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.

“White Holes: What We Know About ‘Black Holes’ Neglected Twins”
White Holeshttps://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jHN3vngjBSfhhZAto9bgxi-1920-80.jpg.webp

Event Horizon Telescope: Super Massive Black Hole in the Center of M87https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Mw4XSWYT27ZUBntmNTac49-1200-80.jpg
Holes in Spacehttps://img.genial.ly/6093a0fb3df5406afc2fec60/91782c52-4bb9-499b-9db3-1584e3a881d8.jpeg

 Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History 

Astronaut Birthdays

• July 11, 1950: Lawrence DeLucas (STS-50)
• July 12, 1957: Rick Husband (STS-96, STS-107)
• July 13, 1950: George Nelson (STS-41-C, STS-61, STS-26)
• July 14, 1936: Robert Overmyer (STS-5, STS-51-B)
• July 15, 1977: Jessica Meir (Exp. 61/62)

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

“Serpens, the Snake”

Space Launches For This Week

Space Coast Launcheshttps://www.spacecoastlaunches.com/blog/launch-list/
Space Flight Now Launch Schedulehttps://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
July 15 Falcon 9 • Starlink 5-15Launch time: 12:15 a.m. EDT (0415 UTC)Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FloridaA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the final batch of Starlink V1.5 internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Delay from July 14.
Updated: July 14
July 16/17 Electron • ‘Baby Come Back’Launch time: 2023 UTC (8:23 a.m. NZST on 16th)Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New ZealandA Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch NASA’s Starling mission, which consists of four cubsats to demonstrate technologies for future ‘swarm’ satellites. It will also carry Telesat’s LEO 3 demonstration satellite for Space Flight Laborayr and two 3U satellites for Spire Global, carrying Global Navigation Satellite System Radio Occultation (GNSS-RO) payloads which provide data to improve weather models and forecasts. The first stage of the Electron rocket will be recovered after it splashes down in the ocean. Delayed from July 14.
Updated: July 14
July 18/19 Falcon 9 • Starlink 6-15Launch time: 7:29 p.m. – 1:43 a.m. PDT (10:29 p.m. – 4:43 a.m. EDT) (0229-0843 UTC on 19th)Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CaliforniaA 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 the drone ship, Of Course I Still Love You, in the Pacific Ocean.
Updated: July 11
July 23/24 Falcon Heavy • Jupiter 3/EchoStar 24Launch time: 11:04 p.m. EDT (0304 UTC on 24th)Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, FloridaA SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch the Jupiter 3/EchoStar 24 broadband communications satellite. Built by Maxar, Jupiter 3/EchoStar 24 is a Ka-band high-throughput ultra high density satellite for EchoStar’s Hughes Network Systems. Jupiter 3/EchoStar 24 will support in-flight WiFi, maritime connections, enterprise networks, backhaul for mobile network operators, and community WiFi solutions across the Americas. Delayed from May. Moved up from August.
Updated: July 02
TBD Falcon 9 • O3b mPOWER 5 & 6Launch time: TBDLaunch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FloridaA 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 and June 9.
Updated: June 13
TBD Falcon 9 • WorldView Legion 1 & 2Launch time: TBDLaunch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CaliforniaA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first pair of 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. The first stage of the Falcon 9 will return to Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg Space Force Base for landing. Delayed from April and June.
Updated: June 08
TBD Falcon 9 • SDA Tranche 0BLaunch time: TBDLaunch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, CaliforniaA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 18 Tranche 0 demonstration satellites for the U.S. military’s Space Development Agency. The launch is the second 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 June.
Updated: July 02
Aug. 1/2 Antares • NG-19Launch time: 8:30 p.m. EDT on Aug. 1 (1230 UTC on Aug. 2)Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, VirginiaA Northrop Grumman Antares rocket will launch the 20th Cygnus cargo freighter on the 19th operational cargo delivery flight to the International Space Station. The mission is known as NG-19. The rocket will fly in the Antares 230+ configuration, with two RD-181 first stage engines and a Castor 30XL second stage. This will be the final flight of an Antares 230+ rocket before a redesign with new U.S.-made engines. Delayed from March, April 21, May, and July.
Updated: July 11
3rd Quarter Atlas 5 • NROL-107Launch time: TBDLaunch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FloridaA United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket will launch the NROL-107 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. The NROL-107 mission will launch a classified payload known as Silent Barker. The mission is a partnership between the NRO and the U.S. Space Force, which have disclosed little information about the payload other than it will focus on satellite threat intelligence and space situational awareness.
Updated: April 01
TBD Falcon 9 • WorldView Legion 3 & 4Launch time: TBDLaunch site: Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FloridaA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the second pair of 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.
Updated: April 15
August Falcon 9 • Galaxy 37Launch time: TBDLaunch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral, FloridaA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Galaxy 37 C-band television broadcasting satellite for Intelsat. The spacecraft was built by Maxar. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from 2nd Quarter.
Updated: July 02
Aug. 15 Falcon 9 • Crew 7Launch time: TBDLaunch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, FloridaA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on the program’s 12th flight with astronauts. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Russian cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov 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.
Updated: June 23
NET August H-2A • XRISM & SLIMLaunch time: TBDLaunch site: Launch Pad 1, Tanegashima Space Center, JapanA Japanese H-2A rocket, designated H-2A F47, will launch the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission, or XRISM, a joint project between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and NASA. XRISM is a replacement for the Hitomi X-ray astrophysics observatory, which failed about one month after launch in 2016. XRISM will perform high-resolution X-ray spectroscopic observations of the hot gas plasma wind that blows through the galaxies in the universe. These observations will enable us to determine flows of mass and energy, revealing the composition and evolution of celestial objects. JAXA’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, mission will fly as a rideshare on this launch, heading to the moon to test precision landing technology. The H-2A rocket will fly in the 202 configuration with two strap-on solid rocket boosters. Delayed from 2nd Quarter after H3 launch failure.
Updated: April 01
August Soyuz • Progress 85PLaunch time: TBDLaunch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, KazakhstanA Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch the 85th Progress cargo delivery ship to the International Space Station. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration.
Updated: March 22
3rd Quarter Atlas 5 • USSF 51Launch time: TBDLaunch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, FloridaA United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-101, will launch the USSF 51 mission for the U.S. Space Force. This mission will launch an undisclosed payload for the military.
Updated: April 10
Late Summer Falcon 9 • Polaris DawnLaunch time: TBDLaunch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, FloridaA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft on the program’s 11th flight with astronauts. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The Polaris Dawn mission will be commanded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, making his second trip to space. He will be joined on the all-private mission by pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and SpaceX employees Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. The Crew Dragon will return to a splashdown at sea. Delayed from November and December 2022, and from March 2023.
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.  

Recent Astronomical Discoveries 

James Webb Telescope catches glimpse of possible first-ever ‘dark stars’https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230713192847.htm
Dark Star?https://www.spxdaily.com/images-hg/webb-jades-gs-z13-0-jades-gs-z12-0-jades-gs-z11-0-dark-stars-dark-matter-annihilating-hg.jpg

Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.

All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
Tiangong

https://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=48274&lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST
Jul. 19https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=48274&mjd=60144.4489806278&type=V
Jul. 21https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=48274&mjd=60146.4351021254&type=V
Envisathttps://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=27386&lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST
Jul. 16https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=60141.44737238&type=V
Jul. 17https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=60142.4216296352&type=V
Jul. 19https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=60144.4387279584&type=V
Jul. 20https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=60145.4129355081&type=V
Jul. 22https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=60147.4300612373&type=V