Weekly Spacecraft Mission News (English, German) – 12.09.19

Front Page / Titelseite

Titel Picture / Titelbild:
Indian Space Research Organisation (GODL-India)
from Wikipedia

Mission Chandrayaan-2: India’s Moon Lander / Indische Mondlandesonde

India Just Found Its Lost Vikram Lander on the Moon, Still No Signal

India’s Chandrayaan-2 orbiter circling the moon has spotted the country’s lost Vikram lander on the lunar surface, but there is still no signal, ISRO officials said Saturday (Sept. 7).

India’s Silent Moon Lander Could Be in One Piece After ‘Hard Landing’: Reports

The quest to contact India’s silent moon lander after hints of a crash continues, with images suggesting Vikram remains in one piece on the lunar surface.

Zustand unklar: Indische Landesonde auf dem Mond lokalisiert

Die indische Sonde „Vikram“ ist auf dem Mond entdeckt worden. In welchem Zustand sie sich befindet, ist allerdings unklar. Bei der Landung war am Freitag die Verbindung abgerissen.

Kontakt zu Indiens Landesonde Vikram verloren

Am Freitagabend wollte Indien Raumfahrtgeschichte schreiben. Zwischen 21.30 und 22.00 Uhr deutscher Zeit sollte die 1,5 Tonnen schwere Landesonde Vikram auf dem Mond aufsetzen. Die Landestelle befindet sich im Süden der von der Erde sichtbaren Hemisphäre des Mondes auf einer Ebene zwischen den Kratern Manzinus C und Simpelius, in […]

Further Page 1 News / Weitere Titelnachrichten

Grundschüler säen Wildblumenwiesen mit Samen aus dem All

Bei dem bundesweiten Forschungs- und Experimentierprojekt “Space Seeds” werden Schulkinder zu Wissenschaftlern und erforschen Wildblumensamen, die zusammen mit ESA-Astronaut Alexander Gerst auf der Internationalen Raumstation ISS waren.

Astronomers Decode Weird X-Ray Pattern Coming from Neutron Star

Astronomers have detected a neutron star system blasting X-ray light at Earth and detected a rare, months-long pattern in those light bursts.

The ‘Fireworks Galaxy’ Is Exploding in X-Ray Light, and Scientists Are Confused

Scientists spotted a mysterious blast of intense X-ray light flashing out of the distant Fireworks galaxy, and it’s no mere supernova.

Vega Rocket Launch Failure in July Caused by Faulty Motor, Investigators Find

The failure of a European Vega rocket during a July launch attempt was likely caused by a problem with the vehicle’s second-stage motor, an investigation has concluded.

Satellitenprojekt EDRS: Europäische Datenautobahn im All

Anfang August hob eine Ariane-5-Rakete mit dem Kommunikationssatelliten EDRS-C ab. Er überträgt die Daten von anderen Satelliten nahezu in Echtzeit zum Boden.

Europe’s Mars lander parachute problems may be worse than thought

Now, the European Space Agency is trying again, with its ExoMars mission due to be launched on a Proton rocket next summer. According to the space agency, the European-built Rosalind Franklin rover and the Russian-led surface platform, Kazachok, are nearly complete. They are due to go down to the Martian surface in a descent module. This spacecraft has a rather complicated sequence of parachute releases to slow the lander’s descent through the thin Martian atmosphere.

Röntgenteleskop eROSITA

Das Röntgenteleskop #eROSITA machte Ende August das erste Auge auf und sah vor allem #Quasare, Materie verschlingende supermassereiche Schwarze Löcher. Das erste Bild hat eine Größe von 4×4 Vollmonddurchmessern. Hier die MPE-Pressemitteilung:https://t.co/df0ftQoWuH
— Sterne und Weltraum (@Sterne_Weltraum) September 10, 2019

Long After Historic Flybys, NASA’s New Horizons Is Still Pioneering Science in the Kuiper Belt

New Horizons made an epic flyby of a Kuiper Belt object to ring in the New Year — but scientists need brand-new observations to truly understand that data.

HTV-8-Start zur ISS wegen eines Feuers abgesagt

Der Start eines japanischen Frachters zur Internationalen Raumstation ISS ist am Dienstagabend abgesagt worden. Grund war ein Feuer auf dem Weltraumbahnhof Tanegashima, teilte die Raumfahrtagentur JAXA mit. Es war rund dreieinhalb Stunden vor dem Abheben von HTV-8 an der Spitze einer H-2B-Trägerrakete ausgebrochen.

HTV-8 Launch Scrubbed for Tonight

Mission Control in Houston informed the crew aboard the International Space Station that tonight’s launch of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) unpiloted H-II Transfer Vehicle-8 (HTV-8) cargo spacecraft was scrubbed due to a fire on or near the launch pad at Tanegashima Space Center. The astronauts are safe aboard the station and well supplied.

Day Before HTV-8 Launch, Crew Studies Effects of Microgravity on Space-faring Humans

The International Space Station is abuzz as preparations heat up for the launch of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency HTV-8 “Kounotori” cargo craft from the Tanegashima Space Center tomorrow, Sept. 10. Launch is slated for 5:33 p.m. EDT, and can be seen live on NASA Television.

Launchpad Fire Forces Japan to Postpone Cargo Ship Launch to Space Station: Report

Japan called off a planned cargo ship launch to the International Space Station today (Sept. 10) after a fire erupted on the launch platform for the mission’s rocket, according to press reports.

Soyuz MS-14 Bearing Russian Cargo Safely Back on Earth

The Soyuz MS-14 spacecraft bearing Russian gear and supplies is safely back on Earth after parachuting to a landing in south-central Kazakhstan at 5:32 p.m. EDT (3:32am Kazakhstan time on Saturday, Sept. 7). Landing occurred about 87 miles southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan. Roscosmos personnel are on-site and have recovered the vehicle for postflight analysis.

Unpiloted Soyuz Capsule Returns to Earth with Humanoid Robot on Board

An uncrewed Russian Soyuz returned to Earth Friday (Sept. 6), bring a humanoid robot home to wrap up first-of-its-kind test flight to the International Space Station

ISS: Möglicherweise erster Ausstieg zweier Astronautinnen im März

Möglicherweise im März kommenden Jahres findet der erste gemeinsame Ausstieg zweier Frauen in der Geschichte der Raumfahrt statt. Es könne sogar sein, dass sie ihn mit ihrer Kollegin Christina Koch durchführen werde, sagte US-Astronautin Jessica Meir, die Ende September mit dem Russen Oleg Skripotschka und dem ersten […]

Expedition 60 Studies the Keys to Survive and Thrive in Space

As the week near its close, the crew of Expedition 60 caught up on maintenance activities while also continuing science investigations integral for the future of space exploration to destinations further into the solar system.

Made In Space to Step Up Off-Earth Production of Valuable Optical Fiber

Made In Space intends to launch another ZBLAN-manufacturing machine to the International Space Station within the next year or so.

Astronauts Make First Cement in Space to Support Future Martian Habitats

Astronauts mixed cement in space for the first time as researchers think that cement and concrete-like mixtures could be good building materials on the moon and Mars.

Tiny NASA Satellite Looks Inside Hurricane Dorian as Storm Regains Category 3 Strength

Hurricane Dorian restrengthened to a Category 3 storm Sept. 4 and continues to move up the the north-northeastern United States.

NASA DC-8 to Fly Low Over Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley

NASA’s DC-8 will be conducting low-level flights over the Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley on Sept. 5 as the flying laboratory returns from a two-month investigation into the life cycles of smoke from fires in the United States.

Sleuths Find the Top-Secret (and Classified) Satellite Behind Trump’s Tweeted Photo

It was only a matter of time: Amateur sleuths think they’ve tracked down the satellite that took a high-resolution image of the aftermath of an Iranian missile disaster.

Investigating the ozone hole, Amazon fires and gravity waves with the German HALO research aircraft

The German High Altitude and Long Range (HALO) research aircraft will be exploring the atmosphere in the southern hemisphere and its impact on climate change during September and November 2019 as part of the SOUTHTRAC (Transport and Composition of the Southern Hemisphere UTLS) mission.

Ozonloch, Amazonasbrände und Schwerewellen im Fokus des deutschen Forschungsflugzeugs HALO

Mit der Mission “SouthTRACK” (Transport and Composition of the Southern Hemisphere UTLS) erkundet das deutsche Forschungsflugzeug HALO im September und November 2019 die südliche Atmosphäre und ihre Auswirkungen auf den Klimawandel.

India’s Moon Mission Continues Despite Apparent Lander Crash

India’s historic lunar-landing bid may have come up short, but the nation still has important work to do at the moon.

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

Can ISRO get the silent, possibly broken Vikram lander on the moon to talk?- Technology News, Firstpost

Four days since the Indian Space Research Organisation lost contact with its lunar lander Vikram, word on the street is that India’s second moon mission Chandrayaan 2 is a partial success at best. Vikram appears to have crashed on the moon’s surface after its descent, with the uninitiated Pragyan rover still trapped inside.

Isro extends Chandrayaan-2 mission life to 7 years. Here is how

The Chandrayaan-2 mission may have received a setback with the Vikram lander losing contact with Earth during its attempt to land on the Moon last Saturday. However, there is an encouraging news for the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) — the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter’s mission life has been extended by a whopping six years. The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter’s mission was originally supposed to last a year. However, Isro has confirmed that the orbiter will now function for seven years, revolving around the Moon and collecting data on the lunar surface and atmosphere.

Chandrayaan-2 landing

Isro lost contact with Vikram when it was just 2km from lunar surface

Did India’s Chandrayaan-2 Moon Lander Survive? The Chances Are Slim

India’s first moon lander, which fell silent as it headed toward the lunar surface on Friday, has been located from orbit, the country’s space agency says. That has created hope that it might be revived.

Indische Mondmission: Zustand der Landesonde unklar

Die indische Landesonde Vikram hat die Oberfläche des Monds erreicht. Doch beim Landeanflug riss der Funkkontakt zur Erde ab. Nun ist ungewiss, ob Vikram heil auf dem Mond angekommen ist.

via BR24 https://www.br.de

India’s Vikram Spacecraft Apparently Crash-Lands on Moon

Communications were lost with the lander, which was carrying a small rover named Pragyan to the lunar surface.

Here’s Where India’s Chandrayaan-2 Will Land Near the Moon’s South Pole (and Why)

It doesn’t have a name, at least not yet. But in just a few days, if all goes well, it could become one of the most important places on the moon’s surface.

Indiens Mondsonde Chandrayaan-2: Landemodul Vikram soll auf dem Mond aufsetzen

Indiens Weltraumagentur wartet gespannt auf Samstag: Dann soll das Landemodul Vikram weich auf dem Mond aufsetzen. Es wäre ein historischer Erfolg.

India Looks to Build on Lunar Legacy with Historic Moon Landing

A decade ago, India’s Chandrayaan-1 mission helped reshape scientists’ understanding of the moon, showing that a key exploration-aiding resource is widespread on Earth’s nearest neighbor.

Magnetic wonder

Space Science Image of the Week: Plotting the surprising changes in Mercury’s magnetic history

Some of Saturn Moon Titan’s Methane Lakes May Sit in ‘Explosion Craters’

Some of the lakes on Saturn’s huge moon Titan may sit in craters blasted out by liquid-nitrogen bombs, a new study suggests.

Improved AIA 304 images coming soon!

Over years, the response of detectors can change. This can lead to changes in the images captured by those detectors. This is especially apparent in the AIA 304 channel, where images are much darker now than they once were. For example, here is a relatively recent AIA 304 image of the Sun.

Discovery! Water Vapor — and Likely Clouds, Rain, Too — Found on Strange Alien Planet

In a major first, scientists have detected water vapor and possibly even liquid water clouds on a strange exoplanet that lies in the habitable zone of its host star about 110 light-years from Earth.

Supererde: Forscher finden erstmals Wasser auf K2-18b

Die Voraussetzung für Leben, wie wir es kennen: Astronomen haben mit K2-18b einen Planeten aufgespürt, der gleichzeitig Wasser und angenehme Temperaturen bietet. Eine Wohnalternative also für die Menschheit in der Zukunft?

read more … https://ift.tt/2NXRTocvia SPIEGEL ONLINE – Nachrichten https://www.spiegel.de

Technology / Technologie

Calling All Image Processors: Help Us Create a Top-Down View of LightSail 2

We’ve got 2 fish-eye pictures of the spacecraft’s solar sail from opposite cameras, and we’re hoping they can be combined.

Insight Into SpaceX Starship Ops

New documents reveal SpaceX’s plans for launching Mars-rocket prototypes from South Texas, Business Insider

Satellitennavigation: Galileo knackt Marke von einer Milliarde Nutzer auf Handys

Der Meilenstein basiert laut EU-Kommission auf der Zahl der weltweit verkauften Smartphones, die Galileo verwenden. Die tatsächliche Userzahl sei noch höher.

Verwirrung um neue russische Trägerrakete Sojus-6

Am Wochenende wurde sie das erste Mal in den Medien erwähnt, die neue russische Trägerrakete Sojus-6. Da wurde sie noch teils als „halbschwerer“ Träger bezeichnet, der wie die ebenfalls neue Sojus-5 vom Kosmodrom Baikonur in Kasachstan starten soll. Jetzt wurden erste technische Einzelheiten genannt – und auch ein neuer Startort.

Europe’s ArianeWorks Aims for Reusable Rockets (with a Very SpaceX Look)

Veteran launch provider Arianespace’s parent Ariane Group has teamed up with the French space agency CNES for ArianeWorks, a project for reusable rockets.

Event Horizon Telescope Team Wins $3 Million Breakthrough Prize for Epic Black Hole Imagery

The Event Horizon Telescope team, which earlier this year unveiled photos of the supermassive black hole at the heart of the galaxy M87, has won the $3 million annual Breakthrough Prize in fundamental physics.

Putin will ausländische Partner für Ausbau von Wostotschny gewinnen

Präsident Wladimir Putin will ausländische Partner für den Ausbau des jüngsten russischen Kosmodroms Wostotschny im Amur-Gebiet gewinnen. Derzeit stehe die Entscheidung an, wer die nächsten Ausbaustufen übernehmen soll, sagte Putin am Donnerstag auf dem Östlichen Wirtschaftsforum in Wladiwostok.

Baubeginn am Nationalen Weltraumzentrum in Moskau

n Moskau ist der Startschuss für den Bau des Nationalen Weltraumzentrums gegeben worden. Es entsteht im Zusammenwirken zwischen dem Staatskonzern GK Roskosmos und der Moskauer Stadtregierung auf einem 250.000 Quadratmeter großen Gelände des Raumfahrtkonzerns Chrunitschew im westlichen Stadtteil Fili.

Sojus-Nachfolger soll Orjol heißen – Auch Baiterek umbenannt

Der Nachfolger der legendären Sojus-Raumschiffe, die seit 1967 zuverlässig Dienst tun, soll Orjol (Adler) heißen. Er wird damit nach der Fregatte von Zar Peter I. (1672-1725) benannt, wie GK Roskosmos-Chef Dmitri Rogosin am Wochenende in Moskau mitteilte.

India Looks Beyond the Moon to Mars, Venus and Astronaut Missions

India’s space program may have hit a major stumbling block on the road to the moon, but the country has already made major strides in lunar and Mars exploration.

Lego’s Giant New Imperial Star Destroyer Is Simply Spectacular

Lego just tapped the Dark Side of the Force for its longest “Star Wars” set available today: an epic Imperial Star Destroyer that would make Darth Vader proud.

Watch 95 Lego Star Wars Droids Transform Into a ‘Star Wars’ Orchestra

May the music be with you! Thanks to ‘one crazed inventor,’ 95 Lego ‘Star Wars’ droids stopped fighting long enough to play the iconic ‘Star Wars’ theme on 42 instruments.

How Skylab’s Demise Inspired ‘Jurassic Park’ Screenwriter’s 1st Novel ‘Cold Storage’

Many fans of the original “Jurassic Park” movie probably remember the musings on the resilience of life, a theme the film’s screenwriter explores again in a novel about NASA’s Skylab space station.

Terraform Earth? Rewilding the Planet Could Help Us Plan for Mars Colonization

Terraforming Mars would be a big and complicated job, so maybe we should get a little practice here on Earth first.

Is Interstellar Travel Really Possible?

There’s no law of physics that outright forbids interstellar travel. But that doesn’t necessarily make it easy, and it certainly doesn’t mean we’ll achieve it in our lifetimes, let alone this century.