Discussion Topic of the Evening.
With Double Pulsar, Theory of Gravity Passes Toughest Test Yet
Pulsars, Gravity Wells, and Max Planck
Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History
Astronaut Birthdays:
- December 29, 1958: Nancy Currie-Gregg (STS-57, STS-70, STS-88, STS-109)
- December 29, 1962: Barry Wilmore (STS-129, Exp 41/42; Boe CFT scheduled – commander)
- December 30, 1931: Charles Bassett (assigned as pilot for Gemini 9 with Elliot See, but died in T-38 crash)
- December 30, 1953: Daniel Barry (STS-72, STS-96, STS-105)
- December 30, 1958: Steven Smith (STS-68, STS-82, STS-103, STS-110)
- December 31, 1956: Martin Fettman (STS-58)
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Pisces, the Fish or Fishes and Cetus, the Sea Monster
Space Launches For This Week
Space Coast Launches
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
January
LauncherOne • Above the Clouds
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: Cosmic Girl (Boeing 747), Mojave Air and Space Port, California
A Virgin Orbit LauncherOne rocket will launch on its fourth flight after dropping from a modified Boeing 747 carrier jet. The mission will be Virgin Orbit’s second operational launch, carrying small satellites for the U.S. military’s Space Test Program, Spire, and the Polish company SatRevolution. Delayed from Dec. 22. [Dec. 22]
January
Electron • BlackSky 16 & 17
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Launch Complex 1A, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch two small second-generation satellites for BlackSky’s commercial fleet of Earth observation spacecraft. Delayed from September and December. [Nov. 29]
Jan. 10
Falcon 9 • Transporter 3
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Transporter 3 mission, a rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with numerous small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers. Delayed from December. [Dec. 14]
Jan. 21
Atlas 5 • USSF 8 (GSSAP 5 & 6)
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the USSF 8 mission with the fifth and sixth satellites for the Space Force’s Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program, or GSSAP, designed to help the military track and observe objects in geosynchronous orbit. The rocket will fly in the 511 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, one solid rocket booster and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from 4th Quarter of 2020, March, August, and early September. [Dec. 14]
January
Falcon 9 • CSG 2
Launch time: Approx. 2311:12 GMT (6:11:12 p.m. EST)
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the second COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation, or CSG 2, radar surveillance satellite for ASI, the Italian space agency. The spacecraft was built by Thales Alenia Space. Delayed from Nov. 18 and Dec. 14. [Nov. 17]
Jan. 27
Soyuz • OneWeb 13
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
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. [Dec. 14]
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
Earth and Mars Were Formed From Inner Solar System Material
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211222153019.htm
Inner Solar System Dynamics Schematic
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
All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
ISS
Jan. 7
Jan. 9
Tiangong
Jan. 3
Envisat
Jan. 4
Jan. 7
Jan. 9