SATELLITES CAPTURES UNIQUE IMAGE OF SPACE JUNK - Astroscale's ADRAS-J satellite, launched by a Rocket Lab Electron rocket in February 2024, captured close-up images of a discarded 11-meter-long (36 feet) H-2A rocket upper stage that has been orbiting Earth for nearly 20 years as part of JAXA's CRD2 program, marking a world first. Satellites in Earth's orbit are equipped with cameras that can capture images of space debris, including large pieces of abandoned rockets and other discarded objects, allowing companies like Astroscale to analyze their condition and plan for safe removal.   More
(Source: Israel Hayom - Jun 21)

MEGACONSTELLATIONS OF SATELLITES ARE BURNING UP IN OUR ATMOSPHERE. THAT COULD HAVE CONSEQUENCES - If, on a clear night, you were to gaze up into the blackness of the sky, you would expect to see nothing but the magnificent Milky Way stretching out above you, billions of stars twinkling in place. Instead, every few minutes or so, you will most likely also see an ersatz star breaking through an otherwise static sky, silently moving across the stars. These are satellites, and there are thousands of them in orbit. When they've outlived their usefulness, most of them will come tumbling back down through Earth's atmosphere, burning up.    More
(Source: CBC - Jun 21)

FIRST CREW OF BOEING STARLINER TO REMAIN AT ISS UNTIL LATE JUNE - Wilmore and Williams arrived at the ISS on June 6, one day after launching from the U.S. spaceport in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Their scheduled docking with the space station was delayed when five of its 28 maneuvering thrusters failed as it approached the orbital outpost. The spacecraft has also experienced a series of helium leaks during the mission. Both problems are located in Starliner’s service module, which is located underneath the capsule. The service module will separate from the capsule and burn up in the atmosphere during re-entry phase, meaning engineers will not be able to get a hands-on look at the module to determine the cause of the problems.    More
(Source: VOA - Jun 20)

NASA RESCHEDULES ISS SPACEWALK AFTER ASTRONAUT EXPERIENCES 'SPACESUIT DISCOMFORT' - NASA has picked a new date for the spacewalk that was postponed last weekend due to "spacesuit discomfort." NASA astronauts Tracy Dyson and Matt Dominick were set to perform the International Space Station's (ISS) 90th extravehicular activity (EVA 90) on June 13, and had already been outfitted with the majority of their spacesuits when the cancellation call came through about an hour before egress. "When Matt was suited, he experienced some discomfort in the suit," said NASA's ISS program manager Dana Weigel, during a press call Tuesday (June 18).   More
(Source: Space.com - Jun 19)

NASA EXTENDS STARLINER STAY AT SPACE STATION TO FURTHER ASSESS HELIUM LEAKS AND THRUSTER ISSUES - Boeing's leak-prone Starliner capsule will remain docked to the International Space Station for an additional four days, NASA announced Tuesday, returning to Earth with a pre-dawn landing at White Sands, New Mexico, on June 26 to close out an extended 20-day test flight — the first with astronauts aboard. The additional docked time will give Starliner commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore and co-pilot Sunita Williams more time to help out aboard the station while flight controllers continue scrutinizing telemetry and finalizing plans for re-entry with five known helium leaks in the capsule's propulsion system and unexpected behavior in multiple maneuvering jets.   More
(Source: CBS News - Jun 19)

SPACEX LAUNCHES 20 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE STATION - SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday evening, following the scrub of a planned mission for satellite communications company, SES, from Florida. SpaceX sent another batch of its Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit, which included another 13 with direct to cell (DTC) capabilities. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California happened at 8:40 p.m. PDT (11:40 p.m. EDT, 0340 UTC). This marked the 20th orbital launch from California in 2024 so far.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 19)

NASA SETS LAUNCH COVERAGE FOR NOAA WEATHER SATELLITE - NASA will provide live coverage of prelaunch and launch activities for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite U) mission. The two-hour launch window opens at 5:16 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 25, for the satellite’s launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The GOES-U satellite, the final addition to GOES-R series, will help to prepare for two kinds of weather — Earth and space weather.   More
(Source: NASA - Jun 19)

SPACEX FALCON 9 ROCKET TO LAUNCH SES’S ASTRA 1P TELEVISION SATELLITE FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - SpaceX is preparing to launch a satellite to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) on behalf of one of its oldest customers: Luxembourg-based SES. The prolific launch company aims to bounce back from an unusually quiet period in its launch cadence, accented by a last-second abort as the engines on another one of its Falcon 9 rockets began to fire. Liftoff of the mission is set for 5:35 p.m. EDT (2135 UTC). The mission is set to be the 45th orbital flight from Florida’s Space Coast in 2024.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 18)

ROCKET COMPANY DEVELOPS MASSIVE CATAPULT TO LAUNCH SATELLITES INTO SPACE WITHOUT USING JET FUEL: '10,000 TIMES THE FORCE OF EARTH'S GRAVITY' - A California company has tech that will likely draw attention from the Punkin Chunkin community. That's because SpinLaunch is developing a large rotating arm that uses kinetic energy to fling 440-pound satellites into low orbit, with successful tests already in the books. Importantly, the process doesn't need rocket fuel to work. It's all powered by electricity.   More
(Source: Yahoo - Jun 17)

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