ISS GETS A NEW DOCKING PORT FOR FUTURE SPACESHIPS - Commercial crew vehicles now have a second parking spot at the International Space Station (ISS). Two NASA astronauts successfully installed a new docking adapter Wednesday for incoming SpaceX and Boeing vehicles that may arrive with crew as early as this year.   More
(Source: Astronomy Magazine - Aug 23)

RUSSIA LAUNCHES HUMANOID ROBOT 'FYODOR' TO SPACE STATION ON RARE SOYUZ TEST FLIGHT - Call it one giant leap for a robot. Russia has launched a humanoid robot named "Fyodor" to the International Space Station on the first uncrewed Soyuz spacecraft ever to visit the orbiting laboratory. The Soyuz capsule — which typically carries a crew of three into space — lifted off with food, supplies and the Skybot F-850 robot from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan late Wednesday (Aug. 21) at 11:38 p.m. EDT (0338 Aug. 22 GMT) It was 8:38 a.m. Thursday local time at the launch site.    More
(Source: Space.com - Aug 22)

ULA SET TO LAUNCH 2ND GPS III SATELLITE FOR US AIR FORCE - A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket is in final preparations to launch the second Global Positioning System III (GPS III) satellite, nicknamed Magellan, for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. The launch is planned for Aug. 22 at Space Launch Complex-37 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.   More
(Source: Via Satellite - Aug 22)

50 YEARS AFTER HURRICANE CAMILLE, GOES SATELLITES IMPROVE FORECASTS - In the late evening hours of August 17, 1969, a catastrophic storm named Hurricane Camille slammed into the Gulf Coast. A Category 5 hurricane, with sustained winds of 175 mph and a storm surge of more than 24 feet, Camille devastated much of coastal Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. More than 250 people lost their lives and damage was estimated at about $10 billion in 2019 dollars.   More
(Source: WeatherNation - Aug 21)

NASA TV COVERAGE OF UNCREWED SOYUZ MISSION TO SPACE STATION - An uncrewed Russian Soyuz spacecraft is set to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at 11:38 p.m. EDT (8:38 a.m. Aug. 22 Baikonur time) on a test flight to validate the spacecraft’s compatibility with a revamped Soyuz booster rocket. The booster will be used to transport crews to the International Space Station beginning in spring 2020. Live coverage of the launch, docking and undocking of the spacecraft will air on NASA Television and the agency’s website.    More
(Source: Southgate Amateur Radio Club - Aug 21)

IMAGES SUGGEST TEHRAN PREPARING SATELLITE LAUNCH - Iran appears to be preparing another satellite launch after twice failing this year to put one in orbit, despite U.S. accusations that the Islamic Republic’s program helps it develop ballistic missiles. Satellite images of the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Iran’s Semnan Province this month show increased activity at the site, as heightened tensions persist between Washington and Tehran over its collapsing nuclear deal with world powers.   More
(Source: The Japan News - Aug 20)

CHINA JUST LAUNCHED A COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE. IS IT IN TROUBLE? - A Chinese Long March 3B rocket launched a new communications satellite into orbit today (Aug. 19) — but its days might be numbered. After lifting off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China at 8:03 p.m. local time (8:03 a.m. EDT; 1203 GMT), the rocket should have deployed the Zhongxing-18 satellite, also known as Chinasat-18, into orbit about 25 minutes into the mission, according to NASAspaceflight.com. However, more than half a day later, officials have yet to provide an update on the condition of the satellite or whether it separated from the rocket as planned.    More
(Source: Space.com - Aug 20)

ROCKET LAB ELECTRON BOOSTER LAUNCHES 4 SATELLITES INTO ORBIT - The private spaceflight company Rocket Lab launched four new satellites into orbit in a dazzling predawn liftoff for the U.S Air Force Space Command and companies in Seattle and France on Monday (Aug. 19). Rocket Lab's two-stage Electron booster soared into space at 8:12 a.m. EDT (1212 GMT) from the company's Māhia Peninsula launch site in New Zealand, where the local time was 12:12 a.m. Tuesday. The launch was delayed three days due to unacceptably high winds at the launchpad.   More
(Source: Space.com - Aug 19)

SPACEWALKERS NICK HAGUE AND ANDREW MORGAN GET READY FOR FIFTH ISS SPACEWALK OF YEAR ON AUG. 21 - Three NASA astronauts remain focused on preparations for next week’s spacewalk at the International Space Station. The rest of the Expedition 60 focused on biology research and a pair of docked spaceships. Flight Engineer Christina Koch has been supporting spacewalkers Nick Hague and Andrew Morgan, as they get ready for the fifth spacewalk of the year on Aug. 21.   More
(Source: SpaceCoastDaily.com - Aug 19)

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