Space News thread

[harrybarracuda]

Philae's last resting place found....



BERLIN (AP) -- Europe's Rosetta space probe has located its lost Philae lander, wedged in a "dark crack" on a comet, the European Space Agency said Monday.

Rosetta's camera finally captured images on Friday of the lander on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, weeks before the probe's own mission ends, the agency said . The pictures showing the lander's body and two of its three legs were taken as Rosetta passed within 1.7 miles of the surface.

After being launched in 2004, Rosetta took 10 years to accelerate and catch up with comet 67P. In November 2014 it released Philae, achieving the first landing of a spacecraft on a comet.

Philae bounced after its initial touchdown and its precise location on the comet couldn't be pinned down until now, though its general vicinity was known.

After sending data to Earth for three days its battery ran out and it went into hibernation, only to recharge enough as the comet came closer to the sun to communicate briefly with Rosetta in mid-2015.

ESA plans to crash Rosetta into the comet Sept. 30, because the probe is unlikely to survive lengthy hibernation in orbit as the comet heads away from the sun.

Data from Rosetta and Philae have already improved scientists' understanding of the nature of comets and the role they played in the early universe. Analyzing the data fully is expected to keep researchers busy for years.

"We were beginning to think that Philae would remain lost forever," said Patrick Martin, ESA's Rosetta mission manager. "It is incredible we have captured this at the final hour."

Rosetta project scientist Matt Taylor said that locating Philae provides missing information "needed to put Philae's three days of science into proper context."

Lost comet lander Philae spotted by Rosetta probe, in last month before demolition - Mercury News

[bobo746]

The Soyuz TMA-20M spacecraft capsule carrying International Space Station (ISS) crew, comprised of Jeff Williams of the U.S. and Oleg Skripochka and Alexey Ovchinin of Russia, lands near the town of Zhezkazgan (Dzhezkazgan), Kazakhstan, on September 7, 2016

[BaitongBoy]

Is that a "normal" landing?...Looks kinda "hot"...

[Takeovers]

Is that a "normal" landing?...Looks kinda "hot"...

I have never seen it like this, good shot. But yes, it is a normal landing. There are a few thruster pods that fire just a moment before landing in a very short burst to reduce the landing impact. Astronauts who landed in Soyuz described the firing as like being hit in the behind by a horse. Followed by a second horse hit when landing just a moment later.

[BaitongBoy]

Bet there's some sphincter-tightening upon approach...

Thanks for the explanation, TO...

[Latindancer]

Clean up the mess on the pod bay floor, please HAL.

[Takeovers]

Here a photo of the Soyuz seat during training of a new crew.




The Soyuz launch and landing capsule is tiny, three people barely fit in. But the Soyuz spaceship has an orbital module too which gives a lot more space while on the way to the ISS.

From left to right the orbital module the Soyuz capsule for landing and the service module providing propulsion and energy. The service module must be gone before atmosphere reentry or the crew is dead. It always worked. The orbital module must be gone too, however it happened that it did not separate, making the reentry very, very uncomfortable but eventually it shakes lose and the crew did survive the few incidents where it happened.

[BaitongBoy]

Interesting...Thanks...

[Takeovers]

Live on CCTV news ongoing reports of the imminent launch of the first module of their planned new space station Tiangong-2. Launch is expected in about two hours. Can be watched on:

Sina Visitor System

or

https://youtube.com/watch?v=wuzZYzSoEEU

[Takeovers]

They mentioned that they will use an international docking adapter which will allow other nations to dock at their station.

They mentioned APAS but I wonder if they misspoke and meant to say the newest standard IDA. Edit: I just learned that they indeed use APAS, a predecssor of IDA but are working on adapting it to be an IDA.

They mention they are very proud of their progress and hope to one day do something in space first. As of now they are doing things others have done before.

[Takeovers]

They just mentioned that production of food is tested in space. The USA did the Veggie experiment at the ISS producing lattuce.

China will test growing rice at Tiangong-2. "We are Chinese after all".

[Takeovers]

Successful launch of the first Tiangong-2 module into its orbit. Initial process completed with the solar panels unfolding, giving the module the power needed for normal operation.

Absolutely amazing how launches can be reported today with a number of cameras on the rocket. Views on the first stage engines firing. Views on the second stage firing. Views on the payload inside the fairing. All reported live.

The orbit is at 380km altitude. Simiar to the altitude of the ISS. At this altitude there is still some air braking the module so ocasionally orbit raising maneuvers are necessary. But much less frequent so less costly in fuel than at lower altitudes like the one the ISS had for a long time before it was raised.

[Latindancer]

Meanwhile the first one is going to fall out of the sky and maybe bean someone :


China's Tiangong-1 space station 'out of control' and will crash to Earth

https://www.theguardian.com/science/...crash-to-earth

[Luigi]

Someone's going to get a good light show.

And possibly a bump on the head.

[Takeovers]

A risk does exist, true. But it is really very small. Tiangong-1 can come down everywhere. It has most of the planet as a potential landing site. The Shuttle Columbia had a lot more mass reaching the ground in many pieces and over the USA. Yet it did not do any apreciable damage.

Targeted deorbit is better but there are many second stages up there that will one day enter and they have at least as many pieces that can reach the ground. So this is not unusual.

The ISS is much more massive. It will be reentered under controlled conditions, most likely somewhere in the South Pacific which is vast and empty.

[Takeovers]

Some pictures from the MRO - Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter with its HiRISE high resolution camera.

The dark streaks are flows of brines, very high salt content water that is temporarily stable during Mars spring and summer. A very recent discovery but now known as very wide spread on Mars. One was suspected very near the Curiosity rover. But it was decided not to approach it because Curiosity is not very thoroughly sterilized and there is fear if it gets near water it may contaminate the local environment.






I just love those dune structures found in many craters.



A trench formed by a lava tunnel from ancient volcanic activity. Over long time the roof of the tunnel broke down. The blue is basaltic lava, not water. Actually it is grey but the spectral range of the camera that exceeds the spectral range of the human eye makes it look blue.



There are still many such lava tubes that have not broken down yet. It is a popular idea that such lava tubes could be sealed and used as habitats for human settlers. It would provide wide open spaces for people to move around and use without needing spacesuits. I would like that such structures would be surveyed very thoroughly by geologists before they are settled. A major breakdown could kill the whole population. Still an attractive thought to be outside in a wide area without spacesuit.

[misskit]

^ Those pics need some wooden pallets or people standing around for scale.

Lava tubes are large enough for a dormitory, a village, or what?

[Takeovers]

^ Those pics need some wooden pallets or people standing around for scale.

Lava tubes are large enough for a dormitory, a village, or what?

The resolution of those photos is about 1,7m/pixel. You would not be able to see people, they are too small.

Big lava tubes would be big enough to house large cities with millions of people. There must be smaller ones as well.

[Luigi]

An Announcement from NASA about Europa is due today.

Suspected to be Hubble viewing water plumes from a subsurface ocean.

http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/25/13...asa?yptr=yahoo

Of course, it is one of the 3 most likely places for life to exist in our solar system other than Earth, along with Enceldus (suspected water based subsurface ocean) and possibly even Titan (some sort of methane based life) both moons of Saturn.

[Takeovers]

I am excited about this too. Actually we can probably expect two missions. One orbiter that orbits Jupiter in a way that it can observe Europa well. One mission with a lander. Both utilizing the NASA SLS Space Launch System which is expected to have its maiden flight in 2018 - maybe.

[Luigi]

^ Any inside knowledge of what the announcement might be? My uneducated guess would be some sort of water plume. Not sure what time they're scheduled to announce it.

[Takeovers]

^ Any inside knowledge of what the announcement might be? My uneducated guess would be some sort of water plume. Not sure what time they're scheduled to announce it.

Not really.

I got to admit I did not read your post properly. I thougt it is some announcement of coming missions. My mind is presently too preoccupied with the SpaceX Raptor engine and the big announcement expected tomorrow.

[kingwilly]

^ Those pics need some wooden pallets or people standing around for scale.

Lava tubes are large enough for a dormitory, a village, or what?

A lava tube in Hawaii

[Takeovers]

I did a little reading on the coming announcement. No leaks to indicate what it is. So we will have to wait for a few hours. Speculaton goes all to more about ice plumes. Only one direct info from NASA. They say it is NOT about aliens.

[Luigi]

Yeah, that was their initial announcement last week.

"Nasa announcement about Europa coming on Monday.

Spoiler: It isn't aliens."