Space News thread

[S Landreth]

NASA cancels Artemis I launch attempt but delays roll back decision | Ars Technica

An article by Eric Berger on arstechnica about the issue. On sunday there needs to be a decision on how to proceed. Probably a rollback to the VAB, the building NASA built for assembling the Saturn V Moon rockets. For protecting SLS from the storm and for doing some urgent maintenance.

Even more interesting than the article are the comments. Usually there are a few people with a lot of knowledge there. Seems there are issues with the gigantic crawler, that's why they have not yet decided for roll back though there are many reasons for it.

One commenter said, best possible outcome, the crawler gets stuck on the way back to the VAB and the storm blows over the Artemis 1 SLS. I am an optimist but I don't think we can be that lucky.

Problems with SLS components already beyond their intended life time are increasing. That's why NASA wants to get SLS off to launch at any cost and risk. They declared the recent tanking test a success, when it really wasn't. If they can't launch now, by Oct. 1 or 2, there is even the possibility mentioned by commenters that they may have to scrap Artemis 1 completely.

That would be awful news.

__________

Weather Monitoring and Rollback Preparations Continue

September 25, 2022 9:11 pm

NASA continues to closely monitor the weather forecast associated with Tropical Storm Ian while conducting final preparations to allow for rolling back the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building.

Managers met Sunday evening to review the latest information on the storm from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Space Force, and the National Hurricane Center and decided to meet again Monday to allow for additional data gathering overnight before making the decision when to roll back. NASA continues to prioritize its people while protecting the Artemis I rocket and spacecraft system.

Artemis

moving the image update to the Gulf of Mexico (only can view during daylight hours)

Here’s the IR image that will update by itself also

[DrWilly]

Jupiter bright in the sky night. The closest it’s been to earth for 59 years.

[Edmond]

The whole Nasa Artemis mission doesn't sound too sound at all, to be honest.

A2 is supposed to be manned, go around the moon and take humans the farthest they've ever been from Earth.


I wouldn't fancy sitting on top of that monster rocket during countdown.

Jupiter bright in the sky night. The closest it’s been to earth for 59 years.

Noticed a bright planet a few nights ago that was too late in the night to be Venus, good to know, will whip out me telescope tonight, Man-Flu allowing. Cheers.

[S Landreth]

Tonight

NASA is about to crash a spacecraft into an asteroid

NASA is set to slam a spacecraft into a little asteroid on Monday evening in an attempt to redirect it.

Why it matters: The first-of-it-kind mission — called DART — marks the first true test of whether or not NASA will one day be able to push a potentially dangerous asteroid off a collision course with Earth if the need should ever arise.

• "It's quite frankly the first time that we are able to demonstrate that we have not only the knowledge of the hazards posed by these asteroids and comets that are left over from the formation of the solar system, but also have the technology that we could deflect one from a course inbound to impact the Earth," Lindley Johnson, planetary defense officer at NASA, said during a press conference last week.

What's happening: DART's target is Dimorphos, an asteroid moonlet circling the larger asteroid Didymos. (Neither of these asteroids pose a threat to Earth.)

• The probe is expected to collide with Dimorphos at 7:14pm ET on Monday.
• Scientists will use other telescopes to measure just how much the impact throws off Dimorphos' orbit around Didymos. The Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope will also keep eyes on the system to see if they can observe the impact.
• Mission managers should receive photos from the impactor as it makes its approach to Dimorphos up until it hits the asteroid.

The big picture: So far, city or planet destroying asteroids on collision courses with Earth have been relegated to blockbuster films.

• But it's possible one of those large space rocks could one day be found heading toward our planet.
• NASA's DART mission will provide key data to scientists and engineers about how to potentially scale up the technology to deflect an asteroid if it's ever needed.

You can watch it live on NASA TV here……

[S Landreth]

NASA to Roll Artemis I Rocket and Spacecraft Back to VAB Tonight

September 26, 2022 10:17 am

NASA will roll the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft back to the Vehicle Assembly Building on Monday, Sept. 26. First motion is targeted for 11 p.m. EDT.

Managers met Monday morning and made the decision based on the latest weather predictions associated with Hurricane Ian, after additional data gathered overnight did not show improving expected conditions for the Kennedy Space Center area. The decision allows time for employees to address the needs of their families and protect the integrated rocket and spacecraft system. The time of first motion also is based on the best predicted conditions for rollback to meet weather criteria for the move.

NASA has continued to rely on the most up to date information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Space Force, and the National Hurricane Center throughout its evaluations and continues to closely monitor conditions for the Kennedy area.

NASA continues to provide a live stream of the rocket and spacecraft on the launch pad.

Artemis

[S Landreth]

• NASA strikes asteroid with spacecraft in historic planetary defense mission

NASA on Monday successfully struck a tiny asteroid more than 7 million miles from Earth with a 1,000-pound spacecraft, completing the world’s first planetary defense mission.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft slammed into the asteroid Dimorphos at roughly 7:14 p.m. Eastern at a speed of more than 14,000 miles per hour.

It’s the first time humanity has ever purposefully struck an object in space. NASA and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory officials who have been working on the DART mission for years erupted into applause as soon as the spacecraft collided with Dimorphos.

DART first launched into space last November, so the mission’s success completes a 10-month flight toward Dimorphos.

Dimorphos is part of the binary asteroid system Didymos, which means twin in Greek. In its system, Dimorphos orbits the larger asteroid Didymos.

While neither Dimorphos nor Didymos posed a threat to Earth, the DART mission serves as a key test toward deflecting a future asteroid or space object that could threaten the planet.

NASA is holding a press conference at 8 p.m. to discuss DART’s impact with Dimorphos and the analysis of the event with ground telescopes.

__________

NASA - IMPACT SUCCESS! Watch from #DARTMIssion’s DRACO Camera, as the vending machine-sized spacecraft successfully collides with asteroid Dimorphos, which is the size of a football stadium and poses no threat to Earth. https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1574539270987173903

[misskit]

Awesome!

That asteroid looks suspiciously like it contains a space peanut.

[harrybarracuda]

It's going to be like one of those sci fi action movies.

FOX NEWS ALERT: "500 foot wide asteroid will impact New York City in hours...." etc.

The crater produced by the impact would be over a mile wide (1.6 km) and over 1,200-foot-deep (370 m).

[Takeovers]

So now we wait for NASA data on how much the trajectory of that asteroid was changed. BTW they targeted the smaller of a binary asteroid because that way they can quite easily detect even a miniscule change on how that smaller asteroid orbits the bigger one.

[DrWilly]

Awesome!

That asteroid looks suspiciously like it contains a space peanut.

As the data and images from DART are studied in the coming months, scientists will be able to tell us more about the surfaces of Didymos and Dimorphos. Before DART, scientists thought they might have surfaces similar to asteroids that have been visited by spacecraft, like asteroids Bennu and Ryugu. Both of these asteroids have extremely rough surfaces full of boulders of various sizes. They lack the fine-grained regolith, or loose, dust-rich outer material, that is seen on Earth’s Moon and on other asteroids.


https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/asteroids/didymos/in-depth/

[S Landreth]

Comforting to know, we now have a team of qualified people and proven equipment that will be able to bump the aim of space lasers off a bit.

__________

NASA Artemis 1 : Rolling back to VAB

[harrybarracuda]

Comforting to know, we now have a team of qualified people and proven equipment that will be able to bump the aim of space lasers off a bit.

Are they Jewish space lasers?

[Takeovers]

NASA is doing a study together with SpaceX on reboosting and possibly servicing the Hubble Space Telescope. The Polaris team of billionaire Jared Isaacman also involved. A Dragon can dock to Hubble and boost it to 600km altitude. Hubble was at that altitude and gradually drifted lower due to residual atmosphere at that altitude. Reboosting to 600km would increase life time of Hubble by ~20 years.

However the gyroscopes used to stabilize and point Hubble are degrading. There are 6 gyroscopes mounted on Hubble. 3 of them have already failed, 1 is seriously degraded, 2 are still operational but also nearing the end of their life. It would be very helpful to replace them in space walks. SpaceX Dragon can support space walks but not with NASA EVA suits. Those are too bulky to get out of and back into Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX has developed their own EVA suits that can be used. However at this point in time they are tethered to Dragon for life support.

The instruments of Hubble are still performing well and would be worth saving for a major mission extension, if it can be achieved at reasonable cost. Jared Isaacmans Polaris Dawn project might take part of the cost.

NASA and SpaceX are studying a Hubble telescope boost, adding 15 to 20 years of life | Ars Technica

BACK TO HUBBLE —

NASA and SpaceX are studying a Hubble telescope boost, adding 15 to 20 years of life

"It's doing great science as we speak."

Picture of a previous service mission using the Shuttle.

Nasa space watch

Participants include:


Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator, NASA’s Science Mission Directorate
Kathy Lueders, associate administrator, NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate
Jessica Jensen, vice president, customer operations and integration, SpaceX
Jared Isaacman, commercial astronaut and commander of Polaris Dawn
Patrick Crouse, Hubble Space Telescope project manager, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

[Edmond]

Just a moment...

Juno is doing the closest flyby of Europa in 22 years.

Good images, diagrams and info in the link.

[malmomike77]

^ nice, the deathstar could do with a refurb tho

[Takeovers]

Juno is doing the closest flyby of Europa in 22 years.

Good images, diagrams and info in the link.

Good one.

An initial photo from the flyby, more and better edited to come.

I like to point out occasionally, that the camera taking these photos was added as an afterthought, just for public consumption. Using a slightly modified off the shelf commercial camera. That camera was expected to be destroyed on the first Jupiter flyby by the powerful radiation belt of Jupiter. Good thing the camera did not know that and is still performing perfectly after a long mission and many flybys.

[S Landreth]

• NASA planetary defense mission successfully disrupted asteroid's orbit

NASA successfully disrupted the orbit of an asteroid in a mission last month that tested a strategy to defend against a potential asteroid headed toward Earth, the agency said on Tuesday.

"This is a watershed moment for planetary defense and a watershed moment for humanity," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said on Tuesday.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test spacecraft, or DART, collided with an asteroid on Sept. 26 after traveling roughly 7 million miles to reach its point of impact.

On the receiving end of that collision was Dimorphos, a small asteroid that is the moon of a bigger space rock, Didymos.

NASA confirmed that the collision changed the trajectory of Dimorphos by comparing the length of its orbit before and after impact, Nelson said.

Before impact, it took Dimorphos 11 hours and 55 minutes to complete its orbit around Didymos. After impact, the orbit took 32 fewer minutes, Nelson said.

"It was expected to be huge success if it only slowed by 10 minutes," Nelson said. "It was a bull's eye."

At the moment of impact, the refrigerator-sized DART spacecraft was traveling at 13,000 mph, Nelson said.

Asteroid Dimorphos, which NASA said is the size of a football stadium, does not pose a threat to the planet, in this case. But the mission aimed to test technologies that could prevent a potentially catastrophic asteroid impact.

Dimorphos, which means "having two forms" in Greek, spans 525 feet or 160 meters in diameter.

The results from the mission show that this technique could be used to deflect a future asteroid headed toward Earth, Nelson said.

"All of us have a responsibility to protect our home planet," Nelson said. "After all, it's the only one we have."

"This mission shows that NASA is trying to be ready for whatever the universe throws at us," he said.

Giorgio Saccoccia, the president of the Italian Space Agency, a partner on the mission, celebrated its success.

"This is something we can really be proud of as an international endeavor," he said. "I think our planet can feel a bit more safe for the future."

[Takeovers]

Tomorrow there will be a Falcon Heavy launch, the first after June 2019. There seem to be very few launches that need that high launch capacity.

Falcon Heavy | USSF-44
LZ-2 LZ-1
Tue Nov 1, 2022 14:41 MEZ 8:41PM Thai time
LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA

I will add a link to the YouTube launch video when it becomes available. Well worth watching, because the flight has the 2 side boosters returning to the launch site and landing at the Cape in Florida at the LZ-1 and LZ2 landing pads a few minute after launch. The center core will be expended.

[Takeovers]

Link to the YouTube launch video Falcon Heavy | USSF-44

[Takeovers]

BTW, there is a 24/7 live stream of the Cape by NSF forum. You can already see the FH launch vehicle vertical on the pad.



Usually you can see the whole LC-39A pad, including the new ground infrastructure being built to launch Starship. Right now they are zooming in on FH.

[Takeovers]

Launch was successful, both side cores landed back as planned. I did notice that they flew sightly different trajectories, so did not land exactly at the same time. At the first launch they came in almost perfectly synchronized.

The mission is not over yet. The payloads go directly to GEO at 36,000km altitude, equatorial. So they go into LEO first, then coast ~20 minutes until they reach the equator. Then the second stage fires up again into a transfer orbit to GEO. Then there is a coast time of ~6 hours until they reach GEO altitude, then another burn to circularize. The Falcon second stage had to be modified so it can relight after such a long coast time, not an easy modification. Usually the final burn is much sooner. Reaching circular GEO takes about the same performance as sending a payload off to Mars.

So it will be a while until we get info for complete mission success.

BTW after some early failures SpaceX has now executed more consecutive successful launches than the total number of launches done by ULA.

[OhOh]

China Space Station's third and final module Mengtian docks with orbiting combination


By Deng Xiaoci

and Fan Wei Published: Nov 01, 2022 09:07 PM

" The Mengtian lab module - the third and final part of the three-module China Space Station's basic structure - made a rendezvous and docked with the Tianhe space station core module at 4:27 am on Tuesday, about 13 hours after being launched, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The new space lab module docked with the Tianhe at the core module's forward docking port in a steady and highly precise fashion. Next, the Mengtian module will execute a transposition in orbit, and join with earlier modules - the Tianhe core module and Wentian lab module - to complete the T-shape structure for the China Space Station, read a statement the CMSA provided to the Global Times on Tuesday.

"Only when the three modules complete their assembly and form the T-shape structure in orbit, can we declare that we have achieved all preset goals. Only when they complete the T-shape basic structure, can the power supply, information and thermal control systems deliver their best performances and support relatively larger experiments," Bai Linhou, deputy chief designer from the space station system at the China Academy of Spacecraft Technology (CAST), told the Global Times, explaining why the feat was of great significance in the overall building of the China Space Station."

China Space Station's third and final module Mengtian docks with orbiting combination - Global Times

[Takeovers]

A very good video of the side boosters landing. It is wide angle unlike many professional videos that zoom in and follow the rocket. That way you see much better, how fast they come in and brake only very close to the ground. Looks dramatic, like they are going to crash.

https://twitter.com/Stuck4ger/status...46533724803072

BTW, he was asked by FOX if they can use his footage.

FOX Weather Assignment Desk
@FOXWeatherDesk
·
1. Nov.
Antwort an
@Stuck4ger
und
@SpaceX
Hi, Did you take this video? can we have permission to use on Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, Fox Nation, Fox Weather and all Fox News Edge affiliates across all platforms until further notice with courtesy to you? Do we also need anyone else’s permission?

Forger Stucky
@Stuck4ger
Antwort an
@FOXWeatherDesk
und
@SpaceX
Yes, I took the video but I don’t want it shared on
@Fox
because I don’t want a simple factual video to somehow be associated with heavily biased news.

But later he released it to all news outlets.

[Takeovers]

Do you know Thales Alenia space? I just looked a bit into them. I have been aware, that they built several of the ISS pressure vessel modules, both for NASA and ESA in Italy. In total they build over 50% of the ISS habitable volume. Given that part is from the Soviet Union/Russia, they have built the large majority of the non Russian volume.

I just found out they did more than that. They also built the Cupola, the most loved part of the ISS, where astronauts spend much of their free time besides work they have to do there. It provides a spectacular view on Earth and the surrounding of the ISS, like approaching spacecraft.

[Takeovers]

Thales Alenia also built the pressure vessel of the ESA ATV vehicle that did supply runs to the ISS. Besides the russian Progress vehicle it was the one that could provide propellant for ISS maneuvering. ATV was terminated because NASA did not want it any more, making them totally dependent on Roskosmos for ISS maneuvering.

They also build the pressure vessel of the US Cygnus spacecraft that transports cargo to the ISS and takes garbage off the ISS, burning it on reentry into the Earth atmosphere.

Cygnus spacecraft