Weekly Spacecraft Mission News (English, German) – 26.03.20 – Page 2

Impact of Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 on missions / Auswirkungen des Coronavisus auf Raumfahrtmissionen

SpaceX, NASA aim for historic crew launch in mid-May despite coronavirus outbreak

Despite the coronavirus outbreak, SpaceX still plans to launch its first-ever crewed mission just two months from now.

Astronauts offer advice on keeping calm (and carrying on) amid coronavirus outbreak

Astronauts are experts on social isolation and quarantines. Here are their tips for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

Europe stalls science on 4 space missions due to coronavirus pandemic

As concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continue to grow, the European Space Agency (ESA) is scaling back on-site personnel and hitting pause on several scientific missions.

ESA-Satellitenkontrollzentrum Darmstadt stoppt zeitweilig Bobachtung von vier Weltraummissionen

Das ESA-Satellitenkontrollzentrum (ESOC) in Darmstadt stoppt wegen der Coronavirus-Epidemie zeitweilig die instrumentelle Beobachtung und Datensammlung von vier Weltraummissionen. Dabei handele es sich unter anderem um Mars Express, die 2003 gestartet wurde, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) von 2016 und Solar Orbiter vom Februar 2020, teilte die Europäische Weltraumorganisation ESA in […]

via Gerhard Kowalski https://ift.tt/2TkXF6m

ESA deaktiviert Instrumente von Raumsonden

Angesichts des sich ausbreitenden Virus muss sich die ESA auf die allerwichtigsten Missionen konzentrieren. Erste Raumsonden werden deswegen heruntergefahren

NASA suspends work on SLS megarocket and Orion capsule due to coronavirus outbreak

NASA is halting production and testing of its Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket and Orion crew capsule, the deep-space hardware designed to get astronauts to the moon and Mars, NASA chief Jim Bridenstine announced Thursday (March 19).

NASA Leadership Assessing Mission Impacts of Coronavirus

To protect the health and safety of the NASA workforce as the nation responds to coronavirus (COVID-19), agency leadership recently completed the first assessment of work underway across all missions, projects, and programs.

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via NASA Breaking News http://www.nasa.gov/

NASA confirms work stoppage on James Webb Space Telescope

NASA and Northrop Grumman are “suspending integration and testing operations” on the James Webb Space Telescope in response to the coronavirus pandemic, a decision that officials said is likely to delay the mission’s scheduled launch date in March 2021.

Further Title News / Weitere Titelmeldungen

NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance still on track for July launch despite coronavirus outbreak

NASA is determined to get its life-hunting Mars rover off the ground this summer despite the coronavirus outbreak.

Heads up! Chinese rocket debris crashes back to Earth after recent launch

Rocket debris has been discovered downrange from a recent rocket launch from Xichang in southwest China.

Sternengeschichten Folge 382: Der Saturnmond Tethys

Von all den Monden des Saturn ist Tethys der fünftgrößte. Noch größer sind nur Titan, Rhea, Iapetus und Dione die eigentlich alle auch eine eigene Folge der Sternengeschichten verdient hätten und vielleicht auch noch kriegen. Tethys jedenfalls hat einen Durchmesser von 1062 Kilometer, was ungefähr einem Drittel der Größe des Erdmonds entspricht. Was die Masse angeht ist Tethys aber deutlich unterhalb der Mondmasse angesiedelt; er bringt es nur auf 0,8 Prozent der Masse die der Erdmond hat. Das liegt vor allem an seiner Zusammensetzung. Seine mittlere Dichte beträgt 0,98 Gramm pro Kubikzentimeter, was weniger weniger ist als die Dichte von Wasser. Man geht also davon als, dass der Mond fast komplett aus Wassereis besteht; vermutlich mit ein wenig Gestein und ein paar anderen gefrorenen Gasen. Ob Tethys eine differenzierte Welt ist, also so wie zum Beispiel die Erde einen Kern, einen Mantel und eine Kruste besitzt die aus unterschiedlichen Materialien bestehen, ist unbekannt. Es ist allerdings unwahrscheinlich und wenn unter all dem Eis ein Kern aus Gestein liegen sollte, dann muss er ziemlich winzig sein.

Hayabusa-2 / Asteroid Ryugu

NASA asteroid probe will dodge building-size boulders to snatch sample of Bennu

Snatching a piece of asteroid Bennu was supposed to be — well, not easy, but certainly manageable: scope out the space rock, find some flat spots, swoop down at one, come back home.

Bombing asteroid Ryugu reveals it is a spritely 9 million years old

The Hayabusa-2 spacecraft bombed the asteroid Ryugu in April. Analysing the crater it left behind suggests Ryugu is a relative youngster at 9 million years old

Japan’s asteroid-smashing probe reveals a surprisingly young space rock

A cannonball that a Japanese spacecraft fired at an asteroid is shedding light on the most common type of asteroid in the solar system, a new study reports.

Projektil-Einschlag liefert wertvolle Informationen über kleinen Himmelskörper

„Ryugu ist ein Trümmerhaufen“, erläutern Masahiko Arakawa von der Universität Kobe in Japan und seine Kollegen – er bestehe also aus locker gepacktem Gestein, Trümmerstücke zahlloser Kollisionen von Asteroiden in der Geschichte des Sonnensystems. Die im Dezember 2014 gestartete Sonde Hayabusa-2 traf am 27. Juni 2018 bei dem Himmelskörper ein und führte dort zahlreiche Untersuchungen durch – unter anderem auch die Entnahme von Bodenproben. Da die…

Impact of Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 on missions / Auswirkungen des Coronavisus auf Raumfahrtmissionen

SpaceX, NASA aim for historic crew launch in mid-May despite coronavirus outbreak

Despite the coronavirus outbreak, SpaceX still plans to launch its first-ever crewed mission just two months from now.

Astronauts offer advice on keeping calm (and carrying on) amid coronavirus outbreak

Astronauts are experts on social isolation and quarantines. Here are their tips for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

Europe stalls science on 4 space missions due to coronavirus pandemic

As concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continue to grow, the European Space Agency (ESA) is scaling back on-site personnel and hitting pause on several scientific missions.

ESA-Satellitenkontrollzentrum Darmstadt stoppt zeitweilig Bobachtung von vier Weltraummissionen

via Gerhard Kowalski https://ift.tt/2TkXF6m

ESA deaktiviert Instrumente von Raumsonden

Angesichts des sich ausbreitenden Virus muss sich die ESA auf die allerwichtigsten Missionen konzentrieren. Erste Raumsonden werden deswegen heruntergefahren

NASA suspends work on SLS megarocket and Orion capsule due to coronavirus outbreak

NASA Leadership Assessing Mission Impacts of Coronavirus

read more … https://ift.tt/3dkbXv9

via NASA Breaking News http://www.nasa.gov/

NASA confirms work stoppage on James Webb Space Telescope

Further Title News / Weitere Titelmeldungen

NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance still on track for July launch despite coronavirus outbreak

NASA is determined to get its life-hunting Mars rover off the ground this summer despite the coronavirus outbreak.

Heads up! Chinese rocket debris crashes back to Earth after recent launch

Rocket debris has been discovered downrange from a recent rocket launch from Xichang in southwest China.

Sternengeschichten Folge 382: Der Saturnmond Tethys

Hayabusa-2 / Asteroid Ryugu

NASA asteroid probe will dodge building-size boulders to snatch sample of Bennu

Snatching a piece of asteroid Bennu was supposed to be — well, not easy, but certainly manageable: scope out the space rock, find some flat spots, swoop down at one, come back home.

Bombing asteroid Ryugu reveals it is a spritely 9 million years old

The Hayabusa-2 spacecraft bombed the asteroid Ryugu in April. Analysing the crater it left behind suggests Ryugu is a relative youngster at 9 million years old

Japan’s asteroid-smashing probe reveals a surprisingly young space rock

A cannonball that a Japanese spacecraft fired at an asteroid is shedding light on the most common type of asteroid in the solar system, a new study reports.

Projektil-Einschlag liefert wertvolle Informationen über kleinen Himmelskörper

Impact of Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 on missions / Auswirkungen des Coronavisus auf Raumfahrtmissionen

SpaceX, NASA aim for historic crew launch in mid-May despite coronavirus outbreak

Despite the coronavirus outbreak, SpaceX still plans to launch its first-ever crewed mission just two months from now.

Astronauts offer advice on keeping calm (and carrying on) amid coronavirus outbreak

Astronauts are experts on social isolation and quarantines. Here are their tips for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

Europe stalls science on 4 space missions due to coronavirus pandemic

As concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic continue to grow, the European Space Agency (ESA) is scaling back on-site personnel and hitting pause on several scientific missions.

ESA-Satellitenkontrollzentrum Darmstadt stoppt zeitweilig Bobachtung von vier Weltraummissionen

via Gerhard Kowalski https://ift.tt/2TkXF6m

ESA deaktiviert Instrumente von Raumsonden

Angesichts des sich ausbreitenden Virus muss sich die ESA auf die allerwichtigsten Missionen konzentrieren. Erste Raumsonden werden deswegen heruntergefahren

NASA suspends work on SLS megarocket and Orion capsule due to coronavirus outbreak

NASA Leadership Assessing Mission Impacts of Coronavirus

read more … https://ift.tt/3dkbXv9

via NASA Breaking News http://www.nasa.gov/

NASA confirms work stoppage on James Webb Space Telescope

Further Title News / Weitere Titelmeldungen

NASA’s Mars rover Perseverance still on track for July launch despite coronavirus outbreak

NASA is determined to get its life-hunting Mars rover off the ground this summer despite the coronavirus outbreak.

Heads up! Chinese rocket debris crashes back to Earth after recent launch

Rocket debris has been discovered downrange from a recent rocket launch from Xichang in southwest China.

Sternengeschichten Folge 382: Der Saturnmond Tethys

Station Science Promoting Earth, Space Therapies Ahead of Crew Swap

Expedition 62 is continuing a host of studies this week exploring how microgravity affects the human body. Researchers use the weightlessness environment of the International Space Station to provide advanced therapies for healthier humans on Earth and in space.

ISS: 18 Terabyte Daten über das Sieden

Das Experiment RUBI der TU Darmstadt hat an Bord der Internationalen Raumstation ISS rund 18 Terabyte Daten gesammelt, um den physikalischen Prozess des Siedens im Detail zu untersuchen. Daraus sollen nun präzisere Modelle der Wärmeübertragung entwickelt werden. Ziel ist eine umweltschonendere und effizientere Kühlung und Beheizung auf der Erde und im Weltall.

ISS-Umlaufbahn planmäßig korrigiert

Die Umlaufbahn der Internationalen Raumstation ISS ist am Donnerstag planmäßig korrigiert worden. Dazu wurden um 18.14 Uhr deutscher Zeit die Triebwerke des Frachtraumschiffes Progress MS-13 für knapp neun Minuten gezündet, teilte die GK Roskosmos mit. Die Station umkreise danach die Erde auf einer Umlaufbahn zwischen 416,68 und […]

Space Cardiac Research as Station Orbits Higher For Next Crew

Cardiac research was a big part of the Expedition 62 crew’s schedule on Thursday. Meanwhile, the International Space Station is orbiting higher to get ready for April’s crew swap.

Spacesuit Work, Air Quality and Radiation Checks on Station Today

The Expedition 62 trio aboard the International Space Station spent their Friday on a variety of activities. The crew conducted a hearing test, swapped spacesuit components, and checked out computers, air quality and radiation.

Station Science Promoting Earth, Space Therapies Ahead of Crew Swap

ISS: 18 Terabyte Daten über das Sieden

ISS-Umlaufbahn planmäßig korrigiert

Space Cardiac Research as Station Orbits Higher For Next Crew

Cardiac research was a big part of the Expedition 62 crew’s schedule on Thursday. Meanwhile, the International Space Station is orbiting higher to get ready for April’s crew swap.

Spacesuit Work, Air Quality and Radiation Checks on Station Today

Station Science Promoting Earth, Space Therapies Ahead of Crew Swap

ISS: 18 Terabyte Daten über das Sieden

ISS-Umlaufbahn planmäßig korrigiert

Space Cardiac Research as Station Orbits Higher For Next Crew

Cardiac research was a big part of the Expedition 62 crew’s schedule on Thursday. Meanwhile, the International Space Station is orbiting higher to get ready for April’s crew swap.

Spacesuit Work, Air Quality and Radiation Checks on Station Today

COVID-19: nitrogen dioxide over China

Recent data have shown a decline of air pollution over northern Italy coinciding with its nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). This new map shows the variation of nitrogen dioxide emissions over China from December to March – thanks to the Tropomi instrument on board the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite.

Satellite track emissions drop over China, Italy during coronavirus outbreak

As satellites orbiting Earth have observed, as coronavirus has progressed, there has been less air pollution over Italy and lowered nitrogen-dioxide emissions over China.

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

Land-cover maps of Europe from the Cloud

Earth’s land is covered by a range of different types of vegetation, from forest and marsh to crops and bodies of water, as well as the artificial surfaces that are an increasingly common feature of our landscape.

Earth from Space: Kuwait

In this week’s edition of the Earth from Space programme, the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over Kuwait in the Middle East.See also Kuwait to download the image.

Tracking Methane Sources and Movement Around the Globe

NASA’s new three-dimensional portrait of methane concentrations shows the world’s second largest contributor to greenhouse warming.

How will NASA deal with the moon dust problem for Artemis lunar landings?

Scientists and engineers are trying to work out ways to tamp down lunar dust so billowing clouds don’t pose a problem to astronauts landing on the moon in 2024.

China’s Chang’e 4 lander and rover awake once more on far side of the moon

China’s Chang’e 4 mission has started its 16th lunar day of work on the far side of the moon, with the Yutu 2 rover beginning a journey in search of new areas.

Hunting out water on the Moon

read more … https://ift.tt/39in9W6via ESA Top News https://www.esa.int/

Solar System / Sonnensystem

A bit of good news from #Mars: our new approach of using the robotic arm to push the mole appears to be working! The teams @NASAJPL/@DLR_en are excited to see the images and plan to continue this approach over the next few weeks. 💪 #SaveTheMole

FAQ: https://t.co/wnhp7c1gPT pic.twitter.com/5wYyn7IwVo
— NASA InSight (@NASAInSight) March 13, 2020

This gorgeous picture of Jupiter from NASA is just what we need right now

Even as Earth is in turmoil, NASA continues to share amazing pictures from across the solar system — allowing us to (virtually) travel far while staying in place.

NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Takes a New Selfie Before Record Climb

Along with capturing an image before its steepest ascent ever, the robotic explorer filmed its “selfie stick,” or robotic arm, in action.

Mysterious crater on Mars could be a good place to look for life

Could life on Mars have hidden from extreme weather in a cavern on the Pavonis Mons volcano? This 2011 orbiter image of an otherworldly crater has NASA asking just that

Another Incredible Picture of Mars, This Time From a Region Just Outside Valles Marineris

An image taken by the MROs HiRISE camera showcases the types of terrain around part of Mars’ Valles Marineris canyon system.

Did Mercury once have the ingredients for life?

It’s possible that Mercury once held the ingredients for life.

A massive laboratory

This image shows a region of space called LHA 120-N150. It is a substructure of the gigantic Tarantula Nebula. The latter is the largest known stellar nursery in the local Universe. The nebula is situated more than 160 000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighbouring dwarf irregular galaxy that orbits the Milky Way.

Quasar Tsunamis Rip Across Galaxies

Hubble astronomers found that the region around the black hole emits so much radiation that it pushes out material at a few percent the speed of light (a speed fast enough to travel from Earth to the Moon in a few minutes). This material slams into a host galaxy’s lanes of gas and dust, preventing the formation of new stars. The torrential winds are snowplowing the equivalent of hundreds of solar masses of material each year. And, the forecast is that this stormy weather will continue for at least ten million years.

Elon Musk says SpaceX will investigate Falcon 9 rocket engine anomaly before launching again

One of the nine Merlin engines that powers the reusable Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage shut down too early during today’s launch, Elon Musk said. He vowed to get to the bottom of the issue, even though it didn’t prevent the rocket from doing its job.

NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover Gets Its Sample Handling System

The system will be collecting and storing Martian rock and soil. Its installation marks another milestone in the march toward the July launch period.

Internet: OneWeb bringt 34 weitere Satelliten mit russischer Rakete ins All

Das Kommunikationsunternehmen OneWeb hat weitere 34 Satelliten zur Internetversorgung ins All geschickt. Der Start in Baikonur verlief erfolgreich.

NASA pauses work on James Webb Space Telescope due to coronavirus, weighs risk to other science missions

As many NASA centers switch to mandatory telework to confront the spread of COVID-19, NASA leadership acknowledged that prized science missions may suffer delays.

OneWeb launches 34 more satellites for growing internet constellation

Satellite operator OneWeb lofted 34 more spacecraft today (March 21) to beef up its burgeoning broadband constellation.

NASA is Prepared for this Challenge

Our nation is facing a challenging time amid this national health emergency. The well-being of you and your families remains the top priority for NASA leadership. While we know this situation presents a number of difficulties for our missions, we are confident there is no team better prepared for doing hard things. We have accomplished so many incredible feats as an agency. We put Americans on the Moon, landed on Mars (seven times!), launched hundreds of crewed and robotic missions into space, created life-changing technologies, transformed aviation and sustained human presence on a laboratory that flies 250 miles above Earth for nearly 20 years – just to name a few things that once were thought to be impossible.

NASA Leadership Assessing Mission Impacts of Coronavirus

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

Facing pandemic, NASA shutters rocket factory, halts SLS and Orion testing

NASA announced Thursday that work on the Space Launch System heavy-lift rocket and Orion crew capsule at facilities in Louisiana and Mississippi is being halted due to the spreading coronavirus pandemic, a stoppage that could force further delays on the already behind-schedule and over-budget programs.

Russland hat seine Spezialisten aus dem Raumfahrtzentrum in Kourou abgezogen

Russland hat 246 Spezialisten wegen der Corona-Epidemie aus dem europäischen Raumfahrtzentrum (CSG) in Kourou (Französisch-Guyana) abgezogen. Sie seien am Sonntag mit einer gecharterten Boeing-777 der Nordwind Airlines auf dem Moskauer Flughafen Scheremetjewo gelandet, melden Nachrichtenagenturen. In Kourou seien lediglich 21 Spezialisten zurückgeblieben, die mit der Reparatur […]

NASA asks public to design sensors for Venus rover concept

NASA is asking the public to help them explore “hell,” as the agency terms it — the roasting surface of the planet Venus.

Celebrating Women at NASA: Aerospace Engineer Michelle Lynde

Michelle Lynde is an aerospace engineer who conducts aerodynamic analysis of configurations using Computational Fluid Dynamics tools, wind tunnel experiments and flight tests.

Four NASA Facilities Are Now At Stage 4 Due To COVID-19

According to https://ift.tt/33DdBDS four NASA facilities are now at Stage 4 on the NASA COVID-19 Response Framework: Ames, Michoud, GISS, and Stennis. Everyone else is currently at Stage 3.

Astronauts know how to handle isolation: Here are tips from Scott Kelly, Peggy Whitson and more.

With more and more people staying home, astronauts, who have immeasurable experience with isolation, have chimed in with their expert advice.

NASA employee at Kennedy Space Center tests positive for coronavirus: report

The first positive case of coronavirus at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida was confirmed today (March 23).

NASA supercomputers join fight against coronavirus

As the U.S. scrambles to respond to the spreading COVID-19 pandemic, NASA supercomputers are joining the effort to look for potential treatment and vaccine candidates.

‘See you in orbit?’ New book tackles the enduring dream of public spaceflight

In “See You In Orbit? Our Dream Of Spaceflight,” former NASA manager Alan Ladwig takes a look back at the missions and milestones in developing public spaceflight opportunities.

Kultivierung von Stammzellen für die Erforschung des tiefen Weltraums

Der Schutz vor kosmischer Strahlung ist die letzte Grenze der astronautischen Exploration des Weltraums.

Chandra Data Tests “Theory of Everything”

Astronomers using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have made one of the first experimental tests of string theory, a set of models intended to tie together all known forces, particles, and interactions.

Astronomers test string theory using NASA’s Chandra X-ray space telescope

Astronomers have probed the Perseus galaxy cluster in search of an as-yet undetected particle that would help support string theory.