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Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Topic: In Search of Cracks in Albert Einstein’s Theory of Gravity
Celia Escamilla-Rivera
https://d2r55xnwy6nx47.cloudfront.net/uploads/2022/02/Escamilla_2880x1620_Lede.jpg
Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History
Space Exploration News
Artemis I
The Artemis I Moon rocket is getting closer to rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the first time.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/wp-content/uploads/sites/303/2022/03/Stitched_Photo-1024×752.jpg
Europa Clipper
Space-Related Birthdays
Deke Slayton Mar 01, 1924 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
Bonnie J. Dunbar Mar 03, 1949 STS-61-A, STS-32, STS-50, STS-71, STS-89
Jack Lousma Feb 29, 1936 Skylab 3, STS-3
Philip K. Chapman Mar 05, 1935 No missions
Robert Curbeam Mar 05, 1962 STS-85, STS-98, STS-116
James S. Voss Mar 03, 1949 STS-44, STS-53, STS-69, STS-101, Expedition 2 (STS-102 / STS-105)
James C. Adamson Mar 03, 1946 STS-28, STS-43
Michael Lampton Mar 01, 1941 STS-9, STS-45
This Week in Space History
Pioneer 10
Pioneer 10 began its unprecedented multi-year journey from Earth on March 2, 1972.
Lunar Module Test
On March 3, 1969, Apollo 9 launched three astronauts on the first crewed test flight of NASA’s lunar module, which astronauts later used to land on the moon.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Apollo16LM.jpg/260px-Apollo16LM.jpg
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Chaz KF5JHA
Canis Minor, the Little Dog, and Monoceros, the Unicorn
Space Launches For This Week
Space Coast Launches
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
March 8
Falcon 9 • Starlink 4-10
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch of Starlink internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on the drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” in the Atlantic Ocean. [Feb. 23]
NET March
Electron • BlackSky 16 & 17
Launch window: 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. Rocket Lab has nicknamed this mission “Without Mission a Beat.” Delayed from September, December. Delayed from Feb. 4 and Feb. 13 by payload issues. [Feb. 14]
TBD
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. Delayed from April. [March 31]
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. Delayed from early 2021 and July. [March 31]
Early 2022
Falcon Heavy • USSF 44
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the USSF 44 mission for the U.S. Space Force. The mission is expected to deploy two spacecraft payloads directly into geosynchronous orbit, one of which is the military’s TETRA 1 microsatellite. Delayed from late 2020, 2nd quarter of 2021, July 2021, and October 2021 by payload issues. [Oct. 6]
Early 2022
Starship • Orbital Test Flight
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Starbase, Boca Chica Beach, Texas
A SpaceX Super Heavy and Starship launch vehicle will launch on its first orbital test flight. The mission will attempt to travel around the world for nearly one full orbit, resulting in a re-entry and splashdown of the Starship near Hawaii. [Nov. 17]
March
Falcon 9 • Starlink 4-12
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch of Starlink internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. [Feb. 23]
March 18
Soyuz • ISS 67S
Launch time: 1555 GMT (11:55 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Soyuz rocket launched the crewed Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft to the International Space Station with the next team of three cosmonauts to live and work on complex. The crew is led by commander Oleg Artemyev, with flight engineers Denis Matveyev and Sergey Korsakov. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration. [Jan. 28]
NET March 19
Electron • CAPSTONE
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Launch Complex 1A, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch on its second mission from a new launch pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia. The Electron rocket will carry NASA’s Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, or CAPSTONE, mission to the moon. CAPSTONE will fly to the moon on Rocket Lab’s Photon space tug, entering a unique halo-like lunar orbit to test deep space navigation and communications in the same orbit to be used by NASA’s Gateway mini-space station. Moved from Launch Complex 2 in Virginia to Launch Complex 1A in New Zealand. Delayed from 2021 due to COVID-related issues. [Oct. 19]
Check-ins or comments
At this point we should be reaching our 90 minute cut-off point, so NCS can decide whether to cut any of these topics due to lack of time.
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
Powerful warm winds seen blowing from a neutron star as it rips up its companion
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220302110552.htm
Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.
All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
ISS
Mar 12
Tiangong
Mar 6
Mar 8
X-37B
Mar 9
Mar 11
Envisat
Mar 7
Mar 10
Mar 12
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