Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 5, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted October 5, 2016 Live coverage: Ariane 5 launched delayed to Wednesday Quote DELAY. Arianespace officials have decided to push back liftoff of the Ariane 5 rocket for 24 hours until Wednesday. Arianespace chief executive Stephane Israel tweeted that the delay was caused by unfavorable high-altitude winds over the Guiana Space Center. The weather outlook for Wednesday looks favorable, with launch timed for 2030 GMT (4:30 p.m. EDT). Officials decided to delay the launch before loading cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellants into the first and second stages of the Ariane 5 during today's countdown. http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/10/04/va231-mission-status-center/ Timeline for Ariane 5’s launch of Sky Muster 2 and GSAT 18 Quote A communications satellite to broadcast high-speed Internet to remote parts of Australia and a new platform to beam television and multimedia programming across India are fastened to the top of an Ariane 5 rocket for launch Wednesday. Standing nearly 180 feet (55 meters) tall, the Ariane 5 is scheduled to lift off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 2030 GMT (4:30 p.m. EDT; 5:30 p.m. French Guiana time) Wednesday. The launch will mark the 88th Ariane 5 flight since 1996, and the launcher’s fifth mission this year. Liftoff was delayed from Tuesday due to unfavorable high-altitude winds. The Sky Muster 2 satellite, built by Space Systems/Loral and weighing 14,120 pounds (6,405 kilograms) at launch, is the heavier of the two spacecraft aboard the Ariane 5 rocket. GSAT 18, built and owned by the Indian Space Research Organization, weighs 7,504 pounds (3,404 kilograms) with its propellant tanks full. The rocket will target an orbit ranging from 155 miles (250 kilometers) to 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers), with a tilt of 6 degrees to the equator. timeline at the link... http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/10/04/timeline-for-ariane-5s-launch-of-sky-muster-2-and-gsat-18/ Photos: Ariane 5 rocket arrives on the launch pad Quote Riding on a mobile launch platform, an Ariane 5 rocket made the 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) trip from its final assembly building to the ELA-3 launch zone in Kourou, French Guiana, on Monday morning, one day before its blastoff on a commercial mission with Australian and Indian communications satellites. The journey took about one hour, with heavy-duty metal wheels and guiders on the mobile launch table following rails laid between the Ariane 5’s vertical assembly hangar and the launch pad nestled in the jungle on the northern coastline of South America. A specially-outfitted diesel-powered Titan truck towed the rocket and the launch platform to the launch pad. Once the Ariane 5 arrived at the launch complex, technicians connected the rocket and its platform to the pad’s electrical, telemetry and propellant systems ahead of the start of the countdown before dawn Tuesday. The satellites mounted on top of the Ariane 5 are Sky Muster 2 and GSAT 18, destined for communications coverage of Australia and India, respectively. great images at the link... http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/10/04/photos-ariane-5-rocket-arrives-on-the-launch-pad/ ------------------------ Managers set Oct. 13 for first Antares launch in two years A view inside the Horizontal Integration Facility at Wallops Island, Virginia. Credit: Orbital ATK Quote NASA and Orbital ATK officials have set Oct. 13 as the target date for the first Antares launch in nearly two years, giving approval for ground crews to load final cargo into the mission’s Cygnus supply carrier heading for the International Space Station. A flight readiness review Monday cleared the way for final launch preparations at Wallops Island, Virginia, leading up to liftoff Oct. 13 at 9:13 p.m. EDT (0113 GMT on Oct. 14). “In preparation for the mission, final integration of the company’s Cygnus spacecraft and Antares rocket is now underway, with roll out to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport’s pad 0A anticipated to take place on Oct. 11,” Orbital ATK said in a statement Tuesday. more at the link... http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/10/04/managers-set-oct-13-for-first-antares-launch-in-two-years/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 6, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted October 6, 2016 Ariane 5 launches Satellites for Australia & India, conducts In-Orbit Tests for successor Rocket Photo: Arianespace Webcast Quote Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket lifted a pair of communications satellites into orbit for Australia and India on Wednesday in another textbook mission that also accomplished a critical test for the launcher’s successor currently in development for a maiden launch in 2020. The heavy-lifter in Europe’s rocket fleet blasted off from the Guiana Space Center at 20:30 UTC under the loud thunder of its twin Solid Rocket Boosters and cryogenic main engine, swinging to the East for the vehicle’s fifth flight to Geostationary Transfer Orbit in 2016. Powered flight was by the book followed by an eight-minute sequence to deploy the Sky Muster II and GSAT-18 satellites into their highly elliptical orbits. The primary mission was to be followed by 40 minutes of in-orbit maneuvering to allow an instrument suite to gather data on the behavior of the second stage’s cryogenic propellants during an extended coast phase – critical information needed in the development of a propellant management system for the Ariane 6 rocket’s re-startable second stage. more at the link... http://spaceflight101.com/ariane-5-va-231-launch-success/ Ariane 5 ECA launches GSAT-18 & Sky Muster II satellites video is 3:07 min. and a must have.... Blue Origins New Shepard & Ariane 5 launch | KNews 58 video is 4:42 min. Launch Schedule.... Quote TBD Atlas 5 • WorldView 4 Launch window: 1830-1845 GMT (2:30-2:45 p.m. EDT; 11:30-11:45 a.m. PDT) Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-062, will launch the WorldView 4 Earth observation satellite for DigitalGlobe. The rocket will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from June 29 and Sept. 15. Scrubbed on Sept. 16. Delayed from Sept. 26. [Sept. 21] Oct. 13/14 Antares • OA-5 Launch time: 0113 GMT on 14th (9:13 p.m. EDT on 13th) Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia An Orbital ATK Antares rocket will launch of the seventh Cygnus cargo freighter on the sixth operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as OA-5. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230 configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. Delayed from May 31, June 24, July 6, Aug. 22 and September. [Oct. 4] October Long March 2F • Shenzhou 11 Launch window: TBD Launch site: Jiuquan, China A Chinese Long March 2F rocket will launch the Shenzhou 11 spacecraft, a crewed mission to dock with the orbiting Tiangong 2 laboratory module. The flight is China’s sixth human space mission. Delayed from mid-2016. [March 3] Oct. 19 Soyuz • ISS 48S Launch time: 0803 GMT (4:03 a.m. EDT) Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next Expedition crew. The capsule will remain at the station for about six months, providing an escape pod for the residents. Delayed from Sept. 22. [Oct. 4] http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 6, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted October 6, 2016 Ariane 5 payload health looks good. Jim K and Unobscured Vision 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 9, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted October 9, 2016 Tethers is still moving along, and now with a technology demonstrator partner... Tethers Unlimited’s Firmamentum strikes deal to demonstrate orbital manufacturing An artist’s conception shows a future satellite building scaffolding from carbon-fiber composites. (Credit: Tethers Unlimited) Quote A division of Tethers Unlimited Inc., a space technology company based in Bothell, Wash., says it has signed a contract with a big-name spacecraft provider to demonstrate how future satellites could build their own frameworks in space. The deal calls for Tethers Unlimited’s business division, known as Firmamentum, to fly its manufacturing hardware on a telecommunications satellite as part of Space Systems Loral’s Dragonfly program. Space Systems Loral is one of the world’s leading builders of satellites and spacecraft systems. Firmamentum is working on a technology known as the “Trusselator,” which is designed to fabricate large, lightweight truss structures out of carbon-fiber composites. Such structures could help support antennas, sensors, solar arrays and other components. The benefit is that the structures could be built to the required specifications in space, rather than having to be launched as payload in their finished shape. Dragonfly is being funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate as part of the space agency’s Tipping Point initiative. “The Dragonfly program is a tremendous opportunity for us to demonstrate the readiness of in-space manufacturing technologies to enable transformative improvements in the performance of communications satellites, and we are very thankful that SSL has selected us to team with in this endeavor,” Rob Hoyt, Firmamentum’s CEO, said in a news release. Firmamentum didn’t provide specifics about the value of the contract or the time frame for the in-space demonstration. However, Space Systems Loral’s executive vice president of engineering and operations, Paul Estey, told Satellite Today in July that the project was part of the company’s long-term vision for satellite platforms. “This is in the early stages — not something that will happen in the next five years, likely, but it is a very exciting area of engineering endeavor for us,” Estey said. Firmamentum is also working with Space Systems Loral as well as NanoRacks and Vulcan Aerospace on an on-orbit construction project for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a.k.a. DARPA. Tethers Unlimited and its Firmamentum division are developing a long list of technologies for NASA and other government entities, ranging from small-scale, high-bandwidth communication antennas to 3-D printer/recyclers and water-fueled mini-thrusters. http://www.geekwire.com/2016/tethers-unlimited-firmamentum-manufacturing/ Trusselator Demo video is 33 sec. NASA Designs 3D Printing Spider video is 1:05 min. and this is only one of several companies which will be able to print items such as sat parts, right up to regolith habitats. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 11, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted October 11, 2016 misc bits and bytes... ------------------------- Cape gets back into rocket business after Hurricane Matthew The Atlas 5 first stage was transported to the Cape aboard a giant Antonov aircraft. Credit: 45th Space Wing Quote CAPE CANAVERAL — Taking delivery of the Atlas 5 rocket that will boost an advanced weather observatory into space next month, United Launch Alliance and the Air Force are back at work following disruptions from Hurricane Matthew. Shipment of the first stage to Florida’s Space Coast from its factory in Alabama was delayed due to the storm, which passed just a few miles off the Cape on Friday. The rocket will launch the GOES-R spacecraft — the next-generation of weather satellite that will observe conditions over the U.S. from geostationary orbit 22,300 miles above the Earth and help meteorologists make better forecasts. But officials continue to assess schedules for stacking of the rocket at the Vertical Integration Facility and determine when the launch will occur. Before Matthew interrupted activities at the Cape, the launch was supposed to happen on Nov. 4. “United Launch Alliance’s preliminary assessment indicated Hurricane Matthew caused minor to moderate damage to facilities with no damage to flight hardware,” the company said Monday. Some ground equipment at the VIF was damaged, as well as doors on the mobile service gantry at the Delta 4 rocket’s Complex 37 and the roof on the Delta 4’s launch control center. “We are assessing the timelines to recover these,” ULA said. The GOES-R satellite, built by Lockheed Martin for NASA and NOAA, rode out the storm within a cleanroom at the Astrotech processing facility in nearby Titusville. The building was forced to generator power during the hurricane, but the craft was unharmed. The Antonov landed Sunday night. Credit: 45th Space Wing Air Force mission assurance personnel aboard the Antonov. Credit: 45th Space Wing Quote “This morning we offloaded a ULA Atlas 5 booster that arrived last night for the upcoming GOES-R mission,” said Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, the 45th Space Wing commander at Cape Canaveral. “The GOES series of satellites were built as part of a collaborative effort between NOAA and NASA — two of our most important mission partners.” Hurricane Matthew brushed along Florida’s East Coast on Friday morning, bringing winds of 90 mph, a top gust of 107 mph and heavy rain. The eye wobbled and passed just 25 miles off the Cape, alleviating fears of a direct hit on the launch site by the Category 3 storm. http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/10/11/cape-gets-back-into-rocket-business-after-hurricane-matthew/ ---------------- Air Force's X-37B Space Plane Mystery Mission Wings by 500 Days in Orbit An artist's depiction of the U.S. Air Force's unmanned X-37B space plane in orbit with its solar array deployed and payload bay open. Credit: United Launch Alliance/Boeing Quote The latest secretive mission of the United States Air Force's X-37B space plane has cruised beyond 500 days in Earth orbit since its launch last year. The U.S. military launched the robotic X-37B space plane on May 20, 2015, marking the fourth flight for the Air Force program. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lofted the spacecraft from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to kick off the OTV-4 mission (short for Orbital Test Vehicle-4). Exactly what the winged space plane's duties are while it's in orbit continues to remain a tight-lipped affair. Similarly, how long the vehicle will remain in orbit has not been detailed. [The X-37B's Fourth Mystery Mission in Photos] The first OTV mission launched in April 22, 2010, and concluded on Dec. 3, 2010, after 224 days in orbit. The second OTV mission — which used a different vehicle than the first — began March 5, 2011, and concluded on June 16, 2012, after 468 days on orbit. The subsequent OTV-3 mission reused the X-37B that flew on the first mission, and chalked up nearly 675 days in orbit. So far, the U.S. military has not stated where the OTV-4 mission's craft will ultimately land once it's current flight ends. In the past, all three X-37B flights ended at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, gliding to a runway landing on autopilot. Quote Onboard payloads A few payloads onboard the OTV-4 craft have been identified. Aerojet Rocketdyne has announced that its XR-5A Hall Thruster had completed initial on-orbit validation testing onboard the X-37B space plane. It is also known that the vehicle carries a NASA advanced materials investigation, as well as an experimental propulsion system developed by the Air Force. "It remains a very useful way to test out things," Winston Beauchamp, deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for Space told Inside Outer Space during last month's American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) meeting in Long Beach, California. Asked about any interest in increasing the X-37B fleet size, Beauchamp said that the number of vehicles currently in use is fine due to the pace of experiments it conducts. http://www.space.com/34343-x37b-space-plane-otv4-mission-passes-500-days.html --------------------- Orbital ATK and Stratolaunch partner to offer competitive launch opportunities Conceptual rendering of the Stratolaunch Aircraft and the Orbital ATK Pegasus XL air-launch vehicles. Image courtesy Business Wire. Quote Orbital ATK and Stratolaunch Systems has announced a multi-year production-based partnership that will offer significant cost advantages to air-launch customers. Stratolaunch Systems, in cooperation with Vulcan Aerospace, is responsible for realizing Paul G. Allen's vision for space. Under this partnership, Orbital ATK will initially provide multiple Pegasus XL air-launch vehicles for use with the Stratolaunch aircraft to provide customers with unparalleled flexibility to launch small satellites weighing up to 1,000 pounds into low Earth orbit. Pegasus has carried out 42 space launch missions, successfully placing more than 80 satellites into orbit for scientific, commercial, defense and international customers. "We are energized by this evolved partnership with Orbital ATK," said Mr. Jean Floyd, CEO of Stratolaunch Systems and executive director of Vulcan Aerospace. "Orbital ATK is the world's most experienced air-launch service provider, and we are proud to leverage that expertise and progressive approach in pursuit of our shared goal of convenient and affordable commercial access to low Earth orbit." "Orbital ATK is excited by this collaboration and sees it as a positive first step in a long-term partnership," said Scott Lehr, president of Orbital ATK's Flight Systems Group. "The combination of our extensive air-launch experience and the Stratolaunch aircraft has the potential to provide innovative and cost-effective options for commercial launch customers." http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Orbital_ATK_and_Stratolaunch_Systems_Partner_to_Offer_Competitive_Space_Launch_Opportunities_999.html -------------------- TESS will provide exoplanet targets for years to come Artist concept of Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. Image courtesy NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Chris Meaney. Quote NASA's search for planets outside of our solar system has mostly involved very distant, faint stars. NASA's upcoming Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), by contrast, will look at the brightest stars in our solar neighborhood. After TESS launches, it will quickly start discovering new exoplanets that ground-based observatories, the Hubble Space Telescope and, later, the James Webb Space Telescope, will target for follow-up studies. TESS is scheduled to launch no later than June 2018. Astronomers are eagerly anticipating the possibility that, in the near future, all three space missions could be studying the sky at the same time. "The problem is that we've had very few exoplanet targets that are good for follow-up," said TESS Project Scientist Stephen Rinehart at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "TESS will change that." Planets around closer, brighter stars are ideal for follow-up study because they'll produce stronger signals than planets around more distant stars. These planets have a higher signal-to-noise ratio, which measures the ratio of useful information - the signal - to non-useful information - the noise - that a telescope receives. These signals might also include a chemical sampling of an exoplanet's atmosphere, which is an exciting prospect for scientists hoping to search for signs of life on distant worlds. TESS will do the initial roundup of exoplanets, with the potential to identify thousands during its projected two-year mission. One of TESS' main science goals is to identify 50 rocky worlds, like Earth or Venus, whose masses can be measured. Quote NASA's Webb telescope and ground-based telescopes will determine the atmospheres of exoplanets using spectroscopy. In this process, telescopes look at the chemical signatures of the light passing through exoplanet atmospheres. This signature can tells scientists what chemicals are in the planetary atmosphere, and how much of each there are. It can also help scientists determine whether a planet could be habitable. "There are a couple of things we like to see as a potential for habitability - one of them is water, which is probably the single most important, because as far as we know, all life that we're familiar with depends on water in some way," Rinehart said. "The other is methane, which on our Earth is produced almost entirely biologically. When you start seeing certain combinations of all of these things appearing together - water, methane, ozone, oxygen - it gives you a hint that the chemistry is out of equilibrium. Naturally, planets tend to be chemically stable. The presence of life throws off this balance." Exoplanets aren't the only science that will come out of the TESS all-sky survey, however. While scientists expect to spot a transit signal that could reveal exoplanets around only about one out of 100 stars, virtually every star in the sky will be monitored carefully and continuously for at least 27 days, resulting in a wide variety of variability to be explored. more at the link... http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/TESS_will_provide_exoplanet_targets_for_years_to_come_999.html Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 12, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted October 12, 2016 Prior Launch Schedule Quote Oct. 14/15 Antares • OA-5 Launch time: 0051 GMT on 15th (8:51 p.m. EDT on 14th) Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia An Orbital ATK Antares rocket will launch of the seventh Cygnus cargo freighter on the sixth operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as OA-5. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230 configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. Delayed from May 31, June 24, July 6, Aug. 22, September and Oct. 13. [Oct. 10] October Long March 2F • Shenzhou 11 Launch window: TBD Launch site: Jiuquan, China A Chinese Long March 2F rocket will launch the Shenzhou 11 spacecraft, a crewed mission to dock with the orbiting Tiangong 2 laboratory module. The flight is China’s sixth human space mission. Delayed from mid-2016. [March 3] Oct. 19 Soyuz • ISS 48S Launch time: 0805 GMT (4:05 a.m. EDT) Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next Expedition crew. The capsule will remain at the station for about six months, providing an escape pod for the residents. Delayed from Sept. 22. [Oct. 4] http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ changes.... and... in response to... Both launch from different inclinations, Tiangong-2 has a lower orbit and a different orbital inclination compared to ISS...I doubt it will even be close if the launch was even at the same time... Tiangong-2 Station Tracker ISS Station Tracker Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 14, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted October 14, 2016 Revised Launch Schedule Quote Oct. 16 Long March 2F • Shenzhou 11 Launch time: Approx. 2330 GMT (7:30 p.m. EDT) Launch site: Jiuquan, China A Chinese Long March 2F rocket will launch the Shenzhou 11 spacecraft, a crewed mission to dock with the orbiting Tiangong 2 laboratory module. The flight is China’s sixth human space mission. Delayed from mid-2016. [Oct. 11] Oct. 16/17 Antares • OA-5 Launch time: 0003 GMT on 17th (8:03 p.m. EDT on 16th) Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia An Orbital ATK Antares rocket will launch of the seventh Cygnus cargo freighter on the sixth operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as OA-5. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230 configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. Delayed from May 31, June 24, July 6, Aug. 22, September, Oct. 13 and Oct. 14. [Oct. 11] Oct. 19 Soyuz • ISS 48S Launch time: 0805 GMT (4:05 a.m. EDT) Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next Expedition crew. The capsule will remain at the station for about six months, providing an escape pod for the residents. Delayed from Sept. 22. [Oct. 4] http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ ------------------- Ariane 5 ready for first Galileo payload Quote The first Ariane 5 launcher to orbit Galileo navigation satellites has completed its initial build-up in French Guiana, continuing preparations for Arianespace's November 17 mission from the Spaceport to deploy four more of the European-developed global positioning spacecraft. Quote The EPS storable propellant upper stage is powered by a re-ignitable engine that operates with MMH and N2O4 propellants. It differentiates Flight VA233's launcher from the Ariane 5 ECA versions, which have a cryogenic upper stage and are typically used on Arianespace missions to geostationary transfer orbits with telecommunications satellites. For Flight VA233, the Ariane 5 ES will carry the quartet of Galileo satellites (weighing 738 kg. each) and their 447-kg. dispenser system to medium-Earth orbit, for deployment at an altitude of approximately 23,222 km. Quote Ariane 5's first use to deploy Galileo satellites The upcoming Ariane 5 launch will mark the initial utilization of Ariane 5 in deploying Galileo constellation satellites. Flight VA233 will continue Arianespace's support of the global positioning satellite system, following seven missions performed with the company's medium-lift Soyuz that carries a pair of Galileo spacecraft on each flight. Seven Soyuz missions have delivered a total of 14 navigation satellites into orbit since 2011. http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Ariane_5_is_ready_to_receive_its_first_payload_of_Galileo_satellites_for_launch_by_Arianespace_999.html Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 15, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted October 15, 2016 Orbital ATK books Proton rocket for first commercial satellite servicing mission Artist’s concept of Orbital ATK’s Mission Extension Vehicle docked with a commercial communications satellite. Credit: Orbital ATK This is a pretty neat idea making it to the testing phase. It is basically a space tug which grips a satellites apogee engine, uses it's own electric thrusters and repositions a satellite, which is still functional, but out of station keeping fuel. It will be tested on an Intelsat decommissioned but idled (warm) sat in a graveyard orbit. If successful, this will be a money maker. Many 10 to 15 year old satellites still have use, but have just ran out of consumables. Quote Armed with capital and an anchor customer for a trailblazing satellite life extension service, Orbital ATK has signed a contract to loft its first robotic servicing tug aboard a Russian Proton rocket in 2018 on a shared launch with a Eutelsat communications satellite. The Proton rocket and its Breeze M upper stage will send Orbital ATK’s Mission Extension Vehicle toward geosynchronous orbit, a ring of satellites stationed more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) over Earth’s equator, where an object’s speed is the same as Earth’s rotation, allowing a satellite to hover over the same spot throughout its mission. Orbital ATK and International Launch Services, the U.S.-based company charged with marketing Proton launches on the commercial market, announced the contract Tuesday. The Mission Extension Vehicle will dock with multiple aging Intelsat communications satellites running low on fuel, keeping the telecom stations pointed correctly and potentially pushing the spacecraft into new positions to cover different regions. Intelsat and Orbital ATK, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Space Logistics LLC, unveiled the landmark satellite servicing agreement in April. It is the closest a commercial satellite life extension service has come to launching, and Orbital ATK chief executive David Thompson has said he is committed to the concept, which officials said was bolstered by the merger of Orbital Sciences Corp. and ATK in early 2015. The first Mission Extension Vehicle, named MEV 1, will blast off in the fourth quarter of 2018 on a Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Eutelsat 5 West B satellite, also manufactured by Orbital ATK, will be stacked on top of the MEV 1 spacecraft for the first all-commercial dual-payload launch by an ILS Proton. Quote The MEV 1 spacecraft mounted in the lower position on the 2018 dual-launch will have a launch weight around 4,400 pounds, or 2 metric tons, with about half that mass made up of gaseous and liquid propellants for the satellite’s electric propulsion pods and conventional chemical thrusters. Intelsat has agreed to use the MEV 1 spacecraft for five years in an agreement that allows the servicing tug to dock with multiple Intelsat satellites. An illustration of the MEV’s docking system latching on to the apogee engine of a commercial communications satellite. Credit: Orbital ATK Quote According to Wilson, follow-on MEVs could launch in pairs on Proton or Falcon 9 rockets. The MEV could also launch one at a time on Ariane 5 rockets, in tandem with a larger communications satellite. Orbital ATK is in talks with other commercial satellite operators and the U.S. government as potential customers for MEVs after Intelsat. Once its post-launch orbit-raising maneuvers are complete, MEV 1’s first destination will be a decommissioned, but still active, Intelsat satellite parked in a “graveyard” orbit several hundred miles above the geostationary belt. The Mission Extension Vehicle will approach the satellite, acquiring the target with its suite of optical and laser sensors to move in for an automated rendezvous. “It’s essentially a dead satellite, but (Intelsat) is keeping it warm,” Wilson said in an interview with Spaceflight Now earlier this year. “We’ll go and prove the system out. That will take about a month, then we’ll go rendezvous and dock with the first client.” A test article of the Mission Extension Vehicle docking system (right) is seen during a ground test with a mock-up of a satellite’s apogee engine (left). Credit: Orbital ATK Quote The MEV is different from other satellite servicing concepts because it is strictly used for steering, pointing and relocating another spacecraft that is running low on propellant. The servicer will not refuel Intelsat’s satellites, which were never designed for dockings. The Mission Extension Vehicle will latch on to the apogee kick motor of each client satellite, an engine mounted to the base of about 80 percent of the communications satellites in geosynchronous orbit. The thruster is only used in the first few weeks after launch to put the satellite into its final orbit, then never fired again. The approaching spacecraft will have a stinger that reaches into the apogee rocket engine’s nozzle from about 3 feet (1 meter) out, and mechanical fingers will reach out and grab the target craft to pull the two satellites together, Wilson said. A structural stanchion will carry the load between the two spacecraft. The MEV has two deployable propulsion pods with efficient electric thrusters, little engines that generate very low thrust but can operate for hours or days at a time. There is also a small tank of liquid hydrazine fuel on-board, mainly for higher-impulse maneuvers during the docking sequence. Once the satellites are docked, the MEV takes over attitude control and propulsion responsibilities, acting like a jet pack for the customer spacecraft. “We dock, and we extend the life, but there are other services we can provide,” Wilson said. “We can remove inclination, so if a satellite is drifting inclined, we can go get it at 3, 4 or 5 degrees of inclination, we can get it and bring it back to zero (over the equator). We can also take a satellite and move it, so if it’s over Europe or Africa, we can move it to be over Asia to bring a new market into use or to test out a new market.” more at the link... http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/10/14/orbital-atk-books-proton-rocket-for-first-commercial-satellite-servicing-mission/ With space tugs and other ventures working on refuelers, module replacement and 3-D printing, it will get to the point of full service robotic stations. Way too cool......hope the demo goes well.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 19, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted October 19, 2016 Launch Schedule Quote Oct. 19 Soyuz • ISS 48S Launch time: 0805 GMT (4:05 a.m. EDT) Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next Expedition crew. The capsule will remain at the station for about six months, providing an escape pod for the residents. Delayed from Sept. 22. [Oct. 4] Late October/Early November Atlas 5 • WorldView 4 Launch window: 1830-1845 GMT (2:30-2:45 p.m. EDT; 11:30-11:45 a.m. PDT) Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-062, will launch the WorldView 4 Earth observation satellite for DigitalGlobe. The rocket will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from June 29 and Sept. 15. Scrubbed on Sept. 16. Delayed from Sept. 26. [Oct. 10] Nov. 1 H-2A • Himawari 9 Launch window: 0620-0918 GMT (2:20-5:18 a.m. EDT) Launch site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan A Japanese H-2A rocket will launch the Himawari 9 weather satellite for the Japan Meteorological Agency. Himawari 9 will collect weather imagery over the East Asia and Western Pacific regions. Delayed from 3rd Quarter. [Sept. 5] http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ and we know what the launch toy will be.....Federation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 25, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted October 25, 2016 Launch Schedule Quote Nov. 1 H-2A • Himawari 9 Launch window: 0620-0918 GMT (2:20-5:18 a.m. EDT) Launch site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan A Japanese H-2A rocket will launch the Himawari 9 weather satellite for the Japan Meteorological Agency. Himawari 9 will collect weather imagery over the East Asia and Western Pacific regions. Delayed from 3rd Quarter. [Sept. 5] Nov. 3 Long March 5 • Maiden Flight Launch window: TBD Launch site: Wenchang, China A Chinese Long March 5 rocket will launch on its inaugural flight from a new launch pad on Hainan Island. The heavy-lift rocket will be among the world’s most powerful boosters, and it will be used to launch components of China’s planned space station and interplanetary missions. [Oct. 18] November Atlas 5 • WorldView 4 Launch window: 1830-1845 GMT (2:30-2:45 p.m. EDT; 11:30-11:45 a.m. PDT) Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-062, will launch the WorldView 4 Earth observation satellite for DigitalGlobe. The rocket will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from June 29 and Sept. 15. Scrubbed on Sept. 16. Delayed from Sept. 26. [Oct. 10] November Long March 2D • HXMT Launch window: TBD Launch site: Jiuquan, China A Chinese Long March 2D rocket will launch the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope. The HXMT mission will conduct an all-sky survey with a suite of instruments designed to image the universe in the highest-energy X-rays, and study the formation and behavior of black holes and active galactic nuclei. [Sept. 16] Nov. 15 Soyuz • ISS 49S Launch window: 2105 GMT (4:05 p.m. EST) Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next Expedition crew. The capsule will remain at the station for about six months, providing an escape pod for the residents. Moved forward from Nov. 16. [Sept. 16] http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 26, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted October 26, 2016 California Atlas 5 launch that was delayed by wildfire finally rescheduled The fire did not harm the WorldView 4 satellite or Atlas 5 rocket. Credit: United Launch Alliance Quote Seven weeks to the day after their launch was postponed by a massive wildfire and the aftermath, a commercial Atlas 5 rocket and Earth-imaging satellite are scheduled to fly on Sunday, Nov. 6 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The day’s launch window, which has moved up one hour by the conclusion of Daylight Savings Time, extends from 10:30 to 10:46 a.m. local (1:30-1:46 p.m. EST; 1830-1846 GMT). The United Launch Alliance booster will head southward from Space Launch Complex 3-East toward a polar orbit. Deployment of the payload occurs 19 minutes after liftoff. The fire started in a remote canyon south of the launch pad the evening before the planned Sept. 18 launch. The flight was postponed so that firefighters could remain in place to battle the blaze. More than 12,000 acres across the South Base of Vandenberg were burned by the fire that took nearly a week to contain. “This fire was an aggressive fire, and as you can see, jumped over roads and spread rather quickly,” said Lt. Col. Alex Mignery from the 30th Space Wing’s Civil Engineer Squadron and leader in the recovery efforts. “Luckily, no facilities were gobbled up by the fire, and all the space launch complexes survived as well,” he told reporters during a recent tour of the burned areas. It is considered the largest fire in Vandenberg’s history, fueled by the state’s drought, and severely impacted the power and communications infrastructure at the base. The Air Force says its 30th Space Communications Squadron has been validating more than 200 miles of copper and fiber cable crisscrossing the burned areas, which involves hiking into often mountainous terrain and visually checking the cables. What caused the fire remains under investigation by authorities. But repairs have been underway to enable the Atlas countdown and launch, and teams have been holding at the L-12 day point in preparation. http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/10/25/california-atlas-5-launch-delayed-by-wildfire-finally-rescheduled/ This is great news...means Vandenburg is going to be ready .....and Iridium payloads can go in December, for SpaceX.... Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted October 26, 2016 Share Posted October 26, 2016 Sheeshhh... http://spacenews.com/roscosmos-says-galileo-other-european-space-programs-could-suffer-from-payment-dispute/ Quote Roscosmos says Galileo, other European space programs could suffer from payment dispute PARIS — The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, on Oct. 21 gave written warning to the French government that it would take France to court in six months unless France’s Arianespace launch-service company frees up about 300 million euros ($330 million) in long-overdue payments. In what appears to be an attempt to force France’s European neighbors to apply pressure to Paris, Roscosmos hinted that multiple cooperative space efforts between Russian and the European Union, and with the European Space Agency (ESA), could suffer if the payments are not freed. The payments, which are not disputed by Arianespace, have been one of the collateral effects of the battle by former shareholders of Russia’s Yukos oil company. In 2014, these shareholders won an initial award of $50 billion from an international arbitration panel in The Hague, Netherlands, against the Russian government for dismantling the company. Since then, the shareholders have been trying to collect Russian government assets wherever they find a sympathetic legal environment outside Russia, including France and Belgium. In France, different shareholder representatives sought seizure of the Eutelsat and Arianespace payments. The same dispute has blocked payments to other Russian companies. Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat owes Russia’s biggest satellite operator, Russian Satellite Communications Co. (RSCC) of Moscow, around $300 million for services related to Eutelsat use of RSCC satellites. That money too has been blocked but is not part of the latest Roscosmos action, perhaps because RSCC, while owned by the Russian government, is viewed as a private company. In a letter sent to the office of French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Roscosmos Deputy Director-General Sergey Savelyev said Russia’s work with all European governments could suffer. Widening the dispute to ESA and the EU “Roscosmos works in close collaboration with numerous countries, including France,” Savelyev said, according to an Oct. 24 statement published on Roscosmos’ behalf by Hamas Paris. “The seizure of payments due by Arianespace to Roscosmos for work on numerous projects, including Galileo, complicates future cooperation on these programs and on other space programs of the European Union. “Roscosmos has always conducted an efficient and mutually beneficial cooperation with the EU and with the European Space Agency. We and our partners obviously hope to put this misunderstanding behind us as soon as possible to resume our cooperation.” Evry, France-based Arianespace, which is not owned by the French government, purchases medium-lift Soyuz rockets from Russian manufacturers through a contract with Roscosmos. The Europeanized Soyuz is operated by Arianespace alongside the heavy-lift Ariane 5 rocket and the Italian-led Vega small-satellite launcher. Soyuz has notably been used to launch European government satellites, and has been the work-horse rocket for deployment of Europe’s Galileo positioning, navigation and timing satellite constellation. The European Commission, which is the executive arm of the 28-nation European Union, owns Galileo. Concerned about over-relying on a single vehicle, the commission has purchased several Ariane 5 rockets to launch the Galileo satellites. The first of these Ariane 5 launches for Galileo is scheduled for mid-November. Bringing ESA into the legal dispute over Yukos payments will raise inevitable questions of what programs beyond Galileo might be held hostage to the unblocking of the Roscosmos funds. Potential problem for ExoMars? The most visible of the bilateral ESA-Roscosmos programs is ExoMars. Russia’s role includes providing two heavy-lift Proton rockets for the ExoMars missions. The first launched in 2016 and the second is scheduled for launch in 2020 — assuming that both ESA and Roscosmos can find the necessary financing for the program. ESA governments are expected to decide on ExoMars funding in December. Roscosmos is invoking a 1989 bilateral investment security treaty with France. It says its Oct. 21 letter sets in motion a six-month deadline for the dispute’s resolution, after which Roscosmos will take France to court for violating the treaty. Draggendrop 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted October 27, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted October 27, 2016 Corrective actions delay Proton missions Quote Sporting the latest round of modifications known as Phase IV, a Proton-M rocket boosted the exceptionally heavy Intelsat-31 communications satellite on June 9, during the third mission in 2016 for Russia's commercial workhorse. The rocket's Briz-M stage successfully completed the mission despite an apparent anomaly during the operation of the second stage. A file photo of the Proton's second stage in Baikonur. Quote Working to investigate and resolve the problem with the second stage operation during the launch of Intelsat-31 satellite in June, GKNPTs Khrunichev, the Proton manufacturer, postponed several missions of Russia's commercial workhorse during the rest of 2016. By the middle of October, the return-to-flight launch of the Proton-M rocket with the Echostar-21 communications satellite was pushed back from November to December 2016. In a domino effect of delays, the next Proton mission, tasked to deliver the Blagovest communications satellite for the Russian Ministry of Defense had to be postponed to January or February 2017. Its exact pre-launch processing schedule will depend on operations after the New Year holiday season. In parallel, GKNPTs Khrunichev is preparing the third Proton rocket to deliver a trio of GLONASS satellites, however the rocket's already manufactured second stage would have to undergo the same corrective actions in the wake of the Intelsat-31's close call. The Proton's next commercial mission carrying the Hispasat communications satellite for Spain was scheduled for March 2017, the industry sources told RussianSpaceWeb.com. In the meantime, the launch of the Asiasat-9 satellite, which had previously been at the top of the Proton's flight manifest in 2017, had to be postponed to a period after the Hispasat mission, due to additional testing required during its assembly at Space Systems Loral. Tentative launch schedules at the link... http://www.russianspaceweb.com/proton_2016.html#10 ---------------------- Photonics And Future Space Missions Quote A largely unrecognized field called photonics may provide solutions to some of NASA's most pressing challenges in future spaceflight. Photonics explores the many applications of generating, detecting and manipulating photons, or particles of light that, among other things, make up laser beams. On this day in 1983, the General Conference of Weights and Measures adopted the accepted value for the speed of light, an important photonics milestone. Oct. 21, 2016, is Day of Photonics, a biennial event to raise awareness of photonics to the general public. The study has multiple applications across NASA missions, from space communications to reducing the size of mission payloads to performing altitude measurements from orbit. One major NASA priority is to use lasers to make space communications for both near-Earth and deep-space missions more efficient. NASA's communications systems have matured over the decades, but they still use the same radio-frequency (RF) system developed in the earliest days of the agency. After more than 50 years of using solely RF, NASA is investing in new ways to increase data rates while also finding more efficient communications systems. Photonics may provide the solution. Several centers across NASA are experimenting with laser communications, which has the potential to provide data rates at least 10 to 100 times better than RF. These higher speeds would support increasingly sophisticated instruments and the transmission of live video from anywhere in the solar system. They would also increase the bandwidth for communications from human exploration missions in deep space, such as those associated with Journey to Mars. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, launched the first laser communications pathfinder mission in 2013. The Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration (LLCD) proved that a space-based laser communications system was viable and that the system could survive both launch and the space environment. But the mission was short-lived by design, as the host payload crashed into the lunar surface in a planned maneuver a few months after launch. The Goddard team is now planning a follow-on mission called the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) to prove the proposed system's longevity. It will also provide engineers more opportunity to learn the best way to operate it for near-Earth missions. Quote Scheduled to launch in 2019, LCRD will simulate real communications support, practicing for two years with a test payload on the International Space Station and two dedicated ground stations in California and Hawaii. The mission could be the last hurdle to implementing a constellation of laser communications relay satellites similar to the Space Network's Tracking and Data Relay Satellites. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are also following up on LLCD's success. But both will focus on how laser communications could be implemented in deep-space missions. Missions to deep space impose special communication challenges because of their distance from Earth. The data return on these missions slowly trickle back to the ground a little at a time using radio frequency. Laser communications could significantly improve data rates in all space regions, from low-Earth orbit to interplanetary. JPL's concept, called Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC), focuses on laser communications' benefits to data rates and to space and power constraints on missions. The data-rate benefits of laser communications for deep-space missions are clear, but less recognized is that laser communications can also save mass, space and/or power requirements on missions. That could be monumental on missions like the James Webb Space Telescope, which is so large that, even folded, it will barely fit in the largest rocket currently available. Although Webb is an extreme example, many missions today face size constraints as they become more complex. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission carried both types of communications systems, and the laser system was half the mass, required 25 percent less power and transferred data at six times the rate of the RF system. Laser communications could also benefit a class of missions called CubeSats, which are about the size of a shoebox. These missions are becoming more popular and require miniaturized parts, including communications and power systems. Power requirements can become a major challenge on missions to the outer solar system. As spacecraft move away from the sun, solar power becomes less viable, so the less power a payload requires, the smaller the spacecraft battery, saving space, and the easier spacecraft components can be recharged. more at the link... http://spaceref.com/nasa-hack-space/photonics-and-future-space-missions.html NASA and Photonics: Making the Connection video is 1:09 min. A lot of work has been carried out at various labs with success. This will slowly be phased in for the next phase of the DSN. Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted November 1, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted November 1, 2016 Launch Schedule Quote Nov. 2 H-2A • Himawari 9 Launch window: 0620-0918 GMT (2:20-5:18 a.m. EDT) Launch site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan A Japanese H-2A rocket will launch the Himawari 9 weather satellite for the Japan Meteorological Agency. Himawari 9 will collect weather imagery over the East Asia and Western Pacific regions. Delayed from 3rd Quarter and Nov. 1. [Oct. 31] Nov. 3 Long March 5 • Maiden Flight Launch window: TBD Launch site: Wenchang, China A Chinese Long March 5 rocket will launch on its inaugural flight from a new launch pad on Hainan Island. The heavy-lift rocket will be among the world’s most powerful boosters, and it will be used to launch components of China’s planned space station and interplanetary missions. [Oct. 18] Nov. 6 Atlas 5 • WorldView 4 Launch window: 1830-1846 GMT (1:30-1:46 p.m. EST; 10:30-11:46 a.m. PST) Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-062, will launch the WorldView 4 Earth observation satellite for DigitalGlobe. The rocket will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from June 29 and Sept. 15. Scrubbed on Sept. 16. Delayed from Sept. 26. [Oct. 26] http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted November 3, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted November 3, 2016 Launch Schedule update Quote Nov. 3 Long March 5 • Maiden Flight Launch time: Approx. 1000 GMT (6 a.m. EDT) Launch site: Wenchang, China A Chinese Long March 5 rocket will launch on its inaugural flight from a new launch pad on Hainan Island. The heavy-lift rocket will be among the world’s most powerful boosters, and it will be used to launch components of China’s planned space station and interplanetary missions. [Nov. 2] Nov. 11 Atlas 5 • WorldView 4 Launch window: 1830-1846 GMT (1:30-1:46 p.m. EST; 10:30-10:46 a.m. PST) Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-062, will launch the WorldView 4 Earth observation satellite for DigitalGlobe. The rocket will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from June 29 and Sept. 15. Scrubbed on Sept. 16. Delayed from Sept. 26 and Nov. 6. [Nov. 2] November Long March 11 • XPNAV 1 Launch window: TBD Launch site: Jiuquan, China A Chinese Long March 11 rocket will launch the X-ray Pulsar Navigation (XPNAV 1) satellite to test spacecraft navigation techniques using periodic X-ray emissions from pulsars. [Oct. 31] November Long March 2D • HXMT Launch window: TBD Launch site: Jiuquan, China A Chinese Long March 2D rocket will launch the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope. The HXMT mission will conduct an all-sky survey with a suite of instruments designed to image the universe in the highest-energy X-rays, and study the formation and behavior of black holes and active galactic nuclei. [Sept. 16] http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ ------------------------- Japanese weather observatory successfully boosted into orbit Quote A nearly four-ton satellite fitted with a modernized camera to collect more timely images of typhoons and severe weather bolted away from a seaside launch pad in southern Japan on Wednesday, riding an H-2A rocket on the way to an orbital perch more than 22,000 miles above Earth. The Himawari 9 satellite, built by Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and owned by the Japan Meteorological Agency, will cover the Japanese islands and a swath of the Asia-Pacific stretching from India in the west, to Australia in the south, and to Hawaii in the east. Meteorologists in Japan, Australia and other nations across the region will rely on Himawari 9 and the sister satellite Himawari 8 launched two years ago for weather imagery through at least the late 2020s. The 7,700-pound (3,500-kilogram) satellite lifted off at 0620 GMT (2:20 a.m. EDT; 3:20 p.m. Japan Standard Time) Wednesday on top of a 17-story H-2A rocket from Tanegashima Island near the southern end of the Japanese island chain. http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/11/02/japanese-weather-observatory-successfully-boosted-into-orbit/ Advanced Weather Satellite rides into Orbit atop Japan’s H-IIA Rocket indepth analysis http://spaceflight101.com/h-iia-himawari-9-launch-success/ Launch of Japanese Himawari 9 Weather Satellite on H-IIA video is 11:25 min. ------------------------- Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim K Global Moderator Posted November 4, 2016 Global Moderator Share Posted November 4, 2016 NASA investigating possible link between Juno and Intelsat thruster issues (both use thrusters manufactured by Moog). Quote COLUMBIA, Md. — An ongoing investigation into a thruster problem on NASA’s Juno spacecraft orbiting Jupiter is looking into a possible connection with a malfunction of a similar thruster on a recently launched Intelsat satellite. Speaking Nov. 1 at the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) meeting here, James Green, head of NASA’s planetary science division, said spacecraft engineers are taking a “very slow” approach into studying the problem before rescheduling a maneuver to lower the spacecraft into its final science orbit. That maneuver was scheduled for Oct. 19, when the spacecraft made its latest close approach to Jupiter in its current 53-day elliptical orbit. However, five days earlier NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced it was postponing the maneuver after a pair of helium valves on the spacecraft opened more slowly than expected. Green said one part of the investigation is studying any connection to a similar malfunctioning thruster. “It was made known to us that the rocket we currently have on Juno, the retrorocket that gets us into orbit, is in the same family as one that has been malfunctioning on the Intelsats,” he said. He was referring to Intelsat 33e, a Boeing 702MP satellite launched in August. On Sept. 9, Intelsat announced that the spacecraft’s entry into service in geostationary orbit would be delayed from fourth quarter of 2016 to the first quarter of 2017 because of a thruster malfunction. That model of satellite uses a Leros engine, manufactured by Moog, to raise its orbit after deployment. While Juno uses a different version of the Leros engine than the one on Intelsat 33e, and launched five years earlier, Green said engineers were investigating whether there may be any links between the two. “Whenever that happens, we step back and take a good look at what we have, how it’s implemented, look at the failure modes for these similar things,” he said, “and then do an analysis on what we’re going to do next and what the probability is of what we have on our spacecraft failing.” /snip More at Space News Draggendrop, Unobscured Vision and DocM 3 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unobscured Vision Posted November 4, 2016 Share Posted November 4, 2016 Oooof. And here's to hoping Juno's recent safe mode was a one-off. Jim K and Draggendrop 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted November 4, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted November 4, 2016 Launch Schedule changes... Quote Nov. 11 Atlas 5 • WorldView 4 Launch window: 1830-1846 GMT (1:30-1:46 p.m. EST; 10:30-10:46 a.m. PST) Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-062, will launch the WorldView 4 Earth observation satellite for DigitalGlobe. The rocket will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from June 29 and Sept. 15. Scrubbed on Sept. 16. Delayed from Sept. 26 and Nov. 6. [Nov. 2] November Long March 11 • XPNAV 1 Launch window: TBD Launch site: Jiuquan, China A Chinese Long March 11 rocket will launch the X-ray Pulsar Navigation (XPNAV 1) satellite to test spacecraft navigation techniques using periodic X-ray emissions from pulsars. [Oct. 31] November Long March 2D • HXMT Launch window: TBD Launch site: Jiuquan, China A Chinese Long March 2D rocket will launch the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope. The HXMT mission will conduct an all-sky survey with a suite of instruments designed to image the universe in the highest-energy X-rays, and study the formation and behavior of black holes and active galactic nuclei. [Sept. 16] November Atlas 5 • GOES-R Launch window: 2142-2342 GMT (4:42-6:42 p.m. EST) Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-069, will launch GOES-R, the first next-generation geostationary weather satellite for NASA and NOAA. GOES-R will orbit 22,300 miles above the equator to monitor weather conditions across the United States. The rocket will fly in the 541 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, four solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from March 11. Moved forward from Oct. 14. Delayed from Oct. 13, Nov. 4 and Nov. 16. [Nov. 3] http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ Because of.... And an issue with Orbital, or maximum payload required due to SpaceX grounding? Atlas 5 rocket to launch space station cargo delivery mission in March Quote CAPE CANAVERAL — Calling on the Atlas 5 rocket to flex its muscles one more time, Orbital ATK will partner with United Launch Alliance once again to send a massive load of supplies to the International Space Station astronauts early next year. In what becomes the first rocket flight booked under ULA’s new RapidLaunch contracting service to substantially shorten the time between signing a contract and liftoff, this new launch is scheduled to occur just four months from now. The Atlas 5 will launch the Cygnus cargo freighter to the station in March, departing from Cape Canaveral on Orbital ATK’s commercial OA-7 cargo-delivery mission. It will be the third such launch for the rocket and automated ship, following successes last December and this past March, as part of Orbital ATK’s space station resupply contract issued by NASA to ensure a steady supply line to the station from U.S. soil. But with NASA’s other commercial delivery firm — the SpaceX fleet and Dragon capsules — currently grounded and having already missed a planned November cargo run, the agency is relying on Orbital ATK, the Russians and Japanese to bring the needed food, clothing, spare parts and experiments to the space station. The new Atlas 5 launch will enable Orbital ATK to deliver a heavier load of cargo and NASA believes in the dependability of the rocket. http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/11/04/atlas-5-rocket-to-launch-space-station-cargo-delivery-mission-in-march/ and.... Info for Long March 5 in the CNSA thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim K Global Moderator Posted November 4, 2016 Global Moderator Share Posted November 4, 2016 James Webb Telescope milestone completed ... telescope element has been completed. Quote Twenty years ago, scientists began assembling a next-generation telescope that would be the successor for the Hubble. Now, NASA engineers have announced that construction of the James Webb Telescope (JWST) is finally complete. The telescope, which is twice the size of Hubble with a 21-foot mirror, is ready for testing before its scheduled launch in October 2018. "Today, we're celebrating the fact that our telescope is finished, and we're about to prove that it works," said John Mather, an astrophysicist and senior project scientist for the telescope at a news conference reported by Space.com. Inspired by the success of the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA and its European and Canadian counterparts collaborated on the design and construction of the JWST. The resulting telescope is bigger and more powerful than the Hubble, giving it the ability to see the first galaxies born after the Big Bang. The observations it makes will not only help scientists understand the origins of the universe, but also search for signs of life on faraway planets. By looking at infrared light given off by all objects in space, the unmanned telescope will pull back the curtains of the universe and see stars too distant even for the Hubble. Eighteen large hexagonal mirrors, made out of lightweight berylium and coated with gold will collect the infrared readings for the JWST. They’ll operate at close to absolute zero temperatures, from a point in space called the Lagrange Point 2, which is directly behind Earth from the sun's perspective. /snip More at Popular Science Unobscured Vision and Draggendrop 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted November 5, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted November 5, 2016 New Atlas V GOES-R Launch Date Quote Status Report From: United Launch Alliance Posted: Friday, November 4, 2016 The Atlas V GOES-R launch for NASA and NOAA is targeted for Nov. 19, pending Eastern Range approval. The launch window is 4:42-6:42 p.m. EST. // end // http://spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=49549 Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted November 8, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted November 8, 2016 Launch Schedule Quote Nov. 11 Atlas 5 • WorldView 4 Launch window: 1830-1846 GMT (1:30-1:46 p.m. EST; 10:30-10:46 a.m. PST) Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-062, will launch the WorldView 4 Earth observation satellite for DigitalGlobe. The rocket will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from June 29 and Sept. 15. Scrubbed on Sept. 16. Delayed from Sept. 26 and Nov. 6. [Nov. 2] Nov. 11 Long March 11 • XPNAV 1 Launch window: TBD Launch site: Jiuquan, China A Chinese Long March 11 rocket will launch the X-ray Pulsar Navigation (XPNAV 1) satellite to test spacecraft navigation techniques using periodic X-ray emissions from pulsars. [Nov. 3] November, Long March 2D • HXMT, has been pushed to early 2017, from Chinaspaceflight, unconfirmed source. ------------------ A Box of ‘Black Magic’ to Study Earth from Space RainCube, due to fly in 2017, forced JPL’s engineers to get creative in order to squeeze an antenna into a CubeSat. Credits: Tyvak/Jonathan Sauder/NASA/JPL-Caltech. Quote Black magic. That’s what radiofrequency engineers call the mysterious forces guiding communications over the air. These forces involve complex physics and are difficult enough to master on Earth. They only get more baffling when you’re beaming signals into space. Until now, the shape of choice for casting this “magic” has been the parabolic dish. The bigger the antenna dish, the better it is at “catching” or transmitting signals from far away. But CubeSats are changing that. These spacecraft are meant to be light, cheap and extremely small: most aren’t much bigger than a cereal box. Suddenly, antenna designers have to pack their “black magic” into a device where there’s no room for a dish -- let alone much else. “It’s like pulling a rabbit out of a hat,” said Nacer Chahat, a specialist in antenna design at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. “Shrinking the size of the radar is a challenge for NASA. As space engineers, we usually have lots of volume, so building antennas packed into a small volume isn’t something we’re trained to do.” Challenge accepted. Chahat and his team have been pushing the limits of antenna designs, and recently worked with a CubeSat team on the antenna for Radar In a CubeSat (RainCube), a technology demonstration mission scheduled for launch in 2018. RainCube’s distinctive antenna looks a little like an umbrella stuffed into a jack-in-the-box; when open, its ribs extend out of a canister and splay out a golden mesh. As its name suggests, RainCube will use radar to measure rain and snowfall. CubeSats are measured in increments of 1U (A CubeSat unit, or 1U, is roughly equivalent to a 4-inch cubic box, or 10x10x10 cubic centimeters). The RainCube antenna has to be small enough to be crammed into a 1.5U container. Think of it as an antenna in a can, with no spare room for anything else. “Large, deployable antennas that can be stowed in a small volume are a key technology for radar missions,” said JPL’s Eva Peral, principal investigator for RainCube. “They open a new realm of possibilities for science advancement and unique applications.” To maintain its relatively small size, the antenna relies on the high-frequency, Ka-band wavelength -- something that’s still rare for NASA CubeSats, but is ideally suited to RainCube. But Ka-band has other uses besides radar. It allows for an exponential increase in data transfer over long distances, making it the perfect tool for telecommunications. Ka-band allows for data rates about 16 times higher than X-band, the current standard on most NASA spacecraft. In that sense, the development of RainCube’s antenna can test the use of CubeSats more generally. While most have been limited to simple studies in near-Earth orbit, the right technology could allow them to be used as far away as Mars or beyond. That might open up CubeSats to a whole range of future missions. more at the link... http://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/a-box-of-black-magic-to-study-earth-from-space RainCube’s umbrella-like antenna deploys out of its 1.5U canister. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech Unobscured Vision 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draggendrop Veteran Posted November 10, 2016 Author Veteran Share Posted November 10, 2016 Launch Schedule... Quote Nov. 11 Atlas 5 • WorldView 4 Launch window: 1830-1846 GMT (1:30-1:46 p.m. EST; 10:30-10:46 a.m. PST) Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-062, will launch the WorldView 4 Earth observation satellite for DigitalGlobe. The rocket will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from June 29 and Sept. 15. Scrubbed on Sept. 16. Delayed from Sept. 26 and Nov. 6. [Nov. 2] Quote Nov. 17 Ariane 5 • Galileo 15-18 Launch time: 1306:48 GMT (8:06:48 a.m. EST) Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ES rocket, designed VA233, to launch four Galileo full operational capability satellites for Europe’s Galileo navigation constellation. [Aug. 29] Nov. 17 Soyuz • ISS 49S Launch window: 2020 GMT (3:20 p.m. EST) Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next Expedition crew. The capsule will remain at the station for about six months, providing an escape pod for the residents. Moved forward from Nov. 16. Delayed from Nov. 15. [Oct. 31] Nov. 19 Atlas 5 • GOES-R Launch window: 2142-2342 GMT (4:42-6:42 p.m. EST) Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-069, will launch GOES-R, the first next-generation geostationary weather satellite for NASA and NOAA. GOES-R will orbit 22,300 miles above the equator to monitor weather conditions across the United States. The rocket will fly in the 541 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, four solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from March 11. Moved forward from Oct. 14. Delayed from Oct. 13, Nov. 4 and Nov. 16. [Nov. 4] http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ Unobscured Vision and DocM 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted November 10, 2016 Share Posted November 10, 2016 Tethers Unlimited has an even larger expandable antenna for cubesats http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2013/09/structureless-antenna-and-inflatable.html Unobscured Vision and Draggendrop 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim K Global Moderator Posted November 10, 2016 Global Moderator Share Posted November 10, 2016 Not really an update ... but found this video interesting regarding the James Webb Telescope. Can't wait until 2018 and see what deep space images this beauty brings us. Draggendrop, DocM and Unobscured Vision 3 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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