Skynet 4-3-21 “Remains of Moon Deep in Earth?” & Constellations “Leo” and “Leo Minor” 9PM CT

Discussion Topic of the Evening.

Remains of Moon-Forming Impact May Lie Deep in Earth

Waz Up

“How Do We Calculate Easter Sunday?”

Space Exploration and Space History 

Space Exploration News

NASA’s Europa Clipper Builds Hardware, Moves Toward Assembly

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/pia243211-1041.jpg?itok=k9Tm7laI

Ingenuity to fly soon!

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press_kits/ingenuity/assets/images/01_introduction/7-things-ingenuity-01.jpg

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qWnuRXKUtBg4WDtvrvBNhJ-970-80.png

Space-Related Birthdays

William Oefelein Mar 29, 1965

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/William_Oefelein.jpg

Patrick G. Forrester Mar 31, 1957 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Patrick_Forrester.jpg

Michael Foreman Mar 29, 1957 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Michael_Foreman.jpg

Joseph M. Prahl Mar 30, 1943 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Joseph_Prahl.jpg

Gus Grissom, April 3, 1926

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Virgil_I._%28Gus%29_Grissom_portrait.jpg

William Frederick Fisher, April 1, 1946

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/William_Frederick_Fisher_%28Astronaut%29.jpg

This Week in Space History

X-15 Flight March 25, 1960

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/342376main_E-6682_full.jpg

March 28, 1963 SA-4 Launches

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Saturn_SA4_on_launch_pad.jpg

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_feature/public/thumbnails/image/6413719_orig.jpg

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Leo, the lion and Leo minor, the small lion.

Space Launches For This Week

Space Coast Launches

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

April 7

Falcon 9 • Starlink V1.0-L23

Launch time: 1634 GMT (12:34 p.m. EDT)

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 24th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink V1.0-L23. [March 26]

April 9

Soyuz • ISS 64S

Launch time: 0742 GMT (3:42 a.m. EDT)

Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft to the International Space Station with members of the next Expedition crew. The capsule will remain at the station for about six months, providing an escape pod for the residents. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration. [March 9]

April 18

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, 2020. Delayed from March 28. [March 26]

April 22

Falcon 9 • Crew 2

Launch time: 1011 GMT (6:11 a.m. EDT)

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on its second operational flight with astronauts on-board to the International Space Station. NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough, Megan McArthur, Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet will launch on the Crew Dragon spacecraft. The Crew Dragon will return to a splashdown at sea. Delayed from March 30 and April 20. [March 5]

Late April

Vega • Pléiades Neo 3

Launch time: 0150 GMT (9:50 p.m. EDT)

Launch site: ZLV, Kourou, French Guiana

An Arianespace Vega rocket, designated VV18, will launch the Pléiades Neo 3 Earth observation satellite for Airbus. Pléiades Neo 3 is the first of four Pléiades Neo high-resolution Earth observation satellites built, owned, and operated by Airbus. The Vega rocket will also launch multiple rideshare payloads. Delayed from February after VV17 launch failure. Delayed from late March and April 20. [March 31]

April 25

Soyuz • OneWeb 6

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia

A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch 36 satellites into orbit for OneWeb, which is developing a constellation of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit for low-latency broadband communications. The Soyuz-2.1b rocket will use a Fregat upper stage. [March 26]

April 26Delta 4-Heavy • NROL-82

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-6, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

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 September. [March 26]

April 29

Long March 5B • Tianhe 1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Wenchang, China

A Chinese Long March 5B will launch Tianhe 1, the core module for a Chinese space station low Earth orbit. [March 26]  

Recent Astronomical Discoveries 

Ocean Currents Predicted on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210325190249.htm

Charted Surface

https://1721181113.rsc.cdn77.org/data/images/full/32807/pia24023-16-saturnmoon-enceladus-freshice.jpg?w=600?w=650

Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.

All times are “local” (Dallas) time.

ISS

https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=25544&lat=33.078&lng=-97.0417&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST

Apr. 5

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.078&lng=-97.0417&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=25544&mjd=59310.1093780476&type=V

Apr. 6

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.078&lng=-97.0417&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=25544&mjd=59311.0765907557&type=V

X-37B

https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=45606&lat=33.078&lng=-97.0417&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST

Apr. 11

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.078&lng=-97.0417&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=45606&mjd=59315.473622918&type=V

Hubble Space Telescope

https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=20580&lat=33.078&lng=-97.0417&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST

Apr. 6

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.078&lng=-97.0417&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=20580&mjd=59310.4544958312&type=V

Apr. 7

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.078&lng=-97.0417&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=20580&mjd=59311.4469081752&type=V

Apr. 8

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.078&lng=-97.0417&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=20580&mjd=59312.4393204604&type=V

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