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Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
NASA plans deorbit of ISS in 2030 using SpaceX vehicle
Deorbit Profile
https://earthsky.org/upl/2022/02/ISS-deorbit-plan-NASA-1.jpg
ISS in Orbit
https://media.upworthy.mattersmedia.io/brand-img/s75Z8pbEz/2160×1131/space3-1719614199046.jpg
Starship at ISS (Artist’s Concept)
https://nextbigfuture.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/2024/06/Screen-Shot-2024-06-26-at-5.22.35-PM.jpg
Space Station Comparisons
https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-0f9db18324d7f1d872d515486b8a858e.webp
Waz Up
Constellation “Serpens, the Snake”
Space Exploration and Space History
Space Exploration News
Chinese astronauts install space-junk shielding on Tiangong space station
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L44tbqqMz7MkrS9qAt8bW4-840-80.jpg.webp
Astronauts’ return home from the ISS delayed
Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore spent an unexpected Fourth of July aboard the International Space Station — but it was hardly a patriotic display of engineering prowess.
https://th.bing.com/th?id=OVFT._jyFmUNjconGJCSA96kqEC&pid=News&w=300&h=186&c=14&rs=2&qlt=90
NASA Reveals Images of Large Asteroids That Just Sailed Past Earth
Space-Related Birthdays
Stephen S. Oswald June 30, 1951 STS-42, STS-56, STS-67
Ed Lu July 1, 1963 STS-84, STS-106, Soyuz TMA-2 (Expedition 7)
Wendy B. Lawrence July 2, 1959 STS-67, STS-86, STS-91, STS-114
Linda M. Godwin July 2, 1952 STS-37, STS-59, STS-76, STS-108
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Linda_Godwin.jpg/220px-Linda_Godwin.jpg
Harrison Schmitt July 3, 1935 Apollo 17
Norman Thagard July 3, 1943 STS-7, STS-51-B, STS-30, STS-42, Soyuz TM-21, Mir EO-18, STS-71
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Thagard-ne.jpg/220px-Thagard-ne.jpg
Richard Garriott July 4, 1961 Soyuz TMA-13/TMA-12
Terence T. Henricks July 5, 1952 STS-44, STS-55, STS-70, STS-78
Robert Michael White July 6, 1924 Flew the X-15 to an altitude of over 59 miles, qualifying him for USAF astronaut wings.
This Week in Space History
July 6, 1938 Discovery of Lysithea
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Lysithea_2MASS_JHK_color_composite.
Apollo 11
55 years ago, NASA was making final preparations for the July 16 launch of Apollo 11, the first moon landing. But how did they decide who would be the first man to walk on the moon?
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Constellation Serpens, the Snake
Space Launches For This Week
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
NET July 8 Falcon 9 • Türksat 6A
Launch time: Window 5:20-9:43 p.m. EDT (2120-0143 UTC)
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. Moved up from July 9.
Updated: July 05
July 8/9 Falcon 9 • Starlink 9-3
Launch time: Window opens at 7:46 p.m. PDT (10:46 p.m. EDT, 0246 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You.’
Updated: July 05
NET July 9 Ariane 6 • Inaugural launch
Launch time: 3-7 p.m. GFT (2-6 p.m. EDT, 1900-2300 UTC)
Launch site: Europe’s Spaceport, French Guiana
Arianespace and the European Space Agency (ESA) will launch an Ariane 6 rocket on its inaugural flight from the European Spaceport in French Guiana. The rocket will carry two reentry capsules along with several other satellites, which will be deployed over three separate periods. Following satellite deployment, the upper stage will perform a deorbit burn to help prevent it from becoming orbital debris.
Updated: July 05
NET July 10 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: July 01
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.
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
Moon ‘swirls’ could be magnetized by unseen magmas | ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/07/240703131824.htm
Full Moon
Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.
All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
ISS
Jul 7
Jul 8
Jul 9
Jul 10
Jul 11
Tiangong
Jul 8
Jul 10
Jul 12
Hubble Space Telescope
Jul 12