Weekly Spacecraft Mission News (English, German) – 08.08.19

Front Page / Titelseite

Legacy of crashed Beresheet on the Moon / Hinterlassenschaften der abgestürzten Raumsonde Beresheet auf dem Mond

A Crashed Israeli Spacecraft Spilled Tardigrades on the Moon

IT WAS JUST before midnight on April 11 and everyone at the Israel Aerospace Industries mission control center in Yehud, Israel, had their eyes fixed on two large projector screens. On the left screen was a stream of data being sent back to Earth by Beresheet, its lunar lander, which was about to become the first private spacecraft to land on the moon. The right screen featured a crude animation of Beresheet firing its engines as it prepared for a soft landing in the Sea of Serenity. But only seconds before the scheduled landing, the numbers on the left screen stopped. Mission control had lost contact with the spacecraft, and it crashed into the moon shortly thereafter.

Thousands of Tardigrades Stranded on the Moon After Lunar Lander Crash

When you look up at the moon, there may now be a few thousand water bears looking back at you.

Raumfahrt: Bärtierchen sind die ersten Mondbewohner

Eine gescheiterte israelische Raumfahrtmission hat vermutlich Leben im All hinterlassen. Auf dem Mond dürfte es nun äußerst robuste Kleinstlebewesen geben.

EDRS System vor Satellite communication / EDRS vernetzte Satellitenkommunikation

Milestone for the future of networked satellite communications

With the launch of the first EDRS-C communications satellite on 6 August 2019, a milestone has been reached for the EDRS system. EDRS is a globally unique network of geostationary relay satellites that can deliver data volumes of up to 1.8 gigabits per second to Earth with minimal delay using laser communications.

Meilenstein für die Zukunft der vernetzten Satellitenkommunikation

Mit dem Start des ersten eigenen Kommunikationssatelliten EDRS-C am 6. August 2019 ist für das EDRS-System ein Meilenstein erreicht: ein weltweit einzigartiges Netzwerk von geostationären Relais-Satelliten, das mithilfe von Laserterminals Datenvolumen von bis zu 1,8 Gigabit pro Sekunde zur Erde transportieren kann.

EDRS-C erfolgreich gestartet

Am 6. August startete die Ariane 5 vom europäischen Weltraumbahnhof und brachte den zweiten EDRS-Satelliten in seine planmäßige Umlaufbahn

Ariane 5 Rocket Launches 2 New Communications Satellites

Arianespace launched an Ariane 5 rocket Tuesday (Aug. 6) from Kourou, French Guiana, sending two new telecommunications satellites into orbit.

In Photos: Ariane 5 Rocket Launches Intelsat 39 and EDRS-C Communications Satellites

On Aug. 6, 2019, Arianespace used an Ariane 5 rocket to launch two new communications satellites into orbit on a rideshare mission. See photos of the mission here!

Further Headlines / Weitere Schlagzeilen

Stunning Photos Show Earth from India’s Spacecraft Headed to the Moon

An Indian spacecraft is taking the scenic route to the moon and has the photos to prove it.

Critical Deployment of NASA Webb’s Secondary Mirror a Success

Technicians and engineers recently tested a key part of this choreography by successfully commanding Webb to deploy the support structure that holds its secondary mirror in place.

Mars InSight Project Manager to Give Update at Mars Society Convention

The Mars Society is pleased to announce that Tom Hoffman, JPL Project Manager of Mars InSight, will address the 22nd Annual International Mars Society Convention, scheduled for October 17-20 at the University of Southern California, to give an update about the lander’s ongoing mission. Mars InSight successfully landed on the surface of the Red Planet in November 2018 in order to examine the deep interior of Mars with the goal of helping scientists better understand how terrestrial planets are formed and evolve. The lander’s operational mission is expected to last approximately two years.

U.S. Cygnus Space Freighter Departs Station

The U.S. Cygnus space freighter from Northrop Grumman was released from the station’s robotic arm today at 11:15 a.m. EDT. The Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed the International Space Station three months after arriving at the space station to deliver 7,600 of supplies and scientific experiments to the orbiting laboratory.

US Cargo Ship Preps to Depart as Crew Studies Bioprinting and Time Perception

A U.S. resupply ship is packed and ready to depart the International Space Station on Tuesday. The Expedition 60 crew is also testing the viability of printing organ-like tissue and exploring the impact of microgravity on time perception today.

3-D Bioprinting, Grip Studies on Station May Benefit Earth and Space Systems

The Expedition 60 crewmembers are busy conducting new and advanced science experiments today aboard the International Space Station. A U.S. space freighter will begin its secondary mission after it departs the station on Tuesday.

US-Frachter Cygnus verlässt ISS – Bis Dezember wichtige Experimente geplant

Ein US-Frachtraumschiff hat am Dienstag die Internationale Raumstation ISS verlassen. Cygnus wurde um 18.15 Uhr deutscher Zeit mit dem kanadischen Roboterarm vom Unity-Modul abgedockt und begann den freien Flug, teilte die US-Luft- und Raumfahrtbehörde NASA mit.

NASA Targets Coastal Ecosystems with New Space Sensor

NASA has selected a space-based instrument under its Earth Venture Instrument (EVI) portfolio that will make observations of coastal waters to help protect ecosystem sustainability, improve resource management, and enhance economic activity.

ESA-Satellitenmission CryoSat misst Gletschereis in arktischen Seen

Die rasante Veränderung des Klimas in der Arktis ist nicht nur auf schmelzende Gletscher und rückläufiges Meereis zurückzuführen, sondern auch auf dünnere Eisschichten auf Seen. Mit bildgebenden Sensoren und herkömmlichen Satellitenbeobachtungen können diese zwar leicht überwacht werden, doch mit Hilfe von CryoSat kann nun auch die Meereisdicke gemessen werden – ein weiterer Indikator für den Klimawandel.

NASA’s Artemis Program

Artemis is NASA’s plan to go back to the moon.

NASA’s Moon 2024 Plans Have No Margin For Error

Keith’s note: The new management team selected to run HEOMD is going to have to hit the ground running. Key decisions about SLS will need to be made within weeks of their arrival in their new positions. To be certain the rest of the program is already in place preparing for these events. However, NASA has been directed to suddenly compress a program intended to do something in 2028 into a plan that is going to do that same thing in 2024.

Lunar Orbiter Longjiang-2 Smashes into Moon

Don’t worry, this was a planned end for a tiny satellite that has been a huge success.

Shallow Craters on Moon and Mercury May Hide Thick Slabs of Water Ice

Would-be moon explorers are eager to learn better tactics for tracking down ice, which they hope to turn into water and rocket fuel — and new research may have found a new key to spotting buried ice.

New Finds for Mars Rover, Seven Years After Landing

NASA’s Curiosity rover is discovering odd rocks halfway into a region called the “clay-bearing unit.”

Curiosity Rover Celebrates 7 Years Since Thrilling Mars Touchdown

It’s been seven years since NASA’s Curiosity rover aced its Red Planet touchdown, a harrowing and seemingly improbable maneuver that had people around the world glued to their phones and laptop screens.

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Still Learning After 7 Years on Mars

It’s been seven years since NASA’s Curiosity rover touched down on Mars, but the robot geologist is still tackling big questions about Red Planet rocks.

NASA ‘Optometrists’ Verify Mars 2020 Rover’s 20/20 Vision

Mars 2020 rover underwent an eye exam after several cameras were installed on the rover.

This Impact Crater Was Likely Ground Zero for an Ancient Mega-Tsunami on Mars

Ground zero for the impact that caused a Mars mega-tsunami more than 3 billion years ago may have been found.

PIA22950: Storm on the Horizon

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Chandra X-ray Observatory, an assembly of new images is being released.

Hubble Captures Spiral Galaxy with ‘Barrier’ of Dust (Photo)

A new galactic image from the Hubble Space Telescope shows some interesting stuff lurking in cosmic dust, all from an unusual point of view.

European Mars Lander Suffers Parachute Damage in Test

Development of a European-Russian Mars lander suffered a setback when the spacecraft’s parachutes malfunctioned in a recent test, but project officials said they still have time to correct the problem before its launch in a year.

via Space.com https://ift.tt/2CqOJ61

ExoMars 2020: progress and challenges

The full parachute system that will help deliver the ExoMars rover and a surface science platform to the martian surface has completed a full-scale high-altitude deployment sequence test, although unexpected damage to the main parachutes occurred.

Propelling Exploration: Drones Are Going Interplanetary

Drones have already conquered Earth, and now they’re heading out into the solar system.

NASA Gearing Up for Big Test of Orion Crew Capsule Next Week

A critical component of NASA’s next crew-carrying spacecraft will be put to the test early next week.

Orion “On Track” to Support 2024 Human Lunar Landing after Abort Test

The manager of NASA’s Orion program is optimistic the spacecraft will be ready to send humans to the moon in 2024 even as development schedules continue to slip.

SpaceX Boat Snags Falling Payload Fairing in Historic First

SpaceX pulled off a long-sought rocket-reusability milestone during yesterday’s epic Falcon Heavy launch.

GRACE-FO: Erfolgreiche Messungen mit Laser-Interferometer

Seit Ende Mai 2018 umrunden die beiden GRACE-Follow-On-Satelliten die Erde und vermessen deren Schwerefeld durch die Erfassung ihres gegenseitigen Abstands. Neben bewährter Messtechnik kommt dabei seit Mitte Juni 2018 erstmals ein neuartiges Laser-Instrument zum Einsatz, das die Änderungen des Abstands der Satelliten auf Atomdurchmesser genau erfassen soll – mit Erfolg. (24. Juli 2019)

Redesign effort pays off for Euclid’s near-infrared detectors

A major step towards the completion of the scientific payload on ESA’s Euclid space mission has been completed, following the delivery of the detectors for the Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP) instrument.

Robotische Rückführung von Marsproben

Bei den Missionen zum Mars wurden viele spannende Entdeckungen gemacht, die unser Verständnis vom Roten Planeten prägen. Um diese Ergebnisse zu ergänzen, arbeiten die ESA und NASA an einem Konzept zur Rückführung von Marsproben auf die Erde.

CHEOPS passes final review before shipment to launch site

The Characterising Exoplanet Satellite, CHEOPS, has successfully passed the final analysis review for its launch on a Soyuz rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Falcon 9 bringt israelischen Kommunikationssatelliten ins All

Cape Canaveral, 7. August 2019 — Eine Falcon 9 hat am frühen Mittwochmorgen einen israelischen kommerziellen Kommunikationssatelliten problemlos ins All gebracht. Der schwere Träger mit Amos-17 an der Spitze stieg um 01.24 Uhr deutscher Zeit vom Weltraumbahnhof Cape Canaveral (Florida) auf, teilte SpaceX mit. Dabei kam die wiederverwendbare Erststufe bereits zum dritten […]

LightSail 2 Spacecraft Successfully Demonstrates Flight by Light

In the past 4 days, the spacecraft has raised its orbital high point, or apogee, by about 2 kilometers.

LightSail 2 Nears 2 Weeks of Solar Sailing

The high point of the spacecraft’s orbit around the Earth on Monday was 729 kilometers, an increase of 3.2 kilometers since sail deployment.

Twice-Flown SpaceX Rocket Launches Huge Communications Satellite

SpaceX successfully launched its ninth space mission of the year today (Aug. 6), delivering an Israeli communications satellite into orbit.

NASA Calls New Companies for Commercial Lunar Payloads

As NASA ramps up its efforts to land people on the moon by 2024, it asked commercial companies to figure out ways to bring heavier spacecraft to the lunar surface.

Want to Live on the Moon? Try Living Under a Swiss Glacier First.

A mock moon habitat trial is underway near the Matterhorn.

Astronomers spy Europa blocking distant star – thanks to Gaia

On 31 March 2017, Jupiter’s moon Europa passed in front of a background star – a rare event that was captured for the first time by ground-based telescopes thanks to data provided by ESA’s Gaia spacecraft.

From Apollo to Artemis — How Astronaut Food May Change When We Return to the Moon

While the first astronauts ate food cubes, future astronauts might have food that’s very different — and possibly even fresh vegetables.

These Gargantuan Galaxies, Hidden in Plain Sight, Could Rewrite Universe’s Early Days

It’s the ultimate magic of science, when using a different instrument reveals what was hidden in plain sight.

Apollo 11 Memories ‘Seared in My Mind’: Q&A with Presidential Historian Douglas Brinkley

Beneath the Space Shuttle Enterprise, presidential historian Douglas Brinkley sat down with Space.com to chat about the Apollo 11 mission and his latest book, “American Moonshot.”