Front Page / Titelseite

Where We Are

Emily Lakdawalla introduces an at-a-glance spacecraft locator to The Planetary Report.
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Methan auf Mars muss kein Hinweis auf Leben sein

Als der im Sommer 2012 im Rahmen der Nasa-Mission „Mars Science Laboratory“ im Gale-Krater abgesetzte Rover Curiosity Ausbrüche des Gases Methan registrierte, und mehr noch, als die Messungen mit dem Laser-Spektrometer an Bord des Robotfahrzeugs jahreszeitliche Schwankungen des Methan-Anteils in der dünnen Mars-Atmosphäre zeigten, gerieten die Forscher auf der Erde in Aufregung. Denn auf der Erde deutet so etwas zumeist auf biologische Aktivität…
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Amidst Cuts to NASA, Mars Sample Return May Finally Happen

The President’s Budget Request for NASA in 2020 would start a Mars Sample Return mission and ramp up efforts to send humans to the Moon. But it would still kick off the first year of a new decade with a half-billion dollar cut to the space agency.
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SwRI-led LAMP instrument sheds light on lunar water movement

Using the Southwest Research Institute-led Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) aboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), scientists have observed water molecules moving around the dayside of the Moon. A paper published in Geophysical Research Letters describes how LAMP measurements of the sparse layer of molecules temporarily stuck to the surface helped characterize lunar hydration changes over the course of a day. Up until the last decade or so, scientists thought the Moon was arid, with any water existing mainly as pockets of ice in permanently shaded craters near the poles. More recently, scientists have identified surface water in sparse populations of molecules bound to the lunar soil, or regolith. The amount and locations vary based on the time of day. This water is more common at higher latitudes and tends to hop around as the surface heats up.
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via Southwest Research Institute https://www.swri.org

Feature – NASA’s Insight Mars Lander

Homepage – NASA’s Insight Mars Lander

BR News – Einblick in das Innerste des Mars

Noch ist der NASA-Lander Insight auf dem Weg zum Mars. Ende November soll er dort ankommen und darauf Platz nehmen. Dieses Rendezvous wird dem Roten Planeten tatsächlich unter die Haut gehen. Die NASA ist dem Mars bereits mehrfach zu Leibe gerückt – unter anderem mit den Rovern Opportunity und Curiosity sowie den Sonden Odyssey, MRO und Maven. Am 5. Mai 2018 wurde der stationäre Lander InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) zum Schnüffeln losgeschickt. InSight startete mithilfe einer rund 57 Meter großen Atlas-V-401-Rakete von der Vandenberg Air Force Basis in Kalifornien und soll am 26. November auf dem Roten Planeten ankommen. Dann wird der Lander für rund zwei Jahre zum geduldigen Spürhund.

Nasa’s InSight mission will target ‘Marsquakes’

InSight will be the first probe to focus its investigations predominantly on the interior of the Red Planet. The lander – due to touch down in November – will put seismometers on the surface to feel for “Marsquakes”. These tremors should reveal how the underground rock is layered – data that can be compared with Earth to shed further light on the formation of the planets 4.6 billion years ago. “As seismic waves travel through [Mars] they pick up information along the way; as they travel through different rocks,” explained Dr Bruce Banerdt, InSight’s principal investigator. “And all those wiggles you see on seismograms – scientists understand how to pull that information out. After we’ve gotten many, many Marsquakes from different directions, we can put together a three dimensional view of the inside of Mars.”

Media resources | InSight

Homepage – InSight Media Resources

Further news / Weitere Nachrichten – Insight

The InSight mission logbook

Logbook entry: 12 March 2019
This week the radiometer has observed three passes of Phobos in front of the Sun: Phobos eclipses. The eclipses were pronounced in the radiometer data showing an approximately 1°C dip in temperature through the roughly 30 seconds of duration of the eclipse. The cameras on InSight have also observed the small and brief dip in daylight as can be seen in the animated gif below. The radiometer data will be interpreted in terms of the thermo-physical properties of the top-most layers of the Martian soil. Interpretations of the results are expected by the time of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference earliest, which is from 18 to 22 of March.

NASA InSight lander catches a shadowy eclipse on Mars

NASA’s InSight has its Mars plate full with deploying the lander’s seismometer and trying to figure out why its heat probe is having problems digging down. But it still had time for some sightseeing when it documented an eclipse.

InSight’s Deck Camera Observes Phobos Eclipse

NASA’s InSight lander took this series of images on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, capturing the moment when Phobos, one of Mars’ moons, crossed in front of the Sun and darkened the ground around the lander. These images were taken by InSight’s Instrument Context Camera (ICC), located under the lander’s deck.

International Spacestation (ISS)

Crew Dragon

Private Raumfähre Crew Dragon erfolgreich zur Erde zurückgekehrt

Die Raumfähre Crew Dragon ist von der ISS zurückgekehrt. Das bringt die USA einem wichtigen Ziel näher.

Crew Dragon Returns to Earth

The spacecraft completed a successful test flight with splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean on 8 March 2019 at 08:45 EST

Expedition 58 Crew Congratulates NASA and SpaceX after Crew Dragon Departure

Crew Dragon spacecraft on it’s way back to Earth after undocking from the International Space Station at 2:32 am EST on March 8, 2019 On behalf of the Expedition 58 crew, NASA Astronaut Anne McClain takes time to congratulate the NASA and SpaceX teams immediately following the Crew Dragon spacecraft’s undocking from the International Space Station at 2:32 a.m. EST Friday, March 8.

Crew Dragon Splashes Down in Atlantic Ending First Commercial Crew Mission

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon returned to Earth with a splash in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida’s eastern shore at 8:45 a.m. EST, completing an end-to-end flight test to demonstrate most of the capabilities of its crew transportation system to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Crew Dragon Undocks from the International Space Station

At 2:32 a.m. EST, Crew Dragon undocked from the International Space Station to begin the final phase of its uncrewed Demo-1 flight test. The spacecraft is slowly maneuvering away from the orbital laboratory into an orbital track that will return it and its cargo safely to Earth.

Vice President Calls Station, Crew Dragon Packed for Friday Return

Vice President Mike Pence and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine called up to the Expedition 58 crew today. Astronauts Anne McClain and David Saint-Jacques were on hand to talk about their mission success and the arrival of the first Commercial Crew vehicle, the SpaceX Crew Dragon.

Station Crews Take a Breather in Anticipation of Launch on March 14

This Monday, the Expedition 58 crew is taking a well-deserved break after a busy week prior wrapping up SpaceX’s inaugural flight of Crew Dragon to the International Space Station during Demonstration Mission-1, an uncrewed flight test. The vehicle departed station for a splashdown off the Florida Space Coast at 8:45 a.m. EST Friday, bringing NASA even closer to sending astronauts into space from American soil.

Before Launch and Spacewalks, Science Reigns Supreme Aboard Orbiting Lab

As the Soyuz MS-12 that will carry the Expedition 59 crew to the International Space Station Thursday was erected on the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 58 resumed research and routine maintenance after their off-duty day Monday.

Earth / Erde

Neuseeland

Der Copernicus Sentinel-3A Satellit zeigt uns bei leicht bewölktem Himmel Neuseeland, genauer gesagt die Cook Strait zwischen der Nord- und Südinsel.

„Radiance Light Trends“ im Test: drei Beispiele

Das brandneue Online-Tool zur Lichtverschmutzung auf dem Planeten und ihrer zeitlichen Entwicklung von 1992 bis heute läd zum Experimentieren ein – und produziert manch krasse Trend-Grafik: z.B. zum Kommen und Gehen von Ölfeldern, zu Kriegsfolgen im Nahen Osten oder zu … mutmaßlichen Lichteffekten von Weihnachts-Beleuchtung. Auf die Problematik der Datenbasis von diversen Satelliten wird unter „About“ deutlich hingewiesen, und der Initiator verweist v.a. auf die Kalibrations-Probleme der Daten der alten DMSP-Satelliten.

Wellen auf dem Eis – “Radarauge” TanDEM-X beobachtet kanadische Ice Road Trucks

Ice Road Trucker in Kanada, sinnbildlich “am Ende der Welt”, sind mit ihren tonnenschweren LKW auf den zugefrorenen Seen im kanadischen Nordwesten dank zahlreicher TV-Auftritte auch in Deutschland bekannt. Die Eisstraßen stehen nur wenige Wochen im Jahr zur Verfügung. In dieser Zeit werden tausende Tonnen Material über die “Eisautobahn” bewegt, denn die vereisten Seen bieten im Winter als saisonale Straßen die Möglichkeit, abgelegene Gemeinden und Industrien in den kalten Regionen effektiv und wirtschaftlich effizient zu erreichen.

Solar System / Sonnensystem

PIA22945: Jupiter Jet and Brown Barge

Target: Jupiter Mission: Juno Instrument: JunoCam Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstadt/Justin Cowart

Hayabusa2 Scores a Bulls-eye on Touchdown, More Explodey Fun on the Horizon

The mission is also gearing up for a possible second sample collection.

The subtle color difference between Uranus and Neptune

The color of Uranus and Neptune is similar, but not identical. Uranus appears greener and Neptune bluer.

Opportunity’s Parting Shot Was a Beautiful Panorama

NASA declared the record-setting rover’s mission complete on Feb. 13, 2019, but the final image from the rover has just been processed.

Beyond Solar System / Milchstraße & Kosmos

A Kepler Orrery

As of mission end on 30 October 2018, Kepler had detected 1,815 planets or planet candidates in multi-planet systems. All 726 such systems are drawn here.

Politics / Politik

SLS Buyer’s Remorse At NASA

Two sources familiar with the thinking of Vice President Mike Pence–who leads US space policy–have said he is frustrated with the slow pace of the nation’s efforts to send humans to the Moon. In particular, he is growing tired of delays with NASA’s Space Launch System rocket, which was originally due to launch in 2017 and is now likely delayed until 2021 at the earliest. ..

ESA lays down the law

ESA and the European Centre for Space Law will soon hold a workshop all about space debris – including debris mitigation, legislation, standards and tools – from 19 to 21 March 2019

Technology / Technologie

ESA helps business fly in space

New ‘cubesat’ technology and falling launch costs mean that businesses, universities and other organisations are increasingly able to launch their own small satellites. Now ESA is offering facilities and know-how to help them fly.

Exoplanet watcher (Cheops spacecraft)

ready for flight

Is SLS Going To Be The Biggest Rocket – Evah?

Keith’s note: Let’s see: Saturn V was 363 feet tall and weighed 6,540,000 lb. SLS Block 1 (the only rocket this budget supports) is 322 feet tall for crew version and 313 feet tall for the cargo version and weighs 5.5. million lb. SLS Block 1 can put 209,000 lb in to LEO and Saturn V could put 310,000 lb into LEO. Oh yes a totally expendable Falcon Heavy can put 141,000 lb into LEO.

About That “Gateway Is Not A Space Station” Thing

WRT the whole “Gateway is not a space station since it is only periodically occupied” thing. Skylab was our “first space station” and it was always human-tended. This FGB/Node 1 configuration was human-tended for years but we called it a “i

World / Welt

Experte: Private russische Raumfahrt hinkt bis zu sieben Jahren hinter SpaceX her

Die private russische Raumfahrtindustrie hinkt zwischen fünf und sieben Jahren hinter der US-Konkurrenz wie SpaceX her. Um den Rückstand aufzuholen, müssten die russischen Unternehmen freien Zugang zu allen zivilen Technologien, zur Produktion und zur Testbasis erhalten sowie die Möglichkeit bekommen, die besten Fachleute zu engagieren, sagte Andrej Ionin, Korrespondierendes Mitglied […]

Science / Wissenschaft

Hubble & Gaia accurately weigh the Milky Way [heic1905]

In a striking example of multi-mission astronomy, measurements from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the ESA Gaia mission have been combined to improve the estimate of the mass of our home galaxy the Milky Way: 1.5 trillion solar masses.

History / Geschichte

Apollo 9: Der erste bemannte Einsatz der Mondlandefähre vor 50 Jahren

Anfang März 1969, vor fünfzig Jahren, wurde von der Nasa mit Apollo 9 die vorletzte Mission vor derjenigen umgesetzt, die als Apollo 11 die ersten Menschen auf den Mond bringen würde. Die Rolle von Apollo 9 war für die spätere Mondlandung zentral: Zum ersten Mal sollte der bemannte Einsatz der Mondlandefähre getestet werden, die einige Monate später Neil Armstrong und Buzz Aldrin von dem um den Mond kreisenden Apollo-Mutterschiff auf die Mondoberfläche und zurück transportieren sollte.