SPACEX STARLINK SATELLITE SPARKS BRILLIANT FIREBALL AS IT FALLS FROM SPACE OVER US - A SpaceX Starlink internet satellite fell from space in a blaze of glory overnight, lighting up the Midwest U.S. sky with a brilliant fireball. Stargazers across parts of Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois witnessed the Starlink satellite's fiery demise as it burned up in Earth's atmosphere late Tuesday (Jan. 28) and were quick to share videos of the sight. More (Source: Space.com - Jan 30)
CREW PREPS FOR THURSDAY SPACEWALK AND WORKS SPACE GARDENING - Spacewalk preparations and space gardening were the main duties aboard the International Space Station on Tuesday. The seven Expedition 72 crewmates also serviced electronics systems and packed a cargo craft for its upcoming departure. Commander Suni Williams and Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore began their day with standard health checks required for astronauts getting ready for a spacewalk. The duo checked vital signs including temperature, blood pressure, and breathing rate then transferred the data to a tablet computer for review by doctors on the ground. More (Source: NASA - Jan 29)
MUSK: PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS FOR FAST-TRACK RETURN TO EARTH OF THE FORMER STARLINER ASTRONAUTS - In a late afternoon post to X, SpaceX founder Elon Musk stirred up some confusion and consternation among the space community. Without any indication ahead of time, Musk suggested that the Crew Dragon capsule, named ‘Freedom,’ may make an early departure from the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams onboard. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jan 29)
THE CSO-3 SATELLITE LAUNCH BY ARIANESPACE FOR FRANCE’S DGA AND CNES ON BEHALF OF THE FRENCH AIR AND SPACE FORCE’S SPACE COMMAND (CDE) IS SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 26, 2025 - On February 26, 2025 at 1:24 p.m. local time (4:24 p.m. UTC, 5:24 p.m. CET), Arianespace will launch the CSO-3 satellite with Ariane 6 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The mission, called VA263, will be the first commercial flight for Ariane 6, the new European heavy-lift launcher. It will place its passenger, the CSO-3 satellite, into Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) at an altitude of around 800 km. Spacecraft separation will occur 1 hour and 6 minutes after lift-off. More (Source: Arianespace - Jan 29)
SPACEX LAUNCHES 21 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - SpaceX sent its latest batch of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit Monday late afternoon. Among the 21 V2 Mini satellites were 13 that feature Direct to Cell capabilities. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket on the Starlink 12-7 mission from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 5:05 p.m. EST (2205 UTC). More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jan 28)
SWARM SATELLITES USE MAGNETIC SIGNALS TO REVEAL EARTH’S HIDDEN OCEAN MYSTERIES - ESA’s Swarm mission, utilizing the faint magnetic signals generated by Earth’s ocean tides, offers groundbreaking insights into undersea magma distribution and potential changes in global ocean temperatures and salinity. These discoveries, revealed by a long-standing satellite constellation originally launched in 2013, have provided unparalleled data that could transform our understanding of the Earth’s underwater dynamics and its geomagnetic field influences. More (Source: SciTechDaily - Jan 27)
ASTRONOMERS SEEK GLOBAL BAN ON SPACE ADVERTISING - Astronomers are calling on nations to ban advertising in space that can be seen from the ground, calling it the latest threat to the dark and quiet sky. At a briefing during the 245th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society earlier this month, the organization rolled out a statement calling for bans on “obtrusive space advertising” because of the interference it could cause for groundbased astronomy. More (Source: SpaceNews - Jan 26)
CHINESE ROCKET BOOSTER FALLS TO EARTH, EXPLODES NEAR HOME - China successfully launched a classified satellite on Thursday (Jan. 23), but a spent booster from the mission fell shockingly close to a family home. The TJS-14 satellite launched on a Long March 3B rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Thursday at 10:32 a.m. EST (1532 GMT; 11:32 p.m. local time). The satellite is safely on its way to geostationary orbit, but one of the rocket's four strap-on side boosters fell to Earth in a populated area of Zhenyuan County in Guizhou province. More (Source: Space.com - Jan 26)
SPACEWALKS RESUME FROM U.S. SEGMENT OF ISS AFTER SIX MONTH HIATUS - The International Space Station (ISS) kicked off 2025 with a long-awaited return to extravehicular activity (EVA) spacewalk activities from the U.S. segment of the ISS. These spacewalks were sharply curtailed in 2024 due to issues with the aging Space Shuttle-era Extravehicular Mobility Unit suits. More (Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Jan 26)
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