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.
Enter Topic Here
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
Mars’ infamous dust storms can engulf the entire planet: A new study examines how
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241209123224.htm
Mars Flicker Image
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
NASA’s Moon Treaty
Filming 2001
Outer Space Treaty Signing
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FndOJ_RXoAEJmgY?format=jpg&name=medium
Space Treaty Timeline
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FndOJ_RXoAEJmgY?format=jpg&name=medium
Hague Building Blocks Committee
Signatories of the Moon Treaty of 1979
Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History
Space Exploration News
12-8 thru 12-14
SpaceX rolls 7th Starship spacecraft out for testing ahead of next launch
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v2/t:0,l:0,cw:0,ch:0,q:80,w:650/DYtEX7iRVB49VXHEse2cW8.jpg.webp
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Reaches Top of Jezero Crater Rim
Space-Related Birthdays
December 11, 1975: Francisco Rubio (Exp. 67/68, currently on ISS; launched 9/21)
December 12, 1951: Steven Hawley (STS-41-D, STS-61-C, STS-31, STS-82, STS-93)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Hawley-sa.jpg/220px-Hawley-sa.jpg
December 12, 1964: Kenneth Ham (STS-124, STS-132)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/Ken_ham_v2.jpg/220px-Ken_ham_v2.jpg
December 14, 1936: Robert Parker (STS-9, STS-35)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/RobertParker.jpg/220px-RobertParker.jpg
December 14, 1960: Cady Coleman, KC5ZTH (STS-73, STS-93, Exp 26/27))
This Week in Space History
Christmas Music in Space.
December 11:
Artemis I
2022: Artemis I was launched from Launch Complex 39B at the Kennedy Space Center Nov. 16th 2022. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width/public/thumbnails/image/orion_day_13_advisory.jpg?itok=G4X3nOkk
1972: 50 years ago, the Apollo 17 Lunar Module ‘Challenger’ touched down on the lunar surface, making the last human Moon landing to date.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Eugene_Cernan_at_the_LM%2C_Apollo_17.jpg
December 12:
1961: The first Oscar Phase I amateur satellite was launched piggyback with Discover 36.
https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/a19640011000d6-e1452559770643.jpg?w=799
December 13:
1993: Space Shuttle Endeavour landed after completing STS-61–the first Hubble Space Telescope repair mission.
https://www.spaceline.org/spacelineorg/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/word-image-1431.jpeg
December 14:
2009: The Wide Field Infrared Explorer (or WISE) astronomy satellite launched.
https://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/jarrett/wise/launch/411822main_launch20091214-full.jpg
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Pisces the Fishes and Cetus the Sea Monster
Space Launches For This Week
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
NET December 15/16 Falcon 9 • RRT-1
Launch time: Approx. 7:54 p.m. EST (1254 UTC on 16th)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the RRT-1 mission for the U.S. Space Force. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on the drone ship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from Dec. 13.
Updated: December 14
December 16 Falcon 9 • O3b mPOWER 7&8
Launch time: Window opens at 3:58 p.m. EST (2058 UTC)
Launch site: Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the fourth pair of O3b mPOWER satellites to a medium Earth orbit on behalf of Luxembourg-based SES. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will land on a droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from Dec. 12, 13 & 15.
Updated: December 14
NET December 17/18 Electron • ‘Owl the Way Up’
Launch time: Window 3:00-4:15 a.m. NZT (9:00-10:15 a.m. EST, 1400-1515 UTC)
Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch a StriX satellite for Synspective, a Japanese Earth observation company to continue building out its synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation. This will be the sixth launch out of 16 booked on Electron for Synspective.
Updated: December 06
TBD New Glenn • NG-1
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch the company’s Blue Ring spacecraft, which is capable of both hosting and deploying multiple payloads. Blue Origin will attempt to land the first stage booster on its sea-based landing platform, ‘Jacklyn.’
Updated: November 20
NET Spring 2025 New Glenn • EscaPADE
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch a pair of identical spacecraft on NASA’s Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (EscaPADE) mission. The two satellites, named Blue and Gold, will make a roughly 11-month journey to Mars where they will then perform about an 11-month science mission while orbiting the Red Planet. Blue and Gold were manufactured by Rocket Lab over about 3.5 years and carry science experiments from the University of California, Berkeley. This launch of the New Glenn rocket will also feature a landing attempt on its landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean. Delayed from October 13.
Updated: September 11
TBD 2025 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, April 2024 and September 2024.
Updated: October 17
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 and
where to look during fly-overs
All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
ISS
Dec. 14
Dec. 15
Dec. 17
Tiangong
Dec. 15
Dec. 17
Dec. 18
Dec. 19