Skynet 9-26-20 “NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission” & “Constellation Equuleus” 9PM CT |

A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch three Gonets M communications satellites and a cluster of international rideshare payloads. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1b configuration with a Fregat upper stage. Moved forward from Sept. 29. Delayed from Sept. 24. [Sept. 14]

Sept. 29/30

Falcon 9 • GPS 3 SV04

Launch time: 0155-0210 GMT on 30th (9:55-10:10 p.m. EDT on 29th)

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. Moved forward from Sept. 30. [Sept. 22]

Sept. 29/30

Antares • NG-14

Launch time: 0227 GMT on 30th (10:27 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]

October

Falcon 9 • Starlink 13

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, 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. Delayed from September. [Sept. 17]

NET October

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 and September 2020. [Sept. 22]

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

Solving the Strange Storms on Jupiter

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200924101940.htm