Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/306498286059167/
Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
“Remembering Joe Lalumia (W1XWX)”
Waz Up
Moon Phases, Neptune at Opposition, September Equinox, and Mercury and Spica in Conjunction
Space Exploration and Space History
Space Exploration News
Hubble Observations Suggest a Missing Ingredient in Dark Matter Theories
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/stsci-h-p2029a-f-2082×1911.jpg
Space-Related Birthdays
James Edward Keeler – September 10, 1857
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Keeler_James.jpg
This Week in Space History
Surveyor 5 Launched
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Constellations Vulpecula, the Fox & Sagitta, the Arrow
Space Launches For This Week
Space Coast Launches
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
Sept. 10/11
Rocket 3.1 • Test Flight
Launch window: 0200-0430 GMT on 11th (10:00 p.m.-12:30 a.m. EDT on (10th/11th)
Launch site: Pacific Spaceport Complex, Kodiak Island, Alaska
A commercial small satellite launch vehicle developed by Astra will make its first orbital launch attempt. Astra says there will be no payloads on this test flight. Scrubbed on Aug. 2 due to upper level winds and boat in range. Scrubbed on Aug. 4 and Aug. 6. Delayed from Aug. 30 due to poor weather forecast. [Aug. 28]
SeptemberFalcon 9 • Starlink 12
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 13th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 12. [Aug. 7]
NET September
Electron • STP-27RM
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Launch Complex 2, Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, Wallops Island, Virginia
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch on its first mission from a new launch pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia. The launch customer is the U.S. Air Force, and the mission will launch an experimental mission for the Space Test Program called Monolith with a space weather instrument. The Monolith mission will demonstrate the ability of a small satellite to support large aperture payloads. Delayed from 2nd Quarter of 2019. Delayed from August 2020. [Aug. 4]
SeptemberFalcon 9 • Starlink 13
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 14th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 13. [Aug. 23]
Sept. 24
Soyuz • Gonets M
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch three Gonets M communications satellites. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1b configuration with a Fregat upper stage. Moved forward from Sept. 29. [Aug. 24]
Sept. 29/30
Antares • NG-14
Launch time: 0226 GMT on 30th (10:26 p.m. EDT on 29th)
Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch the 15th Cygnus cargo freighter on the 14th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-14. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230 configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. Moved forward from October. Delayed from Aug. 31 and Sept. 7. Moved forward from Oct. 2. [Aug. 7]
Sept. 30/Oct. 1
Falcon 9 • GPS 3 SV04
Launch period: 0000-0400 GMT on 1st (8:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m. EDT on 30th/1st)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Air Force’s fourth third-generation navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. The satellite is built by Lockheed Martin. Delayed from October, December, May, July and August. [Aug. 17]
TBD
GSLV Mk.2 • GISAT 1
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk. 2 (GSLV Mk.2), designated GSLV-F10, will launch India’s first GEO Imaging Satellite, or GISAT 1. The GISAT 1 spacecraft will provide continuous remote sensing observations over the Indian subcontinent from geostationary orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) above Earth. Delayed from Jan. 15, February and March 5. [March 13]
TBD
SSLV • Demonstration Launch
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
India’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) will launch on its first orbital test flight. Consisting of three solid-fueled stages and a liquid-fueled upper stage, the SSLV is a new Indian launch vehicle designed to carry small satellites into low Earth orbit. Delayed from September, December and January. [Jan. 25]
TBD
PSLV • RISAT 2BR2
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), designated PSLV-C49, will launch the RISAT 2BR2 radar Earth observation satellite for the Indian Space Research Organization. The PSLV will also launch four Kleos Scouting Mission radio surveillance nanosatellites for Kleos Space, a Luxembourg-based company, and multiple Lemur 2 CubeSats for Spire Global. The mission will likely use the “Core Alone” version of the PSLV with no strap-on solid rocket boosters. Delayed from December. [Feb. 11]
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
Carbon-rich exoplanets may be made of diamonds
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200911200003.htm
Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.
All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
ISS
Sept 13
Sept 14
Sept 16
Sept 17
Also note the ISS now has an operational 2 meter/440 MHz repeater on board.
Initial operation of the new radio system is in FM cross band repeater mode using an uplink frequency of 145.990 MHz with an access tone [CTCSS] of 67 Hz and a downlink frequency of 437.800 MHz. System activation was first observed at 01:02 UTC on September 2. Special operations will continue to be announced.
Additional information is available on the AMSAT site. Go to w5fc.org and the notes for this net to find the link.
North Korean Satellite
Sept 18
Sept 21
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