Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/306498286059167/
Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
Brenda Magee WB5OZL
“The Martian”
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-perseverance-rover-sends-sneak-peek-of-mars-landing
Perseverance Landing Site
RIMFAX
https://mars.nasa.gov/layout/mars2020/images/rimfax-web.jpg
SuperCam
SHERLOC
https://mars.nasa.gov/imgs/mars2020/instruments/sherloc-location.jpg
Perseverance on Mars
https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/mars_2020_rover_main-1280×720.jpg
Ingenuity
Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History
Space Exploration News
Starship CN-8
JPL Controller – First Pictures
https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/nhq202102180017.jpg
Space-Related Birthdays
Feb. 15, 1935
Birth of Dr Roger Bruce Chaffee
1944
Birth of Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Serebrov
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aleksandr_Aleksandrovich_Serebrov.jpg
Feb. 16, 1937
Birth of Valentin Vasilyevich Bondarenko – .
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f1/Bondarenko_valentin.jpg
Feb. 19, 1932
Birth of Dr Joseph Peter Kerwin
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Astronaut_Joseph_Kerwin_portrait.jpg
1948
Birth of Dr Byron Kurt Lichtenberg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Byron_Lichtenberg.jpg
1952
Birth of Rodolfo Neri Vela
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Mexico.RodolfoNeriVela.01.jpg
1955
Birth of Roberto Maria Taccino – .
https://www.gsdinternational.com/static/upload/rob/roberto_tacchino_icbm.jpg
1956
Birth of George David Low
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Low_David.jpg
This Week in Space History
Feb 14. 1972
Luna 20 Launches to the Moon
Feb. 14, 2000
NEAR, Asteroid Eros Orbit Insertion
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/system/content_pages/main_images/1346_nearspacecraft.jpg
Feb. 17, 1959
Vanguard 2 – .
1965
Ranger 8
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/GPN-2000-001979.jpg
1973
The Manned Spacecraft Center renamed the Lyndon B Johnson Space Center
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/us-space-history-apollo-1152683403-d27ff1ecee084f1f9ee753f3cc1928d2.jpg){kind=link}
1996
NEAR – . Payload: Discovery 1.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/NEAR_Shoemaker_spacecraft_model.png
Feb. 19, 1986
Mir Core Module
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/RP1357_p103_Mir_base_block.svg
1990
Landing of Soyuz TM-8
http://www.spacepatches.nl/mir/tm08_crew.jpg
1998
Landing of Soyuz TM-26
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Tonight’s Constellation: “Auriga, The Charioteer”
Space Launches For This Week
Space Coast Launches
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
TBD
Falcon 9 • Starlink V1.0-L17
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 20th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink V1.0-L17. Delayed from Jan. 29, Jan. 30, Jan. 31, Feb. 1, Feb. 2, Feb. 4, Feb. 5, Feb. 7, and Feb. 17. [Feb. 16]
Feb. 20
Antares • NG-15
Launch time: 1736 GMT (12:36 p.m. EST)
Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch the 16th Cygnus cargo freighter on the 15th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-15. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230 configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. Delayed from Feb. 1. [Dec. 28]
Feb. 27/28
PSLV • Amazônia 1
Launch time: 0453 GMT on 28th (11:53 p.m. EST on 27th)
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), designated PSLV-C51, will launch the Amazônia 1 Earth observation satellite for Brazil. The Brazilian-built spacecraft carries an optical camera to monitor environmental conditions, such as deforestation, in the Amazon region. Multiple secondary payloads from private Indian companies will also be on this launch. [Feb. 16]
Early 2021
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 and December 2019. Delayed from January and December 2020. [Dec. 11]
TBD
SSLV • BlackSky Global
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
India’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) will launch on its first commercial mission with four Earth observation satellites for BlackSky Global, a Seattle-based company. The rideshare mission for BlackSky is being arranged by Spaceflight. Delayed from November, late 2019 and early 2020. [Jan. 25]
TBD
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. Delayed from 4th Quarter of 2020. [Nov. 27]
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
First black hole ever detected is more massive than we thought
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210218142815.htm
Cygnus X-1
https://www.nasa.gov/images/content/604631main_cygnusx1_665.jpg
Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.
All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
ISS
Feb. 21
Envisat
Feb. 22
Feb. 25
Feb. 28
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