Welcome to Episode 4 of the Unity module. It’s been an interesting month, so let’s go ahead and jump on in. ==FWIW Space News== 4-12-2017 • Spacewalkers improvise a solution when a valuable micrometeroid cover floats away, Peggy Whitson breaks record – Link 1 – Link 2 • Veteran satellite retired by NASA – Link …Continue reading"CTL – 2-04"
Welcome to Episode 4 of the Unity module. It’s been an interesting month, so let’s go ahead and jump on in. ==FWIW Space News== 4-12-2017 • Spacewalkers improvise a solution when a valuable micrometeroid cover floats away, Peggy Whitson breaks record – Link 1 – Link 2 • Veteran satellite retired by NASA – Link … Continue reading"CTL – 2-04"
Welcome to Episode 4 of the Unity module. It’s been an interesting month, so let’s go ahead and jump on in.
==FWIW Space News==
4-12-2017
• Spacewalkers improvise a solution when a valuable micrometeroid cover floats away, Peggy Whitson breaks record – Link 1 – Link 2
• Veteran satellite retired by NASA – Link
• NASA and Roscosmos to decide soon on extending service of ISS – Link
• Elon Musk speaks with renewed interest in recovery and reuse of Falcon 9 second stage – Link
4-26-2017
• Atlas V Launches S.S. John Glenn into orbit to resupply ISS, Cygnus vehicle arrives at ISS, and George Diller calls his last mission with this launch – Link 1 – Link 2 – Video Tribute
• Two new crew members arrive at the ISS aboard Soyuz – Link
• Cassini continues to amaze and astonish: discoveries that raise prospects for life on Jovian and Saturnian moons, photos of Saturn’s moon Atlas, and final flyby of Titan – Link 1 – Link 2 – Link 3 – Cassini’s Grand Finale Animation
• China’s Tianzhou 1 cargo freighter successfully docks with Tiangong 2 – Link
• Operations resume in French Guiana after protests conclude – Link
==Other space news==
• Brexit calls into question UK’s continued role in the European Space Agency – Link
• SpaceX performs static test fire prior to Sunday launch, scrubbed due to faulty sensor, succeeds 24 hours later – Link 1 – Link 2 – Link 3 – SpaceX NROL-76 Launch Webcast
• Blue Origin preparing for BE-4 test firings to validate engine for use on Vulcan – Link
• NASA aims to launch WFIRST sometime in 2025, but is hoping to keep an eye on the cost – Link
==Upcoming Launches==
ALL LAUNCH DATES AND TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO THE NATURE OF ROCKETRY
May 1 – 7:15am edt
Falcon 9 – NROL-76 – LC-29A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Classified payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, a first for SpaceX
May 4 – 4:31-7:19 pm edt
Ariane 5 – SGDC & Koreasat 7 – ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana
A delayed launch of the SGDC and Koreasat 7 from French Guiana due to protests. These are both communications satellites, one providing military and civilian communications for the Brazil, and the other providing telecommunications services for Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, and India
May 5 – 7:37am edt
GSLV Mk.2 – GSAT 9 – Satish Dhawan Space Center Sriharikota. India
GSAT 9 is a communications satellite providing service for India and neighboring countries
May 15 – 7:20-8:10 pm edt
Falcon 9 – Inmarsat 5 F4 – LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Communications satellite for Inmarsat of London, the fourth in the Global Xpress network, originally meant to fly on the falcon heavy
May 18 – time TBD
Soyuz – SES 15 – ELS, Sinnamary, French Guiana
SES 15 is a communications satellite that will provide in-flight internet services for airline passengers, support government, networking, and maritime users for North America, as well as enhance airline navigation and safety
May 29 – time TBD
Proton – EchoStar 21 – Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Proton rocket with a Breeze M upper stage will launch EchoStar 21, a comms satellite that will provide mobile broadband over Europe
May 31 – Approx. 5:30 pm edt
Falcon 9 – SpaceX CRS 11 – LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
The 13th Dragon spacecraft on the 11th operational cargo mission to the ISS.
May 31/June 1 – 8:20pm edt May 31
H-2A – Michibiki 2 – Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
Mihibiki 2 is a navigation spacecraft, the second of four planned for Japan’s Quasi-Zenith satellite system, which will provide regional navigation services over Japan and neighboring countries
May – time and date TBD
PSLV – Cartosat 2E – Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
High resolution earth observation satellite with a collection of smaller secondary payloads
==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
==Keep looking up, space fans==