There are many more missions planned through to the mid-2030s that will see a moon base established and a space station be built in orbit around the Moon. NASA has multiple streams for the event today, There's the official stream which will keep an eye on the rocket and a dedicated Artemis I broadcast. Here's the NASA live stream: Below, you can find the dedicated NASA Artemis I stream: This mission has been delayed so many times to date, so keep your fingers and toes crosses that nothing goes wrong, and we finally see the long-awaited launch!
  4. zikalify
    TWIRL 80: NASA's return to the Moon begins this week with Artemis I by Paul Hill We have an exciting week in rocket launches this week as NASA prepares to launch, for the very first time, the Space Launch System (SLS). While not quite as tall as the Saturn V which took people to the Moon in the 60s and 70s, it’s not much shorter and most definitely in the same class of rocket – a super-heavy lift vehicle. NASA is planning an SLS Block 2 for the 2030s, which will be taller than Saturn V. In addition to the Artemis I Moon mission being carried out by NASA, SpaceX plans to launch more Starlink satellites and Blue Origin will be using its New Shepard craft to launch some payloads for NASA. Monday, August 29 From 12:33 p.m. UTC, NASA will be looking to launch its Space Launch System as part of the Artemis I mission. Artemis I is just the first of many missions in the Artemis programme to return to the lunar surface and build a space station that’ll orbit the Moon. The Artemis I mission is a more modest mission compared to what’s planned. The Orion spacecraft will be sent to travel past the Moon and be placed in a retrograde orbit. It will be carrying dummies wearing the Orion spacesuits. The dummies will be fitted with sensors to measure things such as acceleration, vibration, and radiation levels to ensure the safety of future astronauts. The rocket will also carry 10 CubeSats: NEA Scout, BioSentinel, Lunar IceCube, LunaH-Map, CuSP, EQUULEUS OMOTENASHI LunIR, Team Miles, and ArgoMoon. They will be deployed after the craft has reached orbit and begin a trans-lunar injection. The mission is scheduled to run until October 10 at 2:42 p.m. UTC where the Orion spacecraft is to land in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego. The completion of this mission will open up the path to later, much more exciting Artemis missions such as Artemis II where astronauts will perform a lunar flyby and Artemis III where astronauts will finally return to the surface. Unfortunately, we have to wait until at least 2024 and 2025 respectively for those missions. Wednesday, August 31 We have two launches today. At 5:40 a.m. UTC, SpaceX will launch 46 Starlink satellites with a Falcon 9 rocket. These satellites are designated as Starlink Group 3-4. By adding to the Starlink constellation, SpaceX can increase the service area of the satellites. While Starlink was previously envisioned to beam internet down to a satellite dish, T-Mobile customers will get a coverage boost from Starlink thanks to a deal struck between the two companies. If you’re interested in watching this launch, just head over to SpaceX’s website and there should be a stream on the day. The second launch of the day is Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. This mission, NS-23, is set to take off from Texas at 1:30 p.m. UTC. Unusually, this mission won’t be taking up any private astronauts. Instead, it will be carrying 36 science and research payloads to space, 18 of which are funded by NASA’s Flight Opportunities programme. There will also be thousands of postcards attached to the exterior of the New Shepard booster, where they will get exposure to space. The postcards are sourced from Club for the Future. This mission should be streamed on the Blue Origin website. Recap The first launch last week was of a Kuaizhou-1A rocket carrying the Chuanxin-16 satellite from China. The satellite reached its orbit successfully and will be used for science experiments. The second launch was also from China, this time a Long March-2D carried the Beijing-3B satellite to space where it will be used for Earth observation tasks. Finally, SpaceX launched 54 Starlink satellites from Florida. Check back next week for footage of the Artemis I mission, if it takes off!
  5. zikalify
    TWIRL 76: SpaceX to launch South Korea's first lunar mission by Paul Hill We have an interesting set of launches this week. The two that stand out are the launch of South Korea’s Danuri satellite which represents its first lunar mission, and Blue Origin’s latest New Shepard tourist mission. We’ve also got launches from Rocket Lab and United Launch Alliance (ULA). Tuesday, August 2 The first mission of the week will be performed at 5 a.m. UTC by Rocket Lab in New Zealand. The company will launch one of its Electron rockets for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Due to the sensitive nature of the payload, details about it are classified. The mission has the name ‘Antipodean Adventure’. While the payload is classified, this won’t stop Rocket Lab from streaming the launch on its website. Thursday, August 4 The last three launches of the week all take place today. The first one will blast off to space between 10:29 a.m. and 11:09 a.m. UTC from Cape Canaveral. ULA will be launching one of its Atlas V rockets carrying the U.S. military’s sixth Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous satellite, also known as SBIRS GEO 6. The SBIRS GEO 6 will act as a missile early-warning detection system. The rocket will also be carrying the EZIO 5 and EZIO 6 CubeSats as secondary payloads. The mission will be streamed on ULA’s website. The second launch is Blue Origin’s Mission NS-22. A New Shepard rocket will take off from West Texas Suborbital Launch Site, carrying six tourists to the edge of space. These missions tend to be quite short, with passengers experiencing weightlessness before the capsule falls back to Earth on a parachute. The crew includes Dude Perfect co-founder Coby Cotton, Portuguese entrepreneur Mario Ferreira, British-American mountaineer Vanessa O’Brien, technology leader Clint Kelly III, Egyptian engineer Sara Sabry, and telecommunications executive Steve Young. The mission is due to launch at 1:30 p.m. UTC and will be streamed on Blue Origin’s website. The final launch of the day, and week, is the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 carrying South Korea’s Danuri satellite. Danuri, also known as Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO) will be placed in an elliptical lunar orbit where it will look for landing sites on the Moon and map out the surface. It will also run a communications experiment based on disruption-tolerant network technology, use NASA’s ShadowCam to find frost or ice deposits, and look for seasons changes and terrain changes inside craters. Presumably, this launch will be streamed on SpaceX’s website and is due for launch at 11:08 p.m. UTC. Recap Last week, China’s Wentian module successfully docked with the Tiangong Space Station. This week, we got some footage of the crew entering the new module. Next up, we got the maiden flight of the Lijian-1 from China. Finally, a Long March-2D took Yaogan-35 satellites into orbit. That’s all we have this week, check back next time!
  6. zikalify
    TWIRL 71: CAPSTONE mission to try again for launch after delay by Paul Hill Rocket Lab is set to launch NASA’s CAPSTONE mission following a delay. We’ve also got a whole range of launches due in this busy week. One launch, still marked with No Earlier Than, is the launch of SpaceX’s Super Heavy rocket topped with Starship. As this mission has no confirmed launch window as of writing, there’s a good chance it won’t launch at all this week. Monday, June 27 The first launch of the week is Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket carrying NASA’s CAPSTONE CubeSat mission to the Moon. As we explained last week, this CubeSat will be testing the orbit for the planned Lunar Gateway space station. CAPSTONE is considered a support mission of the Artemis program which seeks to put people back on the Moon. The mission will take off at 9:50 a.m. UTC and will be streamed on the Rocket Lab website. The second and final launch taking place on Monday is a Long March CZ-4C rocket carrying the Kongjian Xinjishu Shiyan and Chuangxin 15 satellites into orbit. This mission is set to launch at 3:45 p.m. UTC from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and we will probably have to wait for recorded footage of this launch. Tuesday, June 28 The only launch we have on Tuesday is SpaceX’s Falcon 9 carrying the SES 22 communications satellite. This satellite is a C-band-only comms satellite built by Thales Alenia. The launch is due at 9:04 p.m. UTC and can be streamed on SpaceX’s website. Thursday, June 30 On Thursday, we have a bit of a bonanza of launches going on. The first is an Atlas V carrying an experimental early warning satellite for the U.S. Space Force. The mission will take off from Cape Canaveral at an unknown time. To learn more about the mission, check out the mission profile below: The second launch on Thursday is Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket which will air-launch from a Boeing 747 called Cosmic Girl. It will be carrying payloads for the U.S. Department of Defense as part of the DoD’s Space Test Program. The satellites are experimental in nature and will demonstrate various technologies. The launch is due between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. UTC and may be streamed through Virgin Orbit’s official channels. The final launch is India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) which will be carrying an Earth observation satellite and two others for Singapore. This mission is due to take off at 12:30 p.m. UTC. Friday, July 1 There are seven missions listed as No Earlier Than for Friday but because most of them probably won’t launch we’ll just highlight the most interesting – SpaceX’s Super Heavy rocket carrying a Starship prototype. The aim is to have the mission go around the Earth once before re-entry and splashdown near Hawaii. It will definitely be an amazing launch when it does take place given that the Super Heavy rocket is the most powerful rocket in the world – bigger even than Saturn V which got astronauts to the Moon. Recap The first launch we got last week was South Korea’s Nuri rocket performing a test flight. Next, we got an Ariane 5 launching the MEASAT-3d and GSAT-24. Finally, a Chinese Long March-2D carried the Yaogan-35 02 satellites to orbit. That’s all we have this time, be sure to check in next week!
  7. zikalify
    TWIRL 70: A support mission for NASA's return to the moon is slated for this week! by Paul Hill This week we are due for several launches that will carry satellites into space. The most exciting of these will be carried out by Rocket Lab which is launching NASA’s CAPSTONE CubeSat mission into orbit around the Moon. CAPSTONE is a support mission for NASA’s Artemis program which will return men and send the first woman, to the Moon. CAPSTONE will test the orbit of the Gateway space station which will eventually go around the Moon. Tuesday, June 21 The first mission this week should have blasted off last week but got delayed. South Korea will launch the second test flight of its Nuri rocket. It will be carrying payloads including a Performance Verification Satellite (PVSAT) and several other CubeSats. The launch will take place between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. UTC from the Naro Space Center. It looks as though you’ll be able to tune into the live stream on YouTube. Wednesday, June 22 The second launch of the week is an Ariane 5 ECA+ rocket carrying the MEASAT 3d and GSAT 24 comms satellites to orbit. The MEASAT 3d satellite will perform a number of functions including the delivery of high-speed broadband communications over Malaysia. The mission will launch from French Guyana between 9:03 p.m. and 10:43 p.m. UTC. It will be streamed on YouTube on the day. Saturday, June 25 On Saturday, we have a very familiar launch with SpaceX’s sending a Falcon 9 up into space to deliver Starlink satellites into orbit. These very common launches allow the company to expand its Starlink constellation to deliver fast internet to more places around the world. The launch does not have a scheduled launch time yet but check in on SpaceX’s website on June 25 if you want to watch live. The second and final launch of the week is also due on Saturday. At 9 a.m. UTC, Rocket Lab will launch an Electron rocket from New Zealand carrying NASA’s CAPSTONE CubeSat mission. The CubeSat will be placed in Lunar orbit where NASA will then be able to test the orbit suitability planned for the Gateway space station. The Gateway space station will act as a stepping stone for astronauts heading to the Lunar surface over this decade. You will be able to head to Rocket Lab’s website to see the launch. Recap The first launch we got this week was a SpaceX Starlink mission. The satellites were launched aboard a Falcon 9, you can see footage below: Next up was another Falcon 9 launch but this time carrying the SARah 1, an Earth observation satellite that will be operated by the German army. The final launch was yet another Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Globalstar-2 communications satellite. That’s all for this week, let us know in the comments which launch you think is most interesting.
  8. NFT_QUEEN
    What Happens if the Moon Crashes into Earth? Really enjoyed watching this one.
  9. Chandrakant
    NASA plans to launch Artemis I lunar test mission in February 2022 by Chandrakant Isi Named after Apollo's twin sister Artemis, NASA's lunar mission is getting ready for its first uncrewed test flight. As per the American space agency, the Orion space capsule has been stacked up with the SLS rocket and is ready for pre-launch tests for the next few weeks. The process will include a health and status check of various systems and communication lines between the spacecraft and ground control. Moreover, there will be procedures to ensure the functionality of different systems including core stage and boosters. As a standard protocol, NASA will also run a countdown sequencing simulation. Wet Dress Rehearsal will be quite crucial for the mission. Before you get any ideas, 'wet' refers to the loading up of supercold liquid propellants into the rockets. The team at NASA will also practice its ability to scrub the launch. It is only after the successful completion of the wet dress rehearsal, the American space agency will reveal the actual launch date for the Artemis I test mission. For now, NASA is aiming to get things up and running for the February 2022 launch window. The Artemis mission will enable NASA to return to the Moon. The US had successfully landed its crewed Apollo 11 mission on Earth's natural satellite in 1969. It was followed by six more missions counting up to Apollo 17. All of which made a successful lunar landing save for the number 13, which had to return to the Earth due to malfunction in the Oxygen tank module. This time around, the idea is to build the infrastructure required for long-term missions including the base camp on the lunar surface. The US will also establish the Gateway in lunar orbit, which will serve as a communication hub and space lab. This will be crucial considering that the International Space Station (ISS) is likely to retire in 2024 with a possible life extension till the end of this decade. The expertise from the lunar base camp will come in handy for humanity's future plans of setting up human colonies on the red planet.
  10. Chandrakant
    Jeff Bezos gives NASA an offer it can't refuse to win the moon mission contract by Chandrakant Isi In Godfather-like fashion, billionaire Jeff Bezos has made NASA an offer it can't refuse. In a bid to secure a manned lunar lander mission for Blue Origin, its Founder who also happens to be the wealthiest man on the planet has offered to waive $2 billion of payments. For those not in the know, this is a reaction to NASA's decision to award a $2.9 billion lunar lander contract to Elon Musk's SpaceX. Blue Origin has already managed to put this program on hold by filing a complaint with the Government Accountability Office (GOA) claiming favorable treatment to SpaceX. In a letter to NASA's Administrator, Bill Nelson, Bezos emphasizes how "meaningful competition" is crucial to take the Americans back to the moon, perhaps making you wonder how he feels about Amazon's monopoly in e-commerce. Bezos highlights that in April, only SpaceX was given a chance to revise their pricing, which led to their selection. The billionaire called it a "mistake" but stated it is "not too late to remedy". As a solution, Bezos has offered to waive payments of up to $2 billion. Mind you, it is not like Amazon Buy Now, Pay Later scheme. As mentioned in the letter, it is an outright and permanent waiver of those payments. Blue Origin is willing to accept a fixed-price contract and will take care of any cost overruns. Bezos believes that his offer takes care of "NASA's near term budgetary issues". As a result, the space agency can now afford to go ahead with the "dual-source" strategy for the Artemis program. NASA and Bezos' rival billionaire Elon Musk, have not yet commented on this offer. It will be interesting to see if $2 billion are enough to influence a decision at the most prolific space agency in the world.
  11. zikalify
    NASA's SLS' core stage to undergo final Green Run test by Paul Hill NASA has announced that its Space Launch System (SLS), a rocket designed to send astronauts to the Moon, will undergo its final Green Run series test this week on Thursday. The space agency said that the two-hour testing window will open at 3 p.m. EDT on March 18 and plans to begin streaming the event 30 minutes before the test on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA app. In this eighth and final Green Run test, engineers will power up all of the core stage systems and fire the rocket’s four RS-25 engines to simulate the stage’s operation during launch. The engines will burn 700,000 gallons of supercold cryogenic propellant and generate 1.6 million pounds of thrust. Two hours after the test, NASA will hold a briefing on NASA TV where it will be able to explain whether everything went smoothly and will answer media questions by phone. Once this test is complete, NASA will be assured that the core stage of the SLS rocket is ready for the Artemis missions to the Moon, marking a major milestone. The core stage of the rocket is a very important part of the rocket; it includes a liquid hydrogen tank and liquid oxygen tank, four RS-25 engines, computers, electronics, and avionics, which NASA explains, acts as the brains of the SLS. The Artemis I mission, which will use the SLS rocket, is planned for November this year. It is an uncrewed test flight and will be the first to integrate the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and the Space Launch System. This will then pave the way for two planned Artemis missions and a further six proposed missions - all of which will be crewed.
  12. zikalify
    SpaceX almost lands Starship successfully on the third attempt by Paul Hill SpaceX has gotten closer to landing Starship SN10 succesfuilly after two failures with SN8 and SN9 in December and January respectively. While the Starship did manage a landing this time, a fire broke out which spread to the propellant leading to a massive explosion destroying the rocket around 8 minutes after landing. Oof. SN10 has decided to join SN8 and SN9. Still a great advancement with the landing. ➡️https://t.co/bOsEo1u0u0 pic.twitter.com/RiXV6e3u04 — Chris B - NSF (@NASASpaceflight) March 3, 2021 Today’s mission looked uncertain for a while, initially, it was due to take off several hours ago but SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted out to say that the launch was aborted to adjust the thrust limit which he described as “slightly conservative”. After recycling the propellant, the rocket was set for another launch attempt which it carried out successfully. Launch abort on slightly conservative high thrust limit. Increasing thrust limit & recycling propellant for another flight attempt today. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 3, 2021 Today’s mission brings SpaceX one step closer to getting humans to Mars. In the future, Starship with use two stages - the first is a booster stage called Super Heavy and the upper stage is called Starship. Super Heavy will be used to take off from Earth but when taking off from the Moon and Mars, only the upper stage will be needed. During the tests, Starship has been using three Raptor engines but it’s intended that six will be used in the future. With Starship set to be used for human transportation in a couple of years, it will undergo more testing until the company can get the landing right. It will also have to be trialled using the six Raptor engines at some point and launching atop the Super Heavy booster. If you missed the test, you can watch it in full above and If you want to know when SpaceX has an upcoming Starship launch, be sure to read This Week in Rocket Launches, a new weekly series posted each weekend detailing all the missions that are planned for the coming week.
  13. zikalify
    Rocket Lab releases plans for reusable Neutron rocket by Paul Hill Rocket Lab, one of the many private space firms, has revealed plans for a new reusable rocket called Neutron. The firm said that the 8-ton payload launch vehicle will deploy satellite constellations, go to other planets and take humans into space. If you’ve been following Neowin’s new This Week in Rocket Launches (TWIRL) series, you’ll know that Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket already delivers satellites into space. While Electron is limited to launching 300 kg satellites, the new rocket will be able to lift 8,000 kg to low-Earth orbit, 2,000 kg to the Moon, and 1,500 kg to Mars and Venus. Speaking about the announcement, Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said: “Rocket Lab solved small launch with Electron. Now we’re unlocking a new category with Neutron. We’ve listened to our customers and the message is clear - biggest doesn’t always mean best when it comes to constellation deployment. Efficiently building the mega constellations of the future requires launching multiple satellites in batches to different orbital planes. It’s a requirement that all too often sees large launch vehicles fly with payloads well below their full lift capacity, which is an incredibly expensive and inefficient way to build out a satellite constellation. Neutron’s 8-ton lift capacity will make it ideally sized to deploy satellites in batches to specific orbital planes, creating a more targeted and streamlined approach to building out mega constellations.” Much like SpaceX has been doing with its rockets, Neutron’s first of two stages will be designed to land on an ocean platform, this will allow the company to lower costs for customers and get more launches done. Rocket Lab expects to perform Neutron launches from Virginia’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility. Launching from this facility will eliminate the need for Rocket Lab to build a new pad which will accelerate the time to launch. The firm said it expects to begin launches of Neutron rockets from 2024 and is looking for sites across America to build a new factory that will support the manufacture of the Neutron rocket and create hundreds of jobs.
  14. zikalify
    Japan agrees to provide important Lunar Gateway components by Paul Hill NASA and the Government of Japan have come to an agreement over the Lunar Gateway that will see the east Asian nation provide capabilities for the Gateway’s International Habitation module (I-Hab). The I-Hab is a key component of the modular space station as it includes life support capabilities and additional space where astronauts can live and work during Artemis missions. According to the American space agency, JAXA’s planned contributions include I-Hab’s environmental control and life support system, batteries, thermal control and imagery components. Once developed, these parts will be integrated into the I-Hab module by the European Space Agency (ESA) which shows just how much of an international effort this new space station is. Under a previous agreement between JAXA and Northrop Grumman, Japan will supply the batteries that’ll be used in Gateway’s Habitation and Logistics Output (HALO) – the area of the station where astronauts will go first once arriving at Gateway. Japan has also decided to take a look at its HTV-X cargo resupply craft to see whether it can adapt it for use in Gateway logistics resupply missions. Commenting on today’s partnership, Gateway program manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center Dan Hartman said: “The capabilities provided by Japan are critical to enabling the interior environment of the Gateway allowing our crews to live and work for longer durations. With the life support systems from Japan, longer duration missions for the Artemis crews can be accomplished with reduced demands on logistics resupply.” The Lunar Gateway, which is set to orbit the Moon, will begin launching in January 2024. Initially, the Power and Propulsion Element and the HALO modules will be launched and eventually will be joined many other modules. The I-Hab, which Japan is developing components for under today’s agreement is set for launch in 2026.
  15. Ather Fawaz
    China launches Chang'e-5 mission to extract and bring lunar rock samples to Earth by Ather Fawaz Image via National Geographic China successfully launched its Chang'e-5 mission on Monday whereby it is sending a spacecraft to the Moon to collect rock samples. If everything goes according to plan, the lander portion of the spacecraft will touch down on the lunar surface by the end of this week and will have approximately 14 days—or the length of a single day on the satellite—to collect the samples and bring them back to Earth. The spacecraft took off from the Wenchang space site at Hainan Island in China on Monday. Unlike previous missions, China was open about live-streaming and consistently sharing information about the launch procedures. The entire event was live-streamed by Chinese state media without any delay, showing the growing confidence that the nation has in its space program. The mission is being hailed as the most ambitious program in China's space history. Not only will it be the first attempt at collecting lunar rock samples in over forty years, but it also sets the nation on course to become only the third country to bring pieces of the moon back to Earth, joining the ranks of the U.S. and Soviet Russia who each completed this feat with the Apollo Missions and the Luna robotic landings, respectively. China plans to land Chang'e-5 on the Mons Rümker, which is an isolated volcanic formation that is located in the northwest part of the Moon's near side. It's also much younger than the craters that the Apollo astronauts visited. Once there, the spacecraft is slated to retrieve more than four pounds of lunar samples. For contrast, the three successful Soviet Luna missions brought close to 0.625 pounds while NASA’s Apollo astronauts ferried 842 pounds of moon rock and soil back to the Earth. From liftoff to touchdown back to Earth, the entire mission is scheduled to take less than a month. China hopes that the successful completion of Chang’e-5 will be a stepping stone towards establishing an international lunar research station before colonizing the moon by the next decade. Source: The New York Times via Engadget
  16. zikalify
    NASA finds water on the Moon's sunlit surface by Paul Hill Image of the Moon via Wikipedia Using a flying observatory called Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), NASA has confirmed that there is water on the sunlit surface of the Moon in one of the largest craters visible from Earth named Clavius Crater. The water at this location is in concentrations of 100 to 412 parts per million or the same amount you’d find in a 12-ounce bottle of water. If you were to ask most people, they’d tell you that there’s no water in the desert but apparently there is. According to NASA, the Sahara desert has 100 times the amount of water than what SOFIA was able to find in the lunar soil. The agency said despite the amount being small, it now raises questions about how water can persist “on the harsh, airless lunar surface.” Discussing the findings, Casey Honniball, the lead author on the paper detailing the findings, said: “Without a thick atmosphere, water on the sunlit lunar surface should just be lost to space. Yet somehow we’re seeing it. Something is generating the water, and something must be trapping it there.” Now that we know that there’s water on the sunlit portion of the Moon, scientists want to answer two more questions: how is it getting there? And how is it stored? In terms of how the water gets there, NASA has a few theories. One suggests that micrometeorites are raining down on the lunar surface carrying small amounts of water that could be deposited on impact. Another suggestion is that the Sun’s solar wind delivers hydrogen to the lunar surface and then undergoes a chemical reaction with oxygen-bearing minerals in the soil to create hydroxyl. Radiation from the barrage of micrometeorites could then be transforming the hydroxyl into water. Regarding the storage of the water, NASA suggests that it could be trapped in tiny beadlike structures in the soil that are formed out of high heat created by micrometeorite impacts. Another possibility is that the water is hidden between grains of lunar soil and sheltered from the sunlight. SOFIA will continue its observation of the Moon in additional sunlight locations and during different lunar phases to learn more about the production, storage, and movement across the Moon. Understanding the nature of water on the Moon will be essential to future lunar missions including Artemis that will see the first woman and the next man land on the Moon in this decade.
  17. Usman Khan Lodhi
    Nokia to build the first cellular network on the Moon by Usman Khan Lodhi When NASA makes a return to the Moon by 2024, it wants its astronauts to have an efficient and reliable way to communicate with one another. To make that happen, the space agency is turning to Nokia for help and providing the Finnish company a $14.1 million funding to roll out 4G on the Moon. Nokia has today announced further details about the project, which will pave the way towards a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. The firm noted that deploying the first LTE/4G communications system in space will be extremely vital for NASA's Artemis program, which seeks to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon by 2030. The announcement read: “The network will provide critical communication capabilities for many different data-transmission applications, including vital command and control functions, remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and streaming of high definition video.” Nokia said that its solution will be "ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened, end-to-end LTE," and will be deployed on the Moon in late 2022. The firm plans to integrate its wireless communications system on the lunar surface in partnership with Intuitive Machines, a Texas-based private spacecraft design firm. Once the delivery is made, the network will automatically configure itself and establish the first LTE communications system on the Moon, Nokia noted.
  18. zikalify
    SSTL announces Lunar Pathfinder comms satellite with a launch due in 2022 by Paul Hill The UK-based firm, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), has announced that it’s beginning work on a lunar data-relay spacecraft called Lunar Pathfinder. The spacecraft is expected to launch in Q4 2022 and will offer affordable communications services to lunar missions via S-band and UHF links to the Moon’s surface and orbit, and an X-band link back to the Earth. The 280 kg spacecraft will assist missions in the polar region and on the far side of the moon. This will allow projects to forego developing their own relay comms and use the more affordable Lunar Pathfinder. According to SSTL, the 2022 launch means it will be able to assist NASA’s Artemis programme which seeks to put the first American woman and the next American man at the lunar south pole by 2024 and in orbit around the Moon by 2028. Commenting on the project, Phil Brownnett, SSTL’s Managing Director, said: “Lunar Pathfinder will be the first commercial service to address the need for data relay around the Moon, and will not only demonstrate an innovative business idea, but we fully expect it to also stimulate the emerging Lunar market. By pioneering a commercial solution and service delivery model in lunar orbit, SSTL and ESA are opening the door to providing services to the solar system, and contributing to the scientific progress of deep space exploration.” Aside from its Lunar Pathfinder project, SSTL said it has also been working on plans for a constellation of spacecraft that it hopes to insert into lunar orbit. This will provide enhanced communications, including navigation services, on the Moon. It hopes this technology will help with activities “from exploration to commercial exploitation and even tourism.”
  19. zikalify
    Chandrayaan-2 successfully enters Lunar Orbit a month after launching by Paul Hill The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that its Chandrayaan-2 mission has successfully entered Lunar orbit. The Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) manoeuvrer was started today at 09:02 IST and lasted for 28 minutes and 58 seconds. Following this step, ISRO will conduct a series of orbit manoeuvres so that the spacecraft can enter its final orbit, 100 km from the Moon’s surface, passing over the poles. Once ISRO is ready, the lander will separate from the orbiter and perform a soft landing in the south polar region of the Moon on September 7. The soft landing will require ISRO to perform several “complex braking” manoeuvres. Overall, the mission consists of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover. The Pragyan rover, as it is called, will leave the lander once the latter reaches the surface, and will conduct experiments for 14 Earth days (1 Lunar day). The results from the rover’s testing will be relayed back through the orbiter and the lander back to the Earth. If the mission continues to go according to plan, India will be only the fourth country to perform a soft landing on the Moon after the U.S.S.R., U.S., and China. We’ll find out if it achieves this goal or not on September 7.
  20. zikalify
    India successfully launches lunar exploration mission Chandrayaan-2 by Paul Hill The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which consists of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover. The GSLV MkIII-M1 rocket, which is carrying the mission, launched at 14:43 IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Chandrayaan-2 is the second mission in India’s Chandrayaan programme. Chandrayaan-1 was launched on 22 October 2008 and consisted of an orbiter and an impactor. With Chandrayaan-2 India will send a lander and rover down to the Moon’s surface where the rover will conduct on-site chemical analyses before sending data back to Earth via the orbiter and lander. If the lander and rover segments go smoothly, India will be the fourth country to perform a soft landing on the Moon after the U.S.S.R., U.S., and China. Explaining how the Vikram lander will get safely to the surface, ISRO said: “Imaging of the landing site region prior to landing will be done for finding safe and hazard-free zones. Vikram [(the lander)] will attempt to make a soft landing in a high plain between two craters — Manzinus C and Simpelius N — at a latitude of about 70° South on 7th September 2019.” Once the lander is on the surface, the third and final stage of the mission involving the rover can go ahead. ISRO says that the Pragyan rover will roll out of the lander and conduct experiments for 14 Earth days (1 lunar day). The Vikram lander is also expected to continue operations for 14 days too before its mission ends. The orbiter’s mission will last significantly longer with a duration of one year. ISRO has a third mission planned for its Chandrayaan programme dubbed Chandrayaan-3. It could collaborate with Japan on the mission but its other objectives are yet to be determined. Its tentative launch date is 2024.
  21. BudMan
    Anyone watching the live stream on YouTube? Other then the nonsense going on in the chat.. Flat Earther idiots and just hate everwhere.. WTF is the world coming too? Starts in like an hour... Hoping for a good stream and successful landing!
  22. zikalify
    China becomes the first country to grow plants on the Moon by Paul Hill China has become the first country to grow plants on the Moon. The country’s Chang’e-4 mission that landed on the far-side of the Moon recently has successfully carried out its first biological experiment. Scientists at the Chongqing University released photos of cotton seeds beginning to sprout, but it’s just one of several items the Chinese have delivered to the Moon. Also included in the biological experiment payload are potato seeds, arabidopsis seeds, rapeseed, fruit fly pupae, and some yeast. With these items, scientists have created a micro-biosphere where the plants produce oxygen, the yeast regulates carbon dioxide and oxygen, and the fruit flies are "the consumers of the photosynthesis process.” Some have questioned whether this experiment could contaminate the Moon; Chinese scientists say this is impossible because the payload is sealed and measures have been taken to prevent any leaks. Additionally, the harsh Lunar conditions would mean any biological matter that leaked “would have no chance of survival” and “would be decomposed to harmless organics with no pollution on the Moon.” This mission is a vital step forward for future manned missions to the Moon. The scientists suggested cotton could be used for clothes manufacture while potatoes could be grown and used as a staple food for astronauts deployed to the satellite. Source: CGTN
  23. zikalify
    SpaceX set to cut 10% of its workforce to become “leaner” by Paul Hill The Elon Musk-led firm, SpaceX, has announced that it is going to be shedding 10% of its workforce in order to become a “leaner” company. SpaceX currently employs 6,000 people so the lay off will see about 600 people lose their jobs. SpaceX President, Gwynne Shotwell, announced the cuts to employees via an email, saying that it was a very difficult decision but necessary nonetheless. In the email, Shotwell wrote: “To continue delivering for our customers and to succeed in developing interplanetary spacecraft and a global space-based internet, SpaceX must become a leaner company. Either of these developments, even when attempted separately, have bankrupted other organizations. This means we must part ways with some talented and hardworking members of our team. We are grateful for everything they have accomplished and their commitment to SpaceX’s mission. This action is taken only due to the extraordinarily difficult challenges ahead and would not otherwise be necessary.” According to the LA Times, those being laid off won’t be left entirely in the lurch as SpaceX plans to offer a minimum of eight weeks pay and other benefits to the employees, it will also assist them with career coaching, resume help, and job searches as they seek out new employment. As mentioned by Shotwell, SpaceX has some pretty important projects coming up including Starlink which will consist of satellites being put into orbit to provide internet connectivity around the world, and a 2023 mission to send Japanese billionaire, Yusaku Maezawa, on a trip around the Moon. Source: LA Times
  24. zikalify
    China lands man's first rover on the far-side of the Moon by Paul Hill The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has announced the successful landing of the Chang’e 4 probe on the far-side of the Moon. The probe consists of a lander and a rover and marks the first time a spacecraft has touched down on that side of the Moon. As the Moon is tidally locked to the Earth we don’t have a direct line of sight to Chang’e 4 so a satellite is being used to relay data as it can see Earth and the far-side of the Moon from the second Lagrangian (L2) point of the Earth-Moon system. The rover landed in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on 3 January 2019, 2:26 UTC but was launched on 7 December 2018 and has been orbiting the Moon ever since 12 December. While it’s there, the CNSA want to measure the lunar surface temperature, measure the chemical composition of the lunar rocks and soils, conduct a low-frequency radio astronomical observation, study cosmic rays, and observe the solar corona and learn more about coronal mass ejections between the Sun and Earth. Chang’e 4 is the final stage of Phase II of the methodically planned Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) which saw its first mission, the Chang’e-1 lunar orbiter, set off from Earth on 24 October 2007. The initial phase of CLEP focused on orbital missions, while the second phase shifted to soft landers and rovers. The third stage, which technically started in 2014 with Chang’e 5-T1, a test spacecraft, will really get underway sometime this year with the launch of Chang’e 5. Chang’e 5 is expected to launch in 2019 atop a Long March 5 rocket, it will build on previous successes to land on the Moon but will surpass previous missions by collecting up to 2 kg of samples and returning them to Earth. A planned Chang’e 6 mission will build on the success of Chang’e 5, if everything goes to plan. All these efforts are leading up to a planned crewed lunar landing mission in the 2030’s, and the CNSA could possibly build an outpost near the south pole.
  25. DocM
    This thread will also cover updates about the Federation manned spacecraft, which will replace Soyuz.