Weekly Spacecraft Mission News (English, German) – 12.12.19

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Please note / Bitte beachten

This will be the last issue for the year 2019. During the holiday season and year change, this newsletter will be “on vacation”. The next issue will be published on Januar, 9th 2020. Thank you for following this newsletter. Have a Merry Christmas and a marvelous start into the New Year!

Dies ist die letzte Ausgabe für das Jahr 2019. Der Newsletter wird während der Weihnachtsfeiertage und zum Jahreswechsel “in den Urlaub gehen”. Die nächste Ausgabe wird am 9. Januar 2020 veröffentlicht. Ich bedanke mich für das Interesse und folgen dieser Zeitschrift. Ich wünsche Ihnen allen eine frohe Weihnachtszeit und einen exzellenten Start in das Neue Jahr!

ESA gibt die weltweit erste Weltraummüllbeseitigung in Auftrag

ClearSpace-1 wird die erste Weltraummission sein, die Trümmer aus der Erdumlaufbahn entfernt. Die Mission soll 2025 starten und wurde bei einem von einem Start-up geführten kommerziellen Konsortium in Auftrag gegeben, um einen neuen Markt für In-Orbit-Service und Trümmerbeseitigung zu erschließen.

Europe Is Launching a Suicide Robot to ‘Hug’ Space Trash Out of Orbit

The ESA has announced a mission to launch a four-armed robot to grab a single piece of space junk and drag it into the atmosphere.

XMM-Newton’s 20th anniversary in space

On 10 December, ESA’s XMM-Newton X-ray space observatory is celebrating its 20th launch anniversary. In those two decades, the observatory has supplied a constant stream of outstanding science. One area that the mission has excelled in is the science of black holes, having had a profound effect on our understanding of these cosmic enigmas.

20 Jahre Röntgenastronomie mit XMM-Newton: ESA-Satellit liefert aufsehenerregende Forschungsergebnisse

Eine der erfolgreichsten europäischen Weltraummissionen feiert Geburtstag: Das von Airbus für die Europäische Weltraumorganisation ESA entwickelte und gebaute Röntgenobservatorium XMM-Newton startete am 10. Dezember 1999, um das Röntgenuniversum zu erforschen. Seither habe XMM-Newton gleichzeitig Röntgenstrahlen, sichtbares und ultraviolettes Licht beobachtet und seine Rolle als eines der wichtigsten astronomischen Observatorien aller […]

XMM-Newton at 20: Taking care of the science operations

On 10 December 1999, as XMM-Newton launched from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, no one was expecting that the mission would last for two decades.

XMM-Newton at 20: The large-scale Universe

During its 20 years in space, ESA’s XMM-Newton X-ray observatory has made many exciting discoveries. But no one could have predicted that the very first observation of the spacecraft would be one of its most important.

XMM-Newton at 20: The fascinating X-ray universe

ESA’s X-ray observatory, XMM-Newton, has now spent 20 years in orbit. In those two decades it has made many scientific breakthroughs, helping bring X-ray astronomy into the main stream of astronomical investigation.

Two Rovers to Roll on Mars Again: Curiosity and Mars 2020

They look like twins. But under the hood, the rover currently exploring the Red Planet and the one launching there this summer have distinct science tools and roles to play.

How NASA’s Next Mars Rover Will Hunt for Alien Life

Spotting signs of long-dead life is a tall order for a lonely robot on a faraway world, but NASA’s next Mars rover should be up to the challenge, mission team members said.

Moon Brightness Mystery Prompts Launch of Airborne Telescope

A flying telescope recently captured some of the most accurate measurements ever of the moon’s brightness.

ISS: Neue CIMON-Version auf dem Weg zur ISS

Alexander Gerst hatte während seines letzten Aufenthalts an Bord der Internationalen Raumstation ISS einen ganz besonderen Assistenten: CIMON, einen fliegenden Computer, der mithilfe künstlicher Intelligenz Astronautinnen und Astronauten unterstützen kann. Nun ist mit CIMON-2 ein Nachfolger auf dem Weg zur ISS. (6. Dezember 2019)

A Strange Tweet From Russian Space Droid Fedor

Можете меня обзывать как угодно – “тупой железякой” или ещё как, но, узнав о решении VADA, я вам всё же так скажу:1) те, кто это придумал, имеют большие проблемы с процессором в голове,2) а те, кто готов это терпеть, не имеют не только стержня, но и позвоночника. И это ещё хуже pic.twitter.com/Nmzc1J7NXL— FEDOR (@FEDOR37516789) December 9, 2019 Keith’s note: This creepy tweet shows Fedor, the Russian space droid who recently spent some time on the ISS, looking out the window at a nuclear explosion. The weird picture is accompanied with this text (Google translation):

US-Frachter erreicht vorfristig die ISS

Der US-Frachter Dragon hat mit 2,6 Tonnen Nachschub an Bord am Sonntag vorfristig die Internationale Raumstation ISS erreicht. Er wurde um 11.05 deutscher Zeit und damit 25 Minuten früher als geplant vom italienischen ESA-Astronauten Luca Parmitano mit dem kanadischen Roboterarm „eingefangen“ und wird dann später per Hand […]

US-Frachter mit 2,6 Tonnen Nachschub auf dem Weg zur ISS

Im zweiten Versuch ist am Donnerstag ein amerikanischer Frachter mit 2,6 Tonnen Nachschub an Bord zur Internationalen Raumstation ISS gestartet. Dragon von SpaceX stieg um 18.29 Uhr deutscher Zeit an der Spitze einer Falcon 9 vom Weltraumbahnhof Cape Canaveral (Florida) auf. Die Ankopplung ist für Sonntag […]

Dragon Attached to Station for Month-Long Stay

Three days after its launch from Florida, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft was installed on the Earth-facing side of the International Space Station’s Harmony module at 7:47 a.m. EST.

Astronauts Capture Dragon Filled With Brand New Science

International Space Station was traveling more than 262 miles over the south Pacific Ocean, Expedition 61 Commander Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) grappled Dragon at 5:05 a.m. EST using the space station’s robotic arm Canadarm2 with NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan acting as a backup.

SpaceX Dragon Arrives at Space Station with ‘Robot Hotel,’ Mice and More NASA Gear

A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station early Sunday (Dec. 8) to deliver tons of fresh supplies and equipment to the orbiting lab, including a “robot hotel” and some “mighty mice.”

Russischer Frachter bringt Festtagsgeschenke zur ISS

Ein russisches Frachtraumschiff ist seit Freitag mit 2,48 Tonnen Nachschub auf dem Weg zur Internationalen Raumstation ISS. Progress MS-13 wurde um 10.34 Uhr deutscher Zeit mit einer Sojus-2.1a-Rakete vom Kosmodrom Baikonur (Kasachstan) gestartet. Da derzeit auch ein US-Dragon-Frachter die ISS anfliegt und dort am Sonntag anlegen […]

Festtagsversorgung der ISS-Besatzung gesichert – Russischer Frachter bringt 2,5 Tonnen Nachschub auf die Umlaufbahn

Nach dreitägiger Verfolgungsjagd hat das russische Frachtraumschiff Progress MS-13 mit 2,5 Tonnen Nachschub am Montag um 11.35 Uhr deutscher Zeit problemlos automatisch an der Internationalen Raumstation ISS angelegt. Damit ist die Festtagsversorgung der sechsköpfigen amerikanisch-russisch-italienischen Besatzung gesichert. Dazu gehören frische Äpfel, Grapefruits, Apfelsinen, Limonen, Zwiebeln und […]

Russian Space Freighter Docks Automatically to Station

Dec. 9, 2019: International Space Station Configuration. Five spaceships are parked at the space station including the SpaceX Dragon space freighter, the Northrop Grumman Cygnus resupply ship and Russia’s Progress 74 resupply ship and Soyuz MS-13 and MS-15 crew ships. Traveling approximately 260 miles over the Yellow Sea east of Shanghai, the automated Russian Progress 74 cargo resupply spacecraft docked at 5:35 a.m. EST to the Pirs docking compartment on the Russian segment of the International Space Station.

Russian Cargo Ship Docks at Space Station to Cap Back-to-Back Arrivals

A robotic Progress cargo ship docked at the International Space Station early Monday (Dec. 9), just one day after the arrival of a U.S. Dragon supply ship built by SpaceX.

Crew Unpacks New Science from U.S. and Russian Cargo Ships

Two new cargo spaceships are open for business at the International Space Station as a variety of new space research begins this week. The Expedition 61 crew has begun unpacking several tons new supplies from the U.S. and Russian space freighters.

Weihnachten im All

Und schon wieder nähert sich Weihnachten! Das besinnliche Fest wird nicht nur von Menschen auf der ganzen Erde gefeiert, sondern auch im Weltraum! Denn immerhin befinden sich ja regelmäßig einige Mitmenschen auf der Internationalen Raumstation. Das erste Weltraumweihnachten wurde im Jahre 2000 von der ersten ISS-Crew Expedition One gefeiert. Seitdem kam es zu einigen denkwürdigen Ereignissen am Weihnachtstage: 2013 absolvierte der Astronaut Mike…

New life support system cleans air during full-house Space Station

In October the International Space Station was even more busy than usual with nine astronauts living and working in humankind’s outpost in Earth orbit. With three more astronauts, the Station’s life support systems worked overtime to provide enough air and water recycling for the crew, and ESA’s new Advanced Closed Loop System (ACLS) stepped in to help scrub the extra carbon dioxide in the air.

Advanced Biology Research Taking Place on Station Today

Advanced space research is in full gear aboard the International Space Station today. The Expedition 61 crew is activating new science gear and continuing long-running experiments to benefit humans on and off the Earth.

China startet neuen Erdbeobachtungssatelliten

China hat am Samstag einen neuen optischen Erdbeobachtungssatelliten gestartet. Jilin-1 Gaofen 02B stieg an der Spitze einer Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A)-Trägerrakete vom Weltraumbahnhof Taiyuan in der Nordprovinz Shanxi auf, teilte die Nachrichtenagentur Xinhua in Peking mit.

Saturnmond Enceladus: Das Geheimnis der Tigerstreifen

Die Muster gibt es nur einmal in unserem Sonnensystem: Aufnahmen zeigen seltsame Streifen am Südpol des Saturnmonds Enceladus. Forscher sind dem Phänomen nun auf die Spur gekommen.

Lakes May Bubble Up into ‘Magic Islands’ on Saturn’s Weird Moon, Titan

Champagne is supposed to be bubbly. So is a foaming bath. But a mixture designed to mimic the frigid lakes on an alien moon? That’s a little more surprising.

PIA23442: Clouds Up Close

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Mission Explains Bennu’s Mysterious Particle Events – OSIRIS-REx Mission

Shortly after NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft arrived at asteroid Bennu, an unexpected discovery by the mission’s science team revealed that the asteroid could be active, or consistently discharging particles into space. The ongoing examination of Bennu – and its sample that will eventually be returned to Earth – could potentially shed light on why this intriguing phenomenon is occurring.

Mars: We May Have Solved the Mystery of How Its Landslides Form

Some landslides on Mars seem to defy an important law of physics.

Artemis Update From Bridenstine and Loverro

Keith’s note: Jim Bridenstine and Doug Loverro attended the Space News award event in Washington today. I asked them about the Moon/Mars plan that the Vice President and the National Space Council asked NASA to deliver in 60 days. Specifically I asked them if it had been delivered and if so could we see it. Bridenstine replied that it had not been delivered as requested and did not indicate when it would be despite it being rather overdue. See “Where Is NASA’s Plan For Sustainable Moon/Mars Exploration? (Update)”

Helping Heracles EL3 to survive the long, cold, dark nights on the Moon

ESA has kicked off an activity with Prototec – a NORCE company – and its partners Airbus and Air Liquide to develop alternative technologies for surviving the lunar night

Full steam ahead for TVAC testing for ExoMars

NASA Chief Shows Off 1st Core Stage of New Space Launch System Megarocket

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine showed off the completed core stage of the first ever Space Launch System rocket during a news event held today (Dec. 9).

Mass-Market Robotic Arms for Spacecraft May Be Just Around the Corner

Made In Space Europe is working to develop a mass-market, relatively low-cost robotic arm for off-Earth use — a product that could accelerate humanity’s exploration of the final frontier, company representatives believe.

Two Chinese Kuaizhou-1A Rockets Launch Back-to-Back Flights Just Hours Apart

China launched a six-satellite mission into space successfully on Saturday (Dec. 9) in one of two Kuaizhou-1A launches just 6 hours apart from the same spaceport, according to state-run media reports.

Planetary Society’s LightSail 2 Paves Way for Future Solar Sail Missions, Bill Nye Says

The Planetary Society’s solar-sailing craft owes a debt to visionaries across four centuries, said CEO Bill Nye as he celebrated LightSail 2 being named one of Time magazine’s best inventions of the year.

Kablam! Watch NASA Crush a SLS Megarocket Fuel Tank Until It Explodes (Video)

Last week (Dec. 5), NASA engineers purposefully exploded a test version of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s propellant tank.

Bridenstine: “The NASA brand is the most valuable brand America has”

Yesterday at the STA luncheon Jim Bridenstine said that “the NASA brand is the most valuable brand America has” – Inside – and outside our borders. In October I cited an example of how NASA’s logo – its brand – has a ubiquitous, global reach – and that it is associated with exciting, hopeful, advanced things with no known downside.

NASA Highlights Solar Mission, Jupiter Cyclone at AGU Meeting

NASA researchers will present new findings on a wide range of Earth and space science topics at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), Dec. 9-13 in San Francisco.

Weird Physics of ‘Tiger Stripes’ on Icy Saturn Moon Enceladus Finally Explained

New research solves some of the mysteries of the “tiger stripes” on Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

Holiday kristall

This box of holiday cheer is actually tubes of plasma containing suspended microparticles exposed to an electrical current to form 3D crystal structures.Called Plasma Kristall-4, this ESA–Roscosmos experiment has been helping to visualise atoms on the International Space Station to provide insights on basic physical processes.

50 Jahre Mondlandung – Der Luna Grandprix

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