IO Group: https://groups.io/g/DARCskynet/topics
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/306498286059167/
Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
“Types of Orbits”
Mass and Orbits
Reaching Orbit
Launch to Orbit
Geostationary Orbit
Low Earth Orbit
Medium Earth Orbit
Polar Orbit and Sun Synchronous Orbit
Transfer Orbits and Geostationary Transfer Orbit
Lagrange Points
Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History
Astronaut Birthdays
- October 16, 1956: James Newman (STS-51, STS-69, STS-88, STS-109)
- October 17, 1926: Karl Gordon Henize (STS-51-F)
- October 17, 1933: Bill Anders (Apollo 8)
- October 17, 1956: Mae Jemison (STS-47)
- October 21, 1950: Ronald McNair (STS-41-B, STS-51-L)
- October 21, 1966: Douglas Hurley (STS-127, STS-135, SpaceX DM-2)
- October 22, 1933: Donald Peterson (STS-6)
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Piscis Austrinus, the Southern Fish, and Grus, the Crane
Space Launches For This Week
Space Coast Launches
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
Oct. 25/26
Soyuz • Progress 82P
Launch time: 0020 GMT on 26th (8:20 p.m. EDT on 25th)
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 82nd Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration. [Oct. 21]
Oct. 27/28Falcon 9 • Starlink 4-31
Launch time: Approx. 0001-0100 GMT on 28th (8:01-9:00 p.m. EDT; 5:01-6:00 p.m. PDT on 27th)
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. [Oct. 21]
Oct. 31
Long March 5B • Mengtian
Launch time: Approx. 0730 GMT (3:30 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: Wenchang, China
A Chinese Long March 5B rocket will launch the Mengtian laboratory module, the third major element of China’s space station in low Earth orbit. [Oct. 21]
Oct. 31
Falcon Heavy • USSF 44
Launch time: 1344 GMT (9:44 a.m. EDT)
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. The Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters will land at Landing Zone 1 and 2 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and the core stage will be expended. Delayed from late 2020, 2nd quarter of 2021, July 2021, and October 2021 by payload issues. Delayed from early 2022 and June 2022. Delayed from Oct. 28. [Oct. 21]
Nov. 1
Atlas 5 • JPSS 2 & LOFTID
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch Joint Polar Satellite System 2, or JPSS 2, polar-orbiting weather satellite for NASA and NOAA. Built by Northrop Grumman, JPSS 2 will provide global weather observations for medium and long-term forecasts. The Atlas 5 will also launch the Low-Earth Orbit Flight Test of an Inflatable Decelerator, or LOFTID, re-entry aeroshell vehicle on a test flight. LOFTID is a joint project between NASA and ULA. The rocket will fly in the 401 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, no solid rocket boosters, and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. Delayed from Sept. 30 due to anomaly during testing of the satellite’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, or VIIRS, instrument. [June 3]
November
Falcon 9 • Starlink 4-37
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 October. [Oct. 21]
Nov. 6
Antares • NG-18
Launch time: 1050 GMT (5:50 a.m. EST)
Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia
A Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch the 19th Cygnus cargo freighter on the 18th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-18. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230+ configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. Delayed from Aug. 15 and Oct. 15. [Sept. 29]
4th Quarter
Falcon 9 • WorldView Legion 1 & 2
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first two WorldView Legion Earth observation satellites for Maxar Technologies. Maxar plans to deploy six commercial WorldView Legion high-resolution remote sensing satellites into a mix of sun-synchronous and mid-inclination orbits on three SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets. Delayed from January and September 2021. Delayed from March, May, June, July, and September 2022. [Aug. 15]
4th Quarter
Falcon 9 • Hotbird 13G
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Hotbird 13G television broadcasting satellite for Eutelsat. Hotbird 13G is the second satellite to be built on Airbus’s new Eurostar Neo all-electric spacecraft design, and will provide television broadcast services to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. [Sept. 13]
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]
NET November
Falcon 9 • O3b mPOWER 1 & 2
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first two O3b mPOWER broadband internet satellites into Medium Earth Orbit for SES of Luxembourg. The satellites, built by Boeing, will provide internet services over most of the populated world, building on SES’s O3b network. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from May, June, and August. [Sept. 1]
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
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221020130235.htm
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.
All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
X-37B
Oct 29
Oct 30
Envisat
Oct 24
Oct 25
Oct 27
Oct 29
Oct 30
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