NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2: Preflight Checkouts, NASA Administrator Briefing and Launch Weather

NASA & SpaceX - First Crewed Flight DM-2 patch.

May 26, 2020

Only one day remains until the planned liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying two American astronauts, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, on NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Liftoff is targeted for Wednesday, May 27, at 4:33 p.m. EDT from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch window is instantaneous.

Image above: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with Crew Dragon atop, stands poised for launch at historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 21, 2020, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission. The rocket and spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, returning human spaceflight capability to the U.S. after nearly a decade. Image Credit: SpaceX.

Prior to tomorrow’s targeted launch of the Crew Demo-2 mission, SpaceX will bring the rocket horizontal to perform additional preflight checkouts of Falcon 9, Crew Dragon, and the ground support system, including an inspection of the ground-side chilled water radiator feed that keeps Crew Dragon cool before launch. Today’s checkouts do not impact the flight system or targeted launch date, and the vehicle is scheduled to go vertical later tonight.

Tune in to NASA TV and watch online at 10 a.m. EDT as NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, and astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Nicole Mann discuss the upcoming SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station and answer questions from reporters.

The U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron now predicts a 60% chance of favorable weather conditions for NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 launch. The primary weather concerns for launch are flight through precipitation, anvil and cumulus clouds.

FORECAST DETAILS

Clouds                      Coverage           Bases (feet)             Tops (feet)
Cumulus                    Scattered            3,000                          10,000
Cirrostratus                 Broken             25,000                       28,000

Weather/Visibility:  Rain showers/5 miles
Temperature:  82 degrees

NASA and SpaceX will provide live coverage of the launch activities beginning Wednesday, May 27 at 12:15 p.m. leading up to the lift off of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelling the SpaceX Crew Dragon carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley on their way to the International Space Station.

Image above: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with Crew Dragon atop, stands poised for launch at historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 25, 2020, ahead of NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission. Image Credit: SpaceX.

NASA and SpaceX will provide joint, live coverage from launch through arrival at the space station at 11:39 a.m. on Thursday, May 28.

This will be SpaceX’s final test flight for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and will provide critical data on the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft, and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking, and landing operations.

Related articles:

NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 Launch Readiness Review Complete
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/nasas-spacex-demo-2-launch-readiness.html

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Brings Extra Hands to Science on the Space Station
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/nasas-commercial-crew-program-brings.html

Related links:

Commercial Crew Program: http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

NASA TV: http://www.nasa.gov/live

International Space Station: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Anna Heiney.

Best regards, Orbiter.ch

Third European Service Module for mission to land astronauts on the Moon

NASA - Orion Crew Vehicle patch.

May 26, 2020

Orion and European Service Module orbiting the Moon

It’s official: when astronauts land on the Moon in 2024 they will get there with help from the European Service Module. The European Space Agency signed a contract with Airbus to build the third European Service Module for NASA’s Orion spacecraft that will ferry the next astronauts to land on the Moon.

Orion and European Service Module over the Moon

NASA’s Artemis programme is returning humans to the Moon with ESA’s European Service Module supplying everything needed to keep the astronauts alive on their trip in the crew module – water, air, propulsion, electricity, a comfortable temperature as well as acting as the chassis of the spacecraft.

The third Artemis mission will fly astronauts to Earth’s natural satellite in 2024 – the first to land on the Moon since Apollo 17 following a hiatus of more than 50 years.

European Service Module 3

ESA’s director of Human and Robotic Exploration David Parker said: “By entering into this agreement, we are again demonstrating that Europe is a strong and reliable partner in Artemis. The European Service Module represents a crucial contribution to this, allowing scientific research, development of key technologies and international cooperation – inspiring missions that expand humankind’s presence beyond Low Earth Orbit.”

European Service Module 2 assembly

Over 20 000 parts and components are used in each European Service Module, from electrical equipment to engines, solar panels, fuel tanks and life-support elements for the astronauts, as well as approximately 12 kilometres of cables.

“Our know-how and expertise will enable us to continue to facilitate future Moon missions through international partnerships,” says Andreas Hammer, Head of Space Exploration at Airbus. “By working together with our customers ESA and NASA as well as our industrial partner Lockheed Martin, we now have a reliable planning basis for the first three lunar missions. This contract is an endorsement of the joint approach combining the best of European and American space technologies.”

Orion at Kennedy Space Center

Development and construction drew on experience building the Automated Transfer Vehicles that flew to the International Space Station with regular deliveries of test equipment, spare parts, food, air, water and fuel.

Orion: dimensions

Orion is the size of a small house with the European Service Module taking up the first floor at four meters in diameter and height. It has four solar wings that extend 19 m across to generate enough energy to power two households. It carries 8.6 tonnes of fuel to power Orion’s main engine and 32 smaller thrusters that will keep it on course to the Moon and power the return home to Earth.

Powered to the Moon

The first European Service Module is being handed over to NASA at their Kennedy Space Center for an uncrewed launch next year, and the second is in production at the Airbus integration hall in Bremen, Germany.

Related articles:

Last stop before launch: Orion passes tests and returns to Kennedy Space Center
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/03/last-stop-before-launch-orion-passes.html

Europe powers up for third and fourth Orion spacecraft
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/12/europe-powers-up-for-third-and-fourth.html

Third European service module for Orion to ferry astronauts on Moon landing
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2019/07/third-european-service-module-for-orion.html

Goodbye Europe, hello Moon: European Module ships soon
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2018/10/goodbye-europe-hello-moon-european.html

European-Built Service Module Arrives in U.S. for First Orion Moon Mission
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2018/11/european-built-service-module-arrives.html

The road to Orion’s launch
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-road-to-orions-launch.html

Orion - European Service Module
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2015/12/orion-european-service-module.html

Related links:

Orion: http://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Orion

European Service Module-2 (ESM-2): https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Orion/European_Service_Module

Artemis: https://www.nasa.gov/artemis

Images, Video, Text, Credits: NASA/Rad Sinyak/ESA/K. Oldenburg/ATG Medialab/Airbus.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 Launch Readiness Review Complete

NASA & SpaceX - First Crewed Flight DM-2 patch.

May 25, 2020

NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 Launch Readiness Review Complete; Media Teleconference at 6 p.m. EDT

The Launch Readiness Review for NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission has concluded at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA and SpaceX key managers have given the “go” for launch on a mission that will return human spaceflight to the International Space Station from U.S. soil on an American rocket and spacecraft as a part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Image above: NASA astronauts Douglas Hurley (left) and Robert Behnken took part in a dress rehearsal of pre-launch events. Launch of the mission, dubbed Launch America. Image Credit: NASA.

Liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft, carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, at 4:33 p.m. EDT from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A.

A media teleconference is scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT. Live audio of the Demo-2 mission patchteleconference will be streamed at http://www.nasa.gov/live.

Participants are:

    Kathy Lueders, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program
    Kirk Shireman, manager, NASA International Space Station Program
    Hans Koenigsmann, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX
    Norm Knight, deputy director, Flight Operations, NASA Johnson Space Center
    Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron

Demo-2 will be SpaceX’s final test flight to validate its crew transportation system, including the Crew Dragon, Falcon 9, launch pad and operations capabilities. During the mission, the crew and SpaceX mission controllers will verify the performance of the spacecraft’s environmental control system, displays and control system, maneuvering thrusters, autonomous docking capability, and more.

SpaceX Demo-2 Falcon 9 getting ready to launch Crew Dragon

Behnken and Hurley will join the Expedition 63 crew on the station to conduct important research as well as support station operations and maintenance. While docked to the station, the crew will run tests to ensure the Crew Dragon spacecraft is capable on future missions of remaining connected to the station for up to 210 days. The specific duration for this mission will be determined after arrival based on the readiness of the next commercial crew launch. Finally, the mission will conclude with the Crew Dragon undocking from the station, deorbiting and returning Behnken and Hurley to Earth with a safe splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean.

Related article:

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Brings Extra Hands to Science on the Space Station
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/nasas-commercial-crew-program-brings.html

Related links:

Commercial Crew Program: http://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

SpaceX: https://www.spacex.com/

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Image (mentioned), Video, Text, Credits: NASA/James Cawley/SpaceX/SciNews.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

Galactic crash may have triggered Solar System formation

ESA - Gaia Mission patch.

May 25, 2020

The formation of the Sun, the Solar System and the subsequent emergence of life on Earth may be a consequence of a collision between our galaxy, the Milky Way, and a smaller galaxy called Sagittarius, discovered in the 1990s to be orbiting our galactic home.

Collisions with Sagittarius trigger star formation in Milky Way

Astronomers have known that Sagittarius repeatedly smashes through the Milky Way’s disc, as its orbit around the galaxy’s core tightens as a result of gravitational forces. Previous studies suggested that Sagittarius, a so called dwarf galaxy, had had a profound effect on how stars move in the Milky Way. Some even claim that the 10 000 times more massive Milky Way’s trademark spiral structure might be a result of the at least three known crashes with Sagittarius over the past six billion years.

A new study, based on data gathered by ESA’s galaxy mapping powerhouse Gaia, revealed for the first time that the influence of Sagittarius on the Milky Way may be even more substantial. The ripples caused by the collisions seem to have triggered major star formation episodes, one of which roughly coincided with the time of the formation of the Sun some 4.7 billion years ago.

“It is known from existing models that Sagittarius fell into the Milky Way three times – first about five or six billion years ago, then about two billion years ago, and finally one billion year ago,” says Tomás Ruiz-Lara, a researcher in Astrophysics at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) in Tenerife, Spain, and lead author of the new study published in Nature Astronomy.

“When we looked into the Gaia data about the Milky Way, we found three periods of increased star formation that peaked 5.7 billion years ago, 1.9 billion years ago and 1 billion years ago, corresponding with the time when Sagittarius is believed to have passed through the disc of the Milky Way.”

Ripples on the water

Sagittarius collisions trigger star formation in Milky Way

The researchers looked at luminosities, distances and colours of stars within a sphere of about 6500 light years around the Sun and compared the data with existing stellar evolution models. According to Tomás, the notion that the dwarf galaxy may have had such an effect makes a lot of sense.

“At the beginning you have a galaxy, the Milky Way, which is relatively quiet,” Tomás says. “After an initial violent epoch of star formation, partly triggered by an earlier merger as we described in a previous study, the Milky Way had reached a balanced state in which stars were forming steadily. Suddenly, you have Sagittarius fall in and disrupt the equilibrium, causing all the previously still gas and dust inside the larger galaxy to slosh around like ripples on the water.”

In some areas of the Milky Way, these ripples would lead to higher concentrations of dust and gas, while emptying others. The high density of material in those areas would then trigger the formation of new stars.

“It seems that not only did Sagittarius shape the structure and influenced the dynamics of how stars are moving in the Milky Way, it has also led to a build-up of the Milky Way,” says Carme Gallart, a co-author of the paper, also of the IAC. “It seems that an important part of the Milky Way’s stellar mass was formed due to the interactions with Sagittarius and wouldn’t exist otherwise.”

The birth of the Sun
 

Dwarf galaxy collisions make stars form in Milky Way

In fact, it seems possible that even the Sun and its planets would not have existed if the Sagittarius dwarf had not gotten trapped by the gravitational pull of the Milky Way and eventually smashed through its disc.

“The Sun formed at the time when stars were forming in the Milky Way because of the first passage of Sagittarius,” says Carme. “We don’t know if the particular cloud of gas and dust that turned into the Sun collapsed because of the effects of Sagittarius or not. But it is a possible scenario because the age of the Sun is consistent with a star formed as a result of the Sagittarius effect.”

Every collision stripped Sagittarius of some of its gas and dust, leaving the galaxy smaller after each passage. Existing data suggest that Sagittarius might have passed through the Milky Way’s disc again quite recently, in the last few hundred million years, and is currently very close to it. In fact, the new study found  of a recent burst of star formation, suggesting a possible new and ongoing wave of stellar birth.

Gaia

According to ESA Gaia project scientist Timo Prusti, such detailed insights into the Milky Way’s star formation history wouldn’t be possible before Gaia, the star-mapping telescope launched in late 2013, whose two data releases in 2016 and 2018 revolutionised the study of the Milky Way.

“Some determinations of star formation history in the Milky Way existed before based on data from ESA’s early 1990s Hipparcos mission,” says Timo. “But these observations were focused on the immediate neighbourhood of the Sun. It wasn’t really representative and so it couldn’t uncover those bursts in star formation that we see now.

“This is really the first time that we see a detailed star formation history of the Milky Way. It’s a testament to the scientific power of Gaia that we have seen manifest again and again in countless ground-breaking studies in a period of only a couple of years.”

More information:

“The recurrent impact of the Sagittarius dwarf on the Milky Way star formation history” by T. Ruiz-Lara et al is published in Nature Astronomy.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1097-0

Related links:

Gaia: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia

Previous study in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-019-0829-5

Hipparcos: https://sci.esa.int/web/hipparcos/

Animations, Image, Video, Text, Credits: ESA/Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias/Carme Gallart/Tomás Ruiz-Lara/Gabriel Pérez Díaz, SMM (IAC).

Best regards, Orbiter.ch

Japan’s Resupply Ship Installed on Station’s Harmony Module

JAXA - H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-9) patch.

May 25, 2020

The unpiloted Japanese cargo spacecraft was installed this morning at 10:46 a.m. EDT to the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Harmony module, where it will remain for two months. Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA, with assistance from Russian Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos, operated the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm from the station’s cupola and grappled the 12-ton spacecraft.

Image above: May 25, 2020: International Space Station Configuration. Four spaceships are parked at the space station including the HTV-9 resupply ship from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Russia’s Progress 74 and 75 resupply ships and Soyuz MS-16 crew ship. Image Credit: NASA.

Among the four tons of cargo aboard the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) unpiloted H-II Transport Vehicle-9 (HTV-9) were investigations testing a new livestreaming educational tool, microscope and telescope. Learn more about the science experiments and technology heading to station on related articles bellow.

HTV-9 berthing

For almost 20 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. As a global endeavor, 239 people from 19 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 2,800 research investigations from researchers in 108 countries.

Related articles:

Canadian Robotic Arm Captures Japanese Space Freighter
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/canadian-robotic-arm-captures-japanese.html

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Brings Extra Hands to Science on the Space Station
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/nasas-commercial-crew-program-brings.html

JAXA HTV-9 Spacecraft Carries Science, Technology to the International Space Station
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/jaxa-htv-9-spacecraft-carries-science.html

Related links:

Expedition 63: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition63/index.html

Canadarm2: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/mobile-servicing-system.html

Space Station Research and Technology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/overview.html

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Image (mentioned), Video, Text, Credits: NASA/Mark Garcia/NASA TV/SciNews.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch

Canadian Robotic Arm Captures Japanese Space Freighter

JAXA - H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-9) patch.

May 25, 2020

Image above: Japan’s HTV-9 resupply ship is pictured in the grips of the Canadarm2 robotic arm after it was captured at 8:13 a.m. EDT on May 25, 2020. Image Credit: NASA TV.

After a five-day journey, the H-II Transport Vehicle-9 (HTV-9) was captured by Expedition 63 Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA using the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm from the station’s cupola to grapple the 12-ton spacecraft.

HTV-9 capture

Coverage of HTV-9’s final installation will begin at 9:30 a.m. EDT when flight controllers in mission control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will take over robotic arm operations and berth HTV-9 to the Earth-facing port of the station’s Harmony module, where it will remain for two months.

Related articles:

Expedition 63 Awaits Japanese Cargo and American Crew
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/expedition-63-awaits-japanese-cargo-and.html

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program Brings Extra Hands to Science on the Space Station
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/nasas-commercial-crew-program-brings.html

JAXA HTV-9 Spacecraft Carries Science, Technology to the International Space Station
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/05/jaxa-htv-9-spacecraft-carries-science.html

Related links:

Expedition 63: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition63/index.html

Canadarm2: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/structure/elements/mobile-servicing-system.html

Space Station Research and Technology: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/overview.html

International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Image (mentioned), Video, Text, Credits: NASA/Mark Garcia/NASA TV/SciNews.

Best regards, Orbiter.ch

China to launch probe to Mars in July

CNSA - Tianwen-1 (天問-1) Mission to Mars logo.

May 25, 2020

The Chinese mission, dubbed “Tianwen”, must place a probe in Martian orbit, make it land on the red planet and control a robot on its surface.

China plans to launch a probe and a small remote-controlled robot to Mars in July, its first mission to the Red Planet, the project promoter announced. The country is investing billions of euros in its space program: it launches satellites, plans to send men to the Moon, and has just launched in May a new spacecraft.

Image above: The planet Mars seen from the Hubble space telescope in 2016. Image Credits: NASA/ESA/Hubble.

"Our goal was to send the probe to Mars sometime in 2020," said the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). "This major project is progressing as planned and we are targeting a launch in July," she said in a statement on Sunday. It would take seven months to cover the distance from Earth to Mars and the Chinese probe will not reach its destination before 2021. The distance is constantly changing but is at least 55 million km.

Called "Tianwen" ("Questions in heaven"), the Chinese mission has three objectives: to place a probe in Martian orbit, to make it land on the red planet, then to remote-control a robot on the surface to conduct analyzes.

Several countries vying

China has already carried out a similar operation on the Moon, where it deposited in 2013 a small remote-controlled "rover" with wheels (baptized "Jade rabbit"), then its successor in January 2019 (on the hidden side of the star lunar, a world first).

Tianwen-1 (天問-1) Mars lander. Image Credit: CNSA

The Asian country is not alone in the niche of Martian missions. The United States, which has already sent four exploratory vehicles to Mars, is due to launch its fifth (called “Perseverance”) between June and August. It should arrive around February 2021. The United Arab Emirates will launch on July 15 the first Arab probe in the direction of the red planet, from Japan.

However, the Russian-European ExoMars mission, victim of technical difficulties aggravated by the Covid-19 epidemic and which hoped to launch a robot towards Mars this summer, has been postponed to 2022.

Related articles:

Tianwen-1 will be China’s first Mars mission
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2020/04/tianwen-1-will-be-chinas-first-mars.html

China unveils rover that it will send to Mars
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2016/08/china-unveils-rover-that-it-will-send.html

For more information about China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), visit: http://english.spacechina.com/n16421/index.html

For more information about China National Space Administration (CNSA), visit: http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/

Image (mentioned), Text, Credits: AFP/CASC/CNSA/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch