SCIENTISTS RACE TO MAP DANGEROUS ULTRASMALL SPACE JUNK - An ambitious U.S. government program is working to detect and track millions of tiny space junk pieces—down to the size of a sand grain—throughout low-Earth orbit and beyond. The U.S. Air Force monitors roughly 25,000 pieces of trash in low-Earth orbit (LEO), the busiest and most crowded region, which encompasses orbits of 2,000 kilometers or less in altitude. Current telescopes and radar technology limit the smallest trackable pieces to approximately 10 centimeters across, about the size of a bagel.   More
(Source: Scientific American - Jul 31)

ROCKET LAB STANDS DOWN FROM SYNSPECTIVE’S SAR JULY 30 LAUNCH DUE TO WEATHER - Launch preparations are progressing well for our mission, but Mission Control is keeping a close eye on a band of heavy rain and thick cloud heading its way to the launch site. Weather POV currently = 60%. Then later the mission is in stand down. With an increased POV of ~80%, we’re standing down from today’s launch attempt due to weather. Details to come on our new target launch date.   More
(Source: SatNews - Jul 31)

ULA LAUNCHES ATLAS 5 ROCKET ON THE COMPANY’S 100TH NATIONAL SECURITY MISSION - United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket marked its swan song when it comes to launching critical missions connected to U.S. national security. A launch at dawn sent up a classified payload as part of the United States Space Force-51 (USSF-51) mission, marking the 100th such operation for ULA. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) happened Tuesday, July 30, 6:45 a.m. EDT (1045 UTC), the opening of a three-hour launch window. ULA had a smooth countdown with no hiccups during the fueling process.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 31)

BOEING'S STARLINER TESTS THRUSTERS AT ISS AS NASA REVIEWS OPTIONS FOR ASTRONAUTS' RETURN TO EARTH - The first Boeing Starliner to fly astronauts to space performed a crucial in-space test Saturday (July 27) as the next mission faces a months-long delay. Engineers tested Starliner's reaction control system (RCS) thrusters to prepare for a wider agency review that will evaluate the spacecraft's readiness for landing NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams sometime in August, if all goes to plan.   More
(Source: Space.com - Jul 31)

SIERRA SPACE WON'T STOP BLOWING UP INFLATABLE SPACE STATION MODULES - Sierra Space has announced the completion of another full-scale burst test in which the company exploded one of its inflatable modules being developed as part of efforts to build a commercial space station. Sierra Space's "Ultimate Burst Pressure test" was conducted on June 18, 2024 and involved an inflatable space station module built to full scale at more than 20 feet tall (6 meters). The test unit, which compares to the size of a typical family home, is about one-third the volume of the International Space Station (ISS) at 10,600 cubic feet (300 cubic meters) and has enough room to house four astronauts, plus exercise and scientific equipment, Sierra Space says.   More
(Source: Space.com - Jul 30)

FAILED NORTH KOREA SATELLITE LAUNCH ENGINE POINTS TO RUSSIAN ROLE, SAY SOUTH KOREAN LAWMAKERS - North Korea appears to have received assistance from Russia for its failed attempt in May to launch a reconnaissance satellite, South Korean lawmakers said on Monday, citing the country's spy agency. North Korea had said it used a new "liquid oxygen and petroleum engine" in the satellite, which exploded minutes after lift-off. But Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS) told lawmakers that there were no signs of North Korea having developed such an engine, and it was possibly from Russia.   More
(Source: Reuters - Jul 30)

SPACEX COMPLETES 300TH BOOSTER REFLIGHT DURING FIRST OF PLANNED BACK-TO-BACK FALCON 9 LAUNCHES - SpaceX continued its post-mishap resurgence with the first of planned back-to-back launches in the early morning hours of Sunday. It staged two of its Falcon 9 rockets to launch from its pads in both Florida and California. First up was the Starlink 10-4 mission, which added a batch of 23 Starlink Version 2 Mini satellites to its growing mega-constellation. Liftoff happened at 1:09 a.m. EDT (0509 UTC). This was also the 300th launch of a flight-proven booster for SpaceX.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 29)

SPACEX LAUNCHED 21 STARLINK SATELLITES ON FALCON 9 ROCKET FROM VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE - Hours after a successful liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, SpaceX completed a second Falcon 9 flight, this time from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Liftoff of the Starlink 9-4 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) happened at 2:22 a.m. PDT (5:22 a.m. EDT, 0922 UTC).   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 29)

ISS ASTRONAUT CAPTURES AURORAS AND A METEOR IN STUNNING TIMELAPSE FROM SPACE - Auroras, stars and a fleeting meteor are captured in a mesmerizing new video from the International Space Station. NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, commander of the SpaceX Crew-8 mission, shared a new timelapse of photos taken of Earth just before sunrise. This nighttime view includes auroras dancing through Earth's atmosphere, glittering stars, passing satellites and a brief meteor streak.   More
(Source: Space.com - Jul 28)

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