IO Group: https://groups.io/g/DARCskynet/topics
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Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
US Space Force 5 years later: What has it accomplished so far, and where does it go from here?
The U.S. Space Force celebrates its fifth anniversary today.
Space Force
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v2/t:0,l:0,cw:0,ch:0,q:80,w:650/rowfg3U5MDSox7RQkD7P8b.jpg.webp
Space Operations Command
https://media.defense.gov/2023/Mar/15/2003179358/-1/-1/0/230313-F-CX954-0001.JPG
Space Deltas
https://i.redd.it/w8mim0e6r3v51.jpg
CMSSF Roger Towberman
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/CMSSF_Roger_A._Towberman.jpg
Space Command Operations
https://media.defense.gov/2024/Jan/16/2003382985/1200/1200/0/230628-F-CX954-1001.JPG
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
Dark energy ‘doesn’t exist’ so can’t be pushing ‘lumpy’ Universe apart | ScienceDaily
Traditional “History of the Universe” Timeline
https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/2024/dark-energy-doesnt-exi.jpg
Special Feature: “The Star of Bethlehem”
Star of Bethlehem
Space Exploration and Space History
Space Exploration News
12-15 thru 12-21
Dec. 18th: Space Force says first national security Vulcan Launch now anticipated in spring of 2025
Vulcan First Stage Booster
https://spaceflightnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241022_Vulcan_stacking-1.jpeg
The moon may be 100 million years older than we thought (Space.com)
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v2/t:0,l:0,cw:0,ch:0,q:80,w:1920/upYS3hzHgdejGMXsCFGYSc.jpg.webp
9-Hour spacewalk beats old duration record by 10 minutes
Space-Related Birthdays
Andy Thomas Dec 18, 1951 STS-77, STS-89/91 (Mir EO-24/EO-25), STS-102, STS-114
Frederick W. Leslie Dec 19, 1951 STS-73
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Fred_Leslie.jpg/220px-Fred_Leslie.jpg
Michael E. Fossum Dec 19, 1957 STS-121, STS-124, Soyuz TMA-02M (Expedition 28/29)
Millie Hughes-Fulford Dec 21, 1945 STS-40
John L. Finley Dec 22, 1935 no missions, USAF MOL Group 1
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Captain_John_L._Finley_1960s.jpg
Karol J. Bobko Dec 23, 1937 STS-6, STS-51-D, STS-51-J
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Bobko.jpg/220px-Bobko.jpg
This Week in Space History
December 15, 1965: Gemini VI-A launched with astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford.
Apollo 17 landing, December 19, 1972
December 21, 1968 – Apollo 8 launch
Apollo 8 (December 21–27, 1968) was the first crewed spacecraft to leave low Earth orbit and the first human spaceflight to reach the Moon.
Space Launches For This Week
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
December 23 Falcon 9 • Starlink 12-2
Launch time: Window opens at 12 a.m. EST (0500 UTC)
Launch site: Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, 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: December 19
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
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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.
Visible satellite passages over the next couple of days.
All times are “local” (Dallas) time.
ISS – No favorable Passes
Tiangong
Dec. 28