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Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
National Space Society Events and Activities
Bill N5BB is in Washington DC at the ISDC 2022 (International Space Development Conference). Below are some images from ISDC:
- Jaakko Karras (chief engineer of the Ingenuity Mars helicopter) is standing in the center with the light suit and dark tie. Jaakko gave a keynote speech to the conference. See: https://mars.nasa.gov/people/profile/?id=23356
- The woman on the far right of this photo is Anita Gale, the CEO of the National Space Society. See: https://space.nss.org/anita-gale-biography/
- Ken Ruffin (president of the NSS North Texas Chapter) is standing to the left.
- Bill Byrom N5BB (membership director of the NSS North Texas Chapter) is wearing a dark suit and standing next to Jaakko Karras.
The NSS North Texas Chapter won the 2022 NSS Chapter of the Year award. Below are the six members of our chapter who attended ISDC this year with the award plaque:
National Space Society of North Texas: http://nssofnt.org/
The next meeting of the NSS North Texas Chapter will be at Spring Creek BBQ in Irving (Hwy 183 at Beltline Road) at 3:30 PM on Sunday afternoon, June 12,
For more information about the National Space Society, contact Bill Byrom N5BB at space@byrom.net or n5bb@arrl.net – Bill is the Membership Director of the local NSS chapter.
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
A Comet Is Tearing Apart And Will Make For A Spectacular Night Sky Meteor Shower
Mysterious Water
https://images.hothardware.com/contentimages/newsitem/58622/content/meteor-shower.jpg
Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History
Space Exploration News
Something strange in our universe
James Webb tracks an asteroid
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/t89tZp3PNG2pPaqWcwRW4e-970-80.jpg.webp
CST-100
https://blogs.nasa.gov/oft-2/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2022/05/blog_oft2_landing_052522.jpg
Ham radio on the ISS.
Space-Related Birthdays
Ronald Parise May 24, 1951 STS-35, STS-67
Nathan J. Lindsay May 24, 1936 No missions
John D. Olivas May 25, 1965 STS-117, STS-128
Sally Ride May 26, 1951 STS-7, STS-41-G
Paul Scully-Power May 28, 1944 STS-41-G
This Week in Space History
60 Years Ago: Scott Carpenter Orbits the Earth aboard Aurora 7
50 Years Ago: The United States and the Soviet Union Sign a Space Cooperation Agreement
JFK’s historic moon speech
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/niHaumMKM7FUUTzJ3Zc3kE-970-80.jpg.webp
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Constellation “Virgo, the Maiden”
8. Space Launches For This Week
Tom KE5ICX
Space Coast Launches
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
June 3
Soyuz • Progress 81P
Launch time: 0932 GMT (5:32 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 81st Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration. [April 20]
Early JuneLong March 2F • Shenzhou 14
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Jiuquan, China
A Chinese Long March 2F rocket will launch the Shenzhou 14 spacecraft with three Chinese astronauts to rendezvous and dock with the Chinese space station in low Earth orbit. This will be China’s ninth crewed space mission, and the third to the Chinese space station. Delayed from May. [April 20]
NET June 6
Electron • CAPSTONE
Launch time: 0920 GMT (5:20 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: Launch Complex 1B, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch 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 1 in New Zealand. Delayed from 2021 due to COVID-related issues. Delayed from March 2022. [May 24]
June 7
Falcon 9 • SpaceX CRS 25
Launch time: 1530 GMT (11:30 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Dragon 2 spacecraft on its fifth cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The flight is the 25th mission by SpaceX conducted under a Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. [May 9]
June 10
Falcon 9 • Nilesat 301
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Nilesat 301 geostationary communications satellite. Nilesat 301, built by Thales Alenia Space, will provide digital broadband and internet connectivity services for the Egyptian operator Nilesat. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from April 30. [May 24]
June
Astra Rocket 3.3 • TROPICS 1 & 2
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-46, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A commercial small satellite launch vehicle developed by Astra will launch the first pair of small CubeSats for NASA’s TROPICS mission. The Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats, or TROPICS, mission will measure environmental and inner-core conditions for tropical cyclones. Delayed from April. [April 28]
JuneFalcon 9 • Starlink 4-19
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. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. [May 24]
Summer
Alpha • Multi-payload
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-2W, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
A Firefly Alpha rocket will launch on its second test flight with a rideshare payload consisting of multiple unspecified small satellites. Delayed from May. [May 24]
June
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 2021 and May 2022. [May 24]
June 22
Ariane 5 • MEASAT 3d & GSAT 24
Launch window: 2103-2243 GMT (5:03-6:43 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana
Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA257, to launch the MEASAT 3d and GSAT 24 communications satellites. Built by Airbus Defense and Space for MEASAT, a Malaysian operator, MEASAT 3d is a multi-mission communications satellite outfitted with C-band, Ku-band, and Ka-band payloads for direct-to-home TV broadcasting and internet services over Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. GSAT 24 is a direct-to-home TV broadcasting satellite for the Indian Space Research Organization. Delayed from April and June 17. [April 28]
June
Astra Rocket 3.3 • TROPICS 3 & 4
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-46, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A commercial small satellite launch vehicle developed by Astra will launch the second pair of small CubeSats for NASA’s TROPICS mission. The Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats, or TROPICS, mission will measure environmental and inner-core conditions for tropical cyclones. Delayed from April. [April 28]
June
Falcon 9 • SARah 1
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the SARah 1 radar remote sensing satellite for the German military. SARah 1 is the first of three synthetic aperture radar satellites for the German military. It was built by Airbus. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg. [May 24]
TBD
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. Delayed from early 2022. [March 9]
Late June
Falcon 9 • SES 22
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the SES 22 communications satellite for SES of Luxembourg. Built by Thales Alenia Space, SES 22 will provide C-band television and data services in the United States.
[May 24]
June 29
Atlas 5 • USSF 12
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the USSF 12 mission with Wide Field Of View, or WFOV, experimental missile warning satellite for the U.S. Space Force. WFOV hosts a new type of infrared staring sensor in geosynchronous orbit to detect the heat from missile launch plumes. The USSF 12 mission will include additional rideshare payloads. The rocket will fly in the 541 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, four solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from April at the request of the U.S. Space Force. [May 24]
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220518113840.htm
https://duckduckgo.com/i/49f556cc.jpg
Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.
All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
ISS
June 1
June 3
June 4
Tiangong
June 6
Envisat
May 30
June 2
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