Discussion Topic of the Evening.

The NRISM Mission

https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/xrism-x-ray-imaging-and-spectroscopy-mission

Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History 

Space Exploration News
Trojan Planets
Astronomers have discovered the first evidence of ultra-rare ‘Trojan’ planets: two sibling planets bound on the same orbit around the same star. https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y3qQGf2J5vB2PtoMZPpBuJ-970-80.jpg.webp
Asteroid Sample Recovery RehearsalOn July 18-20, the team behind NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission rehearsed recovering a mock sample return capsule from the location where the real one, with fragments of asteroid Bennu, will land on Sept. 24: the Utah desert.https://blogs.nasa.gov/osiris-rex/wp-content/uploads/sites/261/2023/07/NHQ202307180036_dupe-1024×683.jpg

Boulders from Dimorphos
Astronomers using Hubble’s extraordinary sensitivity have discovered a swarm of boulders that were possibly shaken off the asteroid when NASA deliberately slammed the half-ton DART impactor spacecraft into Dimorphos at approximately 14,000 miles per hour.https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/stsci-01h531yg2m8nh8qy8kwktth8ym.png?itok=nYDxatgi

Space-Related Birthdays
Janet L. Kavandi Jul 17, 1959 STS-91, STS-99, STS-104 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/JanetLKavandi-NASA.jpg/220px-JanetLKavandi-NASA.jpg
John Glenn Jul 18, 1921 Mercury-Atlas 6, STS-95https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/GPN-2000-001027.jpg/170px-GPN-2000-001027.jpg
Josh A. Cassada Jul 18, 1973 Space X Crew-5 (Expedition 68/69)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Jsc2022e064956_alt.jpeg/220px-Jsc2022e064956_alt.jpeg
Scott D.Tingle  Jul 19, 1965 Soyuz MS-07 (Expedition 54/55) Boeing Starliner-1https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Scott_D._Tingle%2C_official_portrait.jpg/220px-Scott_D._Tingle%2C_official_portrait.jpg
Roy D. Bridges Jr. Jul 19, 1943 STS-51-F, STS-61F (never flew)https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Roy_Bridges.jpg/220px-Roy_Bridges.jpg

This Week in Space History
July 16, 2011NASA’s Dawn spacecraft entered Vesta’s orbit, studying the asteroid’s geology and composition. Dawn revealed that Vesta is actually a protoplanet,https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F1LvNrrWIAYHxVq?format=jpg&name=small
Apollo 11 launch July 16, 1969
Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy on July 16, 1969, carrying Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin into an initial Earth-orbit of 114 by 116 miles.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Apollo_11_Crew.jpg/220px-Apollo_11_Crew.jpg
First Moon Landing, July 20, 1969On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin entered the LM again, made a final check, and at 100 hours, 12 minutes into the flight.https://duckduckgo.com/i/6c8002f6.jpg

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Ophiuchus, the Snake Handler

Space Launches For This Week

Space Coast Launcheshttps://www.spacecoastlaunches.com/blog/launch-list/
Space Flight Now Launch Schedulehttps://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/
July 26 Falcon Heavy • Jupiter 3/EchoStar 24
Launch time: TBDLaunch 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. Delayed from July 23.
Updated: July 20
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. 4 Antares • NG-19Launch time: 8:31 p.m. EDT (0031 UTC)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 18

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 02Check-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 

Giant swirling waves at edge of Jupiter’s magnetospherehttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230717143208.htm
Jupiterhttps://duckduckgo.com/i/2a00f1c4.jpg

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 andwhere to look during fly-overs All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
ISShttps://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=25544&lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST
Jul 30https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=25544&mjd=60156.1106322622&type=V
Tiangonghttps://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=48274&lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST
Jul 22https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=48274&mjd=60147.4607900971&type=V
Jul 23https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=48274&mjd=60148.4198256478&type=V
Jul 31https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=48274&mjd=60156.4288449785&type=V
Envisathttps://www.heavens-above.com/PassSummary.aspx?satid=27386&lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST
Jul 25https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=60150.4213760939&type=V
Jul 27https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=60152.4384703748&type=V
Jul 28https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=60153.4126771495&type=V
Jul 30https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=33.0462&lng=-96.9942&loc=Lewisville&alt=0&tz=CST&satid=27386&mjd=60155.4297937067&type=V