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  1. zikalify
    SpaceX to launch private Axiom 3 mission to ISS - TWIRL #147 by Paul Hill We have plenty of SpaceX launches coming up this week. Two are Starlink missions but one will be a Crew Dragon mission to the space station. It will be carrying the Axiom 3 crew to the ISS who will spend a week there. Axiom Space is a private space company just like SpaceX. Sunday, 14 January Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 12:52 a.m. UTC Where: Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching 23 Starlink satellites into a low Earth orbit. This batch of satellites is known as Starlin Group 6-37, an identifier you can use to find these satellites on tracking apps and websites. Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 8:59 - 9:27 a.m. UTC Where: Vandenberg AFB, California, US Why: This launch will put 22 Starlink satellites into a low Earth orbit. Unlike the other launch, this one will also be carrying direct-to-cell Starlink satellites which connect directly to devices. This was mean to take off on January 8 but has been delayed several times since then for some reason. Wednesday, 17 January Who: Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) What: Long March 7 When: 2:27 p.m. UTC Where: Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre Why: CNSA will use a Long March 7 to launch the Tianzhou 7 cargo spacecraft which will head to the Chinese Space Station (CSS). The Tianzhou 7 will operate for nine months in space. Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 10:11 p.m. UTC Where: SpaceX LC-39A, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will launch the Crew Dragon spacecraft atop a Falcon 9. The spacecraft will spend a week at the International Space Station and will transport Axiom Space’s astronaut Michael López-Alegría, ESA astronaut Marcus Wandt, Italian astronaut Walter Villadei and Turkish astronaut Alper Gezeravci to the ISS on a private mission called Axiom 3. Recap The first mission last week was the launch of a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites into orbit. The second launch of the week saw United Launch Alliance (ULA) a Vulcan Centaur rocket take off carrying Astrobotic’s Peregrine Lunar Lander. Unfortunately since launch, the company has said the lander won’t reach the moon. The next launch was a Long March 2C carrying the Einstein Probe which was developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE). The probe will study X-rays coming from neutron stars and black holes. The fourth launch was a Kuaizhou 1A rocket carrying the Tianxing 1 test satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. The satellite will be used for experiments like space environment detection. An interesting launch this week was the Gravity 1 which took off from a sea platform near Haiyang in China. The rocket was carrying three Yunyao 1 satellites to a low Earth orbit. The vehicle was designed by the Chinese company OrienSpace. The final launch we got was the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA rocket carrying the IGS Optical-8 satellite. The satellite is a Japanese optical reconnaissance satellite. That’s all for this week, check in next time!
  2. Martin Hodás
    Elon Musk has finally revealed the reason behind Starship mid-flight explosion by Martin Hodás The second integrated test flight of the biggest space rocket that mankind ever built, SpaceX’s Starship, was a huge success. It roared to the sky in mid-November from Boca Chica in Texas, cleared the launch tower without any hiccups (unlike during the first flight), went through the process of hot-staging – separating from the Super Heavy first stage, and crossed the Kármán line to reach the space for a very first time. However, despite the overall success and excitement, the rocket hit a few bumps during the flight. Shortly after the stage separation, the Super Heavy booster disintegrated on the way back. And the same happened with Starship itself eight minutes into the flight. Much was speculated on social media about the cause and the role of the flight termination system, which is supposed to tear the rocket apart in case things don’t go as planned. Now, two months later, Elon Musk has finally revealed what happened in a SpaceX company update presentation at Starbase. Long story short, the world’s heaviest rocket was too light: “Flight 2 actually almost made it to orbit. In fact, ironically, if it had a payload it would have made it to orbit. Because the reason that it actually didn’t quite make it to orbit was we vented the oxygen, and liquid oxygen ultimately led to fire and an explosion. Because we wanted to vent the liquid oxygen because we normally wouldn’t have that liquid oxygen if we had payload. So, ironically, if it had a payload it would have reached orbit.” You can watch the full SpaceX company update in the video below: In 2023, SpaceX completed 96 successful missions, safely flew 12 more astronauts to orbit, launched two flight tests of Starship, and more than doubled the number of people around the world connected by @Starlink. Watch @elonmusk deliver a company update: pic.twitter.com/7zeTlQLgp9 — SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 12, 2024 What we still don’t know is the exact cause that led Super Heavy to fail during the boostback burn. Anyway, Musk is still completely okay with destroying a few more rockets if it means that Starship will be operational much faster. “It is always better to sacrifice hardware than sacrifice time. Like, time is the one true currency,” said the CEO of SpaceX. The new key milestones for the third integrated test flight include executing the in-space engine burn from a header tank and safely deorbiting the spacecraft. SpaceX also wants to do the first tests for the propellant transfer technology and test its payload door and mechanism for deploying its Starlink satellites. The flight is currently planned for February, pending the launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
  3. Martin Hodás
    SpaceX successfully tested direct communication between smartphones and Starlink satellites by Martin Hodás American rocket launch company and the operator of the biggest satellite constellation, SpaceX, has made progress in launching and testing its new variant of Starlink satellites with so-called direct-to-cell capability. The technology allows currently marketed smartphones to communicate directly with the satellites, therefore completely bypassing the need for a Starlink user terminal (SpaceX’s proprietary antenna and router), as well as the need for mobile network coverage in the area. SpaceX had narrowly missed the original plans to conduct the first testing of the feature in 2023, as the first direct-to-cell Starlink satellites launched to orbit on January 2, 2024. Just six days afterward, SpaceX performed the first successful testing of the Earth-to-orbit-and-back communication between two LTE smartphones using the T-Mobile frequency spectrum, the company said on Wednesday. Texts between two phones sent through our Direct to Cell satellites in space pic.twitter.com/jd8b7uiZSq — SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 11, 2024 SpaceX’s Falcon 9 workhorse rocket lifted an additional 21 Starlink satellites in early January, six of which were equipped with the direct-to-cell technology. The key appeal of SpaceX’s solution is the support of currently marketed LTE smartphones. There is no need for phone manufacturers to adopt new technology or for users to buy a new smartphone. But the ability to connect cell phones to satellites comes with several challenges, as the company explains: “For example, in terrestrial networks cell towers are stationary, but in a satellite network they move at tens of thousands of miles per hour relative to users on Earth. This requires seamless handoffs between satellites and accommodations for factors like Doppler shift and timing delays that challenge phone to space communications. Cell phones are also incredibly difficult to connect to satellites hundreds of kilometers away given a mobile phone’s low antenna gain and transmit power.” According to SpaceX, direct-to-cell Starlink satellites are addressing these challenges with innovative new custom silicon, phased array antennas, and advanced software algorithms. Currently, the plan is to launch hundreds of direct-to-cell Starlink satellites to enable text service in 2024, with voice, data, and Internet of Things (IoT) services coming in 2025.
  4. zikalify
    EU-China Einstein Probe set for launch - TWIRL #146 by Paul Hill We have a busy This Week in Rocket Launches, one of the notable events will be that of a Long March 2C rocket carrying the Einstein Probe. One of the things that the European Space Agency (ESA) is notable for is its diplomacy and this mission highlights just that. The Einstein Probe is a wide-field X-ray space observatory named after Albert Einstein. It was developed jointly between the ESA, the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Sunday, 7 January Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 9:00 p.m. - 1:31 a.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching 23 Starlink satellites into a low Earth orbit. This batch of satellites is called Starlink Group 6-35, it does not include any direct-to-cell Starlink satellites that were recently launched. Monday, 8 January Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 5:00 a.m. - 9:25 a.m. UTC Where: Vandenberg AFB, California, US Why: SpaceX will use this launch to send up 21 Starlink satellites to a low Earth orbit. This group of satellites is known as Starlink Group 7-10 and you’ll be able to use this identifier on websites and apps that let you track satellites. Who: United Launch Alliance What: Vulcan VC2S When: 7:18 - 8:03 a.m. UTC Where: Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: This mission will be carrying the Peregrine Mission One (PM1), a lunar lander made by Astrobotic for NASA’s CLPS program. The PM1 mission will carry 2 payloads for various entities such as NASA, Carnegie Mellon University, Spacebit, the Mexican Space Agency, and more. NASA’s nine payloads will include experiments with regolith, solar power, radiation, and magnetic fields. Tuesday, 9 January Who: Orienspace What: Gravity YL-1 When: 4:00 a.m. UTC Where: Yellow Sea Why: This mission will launch three Jilin satellites for the Jilin 1 constellation. It will take off from a ship in the Yellow Sea. The satellites being launched include Langfang Kongjina 1, Taian, and Jilin Gaofen 05. Who: Chinese Academy of Sciences What: Long March 2C When: 7:00 a.m. UTC Where: Xichang Satellite Launch Centre Why: This rocket will launch the Einstein Probe, a wide-field X-ray space observatory named after Albert Einstein. The probe is a joint effort by the ESA, MPE, and CAS. Using its wide-field X-ray telescope, the probe will be able to view X-ray events and provide more details about black holes, magnetars, active galactic nuclei, red shifted gamma-ray bursts, and interactions between comets and solar wind ions. Wednesday, 10 January Who: Chinese Academy of Sciences What: Space Kinetica 1 When: 2:00 - 8:00 a.m. UTC Where: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre Why: In this mission, five MinoSpace satellites will be launched into orbit. Not too much else is known about the purpose of these satellites. Thursday, 11 January Who: Japanese Ministry of Defense What: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA When: 4:00 - 6:00 a.m. UTC Where: Yoshinobu Launch Complex LP-1 Why: This mission will launch the IGS-Optical 8 reconnaissance satellite for the Japanese Ministry of Defense. The Information Gathering Satellite is a third generation Japanese optical reconnaissance satellite. While not many details are public, it’s believed the satellite can snap high-res images up to 40 centimetres. Recap The first launch we got last week was a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Indian space agency ISRO. It was carrying the X-ray Polarimeter Satellite. The XPoSat is ISRO’s first dedicated scientific satellite to study space-based polarisation measures of X-ray emissions for celestial sources. Next, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites to a low-Earth orbit where they will provide internet connectivity. SpaceX was also responsible for the following launch where a Falcon 9 orbited the Ozvon 3 satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The first stage of the Falcon 9 also landed at Cape Canaveral ready ro reuse. Finally, a Kuaizhou 1A rocket was launched carrying Tianmu 1 meteorological satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. These were satellites 15, 16, 17, and 18. They will be used to provide commercial weather data. That’s it for this week, check in next time!
  5. Martin Hodás
    NASA canceled a whole research program due to SpaceX's Veni, Vidi, Vici approach by Martin Hodás NASA is well known for pushing the limits of space technology, often nailing the billion-dollar missions on the first attempt. But this approach comes at a price, and we are not talking only about the taxpayers’ wallets. There can be years between the initial idea and the first real-scale test of new technology. However, this legacy-space paradigm is shifting rather quickly thanks to new space companies and startups such as SpaceX and Rocket Lab. NASA, as a federal agency, has to deal with politics and its budget is heavily dependent on the U.S. Congress. Also, its public image is very important and every failure can result in severe consequences for current or future projects. Private companies have much wider room for taking risks. Take SpaceX as an example. The space company of billionaire Elon Musk is throwing away rockets – or millions of dollars – to get valuable data and faster development in return, which is something NASA could never think of. Planetary scientist and space technologist Dr. Phil Metzger from the University of Central Florida, who formerly worked with NASA, now shared a great example of this “let’s fly and see” approach being superior – at least in some cases. SpaceX is successfully landing the Falcon 9 rockets since December 2015.If you ever watched a flight of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, you have surely heard of the so-called reentry burn. When the rocket enters the denser part of the atmosphere, Falcon 9 starts three of its nine Merlin 1D engines and slows the vehicle down, while the engines’ plumes essentially double as a heat shield. The rocket then shuts down the engines before reigniting them one last time for the vertical landing – either on land or on a autonomous droneship stationed in the ocean. Dr. Metzger now told a story on X (Twitter) about a young NASA engineer working on research into supersonic retropropulsion, a.k.a. SpaceX’s reentry burn. It was a short conversation in the early times when SpaceX was just figuring out how to successfully land a space rocket. Those attempts were conducted between 2013 and 2015. “At NASA, we had a big program planned to study this. We were going to start with lots of computer simulations. Then we would put a thruster on a high-speed rail car and shoot the plume into the direction of travel. Then we’d drop rockets off high-altitude balloons,” explained the young engineer. Clearly, the process would be very lengthy before any rocket would actually attempt supersonic retropropulsion. So it comes as no surprise that it indeed never happened. The reason is SpaceX. “But then Elon Musk just went and tried it, and it worked! So NASA canceled our entire program!” said the engineer. As simple as that. As Metzger points out, SpaceX didn’t even have to land the rocket. The mere fact that the vehicle was able to slow down and get back through the atmosphere safely was enough to prove that the idea of supersonic retropropulsion is viable. SpaceX managed to successfully land the first Falcon 9 in December 2015 on the coast of Cape Canaveral. The first successful droneship landing followed just a few months later. Ever since, SpaceX has been landing more rockets than it is crashing, shrinking the price of spaceflight significantly. Thanks to vertical landings and the reusability of the Falcon 9’s, SpaceX aims for an insane goal of 144 flights in 2024. If you don’t want to miss the show, follow Neowin’s Paul Hill This Week in Rocket Launches. Title image: Steve Colwell (CC BY 2.0 DEED)
  6. Qblade_
    SpaceX launches its first satellite with cell service in collaboration with T-Mobile by Mehrotra A Earlier today, Elon Musk's SpaceX launched a set of satellites with cell service capabilities into orbit. The launch was in collaboration with T-Mobile and was the first time SpaceX launched satellites with cell services into the low Earth orbit. In the press release sent out by T-Mobile, the company noted that it had partnered with SpaceX to launch a set of Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell Service. This was a part of the Coverage Above and Beyond initiative which was announced by T-Mobile and SpaceX in 2022. The initiative aims bring universal cellular connectivity to the United States to eradicate mobile dead zones. With satellites now in orbit, T-Mobile said that it plans to began field testing soon. Falcon 9 launches 21 @Starlink satellites to orbit from California, including six with Direct to Cell capabilities → https://t.co/FgiJ7LOYdK pic.twitter.com/IKBkTSB63C — SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 3, 2024 Mike Katz, President of Marketing, Strategy and Products, T-Mobile said: Our mission is to be the best in the world at connecting customers to their world and today is another step forward in keeping our customers connected even in the most remote locations for added peace of mind when they need it most. Today’s launch is a pivotal moment for this groundbreaking alliance with SpaceX and our global partners around the world, as we work to make dead zones a thing of the past. T-Mobile said that the Direct to Cell Service will work on existing smartphones and will not require additional hardware. The company plans to offer text service soon with call option rolling out in the coming years. This will allow users in remote locations to connect with others without extensive radio hardware. This will allow for mobile phone connectivity anywhere on Earth. Note, this only supports ~7Mb per beam and the beams are very big, so while this is a great solution for locations with no cellular connectivity, it is not meaningfully competitive with existing terrestrial… https://t.co/ymHpw8XBHl — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 3, 2024 SpaceX, on the other hand, is planning to partner with other telecommunication providers to offer the same service. The company is currently talks with KDDI (Japan), Optus (Australia), One NZ (New Zealand), Rogers (Canada) and others. SpaceX has also extended the invite to other providers across the globe to reach out for a partnership.
  7. zikalify
    India set to launch its first polarimetry mission this week - TWIRL #145 by Paul Hill We don’t have many launches coming up This Week in Rocket Launches with it being the new year, however, there are a lot of videos to watch in the recap section. This week, India will be launching its first polarimetry mission to study X-ray sources. Monday, 1 January Who: NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) What: PSLV DL When: 3:40 a.m. UTC Where: Dhawan Space Centre Why: NSIL will be launching the XPoSat satellite in this mission. The satellite is India’s first polarimetry mission that will study bright astronomical X-ray sources. The satellite will be carrying two scientific payloads called POLIX and XSPECT. Wednesday, 3 January Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 2:13 a.m. UTC Where: Vandenberg AFB Why: SpaceX will be conducting a launch that should have taken place last week but got delayed. A Falcon 9 will be carrying Starlink’s first direct-to-cell satellites which means that the internet can be directly delivered to devices. The other 15 satellites will be standard Starlink satellites. Recap The first launch last week was on Christmas Eve. SpaceX used a Falcon 9 to launch the SARah-2 and SARah-3 reflector satellites before landing the Falcon 9 first stage back on the pad. Next, private Chinese space firm ExPace launched a Kuaizhou 1A rocket carrying four Tianmu 1 meteorological satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. The satellites were numbers 11 to 14. They will be used to provide commercial data services. On Christmas Day, the Chinese National Space Administration launched a Long March 11 rocket carrying three Shiyan-24C satellites from a sea-based platform. These satellites will be used for space science and technology experiments. On Boxing Day, a Long March 3B was launched carrying two backup BeiDou-3 navigation satellites. These backup satellites will operate in a medium Earth orbit and are the second and third satellites to act as backups for the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3). Following this, ExPace launched another Kuaizhou 1A carrying four more Tianmu 1 satellites, these were number 19 to 22. Probably the most interesting launch of the week was a SpaceX Falcon Heavy carrying the Boeing X-37B spy plane for the US government. We don’t get that many Falcon Heavy launches so they’re nice to watch. Finally, SpaceX launched more Starlink internet satellites before landing the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket. That’s all for this week, check back next time.
  8. Martin Hodás
    SpaceX lost its most iconic Falcon 9 booster on Christmas Day by Martin Hodás Despite nearing an unprecedented milestone of 100 flights in a single calendar year, SpaceX staffers were not rewarded in the way they wanted on Christmas Day. Their most iconic Falcon 9, the historic booster B1058, was lost forever during the transport from its last mission. SpaceX announced on X (Twitter) that the first stage tipped over on the deck of the autonomous droneship Just Read the Instructions (JRTI). This happened due to high winds and waves just less than 100 miles from Port Canaveral. Booster B1058 was SpaceX’s fleet leader in launches and vertical landings with 19 successful missions. That includes the historic Demo-2 mission (May 2020) which lifted the first U.S. astronauts from American soil since the end of the Space Shuttle era. As SpaceX pointed out, the B1058 also managed to launch more than 860 satellites or over 260 tons of cargo to orbit, during its 3 1/2 years of service. Its 19th and last successful landing occurred on December 23. Ultimately, the fate of B1058 was sealed by an unlucky combination of factors. The main one was, obviously, the rough sea weather, while the other one was simply the age of the rocket itself that was missing some updated parts, as explained by Kiko Dontchev, the vice president of Launch at SpaceX: Tippy boosters occur when you get a certain set of landing conditions that lead to the legs having uneven loading. Heavy wind or sea state then cause the booster to teeter and slide which can lead to even worse leg loading. In this state, securing with the Octagrabber is super challenging and often only partially successful. We came up with self-leveling legs that immediately equalize leg loads on landing after experiencing a severe tippy booster two years ago on Christmas (first flight of 1069). The fleet is mostly outfitted, but 1058, given its age, was not. It met its fate when it hit intense wind and waves resulting in failure of a partially secured Octagrabber less than 100 miles from home. In the meantime, the remnants of B1058 have finally hit Port Canaveral. The photos circulating social media have shown the bottom (tank) part of the first stage, landing legs, all nine Merlin 1D engines, and the heavily damaged Octagrabber – the autonomous robot trying to hold the rocket in its place. Falcon 9 B1058 🫡🇺🇸🚀🪱 A portion of the record-setting Falcon 9 booster remains on board the Just Read the Instructions droneship. After its 19th launch and landing, the vehicle tipped over in rough seas during the transit back to Port Canaveral, and its top portion broke off.… pic.twitter.com/TaYhgmHL9R — John Kraus (@johnkrausphotos) December 26, 2023 The good news is that B1058 might still be a bit useful in the end. While many spaceflight fans suggested the remnants be displayed in a museum, SpaceX will actually try to collect the last bits of valuable data the booster can provide. “We are planning to salvage the engines and do life leader inspections on the remaining hardware. There is still quite a bit of value in this booster. We will not let it go to waste,” said Jon Edwards, the vice president of Falcon Launch Vehicles at SpaceX. Don’t forget there is still a little bit of 2023 remaining and SpaceX is not the only rocket launcher aiming to reach the orbit in the upcoming days. You can find the current launch schedule in our latest edition of This Week in Rocket Launches.
  9. zikalify
    SpaceX to launch first direct-to-cell Starlink satellites - TWIRL #144 by Paul Hill We have a lot of launches from China this week but perhaps the most interesting development is that SpaceX will be launching the first direct-to-cell Starlink satellites. These will allow customers to connect their phones and other devices directly to the satellites. Monday, 25 December Who: Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) What: Long March 11H When: 11:20 p.m. UTC Where: South China Sea Why: This rocket will be launching a satellite called Xianggang from a ship called Bo Run Jiu Zhou. The satellite is Hong Kong’s first high-res remote-sensing AI satellite. Tuesday, 26 December Who: CNSA What: Long March 3B/E When: 3:10 a.m. UTC Where: Xichang Satellite Launch Centre Why: This rocket will launch two BeiDou navigation satellites into orbit for the Chinese government. These two satellites will be the last BeiDou-3M satellites and will complete the medium Earth orbit component of the third phase of BeiDou. Wednesday, 27 December Who: ExPace What: Kuaizhou 1A When: 6:57 a.m. UTC Where: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre Why: In this launch, ExPace will be launching an unknown payload into orbit. Who: Roscosmos What: Soyuz 2.1v When: 7:00 a.m. UTC Where: Plesetsk Cosmodrome Why: Roscosmos will use the Soyuz 2.1v rocket to launch a classified satellite called Kosmos. It is most likely to be a Razbeg reconnaissance satellite capable of taking high-res images for civilian and military purposes. Friday, 29 December Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 5:09 - 8:32 a.m. UTC Where: Vandenberg AFB Why: SpaceX will launch 21 Starlink satellites into a low Earth orbit. Interestingly, this is the first launch of direct-to-cell Starlink satellites which will allow customers to connect their devices directly to the satellites. This batch of satellites is called Starlink Group 7-9, this can be used to find the satellites on tracking apps. Saturday, 30 December Who: ExPace What: Kuaizhou 1A When: 12:00 a.m. UTC Where: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre Why: ExPace will launch an extremely low Earth orbit satellite for Chaodigui for China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation and EOI Space. These companies are apparently working on a beyond-line-of-sight idea that could bring satellites closer to Earth than they are today. Recap The first launch last week was iSpace’s Hyperbola 1 rocket carrying the DEAR 1 satellite from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. The satellite will be used for optical observations and for carrying life science payloads. Next, SpaceX launched a batch of Starlink satellites and the first stage of the Falcon 9 performed a landing ready to be reused. Last week we also got a launch from Blue Origin which we haven’t seen in a while. The company launched the New Shepard rocket carrying 3 payload from NASA and education institutes. Finally, Firefly Aerospace launched the fourth Firefly Alpha rocket from Vandenberg AFB carrying the Electronically Steered Antenna from Lockheed Martin. That’s all for this week, check back next time.
  10. zikalify
    Orienspace to launch the first Gravity 1 rocket from a sea platform - TWIRL #143 by Paul Hill We don’t have too many launches This Week in Rocket Launches. Probably the most interesting is the Gravity 1 rocket which is planned to launch on Sunday because it is its first launch. It will launch 17 satellites into orbit from a sea platform. Sunday, 17 December Who: Orienspace What: Gravity 1 rocket When: Unknown Where: Yellow Sea Why: The Gravity 1 rocket will perform its first flight and tak 17 satellites into orbit. It will be launching from a sea platform this time but it can also do land launches. One of the satellites it’ll launch is called Jilin Gaofen 05. Monday, 18 December Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 4:00 - 8:31 a.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching 23 Starlink satellites into a low Earth orbit. These satellites will join the huge Starlink constellation to beam internet to customers on Earth. This batch of satellites is designated as Starlink Group 6-34; this can be used to track the satellites on apps like ISS Detector. Friday, 22 December Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 9:46 - 11:45 p.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will launch the Ovzon 3 satellite into orbit before the satellite moves itself into a final orbit over the next several months. It will be the first commercial satellite to use a Roll-Out Solar Array. Ovzon will offer mobile broadband service via satellite combining high bandwidth satellite communication services with highly mobile terminals. Recap The first launch we got this week was a Chinese Long March 2D carrying the Yaogan-39 05 satellite to orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. It is a remote sensing satellite. Next up, Chinese company iSpace launched the Hyperbola-2 in a vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) test, which it completed successfully. The rocket is a small two-stage launch vehicle that will be able to launch 1.9 tons into a low-Earth orbit and then land again for reuse. The third launch of the week was Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket carrying the QPS-SAR-5 satellite for iQPS. The mission was called “The Moon God Awakens” and the satellite is called TSUKUYOMI-I. It took off from Pad B at the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. The final launch this week was a Long March 5 carrying the Yaogan-41 high-orbit optical remote sensing satellite. That’s all for this week, check back next time.
  11. zikalify
    SpaceX to launch secretive government spaceplane - TWIRL #142 by Paul Hill This Week in Rocket Launches we have a fair few launches but among them the most interesting is the launch of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy which will be carrying the secretive X-37B spaceplane. It will be carrying a mission for NASA where it will expose seeds to radiation. Sunday, 10 December Who: CNSA What: Long March 2D When: 1:58 a.m. UTC Where: Xichang Satellite Launch Center Why: China is planning to launch three Yaogan 39 satellites on this mission. They will perform various tasks including scientific experiments, land and resource surveys, agricultural production estimates, and disaster prevention and mitigation. Monday, 11 December Who: SpaceX What: Falcon Heavy When: 1:14 a.m. - 4:31 a.m. UTC Where: SpaceX LC-39A, Florida, US Why: The Falcon Heavy will launch the USSF-52 mission of the US Space Force. The primary payload is the X-37B spaceplane, which is flying on its seventh mission. The X-37B will be used to conduct several tests including one for NASA called Seeds-2 which will expose plant seeds to harsh radiation and help develop the way for future crewed space missions. Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 4:00 a.m. Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching 23 Starlink satellites into a low Earth orbit. They have an anti-reflective coating to reduce the glare for astronomers. This batch of satellites is known as Starlink Group 6-34 and if you use any satellite tracking services you’ll probably be able to identify viewing times for these satellites based on this identifier. Thursday, 14 December Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 9:00 p.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: In this mission, SpaceX will launch the Ovzon 3 satellite for Ovzon AB, a Swedish company. The satellite is a geostationary communications satellite for mobile broadband services. Friday, 15 December Who: CNSA What: Long March 5 When: 12:10 p.m. Where: Wenchang Satellite Launch Center Why: This rocket is launching an unknown payload into space so we don’t know what it will do. Saturday, 16 December Who: Roscosmos What: Soyuz 2.1b When: Unknown Where: Baikonur Cosmodrome Why: Russia is going to launch the second Arktika-M remote sensing satellite and communications satellite which will be used for weather forecasting and monitoring the climate and environment in the Arctic. Recap The first launch last week was a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites. The first stage of the rocket landed too so that it can be reused. Next up, China launched a Long March 2C carrying the MisrSat-2 and and group of StarPool satellites. Galactic Energy launched a Ceres-1 rocket carrying the TianYan-16 and StarPool-1A satellites. The first is a meteorological satellite and the other is a remote sensing satellite. The China Academy of Launch Technology (CALT) flew a Smart Dragon-3 rocket next from a sea platform, carrying a new satellite internet technology test satellite. Iran launched an interesting rocket motor in the week called Salman. It placed a 500kg space bio-capsule 130 km above the Earth. The Salman rocket motors are described as a new class of launchers capable of carrying half-ton payloads to space. Salman itself is pretty small but this is because it can be coupled with the Qased and Qaem-100 satellite launch vehicles. Next, SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites and landed the first stage of the Falcon 9. Finally, we got another Starlink launch from SpaceX. That’s it for this week, be sure to check in next time.
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    A feasibility study for a Crew Dragon Hubble servicing mission went to the suits a few weeks ago. A 'Polaris Hubble' mission would be after the upcoming Polaris Dawn mission, where SpaceX will test their new EVA (spacewalk) suits and take a ride into the Inner Van Allen belt, breaking Gemini 11s orbital altitude record. Their goal would be >1,400 km. https://spacenews.com/hubble-glitch-renews-talk-about-private-servicing-mission/
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    LandSpace to perform third launch of reusable rocket - TWIRL #141 by Paul Hill We have a pretty ordinary week in terms of rocket launches this week. There are no manned missions or anything like that, instead we will see SpaceX, China, and Chinese companies launch satellites into space. Sunday, 3 December Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 4:00 - 4:59 a.m. Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, US Why: SpaceX will be launching 23 Starlink satellites into a low Earth orbit. This batch is designated as Starlink Group 6-31, you can use this to observe these satellites using apps like ISS Detector. As you can see these satellites, this is a problem for astronomers, to reduce the visual noise, SpaceX has applied an anti-reflective coating to the satellites. Monday, 4 December Who: CNSA What: Long March 2C When: 4:10 a.m. UTC Where: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre Why: This rocket will be carrying an unknown payload into space. Who: Galactic Energy What: Ceres GX-1 When: 11:30 p.m. UTC Where: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre Why: Galactic Energy will be launching EllipSpace’s Xingchi 2A/B (Star Pool 2A/B) satellites. According to EllipSpace’s website, the Star Pool satellites will make up a comprehensive sensing satellite constellation made up of more than 100 intelligent satellites. It’ll provide space-based communication, navigation, and remote control services. Tuesday, 5 December Who: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) What: Smart Dragon 3 When: 7:33 p.m. UTC Where: South China Sea Why: This rocket will take off from a ship in the sea carrying the Xiangang hyperspectral remote sensing satellite for the Advanced Manufacturing Center of the Hong Kong Science Park. It will be able to provide global sub-meter visible light remote sensing images and provide high-precision data for the global Internet of Things, disaster prevention and reduction, emergency safety, remote sensing, smart city construction, and other fields. Wednesday, 6 December Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 4:00 - 8:00 a.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, US Why: SpaceX will be launching 23 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. Like the ones mentioned earlier, they have anti-reflective coatings. This batch will be known as Starlink Group 6-33. For those not up to date, Starlink satellites beam internet connectivity down from space so customers can get online is many places around the world. Who: LandSpace What: Zhuq~~ue ZQ-2 When: 11:30 p.m. UTC Where: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre Why: This is the rocket’s third launch, it will be carrying an unknown payload into space. The first stage of this rocket will be expendable this time but in future the company wants it to be reusable. Recap The first launch last week was a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites to space, the first stage also landed. Next, Russia launched a Soyuz 2.1a carrying the Progress MS-25 spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station (ISS). Finally, SpaceX launched the Korea 425 mission to low Earth orbit. It’s a secretive mission containing 25 smallsats. That’s it for this week, check in next time!
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    A Minotaur IV rocket will launch a secretive US government satellite this week - TWIRL #140 by Paul Hill We have quite a number of missions This Week in Rocket Launches. One that stands out is Orbital ATK’s launch of a Minotaur IV rocket carrying a secretive satellite for the US National Reconnaissance Office. There will also be a Russian resupply mission to the International Space Station. Tuesday, 28 November Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 When: 4:00 - 8:31 a.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be sending 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit, this group of satellites is known as Starlink Group 6-30. Under this designation you can view these satellites from Earth using various satellite tracking apps. Wednesday, 29 November Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 When: 6:04 - 7:18 p.m. UTC Where: Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4, California, US Why: SpaceX will be launching the EO/IR 1 satellite to orbit for South Korea. It is part of the 425 Project reconnaissance satellite project and is the electro-optical / infra-red component. Ireland is also hitching a ride as its EIRSat 1 will fly as a secondary payload. Friday, 1 December Who: Galactic Energy What: Ceres 1 When: Unknown Where: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre Why: Not much is known about the mission other than that it’s called “We won’t stop!” and that EllipSpace’s Xingchi 2A/B satellites are the payload. Who: Orbital ATK (Northrop Grumman) What: Minotaur IV rocket When: Unknown Where: Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 8, California, US Why: This rocket will launch the NROL-174 mission for the US National Reconnaissance Office. Details of the mission aren’t available as the payload is classified. Who: Roscosmos What: Soyuz 2.1a When: 9:25 a.m. UTC Where: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan Why: This mission is the 86th Progress cargo mission to the International Space Station. Resupply missions like this usually include scientific experiments and supplies for the crew. Recap The first mission last week saw SpaceX launch a Falcon 9 carrying 22 Starlink satellites. This was Starlink Group 7-7. Next up, SpaceX launched Starlink Group 6-29. We didn’t write about this next launch in the last TWIRL edition, probably because North Korea is so secretive but the country did launch its Chollima-1 rocket carrying the Malligyong-1 satellite this week from the Sohae Satellite Launching station. According to officials in the country, the reconnaissance satellite entered into orbit 705 seconds after launch. Lastly, China launched a Long March 2D rocket carrying the Satellite Internet Technology Test Satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan Province. The satellite entered its planned orbit successfully and will be used to test satellite internet technologies. That's all for this week, check in next time!
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    SpaceX performs a second impressive test flight of Starship - TWIRL #139 by Paul Hill SpaceX has launched Starship on its second test flight. This is a big step forward for the company as it prepares to help NASA return to the moon. You can check out the launch at the end of the article. This Week in Rocket Launches we have quite a number of missions from SpaceX and others. Sunday, 19 November Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 6:55 a.m. UTC Where: Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4, California, US Why: SpaceX will be launching 22 Starlink satellites into a low Earth orbit. They will be covered with anti-reflective coatings to reduce the sun’s reflection to help astronomers. This batch is Starlink Group 7-7 if you decide to have a look for it on satellite trackers such as ISS Detector - even with the coating, you may still be able to see them but they will be dimmer. Tuesday, 21 November Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 5:50 a.m. - 10:44 a.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: This is yet another Starlink satellite launch, the batch this time is Starlink Group 6-29. The idea behind these frequent launches is to establish a huge constellation are satellites so that the internet can be beamed down anywhere on the planet. Wednesday, 22 November Who: CNSA What: Long March 2D When: Unknown Where: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center Why: China will be using a Long March 2D to launch the Shijian 19 new generation recoverable satellite. The satellite will conduct microgravity research with physical science, materials science, and biological experiments. Saturday, 25 November Who: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology What: Jielong SD-3 When: Unknown Where: South China Sea Why: CALT will launch a Jielong SD-3 rocket carrying the Xiangang hyperspectral remote sensing satellite for the Advanced Manufacturing Center of the Hong Kong Science Park. The satellite is equipped with a high-res optical camera which can take sub-meter visible light remote sensing images and provides high-precision data for the Internet of Things, disaster prevention and reduction, emergency safety, remote sensing, smart city contraction, and more. Recap The first launch last week was a Falcon 9 carrying the fifth and sixth O3b mPOWER satellites for SES. The first stage proceeded to land on a drone ship in the Atlantic. The next to launch was a Long March 2C carrying the Huanjing-3 01 satellite. This will be used for monitoring the oceans to help improve the understanding of marine waters. The third launch was a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites. This was Group 6-28 and included 23 satellites. They join the Starlink constellation and beam the internet back to Earth. Finally, SpaceX performed a test flight of Starship. It failed to launch properly earlier in this year as it exploded mid-flight and it also destroyed the launch pad. This time, the launch was an improvement over the first attempt but both stages of the rocket both ended up getting destroyed after they successfully separated. SpaceX will now use this data to try and improve on a third test flight. That’s all for this week, check back next time.
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    SpaceX to hog this quiet week in rocket launches - TWIRL #138 by Paul Hill This Week in Rocket Launches is pretty quiet this time. Both launches come from SpaceX and both involve Falcon 9 rockets. The first mission will see the launch of two O3b mPOWER broadband satellites and the second will see more Starlink satellites launched. The highly anticipated SpaceX Starship launch is also due at some point and is marked as launching no earlier than 15 November but that doesn’t mean we will see it this week. Sunday, 12 November Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 9:08 - 10:37 p.m. UTC Where: Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching two O3b mPOWER broadband satellites into a medium Earth orbit for the satellite telecommunications provider SES. The Boeing-made satellites were supposed to be launched this week on November 9 but faced a delay. These satellites have an electric propulsion system that will allow the satellites to operate in a medium Earth orbit for at least a decade. Thursday, 16 November Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 3:00 a.m. UTC Where: Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will launch 23 Starlink mini satellites into a low Earth orbit where they will provide internet for customers back on Earth. This group of satellites is designated Starlink Group 6-28 - it’s possible to find these satellites on tracking software like ISS Detector if you want to try your luck at viewing them as they pass over your house. Recap The first launch this week was a SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying 23 Starlink satellites. This is Starlink Group 6-27. The first stage of the rocket landed back on the “Just Read the Instructions” drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. By reusing the first states of rockets, SpaceX can save a lot of money. The second and final launch of the week was another Falcon 9 but this time carrying the CRS-29 Dragon spacecraft on a cargo mission to the space station. This spacecraft was carrying various science experiments. That’s all for this week, check back next time
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    Dragon 2 spacecraft to send science experiments to the space station - TWIRL #137 by Paul Hill We have a pretty busy week in This Week in Rocket Launches. All of the launches are uncrewed so there's nothing super exciting going on. The most interesting launch is the Dragon 2 mission taking some science experiments up to the International Space Station (ISS). Tuesday, 7 November Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 6:47 p.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: This is SpaceX’s Transporter 9 rideshare mission. The company will be launching several payloads including the Vigoride 7 space tug and several other satellites. The payloads will be delivered to a Sun-synchronous orbit. Wednesday, 8 November Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 3:00 a.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching 23 Starlink satellites to bolster its Starlink constellation. If you want to have a look at this batch of satellites on apps like ISS Detector then you’ll need to look for Starlink Group 6-27. Like other recent Starlink satellites, these ones have an anti-reflective coating so that they don’t interrupt astronomers as much. Thursday, 9 November Who: CNSA What: Long March 3B/E When: 11:30 a.m. Where: Xichang Satellite Launch Centre Why: It’s not clear what the purpose of this mission as the payload is unknown. Friday, 10 November Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 1:28 a.m. UTC Where: SpaceX LC-39A, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching a Dragon 2 spacecraft on a cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station. It will be carrying the Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE), and the laser communications terminal ILLUMA-T. This mission is part of the Commercial Resupply Service contract that SpaceX has with NASA. Saturday, 11 November Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 11:08 p.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching two O3b mPOWER broadband internet satellites to a medium Earth orbit for SES of Luxembourg. They will provide internet services over much of the world and were built by Boeing. Recap The first launch last week was a Falcon 9 carrying 22 Starlink satellites to orbit. This group of satellites is Starlink Group 7-6. Next up, SpaceX launched Starlink Group 6-25 consisting of 23 Starlink satellites. The third launch was a Long March 6A carrying the TianHui 5 satellite. It’s going to be used for geographic mapping, land resource survey, scientific experiments, and other missions. This week we also got the fifth commercial spaceflight and sixth successful human space mission in six months from VIrgin Galactic. In China we got an interesting test mission from private space firm iSpace which did a test flight and landing of its Hyperbola 2 rocket. Next, China launched a Long March 7a carrying the TJSW-10 comms tech test satellite. It will be used for multi-band and high-speed comms tech experiments. Lastly, SpaceX launched another group of 23 Starlink satellites to orbit. This group is Starlink Group 6-26. That’s all for this week, check back next time.
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    SpaceX planning Starlink satellite launch bonanza this week - TWIRL #136 by Paul Hill This Week in Rocket Launches we have a lot of Starlink satellite launches from SpaceX. On Sunday, we will see the company even perform two Starlink launches on the same day, that’s pretty impressive but nothing we haven’t seen before! Sunday, 29 October Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 6:28 a.m. UTC Where: Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4 Why: SpaceX will be using a Falcon 9 to launch 22 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. If you like to see satellites with your own eyes using apps like ISS Detector, this batch will be listed as Starlink Group 7-6. Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 10:48 p.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40 Why: Similarly to the previous launch, SpaceX will be launching another group of 23 Starlink satellites. This time, it’s Starlink Group 6-25. These Starlink satellites will join the Starlink constellation which provides internet for customers around the planet. Tuesday, 31 October Who: CNSA What: Long March 4C When: 11:09 p.m. UTC Where: Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre Why: It’s unknown what China is sending to space on this mission. Thursday, 2 November Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 10:48 p.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40 Why: SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket again this time carrying 23 Starlink satellites to a low Earth orbit. This group will be known as Starlink Group 6-26 and are all painted with anti-reflective coatings to make the lives of astronomers a bit easier. Friday, 3 November Who: CNSA What: Long March 7A When: 8:00 a.m. UTC Where: Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre Why: China is sending yet another unknown payload into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. Recap The first launch we got last week was a Falcon 9 taking Starlink satellites to space in the Starlink 116 mission. The first stage of the rocket landed too so that it can be reused, saving SpaceX some money. Next up, the CNSA launched a Long March 2D rocket carrying the Yaogan 39 remote sensing satellite into its planned orbit. Finally, China launched the Shenzhou 17 crew spacecraft atop a Long March 2F. The spacecraft launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre carrying the astronauts Hongbo Tang, Shengjie Tang, and Xinlin Jiang to the Tiangong Space Station. That’s all for this week, check back next time.
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    China is preparing to launch astronauts to its own space station - TWIRL #135 by Paul Hill In This Week in Rocket Launches, China is planning to launch several astronauts to its Tiangong Space Station. The crew isn’t known yet but they will join three astronauts who are already residing in orbit. Be sure to check the recap section for India’s Gaganyaan crew module launch too. Sunday, 22 October Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 2:49 a.m. - 6:47 a.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching 23 Starlink mini satellites into a low Earth orbit to bolster the Starlink constellation and beam internet back down to customers on Earth. The satellites are designated Starlink Group 6-24 and will appear on apps like ISS Detector if you want to try spotting them when they are in orbit. Monday, 23 October Who: CNSA What: Long March 2D When: 8:03 p.m. UTC Where: Xichang Satellite Launch Centre Why: China will launch three Yaogan 39 satellites on a Long March 2D rocket. These satellites are remote sensing satellites that will be used for scientific experiments, land and resource surveys, agricultural production estimates, and disaster prevention and mitigation. Thursday, 26 October Who: CNSA What: Long March 2F/G When: 3:13 a.m. UTC Where: LC-43/91 Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre Why: The Long March rocket will launch the Shenzhou 17 spacecraft carrying a crew to the Tiangong Space Station. It marks China’s twelfth crewed space mission. It’s not clear who the crew is going to be on this mission but they will be greeted by Jing Haipeng, Gui Haichao, and Zhu Yangzhu when they arrive. Saturday, 28 October Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 9:07 p.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will launch two O3b mPOWER broadband internet satellites into a medium Earth orbit on a Falcon 9 rocket for the Luxembourgish company SES. The satellites were built by Boeing and will help to provide internet services over the world. Recap The first launch last week was a Long March 2D carrying the Yunhai 1 04 satellite. This satellite will observe atmospheric, marine, and space environments and provide disaster prevention and mitigation services. Next up, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 carrying more Starlink satellites. The first stage of the rocket also landed so that it can be reused. Finally, India used a test vehicle to launch its Gaganyaan Crew Module where it performed an in-flight abort demonstration of the Crew Escape System. That’s all for this week, check back next time.
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    India to launch test flight of rocket capable of carrying a crew - TWIRL #134 by Paul Hill This Week in Rocket Launches we have a number of missions coming up. By far the most interesting is India's launch of an uncrewed Gaganyaan spacecraft. The country wants to put astronauts in it by late 2024. Sunday, 15 October 2023 Who: China What: Long March 2D When: 12:54 a.m. UTC Where: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre Why: This mission will likely launch the Yunhai 1-04 satellite designed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST). It will be used in a satellite that will observe atmospheric, marine, and space environments. Its most important function will be to help prevent and mitigate disasters. Tuesday, 17 October 2023 Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 Block 5 When: 8:49 p.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching 22 Starlink mini satellites into a low-Earth orbit. From there, they will work with the rest of the Starlink constellation and beam internet connectivity back to Earth for Starlink customers. This set of satellites is known as Starlink Group 6-23 and can be tracked after launch on apps like ISS Detector. Like other more recent Starlink satellites, these have an anti-reflective coating to help reduce the glare for astronomers on the ground. Saturday, 21 October 2023 Who: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) What: L-40 When: Unknown Where: Dhawan Space Centre, Satish, India Why: ISRO will be launching the Gaganyaan spacecraft on its first uncrewed suborbital test flight. The mission is a high altitude abort test and is designated TV-D1. In total, there will be four TV-D missions and two G missions which will be orbital test flights. The first crewed mission is designated H1 and is due for launch in late 2023. On that mission, three Indian astronauts will go on a short orbital test flight. Recap The first launch last week was a Vega rocket carrying two Earth observation satellites called THEOS-2 and TRITON. They took off from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. Next up, SpaceX launched 21 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and the first stage of the Falcon 9 landed on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Next up, a SpaceX Falcon Heavy launched NASA’s Psyche spacecraft which will study a metal-rich asteroid with the same name located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Finally, we got yet another Starlink launch with the first stage performing a landing. That’s all for this week, check in next time!
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    SpaceX to orbit NASA's Psyche spacecraft that will reach asteroid in 2029 - TWIRL #133 by Paul Hill We have an interesting schedule This Week in Rocket Launches as SpaceX will be launching a Falcon Heavy carrying NASA’s Psyche mission. By 2029, the NASA spacecraft will reach an asteroid called Psyche which is metal-rich. This is the first time that NASA will go to an asteroid with this composition so some discoveries could be made. Sunday, 8 October Who: Arianespace What: Vega When: 1:36 a.m. UTC Where: French Guiana Why: Arianespace will be launching a Vega rocket carrying 12 satellites including THEOS 2, Triton, and ProbaV-CC to orbit. Of these, THEOS 2 is the main payload; it was built by Airbus Defense for Thailand and it will complement THEOS 1 which was launched in 2008. It is an Earth observation satellite. Monday, 9 October Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 12:37 a.m. - 5:07 a.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX is launching 2 Starlink mini satellites into a low-Earth orbit where they will provide internet connectivity to customers on Earth. The satellites being launched this time are known as Starlink Group 6-22 - this identifier can be used on various satellite-spotting apps to find these exact satellites that are being launched. Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 7:13 a.m - 11:25 a.m. UTC Where: Vandenberg AFB, California, US Why: SpaceX regularly performs numerous Starlink launches each week but it’s a little less common to see two launches on one day. Well, that’s what is happening this week. In both cases, the satellites will be covered in anti-reflective coatings to have less impact on astronomy. Thursday, 12 October Who: SpaceX What: Falcon Heavy When: 2:16 p.m. UTC Where: SpaceX LC-39A, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching a mission for NASA called Psyche. The spacecraft will head to an asteroid called Psyche and enter orbit with the body in 2029. Apparently, Psyche is the first craft to explore a metal-rich asteroid so there could be some interesting discoveries to be made. If you decide to tune in to the launch of SpaceX’s website, look out for the Falcon Heavy’s two side boosters performing a landing. Recap The first launch we got this week was a Long March 2D rocket carrying the third Yaogan-39 mission from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China. It is a remote sensing satellite used for observing the Earth. Next, we got the launch of a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites to space to beam internet to the Earth. The first stage of the rocket also landed. This week, Amazon’s Project Kuiper got off the ground after United Launch Alliance launched some prototype satellites on an Atlas V rocket. Next, we got another commercial launch from Virgin Galactic which carried passengers to the edge of space where they could experience microgravity. Finally, PLD Space launched the MIURA 1 suborbital launch vehicle on its first test flight. PLD Space is a Spanish company that is developing reusable rockets to orbit commercial satellites. That’s all for this week, be sure to check in next time!
  22. zikalify
    Amazon's Project Kuiper internet satellites launching this week - TWIRL #132 by Paul Hill This Week in Rocket Launches we have just a handful of satellite launches this week. We get some from SpaceX and Arianespace but also one from United Launch Alliance which will be orbiting prototypes of Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites. Friday, 6 October Who: United Launch Alliance What: Atlas V 501 When: 6:00 p.m. UTC Where: Cape Canaveral AFS Launch Complex 41, Titan III Rd, Titusville, Florida, US Why: United Launch Alliance will be launching an Atlas V rocket carrying two prototype satellites for Amazon’s Kuiper constellation. These are the first satellites Amazon is launching for its Kuiper constellation and they will carry much of the same technology that the final versions of the satellite will be equipped with. One of the prototypes will also have a sunshade to help reduce the reflectivity of the satellite. This aspect will be of importance to astronomers who are concerned by the increasing number of satellites and the impact they are having on their astronomy work. Similar to SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, Project Kuiper aims to beam the internet back to Earth. This could increase competition in satellite internet and could potentially lower prices for consumers. Saturday, 7 October Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: Unknown Where: Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4, California, US Why: SpaceX will be launching a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 21 Starlink mini satellites into a low Earth orbit. Unlike Amazon’s Kuiper satellites which will use a sunshade, the Starlink satellites are painted with anti-reflective coatings. The satellites are known as Starlink Group 7-4. You can use various mobile apps to try to find these specific satellites when they’re in orbit with this group identifier. Who: Arianespace What: Vega When: 1:36 a.m. UTC Where: French Guiana Why: Arianespace will be using a Vega rocket to launch 12 satellites including the THEOS 2, Triton, and ProbaV-CC into orbit. The THEOS 2 satellite is an Earth observation satellite built by AIrbus for Thailand and complements THEOS 1 which launched in 2008. The Triton satellite was built by the Taiwanese Space Agency (TASA) and is a global navigation satellite system-reflectometry tool to help gather ocean wind data to better predict the direction and intensity of typhoons. Recap The first launch last week was a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites into orbit where they will beam internet to the Earth. Starlink launches are a frequent occurrence as any reader knows, just a few days after the mission above, SpaceX launched another Starlink mission. On Tuesday evening (UTC), China launched a Long March 4C carrying the Yaogan 33 04 remote sensing satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. It will be used for scientific experiments, land resource surveys, crop yield estimates, disaster prevention, and relief work. Last week was a bit strange because we got the launch of the Iranian Qased rocket carrying the Noor 3 satellite. We don’t normally see many launches from Iran so it’s interesting to get a look at their rockets. Finally, SpaceX launched yet another batch of Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9. That’s all for today, be sure to check in next time!
  23. zikalify
    China and the US launching secretive satellites this week - TWIRL #131 by Paul Hill This Week in Rocket Launches we have several launches coming up. There are a few Starlink missions as well as a few secretive military launches from the US and China. There are also a number of launches to look back on in the recap section. Sunday, 24 September Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 12:06 a.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching 22 Starlink Mini satellites into a low Earth orbit where they will beam internet back down to earth for Starlink customers. With Starlink satellites being visible from Earth, its possible to find these exact satellites by finding their identification number on apps. The satellites launching on Sunday are designated Starlink Group 6-18. Monday, 25 September Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 7:11 a.m. UTC Where: Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4, California, US Why: SpaceX will be launching yet another group of Starlink Mini satellites into orbit, like the previous launch. This time, the satellites are designated as Starlink Group 7-3. As mentioned in previous TWIRL installments, SpaceX now paints its satellites with non-reflective coatings which help to reduce the reflectivity of the satellites. Tuesday, 26 September Who: China National Space Administration What: Long March 4C When: 8:14 p.m. UTC Where: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, China Why: China will launch the Yaogan 33-04 satellite into orbit using a Long March 4C. It’s not certain what the satellite will be used for but it’s possible that it could be used for military reconnaissance. The Yaogan 33 satellites are apparently successors to the Yaogan 1 synthetic aperture radar satellites. Friday, 29 September Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 Block 5 When: Unknown Where: SpaceX LC-39A, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be using a Falcon 9 to launch the USSF-123 mission for the US Space Force and Missile Defense Agency. As you may guess from the customers of this launch, the payloads are of a sensitive nature and have not been publicly disclosed. Recap The first launch last week took place on Sunday, China used a Long March 2D rocket to launch the second Yaogan 39 mission from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. The remote sensing satellite successfully entered its planned orbit. On Monday, Rocket Lab launched an Electron rocket carrying Capella Space’s Acadia-2 satellite from New Zealand. Unfortunately, there was a second stage anomaly and the mission was lost. Finally, on Wednesday, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 carrying 22 Starlink satellites to orbit. The first stage successfully landed on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean and the satellites were orbited. That’s all for this week, check in next time.
  24. zikalify
    Two Starlink missions coming up this week from SpaceX - TWIRL #130 by Paul Hill We have quite a lot of rocket launches coming up this week though none are particularly exciting as they're all satellite launches. With all that said, Chinese company Galactic Energy has an unknown payload going to space so that's a bit mysterious. Sunday, 17 September Who: China What: Long March 2D When: 4:15 a.m. UTC Where: Launch Complex 3 – Xichang Satellite Launch Centre Why: In this mission, China will launch three Yaogan 39 satellites into orbit. They are remote sensing satellites and will be used in scientific experiments, land and resources surveys agricultural production estimates, and disaster prevention and mitigation. Tuesday, 19 September Who: Rocket Lab What: Capella 12 When: 6:30 a.m. UTC Where: Mahia, New Zealand Why: This mission will launch the Acadia 2 satellite for Capella Space. This satellite is a synthetic aperture satellite and is part of a 30-satellite constellation. This constellation of satellites provides high-quality imagery at a ground-range resolution for commercial customers. Wednesday, 20 September Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 1:47 a.m. UTC Where: Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida, US Why: SpaceX will be launching a bath of 22 Starlink v2 “Mini” satellites into a low-Earth orbit. The Starlink constellation is used to provide internet connectivity on Earth. Ultimately, SpaceX is aiming to have thousands of Starlink satellites in orbit to provide connectivity around the world. Who: Galactic Energy What: Ceres GX-1 When: 2:00 p.m. UTC Where: LC-43/95A – Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre Why: The rocket is launching with an unknown payload. The mission is called Autumn Sonata. Saturday, 23 September Who: SpaceX What: Falcon 9 B5 When: 7:00 a.m. UTC Where: Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 4, California, US Why: SpaceX will be launching 21 Starlink v2 “Mini” satellites into low-Earth orbit. Similar to the mission earlier in the week, this launch will help to bolster the Starlink constellation. Recap The first launch last week was a Long March 6A carrying the Yaogan-40 satellite which will be used for electromagnetic environment detection. Next up, United Launch Alliance launched the Atlas V 551 carrying the NROL-107 mission for the US National Reconnaissance Office and the US Space Force. On Monday (local time), a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched 21 Starlink satellites and landed the first stage of the rocket. On Friday, Russia launched the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft from Baikonur on a Soyuz 2.1a. The mission was to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station. Finally, a SpaceX Falcon 9 launched another 2 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit. That’s all for this week, check in next time.
  25. Unobscured Vision
    Since we enjoy discussing general Space-related matters (politics, business, conjecture, etc), I thought it would be appropriate to create a dedicated thread for that very purpose. Now we can express all the hyperbole we want without fear of "getting off-topic", because it is the topic! Let's spin the turbopump, shall we?