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Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
The Christmas Star
Space Exploration and Space History
Space Exploration News
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Deposits First Sample on Mars Surface
https://mars.nasa.gov/system/news_items/main_images/9323_1-PIA25652-web-cropped.jpg
InSight
NASA’s InSight mission has ended after more than four years of collecting unique science on Mars.
Mission controllers at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California were unable to contact the lander after two consecutive attempts, leading them to conclude the spacecraft’s solar-powered batteries have run out of energy – a state engineers refer to as “dead bus.”
NASA begins construction on asteroid-detecting space telescope
https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA15C03I.img?w=768&h=457&m=6
Space-Related Birthdays
Andy Thomas Dec 18, 1951 STS-77, STS-89/91, (Mir EO-24/EO-25), STS-102, STS-114
Michael E. Fossum Dec 19, 1957 STS-121, STS-124, Soyuz TMA-02M (Expedition 28/29)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Fossum_0.jpg/220px-Fossum_0.jpg
Frederick W. Leslie Dec 19, 1951 STS-73
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Fred_Leslie.jpg/220px-Fred_Leslie.jpg
Millie Hughes-Fulford Dec 21, 1945 STS-40
John L. Finley Dec 22, 1935 1965 USAF MOL Group 1
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Captain_John_L._Finley_1960s.jpg
Karol J. Bobko Dec 23, 1937 STS-6, STS-51-D, STS-51-J
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Bobko.jpg/220px-Bobko.jpg
This Week in Space History
First Transistor
74 years ago today, December 23, the transistor was first demonstrated by Walter H. Brattain and John Bardeen
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FkpO7iyXEAQg_vg?format=jpg&name=small
50 Years Ago: Apollo 17 Splashdown Ends the Beginning of Lunar Exploration
On Dec. 19, 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans, and Harrison H. “Jack” Schmitt, the first trained geologist to travel to the Moon, successfully ended their 13-day Moon landing mission with a splashdown in their Command Module (CM) America in the Pacific Ocean.
SR-71
OTD, December 22, 1964, NASA’s SR-71 Blackbird make its first flight. The SR-71 was designed to cruise at Mach 3.2 and at altitudes of up to 85,000 ft., making it ideal for high-speed, high-altitude research.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FkmYznXWQAUPSiM?format=jpg&name=small
Earthrise
On Dec. 24, 1968, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders became the first humans to orbit the Moon, and the first to witness the magnificent sight called “Earthrise.”
Space Launches For This Week
Tom KE5ICX
Space Coast Launches
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
Dec. 28
Falcon 9 • Starlink 5-1
Launch time: Approx. 0819 GMT (3:19 a.m. EST)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink internet satellites. This mission will be the first into Shell 5 of the Starlink constellation, targeting a polar orbit after liftoff from Cape Canaveral. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. [Dec. 14]
Dec. 28/29
Falcon 9 • EROS C3
Launch time: 0658 GMT on 29th (1:58 a.m. EST on 29th; 10:58 p.m. PST on 28th)
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the EROS C3 high-resolution Earth-imaging satellite for ImageSat International, an Israeli remote sensing company. EROS C3 was built by Israel Aerospace Industries and will collect optical multispectral imagery. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg Space Force Base. [Dec. 14]
TBDRS-1 • Flight 1
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: LP-3C, Pacific Spaceport Complex, Kodiak Island, Alaska
An ABL RS-1 rocket will launch on its first orbital test flight, carrying two CubeSats for OmniTeq, a company with plans to deploy a constellation of small satellites to provide maritime communications services. Delayed from November and Dec. 7. [Dec. 7]
NET
Jan. 2
Falcon 9 • Transporter 6
Launch time: 1455 GMT (9:55 a.m. EST)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Transporter 6 mission, a rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with numerous small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Delayed from October, November, and December. [Dec. 14]
January
Falcon 9 • OneWeb 16
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 40 satellites into orbit for OneWeb, which is developing and deploying a constellation of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit for low-latency broadband communications. This will be the second launch of OneWeb satellites with SpaceX, and OneWeb’s 16th launch overall. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. [Dec. 14]
January
Falcon 9 • Starlink 2-4
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink internet satellites. This mission will deploy the Starlink satellites into a high-inclination orbit inclined 70 degrees to the equator. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. [Dec. 14]
January
Falcon Heavy • USSF 67
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the USSF 67 mission for the U.S. Space Force. The mission will launch the Space Force’s second Continuous Broadcast Augmenting SATCOM, or CBAS 2, military communications satellite and the Long Duration Propulsive ESPA 3A, or LDPE 3A, rideshare satellite hosting multiple experimental payloads. Delayed from 4th Quarter 2022. [Oct. 26]
TBD
Falcon 9 • Starlink 2-2
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink internet satellites. This mission will deploy the Starlink satellites into a high-inclination orbit inclined 70 degrees to the equator after flying southeast from Cape Canaveral. Delayed from Nov. 16 and Nov. 18. Delayed from December. [Dec. 14]
Jan. 18
Falcon 9 • GPS 3 SV06
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the U.S. Space Force’s sixth third-generation navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The satellite was built by Lockheed Martin. Delayed from late 2022. [Dec. 14]
January
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. Delayed again from 4th Quarter 2022. [Nov. 22]
NET
January
Falcon Heavy • ViaSat 3 Americas
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the ViaSat 3 Americas broadband communications satellite. ViaSat 3 Americas is the first of at least three new-generation Boeing-built geostationary satellites for ViaSat. A small communications satellite named Arcturus will launch as a secondary payload for Astranis. Delayed from 3rd Quarter and December. [Nov. 22]
Early 2023
Falcon 9 • SES 18 & SES 19
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Cape Canaveral, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch SES 18 and SES 19 communications satellites for SES of Luxembourg. SES 18 and 19, built by Northrop Grumman, will provide C-band television and data services over the United States. [May 24]
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]
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]
1st Quarter
Falcon 9 • O3b mPOWER 3 & 4
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the second pair of 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. [Nov. 22]
Feb. 16
Soyuz • Progress 83P
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 83rd Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration. [Oct. 26]
Feb. 19
Falcon 9 • Crew 6
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on the program’s ninth flight with astronauts. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, Warren “Woody” Hoburg, UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev 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. [Dec. 14]
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
Alien Planet Found Spiraling to its Doom Around an Aging Star
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/12/221219094937.htm
Doomed Planet
Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.
All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
Tiangong
Dec. 25
Dec. 26
Hubble Space Telescope
Dec. 30
Dec. 31
Jan. 1
Jan. 2
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