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Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
Massive merger: Study reveals evidence for origin of supermassive black hole at galaxy’s center
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/09/240906141300.htm
Sagittarius-A
Imaged Super Black Hole
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
Boeing Starliner’s Future Is Unclear, Even After Safe Landing
Two NASA crew remain on the International Space Station after the troubled vehicle they rode undocked and then landed in the New Mexico desert.
The timeline of the landing on Friday evening was as follows – all times Central Time:
- 5:04 PM: Startliner undocked from the ISS
- 10:17 PM: 59 second deorbit burn
- 10:20 PM: Separation of crew module from service module
- 10:45 PM: Atmosphere entry interface
- 10:48 PM: Start of ~4.5 minute plasma blackout of radio communication at altitude of 54 miles
- 10:52 PM: End of blackout period at altitude of 32.9 miles
- 10:56 PM: Forward heat shield jettison (protected parachutes)
- 10:56 PM: 2 Drogue chutes deployed
- 10:57 PM: 3 Main chutes deployed
- 10:58 PM: Rotational handle deployed
- 10:58 PM: Back heat shield jettisoned
- 10:58 PM: Airbag inflation
- 11:01 PM: Starliner landing at White Sands Space Harbor
Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History
Astronaut Birthdays
- September 1, 1961: Christopher Ferguson (STS-115, STS-136, STS-135; was original pilot for Starliner, but stepped down)
- September 2, 1948: Christa McAuliffe (STS-51-L)
- September 3, 1944: Sherwood Spring (STS-61-B)
- September 6, 1946: Bryan O’Connor (STS-61-B, STS-40)
- September 6, 1955: Carl Walz (STS-51, STS-65, STS-79, STS-108, Exp 4, STS-111)
- September 7, 1939: David Griggs (STS-51-D)
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Cygnus the Swan
Space Launches For This Week
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
September 11, 2024 Soyuz • Soyuz MS-26
Launch time: 7:32 p.m. MSK (12:23:02 p.m. EDT, 1623:02 UTC)
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Site 31
A Russian Soyuz 2.1a rocket will launch a three-man crew to the International Space Station. Crew commander Alexey Ovchinin will be joined by fellow cosmonaut Ivan Vagner and NASA astronaut Don Pettit. The Soyuz is set to dock withe the ISS at about 3:33 p.m. EDT (1933 UTC). The spacecraft will remain docked with the orbiting outpost until about April 1, 2025. This will be Pettit’s fourth flight to space.
Updated: August 12
NET September 12 Falcon 9 • BlueBird 1-5
Launch time: 4:52 a.m. EDT (0852 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first five satellites for AST SpaceMobile’s in-orbit cellular service. Each BlueBird satellite has a communications array measuring 693 square feet. The Falcon 9 booster will return to a landing at Cape Canaveral’s LZ-1.
Updated: September 04
TBD September Vulcan • Certification Flight 2
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
The second flight of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket will carry ballast and a collection of small payloads. ULA changed this mission when it became clear the original payload, Sierra Space Dream Chaser cargo ship, would not ready for launch. This second test flight is needed to gain certification from the U.S. military to fly national security payloads.
Updated: September 01
TBD September Falcon 9 • Galileo FOC FM26 & FM32
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch two satellites into medium Earth orbit for the European Commission’s Galileo project. The Galileo constellation provides navigation data like the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS). The Falcon 9 first stage booster will be recovered on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Updated: September 04
NET September 24 Falcon 9 • Crew 9
Launch time: 2:50 p.m. EDT (1850 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Dragon spacecraft carrying a new crew of four to the International Space Station. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will return to Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NASA astronauts Commander Zena Cardman, Pilot Nick Hague, and Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Mission Specialist Aleksandr Gorbunov will embark aboard the Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft on a six-month expedition to the station. Delayed from Aug. 18 due to the extension of the Starliner Crew Flight Test mission.
Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.
ISS
Sept. 8
Sept. 9
Sept. 9
Sept. 10
Sept. 11
Sept. 12
Tiangong
Sept. 9
Sept. 10