IO Group: https://groups.io/g/DARCskynet/topics
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/306498286059167/
Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
Mysteries of icy ocean worlds – New research advances understanding of the habitability of icy moons
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241220191023.htm
“Icy World” – Europa
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
“ESA BepiColombo Mission”
BepiColombo Mission to Mercury
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/image/bepicolombo.jpg
BepiColombo Call-outs
Mercury (Messenger)
https://www.eoportal.org/ftp/satellite-missions/b/BepiColombo_270622/BepiColombo_Auto89.jpeg
MPO and MMO Orbits
https://www.eoportal.org/ftp/satellite-missions/b/BepiColombo_270622/BepiColombo_Auto87.jpeg
MCS Schematic
https://www.eoportal.org/ftp/satellite-missions/b/BepiColombo_270622/BepiColombo_Auto85.jpeg
MPO in Deployed Configuration
https://www.eoportal.org/ftp/satellite-missions/b/BepiColombo_270622/BepiColombo_Auto82.jpeg
Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History
Space Exploration News
Axiom’s private space station is coming sooner than we thought
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v2/t:0,l:0,cw:0,ch:0,q:80,w:650/wQ37UCVcHgbSukXqimH2Dm.jpg.webp
NASA probe makes closest ever pass by the Sun
https://www.spxdaily.com/images-hg/nasa-parker-solar-probe-sun-corona-space-artwork-hg.jpg
Christmas in Space
Space-Related Birthdays
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
Michael Anderson Dec 25, 1959 STS-89, STS-107
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Michael_P._Anderson.jpg
Nancy Currie-Gregg Dec 29, 1958 STS-57, STS-70, STS-88, STS-109
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Nancy_Currie.jpg
Barry “Butch” Wilmore Dec 29, 1962: STS-129, Exp 41/42, Boeing Crewed Flight Test – April 2024?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Barry_Wilmore.jpg
Daniel Barry Dec 30, 1953 STS-72, STS-96, STS-105
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Daniel_Thomas_Barry.jpg
Steven Smith Dec 30, 1958 STS-68, STS-82, STS-103, STS-110
This Week in Space History
December 22, 1966 HL-10 flight
December 25 2021 James Webb Space Telescope Launched
December 27, 1571 Johannes Kepler Born
https://www.iucr.org/__data/assets/image/0009/158373/image5.jpg
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Fornax the Furnace and Eridanus the River
Space Launches For This Week
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
12-28
December 29 Falcon 9 • ‘Astranis: From One to Many’
Launch time: 12 a.m. EST (0500 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch four communications satellites for Astranis. The satellites are destined for a geostationary orbit. The Falcon 9 first stage will land on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas. Delayed from Dec. 17 due to poor weather. Delayed from Dec. 20/21 due to pad abort.
Updated: December 23
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
Jan. 2
Jan. 3
Tiangong
Dec. 28
Dec. 30
Dec. 31
Jan. 2