Skynet 10-24-20 “NASA’s Psyche Mission” & Constellation “Lacerta, the Lizard” 9PM CT |

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Discussion Topic of the Evening.

NASA’s Psyche Mission

JPL Mission Fact Sheet

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/psyche

Psyche Wiki

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyche_(spacecraft)

Waz Up

Moon Phases and Meteor Showers!

Space Exploration and Space History

Ronald McNair – October 21, 1950 (STS-41-B, STS-51-L)
Douglas Hurley – October 21, 1966 (STS-127, STS-135, SpaceX DM-2)
Donald Peterson – October 22, 1933 (STS-6)
Susan Kilrain – October 24, 1961 (STS-83, STS-94)

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Lacerta, the Lizard

Space Launches For This Week

Oct. 25

Soyuz • Glonass K

Launch time: 1908:42 GMT (3:08:42 p.m. EDT)

Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia

A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch a Glonass K navigation satellite. The Glonass K satellites are upgraded spacecraft for Russia’s Glonass positioning and timing network. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1b configuration with a Fregat upper stage. Delayed from Aug. 6, late August, and Oct. 17. [Oct. 21]

Oct. 26Long March 3B • Tiantong 1-02

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Xichang, China

A Chinese Long March 3B rocket will launch the Tiantong 1-02 mobile communications satellite. [Oct. 23]

Oct. 28

Electron • “In Focus”

Launch window: 2114-2203 GMT (5:14-6:03 p.m. EDT)

Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch on its 15th flight with the CE-SAT-2B Earth-imaging microsatellite for Canon Electronics and nine SuperDove Earth-imaging nanosatellites for Planet. Rocket Lab nicknamed the launch “In Focus” in reference to the Earth observation payloads on the mission. Delayed from Oct. 20 due to poor weather forecast. Scrubbed on Oct. 21 to assess sensor data. [Oct. 23]

Late October

Falcon 9 • NROL-108

Launch window: TBD

Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The mission is designated NROL-108. The first stage booster is expected to attempt a return to launch site landing at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Delayed from Oct. 25. [Oct. 15]

TBD

Falcon 9 • GPS 3 SV04

Launch time: TBD

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. Delayed from Sept. 29. Delayed from Sept. 30. Scrubbed on Oct. 2 at T-minus 2 seconds. [Oct. 2]

November

Atlas 5 • NROL-101

Launch window: TBD

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch a classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket will fly in the 531 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, three solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. The mission was changed from an earlier planned “551” configuration. This will be the first launch of an Atlas 5 rocket with new Northrop Grumman-built GEM-63 solid rocket motors, replacing the Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ-60A solid rocket motors used on previous Atlas 5s. Delayed from September and October. [Oct. 15]

TBD

Delta 4-Heavy • NROL-44

Launch period: Approx. 0200-0600 GMT (10:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. EDT)

Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket will launch a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The largest of the Delta 4 family, the Heavy version features three Common Booster Cores mounted together to form a triple-body rocket. Delayed from June and Aug. 26. Scrubbed on Aug. 27 by pneumatics issue. Aborted at T-minus 3 seconds on Aug. 29. Delayed from Sept. 26 by swing arm issue. Scrubbed on Sept. 28 due to weather. Scrubbed on Sept. 29 due to hydraulic leak on Mobile Service Tower retract system. Aborted on Sept. 30 at T-minus 7 seconds. Delayed from Oct. 15 and Oct. 23. [Oct. 17]

4th Quarter

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

LauncherOne • ELaNa-20

Launch window: TBD

Launch site: Cosmic Girl (Boeing 747), Mojave Air and Space Port, California

A Virgin Orbit LauncherOne rocket will launch on its second flight after dropping from a modified Boeing 747 carrier jet. The flight will be conducted under contract to NASA’s Venture Class Launch Services Program, carrying 14 CubeSats to orbit for NASA field centers, U.S. educational institutions and laboratories on the ELaNa-20 rideshare mission. Delayed from Aug. 1, Sept. 1, November, Dec. 1, mid-February, July 1 and Aug. 14. [July 22]

Early November

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]

Nov. 6Long March 6 • ÑuSat 9-18

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Taiyuan, China

A Chinese Long March 6 rocket will launch 10 ÑuSat Earth-imaging satellites for Satellogic, an Argentine satellite manufacturer and remote sensing company. Delayed from Oct. 14. [Oct. 23]

November

Falcon 9 • SXM 7

Launch window: TBD

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the SXM 7 satellite for SiriusXM. The satellite will replace the XM 3 satellite in SiriusXM’s fleet providing satellite radio programming to consumers across North America. SXM 7 was built by Maxar Technologies, and features a large unfurlable S-band reflector to broadcast radio signals to users on the ground. Delayed from Aug. 1. [Oct. 2]

Nov. 10

Falcon 9 • Sentinel 6-Michael Freilich

Launch time: 1931 GMT (2:31 p.m. EST; 11:31 a.m. PST)

Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Sentinel 6A, or Jason-CS A, satellite. The satellite is also named Sentinel 6-Michael Freilich in honor of the late director of NASA’s Earth science division. The satellite is a joint mission between the European Space Agency, NASA, NOAA, CNES and Eumetsat to continue the sea level data record previously collected by the Jason series of satellites. Sentinel 6A, built by Airbus Defense and Space and Thales Alenia Space in Europe, will also join the European Commission’s Copernicus Earth observation satellite network. [Aug. 31]