You’re listening to episode 7 of the Unity module. Here, I cover what’s been going on in the month of July. There’s a lot to go through, so let’s not dilly dally. It’s been a pretty interesting month, a lot has happened, but I cannot let this month pass without marking the single greatest accomplishment … Continue reading "CTL – 2-07"
You’re listening to episode 7 of the Unity module. Here, I cover what’s been going on in the month of July. There’s a lot to go through, so let’s not dilly dally. It’s been a pretty interesting month, a lot has happened, but I cannot let this month pass without marking the single greatest accomplishment … Continue reading "CTL – 2-07"
You’re listening to episode 7 of the Unity module. Here, I cover what’s been going on in the month of July. There’s a lot to go through, so let’s not dilly dally.
It’s been a pretty interesting month, a lot has happened, but I cannot let this month pass without marking the single greatest accomplishment that occurred almost five decades ago.
48 years ago this month, three men set off on the most exciting, most difficult, most dangerous venture mankind has ever embarked on. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 16th, 1969, aboard their Saturn V rocket, command module named Columbia. Four days later on July 20th, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, aboard the Lunar Module named Eagle, descended to the surface of the moon and became the first two humans to set foot on a celestial body other than the one they had been born on. 48 years ago, mankind accomplished what many thought to be impossible. Kennedy pledged we would go to the moon by the end of the decade in which he gave his famous speech. We did.
And after six successful landings, we haven’t been back since. We’re struggling to return, and there’s hope on the horizon, but a lot of things are uncertain. We have to be firm in our resolve. Space is not just a destination we must reach for. It’s where we come from. We are star stuff, and every time we make strides in extending our ability to survive in such a harsh environment, we get a little closer to finally going home. It is our purpose and our salvation. Carl Sagan once said “We are a way for the cosmos to know itself” and it could not be more true. We are part of the cosmos, and by exploring it, we explore what makes us human, what makes us part of the universe we live in. We must continue. We must go further. We must return from wince we came.
I encourage you to research the projects and technologies currently being developed, find out who your local, state, and federal politicians are and tell them you want them to invest in space, or even vote for someone who wants to do so. Armstrong has since passed. Aldrin still performs outreach to raise awareness and inspire others to get excited about traveling further. We’ve lost half of the extraordinary people who set foot on a distant celestial body. Let’s not lose -all- our Apollo astronauts before we return to deep space.
==FWIW Space News==
Space News for July 5th (this was a show bonus for the episode of FWIW released on June 25th)
• China’s second launch of Long March 5 declared a failure Link 1, Link 2
• Re-flown Dragon capsule returns to Earth after visiting ISS for 2nd time Link
• NASA has been exploring Mars continuously for 20 years Link
• Falcon 9 launch scrubs twice, launches on third attempt Link 1, Link 2
7-19-2017
• JAXA’s failed Hitomi astronomy satellite gets replacement approval, joint-venture between JAXA and NASALink
• New Mercury probe being prepped to go in the ‘pizza oven’ Link
• Soyuz lifts off with impressive 73 satellites as payload Link
• Juno sends back startling images of Jupiter, does close pass over Great Red Spot Link 1, Link 2
==Other space news==
• Experimental roll-out solar array jettisoned after successful deployment Link
• Chinese TV broadcast satellite reaches target orbit using on-board thrusters Link
• Dream Chaser undergoes tests in California Link
• SpaceX building in Florida catches fire Link 1, Link 2
• Sierra Nevada confirms first flight of Dream Chaser will be on Atlas V 552 Link
==Questions and Emails==
Twitter – CrisisAngelWolf
I just had a wonderful space conversation with my parents! My mom is wondering: “How did a comet become a comet?” Basically, how did an asteroid (or some space object) get hit hard enough to circle around our planet and also come back years later?
Email – Tatsu Aikuchi
One of my own personal interests would be the UK Space Agency, what they do, have done and what plans they have for the future. Also what exactly is this Skylon Spaceplane I’ve heard about?
==Upcoming Launches==
ALL LAUNCH DATES AND TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO THE NATURE OF ROCKETRY
August 1st – 9:58 pm EDT
Vega – Optsat 3000 & Venus – ZLV, Kourou, French Guiana
This will be a two satellite payload, the first being a high resolution recon satellite for the Italian military and the second being a French-Israeli environmental monitoring satellite that will also test an experimental plasma thruster
August 11 – 1am – 10am EDT
H-2A – Michibiki 3 – Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
Third member of four in a fleet of navigation satellites in Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite system
August 14 – 12:35 pm EDT
Falcon 9 – SpaceX CRS 12 – LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
14th dragon resupply spacecraft on the 12th operational cargo delivery mission to the ISS
August 20 – 7:56 am – 8:36am EDT
Atlas V 401 – TDRS M – SLC 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Latest addition to NASA’s TDRSS network (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System)
August 24 – 2:50 pm EDT (11:50 am PDT)
Falcon 9 – Formosat 5 – SLC 4E, Vandenberg AFB, California
Earth observing satellite for Taiwan’s National Space Organization – NSPO
August 25/26 – 11:15 pm – 3:15 am EDT
Minotaur 4 – ORS 5 – SLC 46, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Fifth addition to the U.S. Military’s Operationally Responsive Space program, specific satellite also known as SensorSat, designed to scan for other satellites and debris to help track objects in geosynchronous orbit.
No hard date
Some time in August
PSLV – IRNSS 1H – Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
Navigation satellite, the eighth in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System
Mid-2017
Electron – Flight 2 – Launch Complex 2 – Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Experimental second flight of the rocket, several commercial cubesats expected to be on board
==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: Junocam, Juno, NASA
==Keep looking up, space fans==