Skynet “Skynet at 10” & Constellations “Perseus” and “Camelopardalis” 1-15-21

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Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.

Discussion Topic of the Evening.

Skynet at 10

Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History 

Astronaut Birthdays

  • January 11, 1975: Robert Hines (class of 2017; SpaceX Crew-4/Exp 67-68 – launch April 2022)
  • January 14, 1943: Shannon Lucid (STS-51-G, STS-34, STS-43, STS-58, STS-76/79 Mir Space Station)
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Constellations: Perseus and Camelopardalis

Space Launches For This Week

Space Coast Launches

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

Jan. 17/18

Falcon 9 • Starlink 4-6

Launch time: 0026 GMT on 18th (7:26 p.m. EST on 17th)

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch of Starlink internet satellites. [Jan. 15]

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

Astra Rocket 3 • VCLS Demo 2

Launch window: 1800-2100 GMT (1:00-4:00 p.m. EST)

Launch site: SLC-46, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A commercial small satellite launch vehicle developed by Astra will launch six small experimental CubeSats developed by NASA and U.S. universities. The payloads include the CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment, consisting of two small satellites, the BAMA 1 CubeSat, the Ionospheric Neutron Content Analyzer, QubeSat, and a mission called R5-S1. The CubeSats were selected for launch by NASA through the agency’s Venture Class Launch Services program. Delayed from Jan. 18. [Jan. 15]

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. 27

Falcon 9 • CSG 2

Launch time: 2311:12 GMT (6:11:12 p.m. EST)

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, 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. [Jan. 15]

Jan. 29

Falcon 9 • Starlink 4-7

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch of Starlink internet satellites. [Jan. 15]

Recent Astronomical Discoveries 

New Insights into Seasons

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220113120739.htm

Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.

ISS

https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=25544&lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST

Jan. 16

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=25544&mjd=59596.0412233366&type=V

Jan. 19

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=25544&mjd=59599.008544542&type=V

Envisat

https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=27386&lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST

Jan. 18

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=59597.4638718701&type=V

Jan. 20

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=59599.481416351&type=V

Jan. 23

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=59602.4733830113&type=V