Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/306498286059167/
Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
TBD
Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History
Space Exploration News
“Great conjunction” of Jupiter and Saturn mesmerizes skygazers
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hhWcmRxefFukBu9xDM2akB-970-80.jpg
Mystery signal comes from the direction of Proxima Centauri
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dpmDyykNMw77BU63oRLZ3L-970-80.jpg
NASA will get $23.3 billion for 2021 fiscal year.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aPQ6N3vneiGfF3HTVnRsGE-970-80.jpg.webp
Space-Related Birthdays
Monday 28
1882: Arthur Eddington is born
Thursday 31
1864: Robert Aitken born
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Robertgrantaitken.jpg
Saturday 2
1900: Leslie Peltier born
https://d31029zd06w0t6.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2018/08/web1_Peltier-Leslie2.jpg
1920: Isaac Asimov born
This Week in Space History
Thursday 31
2004: Cassini makes first flyby of Iapetus
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Cassini_Saturn_Orbit_Insertion.jpg
Friday 1
1801: Giuseppe Piazzi discovers asteroid Ceres
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ceres_-_RC3_-_Haulani_Crater_(22381131691)_(cropped).jpg
_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
Space History
2019: New Horizons flies by Kuiper Belt Object 2014 MU69 Utima Thule
Saturday 2
1959: Luna 1 is first spacecraft to leave Earth’s gravitational field
1972: Mariner 9 begins mapping Mars
https://planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/images/4-mars/2013/20131120_MARSGLB.jpg
2004: Stardust encounters Comet Wild 2
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Wild2_3.jpg
Sunday 3
1962: NASA publicly announces and names Gemini program
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/GeminiPatch.png
2004: Mars rover Spirit lands on Mars
2019: Chang’e 5 and Yutu 2 rover make their first soft landing on the Moon’s far side.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Chang%27e_4.png/600px-Chang%27e_4.png
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Pisces, the Fish
Space Launches For This Week
Space Coast Launches
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
January
Falcon 9 • Turksat 5A
Launch window: Approx. 0127-0529 GMT on 5th (8:27 p.m.-12:29 a.m. EST on 4th/5th)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Turksat 5A communications satellite for Turksat, a Turkish satellite operator. Built by Airbus Defense and Space with significant Turkish contributions, the Turkish 5A satellite will provide Ku-band television broadcast services over Turkey, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Delayed from Nov. 30 and December. Delayed from Jan. 4. [Dec. 31]
Jan. 14
Falcon 9 • Transporter 1
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Transporter 1 mission, a rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers. Delayed from Dec. 16. [Dec. 28]
Mid-January
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. Delayed from Dec. 19 due to COVID-19 concerns. [Dec. 12]
January
Falcon 9 • Starlink V1.0-L16
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 17th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink V1.0-L16. [Dec. 12]
TBD
Falcon 9 • Starlink V1.0-L17
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 18th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink V1.0-L17. [Dec. 28]
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
Primordial Black Holes and the Search for Dark Matter From the Multiverse
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201228095432.htm
The Year 2020 in Space Discoveries Part 1
Red Nebula and Smaller to Celebrate Hubble 30th
https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200424080700-hubble-30th-anniversary-image-exlarge-169.jpg
Humans in space
First U.S. Launched Astronauts
Comet Neowise
https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200713114811-01-comet-neowise-exlarge-169.jpg
Venus Images
https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200911171627-02-venus-planet-images-medium-plus-169.jpg
Asteroid Samples
https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/201021173104-02-osiris-rex-tag-exlarge-169.jpg
10. Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.
You can use the http://www.heavens-above.com website to find out what’s in orbit and
where to look during fly-overs
Tom can cover this one as well, otherwise follow the instructions below…
Net Control Note: Look for the highest magnitude and read those with highest point info. As an example: May 20th is the next, good pass.
All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
ISS
Jan. 7
Jan. 9
Jan. 10
X-37B
Jan. 6
Jan. 8
Envisat
Jan. 5
Jan. 7
Jan. 8
Jan. 10
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