Skynet 8-20-22 “The Giant Magellan Telescope” and Constellations “Scutum” & “Corona Austrina” 9PM CT |

In 1996, he became only the second astronaut to fly on six spaceflights, and he is the most formally educated astronaut with six academic degrees. Musgrave is the only astronaut to have flown aboard all five Space Shuttles.

This Week in Space History

Voyager 2

Voyager 2 is a space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977, to study the outer planets and interstellar space beyond the Sun’s heliosphere.

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Discovery of Helium, August 18, 1868

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Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Scutum the Shield and Corona Austrina the Southern Crown

Space Launches For This Week

Space Coast Launches

Upcoming Rocket Launch List

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

Launch Schedule

Aug. 27/28

Falcon 9 • Starlink 4-23

Launch time: 0152 GMT (9:52 p.m. EDT)

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. [Aug. 15]

NET

Aug. 29

Space Launch System • Artemis 1

Launch window: 1233-1433 GMT (8:33-10:33 a.m. EDT)

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

NASA’s Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket will launch on its first test flight with an uncrewed Orion spacecraft. The mission, known as Artemis 1, will place the Orion spacecraft into orbit around the moon before the capsule returns to Earth for a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. Ten small CubeSat rideshare payloads will also launch on the Artemis 1 mission. Delayed from February, March, April, May, and June. [July 21]

Late August

Falcon 9 • Starlink 3-4

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch of 46 Starlink internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean. [Aug. 14]

Early September

Falcon 9 • Starlink 4-20 & Sherpa-LTC2

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. This mission is also expected to launch Spaceflight’s propulsive Sherpa-LTC2 space tug, which will climb into a higher orbit with Boeing’s Varuna Technology Demonstration Mission, a pathfinder for a planned constellation of broadband satellites. The Varuna demo mission is a hosted payload on the Sherpa-LTC2 orbital transfer vehicle. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. [Aug. 15]

Sept. 6

Ariane 5 • Eutelsat Konnect VHTS

Launch window: TBD

Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana

Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA258, to launch the Eutelsat Konnect VHTS communications satellite. Owned by Eutelsat and built by Thales Alenia Space, Eutelsat Konnect VHTS will provide fixed broadband and in-flight connectivity services over Europe. [Aug. 15]

Early-Mid September

Falcon 9 • Starlink 4-2 & BlueWalker 3

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 BlueWalker 3 test satellite for AST SpaceMobile’s planned space-based cellular broadband network is a ridshare payload on this mission. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. [Aug. 15]

NET

Sept. 11

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. [Aug. 15]

NET

September

Delta 4-Heavy • NROL-91

Launch time: TBD

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

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket will launch a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency. Delayed from August. [Aug. 15]

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]

Sept. 21

Soyuz • ISS 68S

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the crewed Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft to the International Space Station with the next team of three cosmonauts and astronauts to live and work on the complex. The crew is led by commander Sergey Prokopyev, who will be joined by Russian flight engineer Dmitry Petelin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration. [March 25]

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.