WHY IS RUSSIA LAUNCHING A NEW MODULE TO THE SPACE STATION IF IT’S PULLING OUT? - The Russian space corporation, Roscosmos, released photos on Monday showing the much-anticipated Nauka space station module enclosed in its payload fairing. This will be Russia's first significant addition to the International Space Station in more than a decade, and it will provide the Russians with their first module dedicated primarily to research. "Nauka" means science in Russian. More (Source: Ars Technica - Jun 29)
SCIENTISTS USE SATELLITE DATA TO TRACK OCEAN MICROPLASTICS - Scientists and researchers from the University of Michigan have developed an innovative method to use satellite data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) to track the movement of tiny pieces of plastic in the ocean. Microplastics are formed when plastic trash in the ocean breaks down from the sun's rays and the motion of ocean waves. These small flecks of plastic are harmful to marine organisms and ecosystems. More (Source: Livemint - Jun 29)
A SATELLITE’S IMPENDING FIERY DEMISE SHOWS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO KEEP SPACE CLEAN - Space is vast. But the area around our planet is getting crowded. New technologies and the proliferation of competing rocket companies have made it cheaper to reach low Earth orbit. But more objects in space can also mean more spacecraft-damaging collisions. That could jeopardize satellites that connect rural and underserved areas with broadband, as well as those that take images that help farmers track their crops’ health. More (Source: Los Angeles Times - Jun 28)
ULA, BOEING, AND NASA PREPARE FOR UNCREWED AND CREWED STARLINER FLIGHT TESTS - United Launch Alliance (ULA), Boeing, and NASA have all started their final preparations for the second Orbital Flight Test (OFT-2) for the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft. OFT-2 will demonstrate all of the changes made to the Starliner spacecraft following the partial failure on the first OFT mission in December 2019. Preparations are also underway for the Starliner Crew Flight Test (CFT), including the delivery of the Atlas V rocket to Cape Canaveral, Florida. More (Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Jun 28)
RUSSIA’S SOYUZ LAUNCHES PION-NKS NAVAL INTELLIGENCE SATELLITE - Russia launched the first satellite for its long-delayed next-generation ocean reconnaissance system on Friday. The Pion-NKS No.901 satellite lifted off atop a Soyuz-2-1b carrier rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia at 22:50 Moscow Time (19:50 UTC). Pion-NKS is part of the wider Liana program, aimed at replacing the Soviet-era signals intelligence satellites which Russia previously used to collect and monitor radio signals from low Earth orbit. More (Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Jun 26)
NOAA TO REPLACE GOES17 SATELLITE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced plans June 25 to move its geostationary weather satellite scheduled to launch in December into an operational role “as soon as possible.” NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-T, will replace the GOES-17 satellite in the GOES West position because of problems with the satellite’s main instrument, the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI), according to a NOAA news release. More (Source: SpaceNews - Jun 26)
CHINESE ASTRONAUTS ENJOYING 120 DISHES DURING SPACE STATION STAY - China's Shenzhou 12 astronauts will select their meals from more than 120 dishes during their three-month stay in orbit. Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo arrived at the Tianhe space station module on June 17 and have now accessed supplies aboard the docked Tianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft that launched on May 29. More (Source: Space.com - Jun 26)
WATCH SPACEWALKING ASTRONAUTS ADD A NEW SOLAR ARRAY TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION TODAY - The International Space Station is scheduled to get another power boost today (June 25), and you can watch the solar array deployment live here. NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Thomas Pesquet, an astronaut from the European Space Agency, will exit the Quest airlock around 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT), as long as the last-minute preparations complete on schedule. Starting at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT), you can watch their activities live here in the window above, courtesy of NASA TV, or directly via the agency's website. More (Source: Space.com - Jun 26)
U.S. ARMY SELECTS IRIDIUM TO DEVELOP PAYLOAD FOR LOW EARTH ORBIT SATELLITE NAVIGATION SYSTEM - Iridium Communications announced June 24 it received a U.S. Army contract to develop a payload that could be used to broadcast data such as timing or location signals. The contract, worth up to $30 million, is for research and development work. Iridium will design a small satellite payload to be hosted by an unspecified constellation in low Earth orbit. The payload is intended to support military users who rely on GPS signals for positioning, navigation and timing. More (Source: SpaceNews - Jun 25)
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