Archive for the ‘Space News’ Category
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December 28th, 2022
Image credit: GLOBALink/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China is purportedly moving forward on a new booster tied to the country’s human spaceflight plans for a piloted Moon landing.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Recently speaking at a youth forum gathering, Wu Yansheng, chairman of the Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) — China’s largest space contractor — said that the new rocket is codenamed “Rocket 921” and is to carry an orbiter vehicle with three persons on board and a two-member Moon lander.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Wu said that the Moon program launcher is likely to be ready for flight by 2027, as reported by the South China Morning Post.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Posted in 
Curiosity’s location as of Sol 3690. Distance driven to this sol: 18.15 miles/29.21 kilometers.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona
The NASA Curiosity Mars rover at the Gale Crater exploration site is now performing Sol 3695 tasks.
Here are a few images recently sent back by the robot that showcase its scenic and geologically attractive surroundings.
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera image acquired on Sol 3694, December 27, 2022.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity Mast Camera Left Sol 3690 December 23, 2022.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3690, December 23, 2022.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity Right B Navigation Camera Sol 3690 December 23, 2022.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity Mars Hand Lens Imager photo produced on Sol 3690, December 23, 2022.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Curiosity Mars Hand Lens Imager photo produced on Sol 3690, December 23, 2022.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3690, December 23, 2022.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3690, December 23, 2022.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity Left B Navigation Camera image taken on Sol 3690, December 23, 2022.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Image credit: Roscosmos
The troubled Russian Soyuz MS-22 that suffered a coolant leak at the International Space Station continues to garner top-level attention as to the craft’s status.
A recent meeting held at Russia’s TsNIIMash, the country’s rocket and spacecraft scientific center, brought experts together to confer about the situation, focused on the damaged crew-carrying craft.
Coolant spraying instrument-assembly compartment of the Soyuz spacecraft.
Image credit: NASA
Earlier, Russia’s Roscosmos stated that two working groups have been established to determine the causes of the emergency situation and analyze the technical condition of the spacecraft.
These groups were also charged with developing recommendations for further actions by ground specialists and the crew of the Russian segment of the station.
Image credit: Roscosmos
The working group experts must decide on the possibility or impossibility of further use of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft to return astronauts to Earth, which is planned for March 2023, Roscosmos explained.
Should I stay, should I go?
In a recent posting on the official Roscosmos Telegram channel, it has been reported the groups did establish that the breakdown of the ship’s thermal control system radiator occurred due to external mechanical damage.
That external problem could have been caused by a micrometeoroid or space debris striking the spacecraft’s external cooler-radiator.
Image credit: Roscosmos
Making use of a camera-mounted robotic arm inspection, close-up imagery of the problem area was taken to help assess the issue.
On one hand, a decision could be made to quickly prepare for launch of an uncrewed Soyuz MS-23 to replace the compromised Soyuz MS-22. Alternatively, a decision could be made to carry out a regular crew change of the ISS Russian segment.
The new Roscosmos Telegram channel posting indicates that in January 2023, based on the conclusions of the working groups, a special commission will make organizational decisions on the further actions of ground specialists and the crew of the ISS Russian Segment, as well as on a possible change in the ISS flight program.
Sergei Krikalev, Roscosmos Executive Director for Manned Space Programs
Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Russia’s Roscosmos has proposed extending the country’s use of the International Space Station until 2028, for now.
In an interview with the Interfax News Agency, Sergei Krikalev, Roscosmos Executive Director for Manned Space Programs, said that documents for Russia’s further ISS operation have been submitted to the government for consideration and coordination.
Image credit: Roscosmos/NASA
“For now, we are talking about 2028,” veteran cosmonaut Krikalev told Interfax. “Historically, extensions have been made for four years: we had an agreement until 2020, and now it is valid until 2024. We can extend it until 2028 and then make a decision depending on the situation and analysis of technical and program feasibility,” he said.
As noted by Interfax, the current agreement on ISS operation expires in 2024.
Roscosmos head, Yury Borisov, previously said that Russia’s exit from the ISS project should be synchronized with the start of construction of a new Russian space station.
Wait a Minute!
Space hardware tumbling out of orbit may lead to new unforeseen impacts on the environment and climate.
Due to the growing scale and pace of launch activities what is needed is better monitoring of the situation, as well as regulation to create an environmentally sustainable space industry.
Space debris plunges to Earth, burning its way through the atmosphere.
Image credit: The Aerospace Corporation
For more details, go to my SpaceNews story – “Studies flag environmental impact of reentry” – at:
https://spacenews.com/studies-flag-environmental-impact-of-reentry/
Image credit: NOAA
Spritacular is a citizen science project led by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center that aims to collect observations of sprites and other optical phenomena occurring above the thunderstorms – collectively known as Transient Luminous Events (TLEs).
The database generated from these observations will lay the groundwork for first-ever event catalog of TLEs that will greatly contribute to advancement of scientific studies.
Image credit: Nicolas Escurat, Dordogne,Nouvelle-Aquitaine,France
Atmospheric events
Over the last two decades, good quality cameras have become increasingly affordable which allowed more people than ever before to have access to the tools capable of documenting these powerful atmospheric events.
Spritacular project strives to establish a collaborative bridge among communities that are actively engaged in chasing these elusive phenomena, newcomers looking to learn more, and the researchers of atmospheric and space electricity.
Want to take part?
Go to this website at:
Credit: The Aerospace Corporation/Center for Space Policy and Strategy
An international open letter is calling upon leading space agencies to reduce risks from uncontrolled reentries of rocket bodies and other space objects.
The Outer Space Institute (OSI) published the December 19th call to action for “multilateral negotiations on a controlled reentry agreement.”
OSI is based at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
The Institute is a global network of space experts that addresses grand challenges facing the continued use and exploration of space.
One object that survived reentry of an Iridium satellite discovered on the ground – space junk that survived reentry of Iridium satellite on October 11, 2018.
(Photo courtesy Kings County Sheriff’s Office)
Reentry regime
“The uncontrolled reentry of space objects presents a significant, cumulative, fast-growing risk to human beings around the world. Uncontrolled rocket bodies are of particular concern,” states the letter to space agency leaders.
“We call on your agencies, working with your states’ foreign ministries, to initiate multilateral negotiations on a controlled reentry agreement, starting with rocket bodies. Recognizing that such negotiations take time, we further call on each of your states to unilaterally commit to a national controlled reentry regime,” the letter states.
Main propellant tank of the second stage of a Delta 2 launch vehicle which landed near Georgetown, TX, on January 22, 1997. This approximately 250 kg tank is primarily a stainless steel structure and survived reentry relatively intact. Credit: NASA ODPO.
Casualty risks
While the letter focuses on the casualty risks from uncontrolled rocket body reentries, it also flags uncontrolled satellite reentries as a concern, “and may eventually dominate the casualty risk should tens of thousands of medium-sized to large satellites be placed into orbit.”
The OSI open letter suggests a reentry regime that first starts with rocket bodies, then expanded to satellites to reduce all uncontrolled reentry risks.
“Simply hoping that uncontrolled reentries will not cause harm is an unsustainable strategy. With leadership, cooperation and global goodwill, these preventable and therefore unnecessary dangers can be greatly reduced,” the letter concludes.
China’s Long March 5B’s core stage.
Credit: The Aerospace Corporation
Space fallout
Cited in the letter are accounts of uncontrolled space junk reaching land. For example, pieces of a Chinese Long March 5B rocket damaged buildings in the Ivory Coast in 2020.
In July 2022, the breakup of another Long March 5B was visible from the ground in Borneo, and sizable pieces were later found.
On November 4, 2022, another Long March 5B reentered over the Pacific Ocean southwest of Guatemala.
Fuel tanks, pressure vessels
China is not the only actor allowing rocket bodies to reenter in uncontrolled ways, the letter explains.
In 2016, a U.S. SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage was abandoned in orbit, reentering over Indonesia with two refrigerator-sized fuel tanks reaching the ground intact.
Hefty piece of SpaceX space junk found in Australia last July.
Image courtesy: Brad Tucker
In 2018, a number of smaller titanium pressure vessels from a Russian Zenit upper stage reached the ground in Peru.
You can read the full, open letter here – as well as add your name to the list of signatories at:
For more information on the Outer Space Institute, go to:
Image credit: HPS
A drag sail has been successfully deployed in a test meant to showcase the ability to hasten a spacecraft’s reentry and help curb the continuing and uncontrolled pollution of space.
The Drag Augmentation Deorbiting Subsystem (ADEO), carried by D-Orbit’s ION spacecraft, was launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 booster on June 30, 2021.
This autonomous braking sail comes from the Munich-based space company High Performance Space Structure Systems.
ADEO successfully deployed from D-Orbit’s ION satellite carrier.
Image credit: HPS
The promise of ADEO is to complete deorbit of a spacecraft many years faster than current “unbraked” satellites.
Image credit: ESA/UNOOSA
For an informative video on the ADEO, go to:
http://www.hps-gmbh.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ADEO-L_All-Scenes_Text_HQ-k.mp4
NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover at the Gale Crater landing area is now performing Sol 3687 tasks.
Here’s a sampling of new imagery from the robot:
Curiosity image (above) of the “Amapari” drill hole, but not the desired depth as the Mars research team had hoped. There was insufficient sample in the drill stem for analysis by the robot’s instruments. Image produced by the rover’s Mars Hand Lens Imager on Sol 3685, December 18, 2022. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Curiosity Rear Right B Hazard Avoidance Camera image taken on Sol 3685, December 18, 2022.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Curiosity Mast Camera image acquired on Sol 3684, December 17, 2022.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Curiosity Mast Camera imagery acquired on Sol 3684, December 17, 2022.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Curiosity Mast Camera imagery acquired on Sol 3684, December 17, 2022.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
International Space Station.
Image credit: Roscosmos
That coolant problem with Russia’s Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to the International Space Station — perhaps caused by a micrometeoroid or space debris getting into the spacecraft’s external cooler-radiator – is receiving top-level attention.
In a series of postings from Roscosmos via their Telegram channel they report that two working groups have been established “to determine the causes of the emergency situation, analyze the technical condition of the spacecraft and develop recommendations for further actions by ground specialists and the crew of the Russian segment of the station.”
That special commission must decide on the possibility or impossibility of further use of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft to return astronauts to Earth, which is planned for March 2023, Roscosmos explains.
“There is no need for emergency evacuation at this time,” states Roscosmos in one Telegram channel posting.
Decision tree
On December 18, a robotic arm toting cameras examined the outer surface of the troubled Soyuz.
Coolant spraying instrument-assembly compartment of the Soyuz spacecraft.
Image credit: NASA
“The analysis of the data made it possible to find a possible place of damage to the instrument-assembly compartment of the ship. At the end of December, the conclusions of the working groups will be heard and plans for the future will be outlined,” noted a Roscosmos Telegram channel posting.
On one hand, a decision could be in March 2023 to carry out a regular crew change of the ISS Russian segment.
Soyuz replacement
Alternatively, a decision could be made to quickly prepare for launch of an uncrewed Soyuz MS-23 to replace the compromised Soyuz MS-22.
That Soyuz MS-23 has already passed part of the tests before the scheduled launch in March. Another commission task is to make a decision on the further flight program of the Russian segment.
Roscosmos chief, Yury Borisov, told Russia’s Izvestia newspaper: “The situation is really not very pleasant. Of course, nothing threatens the crew now. They are on the ISS.”
Borisov added that at the end of December, “I think the experts will decide how we will get out of this situation.”
