Daily Archives: January 29, 2020

Bartolomeo Starts Its Journey to the International Space Station – I-Connect007

Posted: January 29, 2020 at 1:41 am

The Bartolomeo research platform, developed by Airbus for the International Space Station (ISS), has been delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. The move marks a further step towards something never before seen in space: with its planned launch in March, the European-built Bartolomeo is set to become the first commercial research platform to be attached to the ISS.

Bartolomeo is funded by Airbus and will be operated with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA). The platform can host up to 12different payload slots, also providing them with a power supply and data transmission back to Earth.

With Bartolomeo, Airbus is offering fast and cost-efficient access to research in space, which can also be used by private data service providers. The platforms unique vantage point 400kilometres above the Earth offers unobstructed views of our planet. Not only does this provide opportunities for Earth observation, but also for carrying out measurements related to environmental and climate research for example the concentration of nitrogen oxide or CO2in the Earths atmosphere.

Bartolomeo will now be subject to further inspections and final functional tests with NASA at the Kennedy Space Center before being integrated into a Dragon space transporter. The launch is currently scheduled for 2March 2020.

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The death of the Challenger and the birth of commercial space | TheHill – The Hill

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On January 28, 1986, at 11:39 EST, the space shuttle Challenger lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center. Her crew consisted of six NASA astronauts, Commander Francis R. Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, mission specialists Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik and Gregory Jarvis, and teacher Christa McAuliffe, who had been chosen to become the first American civilian to go into space. No one cheering when the Challenger cleared the tower knew, but both shuttle and her gallant company were doomed.

Space shuttles at the time consisted of an orbiter, two solid rocket boosters and an external fuel tank. The SRBs and the fuel tank were designed to be discarded in flight while the shuttle flew on to orbit. When a shuttle mission was completed, it would reenter the Earths atmosphere and land much like an aircraft.

Seventy-three seconds into the flight of the Challenger, hot gasses from one of the SRBs broke through an O ring that had been made brittle by the cold air of that winter morning. The hot gasses ignited the fuel tank and transformed the shuttle into a fireball. The SRBs careened into the sky on their own, and the orbiter broke up from the aerodynamic pressures. The crew compartment, largely intact, hit the Atlantic Ocean. The exact timing of the crews deaths will never be known, but some are surmised to have lived long enough to have died on impact.

The Challenger disaster led to shock and no little amount of soul-searching. A presidential-appointed investigation panel soon discovered the problem with the O-rings. But behind that immediate cause was a culture of negligence. NASA managers knew about the O-ring problem but failed to fix it until it was too late.

But the real act of hubris surrounding the space shuttle program came at its very beginning. NASA and its political masters justified the shuttle because it would constitute a government space line. Because it would be reusable, it could deploy anything anyone cared to take into space.NASA, military and commercial payloads could be transported at a lower cost than with expendable rockets.

Reality proved to be short of expectations. While the shuttle was (mostly) reusable, the orbiters cost too much and required too much turn-around time between missions. NASA struggled to get the flight rates high enough for those promised cost savings to materialize. That struggle and the corner cutting that ensued led directly to the Challenger accident.

NASA eventually solved the O-ring problem, and the space shuttle returned to service in late 1988. But President Reagan signedan executive orderthat ended the shuttle program as a government space line. Henceforth, the military and commercial companies would be free to seek other space launchers to put their payloads into orbit. The shuttle would be used for NASA payloads and others that needed its ability to fly into orbit and then return. Thus, commercial space, moribund since the shuttle had started to fly, was born.

The shuttle fleet went on to do magnificent work. It deployed and then serviced the Hubble Space Telescope. The shuttles did most of the work of launching and assembling the International Space Station. They flew numerous space lab missions and visited the Russian space station Mir after the Cold War ended.

But only after the second accident that destroyed a space shuttle and its crew, when Columbia broke up in the skies over Texas, did the United States take the next step. The George W. Bush administration decided that the shuttle fleet would be retired honorably when the International Space Station was completed. Commercially developed and operated spacecraft would take cargo and eventually crews to and from the ISS. Bush also announced an initiative to go back to the moon and on to Mars.

President Obama cancelled the Bush moon/Mars initiative but doubled down on the commercial space project. It has fallen to President TrumpDonald John TrumpWarren: Dershowitz presentation 'nonsensical,' 'could not follow it' Bolton told Barr he was concerned Trump did favors for autocrats: report Dershowitz: Bolton allegations would not constitute impeachable offense MORE to finish the development of commercial spacecraft. Sometime this year, the first Americans will fly into space from American soil on American spacecraft since 2011. These will not be spacecraft owned by NASA, but by SpaceX and Boeing. Trump has also restarted the moon/Mars initiative, but with commercial partners, especially in the building and operation of lunar landers.

The crew of the Challenger gave their lives for the exploration of space. Their sacrifice also led to the new era of commercial spaceflight and, it is hoped, a more sustainable opening of the high frontier.

Mark R. Whittington, who writes frequently about space and politics, has published a political study of space exploration entitledWhy is It So Hard to Go Back to the Moon?as well asThe Moon, Mars and Beyond. He blogs atCurmudgeons Corner.

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Mich. native craves salsa and surf after record 11 months in space – The Detroit News

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Marcia Dunn, Associated Press Published 10:24 a.m. ET Jan. 28, 2020 | Updated 1:10 p.m. ET Jan. 28, 2020

Cape Canaveral, Fla. After nearly 11 months in orbit, the astronaut holding the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman cant wait to dig into some salsa and chips, and swim and surf in the Gulf of Mexico.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch told the Associated Press on Tuesday her 319th consecutive day in space that taking part in the first all-female spacewalk was the highlight of her mission. Shes been living on the International Space Station since March and returns to Earth on Feb. 6, landing in Kazakhstan with two colleagues aboard a Russian capsule.

Astronaut Christina Koch talks to family members March 14, 2019, before the launch of Soyuz MS-12 headed to the International Space Station. Koch set the record for longest single spaceflight by a woman and will be second only to astronaut Scott Kelly for longest mission by an American.(Photo: Dmitri Lovetsky, AP)

Koch, who was born in Grand Rapids, said she and fellow astronaut Jessica Meir appreciated that the Oct. 18 spacewalk could serve as an inspiration for future space explorers.

Read more:

>>Koch sets records in space

>>Astronaut talks about goals

We both drew a lot of inspiration from seeing people that were reflections of ourselves as we were growing up and developing our dreams to become astronauts, Koch told The Associated Press from the space station. So to recognize that maybe we could pay that forward and serve the same for those that are up and coming was just such a highlight.

Kochs astronaut class of 2013 was split equally between women and men, but NASAs astronaut corps as a whole is male-dominated. Right now, four men and two women are living at the space station.

Christina Koch, left, greets fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir in September when Meir joined Koch on the International Space Station. They paired up for an all-female spacewalk in October. Koch, who was born in Grand Rapids, will return to Earth on Feb. 6 after the second-longest space mission by an American.(Photo: AP)

Diversity is important, and I think it is something worth fighting for, said Koch, an electrical engineer who also has a physics degree.

Kochs 328-day mission will be the second-longest by an American, trailing Scott Kellys flight by 12 days. Shes already set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.

She took time out for a pair of news interviews Tuesday, the 34th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger accident that claimed all seven lives on board.

She said she loves her work she conducted five spacewalks and tended to science experiments but she also misses her friends and family.

If they could visit here, I would continue staying for a very long time, Koch, a first-time space flier, told the AP. For their sake, I think that its probably time to head home.

Her biggest surprise is how easily and quickly she adapted both mentally and physically to weightlessness.

I dont even really realize that Im floating any more, she said.

Why do chips and salsa top her most-missed food list? Crunchy food like chips are banned on the space station because the crumbs could float away and clog equipment. I havent had chips in about 10 1/2 months, she explained, but I have had a fresh apple thanks to regular cargo deliveries.

Another thing she misses: the ability to put things down and not have them float away.

Shes gotten used to using Velcro and tape to make things stay put, so I hope that when I go back to Earth, I dont accidentally drop things, especially when Im handing them to people.

Kelly, whose mission spanned 2015 and 2016, has given her advance notice of what to expect.

Its a great reminder to keep mentoring, Koch said. When her record is broken, I hope to mentor that person just as Ive been mentored.

Koch said it was crucial staying connected to loved ones through phone calls and video conferences. She watched as her nieces and nephews opened their Christmas presents. But its also special celebrating holidays in space, she noted, which kind of takes any sting off of missing your family.

Koch grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and now lives near the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston, Texas, with her husband, Bob. She said she cant wait for their next wedding anniversary, Christmas at home and his birthday.

Her 41st birthday is Wednesday. How does she plan to celebrate?

Playing Scrabble with her U.S., Italian and Russian crewmates, as challenging as that might be in weightlessness. She packed a travel version of the game and has been too busy to enjoy it.

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SpaceX is launching 60 more Starlink satellites Wednesday. Here’s how to watch live. – Space.com

Posted: at 1:41 am

Update for 6:30 p.m. ET: SpaceX is now targeting no earlier than Wednesday (Jan. 29) at 9:06 a.m. EST (1406 GMT) for this Starlink launch "due to poor weather in the recovery area," the company tweeted Monday night.

Update for 9:21 a.m. ET: SpaceX has delayed today's planned Starlink launch due to high upper level winds.

The private spaceflight company SpaceX will launch 60 new Starlink satellites to join its growing broadband internet megaconstellation in orbit today (Jan. 27), and you can watch it live online.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Starlink mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is scheduled for no earlier than 9:49 a.m. EST (1449 GMT).

You can watch SpaceX's Starlink launch webcast here on Space.com, courtesy of SpaceX, beginning about 15 minutes before liftoff. You can also watch the launch directly from SpaceX here.

SpaceX has a 50% chance of good launch weather today, according to the 45th Weather Squadron of the U.S. Air Force, with thick clouds and "disturbed weather" as the chief concern.

If SpaceX is unable to launch the Starlink-3 mission today, the company has a backup launch opportunity on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 9:28 a.m. EST (1428 GMT). That launch day has an 80% chance of good weather.

Video: See SpaceX's 1st Starlink satellites in the night skyIn Photos: SpaceX launches third batch of 60 Starlink satellites to orbit

The goal of SpaceX's Starlink project is to provide constant, high-speed internet access to users around the world through a massive constellation of broadband internet satellites operating in low Earth orbit. Users on the ground would then only need a small terminal that's no bigger than a laptop to gain internet access.

"Starlink will provide fast, reliable internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable," the company wrote in its Starlink mission description.

The majority of SpaceX's missions in 2020 will consist of Starlink launches as the company works to expand its fleet of internet-beaming satellites, including at least one more batch of 60 Starlink satellites scheduled to launch before the end of January. SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk has said the company will need at least 400 Starlink satellites in orbit to offer "minor" broadband coverage, and at least 800 to provide "moderate" coverage.

SpaceX plans to operate its initial batch of 1,584 satellites 341 miles (549 kilometers) above Earth, hovering much lower than traditional communications satellites that operate out of geostationary orbit. Those satellites are too far away to provide the kind of lower-cost coverage SpaceX aims to establish, Musk has said.

Related: SpaceX's 1st Starlink megaconstellation launch in photos!

According to the company, Starlink commercial internet services could debut in parts of the U.S. and Canada after about half a dozen more launches, with global coverage after 24 launches. SpaceX's president and chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell has said that coverage could begin sometime this year, but the company has not yet announced pricing for its new service.

However, not everyone is thrilled about the idea of SpaceX's new megaconstellation. Astronomers have voiced concerns that the satellites could interfere with crucial scientific observations. To help ease their concerns and mitigate the satellites' apparent brightness, SpaceX is experimenting with special coatings that are supposed to make the satellites appear darker in orbit.

Related: Why SpaceX's Starlink satellites caught astronomers off guard

During today's launch, SpaceX aims to recover the Falcon 9's first-stage booster with an offshore landing on its drone ship Of Course I Still Love You.

The company will also attempt to catch both halves of the rocket's payload fairing using the giant nets on its recovery boats Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Visit Space.com today for complete coverage of SpaceX's Starlink launch.

Follow Amy Thompson on Twitter @astrogingersnap. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.

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Which Fallout 76 Faction Is Cooler, The Crashed Space Station Or The Log Cabin? – Kotaku Australia

Posted: at 1:41 am

Fallout 76s upcoming Wastelanders expansion will add two new faction settlements: settlers and raiders. One of these looks like a Lincoln Log fort while the other is made out of a crashed space station. Can you guess which one players are already gravitating towards?

Yesterday, Bethesda shared some screenshots of the two new locations and more information about the people living there. The settlers, led by Paige (the former head of the D.C. Construction Workers Union), are a hard-working, salt of the earth lot who have taken up refuge in Spruce Knob toward the southeastern part of the map. The raiders, meanwhile, have come back to Appalachia to take back territory theyve claimed for themselves before it falls into the hands of the settlers.

Their leader, Meg, looks like shes seen some shit out in the wasteland and probably isnt one for negotiating mutually beneficial deals. The crashed space station she and her gang call home is up in the northern edge of the map, and frankly it looks way more fun. Most raider camps tend to look like if your friend of a friends screamo band played their basement show inside of a scrapyard barbecue pit, but Megs looks like a sci-fi arcade.

In Wastelanders Im going to check out the settlers, wrote one person on Reddit. If they are blowing glass, making electronic components, making their own ceramics...Ill stay. But if its an entire camp of Sturges hammering at the same section of wall for months I think I have to go raider.

Sturges was a synth repairman from Fallout 4 who never did jack shit. Understandably, some players are worried that the big NPC update many are expecting to finally make Fallout 76 good will only repeat some of the last games more uninspired moments. Nothing beats protecting the innocent, but I do envy the raiders and their space station town, wrote another player.

The new characters, dialogue trees, quests, and romance options coming in the Wastelanders update will all be based in one of the two new settlements, with Bethesda heavily implying that a players reputation with one will hurt their reputation with the other, forcing them to choose one over the other.

Based on their sense of style and interior design, Im gonna have to go raiders on this one, despite my deep-rooted commitment to labour solidarity.

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Which Fallout 76 Faction Is Cooler, The Crashed Space Station Or The Log Cabin? - Kotaku Australia

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