WITH BUDGET CUTS AND AN AGING STATION, CAN NASA LEARN TO LOVE A GAP IN ORBIT? - Just in case you were under any illusions about the age of the International Space Station, Monday marked the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Zarya module. This Russian-built power and propulsion module formed the cornerstone of the space station, and the first residents arrived two years later. In other words, some hardware on the space station has now been in the harsh environment of outer space for a quarter of a century. Questions about how long it can last are, increasingly, more than theoretical.   More
(Source: Ars Technica - Nov 22)

NORTH KOREA TELLS JAPAN IT PLANS TO LAUNCH SATELLITE IN THE COMING DAYS - North Korea has notified Japan it plans to launch a satellite between Wednesday and Dec. 1, in what Tokyo and Seoul said could be a third attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit in violation of a U.N. ban. Japan's Coast Guard said on Tuesday the North gave notice of the launch in the direction of the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. South Korea's state maritime safety agency issued a warning to vessels of the planned launch for the same areas as previous launches.   More
(Source: Reuters - Nov 21)

TODAY IN HISTORY: INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TURNS 25 - In a remarkable celebration of human achievement and collaboration, today marks the 25th anniversary of the launch of the "International Space Station" (ISS), the largest man-made object in the solar system. Since its launch on November 20, 1998, the "ISS" has stood as a testament to the power of international cooperation and has played a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of space, microgravity, and fostering groundbreaking scientific research.   More
(Source: Times of India - Nov 21)

SPACEX FALCON 9 LAUNCHES 22 STARLINK SATELLITES FROM CALIFORNIA - SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from the West Coast with another batch of 22 Starlink satellites at 2:30 a.m. PST Monday (5:30 a.m. EST / 1030 UTC). On this 55th Starlink delivery mission of the year, the Falcon 9 headed in a south-easterly direction after lifting off from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California targeting a 183×178 mile (295×286 km) orbit, inclined at 53 degrees to the equator.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 21)

NASA STILL STUDYING ORION HEAT SHIELD EROSION FROM ARTEMIS 1 - A year after the launch of the Artemis 1 mission, NASA is continuing to study the performance of the heat shield on the Orion spacecraft, a review that may take several more months to complete. Jim Free, NASA associate administrator for exploration systems development, said at a Nov. 17 meeting of the NASA Advisory Council’s human exploration and operations committee that Artemis 2 remained on schedule for launch on the Orion spacecraft’s first crewed mission late next year, but that NASA would not proceed until it was sure it understood the problem and made any changes.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Nov 20)

SPACEX LAUNCHES 23 STARLINK SATELLITES ON 1ST OF BACK-TO-BACK MISSIONS THIS WEEKEND - SpaceX launched 23 Starlink internet satellites from Florida on Saturday (Nov. 18), on the first of two planned Starlink missions this weekend. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 12:05 a.m. EST (0500 GMT). The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth for a vertical landing about 8.5 minutes after launch on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.   More
(Source: Space.com - Nov 19)

SPACEX LAUNCH ATTEMPT ENDS IN LOSS OF MOST POWERFUL ROCKET EVER BUILT - To say that space is a challenging environment is putting it lightly. During a recent spacewalk outside the International Space Station, a tool bag got away from NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara. The bag has gone into orbit around Earth and may be visible through binoculars until it disintegrates in our planet’s atmosphere. Meanwhile, Mars and Earth are now orbiting on the opposite sides of the sun, temporarily disrupting communications between NASA and its robotic explorers investigating the red planet.   More
(Source: CNN - Nov 19)

SPACEX POISED TO LAUNCH 22 STARLINK SATELLITES EARLY NOV. 20 - SpaceX plans to launch 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites from California early on Monday morning (Nov. 20). A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Monday during a four-hour window that opens at 1:33 a.m. EST (0633 GMT; 10:33 p.m. on Nov. 19 local California time). You can watch the action live via SpaceX's account on X (formerly known as Twitter). Coverage will begin about five minutes before launch.   More
(Source: Space.com - Nov 19)

SPACEX TO LAUNCH FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM CAPE CANAVERAL WITH 23 STARLINK SATELLITES - A Falcon 9 rocket is to launch tonight with another batch of satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink internet service. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is planned for 12:05 a.m. EDT (0505 UTC). The 45th Weather Squadron in a forecast issued Thursday, predicted a 60-percent chance of acceptable conditions for launch. After days of wet and windy weather, skies cleared briefly Friday before foggy conditions descended on the Space Coast after sunset. If necessary there are as many as five additional launch opportunities Friday night into Saturday morning. The last of which is at 2:59 a.m. EST (0759 UTC).   More
(Source: - Nov 18)

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