Skynet 6-29-24 “Light” & Constellation “Hercules” 9 PM CT |

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Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.

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4. Discussion Topic of the Evening.

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Waz Up

Space Exploration and Space History

Astronaut Birthdays:

June 23, 1930: Donn Eisele (Apollo 7)
June 24, 1946: Ellison Onizuka (STS-51-C, STS-51-L)
June 24, 1977: Raja Chari (SpaceX Crew-3: Exp 66/67)
June 24, 1983: Jasmin Moghbeli (Commander of SpaceX Crew-7: Exp 69/70)
June 26, 1952: William Pailes (STS-51-J)
June 26, 1956: Bernard Harris, Jr. (STS-55, STS-63)
June 27, 1937: Joseph Allen (STS-5, STS-51-A)
June 27, 1951: Sidney Gutierrez (STS-40, STS-59)
June 27, 1977: Nicole Mann (SpaceX Crew-5/Exp 67/68 – Oct 2022, commander; Artemis; first Native American woman)
June 28, 1946: John Lounge (STS-51-I, STS-26, STS-35)
June 29, 1955: Charles Precourt (STS-55, STS-71, STS-84, STS-91)
June 29, 1962: George Zamka (STS-120, STS-130)

Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week

Hercules, the Muscle Man

Space Launches For This Week

Space Flight Now Launch Schedule

Launch Schedule

NET June Soyuz • Kondor-FKA 2

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Pad 1S, Vostochny Cosmodrome

A Russian Soyuz rocket will launch the Kondor-Experimental SAR Spacecraft FKA 2 (Kondor-FKA 2) satellite to sun-synchronous orbit at 510 km altitude and an inclination of 97.4°. The mission, with a roughly five-year live span, is being launched on behalf of NPO Mashinostroyeniya.

Updated: June 10

June 29/30 H3 • DAICHI-4

Launch time: 12:06:42 – 12:19:34 p.m. JST (11:06:42 – 11:19:34 p.m. EDT, 0306:42-0319:34 UTC)

Launch site: Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center

The Japanese Exploration Aerospace Agency (JAXA) will launch the third flight of its H3 Launch Vehicle. The mission, H3 F3: Flight No. 3, will launch the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-4 “DAICHI-4” (ALOS-4). This Earth observation satellite is manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation will use a phased array type L-band synthetic aperture radar (PALSAR-3) and is designed to operate for seven years or orbit.

Updated: April 26

NET July Falcon 9 • Transporter-11

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch dozens of satellites to a sun-synchronous orbit on the company’s 11th such rideshare mission. Among the payloads are the European Space Agency’s Arctic Weather Satellite, UK-based Surrey Satellites’ Tyche satellite for the UK Space Command, Japan-based iQPS’ QPS-SAR No. 8 satellite and U.S.-based Planet Labs’ Tanager-1 satellite.

Updated: June 17

NET July 1/2 Alpha • ELaNa 43

Launch time: 9:03 p.m. PDT (12:03 a.m. EDT, 0403 UTC)

Launch site: SLC-2, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

A Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket will launch a collection of eight CubeSats as part of NASA’s ELaNA 43 (Educational Launch of Nanosatellites 43) mission. Also nicknamed ‘Noise of Summer’ by Firefly, this will be the fifth launch of an Alpha rocket to date. The launch is part of the company’s Venture-Class Launch Services Demo 2 contract with NASA. Delayed from June 27.

Updated: June 26

NET July 2 Falcon 9 • Starlink 8-9

Launch time: Window opens at 2:24 a.m. EDT (0624 UTC)

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on a droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.

Updated: June 27

NET July 7/8 Falcon 9 • Türksat 6A

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Türksat 6A communications satellite for the Turkish operator Türksat. Türksat 6A is the first geostationary communications satellite to be built in Turkey, with development led by TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute and Turkish Aerospace Industries. It will operate at the 42° East orbital position. Delayed from 2nd Quarter 2023 and March 2024.

Updated: June 17

NET July Atlas 5 • USSF 51

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A 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: June 17

NET July Falcon 9 • Polaris Dawn

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Crew Dragon spacecraft. 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, March 2023, April 2024 and early summer 2024.

Updated: June 07

NET Mid-July Falcon 9 • ASBM

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission, consisting of two satellites owned by Space Norway. The Falcon 9 will launch the two Northrop Grumman-built satellites into a highly elliptical orbit that lingers over the Arctic region. The satellites carry communications payloads for the Norwegian Ministry of Defense, the U.S. Space Force, and Inmarsat.

Updated: June 21

NET July 15 Falcon 9 • WorldView Legion 3 & 4

Launch time: TBD

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

A 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: June 17

TBD Eris • TestFlight1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Pad 1, Bowen Orbital Spaceport

Gilmour Space in Australia is preparing to launch the inaugural flight of its Eris Block 1 rocket. The three-stage launch vehicle is 25 m (82 ft) tall and is equipped with 1.5 m (4.9 ft) diameter payload fairings. The rocket is designed to send up to 305 kg up to low Earth orbit. This first mission, called “TestFlight1,” does not appear to have a payload on board. Delayed from May 4 due to a lack of launch permit.

Updated: June 26

3rd Quarter Falcon 9 • BlueBird Block 1

Launch time: TBD

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

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch five 700-square-foot Block 1 BlueBird satellites on behalf of its customer, AST SpaceMobile, Inc.

Updated: April 02

3rd quarter Vulcan Centaur • Dream Chaser 1

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will launch on its second demonstration flight with Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser cargo vehicle for the International Space Station. The Dream Chaser is a lifting body resupply spacecraft that will launch on top of a rocket and land on a runway. This will be the Dream Chaser’s first flight to space. The Vulcan Centaur rocket will fly in the VC4L configuration with four GEM-63XL solid rocket boosters, a long-length payload fairing, and two RL10 engines on the Centaur upper stage. Delayed from August 2022, December 2023, January 2024 and April 2024.