Skynet 3-18-23 “The Secrets of Apollo: The Saturn V Autopilot” & Constellation “Gemini, the Twins” 9PM CT

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.

Secrets of Apollo: The Saturn V’s autopilot  (From the BBC, Wiki, and ibiblio.org websites.)

S-IVB Instrument Unit

https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/25/2019/07/Saturn-V-LVDC-a004cfb.jpg?quality=90&webp=true&resize=1000,667

IU Assembly Room

https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/25/2019/07/Saturn-V-LVDC-assembly-41f570b.jpg?quality=90&webp=true&fit=975,745

LVDC with cover removed.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/97/Apollo_Saturn_V_Instrument_Unit_Huntsville_AL_Space_museum_FCC_1.jpg/220px-Apollo_Saturn_V_Instrument_Unit_Huntsville_AL_Space_museum_FCC_1.jpg

Werner Von Braun Inspecting the LVDC

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/WernherVonBraunAstrionics.jpg

Saturn V Flight Control Computer

https://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/IUFlightControlComputer.jpg

The LVDC ibiblio Website

https://www.ibiblio.org/apollo/LVDC.html

Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History 

Space Exploration News

Evidence that Venus is volcanically active

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.nature.com%2Flw1024%2Fmagazine-assets%2Fd41586-023-00783-x%2Fd41586-023-00783-x_24626698.jpg&f=1&h=110&nofb=1&ipt=9906794fbecb2d4d15d15d9c2b8139d61498b37fd7e9c4fd277d8094c0b62bb4&ipo=news

New Moon Suit for NASA’s Artemis Astronauts Unveiled

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/15/science/15moonsuit/15moonsuit-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp

Space-Related Birthdays

Wally Schirra Mar 12, 1923 Mercury-Atlas 8, Gemini 6A, Apollo 7

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Schirra_walter_3.jpg/220px-Schirra_walter_3.jpg

Patricia Robertson  Mar 12, 1963 No missions. She died in a plane crash.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Patricia_Robertson.jpg/220px-Patricia_Robertson.jpg

Gene Cernan  Mar 14, 1934 Gemini 9A, Apollo 10, Apollo 17

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/12/Astronaut_Eugene_A._Cernan.jpg/220px-Astronaut_Eugene_A._Cernan.jpg

Frank Borman Mar 14, 1928 Gemini 7, Apollo 8

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Astronaut_Frank_Borman.jpg/220px-Astronaut_Frank_Borman.jpg

Michael Fincke Mar 14, 1967 Soyuz TMA-4 (Expedition 9), Soyuz TMA-13 (Expedition 18), STS-134 , Boeing Starliner-1 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Edward_Michael_Fincke.jpg/220px-Edward_Michael_Fincke.jpg

William B. Lenoir  Mar 14, 1939 STS-5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/WilliamBLenoir.jpg/220px-WilliamBLenoir.jpg

Alan Bean Mar 15, 1932 Apollo 12, Skylab 3

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/Alan_Bean_NASA_portrait_%28S69-38859%29.jpg/220px-Alan_Bean_NASA_portrait_%28S69-38859%29.jpg

Walter Cunningham Mar 16, 1932 Apollo 7

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Walter_Cunningham.jpg/220px-Walter_Cunningham.jpg

Michael J. Bloomfield  Mar 16, 1959 STS-86, STS-97, STS-110

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Michael_Bloomfield.jpg/220px-Michael_Bloomfield.jpg

 Kalpana Chawla Mar 17, 1962 STS-87, STS-107 (The ill-fated Shuttle Columbia.)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/Kalpana_Chawla%2C_NASA_photo_portrait_in_orange_suit.jpg/220px-Kalpana_Chawla%2C_NASA_photo_portrait_in_orange_suit.jpg

Ken Mattingly  Mar 17, 1936 Apollo 16, STS-4, STS-51-C 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Astronaut_Thomas_K._%28Ken%29_Mattingly.jpg/220px-Astronaut_Thomas_K._%28Ken%29_Mattingly.jpg

James Irwin Mar 17, 1930 Apollo 15

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Jim_Irwin_Apollo_15_LMP.jpg/220px-Jim_Irwin_Apollo_15_LMP.jpg

James F. Reilly  Mar 18, 1954 STS-89, STS-104, STS-117 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d8/James_Reilly.jpg/220px-James_Reilly.jpg

This Week in Space History

Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking died on March 14, 2018—also known as Pi Day—at age 76. 

https://www.history.com/.image/c_limit%2Ccs_srgb%2Cq_auto:good%2Cw_700/MTU3ODc4NjAxNjM3NTY5ODY1/image-placeholder-title.webp

On This Day In Space: March 17, 1958: US launches its second satellite, Vanguard 1

Space Shuttle Enterprise Makes its First Cross-Country Trip

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/enterprise_first_cross_country_trip_4_enterprise_rollout_at_palmdale_w_star_trek_crew_sep_17_1976.jpg?itok=uD-_IZfe

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Gemini, the Twins

Space Launches For This Week

Space Coast Launches

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

TBD

Terran 1 • “Good Luck, Have Fun”

Launch window: 1700-2000 GMT (1:00-4:00 p.m. EDT)

Launch site: LC-16, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A Relativity Space Terran 1 rocket will launch on its inaugural demonstration flight. This launch of Terran 1 is the first orbital attempt by Relativity and will not include a customer payload. Scrubbed on March 8 and March 11. [March 11]

March 24

Falcon 9 • Starlink 6-2

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of second-generation Starlink V2 Mini internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. [March 14]

March 25/26

GSLV Mk.3 • OneWeb 18

Launch time: Approx. 0100 GMT on 26th (9:00 p.m. EDT on 25th)

Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India

India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk. 3 (GSLV Mk.3) will launch 36 satellites into orbit for OneWeb, which is developing a constellation of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit for low-latency broadband communications. [March 10]

March

Falcon 9 • SDA Tranche 0

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch around 10 Tranche 0 demonstration satellites for the U.S. military’s Space Development Agency. The launch is the first of two Falcon 9 missions to carry SDA demonstration spacecraft for a future constellation of military missile tracking and data relay satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg. Delayed from Sept. 24. Delayed from Sept. 29 by payload supply chain issues. Delayed from January due to satellite issue. [Dec. 7]

March

Falcon 9 • Starlink 6-3

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of second-generation Starlink V2 Mini internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. [March 14]

NET 

March

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 2022. [Jan. 8]

TBD

Falcon 9 • Starlink 5-5

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launched another batch of Starlink internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. [Feb. 16]

NET 

April

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. Delayed from February and March. [Feb. 27]

April 7

Falcon 9 • Intelsat 40e/TEMPO

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Intelsat 40e communications satellite for Intelsat. Intelsat 40e will join Intelsat’s “Epic” fleet of high-throughput satellites, providing in-flight connectivity and other mobile communications services over North and Central America. Intelsat 40e is a partial replacement for Intelsat 29e, which failed in 2019. Intelsat 40e hosts NASA’s Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument to measure atmospheric chemistry and monitor air pollution over North America. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The satellite was built by Maxar, and is based on the 1300 platform. Delayed from March 7. [Feb. 16]

April 8

Falcon Heavy • ViaSat 3 Americas

Launch time: 2225 GMT (6:25 p.m. EDT)

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 2022. Delayed from January and March 2023. [Feb. 16]

April

Falcon 9 • Transporter 7

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Transporter 7 mission, a rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with numerous small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commercial and government customers. [Jan. 13]

2nd Quarter

Falcon 9 • O3b mPOWER 5 & 6

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the third 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. Delayed from March. [Feb. 16]

Recent Astronomical Discoveries 

Terminator Zones on Distance Planets Could Harbor Life

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230316124434.htm

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

All times are “local” (Dallas) time.

Tiangong

https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=48274&lat=32.897&lng=-96.9605&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST

Mar 19

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=32.897&lng=-96.9605&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=48274&mjd=60023.0820031164&type=V

Mar 21

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=32.897&lng=-96.9605&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=48274&mjd=60025.0638907755&type=V

Hubble Space Telescope

https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=20580&lat=32.897&lng=-96.9605&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST

Mar 18

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=32.897&lng=-96.9605&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=20580&mjd=60021.496985564&type=V

Mar 19

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=32.897&lng=-96.9605&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=20580&mjd=60022.4874503876&type=V

Mar 20

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=32.897&lng=-96.9605&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=20580&mjd=60023.4779000518&type=V

Envisat

https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=27386&lat=32.897&lng=-96.9605&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST

Mar 18

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=32.897&lng=-96.9605&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=60021.447754217&type=V

Mar 21

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=32.897&lng=-96.9605&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=60024.4392760816&type=V

Mar 24

https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=32.897&lng=-96.9605&loc=Unnamed&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=60027.430777452&type=V