Weekly Spacecraft Mission News (English, German) – 07.11.19

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Rogosin weist Bau zweier zusätzlicher Sojus-Raumschiffe an – Reaktion auf Bitten der NASA

Der Chef der GK Roskosmos, Dmitri Rogosin, hat die Freigabe der Mittel für zwei zusätzliche Sojus-Raumschiffe angeordnet. Sie würden unter anderem auch gebaut, um den Amerikanern zu helfen, deren Raumschiffe Crew Dragon und Starliner nicht vor 2021 zur Verfügung stünden.

Why Mars Base Tech Should Be Tested on the Moon First

The coming generation of moon explorers should consider using lunar habitats as a test bed for future Mars missions, said a representative from the French space agency.

How Japan’s Hayabusa2 Stuck Its Landings on the Boulder-Strewn Asteroid Ryugu

Hayabusa2’s team — despite encountering a rockier surface than expected — made flawless touchdowns twice on an asteroid. Yet there are no plans for a “Hayabusa3,” at least right now.

There’s Something Strange Going On Inside Neptune

Are planetary burps to blame?

A decade probing the Sun

Ten years ago, a small satellite carrying 17 new devices, science instruments and technology experiments was launched into orbit, on a mission to investigate our star and the environment that it rules in space.

NASA wertet Startabbruch-Test von Starliner als „sehr gelungen“

Die US-Luft- und Raumfahrtbehörde NASA hat den unbemannten Startabbruch-Test des Starliners von Boeing am Montag als „sehr gelungen“ bewertet. Obwohl sich einer der drei Fallschirme der Mannschaftskabine nicht geöffnet habe, sei diese sanft gelandet, sagte ein Kommentator.

NASA’s Voyager Spacecraft May Have 5 Years Left to Explore Interstellar Space

The twin Voyager probes are the ultimate spaceflight overachievers, but everyone knows their run can’t last forever.

Boeing Tests Starliner Spacecraft’s Launch Abort System for Rocket Emergencies

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner crewed vehicle aced a crucial safety test this morning in the New Mexico desert.

Boeing Tests Starliner Capabilities to Escape Dangerous Pad Conditions

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner crewed vehicle aced a crucial safety test this morning in the New Mexico desert.

A Journey to Mars Starts on the Space Station

NASA is looking for ways to make a visit to the International Space Station a little more like a voyage to Mars.

NASA peilt Serie von Langzeitflügen in der ISS an

Die US-Luft- und Raumfahrtbehörde NASA peilt eine ganze Reihe von Langzeitflügen in der Internationalen Raumstation ISS an. Dafür würden rund 10 Astronauten vorbereitet, teilte die NASA-Expertin Julie Robinson auf einer wissenschaftlichen Konferenz in San Francisco mit. Derzeit stehe man mit den Russen in Kontakt, um herauszufinden, ob die auch […]

NASA Wants 10 More Yearlong Space Station Stints to Prep for Mars

NASA will shake things up a bit in low Earth orbit to get ready for the giant leap to Mars.

Station Crew Readies for Japan, U.S. Cargo Missions

A Japanese cargo craft is preparing to end its mission at the International Space Station, as a U.S. resupply ship stands ready to launch to the orbiting lab. The Expedition 61 crew is gearing up for the space traffic while also staying fresh on station emergency procedures.

Japanischer Frachter von der ISS abgedockt und verglüht

Der japanische Frachter HTV-8 hat am Sonntag nach vier Wochen Gemeinschaftsflug von der Internationalen Raumstation ISS abgedockt. Er wurde gezielt über dem Pazifik zum Absturz gebracht und ist in den dichten Schichten der Atmosphäre verglüht, teilte die Nachrichtenagentur Kyodo mit. Das unbemannte Raumschiff hatte am 29. September […]

US-Frachter Cygnus auf dem Weg zur ISS

in US-Frachtraumschiff mit rund vier Tonnen Nachschub an Bord ist auf dem Weg zur Internationalen Raumstation ISS. Cygnus stieg am Samstag um 14.59 Uhr deutscher Zeit an der Spitze einer zweistufigen Antares-Trägerrakete vom Weltraumbahnhof Wallops Island (Virginia) auf. Die Ankopplung an die Station ist für Montag […]

Solar Arrays Deployed, Cygnus Powered Up for Space Delivery

The solar arrays have successfully deployed on Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft that is on its way to deliver about 8,200 pounds of science and research, crew supplies, and hardware to the International Space Station. This is the company’s 12th contracted cargo resupply mission with NASA.

U.S. Cygnus Cargo Ship Reaches Orbit for Monday Delivery

On the anniversary of the arrival of the first crew members to live aboard the International Space Station, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus resupply spacecraft is on its way to the station with nearly 8,200 pounds of science investigations and cargo after launching at 9:59 a.m. EDT Saturday, Nov. 2 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. At the time of lift off, the International Space Station was traveling over the south Atlantic southwest of Cape Town, South Africa, at an altitude of 257 statute miles.

Space Cookie Oven and Rodents Launch to Space on Powerful Antares Rocket

A space cookie oven launched with rodents to space today (Nov. 2) aboard the most powerful Antares rocket ever built.

Cygnus Resupply Ship Attached to Unity for Cargo Operations

After its capture this morning at 4:10 a.m. EST, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was bolted into place on the International Space Station’s Earth-facing port of the Unity module at 6:21 a.m. At the time of installation, Cygnus was flying over the south Pacific.

Astronaut Jessica Meir and Christina Koch Capture Cygnus with Station’s Robotic Arm

At 4:10 a.m. EST, Expedition 61 NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch of NASA used the International Space Station’s robotic Canadarm2 to grapple the Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft as NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan monitored Cygnus systems during its approach. Next, ground controllers will command the station’s arm to rotate and install Cygnus, dubbed the S.S. Alan Bean, on the bottom of the station’s Unity module.

Cargo load

The latest resupply mission includes over 4 tonnes of science experiments, crew supplies, and station hardware. It also crucially includes components essential for the series of spacewalks taking place this month.

Astronauts Unload U.S. Resupply Ship to Continue Advanced Space Research

A new U.S. resupply ship is open for business and the Expedition 61 crew has begun unloading over four tons of new science experiments and station hardware. Two astronauts are also studying advanced repair techniques for a cosmic particle detector attached the International Space Station.

NASA Wants a New Space Telescope to Hunt Asteroids That May Threaten Earth

The pace of finding threatening near-Earth objects is slowing, so the community is looking forward to a new space telescope to help in its quest to locate 90% of all city-threatening worlds.

South Africa Beefing Up Space Weather Expertise

South Africa’s space agency has existed for just eight years, but the country wants to tackle a crucial challenge in satellite technology: understanding space weather.

NASA Eyes a Possible Return to Pluto, with a Longer Stay

NASA is thinking about going back to Pluto, this time to stay for a while.

Juno Snaps Dazzling Images As It Prepares to Jump Jupiter’s Shadow

While readying itself to jump Jupiter’s shadow, NASA’s Juno spacecraft continues to capture the beauty of our distant, gaseous neighbor.

Voyager 2’s Trip to Interstellar Space Deepens Some Mysteries Beyond Our Solar System

Humanity’s second taste of interstellar space may have raised more questions than it answered.

Voyager 2: Daten zeigen überraschend scharfe Grenze zum interstellaren Raum

Vor einem Jahr tauchte die NASA-Raumsonde Voyager 2 in den interstellaren Raum ein. Dabei gesammelte Messdaten der Passage zeigen Überraschendes.

‘Improbable Planet’ Somehow Survives Being Swallowed by Red Giant Star

Scientists have discovered a “survivalist” planet that shouldn’t exist orbiting a pulsating star.

Spitzer Telescope Spots a Ghoulish Gourd

Look closer to see why scientists studying this distant cloud of dust and gas think it resembles a cosmic jack-o’-lantern.

CASIS Quarterly Reports To NASA Are Now Online at NASAWatch

Keith’s note: Over the past few years I have submitted regular FOIA requests to NASA HQ for documents related to how NASA and CASIS interact with one another. Specifically I asked for the quarterly reports submitted by CASIS to NASA. Below is a collection of these reports. For the most part they are un-redacted. Sometimes they are – alas the redactions are not consistent over the entire

Mars Society Founder Makes Case for ‘Mars Direct’ Path to the Red Planet

Both SpaceX and NASA have ideas about how to get humans to the Red Planet, but the founder of the Mars Society says there’s a better way to do it.

China startet erfolgreich drei Satelliten

China hat am Sonntag erfolgreich drei Satelliten ins All geschossen. Die Trägerrakete des Typs Langer Marsch-4-B sei vom Weltraumbahnhof Taiyuan in der Nordprovinz Shanxi aufgestiegen, meldet die Pekinger Nachrichtenagentur Xinhua. Bei der Hauptnutzlast handele es sich um den Erderkundungssatelliten Gaofen-7, der kartografischen und statistischen Zwecken dient. Einer der beiden anderen […]

OffWorld’s Smart Robots Could Swarm Solar System to Help Astronauts and Settlers

Future lunar explorers could have smart robots ready to help them thanks to OffWorld, a company that plans a fleet of industrial machines for destinations all over the solar system.

Building Solar Orbiter

This timelapse shows some of the activities that took place during the integration of ESA’s Solar Orbiter in the Hercules cleanroom at Airbus Defence and Space, Stevenage, UK.

Europa Explorer: Neue Sonde für Forschung unter dem Eis

Auf der Suche nach Leben in unserem Sonnensystem spielt der Jupitermond Europa eine wichtige Rolle: Unter seiner kilometerdicken Eisdecke wird ein tiefer Ozean vermutet, der die Grundlage für Leben bieten könnte. In Bremen arbeitet man an Konzepten, um den Ozean durch autonome Unterwasserfahrzeuge zu erforschen. Jetzt wurde ein neues Tauchfahrzeugmodell vorgestellt.

SpaceX’s Starship May Fly for Just $2 Million Per Mission, Elon Musk Says

Each flight of SpaceX’s big Mars-colonizing spacecraft will have a very small price tag, if all goes according to plan.

Raumfahrt: Höher hinaus!

Weltraum-Träume klingen irre und sind auch irre teuer. Dabei ist die Raumfahrt wichtig – auch die bemannte: Sie hat Erkenntnisse gebracht, die Menschen auf der Erde gut gebrauchen können.

Ambitious Sci-Fi MMO Seed Will Launch A ‘Narrative Prequel’ Alpha Next Year

Seed Pioneers will launch selected members of the community into space (and likely doom) ahead of everyone else.

Beyond the Red Moon: Changes to NASA History in ‘For All Mankind’

When the Soviet Union beats the United States to landing the first human on the moon, it changes the course of the space race in the new Apple TV+ series “For All Mankind.”

Scientists Just Found a ‘Needle in the Haystack’ Black Hole Once Hidden From View

Scientists have discovered a black hole that has been hiding in the dark.

Möglicherweise neue Klasse: Bislang kleinstes Schwarzes Loch gefunden

Mit einer neuen Herangehensweise haben Astronomen das bislang kleinste bekannte Schwarze Loch gefunden. Möglicherweise ist es nur eins von ganz vielen.

For Astronauts on Mars, the Veggie of the Day May Be Asparagus

Take it or leaf it: Mars won’t offer the sort of veggie options on display at your neighborhood supermarket.

The Downlink: A New Look at Asteroid Hygeia, Setback for InSight

Planetary exploration news for busy people

Growing tissues in space

Tissue engineering is a fast-developing field reaching new heights thanks to space research. An experiment on the International Space Station is opening up possibilities to grow artificial blood vessels for surgery on humans.

50 Jahre Mondlandung – Wir landen im Schneemann

Anlässlich des 50-Jährigen-Jubiläum der Mondlandung hat unser Astronomie.de-Autor Malte Bolte einen mehrteiligen Artikel erstellt.

Sternengeschichten Folge 362: Das Spitzer-Weltraumteleskop

Am 25. August 2003 flog das Spitzer-Weltraumteleskop ins All. Damals wurde es allerdings noch die “Space Infrared Telescope Facility” oder kurz “SIRTF” genannt. Und hatte, wie alle großen Weltraumteleskope, schon eine lange Geschichte. Es gehört zu den sogenannten “Great Observatories” der NASA, ein Programm das seinen Ursprung schon in den 1940er Jahren hat; aber dazu später mehr.

Photo Book Honors NASA’s Space Shuttle Program

A photographic image retoucher turned his artistic eye to the space shuttle program, generating a book with decades-old images that look like they were taken in the digital age.

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