Skynet 5-6-23 “Who Will Have the Last Word on the Universe?” 9PM CT |

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Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.

Discussion Topic of the Evening by Bill Byrom N5BB:

Who Will Have the Last Word on the Universe?

Modern science suggests that we and all our achievements and memories are destined to vanish like a dream. Is that sad or good?

Wolf-Rayet 124

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/05/09/science/00SCI-OUTTHERE-ENDISNIGH/00SCI-OUTTHERE-ENDISNIGH-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp

Messier 92

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/04/28/science/00SCI-OUTTHERE-ENDISNIGH2/00SCI-OUTTHERE-ENDISNIGH2-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp

Cassiopeia A

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/04/28/science/00SCI-OUTTHERE-ENDISNIGH3/00SCI-OUTTHERE-ENDISNIGH3-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp

Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History

Astronaut Birthdays

April 30, 1945: Michael Smith (STS-51-L Challenger)
April 30, 1957: Duane Carey (STS-109)
April 30, 1976: Victor Glover (SpaceX Crew-1 Exp 64/65; Artemis 2)
May 1, 1925: Scott Carpenter (MA-7)
May 2, 1957: Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie (STS-91, STS-99, STS-108, STS-123)
May 2, 1975: Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger (STS-131)
May 3, 1949: Albert Sacco (STS-73)
May 4, 1956: Michael L. Gernhardt (STS-69, STS-83, STS-94, STS-104)
May 5, 1930: Michael J. Adams (X-15 Flight 191)
May 5, 1960: Douglas Wheelock (STS-120, Soyuz TMA-19 (Expedition 24/25))
May 6, 1949: David Leestma (STS-41-G, STS-28, STS-45)
May 6, 1955: Donald A. Thomas (STS-65, STS-70, STS-83, STS-94)

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Ursa Major, the Big Bear and Ursa Minor, the Little Bear

Space Launches For This Week

Tom KE5ICX

Space Coast Launches

Upcoming Rocket Launch List

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

Launch Schedule

May 7/8 Electron • TROPICS 3 & 4

Launch time: 0100-0300 GMT on 8th (9:00-11:00 p.m. EDT on 7th)

Launch site: Launch Complex 1B, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch the second pair of small CubeSats for NASA’s TROPICS mission. The Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats, or TROPICS, mission will measure environmental and inner-core conditions for tropical cyclones. These two satellites were originally contracted to launch on Astra’s Rocket 3 vehicle. This mission is nicknamed “Rocket Like A Hurricane” by Rocket Lab.

Updated: May 05

May 10 Long March 7 • Tianzhou 6

Launch time: Approx. 1340 GMT (9:40 a.m. EDT)

Launch site: Wenchang, China

A Chinese Long March 7 rocket will launch the Tianzhou 6 resupply ship to dock with the Chinese space station. The automated cargo craft is the fifth resupply freighter for the Chinese space station.

Updated: April 24

May 10 Falcon 9 • Starlink 2-9

Launch time: Approx. 2000 GMT (4:00 p.m. EDT)

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 Pacific Ocean. Delayed from April.

Updated: May 05

May 11/12 Falcon 9 • Starlink 5-9

Launch time: Approx. 0352 GMT on 12th (11:52 p.m. EDT on 11th)

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V1.5 internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from April.

Updated: May 05

May 15 Electron • TROPICS 5 & 6

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch the third pair of small CubeSats for NASA’s TROPICS mission. The Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats, or TROPICS, mission will measure environmental and inner-core conditions for tropical cyclones. These two satellites were originally contracted to launch on Astra’s Rocket 3 vehicle. This mission is nicknamed “Coming To A Storm Near You” by Rocket Lab.

Updated: April 24

May 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. Delayed from April.

Updated: May 05

May Falcon 9 • OneWeb & Iridium Next

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 15 spare satellites for OneWeb’s first-generation global internet network and one prototype for OneWeb’s Gen2 second-generation network. Five spare satellites for Iridium’s voice and data relay fleet will also launch on this mission. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg.

Updated: May 05

May Falcon 9 • Axiom Mission 2

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 10th flight with astronauts. The commercial mission, managed by Axiom Space, is commanded by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. Paying passenger John Shoffner will serve as pilot of the mission. Two commercial space fliers from Saudi Arabia, Ali AlQarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, will also be on the approximately 12-day mission to the space station. The Crew Dragon will return to a splashdown at sea off the coast of Florida. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from May 8 as result of delays in previous Falcon Heavy launch.

Updated: May 05

May 21/22 Falcon 9 • Badr 8

Launch time: 0320 GMT on 22nd (11:20 p.m. EDT on 21st)

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Badr 8 communications satellite for Arabsat based in Saudi Arabia. From geostationary orbit, Badr 8 will provide communications coverage for Arabsat customers over Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Badr 8 also hosts an optical communications payload developed by Airbus. The spacecraft was built by Airbus, and is based on the Eurostar Neo platform. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: April 25

May 24 Soyuz • Progress 84P

Launch time: 1256 GMT (8:56 a.m. EDT)

Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 84th Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration.

Updated: May 05

May Long March 2F • Shenzhou 16

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Jiuquan, China

A Chinese Long March 2F rocket will launch the Shenzhou 16 spacecraft with three Chinese astronauts to rendezvous and dock with the Chinese space station in low Earth orbit. This is China’s 11th crewed space mission, and the fifth to the Chinese space station. The crew members have not been announced by China.

Updated: May 05

May Falcon 9 • Starlink 2-10

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V1.5 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 Pacific Ocean.

Updated: May 05

May Falcon 9 • Starlink 6-4

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of 21 second-generation Starlink V2 Mini internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: May 05

TBD Delta 4-Heavy • NROL-68

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Delta 4-Heavy rocket will launch a classified spy satellite cargo for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The largest of the Delta 4 family, the Heavy version features three Common Booster Cores mounted together to form a triple-body rocket. This is the penultimate flight of a Delta 4 rocket. Delayed from March and April 20.

Updated: May 05

May Falcon 9 • Starlink 5-7

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V1.5 internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

Updated: May 05