SLOW-SCAN TV TRANSMISSIONS FROM ISS SET FOR DECEMBER 1 – 2 - Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station (ISS) plan to transmit slow-scan TV (SSTV) images on December 1 – 2 on 145.800 MHz FM using SSTV mode PD120. The transmissions from RS0ISS will be part of the Moscow Aviation Institute SSTV experiment (MAI-75) and will originate in the Russian ISS Service Module (Zvezda) using a Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver. Transmissions are scheduled for December 1 from 1210 – 1910 UTC and December 2 from 1140 – 1720 UTC. Dates and times are subject to change. More (Source: ARRL - Dec 1)
SPACE FORCE OFFICIAL: SATELLITES IN ORBIT HAVE BECOME PAWNS IN GEOPOLITICAL CHESS GAMES - China and Russia for decades have watched the United States display its military power, much of it enabled by satellites in space. China’s recent demonstration of an orbital hypersonic weapon and Russia blowing up a satellite in orbit are expected countermoves, said Space Force deputy chief of operations Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman. What is happening in space is a “natural consequence” of how military powers historically behave as they try to gain a leg up on adversaries, Saltzman said Nov. 29 during a Mitchell Institute online event. More (Source: SpaceNews - Nov 30)
RUSSIA ISSUES THREAT TO GPS SATELLITES - The Kremlin warned it could blow up 32 GPS satellites with its new anti-satellite technology, ASAT, which it tested Nov. 15 on a retired Soviet Tselina-D satellite, according to numerous news reports. Russia then claimed on state television that its new ASAT missiles could obliterate NATO satellites and “blind all their missiles, planes and ships, not to mention the ground forces,” said Russian Channel One TV host Dmitry Kiselyov, rendering the West’s GPS-guided missiles useless. “It means that if NATO crosses our red line, it risks losing all 32 of its GPS satellites at once.” More (Source: GPS World - Nov 30)
ASTRONAUT SPACEWALK TO REPLACE FAULTY SPACE STATION ANTENNA - A pair of NASA astronauts -- a veteran and a first-time space flyer -- are to venture outside the International Space Station on Tuesday to replace a broken antenna that helps the crew in space communicate with Earth. Thomas Marshburn, 61, and Kayla Barron, 34, will don spacesuits and exit the space station about 7:10 a.m. EST for some 6 1/2 hours, according to NASA's description. More (Source: UPI - Nov 30)
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SHINES IN GORGEOUS FLY-AROUND PHOTOS BY CREW DRAGON ASTRONAUTS - It's been a decade since we've seen photos like these of the International Space Station. On Nov. 8, the Crew Dragon capsule Endeavour, carrying the four astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-2 mission, departed the orbiting lab after a 6.5-month stay. Endeavour didn't head directly home to Earth, however; it first performed a complete, 360-degree fly-around of the ISS, a maneuver not performed by a crewed spacecraft since NASA's space shuttle fleet retired in 2011. More (Source: Space.com - Nov 30)
NASA GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO FUEL JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE - NASA engineers have cleared teams at the Guiana Space Center in South America to begin loading 63 gallons of fuel and oxidizer into the James Webb Space Telescope, after extra testing showed the observatory suffered no damage during a processing incident in the clean room earlier this month. During a “consent to fuel” review held Wednesday, Nov. 24, mission managers gave approval to begin the propellant loading process at the French Guiana spaceport the following day. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 29)
CHINA SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES TACTICAL MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE - Continuing a recent streak, Friday saw the fourth successful orbital launch from China in one week. This time, the Zhongxing-1D (ChinaSat-1D) satellite was inserted into orbit by a Chang Zheng 3B rocket launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The ChinaSat (Zhongxing) series of satellites, built by the state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), fall under the communications category. The ChinaSat-1 series is specifically designed for military communications, with the first of this type launched in 2011. More (Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Nov 29)
RUSSIAN NODE MODULE DOCKS WITH INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - Russia’s Prichal docking module linked up with the International Space Station Friday, adding the final planned piece of the Russian segment of the outpost to provide a new connection for future crew and cargo ships. The spherical, ball-shaped docking node launched Wednesday at 8:06:35 a.m. EST (1306:35 GMT) on top of a Russian Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 29)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION CREW - Aboard the International Space Station, NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei, Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn and Kayla Barron and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer shared their thoughts about spending Thanksgiving in orbit and the foods they plan to enjoy. Vande Hei is in the midst of a year-long mission, while Chari, Marshburn, Barron and Maurer arrived on the space station Nov. 11 for a planned six-month mission. More (Source: SpaceRef - Nov 26)
Previous Next
