IO Group: https://groups.io/g/DARCskynet/topics
Saturday’s DARC SkyNet is at 9PM CT.
Recent Astronomical Discoveries
Brenda WB5OZL
UF students are bending metal with lasers to build massive structures in orbit
https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/1920/satellite-orbital-solar-power-plant.webp
Discussion Topic of the Evening.
The NSF Conference
The Eagle Obsession (final promo trailer) – please view before Skynet if possible
https://youtu.be/W-PwBH4_uBI?si=Cd6M9DBW8_2s-L3T
Waz Up
Space Exploration and Space History
NASA Discovers Interstellar Comet Moving Through Solar System
High-velocity molecular clouds in M83 provide new insight into how galaxies evolve
https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2025/study-provides-new-ins-2.jpg
Space-Related Birthdays
June 29, 1955: Charles Precourt (STS-55, STS-71, STS-84, STS-91)
June 29, 1962: George Zamka (STS-120, STS-130)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Zamka_G_NASA.jpg
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
This Week in Space History
June 28:
1907:
Aviation pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss made his first flight in the Baldwin dirigible airship, also known as a blimp.
http://aviation-history.com/early/california_arrow.jpg
June 29:
1995:
The Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-71 made the first of 9 dockings with the Mir space station.
https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/61526main_image_feature_189_jwfull.jpg
Miss Carolyn’s Constellation of the Week
Constellation “Ophiuchus the Snake Wrangler”
Space Launches For This Week
Space Flight Now Launch Schedule
July 8 Falcon 9 • Starlink 10-28
Launch time: Window opens at 1:48 a.m. EDT (0548 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will target a landing on a droneship positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.
Updated: July 03
NET July 16 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, 2024, due to a lack of launch permit. Delayed from May 14/15 due to a ground support system issue. Delayed from May 15/16 due to unintended triggering of the payload fairing deployment at the pad. Delayed from July 1. Delayed from July 2. Delayed from July 3.
Updated: July 03
NET Late July Falcon 9 • TRACERS
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch NASA’s TRACERS (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) as the primary payload on a rideshare mission secured through the agency’s VADR (Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare) launch services contract, providing new opportunities for science and technology payloads. The two TRACERS satellites are designed to study the interaction of the Sun’s solar particles interact with the Earth’s magnetic field to better understand the impacts of solar activity on Earth. The mission is conducted through a partnership between NASA; the University of Iowa; the Southwest Research Institute; the University of New Hampshire; the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley; and the University of California, Los Angeles. The secondary payload(s) have not been announced for this mission as of May 15.
Updated: July 03
NET Late July Falcon 9 • Crew-11
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
SpaceX will launch its Falcon 9 rocket with a Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying three astronauts and a cosmonaut to begin a long-duration mission onboard the International Space Station. This will be the 11th crew rotation mission launched under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The mission will be led by NASA astronaut Zena Cardman, who will be making her first trip to space. She was previously assigned as the commander of the Crew-9 mission before NASA removed her and fellow NASA astronaut Stephanie Wilson to create space for NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams to return onboard the Dragon Freedom spacecraft. Cardman will be joined by fellow NASA astronaut Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov. Platonov will be making his first trip to space. This will be the fourth trip to the ISS for Fincke and the second for Yui.
Updated: July 03
NET August Ariane 6 • MetOp-SG A1 / Sentinel-5
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Europe’s Spaceport, Kourou, French Guiana
An Ariane 6 rocket from Arianespace will launch EUMETSAT’s MetOp-SG A1 (MetOp Second Generation) satellite to a polar orbit at an altitude of 832 km (517 mi). The satellite also carries the Copernicus Sentinel-5 satellite onboard. This is the first in a series of six satellites scheduled to be launched between now and 2040. These MetOp satellites weigh more than 4,000 kg (8,819 lbs) each and is about the size of a small truck. This will be the third launch of an Ariane 6 rocket.
Updated: July 03
Late Summer Falcon 9 • CRS-33
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Cargo Dragon spacecraft with thousands of pounds of science and supplies to the International Space Station. Its launch date is being driven by the launch of the SpaceX Crew-11 flight to the ISS, which is scheduled for late July or early August as of July 3, as well as the departure of Crew-10. The Dragon flying this mission will include a new propulsion system within the vehicle’s trunk that will allow it to perform a boost of the space station. This is a milestone in SpaceX’s development of the ISS Deorbit Vehicle, which will help slowly lower the orbit of the space station at the end of its functional life around the 2030/2031 timeframe.
Updated: July 03
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I’ll now take check-ins or comments
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.
10. 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
Jul 6
Jul 7
Jul 7
Jul 8
Jul 8
Jul 9
Jul 9
Jul 9
Jul 10
Jul 10