This is episode 8 of the Unity module. This is the twelfth episode of the show. Ya know what that means? Next month will be the one year anniversary of Committed to Launch! Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep it going this long, and here we are, one year in! Hopefully … Continue reading "CTL – 2-08"
This is episode 8 of the Unity module. This is the twelfth episode of the show. Ya know what that means? Next month will be the one year anniversary of Committed to Launch! Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep it going this long, and here we are, one year in! Hopefully … Continue reading "CTL – 2-08"
This is episode 8 of the Unity module. This is the twelfth episode of the show. Ya know what that means? Next month will be the one year anniversary of Committed to Launch! Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to keep it going this long, and here we are, one year in! Hopefully you all have been enjoying me prattle on and make lame jokes (when I could work them in).
I’ve been trying to play around with the format a little bit, so I’m going to try something a little different. Instead of breaking the news up into ‘this was on FWIW on this date and this is the stuff that didn’t make the cut’, I’m going to try organizing things into blocks based on the kind of news, and I’ll just tag each story with if and when it was in FWIW. Let me know if you like this format better.
EDIT: I derped and forgot to tag individual stories as “this was on FWIW” in the actual recording. I’ll try to remember that next time. For now, you can see which ones appeared in FWIW here in the notes. Sorry about that.
==Astronomy==
• NASA’s wishlist for next generation space telescope -FWIW 8-3-2017- Link
• NASA considering privatizing Spitzer space telescope Link
• Gravitational waves detected in the Sun’s interior -FWIW 8-16-2017- Link
• CREAM – Cosmic ray observer launched on Dragon arrives at station Link
==Earth Science==
• Solar Eclipse across America Link 1, Link 2
• Hurricane Harvey drenches Houston, forces JSC closure, essential crew only for ISS ops Link 1, Link 2
==Planetary Science==
• Opportunity rover gets a glimpse of “Perseverance Valley” -FWIW 8-3-2017- Link
• New Horizons on its way to its next target, which might be a binary pair -FWIW 8-16-2017- Link
• Cassini discovers compound in Titan’s atmosphere that could be the beginnings of organic life, enters final month of its mission -FWIW 8-16-2017- Link 1, Link 2
• @CrisisAngelWolf asks “What was Cassini’s mission?”
==Launches and Rocketry==
• SpaceX kills plans for propulsive landings on Dragon 2 -FWIW 8-3-2017- Link 1, Link 2
• ULA sells Atlas V launch to commercial lunar lander Link
• SES signs up for another flight-proven booster -FWIW 8-16-2017- Link
• SpaceX launches CRS 12, Dragon arrives at station, first stage lands at LZ-1 – FWIW 8-16-2017 – Link 1, Link 2
• Next Cygnus launch delayed until November Link
• SpaceX cancels Red Dragon until better landing method can be determined Link
• Atlas V delivers TDRS-M to orbit Link
• SpaceX successfully launches Taiwanese satellite from Vandenberg Link
• Cold-war era rocket, Minotaur IV, launches debris tracking satellite for the US military Link 1, Link 2
==International==
• 10th flight of lightweight Vega launcher -FWIW 8-3-2017- Link
• Japan’s H-2A grounded by propulsion system issues, successfully launches after week-long delay -FWIW 8-16-2017- Link 1, Link 2
• ESA’s Mars Express conducts geological surveys, studies evidence of volcanic past Link
• Israeli satellite manufacturer finds demand for earth observing satellites Link
• ESA developing pioneering sun-observing probe to create artificial solar eclipses Link
• India’s PSLV rocket fails to put payload into orbit, fairing fails to deploy Link
==Questions & Listener Discussion==
• Guardian sends Reddit post found on Wholesome Meme about Curiosity and the fact that it can sing to itself Link
• CrisisAngelWolf asks “What does it take to get into space? What training does it take?” Link
• And asks “How far away are Saturn’s rings from the planet itself?” Link
==Upcoming Launches==
ALL LAUNCH DATES AND TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO THE NATURE OF ROCKETRY
Sept. 5 – 5:51-6:24 p.m. EDT
Ariane 5 • Intelsat 37e & BSAT 4a – ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana
Arianespace will launch Intelsat 37e and BSAT 4a communications satellites. Intelsat 37e is part of Intelsat’s “Epic” fleet, providing broadband, video and mobile communications services. BSAT 4a will provide digital broadcast services over Japan, including 4K/8K Ultra HD services, for Broadcasting Satellite System Corp.
Sept. 6 – Time TBD
Long March 2D • VRSS 2 – Jiuquan, China
China will launch the second Venezuelan Remote Sensing Satellite, or VRSS 2. This is an Earth observing satellite for the Venezuelan government. The data it collects will be for scientific research, national security and disaster response applications.
Sept. 7 – Time TBD
Falcon 9 • OTV-5 – LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
This is the first time the Falcon 9 will be used to launch the Air Force’s “Orbital Test Vehicle” the X-37b spaceplane. It will be the spaceplane’s 5th operational mission. SpaceX will attempt a landing at LZ-1.
Sept. 9 – Time TBD
Proton • Amazonas 5 – Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
International Launch Services will deploy the Amazonas 5 communications satellite. It will provide broadband, television, corporate network and other telecommunications services over Mexico, Central America and South America for Hispasat of Madrid. The Proton will operate with a Breeze-M upper stage.
Sept. 12 – 5:17 p.m. EDT
Soyuz • ISS 52S – Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Two American astronauts, Mark Vande Hei and Joseph Acaba, as well as one Russian Cosmonaut, Alexander Misurkin, will launch to join Expedition 53 currently underway on the ISS, then transfer to Expedition 54 later this year.
Sept. 14 – Time TBD
Atlas 5 • NROL-42 – SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
United Launch Alliance will launch a classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket will fly in the 541 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, four solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage.
Sept. 22 – Time TBD
Soyuz • Glonass M – Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia
Roscosmos will launch a Glonass M navigation satellite. This will be a Soyuz 2-1b configuration with a Fregat upper stage.
~Sept. 27 – Time TBD
Falcon 9 • SES 11/EchoStar 105 – Cape Canaveral, Florida
SpaceX will launch the SES-11/EchoStar 105 hybrid communications satellite to replace the AMC-15 and AMC-18 satellites. This will be the third time SpaceX has used a flight proven first stage.
Sept. 28 – Time TBD
Atlas 5 • NROL-52 – SLC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
United Launch Alliance will launch a classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket will fly in the 421 vehicle configuration with a four-meter fairing, two solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage.
Sept. 28 – 1850 GMT (2:50 p.m. EDT)
Proton • AsiaSat 9 – Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
International Launch Services Proton will launch the AsiaSat 9 communications satellite. It will provide additional capacity, enhanced power and coverage for direct broadcast, video distribution, private networks and broadband services across the Asia-Pacific region for AsiaSat of Hong Kong.
==Closing==
All of the administrations and organizations mentioned have accounts on various social media platforms in case you’re interested in learning more.
If space news once a month isn’t enough:
Space news segments on FWIW which posts every two weeks
Youtube
• TMRO
• Epic Future Space
• Vintage Space
• Scott Manley
• SciShow Space
The majority of the information provided in this show comes from SpaceFlightNow.com.
Email: Show AT CommittedToLaunch DOT com
Twitter @LaunchCommit
Image credit: Ronan Donovan
==Keep looking up, space fans==