Weekly Spacecraft Mission News (English, German) – 22.08.19

Front Page / Titelseite

Headline image:
ESA, “Exoplanet mission timeline
Cheops”https://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2019/03/Exoplanet_mission_timeline_Cheops

Der Transit der Sternenbegleiter

CHEOPS ist die erste von drei Missionen der ESA, die ab Herbst 2019 die Erforschung von Exoplaneten in den Blick nimmt. Das Weltraumteleskop des Satelliten soll die Größe und Beschaffenheit mehrerer hundert extrasolarer Himmelskörper untersuchen.

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via ESA Germany https://ift.tt/2UcvtQF

Planetenjäger Cheops

Günther Hasinger, ESA-Direktor für Wissenschaft, erklärt, welche Rolle CHEOPS und die Folgemissionen für das Verständnis von der Entstehung der Planetensysteme spielen.

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Elon Musk Floats ‘Nuke Mars’ Idea Again (He Has T-Shirts)

Nuking Mars is still on Elon Musk’s wish list, it would seem.

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Nuclear Propulsion Could Be ‘Game-Changer’ for Space Exploration, NASA Chief Says

Humanity’s next giant leap could be enabled by nuclear thermal propulsion, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said.

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Meet Skybot F-850, the Humanoid Robot Russia Is Launching into Space

When a Russian Soyuz spacecraft launches from Kazakhstan for the International Space Station Wednesday, it will carry a humanoid robot called Skybo F-850.

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NASA’s Next Space Telescope Could Reveal Details About the TRAPPIST-1 Planets, But There’s One Problem

The James Webb Space Telescope could gather critical information about the atmospheres of planets in the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system, one new study finds.

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Where Are New Stars Born? NASA’s Webb Telescope Will Investigate

Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope as a sort of time machine, a team of researchers intends to look billions of years into the past to understand how stars like our Sun formed in the universe.

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via Webb Telescope Features http://www.nasa.gov/

Mirror to mirror

Space Science Image of the Week: Successful deployment of Webb’s secondary mirror marks major milestone for the revolutionary new observatory

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via ESA Space Science https://ift.tt/1urjQU2

NASA Rehearses Astronaut Launch — and Rescue — with SpaceX, Boeing (Photos)

Both SpaceX and Boeing are busily preparing for the first crewed launches of their commercial spacecraft, and in case something goes wrong, they’re simulating different types of emergencies.

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NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission to Jupiter’s Icy Moon Clears Big Hurdle on Path to Launch

A highly anticipated NASA mission to Jupiter’s possibly life-supporting moon Europa remains on track for a mid-2020s launch.

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Nasa Insight Mars Lander

I’ve pressed down next to the “mole” several times, and it’s hard to make this unusual soil collapse into the pit. Soon, I’ll be out of contact for a couple of weeks during solar conjunction, but my team on Earth will keep working it. Keep sending good vibes! ✨ pic.twitter.com/dbUcnXzYzm
— NASA InSight (@NASAInSight) August 16, 2019

See NASA’s InSight Mars lander try to squish the soil

NASA’s InSight lander has a perplexing problem. The lander’s “mole,” a device that’s designed to burrow deep under the planet’s surface, got stuck pretty quickly after it deployed early in 2019. The heat probe just isn’t digging like it’s supposed to. So InSight is patting the ground in an attempt to unstick it.

NASA Spacewalkers Suited Up and Installing Docking Adapter

NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Andrew Morgan switched their spacesuits to battery power this morning at 8:27 a.m. EDT aboard the International Space Station to begin a spacewalk planned to last about six-and-a-half hours. The two flight engineers will install the second of two international docking adapters (IDAs) that will enable future arrivals of Boeing and SpaceX commercial crew spacecraft.

Two Astronauts Are Spacewalking Outside the International Space Station Today! Watch It Live

Two astronauts are taking a spacewalk outside the International Space Station today (August 21) to install a new docking port.

Station Preps for New Docking Port During Science and Soyuz Checks

Three NASA astronauts remain focused on preparations for next week’s spacewalk at the International Space Station. The rest of the Expedition 60 focused on biology research and a pair of docked spaceships.

Station Orbits Higher as Crew Preps for Spacewalk and New Spaceship

The International Space Station is orbiting higher today as the Expedition 60 crew continued setting up for next week’s spacewalk. The orbiting residents also focused on space biology experiments and packing gear for return to Earth.

Robotics Work Prepping Docking Port Ahead of Wednesday’s Spacewalk

Robotics controllers are preparing a new commercial crew docking port for installation during a spacewalk on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Expedition 60 crew is researching life science and physics while packing a cargo ship for return to Earth next week.

Spacewalkers Installing New Commercial Docking Port Wednesday

A new commercial crew docking port is in position on the International Space Station ready for installation during Wednesday’s spacewalk. Russia is also counting down to the launch of an unpiloted Soyuz spacecraft to the orbiting lab just a few hours after tomorrow’s spacewalk.

Watch Spacewalkers Install New Commercial Docking Port on NASA TV

NASA astronauts Nick Hague and Andrew Morgan, assigned as flight engineers for Expedition 60 aboard the International Space Station, will begin a planned six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk from inside the Quest airlock about 8:20 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21. Live NASA Television coverage will begin at 6:30 a.m. The duo will assist in the installation of International Docking Adapter-3 (IDA-3) to Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 on the space-facing side of the station’s Harmony module.

NASA to Seek Review of International Space Station As National Laboratory

NASA has ordered a review of the nonprofit organization that oversees the U.S. laboratory on the International Space Station to evaluate its commercial strengths and weaknesses.

Robotics Supporting Exploration; Briefers Talk Friday About Spacewalk

The Expedition 60 crew is busy conducting space research everyday inside the International Space Station. While they work, scientists and engineers on Earth can remotely control and observe experiments attached to the outside of the orbiting lab.

China’s Chang’e-4 Rover Keeps Snapping Stunning Photos of the Moon’s Far Side

China’s Chang’e-4 mission has completed eight full days of science work on the far side of the moon — and in between the experiments, the lander and rover have sent home some new photographs, too.

Chandrayaan-2 Enters Lunar Orbit

The combination lander, rover, and orbiter fired its main engine to enter orbit around the Moon at 09:02 IST (03:32 UTC) on 20 August.

India’s Chandrayaan-2 Moon Mission Successfully Enters Lunar Orbit

India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission has ticked off another key milestone in its journey to land safely on the moon: The spacecraft has successfully entered lunar orbit.

Astrobotic’s Private Moon Lander Will Launch on a Vulcan Centaur Rocket in 2021

A United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket will send Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander on its way toward Earth’s nearest neighbor two years from now.

Texas Responds To NASA Lunar Lander Management In Alabama

“I am disappointed by the decision from NASA to not place the lunar lander program management at the Johnson Space Center (JSC),” said Babin. “Marshall Space Flight Center does tremendous work for our nation’s space program, but the knowledge base and skill set for this task unquestionably resides at JSC where the Apollo lunar lander program was successfully managed.”

Should NASA Even Be Building A Lunar Lander In The First Place?

NASA recently issued a draft solicitation and requested comments from American companies interested in providing an integrated human landing system – a precursor to the final solicitation targeted for release in the coming months. The agency’s human lunar exploration plans are based on a two-phase approach: the first is focused on speed – landing on the Moon within five years, while the second will establish a sustained human presence on and around the Moon by 2028. The agency will use what we learn on the Moon to prepare for the next giant leap – sending astronauts to Mar

NASA’s Artemis Moon Lander for Astronauts Will Be Born in Alabama’s ‘Rocket City’

The lunar lander that will bring astronauts to the moon in 2024 will be born in Alabama’s “Rocket City,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine announced today

Erste US-Flüge zum Mond 2021 mit neuer Rakete

Die neue Vulcan-Centaur-Rakete der United Launch Alliance soll die ersten US-Flüge zum Mond seit fast 40 Jahren ermöglichen. Mit Triebwerken von Blue Origin.

Jupiter’s Strange Core May Have Been Forged by a Colossal Head-On Crash

Jupiter’s dilute core could have been formed by a head-on collision 4.5 billion years ago, one new study suggests.

OSIRIS-REx Team Picks 4 Candidate Sample Sites on Asteroid Bennu

The sites each have unique characteristics that would advance the field of asteroid science.

Light-dark shadows in the Martian highlands

Sand, dust and rocks of different colours cover extensive areas of the Terra Cimmeria highland region, one of the oldest landscapes on Mars. The variations in colour are due to differences in the mineralogy as well as the texture of the surface material and are typical of the ancient Mars highlands.

Something Weird Is Happening to the Black Hole at the Center of the Milky Way

Astronomers have been watching the black hole at the center of our galaxy for 20 years, and in May, they saw something they’d never seen before.

Hubble Telescope Spots Two Galaxies in a Doomed (but Dazzling) Dance

Two galaxies are caught in a crazy cosmic dance, pulling at each other in a fresh image from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Hubble Spots Purple ‘Jellyfish’ Star Glowing in Abyss of Deep Space

The latest Hubble image appears to capture a cosmic jellyfish floating in space, but in reality this structure is no living creature.

Detecting the Infrared Glow of a Dark World

This infographic illustrates how astronomers using NASAs Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the LHS 3844b system could deduce how much of the combined infrared light came from the Earth-sized exoplanet.

This Weird, Rocky Planet Has No Atmosphere

A nearby, rocky exoplanet may be just a plain rock with no atmosphere — supporting a theory that planets orbiting small stars are more susceptible to lacking an atmosphere.

TrumpSpace: No Mention Of The Moon Thing But Rich Guys Pay NASA Rent

We’re investing in the future of human spaceflight,” the president said, prefacing his off-the-cuff remarks on spaceflight. “And some day soon American astronauts will plant the stars and stripes on the surface of Mars.” Trump never mentioned the Moon, or his administration’s lunar program, during this comment or in any of his subsequent remarks Thursday night.

Satellite Photo Shows China’s Military Buildup in Response to Hong Kong Protests

After over 10 weeks of protests in Hong Kong, a satellite has captured an image of Chinese military vehicles gathering in Shenzhen.

Hooray Yet Another Space Plan

“Newt Gingrich and an eclectic band of NASA skeptics are trying sell President Donald Trump on a reality show-style plan to jump-start the return of humans to the moon — at a fraction of the space agency’s estimated price tag. The proposal, whose other proponents range from a three-star Air Force general to the former publicist for pop stars Michael Jackson and Prince, envisions creating a $2 billion sweepstakes pitting billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and other space pioneers to see who can establish and run the first lunar base, according to a summary of the plan shared with POLITICO.”

New US Space Command Will Launch Next Week, VP Pence Says

The United States Space Command will officially be up and running by the end of the month, Vice President Mike Pence said today (Aug. 20) at a meeting of the National Space Council.

Private Dream Chaser Space Plane Will Ride New Vulcan Rocket for NASA Cargo Launches

The private Dream Chaser space plane has a new ride to the International Space Station.

Robotic Toolkit Added to NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover

The bit carousel, which lies at the heart of the rover’s Sample Caching System, is now aboard NASA’s newest rover.

How SpaceX’s Starship Will Help Establish a Mars Base

As NASA works toward its long-term goal of establishing a human settlement on Mars, SpaceX is fleshing out its plans to help NASA make that dream a reality.

Big Leap by SpaceX’s Starship Prototype Pushed to Next Week

It looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer to see Starhopper make its biggest leap yet.

China startet erstmals neue Trägerrakete für kommerzielle Missionen

China hat am Samstag erstmals eine neue Trägerrakete für kommerzielle Missionen gestartet. Smart Dragon-1 (SD-01) sei um 12.11 Uhr Pekinger Zeit vom Weltraumbahnhof Jiuquan im Nordwesten des Landes aufgestiegen und habe drei Fernerkundungs- und Nachrichtensatelliten auf ihre vorausberechnete Umlaufbahn gebracht, meldete die Nachrichtenagentur Xinhua.

China’s Private ‘Smart Dragon-1’ Rocket Aces 1st Mission

The private Smart Dragon-1 rocket, built by the China Rocket Co. Ltd., completed its first mission Saturday (Aug. 17), successfully launching three small satellites to Earth orbit, Chinese media outlets reported.

China Just Launched a Communications Satellite. Is It in Trouble?

A Chinese Long March 3B rocket launched a new communications satellite into orbit today (Aug. 19) — but there appears to be a problem with the satellite.

All instruments onboard Rosalind Franklin rover

The full suite of scientific instruments, including cameras that will give us our eyes on Mars, the drill that will retrieve pristine soil samples from below the surface, and the onboard laboratory that will seek out signs of life are all installed on the ExoMars rover.

Letzte Weltraum-Startrampe von Kapustin Jar wird demontiert

Die letzte noch verbliebene Rampe für Weltraumstarts auf dem Raketenschießplatz Kapustin Jar im Gebiet Archangelsk wird im Dezember 2020 demontiert. Wie die Nachrichtenagentur RIA Nowosti meldet, soll das Gelände rekultiviert werden. Von dem Komplex Woßchod (Platz 107) seien Trägerraketen des Typs Kosmos-3M und K65N aufgestiegen.

Rogosin scherzt über das Bohrloch in Gersts Raumschiff

Der Chef der russischen Raumfahrtagentur GK Roskosmos, Dmitri Rogosin, scheint über die großen Sorgen, die sein Job so mit sich bringt, den Humor nicht verloren zu haben. So antwortete er am Montag per Twitter auf die sicher nicht ganz unernste Frage einer gewissen Tschipo Lina „Haben […]

NASA’s Big Astrobiology Mission To Europa Makes No Mention Of Astrobiology

NASA JPL issued a press release on Monday titled “Mission to Jupiter’s Icy Moon Confirmed”. Great news for the Astrobiology community as noted by the release – except that the NASA Astrobiology website linked to in this release makes no mention of this news (maybe they will on Tuesday).

Boeing Astronaut Reveals Mission Patches for Starliner Flight Tests

The first astronauts assigned to launch on Boeing’s new Starliner spacecraft now have a mission patch to represent their flight.

NASA Wants Ideas for Private Cargo Ships to Supply a Lunar Gateway

NASA has called for companies to submit proposals to create spacecraft that will deliver cargo to the lunar gateway.

That Time NASA Over-Analzyed The Value Of LEGOs

“Have you ever seen LEGO bricks float? Now is your chance! Watch former NASA Astronaut Mike Massimino unbox and build LEGO sets in zero gravity! Get inspired to join the greatest adventure ever as we work together to put an astronaut on Mars! Let’s Go!”

2nd ‘Ad Astra’ Trailer Teases More Spectacular Sci-Fi Starring Brad Pitt

A stunning second trailer for Brad Pitt’s intergalactic adventure film “Ad Astra” offers a few more tantalizing details as he races through the depths of space while something called the “surge” is threatening all life on Earth.

The Moon Is Brighter Than the Sun in These NASA Gamma-Ray Telescope Views

The sun is the brightest object in our skies — but it wouldn’t be if we could see incredibly energetic gamma-rays as well as visible light.

Beyond TESS: How Future Exoplanet-Hunters Will Seek Out Strange New Worlds

Ground and space telescope missions plan to further explore exoplanets discovered by NASA’s TESS spacecraft.

Hubble Telescope Solves a Galactic Identity Crisis for Quasars

A new study has shed more light on the mysterious quasars and settles a 20-year-old astronomical debate.