Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
“How Realistic Are SciFi Spaceships?” from Mashable.com
USS Enterprise
Borg vs. Deathstar
Red Dwarf
The Arboghast (from The Expanse)
Serenity (from Firefly)
Battlestar Galactica
Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History
Astronaut Birthdays
- September 19, 1957: Richard Linnehan (STS-78, STS-90, STS-109, STS-123)
- September 19, 1965: Sunita Williams (STS-116/117-Exp 14/15, Exp 32/33, Boeing Starliner-1)
- September 19, 1987: Kayla Barron (SpaceX Crew-3/Exp 66)
- September 20, 1960: James Pawlczyk (STS-90)
- September 21, 1955: Richard Heib (STS-39, STS-49, STS-65)
- September 22, 1965: Robert Satcher (STS-129)
- September 23, 1944: Loren Shriver (STS-51-C, STS-31, STS-46)
- September 23, 1961: William C. McCool (STS-107)
- September 24, 1930: John Young (Gemini 3, Gemini 10, Apollo 10, Apollo 16, STS-1, STS-9)
- September 24, 1975: Nick Hague (Expedition 59/60; launched with Exp 57/58 which aborted mid-flight, 2018)
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Cygnus the Swan
Space Launches For This Week
Space Coast Launches
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
TBD
Space Launch System • Artemis 1
Launch window: TBD
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 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. Scrubbed on Aug. 29 by engine cooling issue. Scrubbed on Sept. 3 by hydrogen leak. Delayed from no earlier than Sept. 23 to allow more time to prepare for tanking test. Delayed from Sept. 27 due to threat from potential Hurricane Ian. [Sept. 24]
Late September
Falcon 9 • Starlink 4-36
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. Delayed from Sept. 26 in ripple effect from Starlink 4-34 delays. [Sept. 16]
Sept. 30
Alpha • Demo Flight 2
Launch window: 0701-0900 GMT (3:01-5:00 a.m. EDT; 12:01-2:00 a.m. PDT)
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 small satellites. Delayed from May. Scrubbed due to drop in helium pressure on Sept. 11 and scrubbed due to bad weather on Sept. 12. Delayed from Sept. 19 due to poor weather forecast and range unavailability. [Sept. 22]
Sept. 30
Atlas 5 • SES 20 & SES 21
Launch window: 2136-2216 GMT (5:36-6:16 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the SES 20 and SES 21 communications satellites for SES of Luxembourg. SES 20 and 21 will provide C-band television and data services over the United States. The rocket will fly in the 531 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, three solid rocket boosters, and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from August. [Sept. 22]
Oct. 3
Falcon 9 • Crew 5
Launch time: 1645 GMT (12:45 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on its eighth flight with astronauts. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Josh Cassada, Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina will launch on the Crew Dragon spacecraft to begin a six-month expedition on the International Space Station. The Crew Dragon will return to a splashdown at sea. Delayed from Sept. 1 after first stage booster was damaged during transport. Delayed from Sept. 29. [Aug. 31]
Oct. 5
Electron • GAzelle
Launch time: 1704 GMT (1:04 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: Launch Complex 1B, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch the GAzelle small satellite, formerly known as Orbital Test Bed 3, for General Atomics. The GAzelle satellite carries the Argos 4 Advanced Data Collection System payload for NOAA, the U.S. Space Force, and the French space agency CNES. Argos 4 is the latest mission in the international Argos program, a satellite-based system that captures, processes and distributes environmental data — ranging from atmospheric pressure and sea surface temperatures to wildlife monitoring and marine animal tracking — from fixed and mobile platforms around the world. Rocket Lab does not plan to recover the first stage booster on this mission. [Sept. 22]
Oct. 5 / 6
Falcon 9 • Galaxy 33 & 34
Launch window: 2307-0014 GMT on 5th/6th (7:07-8:14 p.m. EDT on 5th)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Galaxy 33 and Galaxy 34 commercial communications satellites for Intelsat. Built by Northrop Grumman, Galaxy 33 and Galaxy 34 will be positioned in geostationary orbit to provide C-band video and television broadcast services in the United States. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. [Sept. 13]
October
Falcon 9 • Starlink 4-29
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
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 Pacific Ocean. [Sept. 13]
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.
9. Recent Astronomical Discoveries
Brenda WB5OZL
10. 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
Tom can cover this one as well, otherwise follow the instructions below…
Net Control Note: Look for the highest magnitude and read those with highest point info. As an example: May 20th is the next, good pass.
Tiangong
Sept. 27
Sept. 28
Sept. 29
Hubble Space Telescope
Sept. 27
Sept. 28
Sept. 29
Sept. 30