Space Stuff and Launch Info

[1oldman2]

The payload will be Elon Musk's private Tesla Roadster

When I heard about that, the first thing that came to mind was the opening scenes in "Heavy Metal" where the 'Vette does a reentry. from a shuttle. Makes me wonder what his long term plans are for the payload. One must admit it's going to be great advertising for his cars, if it makes it into orbit it will be another SpaceX first as well as an automotive first (Lunar Rovers notwithstanding). Crossing the Martian orbit will just be practice for upcoming events.

 

[Stavros Kiri]

https://www.space.com/39013-mars-rover-opportunity-eighth-martian-winter.html

 

[davenn]

This is worth zooming in, note the red and blue noise in the bottom left corner.

look like the typical "hot pixels" on the imaging chip. You will see them on most cameras

 

[ISamson]

What NASA's Mock Space Missions Tell Us About the Need for Martian Law

https://www.space.com/39034-nasa-mock-space-missions-martian-law.html

 

[Stavros Kiri]

What NASA's Mock Space Missions Tell Us About the Need for Martian Law

https://www.space.com/39034-nasa-mock-space-missions-martian-law.html

Heading for "Space Cops" too! (I have a couple of cops friends already strongly interested to promote to that era ...)

 

[1oldman2]

look like the typical "hot pixels" on the imaging chip. You will see them on most cameras

I had figured it was just random artifact business going on, I only mentioned it because I'm watching how the hardware fares in the radiation environment. They don't expect the cam to survive most of the orbits so I watch for degradation (Definitely have the "hot pixel" look as opposed to the Cosmic ray streaks one usually notices).

 

[Stavros Kiri]

The Sun is Dimming as Solar Minimum Approaches
(e.g. see https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...ther-update-thread.923468/page-3#post-5904218)

+ (quote from Spaceweather.com [a couple of days ago]) "Today (Dec. 15, 2017) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, SpaceX launched a new sensor to the International Space Station named "TSIS-1." Its mission: to measure the dimming of the sun. As the sunspot cycle plunges toward its 11-year minimum, NASA satellites are tracking a slight but significant decline in total solar irradiance (TSI). TSIS-1 will monitor this dimming with better precision than previous satellites as Solar Minimum approaches in the years ahead. Visit today's edition of Spaceweather.com to learn more about TSIS-1 and natural variations in the sun's electromagnetic output."

 

[mfb]

In addition to the successful SpaceX recycling mission (two out of three parts reused!) we also had a successful Soyuz launch with crew. They do a slow approach and will reach the ISS on Tuesday.

The Electron rocket had ignition already, but the attempt was aborted, and after a few more delays the launch was shifted to the first quarter of 2018. We still get the second attempt to get SS-520 in orbit after the failure in January, unless that is shifted as well.

2018 in spaceflight will be very interesting as well. Dragon 2 and maybe CST-100 are planned to launch humans to the ISS, the first manned US launches since 2011. Falcon Heavy will become the largest operational rocket, and we'll see many more and probably much faster reflights of boosters. InSight goes to Mars, BepiColombo goes to Mercury, Hayabusa 2 and OSIRIS-REx arrive at their target asteroids. Some teams might finally launch something to the Moon to win the Google X-prize. China might launch something to the Moon and start their modular space station in Earth orbit.
All that (minus things that shift to 2019) in 12 monthsSpaceX first stage landing. The 16th successful landing in a row (and the second landing for this particular booster) - it is getting routine. Another reuse is planned for December 23.

 

[Stavros Kiri]

And the list goes on ...

 

[mfb]

SLS/Orion and JWST shifted to 2019 already. SLS/Orion are likely to shift to 2020.

 

[Stavros Kiri]

Seems that postponing is part of the game

 

[Stavros Kiri]

Space re-cap2017
The Greatest Space Science Stories of 2017
https://www.space.com/39109-greatest-space-science-stories-2017.html
(Which one do you think as your favourite, or the most important one?)

 

[mfb]

(Which one do you think as your favourite, or the most important one?)

The neutron star merger and Tabby's star. I like the others as well, but they mainly confirm things we strongly expected before already. Observing gravitational waves from neutron star mergers is something completely new. And KIC [number] is weird as always.

For spaceflight, my favorite is clearly the re-use of Falcon 9 boosters (another one coming up in precisely 24 hours).

 

[Stavros Kiri]

I like the others as well, but they mainly confirm things we strongly expected before already. Observing gravitational waves from neutron star mergers is something completely new.

True. My choices are pretty much along the same lines too.

the re-use of Falcon 9 boosters (another one coming up in precisely 24 hours)

SpaceX, Japan Launching Satellites Back to Back Tonight: Watch Live
Here is something interesting:
"The communications company Iridium is therefore poised to become the first SpaceX customer ever to fly multiple missions with the same Falcon 9 first stage.

Today's liftoff will be the last one for this particular first stage, however: SpaceX does not plan to bring it down for a landing, company representatives have said.

To date, SpaceX has landed first stages 20 times during Falcon 9 launches and has reflown four of these landed boosters."
(From the linked source)

See also:
"Watch Live Tonight! SpaceX & Japan Launching Satellite Missions @ 8:26 pm ET"
(https://www.space.com/17933-nasa-television-webcasts-live-space-tv.html)

 

[Stavros Kiri]

https://www.space.com/39197-spacex-spectacular-rocket-launch-views.html

 

[Stavros Kiri]

Wow! Check out those photos. In some it looks like the Enterprise.
UFO? No, It's a SpaceX Rocket! These Falcon 9 Launch Photos Are Just Amazing

 

[Stavros Kiri]

Exoplanet re-cap 2017 ...
The Most Intriguing Alien Planet Discoveries of 2017

(Should we renounce 2017 as "Exoplanet year", or something, ... ?)

 

[mfb]

If we go by raw number of discoveries, 2016 wins.
Towards the end of 2018 we might get first results from TESS. In 2019 we will probably get first results from JWST and CHEOPS, in the following year we'll get many more results from all three. Around 2022 we get thousands to tens of thousands of exoplanets from Gaia, although they will all be Jupiter-like. Starting 2024-2025 we get results from ELT. From 2027+ on PLATO will find Earth-like exoplanets routinely.

Which year is not an exoplanet year?

 

[Stavros Kiri]

If we go by raw number of discoveries, 2016 wins.
Towards the end of 2018 we might get first results from TESS. In 2019 we will probably get first results from JWST and CHEOPS, in the following year we'll get many more results from all three. Around 2022 we get thousands to tens of thousands of exoplanets from Gaia, although they will all be Jupiter-like. Starting 2024-2025 we get results from ELT. From 2027+ on PLATO will find Earth-like exoplanets routinely.

Which year is not an exoplanet year?

True. Trappist-1 was in 2017 though! ...
(https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/7-exoplanets-around-trappist-1.904810/)

 

[Stavros Kiri]

(Should we renounce 2017 as "Exoplanet year", or something, ... ?)

May be "TRAPPIST-1 [System] year" then. That perhaps was a breakthrough and a turn point in the "exoplanets business" ... [in 2017] and more significant events this year in that era, each one unique in their own way (see quoted re-cap link above). That makes 2017 overall a significant year for those matters, I think.

Note: TRAPPIST alone is a name (acronym as well as backronym) for a pair of telescopes project (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRAPPIST)

 

[Stavros Kiri]

Full Wolf Moon last night, the first of two Supermoons in 2018, both of them in January. Thus, also, Blue Moon this month. And check this out: the second one (Jan. 31), [blue supermoon] happens during a total lunar eclipse. The first Blue Moon Total Lunar Eclipse in 150 Years!

Full Wolf Moon: New Year's Supermoon Is the Biggest of the Year

The full moon was at 9:24 p.m. EST [Jan 1] (0224 GMT Tuesday Jan. 2). That peak came hours after the moon reached perigee, its closest point to Earth for the month, at 4:54 p.m. EST (2154 GMT).

["At that time, according to EarthSky.org, the moon will be about 221,559 miles (356,565 kilometers) from Earth. [Supermoon Secrets: 7 Surprising Big Moon Facts]" ]But, actually we are talking about a Supermoon Trilogy:

"January's supermoon is actually the second of three back-to-back supermoon full moons to come in the next two months. The full moon also occurred near perigee on Dec. 3 and will again on Jan. 31, according to NASA, which billed the line up as a supermoon trilogy. The Jan. 31 supermoon is also the second full moon of January, making it a blue moon, and also occurs during a total lunar eclipse."

 

[Stavros Kiri]

Kilopower Project: NASA Pushes Nuclear Power for Deep-Space Missions

 

[Stavros Kiri]

Don't forget (cf. post #475): Super Blue Blood Moon 2018: When, Where and How to See It
+ something interesting:
Super Blue Blood Moon Will Force NASA to Shut Down Lunar Spacecraft Instruments

 

[mfb]

The Electron rocket had ignition already, but the attempt was aborted, and after a few more delays the launch was shifted to the first quarter of 2018. We still get the second attempt to get SS-520 in orbit after the failure in January, unless that is shifted as well.

Both launched and reached orbit in the meantime, SS-520 today.

Electron is the first rocket with an electric turbopump to reach orbit, and the first orbital launch from the southern hemisphere in several decades. RocketLab claims they can launch more than one rocket per week, targeting the small satellite and cubesat market with the payload of up to 200 kg. The Electron rocket has a mass of 10.5 tonnes.

SS-520 is the smallest and lightest rocket to ever reach orbit, with a total mass of just 2.6 tonnes, a height of 9.5 meters and a diameter of just 52 cm. You might be able to reach fully around it with your arms (163 cm circumference). It can deliver just 4 kg to orbit - still enough for a cubesat that doesn't find a launch opportunity elsewhere.SpaceX plans to do about half of the planned 30 launches in 2018 with reused boosters.

The planned FH launch is just 3 days 2 hours away.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Falcon Heavy discussion moved to
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/spacex-falcon-heavy-launch.939036/

 

[Stavros Kiri]

NASA Budget Proposal Plans End of NASA Funding of ISS, Seeks Commercial Transition
! ... Ooups! There's no dislike button in the forum ...

Edit: +
Trump's 2019 NASA Budget Request Puts Moon Ahead of Space Station

 

[OmCheeto]

This "anniversary" photo popped up in my twitter feed this morning:

March 6, 1994
STS-62
Atomic oxygen glow around the rear section of the space shuttle.
[refs: wiki Day 3, NASA Day three? see below]

NASA STS-62

Launch March 4, 1994; 8:53:01am EST
On Flight Day Three (Sunday, March 3, 1994)
Flight Day 4 began Monday, March 7, 1994 at 12:53 a.m.​

It would appear, that those rocket scientists, can make typos, also.
Either that, or they've been doing time travel experiments.

 

[OmCheeto]

Weird coincidence? This just popped up in my Facebook feed:

APOD, 2016.03.06
Colorful Airglow Bands Surround Milky Way
Image Credit & Copyright: Xiaohan Wang

Is it "Atomic glow day", or something?

 

[nsaspook]

https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk...tealthy-startup-of-launching-rogue-satellites

The only problem is, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had dismissed Swarm’s application for its experimental satellites a month earlier, on safety grounds. The FCC is responsible for regulating commercial satellites, including minimizing the chance of accidents in space. It feared that the four SpaceBees now orbiting the Earth would pose an unacceptable collision risk for other spacecraft .

If confirmed, this would be the first ever unauthorized launch of commercial satellites.

 

[JMz]

The neutron star merger and Tabby's star. I like the others as well, but they mainly confirm things we strongly expected before already. Observing gravitational waves from neutron star mergers is something completely new. And KIC [number] is weird as always.

For spaceflight, my favorite is clearly the re-use of Falcon 9 boosters (another one coming up in precisely 24 hours).

You nailed it, IMO!